Chapter 002: Rain Bell (Part 2)
"How come my uncle knows so much about my family's affairs?"
Fine snow fluttered outside the eaves, and a female voice was approaching, sounding weak and feeble. For a moment, everyone in the hall glanced at the group of people getting closer and closer in the courtyard.
The girl who was supported by the maid was wearing a light blue shirt and a frosty white silk skirt. She had her hair in a three-braided bun and wore a veil hat. Her face was unclear and she walked slowly, as if she was sick.
"Ni Su, are you admitting this?"
Ni Zong raised his chin, acting like an elder with all his dignity.
"What do you want to admit?"
Ni Su went up the stairs and coughed a few times. The taciturn Cen glanced at the old eunuch who was following behind. The old eunuch was standing outside the threshold, not daring to come in, and was hunched over wiping the sweat off her face.
How could he stop the girl?
"Please forgive me, second uncle. I am sick and cannot see people. I am afraid of being impolite, so I have to do this." Qian Mama, who was beside Cen, came to help Ni Su sit down, and asked a maid to pass her a bowl of hot tea to warm her hands.
"You were wearing this veil yesterday, too!"
Ni Zong's daughter Ni Mizhi saw her father's eyes and stood up and said, "I was coming back from my farm and saw you when I passed by Zaohua Village. Don't think I don't know you because you are wearing a veil. I recognize your groom and maid Xingzhu!"
Ni Zong looked at Cen, but seeing that she was silent, his face became even worse. Just as he was about to speak again, he heard the girl in the veil ask, "Really? Who can testify?"
"You can't convict me of a crime based on your one-sided statement. Did the peasant woman and the maid confirm it? You passed by Zaohua Village on your way back from your farm, and I also passed by there on my way back from mine. I can't say I didn't go there, but I won't admit what happened later."
"this……"
Ni Mizhi pursed her lips, "Who is so disrespectful as you to associate with those vile and lowly people?"
It's not that she didn't think of calling someone to testify, but the peasant woman had just given birth and was unable to get out of bed, so she insisted that Ni Su was just passing by and borrowed a bowl of water to drink. As for the other midwife, she was just like the peasant woman and did not admit that Ni Su had delivered a baby with her.
"The vile and lowly person you are talking about, is it the peasant woman or the maid?"
Cen suddenly stared at Ni Mizhi and said abruptly, "I don't know what kind of family we are to commit such verbal sins and look down on others. Mizhi, when your mother gave birth to you, didn't your family ever hire a maid? Do you think it's dirty for her to enter your house?"
For a moment, everyone in the hall couldn't help but think of Ni Zong's elder brother Ni Zhun.
Five years ago, Ni Zhun provided free medical treatment to nearby villagers. On his way back, he was buried to death in a mudslide. The county government commissioned a plaque with the words "Healing the world with virtue and integrity" and sent it to Ni Zhun's widow, Ms. Cen.
Ni Zhun had never looked down on poor farmers, so Cen naturally couldn't stand what Ni Mizhi said. Seeing that Ni Mizhi didn't dare to say anything, Ni Zong waved his hand and asked her to sit down. He softened his voice and said, "Sister-in-law, my brother has always been kind, but kindness can be a disaster. It's not right for a woman to inherit the family business. When my brother was alive, Ni Su was not allowed to study medicine, but she not only studied secretly, but also followed Ji Ming's old path... I hope you understand my painstaking efforts. My brother used his life to improve our family's reputation, so don't let her fail again!"
Jiming is Ni Qinglan's pen name.
Ever since he diagnosed a secret illness for He Liushi when he was sixteen and couldn't bear the pain that led to her death, and He Liushi committed suicide by jumping into the river due to the rumors, the Ni family's medical business has plummeted.
It was not until after Ni Zhun's death that the government plaque was sent to the Ni family and business started to improve again.
"In a family of doctors, even if we are not allowed to study, we can still be influenced by what we see and hear. Why do you have to be so fussy, and bring up my Lan'er? Lan'er has given up medicine to pursue literature, and is a serious candidate for the imperial examination. Besides, Mizhi's one-sided statement has no real evidence, so how can I believe you?" Cen twisted the Buddhist beads in her hand, "Your family also knows me. I am not a kind mother. I discipline Ah Xi more strictly than your family disciplines Mizhi. I know very well whether Ah Xi has gone out to show off her half-baked medical skills and whether she has broken the rules of our family."
Cen spoke these words neither hurriedly nor slowly, and there was no sharpness in her words.
But Ni Zong's expression was much uglier. How could he not hear that underneath those seemingly calm words, there was an accusation against his family for not educating their daughter well enough?
She also reminded him that her son was now a scholar valued by the county, and that he might be able to get an official position after taking the winter examination in Yunjing.
Unfortunately, he could not pry open the mouths of the peasant woman and the maid, and he could not persuade them even with money. He did not know what kind of magic potion Ni Su had given to the two of them.
"It's not easy for my second brother and his family to come here. If you don't mind the simple food here, you can share some with me." Mrs. Cen said in a calm voice.
Ni Zong came in a threatening manner, but he was full of anger. How could he eat anything? He just said "something happened at home" and left in a huff. Ni Mizhi was also unhappy. She glared at Ni Su who was wearing a veiled hat and hurriedly followed him. Only Ni Zong's son Ni Qingwen stood up slowly and took a bite of the cake. His eyes kept glued to Xingzhu's face beside Ni Su from time to time. It was not until Liu beside him pushed him that he hummed a little tune and swaggered out.
