Meng Sijing covered her face with her handkerchief and ran for half a mile before Meng Nanzhou finally shouted for her to stop.
"Cheng Siniang did that on purpose! She wanted to see me make a fool of myself, and she even dragged eldest brother down with me, making us both a laughingstock!"
Meng Nanzhou was well aware of this, but he was more curious about why Cheng Siniang’s temperament had changed so drastically during his time away from home. Was it merely because Mother Meng had falsely accused her of adultery? Or had they used some underhanded means to torment her, causing her to break and undergo such a shift in character? Or perhaps… it was because his own growing indifference toward her of late had made her realize he was contemplating divorcing her.
Regardless of the reason, Meng Nanzhou was not concerned. Over the past six years, he had come to understand Cheng Siniang’s character perfectly. Mother Meng had treated her with nothing but blows and verbal abuse, never once showing her a kind face, and Meng Sijing had insulted and bullied her, never once treating her like a sister-in-law. Yet, Cheng Siniang had never dared to utter a word of dissent, nor had she ever complained. This wasn't because she feared Mother Meng or Meng Sijing; it was simply because she was desperately in love with him.
Cheng Siniang’s adoration and attachment to him were the best weapons Meng Nanzhou had to manipulate the Cheng family, and they had long been his primary means of controlling her. As long as he showed even the slightest hint of tenderness, Cheng Siniang would be like a stray dog catching the scent of a bone, rushing to him to wag its tail and beg for scraps. In this world, there was nothing easier than dealing with Cheng Siniang.
Meng Sijing was too preoccupied to notice Meng Nanzhou’s distraction. In her chaotic flight just now, not only had she failed to take the pork knuckles from the Cheng family, but she had also left the medicine from Jishi Hall on the counter. She couldn't bear the shame of going back now.
"Let’s go home first. We’ll discuss everything else later." Meng Nanzhou reached out to pull his sister along, but seeing how filthy she was, he drew his hand back.
"I don't want to!"
She was reeking of filth. To return to Yunxi Village from town, she would have to go to the city gate and take an ox cart. An ox cart would be carrying seven or eight fellow villagers; if they saw her in such a pathetic state, she would lose all face.Meng Nanzhou was at a loss with her. After a moment of contemplation, he made a decision: "I’ll take you to see someone. Not only can she heal your hand, but she can also get you a new dress. However, you must remember: tell no one about this."
Meng Sijing looked curious. Who could be so mysterious to make her brother look so solemn?
*
"Mother! Mother!" Meng Sijing jumped off the carriage and hurried toward Mother Meng’s room with wind in her stride. "Guess who I saw today!"
"My precious child, your hand is still injured—slow down!" Mother Meng anxiously took Meng Sijing’s palm, turning it over to examine it. When she realized that fingers which couldn't move this morning were now moving freely, she looked shocked. "It’s healed? Your hand is healed!"
Meng Sijing’s eyes crinkled into crescents as she told Mother Meng everything that had happened in town, point by point. "Mother, you don’t know—compared to Sister Zhiyi, Cheng Siniang is like mud to a cloud. She doesn't even measure up to a single strand of Sister Zhiyi’s hair. Look, is this dress I’m wearing pretty? Sister Zhiyi gave it to me—it’s brand new. And that carriage earlier? Sister Zhiyi specifically rented it just to bring Brother and me back."
"Is she really that good? If she can even heal your injury, couldn’t she work as a doctor at Jishi Hall? I’d never heard of the Feng family sending their daughter to study medicine before." Mother Meng was a bit skeptical and turned to look at her son.
A look of pride, as if he himself had achieved it, appeared on Meng Nanzhou's face. "Jishi Hall? That’s an understatement. A'yi’s medical skills are unparalleled throughout the land. She studied under the Medicine King Valley and was mentored by the Medical Sage; she inherited the true teachings. Difficult, stubborn ailments that other doctors can’t treat are like child's play in her hands."
Mother Meng was startled. "The Medical Sage? Are you talking about the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley, the world’s greatest healer and the paragon of today’s physicians? Does that mean Zhiyi is the Medical Sage’s disciple?"Meng Nanzhou shook his head. "Not so. The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley has never taken on students from the outside. He once declared that if he were to take an apprentice in this life, it would only be one person. That person does not need to possess extraordinary medical skills, but they must be a kindred spirit."
