“How does Second Uncle know so much about my family’s affairs?”
Fine snow swirled beyond the eaves. A female voice approached, carrying a weak and feeble tone. For a moment, everyone in the hall turned to look at the approaching group in the courtyard.
The young woman supported by a maid wore a pale green jacket and frost-white gauze skirt, her hair styled in three loops, wearing a veiled hat that obscured her features. Her steps were slow, as if she were ill.
“Ni Su, are you admitting it?”
Ni Zong raised his chin, fully displaying the威authority of an elder.
“Admitting what?”
Ni Su climbed the steps and coughed several times. The taciturn Cen Zishu glanced at Lao Neizhi who had followed behind. The old steward stood outside the threshold not daring to enter, hunched over wiping sweat.
How could he possibly stop Miss?
“Please forgive me, Second Uncle. I’m ill and not fit to see people, fearing I’d breach propriety, so I can only do this.” Nanny Qian by Cen Zishu’s side came to help Ni Su sit down, then had a maid bring a bowl of hot tea to warm her hands.
“You wore this veiled hat yesterday too!”
Ni Zong’s daughter Ni Mizhi, seeing her father’s glance sweep over, stood up and said: “I was returning from our family’s estate and passed through Zao Hua Village where I saw you. Don’t think I didn’t recognize you just because you wore a veiled hat—I recognize both your carriage driver and your maid Xing Zhu!”
Ni Zong looked toward Cen Zishu, but seeing Cen Zishu remain silent like a mute gourd, his expression worsened. Just as he was about to speak again, he heard the veiled young woman say: “Is that so? Who will testify?”
“It can’t be that based solely on your one-sided words, you can determine my guilt. That farm woman and the midwife—can they confirm it? When you return from your family’s estate you must pass through Zao Hua Village; when I return from my family’s estate I also must pass through there. Naturally I can’t say I’ve never been there, but as for what happened after, I don’t acknowledge that.”
“This…”
Ni Mizhi pressed her lips together. “Who’s like you, lacking self-respect and associating with those filthy lowly people?”
It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of bringing people to testify, but that farm woman had just given birth and couldn’t leave her bed. She insisted Ni Su had only passed by and borrowed a bowl of water. As for that other midwife, she was the same as the farm woman—neither admitted that Ni Su had helped deliver the baby with her.
“When you say filthy lowly people, do you mean that farm woman or that midwife?”
Cen Zishu suddenly fixed her gaze on Ni Mizhi and spoke coldly: “I don’t know what kind of family we are that we can create such verbal karma, looking down on others. Mizhi, when your mother gave birth to you, surely your household invited a midwife? When she entered your family’s door, did you also think she was dirty?”
For a moment, everyone in the hall couldn’t help but think of Ni Zong’s older brother, Ni Zhun.
Five years ago, Ni Zhun had been providing free medical care to nearby villagers when he was buried and killed by a mudslide on his way home. The county office sent a plaque reading “Healing the World, Virtue Pure and Fragrant” to Ni Zhun’s widow, Cen Zishu.
Even Ni Zhun had never looked down on poor farmers. Naturally, Cen Zishu couldn’t stand hearing Ni Mizhi speak this way. Seeing Ni Mizhi’s appearance of not daring to speak, Ni Zong waved for her to sit down, then softened his voice somewhat: “Sister-in-law, elder brother always had a kind heart, but sometimes kindness can be a disaster. For physicians, there’s no reason for women to inherit this family trade. When elder brother was alive, he also forbade Ni Su from studying medicine. But she not only studied secretly, she’s also walking Ji Ming’s old path… I hope sister-in-law understands my good intentions. Elder brother used his life to improve our family’s reputation somewhat—don’t let her recklessly ruin it again!”
Ji Ming was Ni Qinglan’s courtesy name.
Ever since that year when he was sixteen and couldn’t bear to let He Liu Shi be tortured to death by pain, so he diagnosed her intimate ailment, and He Liu Shi couldn’t endure the rumors and threw herself into the river, the Ni family’s medical practice business had plummeted.
