Chapter 103: Healing for Mother

The lunch prepared by Madam Huang for An Yi was exceedingly lavish: seven dishes and one soup, comprising five meat dishes and two vegetable ones. There were sliced chicken with egg white, lotus-scented eight-treasure duck, garlic-braised pork, deep-fried quail, stewed fish maw, garlic-flower eggplant, wine-soaked yellow sprouts, and shrimp ball seaweed soup.

An Yi was uncertain of Madam Huang’s intentions but understood that such generous hospitality must have a purpose. She ate her meal without showing any emotion.

After lunch, a maid served tea. Madam Huang lifted the cup, took a delicate sip, and smiled as she asked, “Doctor Luo has already taken the pulse of my lady and is somewhat familiar with her condition. Doctor Luo, how confident are you that you can cure my lady’s eye ailment?”

“To cure her eye ailment is no great difficulty for me. Given time, it can be healed,” An Yi replied, lifting her eyes to meet Madam Huang’s gaze with a knowing smile. She was certain Madam Huang did not truly wish to cure Lady Luo; she was waiting for the truth.

Madam Huang’s eyes flickered uncertainly.

An Yi raised her tea, gently blew away the floating leaves, and inhaled the faint fragrance carried by the steam. She sipped, savoring its mellow taste, and praised, “Excellent tea.”

“This is Gu Zhu Purple Bamboo Shoot tea. When I entered the palace last month, the Noble Consort presented it to me. If you like, I can send some back for you to enjoy later,” Madam Huang said generously, her tone tinged with a hint of pride.

“Thank you, Second Madam. I once savored this tea at the Princess’s residence. Pardon me if I seem greedy to covet it still,” An Yi replied, trying to show a hint of eagerness.

An Yi’s greedy expression pleased Madam Huang, who smiled triumphantly. “No need to be polite. A little tea like this I can easily afford to give.”

“Many thanks, Second Madam,” An Yi said again, lowering her eyes to enjoy the tea.

After finishing the cup, Madam Huang still did not say that An Yi should not cure Lady Luo’s eye ailment. An Yi found this unsurprising; at their first meeting, Madam Huang had yet to gauge her fully and would not take such a great risk.

At that moment, the maid who had gone to fetch herbs returned. An Yi stood and said, “Second Madam, the medicine has arrived. I will go to the Jingli Garden to prepare it for Lady An.”

“Lu Qiao, escort Doctor Luo there,” Madam Huang said without hurry. Caution was paramount; even if she wished to give Princess Lanyi a handle on the matter, it was unwise to appear too eager.

Returning to Jingli Garden, An Yi found Lady Luo just waking and having lunch. On the table were two dishes and a soup—one meat, one vegetable: sweet and sour pork, sweet and sour shredded radish, and white sugar egg white soup.

An Yi’s anger flared. Sugar is easily digested and absorbed; consuming large quantities causes a sharp rise in blood sugar, which can worsen eye ailments. Lady Luo already suffered from eye disease, yet she was made to eat so much sugar. This was a deliberate attempt to aggravate her condition—Madam Huang’s intentions were sinister. Suppressing the urge to overturn the table, An Yi said sternly, “Lady Luo’s eyes are not well; she should not eat too much sweet food.”

Lady Luo raised her head, her blurred eyes wide, searching the room in confusion for the familiar voice. “Xi’er, Xi’er, is it you speaking to your mother?”

The maid feeding Lady Luo frowned impatiently. “It’s not Xi’er. It’s Doctor Luo speaking.”

“Xi’er, my Xi’er... No, no, Xi’er is no longer here. She will not speak to her mother anymore,” Lady Luo sobbed, her emotions surging once more.

“Doctor Luo, you should go to the kitchen and prepare the medicine. Don’t disturb Lady Luo’s meal,” Lu Qiao said with a hint of displeasure.

An Yi stepped beside Lady Luo, took the handkerchief from her hand, and gently wiped away her tears. “Good people may be taken advantage of, but Heaven does not deceive. You saved another’s son; Heaven will not let you lose your daughter. Your daughter still lives in this world and will come to find you. If you heal your eye ailment, you will see your daughter again.”

Her words held a double meaning.

Lady Luo did not grasp the double entendre; she only heard that “your daughter still lives in this world.” A flicker of light seemed to pass through her cloudy eyes. “You mean my Xi’er is still alive?”

“Yes, she still lives in this world,” An Yi affirmed.

“My Xi’er is not dead?” Lady Luo asked urgently. Everyone had told her her daughter was dead, but she refused to believe it. Finally, someone shared her hope.

“She is not dead. She will return to your side,” An Yi held Lady Luo’s hand, standing before her but unable to tell her the full truth—only offering gentle comfort.

“She really will come back to me?”

“She will. She will definitely return.”

