When the first month of the new lunar year arrived, Yuxi took advantage of the time the State Residence received people by bringing Lin Qi into the residence.
Last time, when Ling Qi was saved, her face was full of blood, so Yuxi was not brave enough to look at her. Now that she had entered the residence, Yuxi could see that Ling Qi was neatly dressed, and her actual appearance was finally revealed. She noticed that Ling Qi was actually a beautiful and lovely girl.
Yuxi was aware that Ling Qi knew how to read. For fear that Ling Qi would be ambitious and proud in the future, she told her, "Maids are bought from the lowest to the highest. Because you have learned the rules from Mama Fang, thus this time, you will start by being a third-class maid. "
Ling Qi responded, "Miss, regarding these matters, I have already gone through them with Mama Fang." At first, she thought she would roughly be a lowly messenger servant. However, she was pleased when she was appointed as a third-class maid.
Yuxi then told her, "There are many rules here. You should learn them slowly. The people in this courtyard have their own thoughts. Therefore, you should use your conscience more. Don't be easily fooled by others with just a few words. "As for those who cheated on her, she would not call out their names. She would just let Ling Qi figure it out for herself.
Ling Qi nodded. "Miss, I will be careful." In addition to her Miss, she would only bare her heart to others once she fully understood them herself.
Yuxi also said, "You can't use your name in the state residence anymore. You should change your name to Zisu[1] in the future."[T/N]
Although Ling Qi was somewhat depressed that she could no longer use her name, Zisu[1] did not sound bad either. She nodded and said, "Okay, then I will be called Zisu[1] in the future."
Yuxi shook her head and reminded, "In the residence, you can't talk directly to me, your Master. You have to go through a much higher-level servant. You must correct this." The rules might not seem that matter now, but when Wu Shi finally came, Ling Qi would be the one who suffered if she still acted like this.
Zisu[1]'s eyes were somewhat dim, but she had chosen the road herself, so she would not regret it. "Miss, this handmaiden will pay attention to it later on."
Yuxi then said, "You should not be sad either. I'll marry you out to be the head lady of a household in seven or eight years. I won't let you be a maid for the rest of your life." She knew Ling Qi had promised to be her maid only to repay her kindness. Otherwise, with such a fierce temper, how would she be willing to give way to others?
Zisu[1] shook her head. "I won't marry out. This handmaiden will serve Miss for all her life."
Yuxi didn't take this to heart, either. It was the right way for a woman to marry when she reached the age of marriage. She then instructed, "First, learn the rules from Mama Shen. If you don't understand anything, you can ask Moju or Motao." Zijin was an honest person. She was afraid that Zijin would be coaxed by Mama Shen before giving in to change sides. While Zisu[1] was a person with ideas and would not be easily tricked by just a few words.
After talking about her matter, Zisu[1] told Yuxi about another issue, "Miss, a few days ago, Uncle Lian asked an official matchmaker to go to the shop to propose marriage, but the marriage proposal was rejected by Mama Fang."
Hearing about another marriage proposal to Mama Fang, Yuxi's face darkened immediately. However, she quickly reacted and asked, "Uncle Lian? Do you know this person? "
Zisu[1] nodded. "Yes. On the tenth lunar month last year, I went shopping with Mama Fang and met two scoundrels on the street. It was Uncle Lian who helped us subdue them. I've known him since then."
Yuxi became more and more vigilant. Who knows if this was another ruse of self-injury[3] or not? As she asked, "What does this man do? Who else is in his family?"
Zisu[1] told Yuxi what she knew, "Uncle Lian eats from government coffers[4] by holding a post in Wardens' Offices of the Five Wards. His wife passed away four years ago, and they have two sons, the oldest six years old and the youngest four years old. Even the uncle's family owns properties, and he has a stable salary. His life is not bad."
When Yuxi heard that the other party's conditions were good, her facial expression eased significantly. However, she was still not completely relieved. "With his conditions, he does not have to worry about finding a new wife, and it's not a problem for him to marry an older girl with fewer circumstances than him. So, why did he take a fancy to Mama Fang?"
Zisu[1] smiled. "I heard the matchmaker say that Uncle Lian was not ready to remarry. He said he feared hurting his two sons by marrying again. However, he changed his mind when he saw that Mama Fang was a good person."
