Jinyi Spring

In both his past and present lives, Feng Chuchen has always been destined for hard work; he seems to have never had a moment of leisure.

She watched the sun slowly set from overhead, and the clouds on the horizon gradually turned crimson, then deep purple.

Little Momo has woken up and eaten another bowl of minced meat porridge. Now she is happily half-closing her eyes, basking in the sunset.

As the wind grew cooler, Feng Chuchen had Shaoyao carry it back to the living room.

Uncle Qian specially made a small couch. The little guy lay on the couch, looking incredibly happy, humming and cooing like a child being spoiled.

Cephalosporin and Ame were overjoyed to see their baby so pampered, and they wagged their tails more enthusiastically than usual.

After the meal, the candlelight flickered, and the group of people, wolves, a dog, and a bird continued to stare at each other.

Feng Chuchen will stay with Xiao Momo for two more days, and Feng Buji also insisted on staying to accompany his sister, so he asked for two days off.

At the end of the Xu hour (7-9 PM), the night was as dark as ink, and all was silent, when suddenly a sound came from the west gate.

Peony opened the door, and Uncle Qian entered the room and whispered, "Miss, it's Lord Ming."

Uncle Qian's true identity is a secret guard of the Ming government. Due to his advanced age, he has retired and married. Ming Shanyue had him found and brought here.

Feng Chuchen was taken aback, then quickly stood up and said, "Please come in."

Ming Shanyue and Song Xian walked in. They were dressed in ordinary cloth clothes and wore bamboo hats, like traveling merchants traveling at night.

Despite Uncle Qian's warning, Ming Shanyue still stopped in his tracks the moment he saw the wolf.

Inside the house, two tall wolves suddenly stood up, their muscles tense, emitting a low, threatening growl from their throats, their four eyes glowing with an eerie green light, as if they were about to pounce and bite off the person's neck at any moment.

Feng Chuchen quickly said, "Don't be afraid, we're on the same side."

Feng Buji and Wang Shuping, one on each side, gently patted the backs of the two wolves with their small hands, whispering words of comfort.

Ah Xuan flapped his wings, flew straight to Ming Shanyue's shoulder, cleared his throat, and began to sing: "Little Mingming, Little Mingming, the wind rises and the clouds fly..."

Cephalosporin and Amei seemed to have heard Ah Xuan mention this name often, and the wariness in their eyes instantly disappeared as they squatted down again.

Ming Shanyue, seeing that Feng Chuchen was indeed unharmed, breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Them..."

A smile spread across Feng Chuchen's eyes. "They are my guests. Please have a seat, Lord Ming."

Ming Shanyue sat down on the other side of the octagonal table, and Mu Jin came up to serve tea.

It turned out that the guards discovered several wolves outside the back wall of the Feng residence last night, and then saw Feng Chuchen warmly inviting the wolves into the house.

They were utterly astonished. Climbing up a large tree not far from the wall, they peered inside and saw Feng Chuchen treating a wolf's wounds. Their family had a very close relationship with wolves.

Early this morning, one of the guards went back to report to Ming Shanyue.

Ming Shanyue was both anxious and incredulous. "You mean they live peacefully with wolves?"

The guard confirmed repeatedly, "It's true, I wouldn't dare lie. Those wolves not only didn't harm Miss Feng or her family, they were actually very friendly. The two young men of the Feng family played with the big wolves' heads and even rode them like horses..."

Ming Shanyue was relieved, thinking to herself that the girl was indeed mysterious.

He couldn't show his face during the day, so he quietly left the capital before leaving the city gates and stayed in the mountains until dark before coming here.

He couldn't say these things in front of the children.

Feng Chuchen was well aware of the situation and smiled as she recounted how she and Aunt Wang had helped deliver a baby wolf last year, and how the family of three had later sent people to participate in the strange event involving the tiger and scorpion.

