Jiao Niang’s Medical Record Chapter 370

“Only the principle, not the money!”

With this furious roar, First Master Cheng in the study hurled the teacup in his hand with great force. The teacup flew past the corridor and landed directly in the courtyard, shattering with a crisp sound.

The servants and maids in the courtyard immediately scrambled further backward. Inside the room, the steward bowed his head, not daring to make a sound.

“What else does she want? For me to personally kneel and deliver it to her?” First Master Cheng bellowed. “Give her an inch, and she’ll take a mile!”

No sooner had his words fallen than he clutched his chest, breaking into a violent fit of coughing—truly “taking a mile” himself.

The steward and maids, pale with fright, hurriedly brought water and patted his back to soothe him. It took quite a while before he finally recovered.

“What else did she say?” First Master Cheng asked roughly, leaning against the armrest.

The steward hesitated for a moment.

“Nothing else, really…” he said. “It’s just… that maid told a story.”

A story?

First Master Cheng let out a cold laugh.

“Tell me,” he commanded.

The steward then haltingly relayed the story that Ban Qin had told.

First Master Cheng snorted dismissively.

“What a load of nonsense,” he said, reaching out for his teacup only to find it empty, which annoyed him even more.

A maid nearby hurriedly rushed forward with a new one.

“The Passing Immortal…” First Master Cheng murmured slowly, holding the teacup. Though he pretended not to care, the peculiar little story echoed involuntarily in his mind.

Later, the Passing Immortal became a common sight on every street.

Later, The Passing Immortal became a common sight on every street. So if I want nothing, don’t you dare think you’ll get anything either…

First Master Cheng froze mid-thought, then suddenly hurled the teacup in his hand across the room once more.

“How dare she!” he shouted, his face livid and his entire body trembling with rage. The outburst was followed by another fit of gasping, so severe he could barely catch his breath. Clutching his throat and chest, he collapsed.

The room instantly descended into chaos.

“Quick, send for the doctor!”

“Fetch the madam, now!”

At this moment, First Madam Cheng, seated in the room, also wore an unpleasant expression.

“What did you say?” she asked, looking at Madam Wang before her. “This marriage arrangement is called off?”

“Yes. We’ve given it some thought, and Shi’qi remains unwilling. You can’t force a melon to be sweet, so let’s just drop the matter,” Madam Wang replied with a smile.

She was in excellent spirits. Earlier, when she met the young lady, both parties had been straightforward and without the slightest hint of entanglement. Moreover, when she mentioned their family’s maritime trade business as her husband had requested, the young lady had indeed shown interest.

“If the opportunity arises, I would very much like to learn more about it,” she had said.

Though they might not become in-laws, that didn’t mean they couldn’t do business together. Beyond marriage alliances, there were many other ways to collaborate.

They had extended this intention, and the young lady had not reacted with aversion or refusal—this was truly excellent.

The young lady had both the skill and the shrewdness, not to mention valuable connections. She would make an ideal partner indeed.

“Kun-niang!”

First Madam Cheng snapped, her eyebrows drawn sharply together.

Madam Wang snapped back to attention and offered her a faint smile.

“It’s getting late, I should take my leave now,” she said.

“Wait! This matter isn’t settled yet!” First Madam Cheng pressed urgently. “How can you just call it off like this? What explanation are we supposed to give?”

“What explanation is needed? Lady Cheng herself has already agreed,” Madam Wang replied with a dismissive wave and a light laugh.

“Lady Cheng?” First Madam Cheng paused, taken aback. “What do you mean?”

Realizing her slip, Madam Wang looked slightly embarrassed.

“What I meant was—forced melons aren’t sweet. I’m sure Lady Cheng would agree with that reasoning,” she said.

Madam Cheng was no fool. She fixed her gaze on Madam Wang.

“Why did you go to see her first earlier?” she asked. “When you met her—was it to discuss this matter?”

Madam Wang offered an awkward smile.

“How could that be? I just dropped by casually,” she said, rising to her feet. “I should head back now. There’s plenty to attend to at home.”

