On this side, Madam Xie was burning with anger and went to find Marquis Dingxi to vent her fury.
“That despicable servant is like a piece of rat droppings—as long as she’s here, she ruins our entire pot of soup at Marquis Dingxi’s mansion!” Madam Xie said through gritted teeth.
Marquis Dingxi sat surrounded by a circle of calligraphy and paintings, seemingly immersed in the beautiful scenery depicted on these works.
“Then go kill her,” he said offhandedly with a casual “oh.”
Madam Xie angrily slammed the table.
“Marquis, I’m being serious here,” she said, raising her voice.
Marquis Dingxi made another “oh” sound and finally looked up at her.
“Marquis, with that woman around, she’s ruining our mansion’s reputation,” Madam Xie said.
“Then what should we do?” Marquis Dingxi asked.
Yes, that was right. This woman was like a thorn stuck in flesh—until it was pulled out, it would remind him daily of all the humiliation he had suffered.
He had been played by the Emperor! He had become everyone’s laughingstock!
“Drive her away!” Madam Xie said.
“How do we drive her away? The Yongqing Mansion isn’t our home. Do you think we can just drive her away if we want to?” Marquis Dingxi shook his head.
What kind of woman was she? Didn’t they already know clearly?
Drive her away? When the time came, who knew who would end up driving whom away…
And then there were those shameless people from the Wang family! They actually dared to say they wanted to…
“Drive her away!” Marquis Dingxi suddenly sat up straight and shouted, his face flushed red.
She was their Dingxi Marquis family’s daughter-in-law! Even if she became a cast-off wife in this lifetime, she could only be their family’s cast-off wife!
Madam Xie was startled by his sudden shout.
“What does she have now? She’s just a physician—a lowly physician of the bottom three classes,” Madam Xie sneered. “A base person who can’t be brought to the table. I refuse to believe that we, a dignified marquis mansion, can’t handle her!”
Marquis Dingxi lost his energy again and retreated back into his calligraphy and paintings.
“Also, I want to continue arranging Yuncheng’s marriage,” Madam Xie continued.
“How can you arrange it?” Marquis Dingxi asked. “Didn’t he refuse to agree?”
Madam Xie clenched her fists.
“Back then, when your mother had Yuncheng marry that despicable servant, didn’t he also refuse to agree?” she said lightly.
Since his unwillingness back then could turn into today’s reluctance to let go, then why couldn’t it work with Miss Rao?
Could it be that Miss Rao from the Rao family was inferior to a beggar?
People were laughing at their marquis mansion, weren’t they laughing at their complete failure? As long as they married a new wife, everything would be settled. Then people would see clearly who had truly failed, who deserved their fate, and who had brought it upon themselves!
“Nanny Su, please invite Madam Yang over,” Madam Xie turned around and called out loudly.
Qi Yue didn’t know about Old Madam Liu’s bungled attempt that had made her take the blame. She was touched by the incidents involving Yan’er and Old Madam Liu and began drawing a diagram.
A’Ru and Hu San were both watching from the side.
“There are so many types of cleft lip?” A’Ru asked curiously.
Qi Yue nodded and began to write.
“…Give children a chance, give life a chance… Qianjin Hall free cleft lip and palate surgery treatment…”
Hu San read aloud, his expression hesitant.
“Free?” he said.
Qi Yue finished writing the last stroke.
“Yes. The poorer people are, the more reluctant they are to seek medical treatment. If it’s not free, they might not spend their limited money on something they don’t think is worthwhile,” she said, sighing. “This has nothing to do with human nature—it’s the helplessness of reality.”
Hu San made an “oh” sound.
“Go ahead. Print these out and distribute them, especially to remote areas,” Qi Yue said.
Hu San responded affirmatively, took the drawing, and tugged at A’Ru’s sleeve. A’Ru glared at him but still followed him out.
“What is it?” she asked.
“This medical clinic has already cost Miss Qi a lot of money. She’s also raised the disciples’ wages, plus the daily medicine, cloth…” Hu San counted on his fingers, “…meal expenses… Right now we’re operating at a complete loss. No matter how rich Master is, she can’t withstand this kind of spending.”
A’Ru frowned.
“I understand. I’ll talk to her about it. You go ahead,” she said.
Only then did Hu San leave.
On the way home in the evening, A’Ru tactfully brought up this matter.
“Money? I really don’t have much feeling about that,” Qi Yue laughed. She always liked to pass through the liveliest street when going home. “Because it wasn’t originally mine anyway.”
“But don’t you want to live a better life?” A’Ru asked.
Thinking of the simple furnishings at home, the simple three meals a day, and comparing it to the days at the marquis mansion—there really was no comparison.
“Better?” Qi Yue laughed. “What does ‘better’ mean? This is already very good.”
She looked up at the sky where night was gradually spreading.
“A’Ru, what I’ve enjoyed is something you all couldn’t even imagine in your entire lives. Yet my ability to enjoy that kind of life was thanks to all of you,” she said, smiling at A’Ru.
Huh? A’Ru didn’t understand.
The accumulated deposits of thousands of years of social evolution had created the civilization of modern society. As someone who had enjoyed the comfortable life brought by civilization from birth, she had never thought to be grateful—everything had become taken for granted. Now, with this comparison, she realized how precious those things she had once ignored were.
“So, having enjoyed such a good life, I should now do something for all of you,” Qi Yue smiled. “This is my honor. Don’t worry about me—money is meant to be spent.”
“But…” A’Ru was about to say something else when Qi Yue reached out and patted her shoulder.
“Let’s go. No more ‘buts.’ A good life is when you have hands and feet and can do whatever you want—that’s the best life in the world,” she laughed and strode ahead.
