Jiao Niang’s Medical Record Chapter 342

Cheng Jiao-niang did not sit there until the end of time as Steward Cao had anticipated. In fact, she rose to her feet after just the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

“It seems this young lady must have been swindled out of a great deal of money by Cheng Ping…”

“…Anyone fool enough to be cheated by Cheng Ping must be a real idiot, or at least not very bright…”

Watching the young lady leave surrounded by her entourage, the onlookers sighed in relief and couldn’t help but remark among themselves.

As they entered the courtyard gate, two or three maids came running and nearly bumped into Cheng Jiao-niang.

“What’s going on?” Ban Qin asked, watching as the women hastily bowed and hurried away. She glanced into the distance and saw maids all moving about in a flurry—the atmosphere in the household was clearly tense.

Cheng Jiao-niang didn’t even pause for a moment, as if she didn’t notice any of it.

Of course, none of their business had anything to do with Miss. Ban Qin smiled and quickened her steps to keep up.

“Miss, what would you like for dinner? The fish they delivered still looks fresh—how about a fish stew?”

Early the next morning, Madam Wang—who had barely managed to calm her nerves enough to sleep for half the night—was startled again by a visitor from the Cheng family.

“What happened to the Old Madam?” Madam Wang cried out, her face turning deathly pale again just as it had begun to regain some color.

“It’s nothing serious, nothing serious,” the maid quickly reassured her. “Madam sent me to inform you that she won’t be able to attend to the betrothal documents for the next few days…”

Before the servant could finish, Madam Wang frantically waved her hands and shushed her.

The maid froze in fear, immediately falling silent, unsure of what to do.

Madam Wang glanced around cautiously, and only after confirming that those who had overheard were trustworthy did she relax slightly.

“I understand,” she said, straightening up and forcing a strained smile at the maid. After a slight hesitation, she added, “Then… what exactly happened to your Old Madam? Is it serious?”

At the question, the maid’s expression turned slightly awkward.

“It’s nothing serious—she accidentally choked on a jujube,” she replied.

Choked on a jujube?

Though Old Madam Cheng was advanced in years, she had always been in good health. How could she choke on something as simple as a jujube? Could it be that her health was failing?

“How could she choke?” Madam Wang asked in surprise.

The maid looked even more uncomfortable, barely lifting her head.

“It was… it was just an accident,” she muttered.

She certainly couldn’t say it was because the Old Madam had been enraged upon hearing that the First and Second Madams had gotten into a physical fight…

For the two madams to brawl right in front of their husbands—such a disgraceful incident had never happened in the Cheng family for generations. Yesterday, the First Master had already issued multiple orders forbidding anyone from speaking of it. If even a whisper of this got out, all the maidservants who knew would immediately be sold off or beaten and driven out.

Seeing the maid’s evasive manner, MadamWang frowned. Such hesitance clearly meant there was something she couldn’t disclose.

Could it be that Old Madam Cheng was seriously ill? Perhaps she didn’t have long to live?

If Old Madam Cheng passed away and the family had to hold a funeral, then the Chengs wouldn’t be able to marry off or take in a bride for an entire year!

Perfect!

The thought flashed through Madam Wang’s mind, and she blurted it out without thinking.

Perfect?

This time, the Cheng family maid raised her head, staring at Madam Wang in shock.

“Oh, how unexpected! She was perfectly fine just the other day,” Madam Wang hastily covered up her slip, her expression awkward. “I should go pay her a visit.”

“No need, no need,” the maid quickly replied. “Our madam said that after a couple of days, everything will be fine. She asked me to remind you to prepare the betrothal gifts so that everything can be settled within three to five days.”

Madam Wang froze for a moment before sitting back down.

“Is your Old Madam really alright? Perhaps… the wedding should be postponed?” she suggested.

“No,” the maid shook her head firmly. “Before I left, my madam specifically instructed me to reassure you—our Old Madam is fine, and everything will proceed as planned.”

Madam Wang let out a faint “Oh,” her face betraying a hint of disappointment.

If only the Old Madam Cheng were truly on her deathbed…

That way, the betrothal would be secured, yet there’d be no rush for the wedding. After a year or so of delay, Shi’qi would forget all about it and happily move on to another bride.

“Mother! Mother!”

A young man’s voice rang out from the courtyard.

Madam Wang suddenly snapped back to reality. Glancing at the Cheng family maid before her, she seemed to remember something and frantically waved her hands.

“Quick, quick—you must hide!” she urged.

The Cheng family maid stared blankly. Hide?

This had never happened before…

Did she mean for her to step outside?

But before she could react, it was too late. Dressed in an embroidered robe with a jade belt, the bright-eyed and spirited Wang Shi’qi-lang strode in.

“Not a single word,” Madam Wang barely had time to hiss a warning at the Cheng family maid before plastering on a smile for Wang Shi’qi-lang. “Shi’qi, that outfit looks splendid on you.”

Wang Shi’qi-lang tossed his head with a grin and waved a hand.

“Wrong, Mother,” he declared. “It’s your son who looks splendid.”

