Chapter Fifty-Four: True Colors Revealed

In the afternoon, Madam Luo set aside her needlework and sat by the charcoal brazier, shelling peanuts. After shelling, she soaked them in water, then proceeded to pick through millet, sifting out quite a bit of fine sand.

“Mother, what are you preparing to cook?” Anyi, seeing her so busy, couldn’t help but ask.

“You child, you’ve become so muddleheaded these days. Tomorrow is the Laba Festival; tonight we must cook Laba congee.” Madam Luo set the cleaned millet aside, poured soybeans into a small sieve, and handed it to Anyi. “Stop reading and help me pick through these beans—remove the shriveled ones.”

At the mention of Laba congee, Anjian, who had been copying texts, looked up and swallowed. “Mother, put in plenty of red dates and lotus seeds. I love Laba congee the most.”

Madam Luo spat at him in jest, “You love eating everything. If dog feces were edible, you’d have three helpings.”

“Mother, dearest mother, how could you say that about your own son?” Anjian feigned a woeful face.

“If I weren’t your real mother, I wouldn’t say it,” laughed Madam Luo, her eyes crinkling.

Anjian tried to retort, but was cut off by Ankang’s serene warning, “If you don’t finish copying this book, you won’t even have dinner.” Startled, he bent over and wrote in silence.

Anyi suppressed a laugh.

Wei Yang smiled gently, set down his own book, took the bowl of lotus seeds, and said, “Sister, let me remove the cores from the lotus seeds.”

That night, Madam Luo cooked a big pot of Laba congee. Gluttonous Anjian naturally waited until midnight, ate a large bowl, and only then went to bed.

The next day, Madam Luo sent the three siblings and Wei Yang to deliver Laba congee to the three branches of the Luo family. During Wei Yang’s recuperation, Madam Luo had kept him indoors, but now, as they walked through the village, many greeted them warmly.

After the Laba Festival, Ankang began to pack for his journey to the capital for the spring imperial exams in February. Lingling was far from Beiping—by modern train it would take several days and nights, and in these ancient times, even by carriage, traveling day and night, it would take over a month.

Luo Fugui had consulted the almanac: the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month was highly auspicious for travel. Yet, just a day before departure, news came that the Emperor had died half a month prior.

With the Emperor’s death, the entire realm donned mourning clothes, and every household hung white mourning cloth over their doors. According to the laws of the Xuchao Dynasty, for a year, all civil and military officials had to remove their court caps, wear plain clothing, refrain from music, and suspend marriages. Among the common people, weddings were forbidden for three months, festivities for a hundred days, and slaughtering livestock for forty-nine days. The February imperial exams were also postponed, awaiting the new Emperor’s decree. Even the children’s preliminary exams were suspended.

Ankang no longer needed to hurry to Beiping and could stay home for the New Year. Still, with the Emperor’s passing, the holiday was bleak. Traditions like making rice cakes, grinding tofu, and slaughtering the New Year pig were forbidden. After a thorough cleaning, the family sat around the fire. Even visiting neighbors for a chat was not allowed.

To joke and laugh during national mourning was courting disaster. Should anyone report such behavior, it could mean prison, if not worse.

Yet, in this somber twelfth month, good news arrived: Luo Xiamei was over a month pregnant. Madam Zhou was delighted, though she dared not show it due to the mourning period. She gathered eggs from all the households, amassing two hundred, and went with her son-in-law to visit her daughter.

However, some bad news also came: Doctor Lu had fallen ill with a cold.

A physician cannot always heal himself. Doctor Lu prescribed his own medicine, but after two doses, his condition worsened, and he was bedridden. Madam Zhang wanted to take him to town to see another doctor, but Lu refused, insisting, “Go fetch Xier; let her treat me.”

“Xier is just a young girl. She’s only studied medicine for a few days; how could she treat you? Don’t be foolish,” Madam Zhang pleaded.

Doctor Lu flared his nostrils. “Xier is my apprentice. I taught her medicine myself. Of course I know her skill. Go fetch her—hurry!”

Unable to sway the stubborn old man, Madam Zhang went to call Anyi.