It wasn’t until after Ni Zhun’s death, when the government’s plaque was sent to the Ni family, that business improved again.
“A family of apricot grove healers—even if we forbid it, how can we resist constant exposure? Second Brother, why must you be so petty and use my Lan’er as an example? Lan’er has now abandoned medicine to pursue literature and is a proper examination candidate. Moreover, Mizhi’s one-sided words have no real evidence—how can you expect me to believe you?” Cen Zishu fingered her Buddhist prayer beads. “Your family knows I’m not some benevolent mother. I discipline A’Xi even more strictly than you discipline Mizhi. Whether A’Xi has gone out to show off her half-baked medical skills, whether she’s broken our family rules—I know better than anyone.”
Cen Zishu spoke these words neither hurriedly nor slowly, with no discernible sharpness.
But Ni Zong’s expression became much uglier. How could he not hear that beneath these seemingly calm words lay an accusation that his household’s upbringing of his daughter was inferior?
And she was reminding him that her son was now a valued examination candidate in the county. Having gone to Yun Jing for the winter examinations this time, who knows what official position he might return with?
Unfortunately, he couldn’t pry open the mouths of that farm woman and midwife. Even offering silver couldn’t move them. He had no idea what enchanting potion Ni Su had fed those two.
“It wasn’t easy for Second Brother’s whole family to come. If you don’t mind the simple tea and plain food here, please join me for a meal,” Cen Zishu said flatly.
Ni Zong had come aggressively but was now holding back a belly full of anger. How could he eat? With just one phrase about “matters at home,” he left with a flick of his sleeves. Ni Mizhi was also unhappy in her heart. She glared at the veiled Ni Su and quickly followed. Only Ni Zong’s son, Ni Qingwen, stood up slowly, taking a bite of pastry. His gaze kept sticking to Xing Zhu’s face beside Ni Su. It wasn’t until Liu Shi beside him pushed him that he hummed a little tune and swaggered out.
“Sister-in-law…”
Liu Shi didn’t dare delay much. She called out to Cen Zishu, wanting to speak but stopping.
“Go back.”
A trace of warmth appeared between Cen Zishu’s cool brows and eyes as she nodded at her.
Liu Shi could only perform a bow and hurried out.
Spring snow melted on the threshold leaving water stains. The hall grew much colder. Cen Zishu said nothing, so Ni Su lifted her veiled hat, stood up, stepped forward several paces, and knelt before Cen Zishu.
Cen Zishu looked down at her. “Did you really go yesterday?”
“I went.”
Ni Su lowered her head, enunciating clearly, no longer displaying that weak and feeble manner from earlier.
Cen Zishu’s gaunt face bore heavy weariness. Rising was somewhat difficult for her, but she didn’t want Ni Su’s help. Nanny Qian quickly came to support Cen Zishu up. Cen Zishu didn’t look much at Ni Su, only saying flatly: “Then go kneel in the ancestral hall.”
Ever since Ni Qinglan was forced by Ni Zhun to pursue an official career, the person kneeling in the ancestral hall had changed from him to Ni Su. Sometimes it was because Ni Zhun discovered she had secretly read his notes, sometimes because she had secretly run out to identify hundreds of herbs in the mountains with herb gatherers.
Later, as she grew older and became better at hiding things, Ni Zhun didn’t know, so she knelt in the ancestral hall less often. After Ni Zhun’s death, this was Ni Su’s second time kneeling in the ancestral hall.
The ancestral hall now held Ni Zhun’s memorial tablet. Incense and candles burned constantly on the offering table, smoke and fire filling the air.
“Fortunately, Miss also saw Miss Mizhi’s carriage yesterday and communicated with that farm woman and midwife beforehand,” Xing Zhu squatted beside Ni Su. “It was truly dangerous. If Second Master had used silver and those two had changed their story, it would have been bad.”
