Jinyi Spring

Chapter 82 Affectionate Terms of Address

Ming Shanfeng laughed, "Grandmother, Miss Feng not only resembles you in courage and appearance, but also in martial arts. I heard from Cousin Shangguan that Miss Feng's finger skills are particularly impressive..."

He recounted how Feng Chuchen and a tall, simple-minded girl went to Lord Jin's residence and got into a fight with the servants.

This made everyone burst into laughter, and the old lady laughed until tears streamed down her face.

He said, "Jin Heizi deserves to be beaten. His wife can't have children, so why should he beat up a complete stranger? It's so unreasonable. I'll definitely teach him a lesson next time he comes."

The old Duke Ming fawned, "Don't hurt Rong'er's hand, I'll beat him up for you."

After a while of chatting and laughing, Feng Chuchen took his leave.

The old lady hadn't finished talking, but seeing that the window screen was already tinged with gold, she decided it wasn't good to keep the young girl too late.

She instructed, "Young lady, after you finish treating the eldest daughter-in-law, come and talk to me when you have nothing else to do."

Feng Chuchen agreed.

Madam Xia gave Kong Xiyan a wink, meaning that since they were all young ladies, they should see Miss Feng off.

Kong Xiyan pretended not to see it. Giving a mere junior doctor a gift would lower her status.

Left with no other option, Madam Xia got up and took Feng Chuchen's hand to escort her out of the main room.

Once outside, she smiled and said, "It's rare for the old lady to be so happy. Miss Feng, please come and visit more often."

She didn't talk much, had a gentle voice, and handled things properly. It was clear that the elderly couple trusted and loved their adopted daughter very much.

Fu Rong Tang was quite far from the front yard, so the sedan chair took the two of them to the east corner gate.

Just as he was getting out of the sedan chair and preparing to get into the carriage, Ming Shanyue, dressed in official robes, suddenly walked through the side gate, followed by his personal guards leading the horse.

Their eyes met, and they were both startled, each taking a few steps to the side.

Surprisingly, nothing happened.

Once inside the carriage, Feng Chuchen was still wondering why there hadn't been any accidents this time.

Think about it, the two of them were very close the first three times, only a step or two apart, but this time the shortest distance was more than half a zhang.

It seems this distance is safe.

Feng Chuchen's mood improved, and she agreed to maintain this distance from now on.

She opened the brocade box, inside which was a red gold hairpin inlaid with pearls.

The old lady first wanted to reward him with the hairpin, but after seeing it and liking it, she rewarded him with the bracelet as well.

Thinking of that old lady, Feng Chuchen also felt a sense of closeness.

This is what it means for kindred spirits to appreciate each other.

The old lady was seriously ill, but no one asked her to treat her.

They probably thought she was only suitable for treating gynecology and pediatrics, and then surgery.

She didn't want to bring it up herself; she figured they could talk about it later when they were more familiar with each other.

She bought a roast chicken on the way home, and it was already dark when she got home. Feng Buji then led Da Tou and Ah Xuan, who was on Da Tou's back, to wait for her at the entrance of the alley.

Before Feng Chuchen even got out of the car, Feng Buji ran up to greet her, "Sister, sister."

Feng Chuchen got out of the car and took Feng Buji's hand.

Ah Xuan flew onto Feng Chuchen's shoulder and exclaimed, "Amitabha, even the lotus cannot compare to the beauty's makeup."

Feng Buji laughed and scolded, "You recite poetry whenever you see a beautiful woman, you lecher!"

He looked extremely smug.

Of all the women in the family, Ah Xuan only said "Even the most beautiful lotus cannot compare to the makeup of a beautiful woman" when he saw his older sister.

Even the birds can tell that my sister is a beauty.

Ah Xuan called out again, "Miss, Miss."

It often heard Feng Buji call it "sister," so it learned to say it and even habitually added the word "little."

Because everyone else calls it "Little Ah Xuan", "Little Thing", "Little Elf", or "Little Rascal", it feels that the word "Little" must be added before its name.

While Feng Buji was eating, he also fed Ah Xuan, who was standing on the table.