Lady Luo sniffled and smiled. “My Xi’er was the most obedient child in the world. Even at a young age, she knew how to dig herbs to help with household expenses. She liked reading, writing, digging herbs, and planting herbs. She did not like embroidery. When she comes back, I won’t force her to embroider anymore. I will let her do what she loves.”

“All right. When she returns, you will let her do what she loves,” An Yi said softly.

“Xi’er also learned to play the guzheng from her elder brother. My Xi’er was so smart; she could play beautiful melodies after only a short time. When she returns, I will have her play for you,” Lady Luo reminisced at length.

Lu Qiao gave An Yi a strange look, smiling tenderly.

An Yi noticed Lu Qiao’s oddity but was not worried. Lu Qiao was likely Madam Huang’s confidante. She planned to use Lu Qiao to hasten Madam Huang’s exposure. “Lady Luo, don’t eat those dishes anymore. I will prepare something else for you, all right?”

Lady Luo could not see clearly but liked this voice. “All right.”

An Yi looked at Lu Qiao. “Lu Qiao, have someone send over some ingredients.”

“That requires Second Madam’s approval,” Lu Qiao replied.

“Lady An must ask Second Madam’s permission to eat? Strange rules in this household!” An Yi said with a hint of sarcasm.

Lu Qiao choked on her words. “I will have someone send it over immediately.”

The An Residence was not large; the ingredients arrived quickly: enoki mushrooms, pork, and tofu. Jingli Garden had its own kitchen. An Yi entered to cook; Lu Qiao followed, standing beside her. “Doctor Luo, you shouldn’t meddle so much.”

“I am a doctor. Healing is my duty,” An Yi said as she fed some twigs into the stove, looking up at Lu Qiao. “Until Second Madam decides otherwise, I will do my utmost to treat her.”

Lu Qiao’s eyes flickered; she pressed her lips and turned to leave.

An Yi lowered her eyelids, a cold, mocking smile briefly touching her lips. She swiftly cooked two dishes—shredded pork with enoki mushrooms and tofu soup—and carried them inside. “Lady An, it’s ready to eat.”

“It smells wonderful. Thank you for your hard work, Doctor Luo,” Lady Luo said politely.

“No trouble at all. I will feed you,” An Yi said, lifting the bowl and feeding Lady Luo with care. Fang Rong’s eyes flickered with suspicion; the young lady was truly kind to this Lady An.

After feeding Lady Luo, An Yi had the maid clear the dishes and went back to the kitchen for the medicine. Before the medicine was ready, Lu Qiao, who had gone to the Embroidery Courtyard to report back, returned with a cold expression. “Doctor Luo, my lady requests your presence.”

An Yi stood. “Fang Rong, once the medicine is ready, bring it to Lady An.”

Fang Rong stepped forward, blocking Lu Qiao’s gaze. “I will personally feed Lady An the medicine once it’s prepared.”

An Yi smiled, pleased Fang Rong understood. She dusted off her skirt, washed her hands, and followed Lu Qiao to the Embroidery Courtyard.

Madam Huang had awakened from a short nap, now dressed in a rose-red robe embroidered with multicolored butterflies. Her hair was freshly styled into a cloud bun, adorned with two or three white magnolia pins on the right and a small gold phoenix hairpin on the left.

Though An Yi understood the distinctions between legitimate and secondary wives, she was unfamiliar with all the precise rules. Had she known, this attire would have already crossed the line.

“Doctor Luo, please sit. It’s such a hot sun; I feel sorry for you having to come and go,” Madam Huang said, bowing slightly.

“No trouble. May I ask why Second Madam summoned me?” An Yi smiled faintly.

“Here, have some sour plum soup to quench your thirst,” Madam Huang said warmly.

An Yi held the chilled sour plum soup but did not drink. The Mid-Autumn Festival had passed; she avoided cold drinks.

Madam Huang did not mind, smiling as she asked, “Doctor Luo, do you still reside at the Princess’s mansion?”

“It’s inconvenient to come and go from the Princess’s residence. The Princess granted me a house on Liushun Lane to live in.”

“Liushun Lane is on Yongding Street, a fair distance from here. Though it’s autumn, the lingering heat is fierce. It must be exhausting for Doctor Luo to travel back and forth,” Madam Huang said, frowning with concern.

“Lady Luo’s condition is serious. If convenient, I ask Second Madam to arrange for me to stay at the residence to treat her until she recovers.”

“Doctor Luo, your kindness and skill make you most welcome to stay and care for Lady Luo,” Madam Huang paused, then shifted tone, “There are several vacant rooms, but I have yet to discuss with my husband. After we have agreed, arrangements will be made. For the next few days, please endure the hardship. I will send someone to escort you here to care for my lady.”

“As you wish, Second Madam,” An Yi anticipated that Madam Huang would not immediately agree to her residing there.

