Jiao Niang’s Medical Record Chapter 368

Once again, the carriage on the main road came to a stop. Two women and Ban Qin, each holding a stack of books, made their way from the rear carriage toward this one.

“Miss, are these enough?” they asked.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and Cheng Jiao-niang nodded, watching as they placed the books inside.

The already cramped carriage was already filled with quite a few books, and with these new additions, it became even more crowded.

“Miss, remember to rest after reading for a while. Be careful not to strain your eyes,” Ban Qin reminded her.

Cheng Jiao-niang nodded, unrolling a book in her hands.

The carriage continued to move forward slowly.

Since her family had served in the Imperial Observatory for generations, reading historical texts had been a routine part of her life since childhood. Yet, as she reflected now, she realized that very few of the events recorded in the books she had casually flipped through remained in her memory.

Was it because history only documented major events, and over the course of a century, many people and affairs were as insignificant as silt in the long river of time? Now that she found herself in this era, hearing and witnessing the lives of these so-called renowned figures, she understood that few of them were truly remarkable enough to be remembered by history.

For instance, among the famous high-ranking ministers, there was no one named Chen Shao. There were some records about Zhang Chun, but they only highlighted his role as a great Confucian scholar who taught, preached, and resolved doubts—there was no mention of his involvement in court affairs. As for the Qin or Zhou families, she had no recollection of them at all.

The next emperor would be the eldest son of Emperor Zhongzong.

Cheng Jiao-niang set down the book and began counting on her fingers. He would ascend the throne five years later and reign for forty-five years. It was during this period that her ancestor, Cheng Ping, began to rise to prominence. However, the Cheng family did not officially enter officialdom at this time. In fact, her ancestor lived a simple and reclusive life in the mountains and countryside of Jiang-zhou, devoting his years to writing and compiling texts until the end of his days.

Like other prominent families, the Cheng clan laid its foundation in the first generation, strengthened it in the second, and only by the third generation did it flourish and expand.

The legacy left by their ancestor, Cheng Ping, to his descendants was his annotated interpretation of Laozi, his profound mastery of physiognomy, and his gradually growing reputation.

But what of Cheng Jiao-niang’s branch of the North Cheng family?

Though they now seemed highly influential in Jiang-zhou, a century later, it was as if they had never existed at all.

Every word and sentence in historical records carries the weight of a thousand gold; every line and page measures the passage of years. Yet, the trivialities of daily life are rarely deemed worthy of documentation. If it were otherwise, the ambition to leave one’s name in history would not be such a cherished pursuit for so many.

Even if she managed to find traces in history that matched her memories—what then?

Cheng Jiao-niang set down the book in her hands and closed her eyes.

What did the people and events of this era have to do with her?

Three hundred years separated her from her own time. What did it matter if she was alive now? Her loved ones had still suffered tragic deaths, and she remained powerless—unable to prevent their fate or avenge their loss.

The Great Liang Dynasty, the Yang Clan…

The Yang Clan!

Cheng Jiao-niang suddenly opened her eyes and reached out to pull aside the carriage curtain.

“Stop the carriage,” she said.

The attendants by the carriage immediately called for a halt, and one quickly rode over to inquire for instructions.

“I want to go to Liang-zhou,” Cheng Jiao-niang stated.

“Liang-zhou?”

Steward Cao, adjusting his hat, hurried over. Hearing her words, he looked puzzled.

“Right now?”

Cheng Jiao-niang nodded.

“I wish to take a walk there,” she said.

Taking a walk again!

Having already heard the attendants describe what “taking a walk” entailed, Steward Cao was startled.

Walking along the city walls was one thing, but walking all the way to Liang-zhou? That would be absolutely exhausting. Why would she suddenly think of Liang-zhou? If she truly missed an old acquaintance, as Cheng Ping had mentioned, she ought to go to Bing-zhou instead.

“Miss, Liang-zhou is too far…” he said after a moment’s thought. “Besides, it’s winter now. If you really wish to go, we should return home and make thorough preparations—ensuring we have enough food, clothing, and supplies. Wouldn’t that be better?”

Cheng Jiao-niang smiled and nodded.

“Yes, you’re right. That’s how it should be,” she replied. “Let’s continue on our way. We’ll head home first and make plans from there.”

Thank goodness she hadn’t become too unreasonable—she was still logical and measured. Steward Cao breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she remained rational and sensible, a little emotional unpredictability was nothing unusual for a young lady.

“Let’s go, let’s go! We must make it home before dark!” Steward Cao turned around, waved his hand, and called out to everyone.

…

At the Cheng residence, First Master Cheng had improved significantly and was now able to move around on his own. However, while his health had recovered, his mood remained far from lifted.

Government officials visited day after day, summoning some, interrogating others, inspecting here and investigating there—causing chaos and unrest both inside and outside the household. With two of their shops forcibly closed, rumors about the Cheng family spread wildly throughout the city, leading to a sharp decline in business across their other enterprises. Although it hadn’t yet reached the point of outright extortion, a considerable amount of money had already been spent on various “gratuities” and “tea fees,” and the situation showed no signs of improving.

“Where is Second Master?” he asked after pacing back and forth a few more steps.

He had already sent someone to summon Second Master Cheng earlier to discuss the matter of the dowry. A full cup of tea’s worth of time had passed—even if he were crawling, he should have arrived by now.

“Second Master has returned to his post…” the servant replied, keeping his head lowered.

First Master Cheng was both shocked and furious.

“Who allowed him to go back? When did he leave?” he shouted.

“Master, please don’t agitate yourself,” First Madam Cheng urged, hurrying out from the inner room to calm him.

First Master Cheng took several rapid, shallow breaths before allowing First Madam Cheng to help him sit down.