Ah Xuan was enjoying his meal and called out to Feng Buji, "Little Jiji, Little Jiji."

Feng Buji blushed and was very unhappy.

He knew that Ah Xuan called him by his name "Ji," but it was easy for people to make the same associations.

He grabbed the little creature and said, "Don't call me that. Call me," he thought for a moment, "Little Feng Feng, Little Feng Feng, Little Feng Feng..."

Whether people wanted to laugh or not, they let Feng Buji repeat "Little Feng Feng" over a hundred times until Ah Xuan finally learned it.

"Little Feng Feng, Little Feng Feng."

Then she recited that string of affectionate nicknames again, "Little Mingming, Little Aunt, Big Sister, Little Yuyu, Little Rongrong, Little Big Sister, Little Fengfeng..."

"Xiao Da Da" is Madam Ming. She used to be called "Xiao Fu Fu," but the servants thought it sounded bad, so they taught her to change it.

"Little Rongrong" is naturally the old lady Ming.

Many people in the Ming family thought that "Little Aunt" was referring to Madam Xia, which pleased Madam Xia quite a bit. However, Feng Chuchen thought it might not be the case, because the ranking was too high, second only to the master, Ming Shanyue.

Feng Chuchen also ranked high, third.

It's unclear who the "little aunt" it's talking about actually is.

After the meal, Ah Xuan didn't leave. He stood on Feng Chuchen's shoulder and followed her to the east wing, occasionally nibbling her ear with his little pointed beak, being both affectionate and mischievous.

Feng Chuchen opened the small window, then picked up Ah Xuan and saw him off, saying, "It's getting late, let's go home."

Ah Xuan didn't fly out the window, but instead flew up to a high table and stood there, his little eyes sparkling as he looked at Feng Chuchen.

Feng Chuchen had a feeling that the little one especially liked her when she wore blue-gray clothes. Whenever she wore clothes of this color, the little one would become extra clingy to her.

Feng Chuchen ignored it, lit the lamp, and sat down at the table to read.

Ah Xuan flew onto the table again and stared straight at her.

Feng Chuchen smiled. Ah Xuan looked at Ming Shanyue like that, but she wondered what Ming Shanyue's expression was.

She reached out a finger and stroked the fur on its little head before continuing to read her book.

"Ugh!"

A long, mournful sigh drifted softly through the silent room, startling Feng Chuchen so much that he looked up abruptly.

The voice came from Ah Xuan!

Its small mouth was half-open, its thin neck bulged slightly, and it made another sound.

"Ugh!"

Feng Chuchen laughed, "You scared me! Who taught you that?"

She felt that the sound must have come from Madam Ming, and the little one had learned it.

Ah Xuan repeated his old refrain, "Even the hibiscus cannot compare to a beautiful woman's makeup, little aunt."

Feng Chuchen laughed out loud, "I'm an elder, first I'm an older sister, then an aunt."

Ah Xuan called out again, "Miss."

Then it spread its wings and jumped to the windowsill, but the small window was already closed.

It called out again, "Open, open."

"What a little elf."

Feng Chuchen opened the small window and watched the small figure gracefully glide out of the window, merging into the Milky Way and transforming into a lively ink dot in the night sky.

What a delightful little thing.

Ming Shanyue, such a cold and eccentric person, actually raised such adorable pets.

The next day, Feng Chuchen and her siblings spent the day at the Hu family's house.

On the third day, around noon, just after Feng Chuchen and the others had finished lunch, Duan Yan suddenly arrived. He looked very unwell.

"Miss Feng, I heard you can cure migraines. My second master asked you to treat Her Highness the Princess. Her Highness is upset and has a headache, and many imperial physicians have been unable to cure her."

Feng Chuchen guessed that Princess Yanghe probably knew that Shangguan Ruyu had gone to the Imperial Prison to work as a prison doctor.

Now, news has spread that Shangguan Ruyu, under the guise of an imperial physician, went to the imperial prison to practice his skills, and people are making fun of him. They feel that Shangguan Ruyu wasted his good birth and good looks.

