The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

When Madam Zhong heard that Madam Gu was pregnant again, she was taken aback.

"Madam, I'm getting old, and this child..."

Gu's meaning was clear: if the wife agreed, she could have the baby; if not, she could choose not to.

Over the years, she has come to realize that she is incapable of protecting her child.

Now that she's finally starting to enjoy a better life thanks to her daughter, it wouldn't matter if she had another child. But if she had a son, it would undoubtedly be a thorn in her side.

"Fifth girl is so grown up now, and you've had your second child. This is a joyous occasion!" Madam Zhong said hurriedly. "Fifth girl, your aunt is getting old, and you've learned so many skills. You should take good care of your aunt this time and make sure the child is born safely. If it's a boy, your aunt will have someone to rely on in her old age."

"Yes, mother."

When Gu heard this, she knew that the lady of the house agreed to let her give birth, and she was both surprised and excited.

Madam Zhong kept her word and not only agreed to let Gu give birth to the child, but also took good care of her.

He specially transferred his personal maid, Lin, to take care of her.

“Your nanny is getting old, send her to the manor to live out her days,” Madam Zhong said. “Nanny Lin is someone I prepared for Yi’s wife. She will serve you for now, and will go back to serve Yi’s wife when she becomes pregnant.”

The servants prepared for the daughter-in-law were all sent to serve Gu Shi, which was truly for her own good.

Aunt Gu is pregnant, which arouses envy, jealousy, and resentment among the other concubines in the mansion.

Over the past year, Zhong Xiuxiu's excellence has earned her the respect of the Zhong family. At this moment, all her feelings towards Aunt Gu can only be kept hidden in her heart, and she dares not show them.

"Oh, Aunt Gu, you really are a lucky woman, but at your age, will you be able to give birth to her child..."

"I'm so jealous," said Aunt Li, who was pampered by the master.

"Someone, slap him."

Madam Zhong was so angry that she ordered someone to slap her. Lin, the old nanny next to Aunt Gu, stepped forward and slapped Aunt Li twice, causing her face to swell up instantly.

"you……"

Aunt Li looked at Granny Lin in disbelief, while Granny Lin stared back at her coldly, showing no fear whatsoever.

"Madam, this servant..."

"Kneel down."

Madam Zhong said sternly, "Although our Zhong family is not a noble family, we are not a small household either. If you continue to be so unruly and speak without thinking, you will be sold off!"

"Madam, I know I was wrong, I know I was wrong."

Aunt Li was so frightened that she immediately kowtowed and begged for mercy.

"Go back home and be grounded for a month."

"This servant knows her mistake. This servant will take her leave."

She covered her face and cried as she returned to her small courtyard, thinking that she would definitely complain when the master came back.

The aunts sighed inwardly, but at the same time, they were also looking forward to a good show.

This young lady has been favored by the master since she entered the manor a year ago.

Look how cocky she is! The madam is right here, and she dares to speak rudely and insult Aunt Gu.

Not to mention that the Fifth Miss is currently favored by the Madam, just considering that Aunt Gu is an elder and gave birth to the Fifth Miss, she should not be so humiliated by a newcomer in terms of status.

Today you can humiliate Aunt Gu, tomorrow you can talk about Aunt Zhang and Aunt Wang.

He thinks he can get away with anything just because he's young.

Everyone gets old eventually, and this unruly scoundrel really deserves a beating!

"Aunt Gu, don't take her words to heart. Just take good care of yourself. With Fifth Sister protecting you, everything will be alright."

"Yes, ma'am."

Aunt Gu returned to her courtyard, and the madam sent over some tonics and two pieces of new fabric.

"Thank you ma'am."

Aunt Gu had her maid give Granny Leng a purse as a reward.

"Thank you, Aunt Gu."

Now everyone loves to go to Aunt Gu's courtyard. Whether it's delivering messages or bringing gifts, there will be a reward. It's a very lucrative job.

Ever since Zhong Xiuxiu had more money, she had told Aunt Gu that money was a good thing and that she shouldn't be afraid to spend it, and that she shouldn't be stingy when it was necessary to spend it.

In addition, the master and mistress often gave her money, so Aunt Gu was financially well-off.

Aunt Gu became much kinder to the servants.

Therefore, everyone, from top to bottom, treated Aunt Gu very well; Aunt Li was nothing compared to her.

In the evening, after returning home from court and having dinner, Madam Zhong brought up the matter of hitting his beloved pet earlier that day.

"She's just a concubine; punishing her is just punishment."

