Chapter 88: The Prescription
In the small kitchen, Pear Moon took advantage of the cool weather to move the cutting board into the courtyard, practicing her knife skills by slicing tofu into fine shreds.
Autumn Abundance sat against the shaded wall, sewing shoe uppers for her, saying she aimed to finish them today.
As the two chatted idly, they suddenly saw the third-class maid Xiangyun dash past them, clutching a string of coins. She nearly tripped over the threshold as she hurried by.
Autumn Abundance, ever eager for a spectacle, grinned mischievously and teased, “What urgent errand has you running like a startled cat? If you knock out your front teeth, you won’t even earn half a string of coins for it!”
Xiangyun shot her a furious glare, knowing she couldn’t win an argument with her. She scrambled up, gathered the coins, and ran off again, turning back to spit out, “Granny Zhao sent me to fetch medicine! I’ll settle with you when I return!”
Pear Moon noticed a piece of paper on the ground and, fearing it might blow away, hurried over to pick it up. She waved for Xiangyun to come back and retrieve it. “You dropped your prescription! What’s the point of running around like that? She’s just kindly telling you to slow down!”
Only then did Autumn Abundance laugh. “You should’ve kept quiet and let her make a few extra trips!”
Ningguo Mansion had its own Manor Physician and pharmacy, so minor illnesses didn’t require going outside to buy medicine.
Now, in the heat of summer, cooling remedies to relieve heatstroke were distributed to each household for use.
Granny Zhao hadn’t seemed unwell these past few days, so it was unclear why she’d urgently sent Xiangyun out to fetch medicine.
After the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, Xiangyun returned with the medicine and reported to Granny Zhao.
Then, turning back, she carried the medicine packet to the kitchen, approaching Pear Moon with an ingratiating smile.
“Dear Xiao Yue, Granny Zhao asked me to brew the medicine, but Huan Huan is steaming pastries on the stove in the tea room. Your stove is free right now—could you spare it for me to simmer this decoction?”
Xiangyun was in charge of the small tea room, which also had a tea stove.
She probably disliked the smell of medicine and wanted to brew it in the kitchen stove instead.
The small stove was meant for simmering soups, and Pear Moon didn’t want it tainted with the bitter odor of medicine.
Yet she couldn’t outright refuse, so she brought out the charcoal stove from the small room and let Xiangyun brew the medicine in the courtyard.
“Brewing medicine would fill the kitchen with its smell, and I’m afraid Granny Fan wouldn’t be pleased either. Use the charcoal stove in the courtyard—it’s even cooler than inside.”
Xiangyun was more than willing. She quickly fetched a silver medicine pot, soaked the large packet of herbs, and set it to boil on the stove.
But barely moments after the medicine pot began to boil, the courtyard became unbearable.
Autumn Abundance was the first to leap up, waving her needlework wildly and covering her nose as she shrieked:
“You little wretch, Xiangyun! What kind of medicine are you brewing? It’s not just bitter enough to choke on—it reeks of something foul! Did Granny Zhao slap your hands, and now you’re holding a grudge, trying to poison her to death?”
Autumn Abundance’s insults were notoriously vicious. On any ordinary day, Pear Moon would have stopped her.
But the smell was truly headache-inducing. Pear Moon herself coughed violently, quickly moving the cutting board aside and fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan.
“Xiangyun, are you sure you didn’t fetch the wrong medicine for Granny? Is this stuff even meant to be consumed? Cough, cough!”
Both of them stood at a distance, yet they were nearly overwhelmed by the fumes.
Xiangyun, who had to tend to the medicine pot, had long since turned pale from the stench.
Bound by Granny Zhao’s orders and with no other choice, she covered her nose and defended herself:
“Granny Zhao checked it herself before asking me to brew it. She said after it boils two or three times, the smell will naturally lessen. You kitchen girls don’t understand—good medicine tastes bitter but cures the illness. This bitter decoction is what drives the disease away.”
Whether it would drive the disease away remained unknown, but the kitchen courtyard had become uninhabitable.
Everyone, unable to bear the smell, retreated elsewhere.
Only after the time it takes for two quarter-hours did the foul, bitter odor gradually fade.
Coupled with the cool breeze that day, it eventually became somewhat tolerable.
Xiangyun frowned, squinting as she stirred, her face turning pale with effort.
A large packet of herbs boiled with several bowls of water had reduced to half a cup of medicine, thick as ink.