“How can I not be agitated?” he gritted his teeth. “Truly, like father, like daughter—both equally heartless and ungrateful.”

“They must have conspired again. As soon as his wife returned, Er-lang changed completely. At first, he came to attend to us three times a day, but now he’s turned his back and left without even a word of notice,” First Madam Cheng said, unable to conceal her anger. “I’ll have someone drive that troublemaking woman out immediately and send her back to the Peng family. Let them see for themselves what a fine daughter they’ve raised!”

First Master Cheng reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Enough!” he said. “That woman would be only too happy if you drove her out. If this gets out, the Cheng family’s reputation will be completely ruined.”

“And isn’t it already ruined now?” First Madam Cheng retorted angrily.

“At least if we keep it behind closed doors, it remains a private family matter,” First Master Cheng replied, breathing heavily.

“Can we still keep it behind closed doors now?” First Madam Cheng said.

First Master Cheng clenched the teacup in his hand.

“Yes, we can. Isn’t it just about the dowry she wants?” he said through gritted teeth. “Give it to her!”

“Give it to her?” First Madam Cheng’s voice rose sharply.

“What does that make us? Losing face and suffering inwardly?” she said, her hands trembling with a mix of heartache and anger.

Those properties might have been part of the Zhou family’s dowry, but over the years, they had become the fruits of her own hard work and management. How could she simply hand them over as someone else’s dowry?

“You’re not thinking clearly,” First Master Cheng said with a sigh. “Originally, they were her dowry to begin with.”

First Madam Cheng bit her lower lip, her face pale with fury.

“Let’s focus on closing our doors first. Otherwise, with our family exposed like this, outsiders will tear us apart,” First Master Cheng said, then turned to ask the servants outside, “Has that girl returned yet?”

“Not yet,” a maid answered from outside the door. “However, Master, that maid and the Zhou family’s steward left in a hurry last night and still haven’t returned. Could they have gone to fetch the young mistress?”

“Last night? In a hurry?” First Master Cheng frowned, straightening up.

“Yes,” the maid nodded. “It seemed like someone came back to deliver a message, and they left urgently. I wonder if something happened to the young mistress…”

First Madam Cheng let out a cold laugh.

“A young lady who constantly runs around recklessly—it’d be a miracle if nothing happened to her,” she said.

If something really did happen to her, it would be nothing less than deserved—a fitting punishment from heaven!

“Most likely, she’s about to return. Keep an eye out, and inform me as soon as she arrives,” First Master Cheng instructed.

The maid acknowledged the order.

The night passed without incident. At daybreak, after First Master Cheng had taken his medicine, the maidservant hurried in to report that the young mistress had returned.

“She entered the estate around midnight last night,” she said. “Just now, Second Madam Cheng has already gone to see her.”

First Madam Cheng let out a cold, mocking laugh.

First Master Cheng hesitated for a moment before slowly sitting up.

“Master, we must not go to her,” First Madam Cheng said.

After a moment of contemplation, First Master Cheng called for the steward.

“Go see her on my behalf,” he instructed. “Tell her that the dowry can be given to her.”

The steward acknowledged the order and left.

First Madam Cheng could not conceal the distress on her face.

“Don’t take it to heart,” First Master Cheng reassured her. “Even if we give her the entire dowry, it will eventually be taken to your natal family. It’s like keeping the benefits within the family. Besides, you will likely still be the one managing it in the future.” He paused, then added, “Think about it—if we stubbornly refuse to hand over the dowry, Second Master will surely cause trouble during the wedding arrangements. When that happens, we’ll have no grounds to defend ourselves.”

There was truth in his words. Given the circumstances, this was the only way forward. First Madam Cheng nodded reluctantly, deciding to concede for now and deal with the matter later.

Not long after the steward had left, another maid hurried into the room.

“Madam, Madam Wang has arrived,” she reported.

It was about time she came. First Madam Cheng quickly straightened her attire. With all the commotion and delays that had occurred, she was growing anxious about whether the wedding could still take place before the New Year.

First Master Cheng rose and excused himself, while First Madam Cheng waited in the main hall. She waited and waited, but there was no sign of Madam Wang entering.

“What’s going on?” she asked, frowning.

The maid, also puzzled, hurried out to check. Shortly after, she returned with a strange expression on her face—and still no sign of Madam Wang behind her.

Could it have been a case of mistaken identity? Yet that seemed unlikely.

“Madam, Madam Wang, she…” the maid began, hesitating and trailing off.

“What about her?” First Madam Cheng asked.

“She went to the south,” the maid replied.

The south?

First Madam Cheng was puzzled.

“What did she go there for?” she pressed.

“Earlier, at the gate, she casually asked if the young mistress had returned… The steward happened to be heading that way and replied that she had. And then… then…” The maid stammered, struggling to articulate the situation, which seemed almost too bizarre to believe. “Then Madam Wang followed him to the south as well…”

“You mean to say… she went to see that fool?” First Madam Cheng asked, her face a mask of astonishment.

Could she have heard correctly?

“Most likely, yes,” the maid replied.

“Why would she go to see her? To inspect her future daughter-in-law?” First Madam Cheng exclaimed. “Even so, she should have come to see me first. Since when does she personally visit the girl instead?”

That was precisely why it was so strange. The maid shifted awkwardly, unsure how to respond. Just then, First Master Cheng emerged from the inner room upon hearing the commotion.

“Did you say earlier that Madam Wang asked whether the young mistress had returned?” he inquired.

The maid paused, carefully recalling the scene before nodding.

“Yes, that’s what Madam Wang asked as soon as she stepped out of her carriage,” she confirmed.

First Master Cheng’s brow furrowed deeply.

“How did she know that she was away from home?” he asked.