Dr. Zhong put down his teacup: "Every family has its rules, and every country has its laws. If someone is ignorant, they should be punished, or sold off if necessary."

Madam Zhong... this doesn't seem like the role he played before.

A man's favor comes and goes quickly; he spoils one woman after another, and soon forgets about her.

However, if someone dares to mess with his people when he's spoiling them, he'll immediately turn on them and give them a hard time; he's not as amiable and easy to talk to as he is today.

Is the sun rising in the west today?
Or is it because she offended Aunt Gu?
"The Gu family has always been unassuming and never competed for anything; they are truly blessed," said Lord Zhong. "Fifth Miss is doing very well at Chunshan Academy; Lord Zhao even praised her today."

"Master Zhao?"

What's going on when the master's superior praises Lord Zhao?
"The eldest daughter-in-law of Lord Zhao had a difficult childbirth, and the midwife was at a loss. She asked Madam Zhao to go to Mr. Xiao of Chunshan Women's Medical College, but Mr. Xiao had gone to the palace. There was no other way, so Madam Zhao asked other people for help. In the end, our fifth daughter took a girl to the Zhao residence, and she successfully delivered the baby. Mother and child are safe."

Lord Zhao was overjoyed to have his eldest grandson.

Knowing that Zhong Xiuxiu was his daughter, she praised him highly when she arrived at the yamen and said she would invite him for drinks another day.

Lord Zhong's work was nothing special; he was just very mediocre.

He doesn't care if the path to promotion is blocked for a mediocre person; there's nothing he can do if his superiors don't value him.

Unexpectedly, overnight, his superior became his sworn brother, praising him endlessly and even hinting that a lucrative position was about to be given to him, which made Lord Zhong extremely happy.

Just as I was pondering what gift to give my daughter when I returned home, I was surprised to find that Madam Gu was pregnant. It would be good for my fifth daughter to have a sibling.

As for the Li family, they should be punished if they deserve it.

He didn't feel any pity at all.

Lord Zhong felt that raising a fifth daughter was no worse than raising a mediocre son!
In the past, everyone thought it was lowly to send girls to Chunshan Women's Medical College, and the girls who were sent there were all returned.

If you withdraw, I withdraw; if everyone withdraws, it doesn't matter.

If it weren't for the Empress Dowager's support, none of these people would have been willing to learn it.

However, no one expected that those who stayed and persevered were the truly remarkable ones.

When Lord Zhong sent his illegitimate daughter, Fifth Sister, to study, it was simply because everyone else was doing it, so he did too.

I never expected Zhong Xiuxiu to learn so well; she really made him proud!

“Yes, Aunt Gu is a blessed woman,” said Madam Zhong. “When she gives birth to this child, whether it is a boy or a girl, sir, please grant her the status of a concubine.”

“Very good. I am very relieved that you are managing the affairs of the inner quarters.”

In the backyard, Li was covering her swollen face, still holding back her anger.

"Has the master returned?"

"Auntie, Master has returned and is in Madam's courtyard." Zi'er whispered, "Auntie, you..."

"Wait here and tell me when you see the master coming this way."

"Yes, aunt."

Li's greatest talent was playing the zither exceptionally well; it was this skill that initially attracted the master's attention.

Having suffered such a great injustice today, she must ask the master to stand up for her.

Half an hour later, Zi'er ran over to tell her: Master has arrived.

Li immediately began playing the zither by the window.

However, this time, the master did not enter her courtyard.

"Have you seen clearly where the master went?"

"Reporting to Madam, Master has gone to Madam Gu's courtyard."

"That old woman, at her age, still clings to the old man, she's a real scoundrel, and the child in her belly definitely won't survive..."

"Aunt, please don't say that."

Zi'er was frightened.

She was a servant born into the Zhong family. Her parents were cleaning women in the madam's courtyard. Although the family was not favored, they felt that life in the Zhong family was still quite comfortable.

After all, the Zhong family was not like other mansions that treated their servants harshly, and beatings and killings were common occurrences.

Whether it was the madam or the concubines in the backyard, there was some open and covert competition, but they never went too far.

This was the first time she had ever seen someone so openly cursing Aunt Gu like Aunt Li.

"Slap!" Zi'er had barely finished speaking when she was slapped across the face.

"You little girl, how dare you say I'm wrong? You've gone too far! Whose servant are you anyway...?"

Not only did they hit Zi'er, they also verbally abused her.

Unfortunately, they ran into Granny Lin.

"What, you want to hit me?"

It was truly a case of enemies meeting with intense hatred; Aunt Li looked at Granny Lin with great displeasure. "I'm not like some people who have no manners. I certainly wouldn't dare to hit you without the master's permission."

