Sixteen Days of Inner Turmoil

The next day, it was still moxibustion, and Miao Zhen yawned incessantly while working.

After finishing moxibustion in the morning, Tan Yunxian showed her the Treatise on Cold Damage Diseases, explaining it with acupuncture. Every time Miao Zhen heard a clever insight, she couldn't help but feel that her own learning was still too shallow.

“The Qimen point is usually needled obliquely or horizontally, and it shouldn’t be inserted too deeply—about half an inch is enough. We doctors are generally very cautious with this point; only Zhang Zhongjing frequently used it. The Fengfu point requires even greater caution; a slight mistake could be fatal,” Tan Yunxian warned.

Miao Zhen nodded repeatedly, taking notes diligently, wishing she could record every word. She was originally exhausted by evening, but when she got home, her parents were waiting for her. Her mother had specially prepared a meal: half a steamed bass, a small dish of pickled cucumbers, and a small plate of scrambled eggs. She was so hungry she devoured everything like a whirlwind.

Still feeling unsatisfied after the meal, Xu Erpeng brought out some snacks from his study. “Here, try some,” he said.

Miao Zhen took them, and Lady Mei asked, “You must be very tired, right?”

“Yes, I’m tired, but this opportunity is rare,” she replied. She recalled watching The Legend of the Condor Heroes, where Mu Nianci, having learned the “Xiaoyao You Fist” from Hong Qigong in three days, improved her martial arts immensely and triumphed in seven rounds of contests for marriage. If she could learn in half a month, she would surely improve greatly as well.

Seeing his daughter’s state, Xu Erpeng also brought out a bag of walnuts. “Walnuts are good for the brain—eat more.”

Miao Zhen accepted them and crunched on one after another. Xu Erpeng then hammered open a few more and, after blowing on them, placed them before her. “You’re at the age of best memory and energy now. Learning anything is easier, but you must persevere.”

“I understand, Father,” Miao Zhen nodded hurriedly.

After dinner, she returned to organize her notes, took out the acupuncture bronze figure to practice, and only then climbed into bed. Rarely, after two days, there was a marriage ceremony for the eldest son of the Tao family, and she had to go deliver abalone and conch shells.

She took two maids with her to crush curds into cream; Xiaoxi complained softly, “Do you really need to make so much?”

“Don’t be troublesome,” Miao Zhen scolded. Receiving so much, a little hard work was nothing. Some knowledge and some people were closely guarded secrets—at least Lady Ru would share with her, not to mention the guidance from the great master.

Chided, Xiaoxi dared not say more. Once everything was ready, she hurried to report to Lady Ru, who was strong-willed due to her skill in medicine and now looked very capable. Upon hearing Miao Zhen had finished, Lady Ru took her hand and said, “Good child, you’ve worked hard.”

“I only regret not being able to help you more,” Miao Zhen quickly replied.

Lady Ru’s attitude toward Miao Zhen was somewhat subtle. Having failed to enter the palace as hoped, her gynecological skills were neglected, and her ulcer treatment was rudimentary—thanks to her aunt’s help with memorization. In such social occasions attended by many officials and noble families, her aunt intentionally presented herself as the sole heir of the Ru family’s medical knowledge.

Lady Ru invited her to join the meal, but Miao Zhen politely declined. “I still have matters at home today. Please go on, Father wants me back early.”

The Tao family hadn’t sent a formal invitation nor had her parents brought gifts; she didn’t even know where to sit, so it was better to go home.

In truth, she wasn’t too concerned. She had no kinship with Lady Ru, and it was already generous of her to impart any knowledge. Going home meant she could rest a bit.

Xu Erpeng had heard about these matters too. He instructed Lady Mei not to ask too much and remarked, “Don’t pry into these things. I’ve heard that sometimes those who learn trades get beaten. Miao Zhen is already doing well—at least she’s learning everything herself. Those who endure hardship when young will have smoother lives later. Too easy a youth isn’t always a good thing.”

Now over thirty, Xu Erpeng had some life experience and insight.

Miao Zhen took a rare rest, sleeping deeply but waking unable to fall back asleep. She sat with the two maids by the oil lamp, sewing. She planned to make a pair of knee protectors as a gift for Tan Yunxian.

---

The next day, she delivered winter jujubes to the Tao family, all personally prepared. Tan Yunxian was elderly and feeling unwell after the wedding feast, so Miao Zhen quietly read in her room without asking much.

When guidance was offered, it was given in a few words.

The Tao eldest son’s bride was very beautiful, surnamed You; some privately joked she was a “fairy.” Although favored by her husband, Lady Ru seemed somewhat displeased with her—Miao Zhen had overheard complaints even before the marriage.

Since their wedding coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lady Ru expected her to manage affairs with the senior concubine, but the bride was sloppy, and by the festival, the gifts had not yet been sent.