Upon hearing that Doctor Lu was ill, Anyi hurried over with her. She took his pulse. “Master, please stick out your tongue.”

Doctor Lu complied.

Anyi examined it carefully and checked his prescription. “Master, you have a cough with no sweat, headache, chills, thin phlegm, a stuffy nose, and a dry throat. The tongue coating is thin and white. This is an external cold.”

Doctor Lu coughed twice. “How would you treat it?”

“Three qian each of apricot kernel, perilla leaf, pinellia, poria, peucedanum, bitter orange, and dried tangerine peel. Two qian of platycodon, one qian of licorice, three slices of fresh ginger, and three pieces of jujube,” Anyi recited.

“Why these medicines?” Doctor Lu, even in illness, did not miss a chance to teach.

“Apricot kernel relieves asthma and dampness; perilla leaf clears heat and regulates qi; pinellia dissolves phlegm and warms; poria promotes urination and reduces phlegm; peucedanum, bitter orange, and platycodon regulate qi and expel phlegm; dried tangerine peel moves qi and stops phlegm; licorice, ginger, and jujube nourish the spleen and stomach,” Anyi explained.

Doctor Lu closed his eyes, considered, then said, “Go fetch the herbs and decoct them for me.”

After three doses of Anyi’s prescription, Doctor Lu’s symptoms eased and his condition improved. Madam Zhang finally relaxed. A few days later, she went to buy tofu and ran into Aunt Zhu, who had no pork to sell. As they chatted, she mentioned the matter in passing.

Aunt Zhu, a friend of Madam Luo, liked Anyi and exaggerated her praise of the girl. Soon, rumors spread in the village that Anyi had cured Doctor Lu and her medical skills had already surpassed his.

This rumor brought Anyi her first patient: Luo Xiaru’s wife, her sixth aunt, Madam Xiao Zhou.

Though Madam Xiao Zhou was reluctant to seek Anyi’s help, there was no other female doctor in Lingling. She was too embarrassed to consult a male physician, so she approached Anyi. “Xier, please examine me.”

Anyi politely refused. “Sixth Aunt, I’ve only studied medicine for a few months; I’m not ready to treat people. If you’re unwell, you should see Doctor Lu.”

“Xier, I beg you, please see me. If you refuse, I have no hope left.” Madam Xiao Zhou clutched Anyi’s hand, pleading tearfully.

Anyi frowned slightly. Judging by her complexion, she didn’t appear gravely ill. “Aunt, what’s troubling you?”

“I... I...” Madam Xiao Zhou blushed and looked down, ashamed.

Seeing her unable to speak, Anyi simply took her hand and checked her pulse. “Aunt, your body is healthy.”

“Then why can’t I conceive?” Madam Xiao Zhou asked anxiously.

Madam Xiao Zhou and Luo Xiaru had been married for over two years without a child. Madam Zhou, her aunt, never showed her a sour face and always comforted her, but she herself was anxious. Taking a wife was for the sake of children; now her sister-in-law, newly married, was already pregnant, yet her own belly showed no sign. She feared something was wrong with her body.

“Aunt, inability to conceive isn’t necessarily your fault,” Anyi said, realizing her embarrassment. Even in modern times, many women are too shy for gynecological exams, let alone here.

Madam Xiao Zhou looked at her, desperate. “Impossible. Second Cousin is perfectly healthy—it must be me. Xier, please cure me.”

Anyi’s heart sank. Madam Xiao Zhou and Luo Xiaru were maternal cousins, closely related. Even if she did conceive, there was a risk of deformity.

“If I still can’t bear children, even if my in-laws and husband don’t blame me, I’d have no face to stay in the Luo family. I’d have no choice but to die. Who would want a daughter-in-law who can’t bear children? How could a barren woman go on living?” Madam Xiao Zhou wept, threatening death.

Seeing her so distraught, Anyi wavered. Here, as in modern times, childlessness could devastate a family. Besides, there were many cousin marriages in ancient times, not all resulting in deformity. After a moment’s hesitation, she agreed to treat her aunt.

