Jiao Niang’s Medical Record Chapter 290

“You knew all along and didn’t tell me?”

Madam Qin tapped her son lightly but indignantly with her fan.

“It’s such a wonderful festival—how could I spoil your mood, Mother?” Qin Shi’san-lang replied softly.

Madam Qin scoffed.

“To think you held it in for days, just waiting to see me disappointed now!” she chuckled under her breath.

Qin Shi’san-lang smiled faintly.

“Don’t wrong me, Mother,” he said with a laugh.

By then, they had already stepped out of the Zhou family’s tent and were walking along the street. Countless lanterns and illuminated displays bathed the road in a fiery glow.

Dressed in a deep blue robe with a jade belt and his hair secured by a golden crown, Qin Shi’san-lang stood out even more brilliantly under the dazzling lights. His radiant smile only enhanced his striking presence, drawing many admiring glances from those around them.

“I can’t be bothered with you,” Madam Qin said. “Go on, off you go—amuse yourself.”

With that, she hurried ahead to catch up with Madam Chen and left on her own.

Qin Shi’san-lang watched his mother walk away before finally turning to leave the Imperial Avenue. The smile on his face slowly faded, and he paused at the street corner.

Further down the road, though not as grand as the Imperial Avenue, the scene was livelier, unconstrained by formality.

It was a perfect night for shared beauty and leisurely strolls.

Was she also admiring the view now?

From above, one could see the capital’s splendor like a river of stars—yet being immersed in its brilliance offered a different kind of wonder.

Fireworks bloomed intermittently in the night sky.

Ban Qin and Jin Ge’er let out startled cries like everyone else in the crowd whenever the fireworks burst—though theirs were cries of delight rather than fear.

“Don’t wander off! Watch your step, watch the people around you!” the maid repeated, grabbing Jin Ge’er by the collar as he tried to dash forward. “Every year at this time, child-snatchers come prowling. Don’t go getting yourself lost again!”

“I’ve never been lost before!” Jin Ge’er protested. “I just took a wrong turn that one time!”

The group burst into laughter.

“Hey, hurry up!”

A young nobleman walking ahead turned back and shouted, impatience lacing his voice.

“Hurry for what?” the maid snapped, glaring. “Are we here to enjoy the sights or just rush through them?”

This maid’s got quite the temper!

Wang Shi’qi-lang’s attendants exchanged startled glances, unable to resist stealing another look at her.

“What’s so great about this?” Wang Shi’qi-lang said.

“Then why did you invite my mistress to come see it?” the maid shot back without hesitation.

This damned maid!

Wang Shi’qi-lang glared—I’ll deal with you later!

He stopped and waited as Cheng Jiao-niang, surrounded by her maids, approached.

“There’s something even better up ahead—lantern floats parading along the riverbank. Let’s hurry over,” he said.

Cheng Jiao-niang nodded softly in agreement.

The crowd surged like a tidal wave, and the four or five Wang family attendants struggled to clear a path for them.

Along the way, lantern displays and colorful pavilions lined the streets, glittering with gold and jewels, dazzlingly radiant. Unconsciously, the group slowed their pace again, gathering around the lanterns to admire them.

Wang Shi’qi-lang only realized they had fallen behind when his attendants called out to him, and his anger flared instantly.

“Did you not understand me?” he stormed back, shouting as he grabbed Cheng Jiao-niang’s arm. “Move faster!”

Cheng Jiao-niang, who had been gazing up at the fireworks staining the night sky red, stumbled from the sudden pull.

The maid let out a furious shriek.

“What are you doing?!” she yelled, slapping at Wang Shi’qi-lang’s arm.

“How dare you?!” one of Wang’s attendants snapped, shoving her away with a mix of disdain and irritation. “You lowly servant, how dare you lay hands on our young master?”

Ban Qin and Jin Ge’er rushed forward as well, but against five or six burly men, they seemed pitifully small and helpless.

The commotion drew curious glances from the bustling crowd around them.