"sister in law……"
Liu didn't dare to delay any longer. She called out to Cen and seemed to be hesitant to speak.
"Go back."
There was a hint of gentleness between Cen's cold eyebrows and he nodded at her.
Liu had no choice but to bow and hurried out.
The spring snow melted and left water stains on the door sill, making the hall much quieter. Cen didn't say anything, so Ni Su lifted her veil, stood up, took a few steps forward, and knelt down in front of Cen.
Cen lowered her eyes and looked at her, "Did you really go yesterday?"
“Yes.”
Ni Su lowered his head and spoke clearly, no longer looking weak and frail as before.
Cen's gaunt face showed signs of exhaustion. It was difficult for her to stand up, but she did not want Ni Su to help her. Mother Qian came over to help Cen up. Cen did not even look at Ni Su, but said calmly, " Then go to the ancestral hall and kneel down."
Ever since Ni Qinglan was forced by Ni Zhun to pursue a career in officialdom , the person kneeling in the ancestral hall changed from him to Ni Su. Sometimes it was because Ni Zhun discovered that she had secretly read his notes, and sometimes it was because she had sneaked out to follow the herbal farmers to identify herbs in the mountains.
Later, as she grew older, she became better at hiding things than before. Ni Zhun didn't know about it, so she kneeled less often in the ancestral hall. This was the second time Ni Su knelt in the ancestral hall after Ni Zhun's death.
There is a tablet of Ni Zhun in the ancestral hall, and incense and candles are always burning on the altar, creating a smoky atmosphere.
"Fortunately, the young lady also saw the carriage of the young lady Mizhi yesterday, and informed the peasant woman and the maid in advance," Xingzhu squatted beside Ni Su, "It was a close call. If the second master had used the silver, it would have been bad if the two of them had changed their words."
"My second uncle is usually stingy, but he may be unwilling to spend money in this matter. It's just that those two people don't want to take his money." Ni Su had been kneeling for a while and her legs were a little numb. She reached out and pressed them. Xingzhu saw that she frowned, so she reached out and pressed them for her.
"Why not?" Xingzhu couldn't understand.
Yesterday, Ni Su was in that room with her mistress helping a peasant woman who was having difficulty giving birth. Xingzhu didn't dare to go in and stayed outside. She looked at the yard and the thatched cottage and knew it was a very poor family. How could they not be short of money?
"I have a good relationship with the old lady. Although I am not familiar with the peasant woman, people are made of flesh and blood. If you can see their difficulties, they can naturally see your difficulties."
Xingzhu seemed to understand, but she pouted, "But I think that Miss Mizhi is a bad person. She got a headache from being punished at home, and fainted when she came to our private school. You kindly gave her acupuncture, but she turned around and went home to complain, saying that you secretly learned medical skills. That time, the lady also punished you to kneel in the ancestral hall."
From then on, Ni Zong always paid attention to whether Ni Su had any inappropriate behavior.
"This time, Madam asked you," Xingzhu lowered her voice and leaned close to Ni Su's ear, "Why did you tell the truth? If you had evaded the question, you wouldn't have to kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment."
"I never lied to my mother."
Ni Su shook her head, "In the past, she didn't ask. If she asked me, I would tell the truth."
After kneeling in the ancestral hall for most of the day until the starry sky fell, Ni Su's knees were already red and swollen, and so numb and painful that she could hardly walk. The old housekeeper called a few maids to come and send Ni Su back to her room together with Xingzhu.
Cen ignored everything and didn't ask Mama Qian to bring any medicine over, so Xingzhu had no choice but to ask the servant to find the doctor hired by the Ni family to bring back some medicated oil for Ni Su to apply.
"Miss, it's cold at night, go to bed early." Xingzhu finished applying the medicated oil for Ni Su and went out to wash her hands. When she came back, she saw Ni Su sitting at the desk with her clothes on, writing non-stop, so she stepped forward and gently advised her.
"Brother will be back soon. I will organize all my experiences in the past six months and show them to him." Two candles illuminated Ni Su's fair and beautiful face. The tip of the pen dipped in ink rubbed on the paper. "Compared to when he left, I have learned more now. I have a better way to treat women who have retained the placenta during childbirth."
She was so busy writing that she totally forgot the time. Xingzhu came in and cut a few wicks. She was so sleepy that she fell asleep on the couch. Ni Su got up and drank some cold tea, then picked up a piece of clothing from the wooden table and put it on Xingzhu.
In the second half of the night, Ni Su fell asleep at the desk. A few candles burned until dawn in the east, then melted into a ball of residual wax and went out.
"Girl, there's a letter from Yunjing!"
Suddenly, a maid's clear voice came from outside the door.
Ni Su suddenly woke up, she stood up, and the clothes she was wearing fell to the ground. Xingzhu, who had been curled up and slept all night, also woke up and hurriedly helped Ni Su change clothes and wash up: "Miss, the man must have won!"
If it hadn't been for the win, it wouldn't be the letter that came now, not the person.
Ni Su had just knelt in the ancestral hall yesterday, and she walked slowly today. When she arrived at Cen's yard, she found that all the servants were standing in the courtyard. The old housekeeper's face was very pale, and he was walking back and forth anxiously on the stone steps.
The servant led a number of Ni family doctors and hurried past Ni Su and into Cen's house. Ni Su, supported by Xingzhu, walked forward quickly: "What's wrong with mother?"
"Madam, she fainted!"
The old eunuch's beard trembled, and he looked at Ni Su with red eyes:
"Girl, our husband is missing!"
What?
Ni Su’s head was buzzing.