Pear Moon hid outside the courtyard gate, catching a whiff of its bitter, fishy odor.
Xiangyun ladled it into a fine porcelain bowl and called for Pear Moon to fetch some southern liquor, adding two mouthfuls to the medicine.
“Xiao Yue, could you please put away the stove? I’ll take this medicine to Granny Zhao.”
She herself couldn’t stand the smell either, pinching her nose as she carried the food box, scurrying off toward the Main Chamber courtyard.
Pear Moon moved the charcoal stove back to the small courtyard, placing it in a ventilated spot to air out, afraid the odor wouldn’t dissipate.
Autumn Abundance felt nauseated by the smell and stopped sewing her shoes, sitting by the doorway and fanning herself vigorously.
“Granny Zhao is hale and hearty—how could she possibly be sick? Drinking bitter medicine without any illness or ailment—is she just bored and picking a fight with our kitchen courtyard?”
Pear Moon told her to keep quiet and opened both courtyard gates wide.
A light breeze blew for half the day, finally dispersing the smell.
But the bitterness of the odor was peculiar, and Pear Moon’s nose was sharp, the scent lingering stubbornly.
She found a few salty and sour fruits to eat, barely managing to suppress the taste.
Just then, Granny Fan returned from the gatehouse, wrinkling her nose and frowning as soon as she entered the courtyard.
“Who’s causing trouble in our kitchen courtyard, brewing such foul medicine?”
Seeing Shen Shi leave earlier, she had assumed nothing would happen and had gone to the gatehouse to join a game of leaf cards.
Pear Moon explained that Xiangyun was brewing medicine for Granny Zhao. Only upon hearing it was Granny Zhao’s medicine did Granny Fan fall silent.
Having just returned from outside, she caught the scent most clearly and couldn’t help cursing under her breath.
“This stuff is clearly Purple River Cart. At Granny Zhao’s age, what is she trying to nourish, making such a thing to eat? It’s utterly immoral and brings no good to anyone.”
She spoke softly, with only Pear Moon and Autumn Abundance nearby to hear.
Pear Moon didn’t understand what she meant and wanted to ask what “Purple River Cart” was.
Just as she was about to open her mouth, Autumn Abundance grabbed her sleeve, saying the new shoes were ready and asking her to come inside to see.
The two held hands and returned to the small room, where Pear Moon received a light tap on the forehead from Autumn Abundance.
Autumn Abundance looked disdainful, pointing at her and scolding, “Hearing Granny Fan’s foul mouth, why are you rushing to ask? What she’s talking about isn’t something good. If Granny Zhao finds out, who knows how she’ll punish us.”
Seeing that Autumn Abundance understood, Pear Moon quickly asked, “What exactly is Purple River Cart?”
Autumn Abundance only half-understood herself, hesitating and stammering for a while before finally saying seriously, “I’ve heard it’s something only pregnant women have when giving birth. If it’s processed into medicine, women who take it can bear sons.”
Could such a thing exist in the world? Eating it could make you bear a son?
Pear Moon couldn’t help but be shocked: “Granny Zhao is so old—does she still want to bear a son?”
Autumn Abundance also curled her lip: “Who knows? Maybe she has no sons and worries about having no one to care for her in old age, so she wants to bear a son for support. Who can say?”
In truth, Granny Zhao had two sons, both already married with children, and both worked under Shen Shi as assistants.
The eldest son worked as an accountant in a dowry shop and had previously come to Phoenix Ripple Courtyard to deliver account books and silver.
Pear Moon shook her head in disbelief: “Granny Zhao has a little grandson, already five or six years old. We saw him last year.”
Autumn Abundance remembered too, puzzling over it for a long time.
“Anyway, this Purple River Cart medicine is for bearing sons. My mother once took it, though it was processed into powder and had to be taken with wine. The smell was absolutely foul.”
Seeing how certain she was, Pear Moon pressed further: “Did your mother give birth to a younger brother?”
Autumn Abundance sneered coldly: “Not long after, my mother died. Where would I find a younger brother?”
Both of them were parentless, so the topic didn’t bring much sorrow, yet they didn’t know how to continue the conversation.
Sitting on the heated brick bed, they silently looked at the new shoes, heads bowed without a word.
After just a moment, Pear Moon and Autumn Abundance both patted their foreheads and laughed.
If there really were a medicine to bear children, Granny Zhao would surely have bought it for the lady to take!
Ningguo Mansion had long been hoping for a little Young Lord!