The splendor of the Red Chamber, the power that reigns supreme.

Chapter 34 Xue Baochai Meets Ximen Qing

The old doctor had been observing intently from the side, and upon seeing this, his brows furrowed into a knot.

He strode forward, scooped up a few slices of ginseng that had already been cooked from the medicine pot, held them under his nose to smell them carefully, then broke them apart with his fingers to examine their texture and color, and even put them in his mouth to chew for a moment.

Immediately, his face turned extremely pale. He threw the ginseng slice back into the pot, shook his head repeatedly, and sighed to Madam Yu, "Madam, please forgive my bluntness, but this ginseng... this ginseng has lost its medicinal power!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Yu's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly asked, "Sir, is there something wrong with this ginseng? Is it fake?"

The old doctor hesitated for a moment, then pointed to the ginseng slices and said, "The ginseng is indeed from Liaoning, but... Madam, please look, after boiling these ginseng slices, their color has turned grayish-brown, and although the texture is still there, it has no resilience. When you chew them, they are bland and tasteless, with only a slight sweetness, and they have no trace of the bitter, sweet, and mellow flavor that ginseng should have!"

"This has clearly been repeatedly soaked and extracted with medicinal wine, and seven or eight tenths of its essence has already been lost! Now it's just an empty shell, with negligible medicinal power. It's not even enough for ordinary tonics, so how can it be used to sustenance or save lives in an emergency?"

"At this moment, the master is in a state of extreme weakness, sustained only by a sliver of vital energy. He needs potent tonics to turn the tide. Taking such useless substances will not only fail to nourish his vital energy and strengthen his foundation, but will also cause his yang energy to fluctuate and his qi and blood to flow erratically, which is why... which is why he vomited blood. I fear this will hasten his death!"

He phrased it tactfully, but his meaning was clear: this ginseng is useless; using it will only hasten death.

Upon hearing this, Madam Yu was thunderstruck! She had spent a full ten taels of silver, only to buy such a worthless item?
She suddenly grabbed the ginseng that hadn't been cut properly, and upon closer inspection, she realized that the ginseng wasn't as solid as she had imagined. A surge of anger rushed to the top of her head!

"That damned Ximen Qing! That heartless, rotten scoundrel!" Madam Yu, no longer caring about appearances, jumped up and started cursing, "He actually sold me this worthless dregs of medicine as top-quality ginseng! He cheated me out of my money and even tried to kill my master! I'll never forgive you! I..."

She was so angry that she was trembling all over, wishing she could rush to the herbal medicine shop and tear Ximen Qing apart.

When the old doctor heard that the ginseng was bought from "Master Ximen's" shop, his face changed drastically! He had only been discussing the medicine as medicine, never expecting to involve this plague god.

In Qinghe County, who would dare to easily offend Ximen Qing?

He immediately regretted his loose tongue, feeling utterly remorseful. He quickly changed his words, saying, "Uh... this... Madam, please calm down! Madam, please calm down! Perhaps... perhaps my old eyes are failing me, I misread it, I misread it!"

He hurriedly took the ginseng back from Madam Yu, pretended to examine it again, and forced a smile: "Upon closer inspection, this ginseng... is of excellent quality, but... but the master's illness is truly severe, it has reached the incurable stage, a disease that cannot be cured by acupuncture and medicine. Even a genuine century-old ginseng, I'm afraid... would be powerless to reverse the situation. Alas, such is fate, it is not the fault of medicine, it is not the fault of medicine!"

As he spoke, he hurriedly packed his medicine box, wishing he could sprout wings and fly away immediately.

Madam Yu was stunned by his contradictory words. Before she could scold him again, the old doctor had already picked up his medicine box and bowed repeatedly, saying, "Madam, please forgive me. I am not very knowledgeable and am really powerless to help. Farewell! Farewell!" After saying that, he almost fled from the Zhang residence.

Left behind, Yu was filled with despair, anger, and helplessness as she faced the ginseng that was all show and no substance and the dying Zhang. Her whole body was ice-cold, and she felt that the world and people's hearts were even more hollow and cold than the ginseng that had been soaked in wine!

Little did she know that dozens of tearful accusations against her Zhang family were pressed against the county magistrate's office.

The autumn wind is bleak, and each page is turned as if a corpse has been thrown away.