Yuxi felt doubtful. Zisu[1] knew that hearing from other people's mouths was only one-sided information. So, like Yuxi, she also needed to know more about his situation. If this man named Lian indeed had a good character and was not plotting anything, Yuxi thought it was also good for Mama Fang to marry him. After all, having a husband and children would already create a complete family, much better than Mama Fang adopting a child. She decided to check the details of this man first.[T/N]
Mama Fang's matter could be put aside for now, but the issue of studying pharmacology could not be delayed any longer. Today, Yuxi finally summoned her courage and said, "Momo[6], I want to learn pharmacology from you." These words had been hidden in her heart for several months. They would only make her continuously distressed if she had to keep them inside her again.
Momo[6] Quan was surprised for a moment, but she quickly responded and asked, "Why do you want to learn pharmacology?"
Yuxi answered, "Actually, I have long been interested in pharmacology and have bought a medical book to read. It's just that nobody guides me, and I read it slowly without understanding anything."
Huangqin / Scutellaria baicalensis / Baikal skullcap / Chinese skullcap
Source | Doronenko via Wikipedia
Source | Doronenko via Wikipedia
Momo[6] Quan showed her doubts and asked, "You said you were reading a medical book yourself?" After getting the affirmative answer from Yuxi, she asked, "Since you said you have read it, you should know about huangqin[7]?"
Yuxi nodded. "Huangqin[7], also known as fuchang[8] and huangwen, has a bitter and non-toxic root and is mainly used for treating jaundice due to heat, diarrhoea due to intestine, lower abdomen colic pain and benefiting for the small intestine."[T/N]
Momo[6] Quan could not hide the surprise on her face, but she continued to ask, "Ruixiang[10]?"
Yuxi thought for a moment before answering, "Ruixiang[10], produced in the southern prefectures and counties. It has whirling branches and trunks, soft thick leaves and evergreen all year round..."
As soon as Momo[6] Quan heard this, she knew that Yuxi was indeed interested in learning pharmacology, and she had made great efforts to learn it. One should understand that learning medicine was very dull, and reading medical books was even more so. "How long have you been reading that medical book?"
Yuxi answered with some embarrassment, "Half a year. After reading it for that long, the medical book becomes more obscure and difficult to understand. Besides, no one even teaches me. Therefore, I have been reading it slowly since it has become difficult for me to understand." She learned everything only by mechanical memorising, which was much more challenging than memorising through reviewing.
Momo[6] Quan was full of questions, "Why are you so interested in pharmacology?"
Naturally, Yuxi wouldn't say that she could use it in the future, but she still explained, "When I had smallpox last year, and there was no one to cure it, I thought that if I had my own medical skills, I wouldn't lie in bed waiting to die. So, I want to learn pharmacology after I get well, and I can use it if something happens again." Sometimes it was necessary, to tell the truth; to lie wouldn't win people's trust, especially in the presence of a person like Momo[6] Quan. Otherwise, you would never have a chance.
Momo[6] Quan's expression kept on changing. What did she mean by saying that no one could cure smallpox? It was like saying that the people of Duke Han's state residence had abandoned her. Although Yuxi did not enjoy good life conditions like Yuchen, she was still treated well. She could not believe what Yuxi had said. She asked, "Didn't you have a physician to treat your smallpox?"
Yuxi shook her head. "No, something wrong happened in the middle. The physician was delayed for two days. Therefore, rather than relying on others, it's better to rely on my own ability."
Momo[6] Quan was a person who knew at once that the matter was not that simple. "I can't promise you this since it's not within the scope of my teaching."
Yuxi was disappointed, but she would not give up. She still had plenty of time anyhow, and she would slowly grind. Other people could even grind iron bars into needles. So, she could undoubtedly win over Momo[6] Quan in the same way.
When Yuxi walked away, Momo[6] Quan called over a maid and quietly checked Yuxi's story with her. Yuxi's smallpox was known to most of the servants in the state residence, and the maid did not conceal it from Momo[6] Quan. She told her exactly what had happened.
