Jiao Niang’s Medical Record Chapter 359

The capital city in November was dry and cold, a northern wind blew past, as if sprinkling tiny particles of snow.

“Has it arrived? Has it arrived?”

Madam Qin, who was tending to the fireplace, eagerly asked the maid stepping through the door.

The maid smiled brightly but remained silent, pulling a letter from her sleeve and waving it.

Madam Qin reached out with a laugh.

Just as the madam and servant were chatting cheerfully, Qin An walked out of the room. His eyes swept over the letter in the maidservant’s hand, and he frowned slightly.

“Don’t always use official dispatches to deliver these unimportant things,” he said.

Madam Qin smiled, took the letter, and acknowledged with a yes.

However, it was clear that neither she nor Qin An took this agreement seriously.

“I was just saying it’s been so long, there ought to be some news by now…” Madam Qin continued to the maidservant.

Qin An shook his head and stepped out into the entrance hall, where he saw Qin Shi’san-lang approaching. Dressed in casual home attire, without a hat or cloak, the falling snow particles landed and bounced off his head and shoulders in the increasingly heavy flurry.

“Father, are you heading to the official bureau?” Qin Shi’san-lang asked with a bow.

Qin An nodded, his frown deepening.

“What is there to be in such a hurry about?” he said with displeasure.

Qin Shi’san-lang knew this was a reproach for going out without proper clothing. He smiled, bowed, and acknowledged with a “yes,” watching as Qin An departed under an attendant’s umbrella.

“Mother.”

Qin Shi’san-lang stepped inside and saw Madam Qin holding a letter, about to open it.

Noticing his entrance, she quickly tucked the letter away, straightened her posture, and beamed at him.

“Whose house were we going to today?” she said to the maid. “It’s getting late—let’s prepare and leave early. It wouldn’t do to keep others waiting.”

The maid smiled and acknowledged with a “yes.” Qin Shi’san-lang sat down, smiling silently.

“Shi’san, would you like to come with me? Staying shut indoors studying all day must be terribly dull,” Madam Qin added with a smile, turning to him.

“In that case, Mother, do hurry up and share something interesting,” Qin Shi’san-lang replied.

“I’m not good at telling amusing stories, so I won’t even try. There’s nothing particularly interesting to tell…” Madam Qin laughed, but before she could finish, Qin Shi’san-lang swiftly reached out and snatched the letter from in front of her.

Madam Qin laughed and tried to grab it back, but her son was too quick.

“You dare to read it?” she asked, half-smiling. “There’s no telling what kind of reply they might have sent.”

Qin Shi’san-lang chuckled.

“Since when have I ever been afraid of anything?” he said with a laugh, unfolding the letter. Especially when he already thought he knew how it would end.

“…Second Madam Cheng has already agreed, though it remains unclear what Lady Cheng herself thinks. It seems there hasn’t been an opportunity to ask her yet…”

Hm? So it wasn’t the ending he had expected after all?

Qin Shi’san-lang hurriedly continued reading.

Madam Qin took the tea offered by the maid and leaned against the armrest, watching her son with a gentle smile. Since he had recovered his health, perhaps due to his improved spirits, her already remarkable son had become even more exceptional. At seventeen, he seemed to have shot up yet another noticeable stretch in height.

Slowly swirling her tea bowl, she observed the shifting expressions on her son’s face.

First, his long brows lifted slightly; then, a smile touched the corners of his eyes. Soon after, his expression darkened as if faintly angered, but in the next moment, understanding seemed to dawn on him, and he smiled again. The smile grew broader as he read on, yet by the end, his expression carried a tinge of tenderness and sorrow. As he turned the page, he let out an almost imperceptible soft sigh.

In all the years her son had lived, this was the first time she had seen such a richly varied display of emotions on his face.

It turned out that smiling did not necessarily mean true happiness—true joy lay in experiencing laughter and tears, sorrow and pain, worry and regret, all intertwined.

“Mother.”

Qin Shi’san-lang’s call snapped Madam Qin out of her reverie.

