Jinyi Spring

Chapter 107 Heaven and Earth

Feng Chuchen sat up abruptly.

No wonder that person looked familiar... She remembered, he resembled Shangguan Ruyu and Madam Ming.

Feng Chuchen's hair looked like it was about to stand up.

That man was Shangguan Ruyu's father, whose real name was Shangguan Yunqi!
Sleeping together under one sky —

This line of poetry refers to the two of them, making such a blatant confession.

The sky is cloud, referring to Shangguan Yunqi.

The earth is orchid, and its beauty is exquisite—orchid is another name for Da Gu.

One was born into the household of the Marquis of Weiyong, and the other was the granddaughter of a convicted woman.

The two came from completely different backgrounds, like heaven and earth.

Each person feels cold under their own silk quilt.

These seven words were like a needle, piercing straight into Feng Chuchen's heart.

The distance between heaven and earth is so vast that one can only gaze at each other from afar, and can only wrap oneself tightly in the quilt, bearing the chill alone...

This feeling is akin to the slow, agonizing torture of emotions; it is incredibly painful.

My rational aunt had fallen head over heels for him, even losing her virginity before marriage; she must have loved that man so much.

However, they ultimately failed to stay together.

Shangguan Ruyu said that Shangguan Yunqi had fought in the south when he was young.

My aunt was familiar with the needles used by the Li people, and she must have spent the years she was away in the south.

They met and fell in love in Nanzhong...

Seeing his sister's sudden change in expression, Feng Buji asked, "Sister, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I'm just a little tired."

Feng Chuchen felt distressed and closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.

Should we turn a blind eye, or should we question Shangguan Yunqi about why he would provoke his aunt knowing that their relationship is impossible, and then hurl insults at her to vent his anger?
Feng Chuchen thought about it all the way, and finally decided to choose the rational path.

However, she no longer wanted to pay attention to Shangguan Ruyu.

After dinner, Feng Chuchen locked the door, took out her aunt's journal, and turned to the page with that poem.

The date is June 15th.

Feng Chuchen had overheard Shangguan Ruyu mention that his birthday was in June.

No wonder Shangguan Yunqi said that Doctor Feng had saved his wife and son!

On that day, the eldest aunt saved Princess Yanghe and Shangguan Ruyu. Overwhelmed with grief, she could only write these two ambiguous lines of poetry.

What were her feelings as she delivered Princess Yanghe's baby?

Aunt Wang once said that because her eldest aunt saved Princess Yanghe and Shangguan Ruyu, Princess Yanghe pleaded on her behalf, which is why her magic needle was priced at a high of eighty taels of silver.

With Shangguan Yunqi's wife pleading on her behalf, the strong-willed aunt must be feeling terrible...

Feng Chuchen then took out the string of gold beads and necklaces.

This necklace was not made by the Imperial Household Department. It has a strong Indian style, and the gold and pearls are unique to small South Asian countries. It is most likely that Shangguan Yunqi specially made it for his aunt when he was in Nanzhong.

I don't know if I didn't have time to send it or if my aunt didn't accept it after I sent it...

Princess Yanghe's words still echoed in my ears.

On the surface, Princess Yanghe had a high opinion of her aunt and was also very kind to her.

But that aloof attitude is like the sun hanging high in the winter sky, radiating light but making people feel no warmth at all.

She looked down upon the people and things in the dust, generously bestowing upon them the magnanimity and kindness that belonged to those in power.

This thing is still in her bedroom...

She has complete control over her husband.

By giving away this old item, the wife seemed to be generously helping her husband resolve his regret, but she was also pushing away something that was an eyesore.

Shangguan Yunqi, on the other hand, compromised and indulged.

That eldest princess was a formidable character... It can't be said that she shouldn't have done it; asserting her dominance over her husband is something every wife wants to do, and she also had good intentions towards her aunt's descendants.

But she placed that heavy gold bead in her hand, making her feel utterly humiliated...

Feng Chuchen's fingertips brushed against the cool golden beads.

My aunt was a woman who would rather break than bend, with pride etched into her very bones. If she could know this from beyond the grave, she would surely coldly tell her to return the things.

I've really taken on a hot potato.

If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have accepted it, even if it meant going against them.

Feng Chuchen was so frustrated that she wanted to bang her head against the wall.

What's even more baffling is that Shangguan Yunqi already has a wife and children, and the couple is loving and harmonious, praised as a model for the imperial family. Why bother going to the grave to pay respects, disturbing the deceased's spirit and upsetting his wife?

Feng Chuchen was angry with both the two people and with herself, and sat there blankly for a long time.

When the distant watchman's drum sounded, she sat down at the table, took out her diary, and wrote:
On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month in the twentieth year of Jianzhang, the north wind swept up snow and plum blossoms, and a lone branch bloomed proudly in the cold.

I finally know who that person is.

Aunt, I'm sorry, I've brought shame upon you...

The secret that her aunt guarded her whole life, Feng Chuchen could not write down clearly; she could only let this unfinished ellipsis sink into the abyss of the pages.

At night, Feng Chuchen didn't dream of her aunt whom she had been thinking about, but she dreamed of herself from her past life.

She was wearing a white blouse, her black hair loosely tied into a bun, and she was taking a patient's pulse, her spine ramrod straight.

After taking the pulse, he sat down to write a prescription, his handwriting delicate yet sharp at the end...

The next day, when Feng Chuchen woke up, the scene from her dream was still vividly lingering in her mind, impossible to shake off.

She felt something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it; it felt like tiny thorns pricking her heart.

It wasn't until breakfast that two details suddenly came to mind.

In my dream, the hand that took my pulse had four fingers as white and tender as jade, all resting neatly on the patient's wrist.

But in her past life, her habit was that her little finger would always unconsciously curl up slightly.

Furthermore, while her handwriting was elegant and graceful, it lacked the strength of the one in my dream. Especially at the end of each stroke, the brush tip almost seemed to pierce the paper, much like the handwriting in a handwritten note…

How strange!
She looked out the window; the reddish morning light enveloped the withered branches, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone ground, and yesterday's frustration inexplicably dissipated somewhat.

After the meal, Feng Chuchen took a car to Mingfu.

My state of mind is different today than usual.

Madam Ming is Shangguan Yunqi's younger sister, and she should keep her distance from the Ming family.

The people of Mingfu were as warm as ever. Feng Chuchen smiled faintly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

These people had become accustomed to Feng Chuchen's aloofness and didn't take it to heart.

After a long day yesterday, Madam Ming is not feeling well today and is still in bed.

Pearl arrived just after Madam Ming's treatment was completed.

She smiled warmly, "Yesterday, the longevity peaches that Miss Feng presented caught the old lady's eye, and she was very fond of them. The old lady also ate a lucky bag containing gold ingots, and everyone said she was full of good fortune..." Yesterday, Feng Chuchen quietly told Pearl which lucky bag to eat.

The old lady was pleased and rewarded Feng Chuchen with a jade pillow, saying it was a good omen. The old lady was tired and hadn't seen anyone today except for the old Duke, saying she would have young Miss Feng come to Furong Hall to keep her company another day.

Madam Xia also rewarded Feng Chuchen with a piece of brocade, thanking her for making the old lady happy.

Feng Chu thanked him, but declined to stay for a meal, citing the busyness of the clinic.

Granny Li saw her out and whispered about what happened yesterday on the way. It was Ming Shanyue who had asked her to tell the story.

Because the young lady was angry that the old Duke and the young master Shangguan had said a few good things about Miss Feng, she became resentful and instigated the eldest princess to cause trouble.

"The aunt gave her a severe scolding, and the master also cursed her. The aunt also apologized to the old master and the duke. The old lady is in poor health, so we didn't dare to disturb her..."