And which one isn't cold?
The canal is shrouded in mist and waves.

A spacious official ship cut through the shimmering water and slowly sailed north. Inside the cabin, brocade carpets and embroidered rugs were laid out, and tea boxes and vases of flowers were placed on small tables. Lamplight was lit, and the arrangement was very elegant.

Madam Xue sat upright by the window, gazing at the evening waters outside. A lingering worry crossed her brow as she sighed softly, "This ship has been sailing for so many days, and it's getting late. I wonder where we are? It would be best if we got out of that dangerous place..."

Xue Baochai, who sat beside her, had cheeks like fresh lychees, a nose like goose fat, a face like a silver basin, and eyes like water apricots.

Her skin was as smooth as mutton fat and as supple as goose fat; under the light, it even shone with a soft, luminous glow.

Her chest was prominent, her waist was round and well-proportioned, and the yellowish-brown handkerchief tied around her waist made her soft, warm flesh around her abdomen appear even more delicate, as if she were holding a warm jade.

Yet this voluptuous figure, with its trembling flesh, resembled a reincarnation of Yang Guifei, but was paired with the dignified demeanor of an official.

Hearing her mother speak, she replied in a gentle voice, "Mother, don't worry. The boatman just told me that if we continue forward, we will reach Qinghe County tomorrow."

She paused slightly, then pointed her slender finger out the window and said, "I once read in a local gazetteer that Qinghe County is a bustling place with merchants, boats coming and going, and markets thriving. Silk and rice from the south, furs from the north, and medicinal herbs from beyond the Great Wall are all transported from here to the capital. It's a very lively place. Once we get here, we won't be far from the capital."

Upon hearing this, Madam Xue frowned even more deeply and sighed, "So that's how it is. Now that we're almost at the capital, you all need to be even more careful with your words and actions. Our family now..."

Her voice choked with emotion: "Our family is not what it used to be. Your brother is still carrying that unresolved lawsuit. Although your uncle and aunt are making arrangements in the capital, it is still not settled. This time when you come to the capital, you must be careful in everything you do and not cause any more trouble."

She leaned forward and lowered her voice, saying, "Especially when you arrive at the Jia family mansion, which is the residence of a Duke, you must be extremely careful about etiquette and rules. Remember, once you enter the mansion, you must be cautious in everything you do and not make any mistakes in etiquette. The old lady, Madam Shi, is the most esteemed person in the mansion, and you cannot be careless even for a moment when you pay your respects to her morning and evening."

"The second mistress of the manor is your own aunt, so naturally you're close, but you mustn't be impolite. And what about that second sister-in-law Lian?" Madam Xue frowned slightly as she spoke.
"She is an extremely capable person. Although she is young, she is very good at managing the household and has a silver tongue. You must not offend her. As for the sisters below, Yingchun, Tanchun, Xichun, and that Miss Lin, they are all very good. You should get along well with them when you are together."

Before she could finish speaking, her gaze turned toward the cabin door, and she was about to give some more instructions when she heard a loud crash from the next cabin, as if some porcelain had shattered.

Immediately following was Xue Pan's thunderous roar: "You damned little hussy! You blind fool! This official kiln porcelain bowl with white porcelain lid, how dare you touch it with your filthy hands?"

"Believe it or not, I'll strip you naked right now and take your virginity right here on this boat?"

Then came the woman's low, tearful pleas for forgiveness: "Master, please calm down... I didn't mean it... the boat just rocked a little..."

"You dare talk back? I'll skin you alive!" Xue Pan's voice grew increasingly furious, mixed with the sound of slaps and suppressed sobs.

Madam Xue's face changed drastically. She stood up abruptly, both anxious and angry, her whole body trembling. Pointing at the cabin door, she cursed, "You wicked wretch! You've just caused such a terrible disaster, killing someone. The lawsuit isn't over yet, and your uncle and aunt are going to have to go through countless troubles in the capital! Instead of showing restraint, you're causing trouble on the ship! Are you trying to drive me to my grave? Are you going to make our whole family pay with your life?"

As he spoke, he slammed his hand on the table: "If I had known you would be so troublesome, I shouldn't have brought you to the capital in the first place. I would have let you fend for yourself outside!"

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(End of this chapter)