“Aunt, don’t cry. Tell me, are your periods regular? What color is your menstrual blood? Do you have pain before your period?” Anyi asked gently.

Madam Xiao Zhou wiped her tears. “My period is irregular, always five or six days late. Before it comes, my belly feels bloated and my back aches so much I can barely stand. The blood contains clots.”

Anyi, hearing this, recognized symptoms of uterine cold. “Aunt, I’ll write you a prescription. Go to town and get three doses to take.”

Anyi picked up her brush and wrote out the herbs: “Four qian of cyperus, three qian each of mugwort leaf, white peony, ligusticum, astragalus, angelica, teasel root, rehmannia; two qian of evodia, one qian of cinnamon twig.”

She finished the prescription and explained dietary precautions and food therapy methods.

Madam Xiao Zhou, hearing Anyi speak so knowledgeably, felt her embarrassment was worthwhile. She took the prescription and left, delighted.

As Anyi escorted her out, she glanced back and saw Wei Yang standing under the eaves. Their eyes met.

Wei Yang curved his lips in a friendly smile.

Anyi lowered her eyes and returned to the kitchen.

Wei Yang was not offended by her coolness. He gazed at the darkening sky. With only a few days left until the New Year and his wounds not fully healed, his sister would not allow him to leave yet. He decided to stay until after the festival, teach Anjian a few more moves, and depart when the spring flowers bloomed.

“It’s time for your medicine,” Anyi said, bringing over a bowl.

Wei Yang took it, tested the temperature, and drank it in one gulp. As she turned to leave, he called, “Xier.”

Anyi stopped and looked back.

“Your medical skill—”

“Uncle, uncle, I broke this stick!” Anjian ran up, holding a stick snapped in two, his padded jacket already soaked with sweat.

Anyi returned to the kitchen, frowning slightly at the medicine-stained bowl. What had Wei Yang wanted to say? Her medical skill—was there a problem? But the prescription for Madam Xiao Zhou was correct for uterine cold and infertility.

“Sister, what are you thinking about?” Ankang entered, carrying a bowl of tofu.

“Brother, you’re back.” Anyi took the bowl and pouted. “Tofu and greens every day—my mouth is so bland. I want to eat meat.”

“During national mourning, we can’t eat meat. Be good, just endure another ten days or so,” Ankang coaxed her, pulling a small packet of candy from his pocket. “Here, have some sweet candy.”

Anyi smiled, letting the candy melt sweetly in her mouth as she measured rice for dinner.

“Sister, go warm yourself by the fire; I’ll cook,” Ankang said, reaching for the pot.

Rather than return to her room, Anyi sat on a small stool by the stove, put on her five-fingered gloves, and fed wood into the fire. “Brother, you’re already a certified scholar—don’t you find it demeaning to cook?”

“What do you mean, ‘demeaning’?” Ankang asked.

“It means losing face,” Anyi replied.

Ankang laughed, pouring the rinsed rice into the pot. “I don’t think cooking is demeaning. But when I become an official, I’ll buy servants for our mother so she can enjoy her life.”

“What about me? Will anyone serve me?”

Ankang chuckled. “My precious, silly sister—do you need to ask?”

Anyi smiled. Words of affection—she could never tire of them. Family was precious; in her previous life, she’d only known it for nine years. This time, she wished it could last forever.

In the following days, more women came seeking Anyi’s medical help. She declined them all; she had no intention of becoming a female doctor—she only wanted to grow medicinal herbs to earn money. She lacked the physician’s compassion and did not feel qualified to treat others.

On New Year’s Eve, though the festivities were subdued, each household still busied themselves with preparations.

Near noon, a group of fierce-looking men stormed into the village, heading straight for the Xinliu family. Neighbors heard a clamor, then Madam Liu’s cries: “Murder! Help!”

People rushed out to see.

The Zhu family’s gate was kicked in, half hanging from the frame. In the courtyard stood six or seven robust men, bare-chested despite the cold. Zhu Fucai was being held by two of them, his arms twisted behind his back. Madam Liu, hair disheveled, sat wailing on the ground, her children crying beside her.

“Boss, we only found fifteen wen,” a few men reported, holding up the coins.