Before, Momo[6] Quan first thought that Yuxi was a little cold-hearted, but now she was speechless. Old Lady Han was so biased that she could even ignore Fourth Miss' life. It was a miracle that Fourth Miss could make such progress without having a distorted mind. It was also because of this matter that her view of Yuxi got even better.
Momo[6] Quan had seen a lot of wise and beautiful women in the palace, but only a few were good and open-minded. These people would not complain about anything or feel sorry for themselves. Whatever situation they were in, they would try their best to live. She once said that she only taught Yuxi because it was her duty; she decided to teach Yuxi wholeheartedly at that moment.[T/C]
A few days later, Hongshan told Yuxi all the news her brother had heard, "Miss, the man named Lian Shan, whom you asked me to inquire is the patrol guard of Dongcheng[12]. My brother said that this man was a man of great courage. His wife died of illness four years ago, leaving behind two sons."
Yuxi asked, "What's his family situation? Is there any property? What's the temperament of the two children?" She needed to consider all of these matters.
Hongshan wondered why Yuxi wanted to inquire so much about this man. It was just like she was checking household registration. Hongshan dared not ask but stated, "This Patrol Guard Lian has a house and a small shop. He has a salary every month. It's just that he has a loose hand and often helps his friends. These days, he is a little tight. His two sons are very naughty. "It was usual for a boy of that age to be naughty.
Yuxi had a good impression of Patrol Guard Lian after listening to these words. At least there was no apparent big problem, "Is this news true?"
Hongshan hastily said, "My Third brother had learned the information from many people. So, there should be no problem." Although she felt strange, she knew discretion, so she didn't ask a word.
Although Yuxi believed that the information collected by Hongshan's brother would not be wrong, to be on the safe side, she still asked Steward Xiang to inquire about Lian Shan's situation. If the news obtained by Xiang Yang was the same as what was reported by Hongshan's brother, then she thought this marriage could happen.
Xiangyang's hands and feet worked very fast. The next day, he sent all the information on Lian Shan to Yuxi.
Yuxi carefully looked at the data, and the situation was roughly the same as reported by Hongshan's brother, except Xiang Yang's information was much more detailed.
After reading the information, Yuxi handed it to Zisu[1] and instructed her, "You should go to the baozi[13] shop tomorrow and read the things stated in this to Mama Li." She thought that it was useless if she was the only one who believed this person was pretty good. So, the key was to get Mama Fang's approval.[T/N]
After reading what was written, Zisu[1] smiled and asked, "Miss, do you agree?" It would be a delightful event if Mama Fang could marry Uncle Lian.
Yuxi asked with a smile, "Aren't you telling me about this in the first place in the hope that I can persuade Mama Fang to marry this patrol guard?" Zisu[1] suddenly mentioned such a thing to her because Zisu[1] hoped Yuxi could come forward and persuade Mama Fang.
Zisu[1] was somewhat embarrassed. "Miss, I think Uncle Lian is very nice, and there is nothing wrong with Mama Fang marrying him."
Yuxi said coldly, "Although your stand is good this time, before you promise others next time, think through your brain to determine if those things can be done or not?"
Zisu[1] asked with amazement, "Miss, how did you know I have made a promise to someone?"
Yuxi did not answer Zisu[1]'s question, but she instead said, "Think about where you did wrong. What's your duty? You are the first offender this time, so you will be fined three months' salary. If there will be another time, I will not dare to keep you around me anymore." She was determined not to keep a maid who would decide everything independently.
Zisu[1] was a little confused.
Yuxi did not explain what she meant; instead, she went directly to her study.
Footnotes Full List
- perilla
- She sure loves plants' names, and it seemed like she will use Zi at the beginning of her personal servant names.
- inflicting an injury on oneself to win the confidence of the enemy
- serve as a government employee
- No wonder Yuxi was mad at you, Zisu!
- A form of address for an elderly woman
- scutellaria baicalensis
- rotten intestines
- Sorry. I don’t know how to translate huangwen to English.
- daphne
- Yup, Yuxi is like that. If it were someone else... her grandmother, her father, her second sister, her stepmother all would have been assassinated.
- East Side
- steamed stuffed bun
- Wait... Who is Mama Li? New worker? One of the two apprentices?
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi