Jinyi Spring

Chapter 70 Xiao Henian

Ming Shanyue particularly disliked hearing things like fate, yin and yang, finding a wife, suppression, and being a cursed lone star.

His eyebrows furrowed, and he said coldly, "Finding a woman to suppress me is fine, but don't. Father, please grant my second brother the title of heir apparent. Like my second and third uncles, I will never marry."

The old Duke was displeased and slapped him on the head.

He cursed, "Why bring up something I shouldn't be talking about? Are you rubbing salt into my wounds? The second son was heartbroken, and the third son was wounded by an arrow. They have no choice but to stay away from wives."

"You have no injuries whatsoever, you're the one who hurts other people's young ladies. Why don't you find a wife and have a son? Listen to the rumors outside, I'm ashamed for you."

The Duke of Dingguo remained calm and said, "Because of your marriage, your grandmother is worried and your mother is constantly in tears. You need to find a wife and have a son as soon as possible; there's no room for discussion about that."

"Your Aunt Xia has taken a liking to another girl, and we all think she's quite good. She's the second daughter of the Zhen family. Although she has a few minor flaws, she was born on the fifteenth day of the seventh month of the year Yiwei at midnight. She's also well-educated, reasonable, beautiful, and intelligent. The Zhen family is very satisfied with you. Let's make it a engagement."

His tone was gentle and his words were beyond question.

Ming Shanyue's face darkened further. "Minor flaws? Father, what defects does that girl have? I don't want her."

The old Duke glared at his son, asking why he was being so honest.

He retorted, "That's so harsh. If it's a minor flaw, it's just a tiny imperfection that others won't notice unless they pay attention."

He then scolded his grandson, "You yourself are not perfect, so why do you expect the girl to be flawless? Don't even think about a woman like Rong'er who has no flaws. As long as the girl can suppress your fate and be dignified and virtuous, that's enough..."

Ming Shanyue was even more unwilling and snorted coldly, "If you say whatever you want, don't blame me if you die again."

The old Duke frowned and said, "Your fate has already changed, how could you bring death to your wife again? Besides, you work in the Flying Eagle Guard and always have a sour face, which good girl would want to marry you?"

"Let me tell you, you must be polite to the Zhen family, especially the women. Don't give them a sour look, don't stay silent, and don't speak in a way that's offensive..."

Ming Shanyue rested at home for a while, and only two days ago was he officially appointed by the Emperor as the Northern Garrison Commander of the Flying Eagle Guard. His position, a third-rank military officer, was downgraded to fourth-rank, but he remained in the same post. This made finding a wife even more difficult for Ming Shanyue, who already had difficulty finding one.

Ming Shanyue's face was ashen. "So many rules before we're even married. If I marry her, she'll be spoiled rotten. I don't want that."

The old Duke slapped him on the head again, "You're destined to be a lone star. Don't even mention a tigress, even an old sow, as long as someone can keep you in check, you'll have to marry her."

"Look at Shangguan Ruyu, he's so mischievous and playful, but he's already engaged and will get married next year."

Ming Shanyue turned away with an icy expression.

Their meaning is that regardless of whether his fate is changed or not, the woman he marries must suppress him.

Suppress him?
Inverted!

Women are troublesome and meddlesome, and he would rather remain a bachelor for life than marry a woman who oppresses him.

He was annoyed by all women except his grandmother and mother, including Aunt Xia and her daughter.

The thought of "minor flaws" only fueled my anger.

What's so bad about me? Every girl has "minor flaws."

Seeing that he remained silent, both the old Duke and the Duke of Dingguo took it as tacit agreement.

The Duke of Dingguo changed the subject, "I heard that Xiao Henian has been through a lot. He hasn't been dismissed by the Emperor yet, so how could Xue Jicheng do that? Hmph, on the surface it's Wen Qian who impeached him, but the Xue family must have been behind it all."

"The Xiao family has been deposed and forced into nunnery, Minister Xiao has been dead for many years, and Xiao Henian is just a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Works. The Xiao family is already in decline, yet Consort Xue is still relentlessly pursuing them. That family is becoming more and more domineering, and now they don't even bother to pretend anymore."

Ming Shanyue turned her head and said in a low voice, "When I saw Lord Xiao in the imperial prison, he was covered in wounds, his intestines were sticking out of his anus, and he was barely clinging to life. Yet he still gritted his teeth and refused to confess."

"I told Vice Commander Xue that there's still no conclusion on whether Xiao Henian has committed a crime, and he's also the First Prince's maternal uncle. If the Emperor knew you were causing such a commotion, he'd probably be unhappy. Ruyu then informed the Empress Dowager, and that's when those people started to back down..."

The anus is called the "soul gate".

The old Duke sneered, "Even now, I still don't believe that Lady Xiao could give birth to Hongtu..." He held back what he was about to say, and continued, "Although Xiao Henian is a frail scholar, he is a man of strong character and integrity. Can he even survive?"

Ming Shanyue shook her head. "Deputy Commander Xue doesn't dare to subject Xiao Henian to severe torture now, but Xiao Henian's injuries are too serious for the prison doctors to treat. I wanted a royal physician skilled in ulcers to treat his injuries, but the doctors sent here are all of mediocre skill."

"Such a severe injury, let alone a physician, even the best imperial physician specializing in ulcers might not be able to cure it. I'll think of another way to see if I can find a good doctor from the common people to treat his injury privately. Let's leave it to fate."

The old Duke sneered, "The Xue family is just plotting to have Xiao Henian die in prison."

Dingguo said, "Fortunately, Shanyue did that job. We must find a way to save Xiao Henian's life. Because of my second brother, our family cannot get too close to the Xiao family, but we also cannot let those people disregard the law and harm the loyal and good."

He didn't like his son being appointed as the Northern Garrison Commander, but the Emperor made his son take the job, so he had no choice.

In retrospect, it seems that the Emperor was also dissatisfied with some of the Xue family's and Consort Xue's actions, which is why he sent his son there to check and balance Xue Jicheng, the deputy commander of the Flying Eagle Guard.

Ming Shanyue blinked. He guessed some things, but his elders had never said them outright.

Today, his father made it clear, and he immediately asked, "Dad, is my second uncle really with that person...?"

Before he could finish speaking, the old Duke slapped him on the head again. "What nonsense are you talking about? The second son took a fancy to a Miao girl, but Rong'er disagreed, so he got angry and refused to get married. You good-for-nothing, wait until he returns to the capital, and I'll give him a good beating."

After saying that, she glared at her eldest son.

The Duke of Dingguo realized he had spoken too quickly and gave an embarrassed smile.

Just then, the servant's voice came from outside.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, Your Excellency, and Your Excellency, someone from the inner courtyard says that the Old Madam is waiting for Your Excellency to have dinner."

Upon hearing the words "Madam," the old Duke's eyes immediately softened, and he stood up, saying, "Hurry up, don't keep Rong'er waiting."

The old man walked away briskly.

Duke Dingguo and Mingshan Yue went down to the first floor, and a servant brought out the cage containing Ah Xuan.

"Grandpa, Ah Xuan is back."

Ah Xuan was still angry and cursed at the servant, "You fool, you fool..."

Ming Shanyue took the cage and flicked it on the head. "You're running wild everywhere. I'll lock you up for a day, then starve you for another day."

Ah Xuan immediately became obedient and began singing his master's favorite battle song.

"A great wind rises, clouds fly high; my might extends across the land, I return to my homeland..."

The Duke of Dingguo was amused. "You certainly know how to make a good point. How could your second uncle bear to give it to you, and..."

I especially love going to that place.

The last sentence was left unsaid.

Ming Shanyue said, "The little thing likes to mimic others; perhaps Second Uncle is afraid it might inadvertently leak military secrets."

He was also afraid that the little creature would eavesdrop on secrets, so he often chased it away.

Upon reaching the second gate, Ming Shanyue stopped and said to Duke Dingguo, "Father, I'm going to have dinner with Mother." Duke Dingguo replied, "You should spend more time with her at home. Only when she's relaxed can she properly recuperate. Tell your mother that I'll go see her after having dinner with you and Father."

Ming Shanyue went to the main courtyard, where Madam Ming was leaning against the headboard. Beside the bed was a small table with several dishes on it, and an old woman was feeding her.

When she saw her son arrive, Madam Ming was overjoyed, and a smile appeared on her haggard face.

He said to his wife, "Quickly, have the kitchen cook a few more dishes to go with the drinks."

Ming Shanyue sat in the side room, while A Xuan flew to the bedroom and called out to Madam Ming, "Mother, Mother."

This amused Madam Ming and several servants greatly.

Madam Ming had someone help her dress, comb her hair, and apply light makeup.

She couldn't walk much, so the servants helped her to the daybed in the side room where she leaned against the wall.

She beckoned, and Ming Shanyue sat down next to her.

The mother and son held hands and talked in hushed tones, with Ah Xuan occasionally uttering a few words in his native tongue, and laughter filled the room.

It started to drizzle at some point, and it continued for several days.

Autumn has arrived, and the weather is getting cooler.

Feng Chuchen didn't feel the slightest bit cold; all she saw was the drizzling rain. Everyone put on more clothes, and Aunt Wang gave Feng Buji an extra jacket before she realized the weather had changed.

To avoid standing out from the crowd, she also put on a coat.

Seeing the benefits of episiotomy, Aunt Wang became even more determined to study it diligently, and she also seriously considered Feng Chuchen's suggestion to appropriately delay the umbilical cord cutting time.

Everyone says their daughter will have a better future than her older sister, and it's quite possible.

Feng Chuchen had previously emphasized to the midwives that the golden time for cutting the umbilical cord is eighteen breaths. This way, the infant can receive as much maternal blood and beneficial nutrients as possible, preventing certain diseases from occurring.

Good things refer to nutrients, oxygen, and stem cells, while diseases refer to resisting the invasion of pathogens and preventing hypoxemia, hypoxia, anemia, etc.

