My Cold-Hearted Wife Chapter 60

Going into the water on a winter night was no small matter.

Cheng Danruo returned to the Yan family home and hurriedly took a bath and washed her hair. Lady Hong ordered a charcoal brazier and ginger tea to be sent over, but even so, while drying her hair she still sneezed twice.

She, however, was not anxious. Although a cold was unavoidable, she had brought quite a lot of modern medicine. Even if she was unlucky enough to run a fever, she still had fever-reducing medicine to use.

The maids, though, were bustling about in a flurry, now heating the kang, now bringing tea, and even asking whether a doctor should be invited.

Cheng Danruo said, “I am a doctor myself.”

“Then miss, quickly write a prescription,” Zi Su said. “I will go decoct the medicine right away.”

Helpless, she had no choice but to give the name of a ginseng and perilla drink for treating wind-cold colds. Zi Su decocted the medicine, and she braced herself and drank it.

After drying her hair, she went to bed early, but in the middle of the night she felt a severe pain in her abdomen.

This was bad!

Her period had come.

Cheng Danruo silently cursed her bad luck and could only wake the maid on night watch, ask for a menstrual belt, tie it on properly, drink some hot tea, and lie back under the covers to rest.

For the next three days in a row, she spent them all in bed.

In unbearable pain.

Her periods had always been difficult. Back then, when she and Old Madam Chen had soaked in the water for so long, they had not been regular since. She had wanted to regulate them, but any medicine had to go through Lady Huang’s hands, so she could only let it go. When it came, a few sessions of acupuncture could also help her cope.

Fortunately, her period was irregular and only came once every two or three months.

Unexpectedly, this time, after going into the water once, it stirred up her old illness. Even painkillers could not stop it, and she nearly dug her fingernails off.

Lady Hong treated her well and specially invited a doctor over, who said it was cold-dampness congealing and stagnation. “Cold-dampness lodges in the Chong and Ren meridians and the uterus, binds with the menstrual blood, and causes the flow of menstrual blood to be unsmooth.”

Medicine was also prescribed.

Cheng Danruo had no choice but to drink bitter medicinal decoctions every day.

After finally enduring her menstrual period, her immunity rose somewhat, and her modern body showed its tough side, quickly getting rid of the cold.

But the ancients were very cautious in dealing with illness. Yan Hongzhi stopped her lessons and said she could only go out after fully recovering.

Helpless, Cheng Danruo had no choice but to send Xique to the front to ask him to borrow books.

“Old Master, Third Young Miss says she would like to borrow the collected works of Minister Wang and Minister Xu to read.”

Yan Hongzhi’s eyebrows rose high. After quite a while, he both laughed and sighed. “Fine, give them to her!” He ordered several collected works to be wrapped up and sent over.

During the day, Cheng Danruo stayed curled up on the kang, reading by the light from outside.

She was more interested in Minister Wang, so she read his first. As soon as she looked, she indeed discovered many interesting things.

Minister Wang was from Lingnan. His given name was Ci, his courtesy name Houwen, and people called him Master Houwen. He truly could write, and had published poetry collections, miscellaneous essays, and annotations on the Confucian classics.

At present, his annotations on the classics sold best, because these counted as his insights on the imperial examinations and belonged to exam preparation books. If the imperial examinations of that year had been presided over by him, this book could have sold out.

Cheng Danruo did not read that one first. She first read his collection of miscellaneous essays.

Miscellaneous essays, of course, covered all kinds of topics, and among them there was a discussion of “Heavenly Principle.” The specific content was not important. What was important was that, according to his view of “principle,” “recognizing Heavenly Principle everywhere,” he too belonged to the School of Mind.

Later, she asked Yan Hongzhi, and it was indeed so.

The School of Mind actually had more than one branch. Besides Wang Yangming’s School of Mind, there was also the Baisha school. Minister Wang was from Lingnan and studied the theories of the Ruoshui school. He was not of the same branch as Yan Hongzhi, who inherited from Li Wu, yet they reached the same destination by different paths.

Moreover, these two men had once been fellow graduates in the same year.

The two had passed the metropolitan examination in the same year. Yan Hongzhi was in the second class, among the top candidates, and entered the Hanlin Academy. Minister Wang was thirty-first in the second class, so his starting point was not even as good as Yan Hongzhi’s.

But because of Li Wu’s death, Yan Hongzhi angrily resigned from office and from then on never set foot in officialdom again. Minister Wang, however, had the state and society in his heart and resolved to remain, continuing to strive. After decades of the ups and downs of official life, he finally became one of the six ministers.

In addition, the third-place candidate in the same year was Su Zisi.

His friendship with Yan Hongzhi had been formed in the Hanlin Academy, except that later he too resigned and returned home, and even became a monk, devoting himself single-mindedly to thinking about philosophy.