“Alright, I’ll walk faster,” Cheng Jiao-niang said calmly.

Only then did Wang Shi’qi-lang release her arm with a huff of irritation.

“It’s your privilege that I specially brought you out to enjoy the festivities—otherwise, where else would you get to see such excitement?” he declared.

Cheng Jiao-niang smiled faintly.

“Indeed,” she replied. “Had it not been for you, I wouldn’t have come out at all.”

“Good that you know. Be obedient and don’t spoil my mood,” Wang Shi’qi-lang snorted. Then, as if suddenly remembering, he eyed her critically. “And stop talking. You were perfectly fine until you opened your mouth—now you’re ruining it.”

Cheng Jiao-niang lowered her head slightly in acknowledgment.

True to his words, she fell silent.

Wang Shi’qi-lang nodded, satisfied at last.

“Later, if you see anything you like, I’ll buy it for you,” he said, waving a hand dismissively at her plain robes and bare ears—devoid of even the simplest earrings. With that, he strode ahead.

Cheng Jiao-niang smiled again, just as quietly, and followed.

“Move it!” barked one of the Wang family servants, eyeing the three attendants before them with undisguised contempt.

Countless women would kill to marry into the Wang family—let alone this dim-witted mistress of yours.

Even you lowly servants are just chickens and dogs riding her coattails to glory.

“You—!”

Jin Ge’er and Ban Qin glared at them, faces burning with fury.

“Let it go,” the maid said coolly, her gaze fixed on the servants. “They’re digging their own graves.”

With that, she motioned for the others to follow their mistress.

“Who’s digging graves now?” one servant sneered, shaking his head. “With their kind, they wouldn’t last two days in our household before being beaten and thrown out.”

“Enough chatter,” another cut in, uninterested. “Let’s just keep the young master happy so we can head back sooner.”

The group pressed westward through the surging crowd.

Fireworks blooming high above, towering lantern displays along the streets, and floating river lanterns created a magnificent spectacle spanning heaven and earth.

The prime viewing spots were along the riverbank—the most coveted locations. The area had long been occupied by tents of the noble and wealthy, while the riverside taverns and teahouses enjoyed particularly advantageous positions.

Among them, the most renowned was naturally Desheng Pavilion.

“Well? Aren’t the lanterns here splendid?”

Standing amidst the crowd, Wang Shi’qi-lang spoke with evident pride, pointing at the elaborate lantern display before Desheng Pavilion.

The lantern mountain was exquisitely crafted, adorned with rotating shadow lanterns, colored glass lamps, and more—clearly a lavish expenditure of time and money.

Cheng Jiao-niang nodded, studying the lanterns intently.

Finally having reached the place he had longed to visit, Wang Shi’qi-lang was thoroughly satisfied and eagerly pointed out details to Cheng Jiao-niang.

“And that’s not all—the inside is even more impressive,” he said. “Over there by the river, you can take in the splendid view of the floating lanterns.”

His tone brimmed with self-satisfaction.

“I’ve already reserved a room. Getting a riverside room at Desheng Pavilion at this time is no easy feat.”

Cheng Jiao-niang nodded again.

Wang Shi’qi-lang then led her inside. But no sooner had they ascended a few steps up the staircase than a sudden commotion erupted.

“The Queen of Flowers, Lady Zhu, is coming out!”

“The Queen of Flowers, Lady Zhu, is coming out!”

Everyone climbing the stairs stopped to look toward the bustling crowd.

“What’s a Queen of Flowers?” Jin Ge’er couldn’t help asking.

“A courtesan from the Imperial Music Bureau,” the maid explained. “These taverns often keep them to entertain guests with wine and song. The ‘Queen of Flowers’ is the finest among them.”

She paused mid-sentence.

“Lady Zhu… Why does that sound familiar…?”

Muttering to herself, she too turned to gaze at the commotion.