Lin Mama thought that this Li Shi was not smart at all. She had only been in the mansion for a short time, but she had already offended everyone, young and old.

Lin Mama went to Madam's courtyard to report that the master wanted to stay in Concubine Gu's courtyard to have dinner with her, and asked Madam not to wait.

When they arrived at the lady's courtyard, they ran into Niu Ma, who was Zi'er's biological mother.

"Mrs. Lin."

"Mom, you're sweeping here. Why don't you go sweep the side courtyard too?"

"Thank you, Granny Lin."

She herself was cleaning the main courtyard, so she was asked to clean the side courtyard, where Aunt Li lived, and her own daughter served her.

Therefore, Granny Lin was telling herself that Zi'er had been wronged.

It's worth it!

Niu Ma only has this one daughter, and she cherishes her like the apple of her eye.

Although she was born a maid and destined to be a servant, she was never beaten or scolded.

Niu Ma took a big broom and went to the side courtyard, where she saw Aunt Li still scolding her daughter.

Enraged, he grabbed a large broom and swept it across the ground in front of Li, the broom even hitting her head.

"You're going to die, you scoundrel, how dare you offend me!"

Li stepped forward to slap Niu Ma, but Niu Ma, being a clever woman, dodged as she approached, blocking her path with a broom. Niu Ma tripped and fell face-first to the ground, where she lay for a long time before getting up.

"Zi'er, you idiot, help me up!"

The sound was shrill and loud, disturbing the old man living in the next courtyard. When he came out, this was the scene he saw, and he couldn't help but frown.

"Master, this concubine..."

Li hurriedly crawled to Lord Zhong's side, weeping bitterly.

"This humble servant has been bullied by a mere servant; this humble servant cannot live any longer..."

"Someone is coming."

Just when Li thought her husband was going to make a decision for her, she heard a sentence that chilled her to the bone: "Send Li to Madam's courtyard, and let Madam sell her or send her to the estate as she sees fit."

"master……?"

Ms. Li could hardly believe her eyes!

Isn't the master always the one who loves and pampers me the most?
The master once called her his little darling.

"master……"

"It's so noisy. Shut your mouth and don't disturb Aunt Gu's peace and quiet."

Immediately, a servant stuffed a piece of cloth into Li's mouth, gag her completely, and then presented her to the lady.

"Are you telling the truth?"

Madam Zhong was stunned by what she saw and heard the servants' message.

Indeed, the master is both passionate and fickle, but definitely not heartless.

Selling her off or sending her to a farm was the most severe punishment a concubine could receive.

Moreover, she was young and beautiful, yet they were willing to punish her, which proves that this woman had truly gone down a dead end.

After Madam Zhong learned the whole story, she nodded.

"Then send Li to the manor and keep a close watch on her. Make sure nothing goes wrong, or I'll hold them accountable."

"Yes, ma'am."

Li was sent to the village!

The news spread like wildfire, reaching the ears of all the concubines in the courtyards.

"Have you noticed that the master has changed a lot?"

Aunt Zhang whispered to her maid Qing'er.

"Yes, it seems that the master's favorite concubine is Gu now."

“You silly girl, you see through things but don’t say it.” Madam Zhang smiled and shook her head: “However, you are still wrong. The master does not favor Concubine Gu, but values ​​the fifth young lady born to Concubine Gu.”

"Yes, Fifth Miss is really amazing." Qing'er said, "Auntie, if only our Miss had studied medicine back then!"

"You shouldn't even dream about it. I wouldn't dare to dream about something like that."

Madam Zhang sighed, "Before, I thought that having a son was enough, that I would have someone to rely on. Later I realized that it's harder than climbing to heaven for a son born out of wedlock to become someone's support. But I never dreamed that a daughter born out of wedlock would one day become someone's support."

Marrying well is one thing, but how many concubine's daughters actually marry well?
The Fifth Miss managed to ensure that the Gu family enjoyed a life of luxury through her own abilities, something that is truly enviable.

Not only Aunt Zhang, but even Madam Zhong felt the same way.

"Fifth Sister changed not only her and Gu Shi's fate, but also the master's fate quite a bit."

The eldest daughter, Zhong Huimin, settled into her life at the Minister's residence. Madam Zhong knew that this was all thanks to Zhong Xiuxiu, so she liked her very much.

Unexpectedly, Lord Zhong's good fortune in the yamen was also brought about by Fifth Sister. Being able to win the favor of both the master and mistress, Zhong Xiuxiu's life has truly reached its peak.

