Chapter Fifteen: No Interference Allowed
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“The problem is…” Mrs. Zhao pondered for a moment, feeling something was off. “Master, you wouldn’t actually want Minghua to marry that Miss Xiao, would you?”
Zhao Chengxun looked at the woman who had shared his bed for twenty-eight years and thought to himself, at least she understands me somewhat; she’s become a bit smarter.
“Master, surely you don’t mean that? The Xiao family descends from disgraced officials and is now destitute. If Minghua marries such a wife, wouldn’t people laugh at us?”
To refuse the granddaughter of the grand clan’s patriarch and instead marry a fallen household’s girl?
“Do you think Minghua is worthy of that girl?”
Zhao Chengxun sighed deeply. He had clearly overestimated his wife’s intelligence!
He truly thought that way, but whether Minghua could actually win her hand was another matter. Yet, his own wife had already begun to look down on the idea! Where did she get the confidence and courage to think Miss Xiao was unworthy of her son?
“Our Minghua isn’t just worthy of her—he’s worthy of Xiao Chunlan herself… he’s worthy of the county magistrate’s daughter, too,” Mrs. Zhao retorted, unwilling to concede to her husband.
“Yes, children are always our own treasures,” Zhao Chengxun said, leaving unsaid: “Wives are always the best when they belong to others.”
“Of course! Our Minghua is handsome and kind…” Mrs. Zhao suddenly faltered. What else was there to say about her son?
Zhao Chengxun just looked at her. “Why stop now? Tell me all the virtues of your precious son.”
Among their three sons, the eldest caused him the least worry. At three, he was already reciting medicinal formulas; at five, he recognized over a thousand herbs; by seven, he could take pulses and prescribe remedies. The Zhao Family Herbal Hall could be left in his care with complete confidence.
Their second son was a diligent scholar, not especially talented—not his fault, since medicine and literary studies are different paths. But he worked hard, and Zhao Chengxun believed he would soon pass the provincial exams, elevating the family’s status.
As for the youngest… he was frail and sickly as a child, afraid of hardship and toil as he grew. He lacked skills and perseverance—intelligent but undisciplined. Zhao Chengxun figured as long as the youngest stayed out of trouble, with two older brothers to support him, he would live a long life and never want for anything. That was the Zhao ancestors’ blessing.
“Anyway, our Minghua is the best. Master, that Xiao girl is simply not within our range of suitable brides.”
Mrs. Zhao shuddered at the thought that if a match with the grand Xiao clan failed, and there was involvement with the granddaughter of the Xiao imperial physician, it would surely offend the Xiao family.
“Don’t worry, Minghua and Miss Xiao are discussing business.”
Discussing business?
Doing business with a poor girl from a destitute household—did he really expect her to believe that?
Zhao Chengxun felt utterly exhausted. Women only ever saw the immediate benefits.
“The Xiao imperial physician had many grandchildren. The eldest granddaughter married the second son of the prominent Wu family in the capital, a fourth-rank official,” Zhao Chengxun explained clearly. “This Miss Xiao, named Xiao Chunnuan, is only fifteen. She was once betrothed to the second son of the chief justice’s family, the Zhangs, but after some incident, the Zhang family withdrew.”
“Exactly, after such trouble, who would dare marry into their family?”
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Look, even such high-ranking officials know to avoid trouble. Why is our master so eager to have Minghua marry her?
Zhao Chengxun truly found it impossible to communicate with his wife.
She only saw the surface of things.
“The Zhang family is also a fourth-rank official family. If Miss Xiao weren’t exceptional, would the Zhangs have chosen her?” He gave up trying to make her understand and said bluntly what she could never grasp: “Miss Xiao has studied medicine under the imperial physician since childhood. She recognizes herbs, can take pulses, diagnose, prescribe medicine, and is skilled at preparing herbal remedies.”
“A husband’s virtue is his talent; a woman’s lack of talent is her virtue. What use is learning these things?”
Zhao Chengxun looked at his wife and laughed through his frustration.
“Then what do you think she should learn?”
“To obey, be virtuous, do needlework, and master cooking.”
“Have your needlework and cooking ever been useful?” Zhao Chengxun was both amused and exasperated. “Is it that the lady of the house can’t afford a servant, or that the embroiderer can’t be hired?”
“Master…”
“Let me be honest. Your son, Minghua, has nothing in particular. By chance, he met Miss Xiao, and I am having him discuss business with her—preparing herbal medicine. This concerns the future of our Herbal Hall. You must not interfere.”
His words were both a notification and an order—not a matter for discussion.
“You’re afraid your son will fall for Miss Xiao,” Zhao Chengxun shook his head with a sigh. “I only fear the girl wouldn’t even give him a second glance. The capital has plenty of fine young men; Minghua is at best a playboy from Changzhou.”
“Master!”
That was going too far—he was disparaging his own son!
“Once again, do not mention any marriage with the Xiao clan,” Zhao Chengxun said firmly. “I will personally oversee Minghua’s marriage arrangements.”
In three years, anything could happen. If the Zhao ancestors in the afterlife knew, they might even help curry favor with the two previous imperial physicians named Xiao, blessing Minghua so that this matter could truly come to pass.
Until then, his wife was forbidden from interfering in the youngest son’s marriage.
“Minghua’s dealings with Miss Xiao are strictly business. You shall not meddle.”
“Master…”
Mrs. Zhao saw he was resolute and felt deeply wronged.
Why?
She bore the son, yet had no say in his marriage.
How was she to explain this to Madame Xiao?
After all, she had some acquaintance with Madame Xiao over the years. This might offend her.
Men’s stubbornness and sons’ disobedience were really turning her hair white with worry!
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Xiao Chunnuan, the granddaughter of the imperial physician Xiao—she wanted to see what kind of girl could win both the master and Minghua’s favor.
“Achoo.” Chunnuan sneezed heavily.
“Sister, are you catching a cold?” Chunyan asked with concern.
“It’s nothing. The wormwood powder is causing some irritation.”
Indeed, Chunnuan was preparing Artemisia capillaris. After drying, she removed roots, old stems, and impurities, then chopped and crushed it before sifting out the dust.
From a large basketful, she prepared a single packet.
Tomorrow, she would have Chunning deliver it to the Herbal Hall to see how much it could fetch.
“Sister, tomorrow before dawn, Xiaogang and I will go pick flowers.”
Tomorrow, he would also practice climbing trees. He was determined not to be defeated by such a small challenge!
“Good. Be careful on the way.” Suddenly recalling something, she asked, “Did many petals fall under the trees?”
“Yes, some landed on the weeds, some on the ground, and they all rotted.”
“Turning into spring mud to better protect the flowers.”
Chunnuan spoke casually, but she already had a plan in her heart: Magnolia flower disperses cold wind and opens nasal passages, used for colds, nasal congestion, and sinusitis. It was a fine medicinal herb.
Since that mountain was full of it, gathering it locally was ideal.
She glanced up at the kitchen that had burned down. No, rebuilding the house was impossible. The immediate priority was to get the kitchen up and running again.
Building a new house was out of the question, but she could make a bamboo fence and cover it with thatch.
However, the Xiao family was full of women and children—it would require hiring a helper to do such work.
Who should they find?