Feng Chuchen couldn't understand why these people laughed at the prison doctor instead of the idle playboys.

Well, it has the connotation of laughing at poverty but not at prostitution.

Feng Chuchen had a very good impression of Princess Yanghe and said, "So many imperial physicians couldn't cure her, and I'm not confident either. I can only do my best."

Duan Yan said, "Just do your best."

Aunt Wang and Banxia were both busy, so Feng Chuchen took Shaoyao and Mujin with her.

Although Shaoyao was impulsive, Feng Chuchen still wanted to nurture her as much as possible and take her out to see the world.

After getting in the car, he pounded on her and said, "I'll give you another chance. If you still don't use your brain and talk nonsense, you'll end up like Aunt Jin, doing manual labor for the rest of your life."

Peony hurriedly said, "I promise I'll be as perceptive as Aunt Wang. I'll only speak when I should, and I'll never speak when I shouldn't."

Upon arriving at the side gate of the Princess's residence, Feng Chuchen rode in a sedan chair while two maids walked, and they were led to Ningxiu Hall.

Ningxiu Hall has five courtyards. The interior is magnificent, with gold and jade carvings, layers of curtains, Persian velvet carpets on the floor, and a strong fragrance of sandalwood.

Many people stood in each room, including imperial physicians, female doctors, female officials, and eunuchs. Among them were two familiar faces: one was Qin, the imperial physician who had achieved the highest rank in the imperial medical examination, and the other was the haughty female doctor, Fan.

At this moment, Dr. Fan looked reserved and stood near the door, not daring to even lift her eyelids.

Inside the innermost part of the curtained room was a elaborately decorated canopy bed, on which a middle-aged woman lay.

A weary-looking Shangguan Ruyu stood by the bed, next to a beautiful young girl in gorgeous clothes who bore a resemblance to him.

Feng Chuchen guessed that the young girl was Shangguan Ruyue, the niece of the Imperial Son-in-Law. According to Shangguan Ruyu, the Princess often invited this niece over to keep her company when she had nothing to do at home.

Upon seeing Feng Chuchen arrive, Shangguan Ruyu took Princess Yanghe's hand and whispered, "Mother, I have invited Miss Feng to examine you."

Her voice was soft, but her eyes were full of anxiety.

The princess pulled her hand away, closed her eyes, and ignored him.

Shangguan Ruyu gave Feng Chuchen a wink.

Feng Chuchen walked to the bedside and said softly, "Your Highness, I apologize for disturbing you."

Princess Yanghe was nearly forty years old. Her long black hair was spread out on her pillow, and her cheeks were full, giving her a naturally auspicious appearance. Even though she looked sickly and haggard, the noble and dignified air between her brows still remained.

Feng Chuchen placed two fingers on her wrist, and the coolness made Princess Yanghe's wrist move, and she opened her eyes.

Feng Chuchen explained with a smile, "My fingers are a little cold. People who receive Yin Shen acupuncture have this constitution and are not sick."

Princess Yanghe never expected that Feng Chuchen would be so beautiful, with an undeniable air of heroism and nonchalance in her eyes.

Although still a bit green, she was already quite stunning.

Such a demeanor and bearing are hard to find among young women.

No wonder Yu'er took a liking to it at first sight.

Yu'er said the child resembled Empress Shengde, Princess Changning, and herself, and indeed, the face did look somewhat familiar. Upon closer inspection, the facial features were not similar; it was probably the bearing and demeanor that resembled them.

The descendants trained by Dr. Feng are indeed extraordinary.

Princess Yanghe couldn't help but smile.

Seeing her mother like this, Shangguan Ruyu finally relaxed after a long period of tension.

He always said that Miss Feng is liked by everyone.

After a moment, Feng Chuchen withdrew his hand and said, "Her Highness the Princess's blood and qi circulation is not smooth, causing liver yang to rise excessively and meridians to be blocked..."

The diagnosis was the same as that of the other imperial physicians.

This illness is not Feng Chuchen's specialty; the imperial physicians here are the best, so she doesn't need to prescribe medicine or perform acupuncture.

