Chapter Four: What Trouble Did the Third Young Master Cause?
“The doctor is right.” Chun Nuan quickly signaled to Chun Ning not to say anything more. “Doctor, may I borrow your brush, ink, paper, and inkstone for a moment?”
“What do you intend to do?” The elderly doctor was taken aback. “Are you going to write a prescription?”
“I’m but a humble girl with some knowledge of medicine. Since your shop requires a prescription to dispense medicine, I shall write it out myself.”
It wasn’t that Chun Nuan was unwilling to invite the doctor to examine her elder sister-in-law; it was just that the doctor’s house call came with fees for diagnosis and pulse-taking. The Xiao family was currently destitute; every penny saved counted.
“You’re just a young girl...”
“Dr. Chen, let this young lady write the prescription. We will prepare the medicine accordingly.”
“Master, this...”
Dr. Chen was puzzled. As soon as the master heard their conversation, he agreed to let her write the prescription. This was a medicinal formula for pregnancy stabilization; one wrong move could cause disaster.
“No matter. We need to refer to the prescription when preparing the medicine anyway.”
True enough, if there were any mistakes in the prescription, they could not dispense the medicine. That would be a matter of life and death, not healing.
“Thank you, Master, thank you, Doctor.”
Chun Nuan sat down and took up the brush, carefully writing out a prescription. She then gently blew on the ink to dry it.
“Doctor, please prepare a batch of medicine according to this prescription.”
Chuan Duan, Gou Teng, Gou Ji... Dr. Chen read through the list and looked up at Chun Nuan.
“To stabilize pregnancy, it must also clear heat.”
“Yes, that’s why Gou Teng is added to clear liver heat.”
“Not only does it stabilize pregnancy, but it also prevents eclampsia.”
“You speak wisely, Doctor.”
“Is this for your elder sister-in-law?” Dr. Chen confirmed once more. “Are you sure you want to use this prescription?”
Although all prescriptions were for pregnancy stabilization, different formulas had different effects. Even if many shared the same illness, each patient required a unique prescription.
“Yes, Doctor. Thank you for helping prepare the medicine.”
Dr. Chen glanced at the master. Zhao Chengxun took the prescription and admired the handwriting. “What beautiful penmanship.”
Dr. Chen... Master, you should be focusing on the prescription, not the handwriting!
“Fusheng, prepare the medicine for this young lady according to the prescription.”
Before Dr. Chen could remind him, Zhao Chengxun had already handed the prescription to Fusheng, the shop assistant behind the counter.
“Yes, Master.” Fusheng took the prescription, inwardly amazed: now this is a proper prescription. Compared to Dr. Chen’s handwriting, which resembled a celestial script, it was a blessing that he knew how to read it!
---
Dispensing a set of pregnancy-stabilizing medicine cost two taels of silver.
When Chun Nuan took out her coin pouch to pay the fee, she winced in pain. Medicine was truly a luxury beyond the reach of a poor family!
Thinking of the Xiao family’s vast storehouses in the capital, stocked with every herb imaginable...
Her great-grandfather and grandfather prized medicinal herbs greatly. Everyone in noble families knew that consulting the Xiao imperial physician could be paid for with precious herbs instead of fees, which would please the physician all the more.
Yet, the empire established by the Xiao ancestors had been plundered, and no one knew who had ultimately profited from it.
“Sister, the medicine is so expensive.”
“Yes, which is why it is already a blessing if elder sister-in-law can rest well and nurture the baby,” Chun Nuan said. “Let’s hope this is the last calamity, and that from now on, all will go smoothly.”
After all, she had already taken an order from the heir of Baicao Hall. With effort, she would surely earn enough silver to support the family.
At Baicao Hall, Dr. Chen wore a puzzled expression.
“Master, do you know that young lady? Which noble family from Changzhou does she belong to? When did Annan Town produce such a talented girl?”
Being able to write prescriptions and possessing such elegant handwriting—was this girl simply reciting from a book, or did she truly have great talent?
“I don’t know her,” Zhao Chengxun said as he handed the prescription to Dr. Chen. “Look at the signature below.”
The signature bore the name of the prescription writer. That was nothing special.
However, the young lady’s name was quite pleasing: Xiao Chun Nuan.
“Xiao Chun Nuan, a daughter of the Xiao family?” Dr. Chen suddenly realized. “No wonder she can write a prescription. The daughters of the Xiao family are truly talented and capable. Do you plan to arrange a match with one of the Xiao ladies? Is it her?”
Dr. Chen knew that the master had plans to ally with the Xiao family through marriage. A few days earlier, a matchmaker had been invited, but the family politely declined.
Of course, it wasn’t that the Xiao family looked down on the young master of the Zhao family, but rather the proper etiquette of the bride’s side, which required a polite refusal once or twice to avoid seeming eager to marry off their daughter.
The Zhao family would invite the matchmaker again in a few days. In a family with many daughters, suitors abound; persistence and sincerity were key.
“Minghua probably isn’t worthy of this young lady.” As he said this, Zhao Chengxun’s mind flashed with a thought: how would they know unless they tried?
“Which branch of the Xiao clan is this young lady from? She’s indeed talented.”
“She is not from the Xiao clan.”
In truth, the Xiao clan was quite cold-hearted. Protected and strengthened by the imperial physician Xiao, when he suffered, they wouldn’t even allow his family servants to enter their gates; they even expelled them from the clan. Such behavior was despicable.
No, Minghua must not marry into the Xiao family!
Indeed, the reason Zhao Chengxun wanted to marry a Xiao girl was precisely because of the imperial physician’s influence and connections.
Without the imperial physician, how long could the Xiao clan’s glory last?
The sons of the imperial physician had all been exiled; did they think they had no future?
---
Just by looking at Xiao Chun Nuan, it was clear the Xiao family would not fall.
“She’s not from the Xiao clan? Then who is she...?”
“Have there been any new arrivals in Annan Town, Changzhou recently?”
Dr. Chen’s mind went blank. Truly, the master knew he was old and forgetful but still insisted on testing him!
“Master, is she the daughter of the imperial physician Xiao?” Fusheng finally caught on.
“Daughter of the imperial physician Xiao?” Dr. Chen was shocked and instantly regretted babbling so much earlier. “No wonder she can write prescriptions. As the saying goes, like father, like daughter...”
“No, no, Doctor Chen, this is a family tradition; truly the granddaughter of the imperial physician,” Fusheng corrected.
“Sounds like you think you’re clever,” Dr. Chen glared at him. “You’ve been preparing medicine here for eight years and still can’t write prescriptions?”
“Heh, I’m just slow. I can’t learn to write prescriptions,” Fusheng admitted.
Zhao Chengxun smiled watching the old man and young man bicker, then suddenly froze as he looked at the two taels of silver on the table.
He recalled that the coin pouch the young lady used looked very familiar... no, extraordinarily familiar.
“I need to go home first.” The thought struck him with such force that he strode forward with great urgency, wishing he could fly down the street.
As soon as he entered, a maidservant greeted him.
“Master is home.”
“Greetings, Master.”
“Qingsheng, where is the third young master?”
“Master, the third young master is in the study.”
“Tell him to come see me immediately.”
“Yes.”
Qingsheng noticed the master’s unusual expression and silently worried for the third young master. What trouble had he caused this time? Hopefully, he wouldn’t get beaten, and that Qingsheng wouldn’t get blamed as well.
As for Zhao Minghua, he had no idea what trouble he had gotten himself into.
“Father, what do you need with me?”
“Did you go out this afternoon? Whom did you meet, and what did you do?”