Chapter 65: Strange Illness

  Shen Changyu has been here for a long time.

  The elder sister-in-law and Li Balang sat with him.

  Chen Jiong came back, his clothes were a bit wet, he went into the house to change his clothes, and then came out to talk.

  "...... Last time's dinner party, Zhong and his brothers didn't show up, probably because the servants at home couldn't invite them. The day after tomorrow is my humble birthday, please also invite Zhong and his brothers as well as Li family's brothers to come and have a bowl of longevity noodles." Shen Changyu smiled and took out two invitation cards.

  Deep red invitation card with gold foil stamping, just like the one for Wan Niang's wedding.

  It was originally a poetry meeting and also Shen Changyu's birthday. He probably inquired that Chen Jing's family had Li Balang, so he brought two invitations.

  Shen Changyu's birthday banquet, he came to invite himself, ordinary people generally don't dare to refuse.

  Chen Jiong paused for a moment, glanced at his sister-in-law and Li Balang, and smiled: "Sister-in-law, Eighth Brother, you two step aside, I'll have a few private words with Officer Shen..."

  The elder sister-in-law got up and bid farewell, returning to the inner room.

  Li Balang also left.

  When only Chen Xuan and Shen Changyu were left in the hall, Chen Xuan pushed the invitation back to Shen Changyu's side and said: "Brother Changyu, I should also go to congratulate you on your birthday. However, you and your friends are indeed elegant, and I don't fit in."

  "You've been looking for me for a month, there must be something. Going around in circles like this, I'm not at ease, and you probably don't think it's fun either. If you're not willing to speak the truth, then we'd better not interact with each other. As for your banquet, I dare not attend."

  Shen Changyu was slightly surprised.

  He didn't expect Chen Jing to be so direct.

  Making friends requires sincerity. Chen Jing's attitude was without any pretence or flattery, which made Shen Changyu feel very good.

  His heart skipped a beat and the words almost slipped out. But then he thought it wasn't the right time yet, so he hesitated.

  Seeing him like this, Chen Yun's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he stood up, as if to see off the guest.

  Looks like Chen Jiong is really annoyed.

  "Chen, I'm a few years older than you, so let's just say I'm your elder brother. From now on, I'll call you by your courtesy name." Shen Changyu raised his eyes and looked at Chen Jing, "Jing, sit down and talk."

  He's going to tell the truth now.

  Chen Jiong smiled and sat down. He sat back down, but Shen Changyu didn't speak up first.

  Shen Changyu's hand rested on the tea table, gently tapping, his expression frozen, as if he didn't know where to start.

  "...If someone wants to be cured, just tell me." Chen Jing broke the silence, "I'm not a talkative person."

  Shen Changyu was also surprised.

  Chen Jiong's words hit his mind. He was afraid that Chen Jiong would reveal the secret.

  "Mr. Yang, I saw with my own eyes that you cured He Jia's second official of his illness, and I was deeply impressed; later, I also heard that you had cured Xi Wen and your third uncle. May I ask, were the illnesses of Xi Wen and your third uncle truly cured by you, or is it just a rumor spread by outsiders?" Shen Changyu finally spoke up.

  Chen Jiong nodded: "It's true, not a rumor."

  Actually, San Shu and Xi Wen's medical records were not widely spread, and not many people knew about it. However, this matter was also not something that could be kept secret.

  Shen Changyu was curious about Chen Jing's medical skills, and someone would be sent to inquire, so he would naturally know.

  There's no need to make a big fuss about it.

  "His medical skills are superb." Shen Changyu said with a affirmative tone.

  Although he said so, he still had some doubts.

  "Hmm, my medical skills are superb." Chen Jing smiled and said affirmatively, "Now, be honest about what's going on, okay?"

  Shen Changyu slowly let out a breath.

  He glanced outside, the storm had stopped, and the sun peeked out from behind the clouds. The dense layers of leaves hung with sparkling water droplets, and the scent of mud was refreshing.

  "Yingjiu, are you willing to accompany me on a trip out of the city? It's a bit of a journey and may delay you for a day or two," said Shen Changyu.