After reading the collection of miscellaneous essays, Cheng Danruo understood why Minister Wang’s poetry was so bold and unconstrained, directly “hating Young Master Xie.” Because he had seen Xie Xuanying’s beauty, acknowledged his beauty, and therefore proclaimed his beauty.

This was “recognizing Heavenly Principle everywhere.”

As for Minister Xu, that was right, his being smooth and adept on all sides and maintaining balance in the court precisely proved his political stance.

Yet the School of Mind advocated the liberation of individuality, which ran completely counter to this. Minister Xu belonged to the School of Principle and believed that the School of Mind should be suppressed and the orthodox status of the School of Principle reestablished, so as to achieve a beautiful world of harmony between ruler and minister and good governance.

After recovering from her illness, on the usual study day, Cheng Danruo listened to Yan Hongzhi finish his lesson and asked him a question.

“Is the conflict between Xu and Wang related to the ideological differences between the two schools?”

Yan Hongzhi asked, “Why do you think so?”

“Intuition.” Cheng Danruo could not explain the reason clearly. She only had a vague premonition. This intuition came from a broad historical perspective, and also from the waves she felt while being situated within it.

“You stay in the inner quarters and know nothing about the court. Is this not groundless talk?” Yan Hongzhi did not answer, but instead threw out a question. “Moreover, whether it is true or false, what does it have to do with you?”

Cheng Danruo said, “I am only somewhat worried.”

Yan Hongzhi was surprised. “Oh?”

“Many things are changing, and changing too quickly.” She closed her eyes. There was a faint prickling sensation on the surface of her skin, which made her uneasy.

In the 16th century AD, Copernicus proposed heliocentrism, and Magellan circumnavigated the globe. The West was ushering in change, while the East had fallen into the crisis of northern invaders and southern pirates.

And also, the Little Ice Age, unavoidable natural disasters, the beginning of colonial expansion… History was at a crucial fork.

Cheng Danruo said, “I feel very afraid.”

Yan Hongzhi paused in the act of drinking tea and looked at her in surprise: “Although I am not of high rank, protecting you is no problem. What are you afraid of? That you will grow old alone in this house?”

Cheng Danruo shook her head. She could not tell him what exactly she was afraid of, what she feared, what she felt lost about.

“Nothing.” She took a deep breath and said as if nothing had happened, “I was idle while ill and let my thoughts run wild.”

Yan Hongzhi said, “This is not something you need to worry about right now.” He picked up a visiting card from the desk. “This is a card from the Wang family. They have set a visit for two days from now.”

Cheng Danruo could not help sighing.

He said with keen interest, “A gift coming to your door and you are still unhappy?”

“I saved the Wang young lady simply to save her. Once there is thanking back and forth, it is no longer that simple.” Cheng Danruo replied, “The Wang family must also be quite embarrassed.”

The same act of saving someone: if a superior saves an inferior, the kindness is as heavy as a mountain, and the inferior must be endlessly grateful and ready to repay with utmost devotion; if the savior and the saved are of equal status, then it is an act of courage for justice and worth forming a connection over; if an inferior saves a superior, then it is praiseworthy loyalty, to be rewarded with appreciation and favors.

“I would rather it be simpler,” she said with emotion.

Yan Hongzhi asked, “Do you want to be a physician?”

She nodded, then shook her head.

As the old saying goes, great kindness is like enmity; gratitude and righteousness are a debt of human feeling that is hard to repay. She hoped that when she saved people, it would be purely to save them, and that giving some consultation fee would conclude the doctor-patient relationship.

But in ancient times, the status of doctors was too low. Imperial Physician Li, who had taught his father, had once mentioned what it was like to serve in the Imperial Medical Institute. Treating ministers was one thing, but what he feared most was diagnosing the emperor.

Kneeling to diagnose was a small matter; what he feared was that if anything went slightly wrong, the lives of his whole family would be at risk.

She could treat illnesses and save people, but she could not become a purely female doctor.

Yan Hongzhi smiled and said nothing.

Two days later, the Wang family came to visit.

Escorting them was Wang Wu-lang, while the main party consisted of the Wang family’s Fourth Madam and a Wang San-niang.

First Madam had already mentioned the Wang family to Cheng Danruo: Minister Wang had four sons. From the first branch to the fourth branch, there were altogether seven sons and six daughters, truly a flourishing family.

Among them, Wang San-niang and Wang Wu-lang were both born of the fourth branch, the Fourth Madam’s own children.

This lineup was only to be expected.

When Fourth Madam Wang entered, she first smiled and exchanged pleasantries with First Madam who was receiving the guests. After entering the main hall, she then paid her respects to Lady Hong.

“I had originally wanted to come long ago, but it happened to snow these past few days, and it was truly bitterly cold. Only then was it delayed by two days. I hope you will not take offense.” Fourth Madam Wang apologized sincerely.

Lady Hong said with a smile, “On such a cold day, freezing the children would be no good. You and I both have the same concerns. How could I blame you?”