On the covered bridge opposite, a procession of women approached, led by one at the forefront. Clad in vermilion ceremonial robes, her hair adorned with a jeweled crown, the lavish sweep of her skirt swayed along the corridor like the graceful flick of a koi’s tail. Under the interplay of lantern lights—both from above and below—she seemed almost celestial.

“So beautiful…”

Ban Qin murmured, transfixed.

Jin Ge’er had long since been struck dumb.

For a fleeting moment, even the clamorous, bustling crowd within Desheng Pavilion fell silent.

Indeed, only the appearance of the Queen of Flowers could command such reverence—and only by following in her wake could one bask in this borrowed glory.

Holding her pipa, Chun Ling moved forward in measured steps, pausing intermittently as she trailed behind. Though the admiring gazes and sighs were not meant for her, what did it matter? Merely partaking in this moment was enough.

Her eyes searched ahead, where the dazzling lantern light of the tower made others squint—yet she refused to blink, intently scanning the crowd below for something, or someone.

As her gaze swept past the surging onlookers toward the opposite side, Chun Ling’s footsteps faltered abruptly. For a heartbeat, even her breath stilled.

The staircase opposite was also packed with people—men and women, old and young—but her eyes instantly found the one she sought.

A young nobleman stood there, his face alight with eager excitement as he stared in her direction. Of course, his gaze wasn’t fixed on her—and truth be told, she wasn’t looking for him either.

Chun Ling’s eyes slid past Wang Shi’qi-lang to the figure behind him, one that stood out like a crane among chickens.

It was a slender, delicate-looking young girl. Her dark blue-green plain robes stood out starkly amid the glittering lanterns and opulent surroundings.

She stood poised on the stairs, her body slightly turned as she looked over. Having entered the building, she had drawn back the sides of her veil, revealing her face.

That face—yes, it was still the same face.

“Miss… Miss… If we’ve done wrong, punish us however you wish—just don’t cast us out, don’t drive us away…”

“I am a very petty person…”

Beneath the tree’s shadow, the girl gazed down at them—at their ceaseless kowtowing, at their prostrated forms like ants—and with a mere flick of her hand, crushed them…

“Sister… Sister, I don’t want to die…”

“Miao Ling, Miao Ling, don’t be afraid—I’ll fetch a doctor!”

“Sister… I’m dying… but you… you mustn’t be afraid when you’re alone…”

In that dilapidated mountain shrine, the frail little body lying on the ground was finally taken by the rain.

“Sister… when you’re alone, don’t be afraid… I will go first… to find Father and Mother…”

In this world, the sisters Miao Chun and Miao Ling ceased to exist. Only Chun Ling remained.

Only she was left.

“Chun Ling.”

A soft voice called by her ear.

Amid the rising clamor, Chun Ling snapped back to reality.

“Don’t be nervous. Just follow Lady Zhu’s lead,” whispered the young maid behind her.

“Last year, the scene was even livelier than this. You’ll get used to it in time.”

Chun Ling pressed her lips together in a faint smile and gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment, not daring to say more as she slowly stepped forward.

Ahead, Lady Zhu had already begun descending the stairs, her long train held aloft by attendants like a five-colored auspicious cloud drifting down each step.

“Lady Zhu is heading to the painted pleasure boat!”

Those familiar with the festivities shouted and began surging outward, eager to secure the best viewing spots.

Chun Ling’s gaze never wavered from the staircase. She saw clearly how Wang Shi’qi-lang—standing beside that lady—cheered excitedly and rushed forward with the crowd, then was swept along in the outward flow.

It wasn’t just Wang Shi’qi-lang. Most people on the staircase had scurried away, leaving their master-servant pair standing conspicuously alone on the stairs.

Who could describe the taste of watching one’s betrothed abandon them for another woman’s spectacle—especially during the Mid-Autumn celebrations?

And this was only the beginning.

As Chun Ling followed Lady Zhu’s procession outside, she lowered the pipa that had been shielding her face. Her smile blossomed brighter than the lanterns overhead.