Madam Wang laughed heartily, beckoning him to sit while asking whether he’d eaten and how much.

Just as the young man opened his mouth to reply, his eyes landed on the Cheng family maid in the hall.

“You—you’re from Aunt’s household?” His face instantly paled as he sprang to his feet. “What are you doing here? Did that lady send you? What does she want now?”

Everyone in the room was startled. Madam Wang quickly reached out to grab Wang Shi’qi-lang’s arm.

“No, no! She was sent by your aunt to check on you,” she said repeatedly, shooting meaningful glances at the maidservant. “Your aunt heard you were frightened and was worried. This has nothing to do with that lady, nothing at all!”

Though confused, the maid immediately followed Madam Wang’s cue, bowing deeply in deference.

“Yes, yes, Seventeenth Young Master. Madam was very concerned, so she sent me to see how you were doing,” she said.

“Alright, alright. Now that you’ve seen him, hurry back and report to your madam,” Madam Wang said, waving her off.

Not daring to linger, the maid kowtowed, murmured her assent, and hastily retreated.

“…Don’t let anyone from the Cheng family set foot here again! No exceptions—no one!”

Even as she stepped into the courtyard, the maid could still hear Wang Shi’qi-lang’s furious shouts behind her.

What in the world was going on?

Utterly bewildered, she glanced back at the chaotic scene in Madam Wang’s hall.

Wang Shi’qi-lang had always been close to First Madam Cheng, who had doted on him in return. Yet now he was saying such things—if First Madam Cheng heard, her heart would surely break.

The maid shook her head, sighed, and walked away, her spirits thoroughly dampened.

Madam Wang had no time to dwell on the Cheng family maid’s melancholy. After finally coaxing Wang Shi’qi-lang to sit down, she watched as her once high-spirited son slumped back into anxious, listless misery—her heart aching unbearably.

“Shi’qi, Shi’qi—why don’t you go out for a while?” she suggested. “Take your mind off things.”

This was actually an excellent idea!

The moment the words left her mouth, both mother and son brightened visibly.

Yes, let him go relax somewhere, Madam Wang thought. That’ll give me a month to prepare for the wedding without him noticing.

Yes, I should get away, Wang Shi’qi-lang nodded inwardly. That way, that lady won’t be able to hunt me down and pester me.

Thus, the two reached a rare moment of perfect agreement. Before noon, Wang Shi’qi-lang had cheerfully set off by carriage with his favorite maids in tow.

Watching her son depart, Madam Wang exhaled in relief and eagerly turned her attention to the wedding preparations, bustling about with renewed energy.

The Cheng family maid didn’t return home from the Wang residence until well past noon. The courtyard of First Madam Cheng’s quarters was unusually quiet.

“Everyone’s at the Old Madam’s place,” the gatekeeper whispered, gesturing in that direction.

Without pausing to rest, the maid hurried toward Old Madam Cheng’s courtyard—only to find it just as hushed, though packed with maids standing in tense silence.

“They’re all kneeling inside,” a servant at the entrance murmured, pulling her aside and signaling for her to wait before entering.

Nodding, the maid halted in the courtyard, catching faint murmurs of conversation drifting from the room.

“Fighting? Why didn’t you just stab each other with knives?”

Reclining on the daybed, Old Madam Cheng leaned against an armrest, her sharp gaze fixed on the two couples kneeling before her.

“Wouldn’t that be quicker? What’s the point of throwing a few punches?”

Below, the two couples kowtowed repeatedly, their voices choked with remorse as they begged for forgiveness.

“If you want to die, go do it somewhere else. Don’t come near me—I plan to live a few more years and have no intention of being angered to death by you.”

Old Madam Cheng let out a cold laugh

First Master Cheng shuffled forward on his knees and kowtowed.

“Mother, Mother, please don’t be angry. We were wrong—your health comes first,” he choked out, voice thick with emotion. “Please, lie down and rest.”

Second Master Cheng likewise kowtowed, his words equally strained with remorse.

“You two brothers—from start to finish, you’ve been played like fools by a single move from the Zhou family! The moment they dangled this betrothal bait, you turned into rabid, starving dogs tearing at each other’s throats! Generations of our Cheng family’s dignity have been trampled by your disgrace!”

Old Madam Cheng slammed her hand against the armrest, her fury palpable.

For their own mother to liken them to dogs—it was clear her rage knew no bounds.

The two Cheng masters could only kowtow in acknowledgment, while First Madam Cheng and Second Madam Cheng knelt with their faces hidden, sobbing quietly into their sleeves.

“Betrothal? What betrothal for that half-wit girl!” Old Madam Cheng snapped. “Her mother’s dowry stays right here in our Cheng household—who dares say otherwise? Let the Zhou family try and take it! The fact that we’re even keeping that simpleton fed is more than enough kindness! If we don’t let her marry, who would criticize us? Marrying her off is what would raise eyebrows! Have you all lost your minds too? To even consider such a rotten idea of wedding her! Our family’s affairs are ours to decide—who has the right to interfere?”

First Master Cheng and Second Master Cheng hastily murmured their agreement.