Fourth Madam Wang smiled brightly and curtsied. “Thank you for your understanding.” Then she looked at Cheng Danruo and praised her repeatedly. “I am not flattering you, but you and Master Zizhen are truly blessed. Such a good daughter should rightly belong to your family. If it were me, I could not find one even carrying a lantern.”

Cheng Danruo turned her face away and thought, if this is not flattery, then what is?

“Your San-niang is not bad either. I quite adore her.” Lady Hong returned the courtesy and urged the maid to serve Wang San-niang tea and snacks.

Wang San-niang’s complexion was slightly pale. She smiled and expressed her thanks, then slowly ate the pastries.

Everyone politely praised one another for a while, then got to the main point.

Fourth Madam Wang said, “I came today for no other reason than to have my San-niang properly thank her lifesaver. If not for Dan-niang going into the water in time, this child of mine would have been in danger.”

As soon as the words fell, Wang San-niang immediately rose, stood properly, and curtsied to Cheng Danruo, saying solemnly, “Thank you, Sister, for saving my life. I will never forget it as long as I live.”

Cheng Danruo had already avoided her salute. “You are too polite. You are a fortunate person. Even without me, nothing would have happened to you.”

“You were the first to save her. For this alone, I must thank you.” Fourth Madam Wang grasped Cheng Danruo’s hand and took off the heavy bracelet on her wrist. “From now on, you will be like my own daughter.”

Cheng Danruo withdrew her hand, but who would have thought Fourth Madam Wang would hold on so tightly? It was also not good to use force to break free, so she looked helplessly toward Lady Hong.

Lady Hong said with a smile, “My husband and the Minister are also old acquaintances. This greeting gift, we will accept, but to take away our family’s child just by opening your mouth, that cannot be allowed.”

She pulled the hairpin from her bun and inserted it into Wang San-niang’s hair: “Xu-niang, our Dan-niang has only just come to the capital and is unfamiliar with people and places here. Since you two sisters have a connection, from now on you should visit each other as sisters.”

Wang San-niang said generously, “If she does not disdain me, I am naturally willing.”

If she refused again, it would instead damage Yan Hongzhi’s face, so Cheng Danruo said, “Perhaps I am the younger sister.”

Wang San-niang said, “I was born in the spring of the fourth year of Taiping.”

“Then I can only shamelessly be the elder sister.” Cheng Danruo said, “I was born in the third year of Taiping.”

Wang San-niang said with a smile, “Your birthday must be in autumn, right?”

“Yes. On the day my mother gave birth to me, my maternal family sent a basket of pomegranates, so I was named after them.”

“What a coincidence. On the day I was born, there were huge willow catkins, so my grandfather named me Yongxu.” Wang Yongxu said.

Cheng Danruo could not help saying, “The name truly fits the person.”

Seeing that the two indeed got along well, Madam Hong said with a smile, “It is dull for you to stay here talking with us. Dan-niang, take San-niang to your room to sit for a while.”

Cheng Danruo agreed. The two girls properly took their leave.

After leaving the main room, Wang Yongxu became much livelier. “I have long wanted to come thank you, but my mother insisted I stay cooped up at home for half a month. What about you? Because you went into the water to save me, did you get sick?”

“It happened to coincide with my period, so I rested for a few days. Otherwise, it was nothing serious.” Cheng Danruo led her into her own side courtyard. “The place is a little small. I hope you do not mind.”

Wang Yongxu said, “Our family has many people, and I also share a courtyard with my sisters. Yours is quite peaceful.”

The two sat down on the kang by the window. Xi Que brought hot tea and snacks, then withdrew outside the door to leave them a place to talk privately.

Wang Yongxu took a sip of tea and sighed heavily.

Cheng Danruo looked over inquiringly.

Wang Yongxu organized her words. “My fifth brother asked me to say ‘sorry’ to you. That day things happened suddenly, and he has always been careless and rough. If there was any offense, please forgive him. I apologize to you on my fifth brother’s behalf.”

As she spoke, she stood up and made a deep bow to her.

“It is nothing.” Cheng Danruo had no choice but to rise again and avoid it. “I do not mind.”

That Young Master Wang had gone into the water without hesitation to save his sister showed that his character was not bad. And when people faced their own kin, it was normal to be somewhat selfish. She had seen much of this and did not take it to heart.

Wang Yongxu pressed her lips together. “You are so magnanimous, yet I do not know what to do. We had only just met that day, and in such cold weather, you were still willing to go down to save me, while the others instead…”

“They did not know how to swim. Even if they wanted to save you, they would have been powerless. Moreover, a drowning person cannot be saved just by reaching out a hand. Someone who does not know how can easily make things worse by trying too hard.” Cheng Danruo comforted her.

Wang Yongxu said, “Even so, I still must thank you.”

“You have already thanked me.” The more grateful they were, the more helpless Cheng Danruo felt. “I would have saved anyone else too. Please do not take it to heart.”