Not getting married? What use is a woman if she doesn’t marry?
Master Zhou glared.
Their family had no place for useless people.
Madam Zhou smiled and handed him a wine cup.
“Someone like her, who could she possibly marry?” she said. “Motherless, bringing misfortune to the family, and having been foolish for years. Even though some miracle cure has recently healed her, she still looks different from ordinary people. What respectable family would want her?”
She emphasized the words “respectable family,” and Master Zhou caught her meaning.
A respectable family, of course, meant a family beneficial to the Zhou family.
Master Zhou took a sip of wine without responding.
“It’s better for her to stay at home,” Madam Zhou said with a smile. “With you and me here, she’ll have a comfortable life. Even when we’re gone, the children will look after her as their aunt. Isn’t that better than marrying into another family and suffering mistreatment? Besides, she still has her dowry. Wouldn’t she live more freely this way?”
Master Zhou suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely right,” he said. “You’ve thought this through so well—you truly live up to being the matriarch.”
“I’m merely stating the obvious,” Madam Zhou said with a smile.
“Come, come, my dear, you’ve worked hard. Allow me to pour you a drink,” Master Zhou said cheerfully, taking the wine jug and pouring for Madam Zhou.
Madam Zhou smiled and raised her cup. On this winter night, the old couple enjoyed a warm, harmonious moment together.
The sun was already high in the sky when Madam Zhou finished dressing and sat leisurely sipping tea.
“Mother, I refuse to share a carriage with her,” said a young lady, her tone tinged with displeasure. “Just looking at her makes me uncomfortable.”
“Then don’t go,” Madam Zhou replied.
“That won’t do. The lady of the Qiao family is an expert in tea art. It’s such a rare chance to meet her—I’m not giving it up,” the young lady protested, tugging at her mother’s sleeve. “Mother, let’s arrange for another carriage. Let her ride alone. It will make it seem like we value her even more.”
As they were speaking, the sound of footsteps came from outside. Madam Zhou shot her daughter a stern look, signaling her to sit properly, while she quickly put on a warm smile.
However, it was only a maid who entered.
“Madam, Lady Cheng… she said she won’t go,” the servant knelt down and saluted, her voice trembling.
The smile vanished from Madam Zhou’s face.
See? See? She knew it! She just knew it!
Once again, Madam Zhou found herself seated in her niece’s sitting room, pleading with her to accompany her on this outing.
The mere thought made Madam Zhou want to rise and storm off with a flick of her sleeve.
To be an aunt to this extent—surely, there was no one else like her in the world!
And yet, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and stay seated.
“Why aren’t you going? We already agreed on this—how can you go back on your word?” Madam Zhou said, staring at the young lady before her.
The young lady was slowly eating her meal.
A lady like this, with such erratic habits—what kind of decorum was this?
“When did I ever say I was going out?” Cheng Jiao-niang raised her head and asked.
“Didn’t you say you’d treat someone’s illness?” Madam Zhou said through gritted teeth, her smile stiffening. If not for decades of experience as a wife and mother, she might have struggled to keep her temper in check.
Cheng Jiao-niang’s lips curved slightly in a faint smile, but she lowered her head again and calmly took another bite.
“Madam, my mistress said she can treat illnesses, but she didn’t say she would go out,” the maid beside her spoke up.
“When the Madam is speaking with the young lady, why are you interrupting?” the maid behind Madam Zhou immediately scolded.
“Please, don’t be upset, Madam, and don’t be angry, ma’am,” the maid said with a polite smile. “It’s not that I’m ignorant of etiquette. My mistress has a hesitant tongue and cannot speak much, so as her maid, I have no choice but to speak on her behalf.”
Is that so?
Cheng Jiao-niang truly spoke very little. So, it turned out she couldn’t speak much.
No wonder—how could a simpleton suddenly recover and act entirely like a normal person? That would indeed seem supernatural.
The maid was momentarily at a loss for words, while Madam Zhou exhaled and steadied herself.
“If you don’t leave the house, how do you plan to treat anyone?” she asked gently.
“Madam may not know, but my mistress has two rules for treating illnesses,” the maid said with a smile.
Throughout the conversation, Cheng Jiao-niang kept her head down, eating her meal, leaving Madam Zhou no choice but to direct her attention to the maid.