"What counts as being a kindred spirit?" Meng Sijing thought the Medical Sage’s requirements were bizarre. To choose an apprentice based on fate rather than skill—it wasn't as if they were seeking immortality or pursuing the Dao; why obsess over such nonsense?
"I don't know, but as long as the Medical Sage hasn't found an apprentice, A'yi still has hope." Meng Nanzhou had great confidence in his beloved.
Meng Sijing and Mother Meng both nodded. If they succeeded, they would never have to worry about minor illnesses or pains ever again. They were eager to welcome Feng Zhiyi into their home immediately.
The courtyard gate creaked as someone pushed it open. A young woman entered, a basket strapped to her back. Her frame was slender but not frail, possessing an air of resilience. Her hair was pulled up, secured only by a wooden hairpin, and a few stray locks, caught by the biting wind, fluttered against her cheeks in a messy fashion.
The Meng mother and daughter exchanged a look: the prerequisite was that they first find a way to drive Cheng Siniang out of the house.
After Cheng Nuo met her two brothers in town, she bought some rice, flour, grain, and oil. She had intended to go to the confectionary shop to get some snacks for her nieces and nephews, but the moment she saw the prices, her heart sank.
Ordinary candied fruits and cakes were sold by the tael, costing over a hundred wen per tael, and they didn't even look particularly appetizing. Even the cheapest malt sugar cost a wen apiece.
With so many children in the Cheng family, giving each one ten pieces would cost nearly a tenth of a tael of silver.
Cheng Nuo counted the meager copper coins in her purse, found an excuse to send her two brothers away, and slipped into the virtual mall to buy two pounds of long-lasting Alpine hard candies, quickly tearing off the wrappers.
She also added a few pounds each to the bags of rice and flour. Afraid that her brothers would notice if she added too much, she didn't dare go overboard.
The three of them returned to Dali Village together.
As luck would have it, the eldest brother and Father Cheng were still out castrating pigs for someone else. Mother Cheng and the third sister-in-law had both returned to their maiden homes; in a few days, the sister-in-law’s younger brother would be getting married, and they had gone to help manage the wedding banquet.
The second sister-in-law was not one for socializing and spent all day in her room, so Cheng Nuo did not disturb her.
Only the eldest sister-in-law was in the courtyard pickling radish strips. She didn't even lift her eyelids when Cheng Nuo returned, let alone offer a greeting.
It was only when Cheng Ershun and Cheng Sanhu took out the rice and flour Cheng Nuo had bought that a flicker of astonishment crossed Mrs. Zhao's face, followed immediately by anger. She looked as though she could grind her back teeth to dust.
She turned her back to them, leaving Cheng Nuo staring at the back of her head.
Cheng Nuo paused for a moment before remembering that, in the past, the original host usually arrived empty-handed and left with a full haul. If the original host ever brought anything to her maiden home, it could only mean one thing: she had some grander scheme afoot.
She was either there to beg for money or to steal something!
Cheng Nuo knew the original host was unwelcome, and changing the family’s deeply ingrained impression would not happen overnight.
She declined the invitation from Cheng Ershun and Cheng Sanhu to stay for a meal, only making a few inquiries of her two brothers.
Having received her answers, she got up and returned to Dali Village.
Taking advantage of the fact that it was still early and the sun had not yet set, she went to the back mountain again. Her luck wasn't as good as the previous two times; apart from a few small wild mushrooms, she didn't see any live prey, and there weren't even many chestnuts to be found.
The mushrooms didn't add up to a pound, so Cheng Nuo didn't bother trying to sell them. She tossed them into her basket and brought them home, planning to make soup that night.
As she pushed open the courtyard gate, she saw the three members of the Meng family staring at her. Meng Sijing, as usual, gave her a cold look, glared at her, and turned to go inside.
Mother Meng exchanged a look with Meng Nanzhou and followed her in.
Cheng Nuo leaned her small sickle against the wall and was just about to loosen the basket from her shoulders when she suddenly felt her load lighten.
"It gets dark early in winter, and the mountain paths are treacherous in the deep, cold night. Take care, Siniang."
Meng Nanzhou was being so gentle it was as if he had become a different person. Cheng Nuo was left completely bewildered.
He who offers favors without cause is either a thief or a scoundrel.