Chapter 9: Zheng Qiao

The doctor examined Wen Ruyu carefully before speaking:
“It’s nothing serious, but she has been sick for quite some time. A minor illness was dragged out into something more severe.”

Since it was a woman’s illness, the men weren’t present. Only Wen Ruyu’s maids, Zhao Si, and Lu Mingzhu accompanied her.

Upon hearing the words “serious illness,” Madam Zhao tightened her grip on her handkerchief.

“But you just said it wasn’t serious?” Zhao Si asked.

The elderly doctor, with his youthful face despite his white hair, looked to be around sixty to seventy years old.

He reassured them, “Don’t worry, it’s treatable. However, she will need to take medicine consistently for at least a month or two. I’ll prescribe a few doses for now, and we’ll see how she progresses after that.”

“Oh, okay, okay,” Zhao Si responded. She called for a maid to bring writing materials and waited outside while the doctor wrote the prescription.

Wen Ruyu smoothed her sleeve and stood up with the help of her daughter. She then approached the doctor and said, “Please wait a moment and check my daughter and daughter-in-law’s pulses as well.”

Since this doctor was skilled in treating women’s health, it was only natural to have him check the rest of the family.

Her daughter, now thirteen, had recently begun menstruating. In the cold seasons, her hands and feet were always chilly, which was something a gynecologist could help with.

As for her daughter-in-law, she had given birth at a young age, so it was necessary to check if she had any lingering health issues.

Zhao Si understood Wen Ruyu’s concern, but young Lu Mingzhu was still too naïve to grasp the importance.

“Mother, do I need to be checked too?” Lu Mingzhu asked in confusion, her wide eyes full of innocence.

Wen Ruyu nodded, offering a brief explanation:
“It’s just to check your general health. There’s no harm in it. Doctors examine everyone the same way.”

Zhao Si glanced at her younger sister and smiled.

Her little sister was still too young to understand that women could have health issues even if they hadn’t given birth.

The elderly doctor, experienced in his field, said nothing more. After finishing Wen Ruyu’s prescription, he also took Zhao Si and Lu Mingzhu’s pulses.

As expected, both had minor health concerns.

Zhao Si suffered from irregular menstruation, while Lu Mingzhu, being thin and somewhat frail, had a cold constitution that could lead to painful periods.

Wen Ruyu had the doctor prescribe medicine for them as well.

Since Wen Ruyu had an old ailment, her medicine was stronger.

For Zhao Si and Lu Mingzhu, the doctor prescribed lighter remedies, mostly ginger, red dates, and flower petals—gentle ingredients that could be taken long-term without issue.

Before leaving, the doctor emphasized that both Wen Ruyu and Zhao Si needed adequate rest.

Grateful, Wen Ruyu had two hundred copper coins sealed in a pouch and handed to the doctor as his consultation fee, ensuring he was sent off with care.

Medical consultations in town weren’t usually so expensive, so Wen Ruyu’s payment was quite generous.

After collecting the prescriptions, she called for Lao Da.

Lu Songnian carefully looked up each medicinal ingredient in the Materia Medica to ensure they were appropriate for women before sending a servant to the pharmacy to have them prepared.

After her medical consultation, Wen Ruyu spent time reviewing the household accounts, even bringing in the shop ledgers. It took her three to five days to go through everything.

Zhao Si had managed the shop well in recent years, and the books showed no discrepancies.

After a careful tally, Wen Ruyu estimated that the family had about 5,000 taels of silver available.

This sum had been saved back when her late husband was still alive, thanks to their businesses and farmland generating a surplus beyond social obligations.

Although her husband had been an honest official, he still accepted customary gifts during events like his son’s wedding—nothing excessive, just normal social etiquette.

There was a saying: “Three years as a magistrate, ten thousand taels of silver.” By comparison, the Lu family was relatively clean.

That day, after lunch, Wen Ruyu had ink prepared and began painting.

The original owner of her body had known how to paint but rarely did so, even in front of close family, so Wen Ruyu wasn’t worried about raising suspicion.

In her past life, Wen Ruyu had run an online business selling various products. Early on, she had partnered with a friend to sell modified Hanfu clothing.

Her friend was a fashion designer, while Wen Ruyu, with her good looks and small livestream following, had modeled the clothes, shot promotional videos, and handled customer service.

At first, business had shown promise, but since they prioritized quality, their factory orders were small, making costs high.

Eventually, competitors copied their designs and sold them cheaper. Unable to compete and facing frequent returns, they had no choice but to close the shop.

Back then, young and lacking the resources for a legal battle, she and her friend had simply wept in their rented apartment, sobbing until their voices were hoarse and their bodies cold.

Years later, as a successful livestreamer, she had learned to fight back—to stand her ground and use the law to protect herself.

With her past experience in designing modified Hanfu, she couldn’t make clothes herself, but she remembered plenty of beautiful patterns.

Even though her friend had been the main designer, Wen Ruyu had helped research traditional Chinese patterns and colors, which had inspired many of their designs.

She had always loved painting, so she could now recreate those old motifs from memory.

Adopting an ancient painting style, she sketched a few elegant designs. She wasn’t sure if her planned shop reform would succeed, so she didn’t hire an artist or embroiderer yet. Instead, she relied on her own skills to create some samples.

She was still working on her designs when Madam Yan approached, carrying a bowl of dark herbal medicine.

“Madam, it’s time to drink your medicine.”

When they were alone, Madam Yan would sometimes address her as “young lady,” but most of the time, she still called her “old madam.”

Wen Ruyu took the bowl and downed it in two gulps.

The bitterness spread across her tongue, making her frown. She wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

Spring Peach, one of her maids, quickly handed her a small dish of malt sugar.

Wen Ruyu picked up a piece and popped it into her mouth. As the sweetness melted on her tongue, the furrow between her brows eased.

As she enjoyed her candy, she noticed Madam Yan glancing at her painting.

Wen Ruyu pretended not to notice.

As long as she didn’t explain, what could Madam Yan do?

Since she possessed the original owner’s memories, she had managed to answer Madam Yan’s questions so far. But this wasn’t a long-term solution.

She needed to find a way to send this loyal old servant away.

“My health is improving, and I should be fully recovered in two months. You should go back soon—it must have been difficult for you to come all the way here to care for me.”

Two years ago, when the original Wen Ruyu returned to her late husband’s hometown, she had entrusted one of their shops to Madam Yan’s husband, Zhao Rui.

As Madam Yan aged, she had left household service to help her husband run the shop.

However, upon hearing that Wen Ruyu had fallen ill, Madam Yan had personally come to care for her.

Now, Wen Ruyu wanted her to leave.

“But madam, I—”

“Your daughter-in-law is about to give birth, isn’t she? A pregnant woman needs care. You should return home tomorrow.”

Madam Yan hesitated but said no more. Clearly, she was concerned about her pregnant daughter-in-law.

Outside the Lu family’s gate, a young man in his twenties asked the gatekeeper, “Is your second master at home?”

Recognizing him as Zheng Qiao from Xinghua Street—one of Second and Fourth Master Lu’s close friends—the gatekeeper replied, “He’s home, but he was recently punished by the old madam and likely won’t be able to go out for a few days.”

“What happened?”

“He stayed out all night without informing the household, so the old madam was displeased.”

“Oh.” Zheng Qiao nodded, deep in thought. “What about your fourth master?”

“He’s home too. Shall I report your visit?”

“Isn’t he supposed to be at school?”

“The old madam is in a good mood since the eldest master returned, so she gave him a few days off.”

“Oh, then please inform him I’m here.”

The gatekeeper nodded and went inside to deliver the message.