  Is the patient's home in Wangxian County?

  "Alright." Chen Jing replied.

  He went into the inner house and found his elder sister-in-law, telling her what Shen Changyu had said.

  Sister-in-law was a bit worried and asked: "Where are you going?"

  "I don't know. He said he'd be delayed for a day or two and estimated that he'll be back tomorrow." Chen Jing smiled, "Are you still worried that he'll harm me?"

  The elder sister-in-law was still worried and came out personally to talk to Shen Changyu, asking him what he had invited Chen Jing for.

  Shen Changyu again used words to evade the question.

  "Don't worry, we won't go far." Shen Changyu assured Li Shi.

  Li was skeptical about the letter.

  Chen Jiong and Shen Changyu bid farewell.

  The Shen family's carriage stopped at the entrance of Qiwan Lane.

  The two got on the carriage and it rattled away from the outside.

  "...Sun's village is our family's estate." On the way, Shen Changyu told Chen Jing where they were going. "It's raining today and the official road isn't easy to walk on, I'm afraid it'll take two hours or so. There are over ten servants there, and the houses are all ready for us. If we can't make it back tonight, we'll stay at the estate, and there will be people to serve us."

  Chen Jiong nodded.

  Originally, the patient was placed in a villa for quiet nursing.

  "Who fell ill?" Chen Jiong asked again.

  "Thirteen Girl." Shen Changyu sighed, his eyes filled with unbearable sorrow, "Thirteen Girl is my sister..."

  Along the way, he carefully told Chen Jing about his family relationships.

  "...When my mother passed away, Thirteen was not yet one year old. I, Liu Lang and Thirteen were born of the same mother, I am older than them, they both respect me. After three years, our stepmother entered the household, Thirteen didn't like her, so she became especially close to me."

  I and Liu Lang only have that younger sister, and we both dote on her. She is very sensible and clever, and she handles herself properly among the elder sisters at home. I am studying abroad and don't worry about her at all. Originally, I planned to go to Beijing this year and take part in next year's imperial examination, but unexpectedly, Thirteen Niang fell ill." said Shen Changyu.

  "What's wrong?" Chen Jiong asked.

  "At first, no one knew she was ill. She was fine, but suddenly her menstruation stopped. Her wet nurse told my stepmother. My stepmother was afraid of trouble, so she told my aunt, and my aunt called in a doctor." Shen Changyu replied.

  Every family has a Mrs. who presides over the household and is equivalent to the master of the inner house and the head of the outer house.

  Menstruation

  An unmarried girl suddenly stops menstruating, it's not a small matter. In case she is pregnant, the whole family will be humiliated, and the lady of the house must make preparations early.

  "...the doctor said she was pregnant. Shen Changyu's face was filled with sorrow and pain, 'Thirteen Niang cried and made a fuss, saying that she was a virgin and had not had any private dealings with anyone, it was impossible for her to be pregnant. This matter, Eldest Aunt suppressed it and did not make a big deal out of it. Sixth Brother told me about it, I immediately returned home."

  "What's next?" Chen Jiong asked again.

  He finally understood why Shen Changyu was so cautious.

  A daughter's family reputation is her life. Even if she isn't really pregnant, just rumors are enough to drown her.

  This kind of thing can't be told to outsiders.

  Chen Jing heard this and could understand why Shen Changyu was being so evasive.

  He is now willing to tell Chen Jing, which is also quite adventurous.

  "Wang County is so small, if we're not careful, the news will leak out and San Niang's reputation will be ruined. I brought a doctor back from Mingzhou to treat her illness. The doctor said she's pregnant." Shen Changyu's eyebrows were tightly furrowed together.

  Chen Jing listened silently.

  "Both doctors said she was pregnant, and the 13th daughter's menstruation didn't come. She loudly cried injustice, but the adults in the family no longer believed her. It was I who supported her, taking on this matter. You also know that I am a scholar, and everyone in my family gives me face." Shen Changyu continued.

  This, Chen Jing is very understanding of.

  His elder brother was also a juren.

  A juren will possibly become a jinshi in the future and have the possibility of becoming an official, which is the hope of a family.