April 18th was the day Qianjin Hall provided free medical care to beggars, and also the day of the Great Buddha Temple’s grand incense ceremony.
Early in the morning, carriages and horses lined up outside the temple. Servants from wealthy families held sticks to ward off beggars who tried to rush forward seeking alms. Well-dressed women with jewels and rouge covering their faces with fans walked gracefully into the temple, their perfume and cosmetic scents almost overwhelming the incense smoke.
When Madam Xie got out of her carriage, she happened to see Madam Yang’s carriage and horses. She hurried over as Madam Yang was helping a young maid down from the carriage. Seeing her, Madam Yang smiled.
“…The young ladies and young master came too,” Madam Yang said, smiling at the three daughters and one son behind Madam Xie.
Chang Shulan, Chang Huilan, and Chang Yunhong bowed to Madam Yang, while Chang Yalan, held in a wet nurse’s arms, also performed a proper courtesy.
“Why don’t I see your family’s scholar master?” Madam Yang laughed.
Chang Yunqi had passed the county and prefectural examinations and was the top candidate.
“Don’t talk nonsense—what scholar master? He’s just a child. Our family doesn’t care about such things, it’s just that the children’s diligence is truly rare,” Madam Xie smiled, walking side by side with Madam Yang. “He’s at home preparing for the exams. He won’t be going out until after the palace examination in June.”
“That’s natural. Third Young Master will surely bring back a Triple Crown,” Madam Yang laughed. “Several families have asked me to arrange matches. Would you like to choose? Once Third Young Master finishes his exams, we can arrange the marriage.”
Madam Xie smiled without speaking.
“What did they say from Shandong?” she suddenly asked.
Madam Yang was stunned for a moment but kept smiling.
“The journey is long, and it’s been raining for several days, so they’re delayed. Just wait a bit longer,” she said vaguely.
“They’d better hurry. If it weren’t for their family, I would have already announced Yuncheng’s marriage arrangements. So many families are waiting for me to choose,” Madam Xie said matter-of-factly.
Madam Yang’s smile became more forced.
Suddenly, people ahead began running chaotically. The servants clearing the way were knocked about, shouting angrily while raising their sticks to strike randomly. The scene immediately became chaotic.
Both Madam Xie and Madam Yang were startled and stopped in their tracks.
They watched as beggars pushed and crawled about.
“Give them some money,” Madam Xie said lightly.
This had become Madam Xie’s habit. Hearing the order, a servant woman quickly grabbed a pre-prepared money pouch and threw it out.
Accompanied by the lady’s merciful voice, the beggars surged forward chasing the money pouch to fight over it, with continuous screams from those being trampled and squeezed.
This was the favorite game of wealthy ladies. Madam Xie watched the scramble with a smile.
“The Marchioness is so kind-hearted,” Madam Yang smiled.
Madam Xie very much enjoyed this flattery and accepted it with a smile.
Naturally, Madam Yang didn’t want to be outdone. With a word of command, her servant also threw out several money pouches.
After watching the excitement for a while, they grew bored and headed toward the temple.
“…Carry him out… slowly, don’t move him…”
Behind them came voices different from the usual begging for alms and fighting over money. The two ladies, who were about to step over the threshold, couldn’t help but look back.
They saw that the scrambling beggars had been separated, and several men in identical clothing were carefully lifting out a small beggar whose head had been trampled and bloodied.
“Over here,” Qi Yue called out.
Right by the roadside, a banner was hung with the simple words “Free Medical Care.” Behind the banner stood disciples from Qianjin Hall, all busy at work.
Two disciples stood beside Qi Yue, seemingly helping but actually forming a protective circle around her.
“Free medical care means no charge?”
“I heard that the physicians at Qianjin Hall received kindness from beggars in their ancestry, so every April 18th they hold free medical consultations, examining patients and giving medicine.” Passersby who saw this discussed in low voices. Compared to beggars eager to get a few more coins or steamed buns, things like treating illness and giving medicine weren’t very attractive, but for other common people it was different. Soon they were surrounded by a crowd.
Madam Xie spotted Qi Yue immediately, though in her eyes, this woman’s dress and appearance were no different from those beggars.
“What kind of saint or bodhisattva is she pretending to be,” she snorted coldly. Seeing an old beggar kowtowing gratefully to Qi Yue, the anger in her heart shot up like flames. Bah! Despicable woman! Don’t even think about winning favor from beggars!
“These beggars are pitiful enough, scrambling madly for these two or three coins,” Madam Xie said, raising her hand. “Go, give out fifty more taels.”
Not only the servant woman beside her, but even Madam Yang stared at her wide-eyed.
Fifty taels…
This was really…
“Why aren’t you going quickly!” Madam Xie shouted.
Only then did the servant woman hurry away. Soon, news that the wife of Marquis Dingxi had given fifty taels spread everywhere. The scene of Marquis Dingxi’s charity was packed so tightly that not even water could flow through.
Madam Xie watched as the beggars who had been receiving treatment at Qianjin Hall—those with broken legs, faces covered in blood—crawled toward that direction, leaving that woman anxiously trying to dissuade them but helplessly standing in place. Finally, she smiled with complete satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Qi Yue seemed to sense the gaze from this direction and looked over.
“Thank you for the lady’s benevolence!” Qi Yue called out loudly, while gesturing to the people still being treated on her side. “Quick, quick! Medical treatment isn’t urgent—everyone go grab money first. After you get the money, come back for treatment. You won’t delay anything.”
Everyone laughed at her words and indeed ran off in a chaotic rush.
Madam Xie’s satisfied smile immediately stuck in her throat.