Volume 3: The Richest Man in the World Chapter 23: Minor Illness Attacks the Heart
"Is this the...steam engine?" Ye Dalin looked at the rumbling thing and asked curiously. However, he was just curious, and there was no eagerness in his eyes - in his opinion, this thing could not make money. Who would buy it except Wu Chengjian?
"Yes." Wu Chengjian said, "According to British technicians, it has the strength of ten people. And after adding flammable materials, it can operate day and night."
"So what? This thing is useless." Ye Dalin shook his head.
This thing was shipped thousands of miles from the West. The shipping fee alone was enough to hire dozens of laborers for several years. Although it didn't need to eat after it was shipped, it had to burn coal. Once coal was burned, it might not save much more than raising ten coolies. Moreover, its use was limited. It could only do those rough and simple jobs. It was troublesome to repair it - we had to find the British... In short, in the Qing Dynasty where labor was not valuable, this thing was a waste and could only be used as a plaything at most.
Wu Chengjian was silent because what Ye Dalin said was correct.
"And opium." Ye Dalin said, "If the British want to sell it, let them sell it. If you really don't like it, use some tricks, whether it's starting with the Guangdong Customs or the Hongmen Gang, there will always be a way to stop their business. Why bother to bring it to the court of the foreigners? Also, don't mention the matter of opening the sea and customs. You will be beheaded for it! Others may not know the taboos of the retired emperor, but can we as guarantors know it?"
Opening up to the outside world was one of Qianlong's taboos. Anyone who violated it would be killed. At the most severe time, even teaching foreigners to speak Chinese would result in death. The British wanted to open up the market, but there was indeed a court ban in the Qing Dynasty!
Therefore, the two things Wu Chengjian said today were simply incomprehensible to Ye Dalin.
Wu Chengjian didn't waste any more words. He invited Ye Dalin today just to test the thoughts of his ally and father-in-law. After knowing that the other party's cognition was too far away from his own, he gave up further lobbying - some things can be done by forcing Ye Dalin to do it for a while, but things like this that require long-term planning can only be truly promoted if both parties feel that it is beneficial to cooperate.
"Let's put this matter aside for now." Wu Chengjian said, "Let's talk about another business. I have some ideas about the United States recently."
The day Ye Dalin came, Cai Qiaozhu returned to Lirongyuan and felt very depressed. She couldn't eat that night and fell ill the next day. She didn't let anyone tell Ritianju, but Ye Youyu soon found out and ran over to see Cai Qiaozhu lying on the bed, looking listless.
"Sister-in-law, how come you got sick after not seeing me for one night?" Ye Youyu said, "I've asked Changzi to get a doctor. Sister-in-law, please bear with it."
Cai Qiaozhu complained: "Why call a doctor? I'm fine. Maybe I'm not used to it here. It's not a big deal."
Ye Youyu said, "Sister-in-law must be used to living in Xiguan, so she is not used to it after coming here."
The Henan Island is the Haizhu District of Guangzhou in later generations. It has been the most prosperous core area of Guangzhou after the reform and opening up. However, it was still very desolate at that time. There was only some development along the south bank of the Pearl River, as well as the two large manors of Pan and Wu. Most of the rest of the area was considered the southern suburbs of Guangzhou.
In the past, when the Wu family wanted to hire a doctor, they would go to Fu'antang's Liu Liangke for minor illnesses and pains, and would go to Foshan to see Mr. Er He for serious and difficult illnesses. Cai Qiaozhu didn't think it was a serious illness, and now that they had moved to Henan, it was too far to go to see Liu Liangke.
However, Ye Youyu had lived here for a year and was familiar with the situation in the area, so he asked Changzi to go to the back of Haizhuang Temple to invite a kind-hearted lay Buddhist to diagnose Cai Qiaozhu's pulse. This kind-hearted lay Buddhist was originally a good doctor in the area. After believing in Buddhism, he followed the great monk of Haizhuang Temple to practice and became a lay Buddhist. His medicine was mild but his pulse was accurate, which was highly valued by the Pan family. In the middle of last year, Ye Youyu occasionally had a minor illness, and Wu Dacheng found the kind-hearted lay Buddhist through the introduction of the Pan family, thus forming a fate.
The Wu family's sedan chair quickly brought the kind-hearted lay Buddhist over. After examining the patient, the lay Buddhist said, "It's not a serious illness. It's probably caused by the unfamiliar climate."
Cai Qiaozhu couldn't help but laugh and said, "I am an old Guangzhou native. Guangzhou people move to Guangzhou. We just cross the Pearl River. Why can't we adapt to the local climate?"
Shanxin Lay Buddhist said, "The eldest young lady also knows that we have crossed the Pearl River. This Pearl River is not a small river, but one of the largest water veins in the world. Although both are in Guangzhou, the north of the Pearl River is backed by Yunshan Mountain and faces Etan Lake in the south. In terms of geography, it is like a continent facing the sea, while Henan is surrounded by rivers on three sides and faces the sea on one side. It is like land but also like an island, like land in the sea. Therefore, although there is only a river between them, the geography and water are different, so naturally they cannot adapt to the local climate and water."
Cai Qiaozhu nodded after hearing this.
The kindhearted layman continued, "If the coolies who travel north and south eat Xiguan porridge for breakfast and Henan water for lunch, they will be accustomed to the climate of both sides of the island and will not get sick after a long time. But the eldest young lady lives in a deep house. Even if she goes out occasionally, it is probably just to visit relatives and worship gods and Buddhas. Her mother's home is her root, so there is naturally no problem. Temples and monasteries are blessed by gods and Buddhas, so there will be no problems. But she moved suddenly from Xiguan to here. Even if she is well-dressed and well-fed, she can't help but feel unsatisfied. In fact, the third young lady had a minor illness last year, and she also had similar symptoms."