Feng Chuchen remained silent. She knew that Xia's brocade was an apology to Kong Xiyan, but she didn't know what Xia's true intentions were.

Granny Li returned to her room, dismissed the others, and whispered with a smile, "I apologized to Doctor Feng."

Madam Ming sneered, "Simple-minded, arrogant and domineering, how dare she treat Doctor Feng like that! Yan girl is a blockhead, her cunning is far inferior to her mother's."

Granny Li chimed in, "Who says otherwise? After staying in the Duke's mansion for so long, she really thinks she's the legitimate young lady of the Duke's mansion, and she's got all the air about her head."

On the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, Feng Buji took a long holiday.

Today marks the end of another course of treatment.

Ancient people were superstitious and were unwilling to take medicine or receive acupuncture unless it was an emergency or during the Lunar New Year.

Feng Chuchen discussed with Madam Ming, "After this course of treatment, I will only rest for two days, and then receive treatment for seven consecutive days from the 23rd to the 29th. I will go back to my old house for the New Year and come back for treatment on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. The massage cannot be stopped; let Granny Li do it."

Madam Ming shared the same idea, "If there's nothing seriously wrong, how about Doctor Feng comes back for treatment on the seventh day?"

Feng Chuchen agreed, "Okay."

On behalf of the Feng family, Feng Buji delivered New Year's gifts to the Hu family, the Yanghe Princess's residence, the Ming family, the Guo family's residence, and the Fang family.

Feng Chuchen pondered for a long time whether or not to send a gift to Princess Yanghe's residence, but finally decided to do so. However, she took out the headband she had given to the princess and replaced it with a double-sided embroidered kang screen she had bought from the embroidery shop.

Apart from the Hu and Fang families, the Feng siblings never expected the other families to send gifts in return.

To their surprise, the other families also sent return gifts, with the gifts from the Shangguan and Ming families being quite generous.

The clinic's shareholders received their dividends, and Uncle Wu sent twenty taels of silver to Shangguan Ruyu, and forty taels of silver each to Feng Chuchen and her siblings.

The clinic had been open for a few months, and after losing money for the first two months, it started to turn a profit and made some money. However, the clinic needed to expand, manufacture more sophisticated medical equipment, and set aside working capital for next year, so the dividends were not much.

Although the dividends are not much, the clinic has a promising future.

He also gave out year-end bonuses to the household servants and clinic staff.

Feng Chuchen and Aunt Wang received the highest, each receiving ten taels of silver.

Next were Sister-in-law Hao, Midwife Li, Midwife Wang, Uncle Wu, and Master Wang, the medicine maker, each receiving five taels of silver.

Two taels of silver each for Pinellia ternata, peony, Aunt Wu, and Midwife He.

The others received either one tael or eight hundred coins.

Since the clinic opened, Feng Chuchen has performed acupuncture eleven times, including seven times on infants delivered at the clinic and four times at the homes of influential people.

The bounty earned outside doesn't have to be handed over to the public, but now that the clinic is in financial difficulty, Feng Chuchen has handed it all over.

The reward money she received for treating Lord Xiao and Wen Qian was of dubious origin, so she dared not use it as treatment fees and put it in the clinic's account. The more than two hundred taels of silver she invested was considered a loan to the clinic, which would have to repay her when the clinic made more money.

She earned more than ten times more money for the clinic than the entire clinic earned, and her commission was also higher, amounting to more than one hundred taels of silver.

The second highest commission went to Aunt Wang, totaling fifteen taels of silver.

Five and a half months after the clinic was established, Aunt Wang earned more than thirty taels of silver, which made her very happy.

Feeling a little embarrassed, she went to the fabric shop and bought some good fabric, and together with Du Ruo, made a set of clothes and a pair of shoes for each of their two masters.

Feng Chuchen received a large commission and, in his personal capacity, gave each of the clinic's staff and household servants four feet of silk and two catties of pastries.