Madam Huang smiled and picked up a redwood box beside her. “A small token.”

“The illness is not cured yet; I feel embarrassed to accept this consultation fee,” An Yi said, taking the box but playing the role of a greedy doctor perfectly.

“As long as you devote yourself to treating my lady, this is but a small token,” Madam Huang said, a look of disdain flashing in her eyes. Greedy people are easy to bribe.

After some casual conversation, Fang Rong, who had fed Lady Luo her medicine, arrived, and An Yi bid farewell. At the corner gate, a carriage was waiting. An Yi was not surprised. Holding Fang Rong’s hand, she climbed aboard, leaning against the embroidered cushion, closing her eyes.

The carriage stopped outside the courtyard. An Yi alighted. “Fang Rong.”

Fang Rong understood and took a silver coin from her pouch, giving it to the driver. “Thank you, sir, for bringing my lady back.”

The driver accepted without refusal and drove away.

Fang Rong knocked on the courtyard door. Cai Ping opened, smiling, “Miss, you’re back.”

“The An Residence is seeking a doctor. I went to take a look,” An Yi volunteered, recounting her day.

Cai Ping paused briefly, then asked eagerly, “Have you had dinner, Miss?”

“It’s early; I haven’t eaten dinner yet,” An Yi replied, stepping inside.

“What would you like to eat? I’ll prepare it for you,” Cai Ping asked attentively, following behind.

“Lunch at the An Residence was too greasy. For dinner, please make it lighter,” An Yi said.

“Understood,” Cai Ping replied, escorting An Yi to the main hall before turning to inform Zhou Quanhai of An Yi’s whereabouts for the day.

Zhou Quanhai merely said, “Noted,” without further comment.

“I want to ask Miss to take my pulse,” Cai Ping said, blushing.

“Stop thinking about those things,” Zhou Quanhai frowned.

“What do you mean by ‘those things’? I just want to have a child. Miss’s medical skills are excellent—she even cured the county lady’s morning sickness. Maybe she can cure me.”

Zhou Quanhai lowered his head, pausing a moment before saying, “Do as you wish. I’m hungry—go make dinner.”

Cai Ping’s annoyance turned to joy at his consent, and she went to the kitchen.

An Yi, unaware of the couple’s affairs, sat in her room with a book, lost in thought. Did An Qinghe and An Kanghe know what Madam Huang was up to? Where was Wei Yang?

“Miss, what are you thinking about?” Fang Rong entered and asked.

“I’m reading. I’m not thinking about anything,” An Yi replied, turning a page.

Fang Rong pursed her lips. “Miss, you’re holding the book upside down.”

An Yi laughed dryly, setting the book aside. “I’m thinking. I believe the Second Madam of the An Residence is not a simple woman.”

“I think so too,” Fang Rong frowned, a shadow of worry crossing her face. “Miss, perhaps you shouldn’t treat Lady An’s eye ailment anymore.”

“I’ve promised Second Madam to cure Lady An’s eye ailment,” An Yi smiled softly, leaning back in her chair. “I don’t yet know what’s inside that wooden box. I’ll open it and take a look.”

Fang Rong opened the box to find ten silver ingots. “Second Madam is generous.”

“Generosity is best. If she were stingy, this poor doctor would be left to starve,” An Yi’s mood was lighter than before as she joked.

Fang Rong was surprised; she had served An Yi for a long time but had never seen this side of her. Just as she was about to say something, Cai Ping’s voice came from outside. “Miss, I’ve brought your dinner.”

Fang Rong closed the box and gently opened the slightly ajar door.

Cai Ping did not enter to serve dinner but stood quietly outside, waiting. After two quarters of an hour, she re-entered to clear the dishes, placing them in the food container, then knelt before An Yi.

“Cai Ping, do you need something?” An Yi asked.

“I dare to ask Miss for a favor,” Cai Ping said, bowing repeatedly.

An Yi’s gaze shifted slightly. “What is it? Stand up and speak.”

“I want Miss to take my pulse. I have been married eighteen years without conceiving,” Cai Ping said, tears glistening in her eyes.

“That’s not difficult. I’ll take your pulse now. Get up,” An Yi smiled. Winning people’s trust as a doctor was an easy matter.

“Thank you, Miss,” Cai Ping bowed three times, delighted as she rose.

An Yi took her pulse and inquired about her menstrual cycle. “Your kidneys have excessive water and fire, causing your womb to overheat, making conception difficult. Why didn’t you see a doctor sooner?”

“I couldn’t bring myself to speak before a doctor,” Cai Ping said, blushing deeply.

An Yi sighed softly and said no more, taking up her brush to write a prescription: three qian of Moutan bark, five qian of Lycium bark...

Cai Ping accepted the prescription with repeated thanks and left, carrying the food container.