Since the ancients couldn't understand this, she used language that they could understand.

Of course, the time should not be too long, as it may cause other diseases in infants.

Special infants require special treatment, depending on their specific circumstances, which depends on the midwife's experience.

The midwives here cut the umbilical cord immediately after the baby is born, believing that this reduces infant diseases and the risk of postpartum hemorrhage.

My aunt's timing was perfect, which is why the babies she delivered had a high survival rate and were generally healthier.

Aunt Wang was raised by the eldest aunt. She knew that it was better to cut the umbilical cord of an infant a little later, but she couldn't control the timing well.

Feng Chuchen also specifically instructed that the umbilical cord should be cut a little later for unhealthy infants, in order to give the infants more time to live or to be rescued...

She also taught Aunt Wang and Banxia how to perform CPR on the baby. Aunt Wang didn't see the benefits of this method, but she believed anything the girl said was correct.

That afternoon, Feng Chuchen saw Aunt Jin, who was in charge of doing odd jobs and laundry, dragging her legs as she walked, and occasionally rubbing her lower back, looking very uncomfortable.

Aunt Jin is in poor health, but she works diligently and almost never stops.

When recruiting, Feng Chuchen didn't want her, but Aunt Jin begged for a long time before Feng Chuchen finally took pity on her and reluctantly accepted her.

Feng Chuchen greeted, "Aunt Jin, come in and let me take your pulse."

Aunt Jin thought she was going to be fired and said in a panic, "Miss Feng, please keep me. Without this wage, my son will go hungry again."

Feng Chuchen didn't say anything, but took her pulse.

The question was asked, "Do you experience a feeling of heaviness in your lower abdomen, lower back pain that is more pronounced when walking or squatting, frequent urination, urgency, and sometimes difficulty urinating?"

She didn't mention anything about the pain during intercourse.

Aunt Jin said, "Yes, it's an old problem. I took medicine for a year when I was young but it didn't get better. They said it was a stubborn disease, so I just stopped taking care of it."

Feng Chuchen wrote down the prescription and said, "You have yin collapse, which is not very serious. I can cure you. Banxia and I will give you acupuncture free of charge. You only need to pay for the medicine. The herbs I prescribe are all inexpensive."

She could teach Banxia how to treat this disease.

Aunt Jin was extremely grateful and knelt down to kowtow three times.

Her husband broke his leg while traveling as a merchant. Now he runs a small shop in the back of their house selling liquor. He also has to support three sons and save up for their dowries, so they are very strapped for cash.

She had been ill for many years but dared not spend money on medical treatment. Now, she was willing to spend money to buy some herbal medicine.

August 6th is the 15th birthday of Feng Chuchen's body.

Feng Chuchen didn't pay much attention to it; she habitually thought her birthday was July 15th.

Feng Buji took it very seriously and started preparing for her coming-of-age ceremony a few days ago.

He specifically asked his classmates about this, and also privately asked Aunt Wang.

Feng Chuchen disagreed, saying, "The clinic is too busy to do anything else. Let's just go to a restaurant for a nice meal."

Feng Buji disagreed, saying, "How can we not take such an important day seriously? I'm the only man in the family, and my sister has to listen to me. We should invite Uncle Hu's family, my maternal uncle's family, Uncle Fu and my aunt to attend the ceremony."

"We also need to invite Madam Hu to be the principal guest, and Sister Youjia and Sister Juan from the neighborhood to be the hostess and attendants... She should wear the hairpin given by the Princess, the earrings given by Miss Wen, and that pink silk dress that she hasn't worn yet..."

Aunt Wang laughed and said, "Young master wanted to give the young lady a surprise, so he invited all the guests without telling you."

Feng Chuchen hadn't expected that Feng Buji had arranged everything so meticulously.

This is hardly a seven-year-old little brother; his behavior and mannerisms are just like his older brother's.

Feng Chuchen was still very touched. She hugged the little boy and couldn't bring herself to refuse.

On the sixth day of the lunar new year, Lord Hu and his father were unable to come to the yamen, but Madam Hu came with her daughter, daughter-in-law, and grandson. The Yao family and the Feng Changfu family also came.

A grand and lively coming-of-age ceremony was held for Feng Chuchen.

Just after seeing off the guests in the afternoon, Feng Chuchen was forcibly invited by a powerful family to wait for a woman to give birth, and they even performed the Yin Shen acupuncture on the infant.

In a society ruled by power, she, being from the bottom of society, dared not say no. Even if she didn't want to go, she would be forced to go.

There are plenty of midwives available; no one asks Aunt Wang to come to their homes to deliver babies anymore.

In the past few days, in addition to Grandma Chen, twelve more women have come and gone from the clinic. Two of them only stayed for one day and left after giving birth, treating the clinic as a delivery room.

Although not all the hospital beds were occupied, Feng Chuchen was still surprised that business was much better than he had expected.

The Zeng family's daughter-in-law did indeed have an episiotomy during childbirth a few days ago and was discharged on the sixth day. As the second person willing to undergo an episiotomy, her cost was halved.