She looked at him with a gentle smile.

“Mother, you must not speak of this matter to anyone,” Qin Shi’san-lang said, shaking the letter in his hand with a serious expression.

“Oh? Did she do something shameful?” Madam Qin asked in surprise, reaching out her hand.

Qin Shi’san-lang handed her the letter.

“Not shameful—what she did is reasonable and justified. She isn’t afraid of people knowing at all,” he said, letting out a sigh. “It’s just that most people in this world are foolish. Even though she did nothing wrong, her actions might still provoke dislike.”

Madam Qin smiled.

“Does she care whether others like it or not?” she replied with a light laugh.

“No one can truly not care,” Qin Shi’san-lang said. He looked at his mother, smiled faintly, and patted his chest. “Mother, I understand. It’s just that sometimes… we have no choice but to care.”

Madam Qin felt a sudden sting in her eyes—how could her child say such things…

She raised her hand to sip her tea and, with a flick of her wrist, sent the letter flying.

It landed squarely in the nearby brazier, where it slowly smoldered before bursting into flames and turning to ash.

“Mother, you haven’t even read it,” Qin Shi’san-lang said, somewhat surprised.

“There was nothing in it that concerned me,” Madam Qin replied. “I only wanted to ask about the marriage arrangement. Other matters have nothing to do with me—I won’t trouble myself with them.”

Qin Shi’san-lang smiled, bowed, and took his leave.

Watching Qin Shi’san-lang withdraw, Madam Qin’s smile faded as she let out a soft sigh.

“Madam, it seems the Young Master truly has feelings for Lady Cheng,” the maid remarked.

“She was the one who pulled him out of the depths of despair and showed him a new world. Who wouldn’t be moved by that?” Madam Qin replied. “Besides, that young lady is truly remarkable—unlike anyone I’ve ever seen, completely different from other girls. It’s not just a young man like him—even I would want to keep her close.”

Remarkable? The maid wondered inwardly. Someone so cold, reserved, and distant—what was so remarkable about that?

“But that young lady’s… principles…” she began cautiously.

“Principles are rigid, but people are adaptable. We must at least try,” Madam Qin said, draining her tea in one determined sip.

When Qin Shi’san-lang arrived at Yudai Bridge, the snow pellets had turned into large, swirling flakes, blanketing the ground, trees, and the bridge itself in a soft white layer.

Watching him rein in his horse, the attendant quickly did the same, circling a few times in confusion as the young master remained still.

“Young Master, Ban Qin should be at the shop around this time,” he couldn’t help but remind him.

No sooner had he spoken than the sound of wheels and hooves approached from behind, followed by a girl’s voice.

“Young Master, were you looking for me?”

Without dismounting, Qin Shi’san-lang glanced at the maid who had stepped down from the carriage.

“Back so early? Starting to slack off now that your mistress isn’t around?” he said with a light laugh.

The maid smiled and was about to reply when another figure hurriedly climbed down from the carriage.

Whether from nervousness or because she was small and her legs were short, the child stumbled and landed sitting on the ground.

Qin Shi’san-lang glanced over and saw a girl around ten years old, timidly bowing her head.

A newly purchased servant girl?

“Why did you get off?” the maid said, reaching out to help her up. “Didn’t I say the carriage would take you back?”

“N-no, it’s alright. You’re home now—I can go back by myself,” the girl murmured, keeping her head lowered.

“But it’s snowing,” the maid replied.

“It’s fine, really,” the girl said, bowing repeatedly without looking up.

The maid noticed Qin Shi’san-lang’s curiosity and shrugged helplessly with a smile.

“I went to the academy outside the city to visit the Fourth Young Master. This little girl is from our hometown—she also went to see him. When it started snowing, I offered her a ride back,” she explained.

Qin Shi’san-lang gave an understanding “oh.” Fourth Young Master Cheng… He glanced again at the little girl, who happened to be stealing a look at him. When their eyes met, she immediately flinched, dropped her head, and darted away like a startled rabbit.