Madam Luo had given Madam Liu sixty wen before the New Year—this was all that remained after buying food for the festival.

The leader sneered at the sum. “Zhu Fucai, it’s the New Year and you owe our brothers ten taels of silver. Can you pay, or are you planning to renege?”

Zhu Fucai hung his head in silence.

The ringleader’s eyes shifted to Congliu, and he grinned wickedly. “If you can’t pay, we’ll take your daughter instead. She’s a pretty one; worth at least seven or eight taels in a brothel. All right, I’ll settle for eight—let’s call it a loss for me.”

At his signal, his men lunged to grab Congliu.

Congliu screamed, “Mother!”

Madam Liu scrambled up and clung to her daughter. “No, please, don’t take my girl! I’ll pay, I’ll pay you.”

The man smirked. “Don’t worry, I’m a reasonable man. Pay up and I won’t touch your daughter.”

Madam Liu, holding Congliu’s hand, said, “Come with me, I’ll take you to the money.”

“You’d better not try any tricks,” the leader, known as Fifth Master Li, warned coldly.

“Fifth Master, I won’t trick you. She has plenty of money—if I save her daughter, she’ll repay me,” Madam Liu said.

“I’ll trust you this once.” With a wave, Fifth Master Li and his men, dragging Zhu Fucai, followed Madam Liu, with villagers trailing behind to watch.

Madam Liu led the group in a grand procession straight to the An family.

The An family’s gate took a beating as well, kicked open by Fifth Master Li’s men. The commotion drew out the An siblings and Wei Yang, who were waiting for Madam Luo’s fried pork in the kitchen.

Seeing the crowd pour into their yard, Madam Luo was startled. “What’s going on?”

Ankang narrowed his eyes and asked in a low voice, “Who are you people? What are you doing in my house?”

Anjian grabbed a wooden stick by the door and stood ready.

Wei Yang stepped forward, shielding Anyi, his gaze sharp on Fifth Master Li.

“Qiumei, hurry and give them ten taels of silver!” Madam Liu shouted.

“Why should I give them ten taels?” Madam Luo asked, bewildered.

“Zhu Fucai owes them ten taels and can’t pay. They want to take Congliu as payment,” a villager explained to Madam Luo.

“Ten taels is too much,” Madam Luo frowned. The family could muster that money, but if the new Emperor reopened the exams, Ankang would need funds for his journey. That money couldn’t be spent lightly.

“So? Do you have the money or not? If not, I’ll take the girl,” Fifth Master Li said, a bit unnerved by Wei Yang’s stare.

“Qiumei, quickly, give them the money,” Madam Liu urged.

“It’s your family’s debt. Why should mine pay?” Anjian objected.

“Why? Because my mother jumped into the pond to save your sister. You owe us that money,” Congliu shouted, terrified of being sold to a brothel.

Anyi’s anger flared. She stepped out from behind Wei Yang and said sternly, “Madam Liu, do you dare swear to Heaven that you truly saved me? That you really did me a favor?”

“My mother saved you from drowning. If not for her, you’d be dead,” Congliu said, self-righteously.

Anyi ignored her, fixing her gaze on Madam Liu. “Madam Liu, Heaven sees all. Do you dare swear?”

Madam Liu lowered her head, guilt written all over her face. Xinliu’s sudden death had rattled her; she no longer had the nerve she once did, fearing retribution at any moment.

Seeing her reaction, Madam Luo’s expression changed. She probed, “Sister-in-law, is what my Xier says true? You were waiting by the pond for Xinliu to push my daughter in, then jumped in after?”

Madam Liu averted her face and said nothing, tacitly admitting it. The crowd erupted in outrage.

“In this weather, to push someone’s child into the pond—how heartless!”

“So vicious! No decent person would do such a thing.”

“To harm another’s daughter and then pretend to be a savior—what shamelessness.”

“Heaven has eyes. People like that will meet their retribution.”

“She already has. Her eldest daughter died a few months ago.”

“Good! That little troublemaker was just like her mother—nothing good. So young and already so malicious, pushing people into ponds.”