“The first rule is that she doesn’t make house calls,” the maid said. “She only sees patients who come to her.”
What kind of rule is that!
“But the Chen family…” Madam Zhou couldn’t help but interject.
The maid gave a faint smile and cut her off.
“Of course, if it’s a family like the Chens, exceptions can naturally be made,” she said.
A family like the Chens?
Madam Zhou was stunned.
How was she supposed to respond to that? How could she respond?
Should she say, “Your family isn’t as prestigious as the Chens, so you don’t qualify to ask for this?”
Was the girl out of her mind, or did she simply not care about maintaining her place in the capital?
“Jiao Jiao, stop being so willful. Didn’t you set these rules yourself?” Madam Zhou took a deep breath and said.
Cheng Jiao-niang shook her head.
“Since the rules were made, they can’t be changed. How can one go back on their word?” she replied.
Madam Zhou was rendered speechless again.
“Besides, if the rules are broken, I won’t be able to treat the illness,” Cheng Jiao-niang added.
Breaking the rules means she won’t treat it? Was this a threat?
If things didn’t go her way, she simply wouldn’t help?
Madam Zhou looked at the young lady calmly eating her meal, bit her lip, and got up to leave.
After dinner, it was the Zhou children’s time to pay their respects to their parents. Zhou Liu-lang arrived a little late and, upon entering, found only one of his sisters sitting in the room.
The atmosphere in the room was rather heavy.
“You too—if she doesn’t want to go, then let her stick to her rules. What’s there to be so upset about?” Master Zhou said.
Only then did Zhou Liu-lang notice that Madam Zhou’s eyes were slightly red.
“Mother, what happened?” he asked hurriedly.
“It’s nothing,” Madam Zhou forced a smile to reassure her son.
“What else could it be? It’s all because of that fool from Jiang-zhou,” his sister spoke up, her tone laced with anger. “She talks big and makes grand promises, but when the time comes, she reneges, leaving Mother to play the villain. Today, Mother was humiliated so badly in public!”
“Qi-niang*, enough,” Madam Zhou said. “Go and get some rest.”
“I say, it’s because Father and Mother have spoiled her too much!” Zhou Qi-niang snapped as she stood to leave. Catching sight of Zhou Liu-lang, she flung her sleeves dramatically. “And you too!”
After Zhou Qi-niang left, Zhou Liu-lang remained seated, watching his mother sigh, her expression weary.
“She…” He started to speak, but Master Zhou also began to talk, so Zhou Liu-lang stopped.
“She didn’t do it intentionally to cause trouble,” Master Zhou said, stroking his beard. “Over the past few days, during social gatherings, I’ve vaguely heard that her ability to heal illnesses comes from a divine prescription left behind by an immortal.”
“Father,” Zhou Liu-lang couldn’t help but exclaim.
How could such absurd talk be believed! Using it to console Mother was far too insubstantial.
“Perhaps not an immortal, but maybe a wandering Taoist or some sort of recluse,” Master Zhou chuckled, his face carrying a hint of intoxication.
Unlike his wife, who had been subjected to sharp remarks from women during their outing, the men’s conversations focused on the long-term. They wouldn’t quibble over temporary slights, and Master Zhou had been enjoying himself socially these past few days. Firstly, he had established connections with someone as influential as Minister Chen, and secondly, his household housed someone rumored to perform near-miraculous healing.
“That stupid… Jiao-niang’s recovery is likely thanks to this remarkable person’s efforts. It’s just a pity that after so many years of being dim-witted, this part still isn’t quite right.” Master Zhou pointed to his head and laughed. “That’s why she can’t remember clearly or explain things properly herself.”
Madam Zhou and Zhou Liu-lang listened, stunned.
“Where did you hear all this?” Madam Zhou asked.
The person who was supposedly the main subject of these conversations lived right in their home—how could they know nothing about this?
“Where else?” Master Zhou said. “At Minister Chen’s residence.”
Because Chen Shao’s father’s health had improved and his position was now secure, the Chen family’s residence was bustling with visitors during this year’s New Year festivities.
The gatehouse was packed with people, as lively as a teahouse or tavern. Although the tea served there was of a slightly lower quality, and by Chen Shao’s usual practice, most of these people would not be granted an audience, this did not deter the throngs of visitors crowding in.