But Madam Cheng had no intention of letting her leave so easily. She reached out and grabbed her arm.

“Kun-niang, explain this clearly—what is really going on?” she demanded. “One moment you were eager to proceed with the marriage, and the next you’re backing out. Don’t try to deceive me. I know how your family operates—you wouldn’t act unless there’s something to gain.” Her eyebrows furrowed sternly. “If you keep hiding the truth from me, I’ll go straight to my brother and ask him whether he’s scheming against his own sister!”

As she spoke, the frustrations of recent days welled up inside her, and a wave of sorrow washed over her.

“Here in the Cheng family, I’ve endured all these grievances and hardships—I’ve accepted them, swallowed them down. But how could my own family treat me this way too?”

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she covered her face with one hand and began to weep.

Madam Wang, feeling guilty and even more awkward, quickly replied, “Sister, how could we ever scheme against you? This matter truly is because Shi’qi is unwilling—there’s nothing we can do about it.” She hesitated for a moment before adding, “Actually, perhaps… maybe you don’t know this Cheng young lady well enough. Wouldn’t it be better to ask around and learn more about her?”

Don’t know her well enough? Ask around and learn more? What is there to learn or inquire about that foolish girl?

First Madam Cheng was taken aback and wanted to press further, but just then, a servant woman rushed in from outside, shouting in a panic.

“The master has taken ill again!”

First Madam Cheng was horrified. Seizing the opportunity, Madam Wang quickly pulled her hand free. “Sister, you should go check on brother-in-law right away,” she said. “Don’t bother seeing me out—I’ll take my leave now.”

With that, she hurried away as if making an escape. Torn between anger and anxiety, First Madam Cheng could no longer focus on her. She immediately rushed off to attend to First Master Cheng.

The doctor was summoned, administered acupuncture, and prescribed new medicine. After a flurry of activity, First Master Cheng was temporarily stabilized, but the doctor ordered him to stay in bed for several days and repeatedly emphasized that he must avoid agitation and maintain a calm, cheerful state of mind.

These words only fueled First Master Cheng’s anger.

“How can I be cheerful! How can I be cheerful!” he roared, slamming his hand against the couch in frustration.

The doctor, a renowned figure in Jiang-zhou, had a temper of his own.

“That is your concern, sir, not mine,” he said bluntly. “I know how to treat illness, but I cannot treat fate.”

First Master Cheng was so enraged he nearly choked. First Madam Cheng, though equally anxious, dared not offend the doctor. She saw him out respectfully and returned to stay by her husband’s side, weeping.

“…I know you’re furious, but you must endure it, my lord. Our family is already facing so many trials—Mother is elderly, you brother has drifted apart from us—if anything were to happen to you, what would become of the Cheng family?” she pleaded sorrowfully. “Life is all about endurance. Once you endure through it, it will pass.”

As she tried to console him, her thoughts drifted to recent events, especially Madam Wang’s sudden change of heart earlier. The more she reflected, the more her heart ached with bitterness and cold despair, and her weeping grew even more heartrending.

Seeing her like this, First Master Cheng let out a long, heavy sigh.

“Don’t torment yourself so. What’s done is done—we must gather our strength and face it,” he said, turning to console her instead.

First Madam Cheng only wept harder, collapsing against his bedside.

“That child is uncommonly ruthless,” First Master Cheng continued slowly. “She won’t even accept the dowry now…”

First Madam Cheng paused and looked up, tears still streaking her face.

“Then what else does she want?” she asked.

First Master Cheng’s gaze swept across the room, his expression grim and weary.

“Perhaps… she wants to destroy our family,” he said slowly.

“She wants to destroy the Cheng family?” First Madam Cheng was stunned.

Not only did he make it sound so effortless, but what benefit could she possibly gain from doing such a thing?

“Benefit? Who knows,” First Master Cheng murmured. “After the ‘Passing Immortal’ filled every street, what did that person gain from it anyway?”

