“How is it that Second Uncle knows the affairs of my household so clearly?”
Fine snow swirled beyond the eaves. A girl’s voice drew near, sounding somewhat weak and breathless. For a moment, everyone in the hall turned to look at the group approaching through the courtyard.
The young girl, supported by a maid, wore a pale blue blouse and a frost-white gauze skirt. Her hair was arranged in a three-looped style, and she wore a veiled hat, obscuring her face. Her steps were slow, as if she were ill.
“Ni Su, are you admitting it?”
Ni Zong lifted his chin, putting on the full authority of an elder.
“Admitting what?”
Ni Su climbed the steps and coughed several times. The taciturn Madam Cen glanced at the old steward who had followed behind. The old steward stood outside the threshold, not daring to enter, hunched over as he wiped his sweat.
How could he have stopped the young miss?
“Please forgive me, Second Uncle. I am ill and not fit to meet people. I feared I would lose proper etiquette, so I had no choice but to dress like this.” Mama Qian, who stood beside Madam Cen, came over to support Ni Su as she sat down, then called for a maid to bring her a bowl of hot tea to warm her hands.
“You were wearing that veiled hat yesterday too!”
Ni Zong’s daughter, Ni Mizhi, saw her father’s warning glance and stood up. “I was returning from our family estate, and when I passed Zaohua Village, I saw you. Don’t think that just because you wore a veiled hat, I wouldn’t know it was you. I recognised your coachman and your maid Xingzhu!”
Ni Zong looked toward Madam Cen, but seeing that she remained silent like a sealed gourd, his expression darkened further. Just as he was about to speak again, he heard the veiled young girl say, “Is that so? Who will testify?”
“You cannot convict me of wrongdoing on your word alone. Did that peasant woman and the midwife confirm it? If you have to pass through Zaohua Village on your way back from your estate, then I also have to pass through there on my way back from mine. Naturally, I cannot say I never went there. But as for what happened afterwards, I do not admit to it.”
“This…”
Ni Mizhi pressed her lips together. “Who would be as shameless as you, mixing with those filthy, low-class people?”
It was not that she had not thought of finding people to testify. But that peasant woman had only just given birth and could not get out of bed. She stubbornly insisted that Ni Su had only passed by and borrowed a bowl of water. As for the other midwife, she said the same as the peasant woman and refused to admit that Ni Su had helped deliver the child with her.
“When you say filthy, low-class people, do you mean the peasant woman, or the midwife?”
Madam Cen suddenly fixed her eyes on Ni Mizhi and spoke without warning. “I do not know what kind of noble family we are supposed to be, that we can create such verbal sins and belittle others so. Mizhi, when your mother gave birth to you, did the family not invite a midwife? When she entered your household, did you also think she was filthy?”
For a moment, everyone in the hall could not help thinking of Ni Zong’s elder brother, Ni Zhun.
Five years ago, Ni Zhun had gone to provide free medical consultations to nearby villagers. On his way back, he encountered a mudslide and was buried to death. The county office sent a plaque to his widow, Madam Cen, inscribed with: “A physician who aids the world, virtuous and pure.”
Ni Zhun had never looked down on poor farming families. Naturally, Madam Cen could not bear to hear Ni Mizhi’s words. Seeing that Ni Mizhi did not dare speak, Ni Zong waved for her to sit down. His own voice softened somewhat.
“Sister-in-law, Elder Brother was always kind-hearted, but kindness can sometimes bring disaster. Those who practise medicine have no reason to let a woman inherit this family profession. When Elder Brother was alive, he did not permit Ni Su to study medicine either. Yet not only has she secretly learned it, she has also gone down Jiming’s old path… I hope Sister-in-law understands my painstaking intentions. Elder Brother used his life to improve our family’s reputation. We must not allow her to ruin it again in her muddle-headedness!”
Jiming was Ni Qinglan’s courtesy name.