In truth, they weren’t necessarily hoping to meet Chen Shao. It was simply a custom in officialdom: showing up in person signified that their regards and intentions had been delivered.
Many of the officials in the gatehouse were acquaintances, exchanging friendly greetings. With little else to occupy them during the winter leisure, they sat down to drink tea and chat idly.
“… This lady from the Cheng family, the expert she met is said to be the divine healer Bian Que…”
“… Oh please, if she’s in the Taoist temple, then she must have met the immortal Li, who rides a cow…”
Amidst the noisy laughter, such conversations occasionally drifted through the air. It was unclear when or by whom it all started, but whenever people discussed Old Master Chen’s illness, the topic inevitably shifted to the lady from Jiang-zhou who had cured the patient.
As the conversation grew livelier, debates became more heated. Some even took it upon themselves to stop the gatekeepers and ask:
“Which immortal do you think the lady from Jiang-zhou encountered?”
The gatekeepers, who were serving tea and water, could only smile awkwardly.
“Stop spouting nonsense. There’s no such thing,” they replied, but they were entirely unable to stop the rumors from spreading.
In Old Master Chen’s hall, Chen Shao was somewhat at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
“Father, what are these rumors you’re spreading?” he asked.
Old Master Chen put down the scroll in his hand.
“Wasn’t it you who said it?” he asked, looking genuinely puzzled.
“Father!” Chen Shao said with a wry smile. “I mentioned a great expert, not an immortal!”
“Well, an expert who can cure insanity and even bring someone back from the dead, isn’t that almost like an immortal?” Old Master Chen chuckled.
Chen Shao could only helplessly sigh, knowing that his father was deliberately pretending to misunderstand.
“Father, if this gets out…” he said.
“It wasn’t me who spread it,” Old Master Chen quickly waved his hand. “I was just having a casual chat with the old servant, and somehow it got out. I’ve been recuperating at home, it wasn’t me who said it!”
Chen Shao couldn’t help but laugh.
If it weren’t for your suggestion, who would have dared to spread such a thing?
“Confucius said not to speak of strange powers or disruptive spirits, so I neither know, nor speak of, nor ask about such things,” Old Master Chen waved his hand, his tone somewhat solemn. “I only know that Lady Cheng is my life-saver.”
Disciples of Confucianism do not discuss such matters, but there are so many people in the world who are not Confucians, especially when it comes to these supernatural matters. It’s easy to imagine that, taking advantage of the New Year, Lady Cheng’s name would soon spread throughout the capital.
“Father, is this really good for Lady Cheng?” Chen Shao hesitated and asked.
“Lady Cheng encountering an immortal is far better than others encountering an immortal,” Old Master Chen smiled indifferently. “There are many in this world waiting to pick up good fortune, but why should this good fortune be so easily picked up?”
As Master Zhou had said, although the women who came to socialize spoke with a touch of sarcasm, they still did not stop visiting the Zhou family.
There were more carriages and horses in front of the Zhou family’s house, making what was once a spacious entrance feel narrow and chaotic.
However, no one was upset by this. The servants, with a mix of joy and a bit of pride, ran about directing the parking of the carriages. When the neighbors came to watch, they occasionally wiped the sweat from their brows, muttering complaints disguised as boasting, such as how exhausting the New Year’s preparations were.
Inside Zhou family’s guest room, it was equally crowded. The sound of laughter could be heard through the doors, and the conversation mainly revolved around Cheng Jiao-niang.
“…So she really was foolish as a child?”
“…Yes, yes. When I was younger, I was close with Ge-niang. After she got married and returned to the capital, she specifically visited me,” one lady sighed lightly.
The Zhou family members liked to name their children after weapons, and the women were no exception. Cheng Jiao-niang’s mother was named “Ge” (dagger), and in the family, she was ranked fifth. Some called her Wu-niang, while others called her Ge-niang.
“…Then she had this child, and after that, she stopped visiting me. I haven’t received any letters from her either,” the lady continued, her tone filled with some regret.
Translator’s Note:
*Qi-niang（七娘）：Qi（七）means “seven”, so this is the seventh daughter of the family.
