The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

Chapter 175

Xiao Muyang is indeed smart, but he is also hardworking.

The child, who was not yet three years old and had just begun to learn to read, relied entirely on Zhu Lingling's teaching to memorize the Tangtou Ge (a traditional Chinese folk song).

Zhu Lingling had a feeling that she had gone back to school and learned to read again.

The good news is that my son has a really good memory; he can remember something after being taught it only once.

In places unseen by the Xiao family, her son pestered her to teach him to read and to recite soup recipes.

"Muyang, do you want to pursue academic studies, take the science exam, and become a high-ranking official?"

It's perfectly normal for mothers to have such feelings: they hope their sons will become dragons and their daughters will become phoenixes.

Zhu knew that her third aunt, Huang, had been trying to guide her son in this direction. Zhu Lingling also had the same idea, but as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xiao family, she bore the heavy responsibility of being the future matriarch. She had to consider the bigger picture and could only think about it but not say it out loud.

"Mother, what's the use of being a high-ranking official?"

For Xiao Muyang, besides eating, learning about medicinal herbs and making pills was quite fun. The key was that his aunt would praise him for being so capable, which was great.

He was born in Sichuan at a very young age, and in the past two years, he has had the most contact with patients.

I often sit on a small stool by the door and watch the women who are helped in by their families or who are hunched over and look pained as they enter the house. After my aunt examines them, prescribes medicine or performs acupuncture, their faces will show gratitude and smiles, or they will praise my aunt's medical skills and say that they are no longer in so much pain.

In the boy's eyes, his aunt was practically a goddess, capable of relieving patients' pain and instantly improving people's moods—what incredible abilities that must be!

"Being a high-ranking official means serving in the imperial court..."

For a moment, Zhu couldn't explain the benefits of being a high-ranking official.

As for becoming pillars of the nation, apart from those who fought alongside the founding emperors and established the country, few of the rest achieved good results.

In the imperial court, it was a battle of wits and strength, where it was either you who brought down me or I who crushed you. One wrong move and your whole family would end up in jail, beheaded, or exiled. Even the head of the Imperial Medical Academy, Master Xiao, could not escape such a disaster.

Forget it, I'll just become a doctor.

In that instant, Madam Zhu decided to stop instilling in her son the idea of ​​becoming a high-ranking official.

"Mother, your son wants to learn from my aunt, to make medicine and cure diseases, and to become a very good doctor."

"Alright, alright, be a doctor. Come on, Mother will teach you to read."

Having figured things out, Madam Zhu was serious about teaching her son this time: "However, child, we are still young, so we will stop after learning this page today."

"No, Muyang needs to learn more so that he can answer Auntie's questions."

Zhu... Oh dear, how come such a young child only knows how to study and not play?
Is it true that children from poor families mature early, or is it that the second sister is too good at praising, pushing such a young child to be so ambitious? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
The Xiao family was unaware of Xiao Muyang's hard work behind the scenes. On the day before Chunnuan was to set off for the northern desert, Huang received the good news she had been waiting for.

"What did you say?"

Mrs. Xu was taken aback; this news was rather sudden.

“Sister-in-law, this is a letter from my mother. She is concerned that Shu’er is not young anymore and has been pampered since childhood. She is afraid that she will be bullied if she goes to another family. So she asked me to send Shu’er to the Huang family.”

“I have no objection to sending her back to the Huang family, but Shu’er’s marriage must be with someone else.” Madam Xu was furious: “Third sister-in-law, are you confused? How can you send a perfectly good girl back to your parents’ home to be your nephew’s concubine? Where is the Xiao family’s family rule?”

The Xiao family has a rule that men cannot take concubines and women cannot become concubines.

It's unbelievable that Huang, who came from a scholarly family and was a well-known talented woman in the capital, would do something so shameful as to send her own daughter back to her parents' home to be a concubine.

“Yes, sister-in-law, our daughters aren’t that bad. It’s not worth sending them away to be mistreated.” Madam Xu was usually quiet, but this time she couldn’t stand it anymore.

"When the Xiao family was in trouble, you didn't abandon them. Instead, you chose to return to Shu with us. Why are you like this this time..." Madam Xu patiently persuaded, "Now our family is doing well. We have food, shelter, and clothing. It will be easier for Shu'er to find a husband..."

“Sister-in-law, our Shu’er is not as capable as the eldest aunt. Even though she was divorced, she still managed to get a marriage bestowed by the emperor to a general named Huaiyuan.”

"Second sister-in-law, our sister is not as capable as the second young lady. She has already betrothed the third young master of the Zhao family in Shu."

