Chapter 67: Shen Nanhua

  Already diagnosed, next is medication.

  Chen Jiong first opened Su He Xiang San.

  Suhe Xiang San is composed of Suhe Xiang, Anxi Xiang, Bingpian, She Xiang and Tan Xiang, etc. It has the effects of fragrant aroma, opening orifices, regulating Qi and relieving pain. When Qi is weak, it should be regulated first.

  Then bought half a catty of mirabilite and rhubarb separately.

  "Take Suhe Xiang San first, two doses a day, for three days." Chen Jiong instructed.

  The people of Shen's family went into town overnight to buy medicine.

  It was almost midnight when the medicine was finally bought back, and after being decocted by the servant, it was given to Shen Shi San Niang.

  The kitchen has re-cooked the dishes, glutinous rice and two meat and two vegetarian dishes.

  Shen Changyu had hardly eaten anything just now, but with the weight off his mind, he felt a sudden surge of appetite and even asked someone to bring him some wine.

  "Have a couple of drinks with your brother!" Shen Changyu said to Chen Jing, "This is the first time I've been so happy in half a year! It's all thanks to you!"

  "Farewell." Chen Jiong smiled and said, "Others are easy to talk about, but I'm not good at drinking, so I don't dare accompany Brother Changyu. If you want to drink, go ahead and drink, I don't mind watching."

  "Not good at drinking?" Shen Changyu said, "How can I not be good at drinking? Wine is a good thing, it helps with poetic inspiration, assists in elegant gatherings, strengthens the body and builds health..."

  A talented scholar like Shen Changyu, who lingers in the flower clusters and is a frequent guest at the green building, will also drink wine.

  "We medical practitioners are like skilled craftsmen, we need to have a steady hand and sharp senses in order to accurately diagnose the pulse. Wine can numb the nerves, drinking too much will cause your hands to shake and your senses to dull. I normally don't drink anyway. Moreover, Miss Thirteen's illness has not yet fully recovered, I dare not drink." said Chen Jing.

  Shen Changyu was taken aback slightly.

  Chen Jiong compared himself to a craftsman, which made Shen Changyu feel sorry for him.

  The Chen family is also a scholarly family. If Chen Xuan only read books, he would naturally have a way out. Even if he didn't achieve anything, he could continue reading, and some people read until they were old. But since Chen Xuan studied medicine, it was equivalent to automatically lowering his status, degrading himself from a scholar to an artisan.

  Shen Changyu suddenly lost his interest in drinking, put down the cup and asked Chen Jing: "Do you think I'm being unfair to you by asking you to make a diagnosis? You're a scholar, I always feel that I've been underestimating you..."

  "It doesn't matter." Chen Jing said, "Having learned this skill is to alleviate the suffering of the world. I couldn't possibly know that your sister was ill and not come to diagnose her. Besides, I've already stopped studying and plan to open a pharmacy in a few days!"

  "Open... open a pharmacy?" Shen Changyu was shocked.

  Opened a pharmacy, became a doctor who just hung up his name, and thoroughly became a quack.

  Social status has dropped significantly, being driven by others.

  It seems to be walking downstream.

  A good doctor saves lives and heals wounds, doing great deeds that evoke sympathy for heaven and pity for men. Yet the respect and status to be gained are not many, not as much as a scholar gets from writing poems that bring neither pain nor itch.

  "Yes." Chen Jing smiled and said, "For the time being, I have this plan, but it's not certain when. Firstly, there is no money, secondly, my family may not agree..."

  "Your brother is not at home. For this kind of thing, will the Chen family from Jingzhong Alley help you make a decision?" Shen Changyu asked with a smile.

  "Just let them know." Chen Jing said lightly.

  Shen Changyu smiled. He thought he didn't need to worry about Chen Jing for himself. This kind of thing, as long as Chen Jing brought it up, would definitely encounter great resistance.

  The other side of Jianzhong Lane is impossible to agree with.