Cai Qiaozhu said, "But I moved here for a few days two years ago and nothing happened then. How come I got sick after only being here for less than two days?"
"It's because of the different mental states." Shanxin said, "At that time, I knew it was a short stay, just like staying as a guest, and my mind was still in the north. Today, I know I will stay here for a long time, so my mind has also moved south. When my mind moves, my body is not comfortable, so I have this minor illness. This is a physical illness, but also a mental illness."
When Cai Qiaozhu heard the words “It is a physical illness as well as a mental illness”, she nodded again and said yes.
Ye Youyu said: "Since the layman has diagnosed the disease, please prescribe a prescription quickly."
Shanxin Lay Buddhist said: "The recipe is easy, just use Chenbi Decoction."
Ye Youyu read all kinds of books, including some medical books, but he had never heard of this medicine, so he asked, "What is Chenbi Decoction?"
The kind-hearted layman said, "Go find an old house that is more than 20 years old. It cannot be run-down, but must be one that is still inhabited. Take a few pinches of soil from the wall, not from the corners, but at least one person tall. Return home and use the water you drink every day. Do not use mountain spring water or dew on flowers. Only well water or river water can be used. Boil it three times and drink it before meals. Then eat light food for several days. Do not eat oily or dry food. This will cure the body disease. Invite one or two close friends to come and meet you, so that you can relieve the depression in your heart. This will cure the heart disease. You will be cured within three days."
Ye Youyu remembered everything in his heart and was about to tell Changzi, but Wu Liu said outside the door: "I'll do it right away."
After Shanxin Lay Buddhist left , Cai Qiaozhu said, "After crossing the Pearl River, even the medical methods and medicines used are very different from those in Xiguan."
Ye Youyu said, "This kind-hearted layman was recommended by several good local families. The Pan family also strongly recommended him. Sister-in-law, please take two doses of the medicine and give it a try."
At this time, Wu Chengjian also knew that Cai Qiaozhu was ill. He asked about it during dinner, and Ye Youyu told him directly. Wu Chengjian frowned and said, "Using the soil on the wall to make medicine? But he dared to use medicine like this, so my sister-in-law probably didn't have any illness. Well, in the future, if you have an emergency, difficult disease, or serious illness, don't ask this person to come to your house. You should find another doctor on weekdays in case of emergency."
Ye Youyu asked, "Are you going to Lirongyuan later?"
Wu Chengjian said: "Of course I will go."
Ye Youyu said, "Even if you really don't believe in the medical skills of this lay Buddhist, I see that my sister-in-law looks depressed, so I think the diagnosis of my sister-in-law by the kind-hearted lay Buddhist is correct. Minor illnesses mainly depend on nursing , and the patient's mind should be conquered. When you go to Lirongyuan, don't say that you don't believe in what this lay Buddhist said. Otherwise, even if the medicine is useful, it will become useless."
After hearing the words "minor illness attacks the heart", Wu Chengjian suddenly said, "So this lay Buddhist probably has some tricks up his sleeve. Maybe my sister-in-law doesn't need to take medicine for her illness. The reason she made so much trouble with the Chenbi Decoction is that it's actually attacking her heart."
After dinner, Wu Chengjian went to Lirongyuan to visit Cai Qiaozhu, and as expected, he did not mention this matter.
Because the kind-hearted lay Buddhist had asked to invite close friends and relatives to talk, Cai Qiaozhu was a type of person who stayed at home and did not like to call friends over. Although she had some close friends in Xiguan and Guangzhou, her true confidants were still those from her mother's home in Daxing Street, so Wu Liu went to Daxing Street.
Cai's mother came the next day.
Actually, Cai Qiaozhu was fine. She drank two doses of Chenbi soup, had light meals for breakfast and dinner, and talked to people about other things to distract her from her thoughts. When her mother came, Cai Qiaozhu had already gotten up and was fine.
The two sat and talked. Cai's mother carefully observed her daughter's complexion and praised: "That kind-hearted lay Buddhist really has some skills. This medicine is very effective."
The mother and daughter got together and chatted for a while. Seeing that Cai Qiaozhu's brows were still slightly frowned, Cai's mother remembered the judgment of the kind-hearted lay Buddhist that "it is a physical illness as well as a mental illness", so she asked: "My dear daughter, have you been looked at by anyone since you came here?"
This question was very direct. Cai Qiaozhu was stunned. If she wanted to deny it, she had indeed been very depressed during this period. But if she wanted to admit it, they were all trivial matters that were vague and not worth mentioning!
Cai's mother knew her daughter best. She knew that if this was not true, Cai Qiaozhu would have scolded her long ago. Now she was hesitant to speak, and must have felt wronged, so she said, "It is indeed so!"
Cai Qiaozhu said: "Actually...well, maybe I'm overthinking it."
Cai's mother said, "Whether you think too much or not, just tell me everything and I will explain it to you."
Cai Qiaozhu hesitated, and finally talked about two small things. Once she started, she couldn't stop, and poured out all the grievances she had suffered during this period, along with her own thoughts.
When Wu Chengjun was still alive, she had her husband to rely on for everything. She was also very close to Wu Chengjian at that time. Wu Chengjian would help her with many things before she even said them. So over the years, she considered herself a member of the Wu family and became more and more estranged from her natal family.
But when Wu Chengjun passed away, she lost her greatest support in the Wu family. After Wu Chengjian got married, he had to work hard all day long in the family business, official circles and business circles, and he could no longer be as caring as before. As for Guang'er, he was too young and naturally could not be relied on. She always had to find someone else to rely on, so she said what she was reluctant to say to her mother before.