On the afternoon of the 28th day of the Lunar New Year, Shangguan Ruyu arrived at the Feng residence.

Feng Chuchen was busy at the clinic.

She told Mulan, "Just say I'm busy and don't have time. Don't ask him to stay for dinner. If he insists, send him away after dinner."

Mu Jin didn't know why her mistress had suddenly become cold towards Young Master Shangguan, so she could only reply, "Yes."

Shangguan Ruyu, accompanied by Feng Buji, was having tea and chatting in the main room.

He gave Feng Buji a red envelope containing six gold ingots symbolizing the top scholar's success in the imperial examinations, saying, "I won't see you before the New Year, so I'm giving you this red envelope first."

He then took out a small red coral ornament symbolizing good fortune and longevity, and a blush appeared on his handsome face.

"It's out of respect for my master; I'm grateful to her for teaching me so many medical skills."

He was too embarrassed to give jewelry or fabric as gifts, so he racked his brains to come up with this one. He was also afraid that Feng Chuchen wouldn't accept it, so he used this excuse.

The apprentice showed respect to his master, and Feng Buji accepted it.

Yesterday, he also brought two cans of tea and two pieces of meat to offer as a tribute to his master.

"Thank you on behalf of my sister."

Shangguan Ruyu smiled brightly, her peach blossom eyes sparkling, "You're welcome, Miss Feng has taught me a lot."

Even after finishing dinner and saying goodbye, Feng Chuchen was still busy at the clinic.

Under the starry sky, Shangguan Ruyu looked at the rooftop over there, and the image of that slender, busy figure appeared before her eyes.

I won't see her for several days, and I'm really not used to it.

He shook his head and boarded the carriage with regret.

Feng Chuchen only came over after hearing that Shangguan Ruyu had left.

Feng Buji handed over the brush washer, saying, "Brother Shangguan said that it was a disciple's way of showing respect to his master, so I accepted it on behalf of my sister."

Feng Chuchen accepted it, saying, "From now on, do not accept anything from Princess Yanghe's residence."

Thinking that he couldn't afford to ruin the relationship, he added, "Don't accept anything from Young Master Shangguan, but we'll see about the Princess's residence."

Feng Buji looked at her in confusion. Brother Shangguan had given her quite a few things before, and hadn't he accepted them all?

Feng Chuchen explained, "We accepted the gifts before because I saved Young Master Shangguan's life and taught him medicine, and he gave us gifts to express his gratitude. Now he has repaid all the favors he owed, and we are even. If we accept them again, then we will owe him."

She turned and put the brush washer on the bottom shelf of the bookcase. It was difficult to return, but she didn't know how to use it either.

Feng Chuchen knew that this was unfair to Shangguan Ruyu, who was a good child.

But with her aunt and Shangguan Yunqi in the middle, she couldn't be friends with him like before and had to keep her distance.

In this way, they might lose Princess Yanghe's residence as a powerful backer.

Feng Chuchen wasn't too worried. Ming Shanyue and the Ming family still owed her a favor, so she could just ask them for help if needed.

Of course, she should keep her distance from the Ming family, but she should also maintain the proper relationship and find the right balance.

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, Feng Chuchen and her siblings, Aunt Wang, Du Ruo, Uncle Wu and his family of three, along with half a cartload of New Year's goods, returned to their old house. One cart wasn't enough, so they hired an oxcart.

The siblings will stay until the fourth day of the Lunar New Year before returning to Beijing. Aunt Wang will return to the clinic on the afternoon of the first day of the Lunar New Year to take care of patients.

The clinic is temporarily being looked after by Banxia, ​​Li the midwife, and others. If there is an emergency, go to the old house to find them.

We've already arranged with the Hu family that they'll spend a day at the Feng family's old house on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year. The Hu brothers have been wanting to go to the countryside for a while now.

We arrived at the old house at the end of the Si hour (9-11 AM).

Peony rushed back to the old house yesterday and has already cleaned it and heated the kang (a traditional heated bed).