Although Huang knew this was not a good path, she decided to give it a try for the sake of her children: "Shu'er is not as beautiful as Chunyu, nor as capable as Chunnuan. What kind of family can she marry into in Shu? A peasant family or one of those men who do odd jobs?"

“Your daughters are all able to marry into good families. I, as their mother, am incompetent. I can't plan for her, so I can only ask my family for help.”

As Huang spoke, tears streamed down her face.

"Third Aunt, I shouldn't have said anything, but Shu'er is our sister, so I can't just ignore her."

Zhu Lingling was also very angry. Besides finding a husband for Chun Shu, her third aunt was definitely doing this for the sake of her two sons, Chun Qiang and Chun An.

Even if she had to turn to her maternal family for help, she could still tolerate their humiliation of her daughter. It could only mean that there were many secrets hidden from everyone else. Huang didn't reveal them, but Zhu wasn't stupid; she saw through her tricks at a glance.

"They say that we all prosper together and we all suffer together. When I married into the Xiao family, I did so because of their family rules: men don't take concubines and women don't become concubines. We've maintained a good reputation in the capital. We can't just throw away our reputation if the Xiao family is gone from the capital, can we?" Madam Zhu said. "Besides, what is your family trying to do? You have so many nephews, why can you only choose this nephew named Huang Kun?"

"Kun'er has already achieved the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) and is the eldest son of the Huang family. He bears a great responsibility and burden. Looking around, there is no descendant of the Huang family who can surpass him. Kun'er is sure to have a bright future."

"Moreover, Shu'er also likes her older cousin. If it weren't for the Xiao family's misfortune, I might have arranged this marriage for them long ago."

Does Shu'er like her older cousin?
This news was somewhat shocking. Back when the Xiao family moved from the capital to Sichuan, Chun Shu was just a child under twelve years old. How could someone so young understand love and affection?
Did Huang know what she was saying?
Chunnuan was also worried when she heard this.

"Third Aunt, have you talked to Shuer about returning to the Huang family?"

This small family meeting was a discussion between the three sisters-in-law, Zhu Shi, and Chun Nuan and Chun Ning.

"There was no discussion. Since ancient times, marriage has been a major event, decided by parents and arranged by matchmakers. What objections could Shu'er possibly have?"

"Third Aunt, you're talking about a major life event like marriage. What kind of marriage is it to make Sister Shuer a concubine?" Chunnuan frowned deeply.

Based on her understanding of Chun Shu, she would definitely not agree.

“I think we should call Shu’er over and ask her first. If she’s willing, we can only offer our blessings. If she’s not willing, I hope that Third Aunt won’t use her mother’s name to suppress or force her.”

Okay, go ahead and ask.

Huang did not believe that Chun Shu would not listen to her.

You know, what she used to love most was going back to the Huang residence with me. As soon as we entered the residence, she would go and play with her cousins ​​Huang Kun and Huang Li.

For the rest of her life, Chun Shu will live in the Huang family mansion. She must be very happy.

Chun Shu was summoned to her aunt's room.

"Shu'er greets her eldest aunt, second aunt, mother, eldest sister-in-law, elder sister, and brother Ning."

Chun Shu hadn't performed such a ceremony in a long time, and her manners seemed somewhat rusty.

"As expected, girls change a lot as they grow up, and Chun Shu is becoming more and more outstanding."

Although we see each other every day, I feel a different kind of emotion when I look at people now.

Mrs. Xu couldn't help but praise her niece.

"Auntie, you flatter me." Chun Shu blushed slightly, feeling shy from the compliment.

"The girls in our Xiao family are all beautiful, with fair skin, tall stature, and well-mannered and knowledgeable," Madam Xu couldn't help but boast. "Not to mention Changzhou, even in the entire capital, our family's girls are not bad."

The main reason is that Doctor Xiao is good at conditioning the body. Whether it's the hottest days of summer or the coldest days of winter, Doctor Xiao will prepare some pills or nourishing pills for the women in the household to take. These pills are effective in promoting blood circulation and beautifying the complexion, so they all have a very good complexion.

Their fair skin and beautiful features had a healthy glow, unlike the ladies and young women of other noble families in the capital, who, while beautiful, were pale or sickly. Their beauty was a completely different concept from that of the Xiao family.

"Yes, Sister Shu'er is so beautiful, she will surely find a good family." Zhu Lingling also sighed, "With such looks, she should never be sent to be a concubine."

That's true, taking a concubine is all about taking her beauty.

However, to be honest, if one were to become a concubine, it shouldn't be a concubine in the Huang household, so what real benefits would there be?
The Huang family has produced great scholars, which was a glorious chapter in their history. But now, the Huang family isn't even considered a third-class family in the capital.