What? Passing Immortal? Where did that come from?

“What is the ‘Passing Immortal?” First Madam Cheng asked, puzzled, even instinctively reaching out to feel First Master Cheng’s forehead.

He shook his head, avoiding her touch, and let out a weary sigh.

“Someone!” he called out toward the door. “Send for the steward.”

The steward arrived promptly.

“Go into the streets and make inquiries. See if anyone has heard of this matter of the ‘Passing Immortal’ in the capital,” First Master Cheng said after a moment of contemplation.

He actually wanted to investigate? Could it be that this wasn’t just some nonsense fabricated by that maid?

The steward was taken aback, but knowing the master was in no state to be agitated further, he quickly acknowledged the order and hurried out.

“What is the ‘Passing Immortal’? Why bother looking into it?” First Madam Cheng asked again.

First Master Cheng sighed.

“I don’t know either. Let’s find out first,” he replied vaguely.

At the mention of inquiries, First Madam Cheng fell silent for a moment.

“My family has called off the marriage arrangement,” she said.

First Master Cheng was taken aback but quickly grasped the situation. He propped himself up to sit straighter.

“Did she go to see that young lady first just to discuss this?” he asked.

“She wouldn’t admit it outright, but it’s obvious that’s exactly what happened,” First Madam Cheng said, feeling a chill settle in her heart. “She went to that foolish girl first to talk about this matter, and only after the girl agreed did she come to tell me… Does my own family really value me less than a fool now?”

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes once more.

First Master Cheng’s expression shifted rapidly.

“She even told me to ‘look into that fool a bit more’…” First Madam Cheng continued through her tears.

“Look into it!” First Master Cheng interrupted her with a sharp cry, collapsing back onto the couch from exhaustion.

First Madam Cheng, frightened, immediately fell silent and hurriedly tried to comfort him. But First Master Cheng gripped her hand tightly.

“Something isn’t right,” he gasped, struggling for breath. “Shi’qi stayed in the capital for a long time and returned alongside that fool. They must know something about her that we don’t! This matter—it must be the reason they were so eager to rush the marriage and then suddenly called it off! And they’ve been keeping it from us!”

First Madam Cheng had already suspected as much but had been unwilling to admit it. Her hand, held firmly in his, trembled slightly—she couldn’t tell whether it was her own trembling or his.

“Look into it!” First Master Cheng gritted his teeth and slowly forced out the words.

Looking into ‘Passing Immortal’ in the capital—what kind of task is this!

The steward stood by the street and sighed. The sky had just begun to lighten, but he was already preparing to head out. This was the routine he had repeated for two consecutive days.

Normally, such trivial errands involving inquiries and legwork wouldn’t require his personal attention. But these days, the master was in a foul mood, and the family had already suffered enough scandals. If the servants were to speak carelessly and this investigation ended up being twisted into another unsavory rumor, it would be disastrous.

“Steward Yu, out for tea on the streets again?” Shopkeepers opening their doors greeted him warmly along the way.

However, compared to the reverence that once colored their enthusiasm, now there was less awe and more curiosity in their eyes.

Steward Yu gave a faint hum in response, offering a slight smile without engaging further. He guided his horse at a leisurely pace to the busiest street market and headed straight into the largest and most bustling tea house.

“Steward Yu, Steward Yu! That famous capital delicacy you mentioned the other day—it really exists!”

This time, as soon as he entered, the tea house manager personally came to greet him, smiling as he spoke.

It really exists?

Steward Yu was also surprised. Could it actually be true?

“How did you hear about it? Tell me quickly,” he urged.

No sooner had his words fallen than someone rushed in through the door, footsteps clattering.

“Excuse me, may I ask for directions?” the person called out clearly, his thick capital accent unmistakable.

Both Steward Yu and the manager instinctively turned to look. They saw a young attendant dressed in blue, his face dust-streaked and weary, clearly having traveled a long way.

“Where to?” the manager replied casually.

“To the Cheng family—the Northern Chengs,” the blue-clad attendant said.