  As they spoke, Chen Jing had already eaten more than half a bowl of rice. Shen Changyu's enthusiasm for drinking was gone, and he was also very hungry, so he followed suit and ate two bowls, which finally filled his stomach.

  By the time they finished their meal, it was already the end of Zi hour.

  The women tidied up the two outer rooms, laid out clean and tidy quilts. Chen Xiang was really tired, fell asleep as soon as he lay down, and in a moment his breathing became even, and he had already entered the land of dreams.

  Shen Changyu in the next room couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned, finding fault with the coarse quilt that wasn't his usual satin bedding, feeling unwell all over.

  He tossed and turned, unable to sleep soundly for a whole night.

  The next day, Shen Changyu accompanied Chen Jing for breakfast and went to the inner courtyard to see Shen Thirteen Niang.

  During the day, she looks even worse. She's so thin that her skin is stretched over her bones, her complexion is waxy yellow, and her hair is sparse, looking very frightening.

  "Continue taking your medicine." Chen Jing said.

  The time is not yet ripe, and Suhe Xiang San needs to be continued.

  Shen thirteen daughter obediently listen.

  After finishing pulse diagnosis, Chen Jing and Shen Changyu had nothing to do, so they came out of the inner courtyard. In ancient times, entertainment was scarce, let alone in rural areas, where there was even less to play with.

  There is a Go board on top of the Zhuangzi, and they spend their time playing it.

  Chen Jing couldn't leave, he was afraid that Thirteen Niang's condition would worsen, the servants and Thirteen Niang were flustered. He needed to be here at all times, waiting for a change in her condition.

  The chessboard was set up, Chen Xuan held black and played slowly but surely.

  Shen Changyu chatted with him and mentioned the Thirteenth Girl: "...When she wasn't sick, she was pretty. Among our family's girls, she and the Tenth Girl were the most beautiful."

  He was probably afraid of Chen Jing's prejudice against his sister and explained it to Chen Jing.

  The thirteen-year-old girl now looks quite frightening.

  "It's clear that her features are delicate." Chen Jing praised.

  He knew Shen Changyu's thoughts. However, he really didn't mind. As for the girls' appearance, Chen Jing felt very bland, with no strong distinction between beauty and ugliness.

  Whether it's ugly or beautiful, it has little to do with him.

  However, Shen Shiniang is good-looking, he knows this.

  "...I've seen your family's tenth young lady." said Chen Jing.

  "Oh?" Shen Changyu smiled and said, "Where did you see it?"

  Shen Shining rarely goes out, and the Chen and Shen families don't have much to do with each other. Shen Changyu really can't think of it, Chen Jing has seen Shining.

  "I saw her once at the polo field by Yao River," said Chen Jiong, "and then again last time, outside your house gate, when a servant called out to her as 'Tenth Miss'."

  His words also carried a hint of probing.

  He wanted to know if the girl he met at the Shen's gate last time was the same one he met at the Wangpingge basketball court.

  "So that's how it was." Shen Changyu said, "Dàniáng is from the main house. My great aunt was a native of Yaojiang Cai clan, and they should have been back to Yaojiang for the Dragon Boat Festival that time, coincidentally running into you."

  Chen Jiong smiled slightly.

  His eyes subtly hid his emotions.

  What I met at the entrance of Yaojiang and Shen's house was a person, not twins.

  Then why did she pretend not to know him at Shen's gate last time?

  This flash of emotion was fleeting. Whether passionate or indifferent, it was all up to Shen Shining's will, and Chen Jing couldn't control it either. He wouldn't dwell on things he couldn't control.

  The doubts in his heart were cleared up, and Chen Jiong put down this matter and didn't mention Shen Shangniang again.

  "......The tenth girl was born well, but her fate is not good." Shen Changyu continued.

  "Huh?" Chen Jiong came back to himself.

  The eldest daughter of the first family in Wangxian County, her status is unknown how many times more noble than that of girls from the same county; and with a stunning beauty that can topple cities, her future marriage will not be bad.