If the Xiao family hadn't encountered that misfortune back then, they could have been on par with the Huang family.

"The elder sister-in-law is making fun of her younger sister."

Chun Shu blushed, her heart pounding.

She had actually guessed it long ago; he was probably going to arrange a marriage for her.

Yes, after my elder sister Chunnuan got married, Chunyan and I were also fifteen or sixteen years old, the age to get married.

She also dreamed about what kind of family she would marry into, and wondered who would go first since she and Chunyan were born in the same year.
What kind of family would be interested in me?
The day has finally come!
I wonder who her destined partner will be.

“Your eldest sister-in-law is not joking, Shu’er, come here, come to your aunt’s side.”

Xu waved.

Chun Shu blushed as she walked up to her aunt.

"Come, sit next to your aunt."

"Yes, Aunt."

Aunt's status in the Xiao family is obvious to all; she values ​​me, so I can't neglect her.

"Shu'er, tell your aunt, is there someone you have feelings for?"

Chun Shu was stunned, her face turned even redder, and she quickly shook her head in denial.

"Really not?" Madam Xu felt relieved when Chun Shu denied it.

The worst-case scenario is what Huang said: Chun Shu likes Huang Kun, which would be a huge problem.

It would be a good thing if Huang Kun hadn't married and had children, but he's already a husband and a father, so it's not right for Chun Shu to rush to become his concubine.

"No." Chun Shu shook her head: "Shu'er is still young and hasn't thought about these things."

"Now you can think about it." Madam Xu took her hand. "Think about what kind of husband you want. Is he a scholar, a military general, or a businessman..."

When Huang heard the word "business," his face immediately darkened.

What does "elder sister-in-law" mean?
Does that mean only her daughter can marry a general, while her own daughter can only marry a businessman?
"Sister-in-law, listen to your sister-in-law and Shu'er talk first. Don't rush into anything. It's not like they've really decided on the spot. They're just chatting."

Seeing Huang's change in expression, Xu quickly reminded her.

"Aunt, Shu'er..." Chun Shu blushed and hesitated.

"Tell us what kind of son-in-law you like, and we'll find one according to those standards."

"Shu'er wants to find a military general who can protect her."

Military general?

He was not a weak scholar like Huang Kun, who couldn't even kill a chicken.

This time, Mrs. Xu was completely relieved.

"Shu'er, your maternal grandmother has written to you, wanting to invite you back to the capital to stay for a while."

Seeing this, Huang quickly interjected, saying that she couldn't let her sister-in-law continue talking, or she would really have to talk about Huang.

“Am I going back to the capital alone? I’m scared, I won’t go back to live there.” Chun Shu was stunned for a moment when she heard her mother’s words. After thinking for a while, she shook her head and refused: “When Grandfather was still healthy, my cousins ​​said that I smelled of medicine on me; now that Grandfather is gone, they look down on me even less.”

Chun Shu could see the whole picture of relatives at a glance.

The fact that her maternal grandmother was so eager to invite her to return to Beijing for a while was itself unusual.

If she were truly so benevolent, she should have provided relief to her family when they returned to Sichuan from the capital.

"How can you say that, child? Your cousin Huang Kun really cares about you."

"You're thinking about me, thinking about the pills in my hand, aren't you?"

What?
“When I was little, I would take a lot of my grandfather’s pills when I went back to the Huang family home. I would give them to them as snacks as soon as I got back.” Chun Shu recalled vividly, “Once, I didn’t know I had taken the wrong one. I took a very big pill from one of my grandfather’s yellow brocade boxes and gave it to my cousin Huang Kun…”

"Pills in a yellow brocade box?" Chunnuan exclaimed in surprise, "Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"Of course I remember correctly. I stole it from the pharmacy, and nobody knows."

Chunnuan glanced at her with a complicated expression.

"Did you give those pills to Huang Kun?"

"Yes, he said he wanted it, so I gave it to him."

What can one say about the warmth of spring?
Those were no ordinary pills; they were pills that could restore a man's virility. They weren't made by his grandfather, but rather developed by himself.

That is to say, four were made that day, but one disappeared without a trace. Chunnuan secretly wondered if her grandfather had tried it, which was why he kept quiet about it.

This was never something easy to talk about.

Unexpectedly, Chun Shu secretly used it to do favors.

Moreover, it's quite something that Huang Kun, at such a young age, needs to rely on pills...

“After that, every time I went to the Huang residence, my cousin Huang Kun would give me a gift and then ask me for meatballs.”

"You didn't give him any more meatballs later, did you?"

"He did give it to her, but he's still looking for that big meatball."

Spring is here... and the truth is truly hilarious.

Good heavens, Huang Kun isn't all that great after all.