"I will perform bloodletting on the princess and then massage her head to see if she feels any better."

She opened the medicine box, took out a three-edged needle to draw blood, and then began to massage the princess's head.

The princess was jolted awake when ten cold fingertips were placed on her head, and her mind immediately cleared.

As the massage deepened, the princess let out a soft, comfortable hum and closed her eyes.

Peony and hibiscus stood on the other side of the curtain, eyes looking down at their noses and mouths, standing perfectly straight.

The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

A tall figure flashed outside the door, then turned and left.

The massage ended after 15 minutes.

Feng Chuchen asked, "What does Your Highness think?"

Princess Yanghe opened her eyes, let out a long sigh, and smiled, "It feels so much better, much clearer now. Doctor Feng is just as skilled as Doctor Feng, and his family has a long tradition of medical expertise."

Feng Chuchen said modestly, "Your Highness is too kind. If you find it helpful, I'll come back for another massage tomorrow."

Princess Yanghe hummed in agreement.

Shangguan Ruyu smiled and said, "Mother, I didn't make a mistake in recommending you, did I?"

Princess Yanghe glared at her son but ignored him.

An old woman standing nearby asked, "Doctor Feng, what about the herbal medicine and acupuncture?"

Feng Chuchen glanced at the imperial physicians and female doctors and said softly, "The doctors in the Imperial Medical Academy are much better than me at diagnosing illnesses. Just follow their instructions for the herbal medicine and acupuncture."

These words pleased the imperial physicians considerably, while Physician Fan gave her a cold look before quickly lowering her eyes.

Feng Chuchen then said a few more words to Her Highness the Princess, telling her to calm down and not get angry.

Princess Yanghe glared at Shangguan Ruyu and sighed, "How can I not be angry when my son is disobedient?"

Shangguan Ruyu bowed deeply to the ground, saying, "Mother, you've made your son feel terrible."

He then tugged at her sleeve and said sweetly, "Mother, it's precisely because your son is filial that I found the highly skilled Doctor Feng to examine you. Tomorrow, your son will go to the Jokhang Temple to pray for you, hoping that you will recover quickly and live to be a hundred years old..."

Feng Chuchen curtsied to take her leave, and Shangguan Ruyue and a nanny escorted her to the main hall.

The old woman slipped a purse containing five taels of silver into her hand. This was the home visit fee; the consultation fee would be paid after the treatment was completed.

As soon as they stepped out of the hanging flower gate, they saw Madam Wen leading Wen Shu towards them.

Wen Shu wore a scarlet short shirt, a light blue floral long skirt, and a moon-white shawl. She was as beautiful and radiant as a peach blossom in March, and she and Shangguan Ruyu in the room were truly a perfect match.

Upon seeing Feng Chuchen, Madam Wen was taken aback. A flash of displeasure crossed her face, but she quickly put on a smile again.

"Oh, Dr. Feng, what's going on here...?"

Feng Chuchen said, "Her Highness the Princess is unwell and has asked me to examine her."

Wen Shu pointed to the medicine box in Shaoyao's hand and smiled, "Mother, it's obvious that Miss Feng is here to treat patients."

The little girl was extremely excited, her face flushed.

Madam Wen glared at her daughter and said with a smirk, "Miss Feng is becoming more and more accomplished. Even the Princess is sick and needs your help."

"Madam Wen is too kind."

Feng Chuchen walked past her.

I scoffed inwardly. Just because I know your daughter had a gynecological problem, does that mean I have to refuse all contact with Princess Yanghe's residence?

Brain malfunction!

However, Wen Shu's excitement was not in vain, as Shangguan Ruyu was inside.

At the end of the next day's morning, just as Feng Chuchen was about to go to the Princess's residence, Madam Wen suddenly arrived.

Grandma Wen didn't want to come either. She and Wen Shu both thought that Feng Chuchen wouldn't tell anyone about it, but her mother-in-law was worried and insisted that she come to give her a warning.

She had no choice but to bite the bullet and go through with it.