“But, Mother, Jiao-niang isn’t a fool anymore…” Second Master Cheng ventured cautiously, lifting his head.

Before he could finish, First Master Cheng cut him off with a fierce glare.

“Mother, Mother, please calm your anger. We know we were wrong—we’ll handle it exactly as you say,” he said urgently.

“Drive her out—now, immediately, at once!” Old Madam Cheng roared, her bony finger jabbing toward the door. “I told you long ago—she’s a jinx, a curse upon our Cheng family! She killed your father, she killed her own mother, and now she’s coming for me! Once I’m gone, none of you will escape either—not a single one!”

Her words, spat out with venomous fury on that bleak winter day, sent an involuntary chill down the spines of everyone in the room.

“Yes, yes, I will see to it at once,” First Master Cheng kowtowed in response.

Only after personally attending to Old Madam Cheng—ensuring she took her medicine and lay down—did the group finally withdraw.

Once outside the courtyard, First Madam Cheng and Second Madam Cheng immediately went their separate ways, neither so much as glancing at the other.

“Then we’ll proceed as Mother instructed,” First Master Cheng said stiffly, his gaze fixed on Second Master Cheng.

Second Master Cheng’s expression was equally somber.

“Yes, I’ll follow Mother’s wishes,” he replied.

Follow Mother’s wishes—not listen to you, as he would have said in the past.

A cold sneer flickered in First Master Cheng’s heart as he studied his younger brother.

Second Master Cheng averted his eyes, offered a perfunctory bow, and walked away with Second Madam Cheng trailing behind. First Master Cheng watched their retreating figures grow smaller and smaller until they vanished around a corner.

The sneer faded, replaced by a pang of melancholy. He was older than Second Master Cheng; the two of them were the only sons born of the same mother. Since childhood, First Master Cheng had been a poor student, so he took over the family business, devoting himself entirely to supporting his younger brother’s studies. And in return, Second Master Cheng had always revered and trusted him as one would a father.

“Brother, I’ll follow your lead.”

“Brother, your word is my command.”

That younger brother who once trailed behind him—respectful, cautious, and unquestioningly obedient—had now changed.

He stood tall, his gaze now laced with skepticism, and no longer uttered those words of deference.

Was this an unavoidable transformation of growing up?

No. Absolutely not.

Had there been no external influence, the two brothers would never have ended up like this. Just two years ago, they had still been peaceful and harmonious—brothers who cherished each other, wives who got along.

All of this began when that fool returned!

First Master Cheng clenched his fists.

“Summon the servants. Send her to the Daoist temple today,” he ordered.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Since the latch wasn’t secured during the day, someone pushed it open without hesitation.

Ban Qin, who had been sitting under the eaves ironing clothes, looked up to see four or five maidservants entering.

The two sides exchanged glances, and the maidservants halted in their steps.

“You’ve come just in time,” Ban Qin spoke first. “I was about to go find someone. This place isn’t suitable—we need to pick a new residence for my mistress.”

The lead maid let out a derisive laugh.

“Ah, what a coincidence indeed. We’re here precisely on the master’s orders to move your mistress to a new residence,” she said.

Ban Qin frowned at her mocking smile and set down the iron.

“Where to?” she asked.

“The same old place—Xuan-miao Temple,” the maidservant replied with a smirk.

Xuan–miao Temple?

“You’re driving my mistress out?” Ban Qin exclaimed in shock.

“‘Driving out’ is such an ugly way to put it,” the maid chuckled. “We’re escorting her.”

Ban Qin stood up.

“Alright, pack your things. We’ll be leaving now,” the maid said, waving her hand as the other women surged forward.

“You—!” Ban Qin cried out, stepping in front of the door to block their way—only to be gently pushed aside from behind.

“Are you driving me away?”

Cheng Jiao-niang’s voice sounded softly by her ear.

Ban Qin quickly moved aside, watching as her mistress stepped forward. Cheng Jiao-niang wore her archer’s armguard, a bow in hand, a faint sheen of sweat on the bridge of her nose.

Though there was no proper archery range here, Cheng Jiao-niang had kept to her routine—practicing indoors with a drawn but unloaded bow.

But the bow in her hand now was not unstrung.

The maids outside the door froze, staring in shock at the young lady’s strange posture.

“Not driving out—we’re inviting you to leave for a while,” the lead maid said with a forced smile. “It’s the same old place you’ve stayed before. You’ll be quite familiar with it.”

As she spoke, she took a step forward—only for the young lady to suddenly raise her bow and draw the string.

Thwip!

A sharp gust of wind blasted against the woman’s face. Something heavy seemed to slam into her head, throwing her backward with such force that her hairpins scattered, her coiled hair tumbling loose.

What had just happened?

The maids stood stunned—until the lead woman let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

“Murder!!”

The courtyard erupted into chaos. Screams, wails, and a stampede of bodies surged in all directions. In the panic, the door was nearly torn off its hinges, one half collapsing with a crash while the other wobbled precariously—an arrow embedded in its frame, trembling from the impact.

“That’s not called murder,” Cheng Jiao-niang remarked coolly, lowering her bow. “That’s called archery.”