Ever since the year he was sixteen, when he could not bear to let He Liu-shi be tortured to death by pain and treated her private female illness, only for He Liu-shi to throw herself into the river because she could not endure the rumours, the Ni family’s medical hall business had plummeted.
Only after Ni Zhun’s death, when the government plaque was delivered to the Ni family, did business improve again.
“In a family of physicians, even if one is forbidden to learn, it is difficult to avoid absorbing things by what one sees and hears. Why must Second Brother be so petty and drag my Lan’er into this? Lan’er has now abandoned medicine and taken up scholarship. He is a proper provincial-degree candidate. Besides, Mizhi’s words alone are no solid proof. How do you expect me to believe you?”
Madam Cen turned the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand. “Your family knows me as well. I am no indulgent mother. I discipline A’Xi more strictly than your family disciplines Mizhi. Whether A’Xi has gone outside to show off her half-baked medical skills, whether she has broken our family rules—I know better than anyone.”
Madam Cen spoke slowly and evenly, without any obvious sharpness.
But Ni Zong’s expression turned much uglier. How could he fail to hear that beneath these seemingly calm words, she was accusing his family of failing to educate their daughter properly?
She was also reminding him that her son was now a scholar valued by the county. After going to Yunjing for the winter examination this time, perhaps he would return with some official post.
Unfortunately, he had been unable to pry open the mouths of the peasant woman and the midwife. Even silver could not move them. Who knew what kind of spell Ni Su had cast over those two?
“It was not easy for Second Brother’s whole family to come here. If you do not mind the coarse tea and plain food of my courtyard, then stay and eat with me,” Madam Cen said lightly.
Ni Zong had come in a fury, only to have his stomach filled with anger. How could he possibly eat? With only a sentence of “There are matters at home,” he flicked his sleeve and left. Ni Mizhi was also displeased. She glared at the veiled Ni Su and quickly followed him.
Only Ni Zong’s son, Ni Qingwen, rose slowly, took a bite of pastry, and let his gaze stick from time to time to Xingzhu’s face beside Ni Su. It was only when Liu-shi pushed him that he hummed a little tune and swaggered out.
“Sister-in-law…”
Liu-shi did not dare delay long. She called to Madam Cen, wanting to speak but stopping herself.
“Go back.”
A trace of warmth appeared in Madam Cen’s cold, austere brows, and she nodded to her.
Liu-shi could only bow and hurriedly leave.
The spring snow melted on the threshold, leaving water stains. The hall grew much colder and emptier. Madam Cen did not speak, so Ni Su lifted her veil and rose. She stepped forward several paces and knelt before Madam Cen.
Madam Cen lowered her eyes to look at her. “Did you truly go yesterday?”
“I did.”
Ni Su lowered her head, her words clear and precise. There was no longer any trace of the sickly weakness from earlier.
Madam Cen’s thin face carried a heavy weariness. Even standing was somewhat difficult for her, yet she would not let Ni Su support her. Mama Qian hurried over to help Madam Cen up. Madam Cen did not look much at Ni Su and only said calmly, “Then go kneel in the ancestral hall.”
Ever since Ni Qinglan had been 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 found her secretly reading his notes; sometimes it was because she had sneaked out to follow herb gatherers into the mountains to identify medicinal plants.
Later, as she gradually grew older, she became better at hiding things. Ni Zhun did not know, so she knelt in the ancestral hall less often. After Ni Zhun passed away, this was Ni Su’s second time kneeling there.
There was now a memorial tablet for Ni Zhun in the ancestral hall. Incense and candles burned constantly on the offering table, filling the place with smoke and flame.
“Thank goodness you saw Miss Mizhi’s carriage yesterday and agreed on a story with the peasant woman and the midwife in advance,” Xingzhu crouched beside Ni Su. “That was truly dangerous. If Second Master had paid them silver and the two of them changed their story, things would have been bad.”
“Second Uncle is usually a bit miserly, but he may not have been unwilling to spend money on this matter. It is simply that those two refused his silver.” Ni Su had been kneeling for a while, and her legs were starting to go numb. She reached out to press them. When Xingzhu saw her frown, she hurriedly helped massage them.