“Second Uncle is usually stingy, but in this matter he wouldn’t necessarily refuse to use silver. It’s just that those two refused to take his silver,” Ni Su had been kneeling for a while now. Her legs were somewhat numb. She reached out to press them. Seeing her frown, Xing Zhu quickly reached out to massage them for her.
“Why wouldn’t they take it?” Xing Zhu couldn’t understand.
Yesterday when Ni Su was in that room helping the farm woman with difficult labor together with the midwife, Xing Zhu didn’t dare enter and stayed outside. She looked at that courtyard, that thatched cottage—no matter how she looked, they were an extremely poor household. How could they not lack silver?
“That midwife and I have considerable friendship. Though I’m not well acquainted with that farm woman, human hearts are flesh and blood. If you can see their difficulties, naturally they can also see your difficulties.”
Xing Zhu seemed to understand but not quite, pursing her lips: “But I see that Miss Mizhi’s heart is not made of flesh. When she was punished at home, she developed chronic headaches. When she fainted while studying at our family’s small school, you kindly applied acupuncture for her. But she turned around and went home to report you, saying you secretly studied medicine. That time Madam also punished you to kneel in the ancestral hall.”
Since then, Ni Zong had constantly watched whether Ni Su had any improper conduct.
“This time when Madam asked you,” Xing Zhu’s voice dropped much lower, moving close to Ni Su’s ear, “why did you tell the truth? If you had evaded it, you wouldn’t need to come to the ancestral hall for punishment.”
“I never lie to Mother.”
Ni Su shook her head. “In the past it was because she didn’t ask. If she asks me, I must answer truthfully.”
She knelt in the ancestral hall for most of the day. By the time the stars hung low, Ni Su’s knees were red, swollen, numb, and painful, making it difficult to walk. The old steward called several maids to help Xing Zhu carry Ni Su back to her room.
Cen Zishu asked nothing and didn’t have Nanny Qian send over medicine. Xing Zhu could only have a servant fetch some medicinal oil from the resident physician hired by the Ni family to rub on Ni Su.
“Miss, the night is cold. Sleep early.” After finishing rubbing the medicinal oil on Ni Su, Xing Zhu went out to wash her hands. Returning, she saw Ni Su sitting at the desk wearing an outer robe, her brush moving continuously. She stepped forward and gently urged.
“Elder brother will return soon. I want to organize all my insights from this past half year for him to see.” Two lamplight illuminated Ni Su’s fair, refined profile. The ink-wet brush tip moved across the paper. “Compared to when he left, I’ve gained even more now. For when afterbirth doesn’t descend during normal childbirth, I already have a better method for prescribing medicine.”
She was completely absorbed in writing, forgetting the time entirely. Xing Zhu came in to trim the lamp wicks several times, then dozed off leaning against the soft couch. Ni Su got up to drink some cold tea and took a garment from the wooden rack to drape over Xing Zhu.
In the latter half of the night, Ni Su fell asleep at her desk. The several lamps burned until dawn broke in the east, finally melting into a mass of wax remnants, their flames extinguished.
“Miss, a letter has arrived from Yun Jing!”
A maid’s clear, bright voice suddenly came from outside the door.
Ni Su jolted awake. She stood up, the garment draped over her falling to the ground. Xing Zhu, who had slept curled up all night, also woke and quickly got up to help Ni Su change clothes and wash: “Miss, Young Master must have passed!”
If he hadn’t passed, what would have arrived at this time would not be just a letter, but the person himself.
Ni Su had just knelt in the ancestral hall yesterday. Today she walked slowly. When she arrived at Cen Zishu’s courtyard, she discovered that the servants all stood in the courtyard. The old steward’s face was deathly pale, pacing back and forth on the stone steps in agitation.
Servants led many of the Ni family’s resident physicians rushing past Ni Su into Cen Zishu’s room. Supported by Xing Zhu, Ni Su hurried forward: “What’s wrong with Mother?”
“Madam has fainted!”
Lao Neizhi’s beard trembled, his eyes red-rimmed as he looked at Ni Su:
“Miss, our Young Master—he’s disappeared!”
What?
Ni Su’s mind roared with thunder.