  How to say bad luck?

  However, Shen's children felt that their fate was bad, probably different from Chen Xing's understanding of bad fate.

  "She is seventeen this year, and has been wearing her hair in a bun for two years, but she still hasn't gotten engaged," said Shen Changyu.

  He seems to be planning to tell Chen Jing about Shen Shining's gossip.

  But two big men talking about other people's family affairs doesn't seem quite right.

  Shen Shining, how is she? Chen Jiong really has no interest in knowing.

  He also doesn't like to hear other people's private affairs.

  Chen Jie coughed, just thinking of how to stop Shen Changyu from going further, but heard Shen Changyu continue: "When she was five years old, a child betrothal was arranged, but that child died of smallpox at the age of eight; when she was fifteen, another one was arranged, and as a result, that kid got drunk on a painted boat and drowned..."

  "Oh." Chen Jiong's heart skipped a beat.

  It means I was born unlucky.

  Twice engaged, both men have fallen, the reputation of "overbearing husband" is probably already on her shoulders, this life is indeed unlucky.

  No matter which era it is, once something goes wrong in a marriage, the blame always falls on the woman's shoulders, even if it's in later generations. This society has always been harsh towards women, from ancient times to the present day.

  In this era, once you start talking about marriage, your fate will be tied to that of the woman's.

  "There's a saying in physiognomy that women with a noble and wealthy fate often can't be tamed, so they tend to show the 'husband-killing' appearance." Chen Jing said, "Besides, we're not even married yet, just engaged. How can she kill her husband? It's all nonsense."

  Shen Changyu had also heard of this saying.

  But who believes it?

  Who would dare continue to take the risk of marrying her?

  "Do you also know how to read faces?" Shen Changyu changed the subject.

  He was grateful to Chen Jing and told him about Shen Shiniang's affairs.

  Shen Shiniang's husband died before they got married, this is an extremely inauspicious fate, it's best not to discuss marriage with her. Chen Jing is a young man, if he were to take a fancy to her looks and fall in love with her, really wanting to marry her, wouldn't that bring disaster upon the Chen family?

  Moreover, this matter is no secret and has long been spread out. So in the past two years, Shen Shiniang has had no one asking for her hand in marriage. The main wife wants to marry her off to Beijing and is already making preparations.

  Chen Jing had never thought of marrying into the Shen family, so naturally no one would come to him with such gossip. He hadn't heard anything about it, which was normal.

  Shen Changyu did not intentionally speak ill of Shen Shiniang; he merely mentioned something that everyone knew to Chen Jing.

  Chen Jing understood Shen Changyu's meaning, and the conversation could stop here. So, following Shen Changyu's words, he changed the subject: "In the past, I read a few books, but didn't understand them, only knew the surface..."

  Shen Changyu also studied physiognomy.

  Two men played chess while chatting about interesting stories of Maiyi's family, until it was time for lunch.

  After lunch, the two of them continued playing chess, whiling away the afternoon.

  It didn't stop until dusk.

  The evening sky is painted with colorful clouds, like silk falling to the horizon, luxurious and beautiful. The light fades, the insects chirp in the corner of the wall, and night falls.

  Another day passed, it was Shen Changyu's birthday.

  Chen Jinn knew he had prepared a painting boat poetry gathering and asked him if he wanted to go back.

  "It doesn't matter, my sixth brother will take care of it." Shen Changyu said.

  He doesn't plan on going back.

  On the third day, after lunch, Shen Thirteen's stomach ached as if it was being twisted.

  Sweat as big as beans dripped down from her forehead.

  My wife was frightened out of her wits and hastily invited Chen Jinn and Shen Changyu over.

  Shen Changyu was also anxious.

  Chen Jiong let out a sigh of relief and said to Shen Changyu: "It's nothing, this is normal, the effect of the medicine is just right..."

  He followed Shen Changyu into the inner house and re-examined Shen Thirteen's pulse.