Qin Shi’san-lang chuckled.

“Am I really that frightening?” he said with a laugh.

He watched the retreating figure of the little girl for a moment longer as her small form hurried down the street and disappeared into the distance.

“Whose family does that little girl belong to?” he couldn’t help but ask.

The maid glanced back and shook her head.

“Didn’t ask,” she replied. “The Fourth Young Master only mentioned that she was trafficked to the capital. Who knows where she’s serving as a maid now?”

Not wanting to dwell on such trivial matters, she turned her attention back to the Young Master.

“Young Master, is there something the matter with my lady?”

“Nothing urgent. It’s just that your lady tends to be rather free with her spending—I imagine you might need to send some money ahead of time,” Qin Shi’san-lang replied with a light laugh.

The maid let out a relieved sigh and smiled.

“The profit sharing was agreed to happen at year-end—how could we send anything now?” she said. “Don’t worry, my lady may lack many things, but money is certainly not one of them.”

Qin Shi’san-lang laughed heartily and turned his horse around.

As she watched him ride away, the maid entered the house. Only then did Chun Ling, who had been hiding around the street corner, step out. There was no trace of fear or panic on her face now. She wrinkled her nose slightly, turned, and began strolling leisurely down the street.

Meanwhile, northwest of Jiang-zhou, two carriages accompanied by ten guards were speeding along.

The northern wind whistled, whipping the carriage curtains. A woman lifted one and cautiously peered out.

“Brother, the weather doesn’t look good—perhaps we should find a place to rest soon?” she suggested tentatively.

The guard riding alongside shook his head.

“No need to worry. Miss has already made arrangements,” he replied.

The two women couldn’t help but glance toward the carriage ahead.

This young lady truly did have everything planned.

Just the other day, she had suddenly stepped out and asked a child about interesting places near Jiang-zhou. The child casually mentioned Deer Horn Mountain, and the very next day, the young lady had hired carriages and horses for the trip.

Since Ban Qin and the steward were both unavailable to accompany her, two women had been hastily selected from the Southern Cheng household—Cheng Ji—given brief instructions, and sent along on the journey.

The wind howled fiercely, carrying faint traces of snowflakes. The two women quickly withdrew into the carriage.

Inside, a charcoal fire glowed warmly, and thick cushions lined the seats. Though they had been admiring them throughout the journey, the women couldn’t resist running their hands over the luxurious fabric again.

“Such fine cloth used for cushions—what a pity. It would make such warm and beautiful winter jackets,” one murmured, clicking her tongue.

“What do you know? This is how the wealthy live. Have you forgotten what they said about Lady Cheng’s commode being inlaid with gold and silver?” the other replied. She picked up the teapot from the small table, poured a cup, and sipped slowly, savoring the moment with half-closed eyes.

“Stop drinking so much—you’ll just have to keep relieving yourself. How embarrassing,” the first woman laughed, swatting her playfully.

The two burst into laughter together.

“Ah, if only we could always have a position serving this young lady,” they sighed, lying back against the cushions and gazing up at the carriage roof.

In all their years, accompanying this young lady had been the most enjoyable experience of their lives.

The carriage came to a stop after a while. The two women quickly scrambled up and lifted the curtain to look outside. They had entered a small town. It was nearly evening, and with the wind and snow, the streets were quiet, with only the occasional hurried passerby.

Their carriage had stopped in front of an inn, where several attendants were eagerly coming out to welcome them.

It seemed they would be staying here. Although the young lady hardly required their close attendance, they still felt the need to maintain proper decorum. The two women hurriedly stepped down and positioned themselves respectfully beside Cheng Jiao-niang’s carriage.

“Miss, please alight,” they said.

A hand reached out from inside the carriage and lifted the curtain. The two women promptly bowed their heads and extended their hands, imitating the manner of the Cheng family maids they had seen before.

However, no one took their offered hands. The young lady stepped down on her own, her gold-woven cloak swaying gracefully as she passed before them and moved unhurriedly toward the inn.