“Why wouldn’t they take it?” Xingzhu could not understand.
Yesterday, Ni Su had helped the midwife deliver the child of a peasant woman in that room. Xingzhu had not dared enter and had waited outside. Looking at the courtyard and that thatched cottage, no matter how she looked at it, it was an extremely poor household. How could they not lack silver?
“That midwife and I can be considered fairly acquainted. As for the peasant woman, though I do not know her well, people’s hearts are made of flesh and blood. If you can see their difficulties, they can naturally see yours too.”
Xingzhu half understood and half did not. She curled her lips. “But from what I see, that Miss Mizhi’s heart is not made of flesh. She was punished at home and developed headaches because of it. When she came to our small family school to study and fainted, you kindly performed acupuncture on her, yet she turned around and went home to complain, saying you had secretly learned medicine. That time, Madam punished you by making you kneel in the ancestral hall too.”
Since then, Ni Zong had constantly watched Ni Su to see whether she committed any improper acts.
“This time, when Madam asked you…” Xingzhu lowered her voice a great deal and leaned close to Ni Su’s ear. “Why did you tell the truth? If you had brushed it off, you would not have had to come kneel in the ancestral hall.”
“I never lie to Mother.”
Ni Su shook her head. “In the past, it was because she did not ask. If she asks me, then I must tell the truth.”
Ni Su knelt in the ancestral hall for most of the day. Only when the starry sky lowered overhead were both her knees red and swollen, numb and painful to the point that she could barely walk. The old steward called several maids to come with Xingzhu and send Ni Su back to her room.
Madam Cen neither asked about her nor sent Mama Qian with medicine. Xingzhu could only ask a young servant to find one of the physicians hired by the Ni family’s clinic and bring back some medicinal oil to rub on Ni Su.
“Miss, the night is cold. Sleep early.” Xingzhu had finished rubbing medicinal oil on Ni Su and had gone out to wash her hands. When she returned, she saw Ni Su sitting at the desk with a robe draped over her shoulders, her brush never stopping. Xingzhu stepped forward and urged her softly.
“Brother will be back soon. I want to organise all my insights from these past six months for him to see.” Two candles illuminated Ni Su’s fair, delicate side profile. The ink-wet brush tip scraped over the paper. “Compared with when he left, I have gained even more understanding now. I have already found a better method for what medicine to use when a woman gives birth normally but the placenta fails to come out.”
She focused only on writing and completely forgot the time. Xingzhu came in several times to trim the lamp wicks, then grew so sleepy that she fell asleep leaning by the soft couch. Ni Su got up and drank a mouthful of cold tea, then took a garment from the wooden rack and draped it over Xingzhu.
In the latter half of the night, Ni Su fell asleep at the desk. Several candles burned until the east turned white, melting into lumps of leftover wax before their flames went out.
“Miss, a letter has arrived from Yunjing!”
A maid’s clear voice suddenly came from outside the door.
Ni Su woke with a start. She rose, and the garment draped over her fell to the floor. Xingzhu, who had slept curled up all night, also woke and quickly got up to help Ni Su dress and wash. “Miss, Young Master must have passed!”
If he had not passed, then what arrived at this time would not be only a letter, but the person himself.
Ni Su had only knelt in the ancestral hall yesterday, so today she walked slowly. When she arrived at Madam Cen’s courtyard, however, she found all the servants standing in the courtyard. The old steward’s face was frighteningly pale, and he was pacing anxiously back and forth on the stone steps.
A servant boy led several of the Ni family’s clinic physicians rushing past Ni Su and into Madam Cen’s room. Supported by Xingzhu, Ni Su hurried forward. “What happened to Mother?”
“Madam fainted!”
The old steward’s beard trembled. His eyes were red as he looked at Ni Su.
“Miss, our young master… has gone missing!”
What?
Ni Su’s mind roared.
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