Ming Shanyue's eyes widened upon hearing this, and after a long while, she said, "I thought Ah Xuan was mysterious enough before, but I never expected there to be something even more mysterious."

Feng Chuchen glanced at Ah Xuan, who was standing on Ming Shanyue's shoulder and combing Ming Shanyue's sideburns, and smiled, "These were brought by Ah Xuan."

Ming Shanyue was extremely interested. He grabbed Ah Xuan and asked, "If Miss Feng invites you, could Ah Xuan bring them to your home?"

Feng Chuchen shook her head, then nodded. "I don't know either, but it should be fine."

Ming Shanyue glanced at the wolves, then looked at Ah Xuan, "Ah Xuan is becoming more and more capable. Go home soon. I'll make you a cage of pure gold and inlay it with some pearls and gems."

Ah Xuan seemed to understand, and excitedly flapped his wings, "Little Mingming, Little Mingming..."

Ming Shanyue then coaxed, "Could Ah Xuan let them... hunt with us?"

When Ah Xuan was in Xiqing Prefecture, he often went hunting with Ming Changqing and others. Hearing the word "hunting" again, he became excited.

With its little pointed beak open, it called out, "Old Qingqing, Little Mingming, let's hunt..."

Ming Shanyue laughed, "Not bad, you still remember 'Old Qingqing'."

This remark amused everyone.

It was getting late, and although Ming Shanyue really didn't want to leave, she felt bad about staying any longer and got up to say goodbye.

He whispered a reminder, "Be careful."

Feng Chuchen gave a soft "hmm".

Feng Chuchen escorted him to the courtyard gate, watching him put on a straw hat and disappear into the night with Song Xian.

The tall figure suddenly stopped, turned around, and looked at her through the deep night.

Feng Chuchen couldn't see his expression clearly, but as if possessed, she raised her hand and waved to him. He waved back, then disappeared into the deep night.

That night, Feng Chuchen had another dream.

Ming Shanyue chased after her with a red-hot branding iron, just like she had dreamt that night. Terrified, she ran as fast as she could, panting heavily but daring not to stop.

Suddenly, white mist rose around her, and she stopped in her tracks.

Just as she was looking around in confusion, the white mist suddenly dissipated, and Ming Shanyue, now dressed in brocade robes, smiled at her.

The smile was gentle and warm, like the first ray of sunshine in spring, stirring her heart slightly. The bright red birthmark under her left eye, like a speck of cinnabar on jade, made her face even more vivid.

Feng Chuchen suddenly woke up. She felt a fine layer of sweat on her back, damp and cool.

This is the first time she has sweated so much since she delivered Amei's baby.

She picked up a dry handkerchief to wipe her back clean, put on her embroidered shoes in the dark, walked to the window, and gently pushed open a small window.

The night breeze brushed against my cheek, carrying the coolness of autumn dew.

The moonlight, like frost, quietly blanketed the courtyard. Several pots of chrysanthemums were in full bloom, clusters of vibrant colors, shrouded in a light mist under the moonlight.

She leaned against the window, thinking about that strange dream.

The first half was filled with the terror of the chase, the second half with his gentle, faint smile. That smile is etched into my mind, and I can't shake it off to this day.

Then she thought that, in fact, he had smiled at her many times not only in her dreams, but also in real life.

Beneath his cold exterior, he also has a gentle side.

Thinking of her previous fear of Ming Shanyue, Feng Chuchen laughed.

When did both he and she change?
It's after the cinnabar mole changes color, after it gets closer little by little...

She stood there for a long time before gently closing the window and lying back down on the bed.

In the darkness, that faint smile still lingered in his mind's eye. Two days later, Amo's wounds had scabbed over, and his spirits were growing stronger day by day. Occasionally, he could even stand up and take a few steps, albeit unsteadily.

Feng Chuchen could no longer stay here.

She carefully explained to Uncle Qian and his wife that the antibiotic family would recuperate in the east wing, and that they should keep the side gate locked. Every day, she would send them a basin of fresh pork and prepare a small bowl of finely chopped food for Ah Xuan.