How could such a good person be allowed to leave?

Mrs. Zhong thought and thought, and finally remembered someone.

So she made a special trip back to her parents' home.

"Sister, you said you'd let Feng'er marry your fifth daughter?"

Hearing this, Madam Tang felt a huge knot in her heart. Feng'er was her second son, and the Tang family was no less than the Zhong family. Why should her son marry a concubine's daughter?

"Sister-in-law, you probably don't know how wonderful our fifth daughter is."

Then he recounted how his family had benefited from Wu Yatou's good fortune, one thing at a time.

After listening for a long time, Madam Tang still couldn't grasp the key point.

“Eldest sister, it’s settled then. Do as your older sister says.”

However, Madam Tang spoke up, saying, "I've met the fifth girl from the Zhong family before; she's a good girl."

“Yes, Mother, Fifth Sister is definitely a blessed person.” Madam Zhong said, “I thought about it for a long time, and I didn’t want her to end up in someone else’s home, so I thought of Feng’er.”

"But Feng'er is already a candidate for the imperial examination, and he will be taking the exam next year."

This is a child destined for an official career, and you're making her marry a concubine's daughter?
"Precisely because Feng'er is going to take the imperial examination, he should marry a girl like Wu Yatou. She will definitely be a help to Feng'er."

Madam Tang felt that her eldest sister-in-law had gone mad in her efforts to promote her illegitimate daughter, and was determined to cling to her outstanding nephew from her maternal family.

"Moreover, Fifth Sister is already registered under my name and is now my legitimate daughter."

“Sister, being registered under your name and having your own child are two different things.”

A quick look will tell you whether they are legitimate or illegitimate; how can you compare them?

Madam Tang was unwilling to accept this.

"You, you really are all talk and no action."

Madam Tang shook her head: "I said I would entrust the affairs of the mansion to you, but look at you, you don't even have this much sense. I'm really sorry that your older sister came back so eagerly to tell you these things."

"Mother?"

Mrs. Tang felt that the old lady was favoring her daughter, and more importantly, she was accused of being incompetent, which made Mrs. Tang very resentful.

"You, do you even know who founded Chunshan Women's Medical College?"

Of course I know, everyone in the capital knows that it's the granddaughter of Physician Xiao who is the director, and it was established by imperial decree of the Empress Dowager.

What does this have to do with Zhong Xiuxiu?
"In the capital, no matter which prince or nobleman, you can count on one hand the number of people who can get Mr. Xiao to examine them and take their pulse," Madam Tang instructed her daughter-in-law. "However, if you are a student of Chunshan Women's Medical College, she will definitely gladly accept your invitation."

Why?

Because she didn't want her disciples to be unable to solve the problem, and even more so, she didn't want her disciples to be looked down upon.

If a disciple can't handle something, the master will step in.

"This kind of treatment is equivalent to being a noble person in the palace, and you still don't seize the opportunity."

“Mr. Xiao is Mr. Xiao, and Miss Wu is Miss Wu.”

Mrs. Tang still hadn't figured it out, which made Old Mrs. Tang so angry that she wanted to use her cane to crack open what was in her head.

"Mother, don't be angry. Your sister-in-law is also a mother, and it's only right that she cares for her son." Madam Zhong smiled helplessly and shook her head. Forced marriages are never sweet, and there was no point in saying anything more. However, she believed that the marriage between Feng'er and Wu Yatou would definitely work out. After all, there were many smart people in the mansion, such as her elderly father's shrewd younger brother.

Sure enough, not long after Madam Zhong returned, Granny Hong from the Tang family arrived.

“My aunt left in a hurry, so my lady asked me to bring some flower tea over, knowing that you enjoy it.”

"She's thoughtful."

Sending tea was just an excuse, wasn't it? What else was it about?
"Madam asked me to send a message to my aunt, and then we picked an auspicious day and invited a matchmaker to propose marriage to the Fifth Miss."

"Your wife isn't forcing you anymore, is she?"

"No, no, Madam said it's a blessing for Young Master Feng to marry Miss Fifth."

"Has Feng'er agreed?"

Madam Zhong remembered something: she was only enthusiastic about barbering, but could Fifth Sister and Feng'er be compatible?

“Young Master Feng is willing. He said he has met Miss Wu and thinks she is a good girl.”

“Granny Hong, please wait a moment. I need to ask Fifth Sister. If she is willing, we will have the Tang family come to propose marriage. If she is not willing, then just pretend I didn’t say anything.”

Granny Hong… this stepmother is truly a good person; she even asked her illegitimate daughter's opinion. (End of Chapter)