Lady Ru complained to the senior concubine, “None of the major herbal merchants I usually work with have received her gifts.”

The senior concubine replied, “In a few days, Old Lady Yang will be returning home. Cheng Yi has arranged everything. Do you want to review it?”

“I don’t have the leisure,” Lady Ru sighed. “By the way, Miss Xu helped me prepare so many buttery abalone shells last time. I meant to return the favor, but I got busy and forgot.” It wasn’t that Lady Ru was bad at household affairs, but everything was tangled together.

The senior concubine smiled, “Miss Xu sincerely came to help, no need to return anything.”

“Still, we can’t let her give gifts for free,” Lady Ru said.

The senior concubine squeezed a silver cake in her hand and chuckled, “Honestly, you might as well have her apprentice under Old Lady Yang. That would honor her, and I heard Madam Zhang wants her daughters to apprentice with you. You won’t be able to teach so many.”

The Zhang family were herbal merchants. Madam Zhang, having no sons, was preparing to take on a son-in-law; it would be unwise to let him control the business, so her daughters had to understand medicine.

This wasn’t a baseless suggestion by the senior concubine.

Lady Ru said, “I’ve taught what I needed to teach. There’s nothing more. Well, this can be considered doing a good deed.”

The senior concubine internally scoffed—Lady Ru purely saw the Zhang sisters as wealthy, able to study for seven or eight years. Miss Xu was smart and quick-witted, learning acupuncture in one go and memorizing gynecological prescriptions fluently.

Besides, the Xu family was a small merchant household, with limited bride-price, not comparable to the Zhangs.

“Madam, you don’t need to do this bad thing. I’ll talk to Miss Xu nicely; I’m sure she’ll agree. But Old Lady Yang is harder to persuade. I don’t have that kind of influence,” the senior concubine teased.

Lady Ru shook her head, “It’s not that. My cousin is very compassionate toward the poor. Well, if she apprentices under me, I won’t be elevating her much—just this once.”

The senior concubine quickly agreed.

Afterward, she summoned Miao Zhen. “This matter is almost certain. When you’re with Old Lady Yang, don’t reveal a hint of it.”

Miao Zhen was surprised; she hadn’t expected it to really happen. She hadn’t held much hope.

“Is this really true? I hardly dare to imagine,” she said, thinking half a month’s learning was already good enough—what a pleasant surprise.

The senior concubine smiled, “Why would I lie to you?”

“Alright, I'll wait for this matter to settle. Thank you very much,” Miao Zhen said.

---

Though she knew Lady Ru would recommend her to Tan Yunxian, Miao Zhen still presented the knee protectors she had made. “You’ll soon return to Wuxi. Since autumn has arrived, I made these knee protectors for you.”

Tan Yunxian picked them up, then took the glasses beside her and examined the stitches carefully. “Your handiwork is truly excellent.”

“I’m glad you don’t mind,” Miao Zhen smiled.

Despite their age difference, they could converse deeply about medicine. Miao Zhen learned much from her—that one must listen carefully to patients, unraveling the cause rather than being misled by appearances, lest misdiagnosis occur.

After returning from the Tao family, Miao Zhen shared the good news with her parents. “The senior concubine’s words seem somewhat true. I don’t know if it will ultimately happen, but I’ve put my heart at ease.”

Xu Erpeng said, “If you apprentice under her, won’t you have to go to Wuxi? That’s not good.”

He thought it safest for his daughter to stay close to her parents. If anything happened away, who would be responsible?

“Old Lady Yang is quite old. She might not accept me. The senior concubine praises me because I gave her personal gifts, but whether she agrees is uncertain,” Miao Zhen understood this well.

Xu Erpeng had no response.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the elderly Madam Xu suffered an accident. While moving a bag from a cabinet, she fell off a stool and injured her lumbar spine, becoming temporarily immobile and needing rest.

Madam Xu usually cooked and did laundry, but now these duties fell to Fourth Mistress Xu, who had previously shirked work while her mother was capable but now had no choice but to do them.

When Xu Erpeng returned to the old residence, he remarked, “Strangely, Fourth Mistress’s cooking is better than my mother’s now.”

Even the laziest person can be forced to grow in certain circumstances.

Miao Zhen’s request was soon answered: Tan Yunxian was willing to teach her medicine but required her to go to Wuxi for two years. Though Xu Erpeng and Lady Mei were reluctant to let their daughter go so far, they respected her wishes.

“Zhenzhen, think it through carefully.”

In ancient times, unlike today, few people left their homes unless desperate. Communication was poor, and any mishap would cause delays.

And two years away...

But she had worked hard for so long—would she give up now?

Miao Zhen’s mind was torn in turmoil.