There's a hole in the back wall, so they can stay as long as they want, and leave whenever they want to go back to the mountain.

Uncle Qian nodded, "Don't worry, young lady, I will take good care of them."

Before leaving, Feng Chuchen hugged Momo again.

He said to Cephalosporin and Ame, "There are too many people in the city, so it's inconvenient to take you there. Just treat this place as your home and stay as long as you want. If you don't want the hard work of hunting, I'll take care of you."

I don't know how much they understood, but they still managed to speak.

Feng Buji and Wang Shushu reluctantly said goodbye to them.

Little Momo only then realized they were leaving, and she pouted, wanting to cry.

Cephalosporin and Ame also showed reluctance in their eyes.

Only Ah Xuan continued to call out cheerfully.

Back at his residence in the capital, he saw Cai Yuxiu helping out at the clinic.

When she saw Feng Chuchen, she knelt down respectfully and kowtowed, saying, "Disciple thanks Master."

"Hey, what are you doing? Get up."

Feng Chuchen reached out and helped her up.

It turns out that two days ago, Dr. Cai successfully performed an episiotomy on Consort Su of the Prince of Fu's residence.

The intelligence provided by Ming Shanyue records that Prince Fu is the Emperor's uncle, and is over sixty years old, making him one of the longest-lived princes in the imperial clan. However, he has few children, and his sons have all died young.

Consort Su was only seventeen years old, and this was her first pregnancy. She was heavily pregnant and had been unable to give birth.

Prince Fu valued this child highly, but he didn't care as much for Consort Su. He had heard about the "episiotomy" procedure before, and he also heard that Physician Cai had performed one, so he insisted that she have it done.

The baby was delivered smoothly; it was a big, healthy boy weighing seven pounds and two ounces, crying loudly. Consort Su was in excellent spirits after giving birth, even saying she hadn't felt any pain from the surgery.

At that time, many female doctors were inside the delivery room and many imperial physicians were outside, all of whom witnessed this moment.

Prince Fu was overjoyed and rewarded Cai Yuxiu with one hundred taels of silver.

Afterwards, Dean Li made the decision to officially include the episiotomy technique in the "Great Yan Medical Canon," with Feng Chuchen as its founder.

However, episiotomy is also considered a surgical procedure, and only doctors at Tongji Women and Children's Hospital and female doctors under the Imperial Medical Academy can perform it. Moreover, they must be trained at Tongji Women and Children's Hospital or pass the ulcer examination of the Imperial Medical Academy.

“Master, I have been appointed as a seventh-rank female physician, only one rank lower than my aunt, and the second highest among female physicians. Lord Li also said that in a few days, he would like to invite you to the Imperial Hospital to teach the female physicians the essentials of lateral incision.”

Cai Yuxiu's eyes reddened with excitement. "My grandfather and my parents never imagined that I could become a seventh-rank female doctor. They were so excited that they bowed to their ancestors and said that I, like my aunt, had brought honor to our family. My grandfather was also happy and sent someone to deliver gifts."

She then presented two pairs of embroidered shoes that she had made herself for Feng Chuchen.

Feng Chuchen was also happy for her.

In this era, the ranks of female physicians differed from those of palace officials. Palace officials held ranks confined to the inner court and lost their significance outside the palace walls. However, female physicians held ranks equivalent to those of imperial physicians in the Imperial Medical Academy, placing them within the same system as officials in the outer court.

A female physician of the seventh rank is equivalent to a seventh-rank official in the outer court.

To date, the Great Yan Dynasty has only produced two seventh-rank female doctors: Doctor Zhou and Doctor Cai, who has been dead for many years.

There were six female doctors who rose to the rank of seventh grade, but only two are still alive.

Now, we have added another female doctor, Xiao Cai, who is only nineteen years old this year.

Through an episiotomy, Dr. Cai rose to prominence overnight.