  Shen would never offend Shen Changyu for a woman.

  "I originally planned to go to the capital after the New Year, but ended up delaying it. My teachers and friends asked for reasons, and I tried to cover it up. Later, it was rumored from somewhere that I wanted to propose a marriage for the 13th daughter, and that I had to find an extremely suitable husband for her before going to the capital."

  This rumor is believable, I didn't explain. Your family's fourth house also sent someone to talk to us and wanted to marry the thirteenth daughter. I refused, but they still invited me as a guest. I went once just to show my face for Chen Ying, thinking that I was sincere in helping the thirteenth daughter choose a husband.

  But just recently, I heard that the Chen family's fourth house has already approached the Song family to discuss marriage, and the possibility of our families becoming related has come to nothing. It's likely that someone has already caught wind of this development...

  This, Chen Jing didn't know.

  He is not familiar with Jingzhong Alley.

  However, when Chen Ying entertained in Nanzhuang that time, He Ti went and had some private conversations with Chen Ying. At the time, Eldest Sister had indeed heard that Chen Yong of the Fourth House was going to form an alliance with the Shen family, but nothing came of it afterwards.

  Heidi is a businessman and his information is relatively well-informed.

  He knew and told Chen Ying.

  Chen Ying is the future head of the household, and he's worried that if he marries a woman who isn't clean, it will bring bad luck to the Chen family. Unconsciously, he dismisses the idea of marrying into the Shen family and instead tries to find a better match for Chen Long.

  "Oh." Chen Jing said, "There is no wall in the world that doesn't leak..."

  "So, I sent San Shi Niang to the Zhuangzi. The masters were all invited from other places, none from Wangxian County, and we tried to keep it a secret. Even among our Shen family, only a few people knew. You're the first person I've told." Shen Changyu said, "You're reliable, right?"

  Chen Jie smiled and said, "Brother Changyu, asking this kind of question is meaningless. The secret was something you voluntarily told me, and the only one taking the risk is you alone. My keeping it a secret is my conscience, not my duty. But rest assured, I do have a conscience."

  "Even if it's false, once the news of an unmarried girl getting pregnant spreads, her family's reputation will be completely ruined. I know how scary rumors can be. Your family is the most prestigious in the county, and it's common for people to spread false rumors about you. If there's even a hint of scandal, it'll be even more impossible to keep it under wraps."

  Shen Changyu smiled with relief.

  "What's wrong with your sister?" Chen Jiong brought the topic back and asked.

  "Three months after her menstrual period stopped, her lower abdomen slowly began to bulge......" Shen Changyu's voice was somewhat lacking in confidence, "I consulted eight doctors, and only one said it was a gu parasite. But he couldn't cure it either. The others all said it was pregnancy."

  Thirteen girl kept crying, thin to the bone, saying she was absolutely not pregnant. I didn't quite understand, but her periods were irregular and her belly was so big, saying it wasn't pregnancy, even a ghost wouldn't believe...

  "Do you believe it?" Chen Jiong asked back.

  "I only have her as my own sister, I must believe." Shen Changyu slowly closed his eyes, suppressing his emotions deeply, and after a long while, he said, "So I'm asking you. If you also say she's pregnant, then I'll consider myself to have done the utmost for her. As for what happens next, we can think about it later."

  He himself is also uncertain.

  When all the doctors said it was a pregnancy and there were signs of pregnancy, amenorrhea and abdominal distension. In this case, Shen Changyu still insisted on believing his sister, and the brother and sister's feelings were really good.

  What if I'm really pregnant?

  A girl would never admit to having an affair before marriage.

  Chen Jiong felt that Shen Changyu was beating around the bush and didn't want to tell the truth, which was really not excessive at all.

  It's rather reckless of him to speak so bluntly to Chen Jing now.

  If it's really true, then Chen Jing would have to keep a big secret for the Shen family.

  "Alas." Chen Jiong sighed silently, "Just treating an illness, yet having to bear such risks, is it worth it? If she's really pregnant, that thirteen-year-old girl will be the death of her..."