After that day, apart from seeking trouble with Meixue, Chunxiu also found fault with Yunyi at every turn. She possessed some cunning, always choosing times when Nanny Yang was absent to create obstacles, making it difficult for Meixue to accuse her.
However, Chunxiu wasn’t merely being malicious. For some unknown reason these past few days, she constantly suffered from inexplicable pains, and these invariably occurred when she was scolding Wu Shi or Yunyi.
On one particular occasion, she tried to repeat her previous trick of tripping Meixue, but suddenly her knee shot with pain and she fell to the ground instead, her knee developing a large bruise that prevented her from dancing for two whole days.
If the previous incidents could still be called accidents, this time Chunxiu was certain it was no accident at all—someone was deliberately harming her. But when she questioned Jirong and the others, they all claimed they hadn’t seen anyone interfere, and it certainly wasn’t Meixue’s doing.
Their words made Chunxiu increasingly uneasy. Two nights before the dance performance, she pulled Jirong aside and asked hesitantly, “Sister, do you think one of those two—Meixue or Shen Yunyi—might know some kind of sorcery?”
“Why do you suddenly ask that?” Facing Jirong’s inquiry, Chunxiu lifted her skirt to show Jirong the lingering purple bruises on her knee, saying in a grave voice, “These past few days, I’ve been falling or getting hurt by something almost every day. I’ve thought it over and over, and besides those two, who else would do such things? If this continues, I’ll have trouble even walking, let alone competing with Wu Meixue for the lead dancer position.”
Jirong pondered for a moment, then said, “We’ve known Meixue since childhood. We’re perfectly clear about her capabilities, so it probably isn’t her.”
“Then it must be that Shen Yunyi.” Chunxiu gritted her teeth. “I wonder if she and I were enemies in a past life. Ever since we met, she’s been opposing me at every turn—not a moment’s peace.” She shook Jirong’s hand as she spoke. “Sister Jirong, please help me think of a solution.”
Jirong said with difficulty, “At a time like this, what solution can I possibly think of?”
Chunxiu refused to give up. “Sister Jirong, you’re so thoughtful, you must be able to think of something. Besides, you wouldn’t want me to practice so hard only to be ruined by that Shen Yunyi, would you?”
Pressed by her urgency, Jirong said helplessly, “Alright, alright, don’t be anxious. Let me think.”
In the night, autumn insects chirped one after another. After an unknown length of time, Jirong finally spoke: “The most crucial thing right now is the dance performance at the Governor’s birthday celebration the day after tomorrow. So what you should be most concerned about isn’t Shen Yunyi, but Wu Meixue.”
“I know that, but Shen Yunyi knows sorcery, I…” Before Chunxiu could finish, Jirong already said, “Whether she actually knows sorcery or not, even if she does, judging from these past few days, she can only cause you minor injuries at most—nothing fundamental for now. But if you lose to Meixue, you’ll miss a great opportunity. So your most important task is to secure the lead dancer position.”
“How could I not want that? But first, Nanny Yang is partial to Wu Meixue, and second, my legs have inexplicably gained so many injuries. To compete with her…” Chunxiu paused, then reluctantly uttered four words: “How can it be easy!”
Jirong smiled mysteriously. “If I remember correctly, tomorrow is the fifteenth.”
Chunxiu was puzzled by her words. “Yes, it’s the fifteenth. But so what?”
“According to the household rules, we can return home to visit on the first and fifteenth of each month. Tomorrow you should go home for a visit and…” Before she could finish, Chunxiu hurriedly shook her head. “The dance performance is the day after tomorrow. Nanny Yang will definitely decide on the lead dancer tomorrow. If I leave at this time, wouldn’t I be handing the opportunity to Wu Meixue? Absolutely not!”
“Listen to me finish first.” Saying this, Jirong continued, “People inevitably face disasters and difficulties, and falling ill is unavoidable. If Meixue becomes ill and cannot get up, the lead dancer qualification would naturally go to you.”
“Of course I know that, but she’s perfectly fine now. How could she possibly fall ill just like that?” Facing her words, Jirong smiled knowingly. “I once heard my father tell a story. There was once a landlord’s family that was quite wealthy but had few descendants. He didn’t have a son until he was fifty, and he cherished the boy immensely. When the son was four years old, he fell ill. After recovering, his body was weak, and the doctor said they should supplement his diet moderately and gradually. The landlord misunderstood the doctor’s words, thinking that more supplements were better, so he had someone stew an aged wild ginseng root for his son to eat. As a result, the son was over-supplemented, his body became even worse, and he died not long after. The landlord regretted it deeply, but it was too late.”
This story wasn’t difficult to understand, and Chunxiu naturally grasped it, but she didn’t understand what it had to do with her situation. Jirong, seeing her confusion, said, “Ginseng can be a great tonic or a great poison, depending on how it’s used. If a person with no illness or pain suddenly receives heavy supplementation, what do you think would happen?”
Chunxiu thought for a moment and tentatively asked, “Would they be too weak to accept the supplement?”
“Exactly. As long as we can trick Meixue into taking it, the day after tomorrow, never mind leading the dance—she won’t even be able to perform.” Though the Ji family’s medical skills had greatly declined from their past glory, many medical texts still remained in the household. Jirong had been reading them since childhood, and while she couldn’t claim to be medically proficient, she had deep knowledge of medicinal properties.
Hearing this, Chunxiu’s eyes revealed a hint of smile, but it quickly disappeared. “But ginseng isn’t an ordinary item. How could we possibly afford it?”
Jirong thought for a moment. “We just received our monthly allowance yesterday. If we combine ours and find a way to get the silver your father has saved, we should be able to buy a decent ginseng root.”
Chunxiu thought this made sense and gritted her teeth. “That’s the only way. I’ll tell Nanny Yang tomorrow that I need to go home for a visit.”
Jirong nodded and also reminded her, “Make sure to buy the best ginseng possible. Don’t be stingy with the silver—we only have one chance.”
Chunxiu nodded. “Sister, rest assured. I know what I’m doing.”
That night, Chunxiu couldn’t sleep. At dawn the next day, she asked Nanny Yang for leave to go out. Though the latter felt it was inappropriate, this was a household rule, so she didn’t obstruct her.
After noon, Chunxiu returned to the Governor’s residence with a ginseng root of good quality, slipping her remaining few copper coins to the kitchen staff and asking them to help her stew the ginseng into soup.
Following Jirong’s instructions, she had the entire ginseng root cut into small slices before stewing. This method could extract all the ginseng’s essence, making it far more effective than stewing the whole root.
Since ginseng required a long stewing time, it wasn’t ready until nearly dusk. Chunxiu brought it to the dance hall, where everyone was still practicing because they were to select the lead dancer today.