Feng Chuchen sincerely said, "Congratulations."

She then explained the contraindications of episiotomy, which situations absolutely should not be performed, and which situations require extreme caution.

After thinking for a moment, he added, "I'll write these down and you can give them to Dean Li. Since they've been included in the medical classics, there should be rules for future generations to follow so that things don't go wrong."

As for asking her to give a lecture, she was somewhat hesitant, yet unable to refuse. Ming Shanyue repeatedly explained that it was best not to make house calls, especially not to the Imperial Hospital.

In the evening, Guo Hei came to the Feng family's house, and Feng Chuchen told him about it.

The next day, Guo Hei came again and whispered, "The old man said that Miss Feng should go ahead. Young Master Biao is interested in the surgery, and he will also go to listen."

Feng Chuchen laughed.

Three days later, Uncle Qian reported, "This morning I went to the east courtyard and found that they were not there. They must have left last night."

On the same day, good news came from the Imperial Medical Academy. The Imperial Medical Academy officially issued a document stating that the Tongji Guyuan Dan produced by Tongjitang Maternal and Child Health Clinic, in terms of its formula, processing, and dosage, all conformed to the regulations of the "Great Yan Medical Canon" and was therefore permitted to be sold.

It is said that the old masters of the Imperial Medical Academy were completely baffled by that small, vermilion pill. They examined the prepared medicine and the prescription; the bark of the *Gynostemma pentaphyllum* tree was indeed contained within it, yet the *Gu Yuan Dan* (a traditional Chinese medicine formula) was not poisonous.

Because Tongji Guyuan Dan contains expensive medicinal materials such as ginseng and donkey-hide gelatin, the cost is quite high, and the clinic prices it at one tael of silver for five small pills.

Even so, demand still exceeds supply.

The clinic made a lot of money just from selling Gu Yuan Dan (a traditional Chinese medicine) and Ku Shen (a traditional Chinese medicine) repair ointment.

Of course, this is a follow-up.

On the eighteenth, the sky was clear and the air was fresh.

Feng Chuchen wore a lake-blue half-sleeved garment with dark patterns, a moon-white plain silk inner garment, and a matching horse-face skirt. The skirt hem was embroidered with very faint silver intertwined branches, which shimmered faintly as she moved.

He was clean-cut and poised, with a natural air of professionalism that would be described in later generations.

The lecture hall of the Imperial Medical Academy was packed.

Most of the dozens of female doctors arrived, including Dr. Zhou, Dr. Wei, Dr. Cai Yuxiu, and Dr. Fan, whom Feng Chuchen knew. Dr. Fan sat in a corner with a somber face.

"A touch of green amidst a sea of ​​flowers," Shangguan Ruyu sat in the center of the first row, unusually serious and composed.

Aunt Wang, as Feng Chuchen's assistant, stood in the front corner.

Outside the door, Imperial Physician Li stood with his hands behind his back, flanked by Imperial Physician Fang and Imperial Physician Qin. Imperial Physician Qin was a "Doctor" who had taken the medical examination in the same year as Feng Chuchen and achieved first place. He was an expert in ulcers and had come today to learn from him.

Feng Chuchen walked onto the podium, looked around, and showed no sign of panic.

She talked about the benefits of episiotomy for mothers and infants, and even extended the discussion to the profound impact of this procedure on the inheritance of medical knowledge.

Then they began to explain the theoretical origins of episiotomy, the actual steps, key points, and precautions.

The explanation was very systematic, well-organized, and easy to understand.

She was very restrained, using elegant and proper language as much as possible, but some content still couldn't avoid embarrassing topics, such as specific locations, incision directions, and suturing techniques...

The young female doctors below all blushed. Except for Dr. Fan, whose expression grew increasingly somber, the others listened very attentively.

Shangguan Ruyu wasn't embarrassed at all; he was very serious and asked questions actively. He was smart, and his questions weren't the kind that would make people feel awkward. (End of Chapter)