◎Bitter medicine cures the illness◎

Recently, Yun Sui had been quietly observing Chu Yufu and had picked up some knowledge about herbs. When they stepped out of Yunxi Hall, she leaned closer and whispered, “Miss, is Third master really sick or is he faking it? The medicine you prescribed is full of Coptis and Sophora root… aren’t you deliberately making things hard for him?”

“You’re sharp!” Chu Yufu winked at her, a dimple appearing on her cheek. “He really is sick, I wouldn’t dare lie about that—but it’s also true that he needs to taste some bitterness!”

“Then… after taking the medicine, will someone who doesn’t like studying suddenly enjoy it?” Yun Sui asked in surprise.

“You’ll see soon enough!” Chu Yufu replied with a mischievous smile, refusing to elaborate further. She then said, “Go find the steward in a moment and ask him to send someone to our courtyard. Convert an empty side room into a kitchen. Starting tomorrow, I’ll write out a list of ingredients and have them delivered so I can make medicinal dishes for Third Brother.”

Yun Sui pouted, clearly reluctant: “Miss, you really don’t need to make extra trouble for yourself!”

Chu Yufu patted her lightly, teasing: “Silly, making it for him is really just making it for ourselves. Whether he eats it or not, I don’t care—I actually feel like tasting it myself!”

Yun Sui paused, then suddenly realized what she meant. Joy lit up her eyes, and she tugged on Chu Yufu’s sleeve with a shy grin: “Miss, you’re really clever!”

At the fork in the road, Yun Sui turned and dashed off to find the steward, while Chu Yufu pulled her cloak tighter and hurried back.

Winter weather could change in an instant. She had barely walked a few steps from Yunxi Hall when the sky turned grayish-yellow, the light dim, and the cold wind cut at her face like knives. From afar, she saw two slender figures standing at the entrance of Zhuyu Courtyard. As she approached, she realized it was Fourth Sister, Chu Linglan, and her mother, Madam Bai.

As she neared, Madam Bai bowed slightly: “Second Miss.”

Madam Bai was a gentle, fair-skinned woman with a graceful figure. Her features were plain, but her eyes were exceptionally beautiful.

Like Madam Wan, she had been brought into the Chu household to bear children, but she was different. Madam Wan had been favored by Master Chu for her beauty, only later to fall out of favor. Madam Bai, however, had never received special attention, like a wildflower on the periphery—Master Chu would glance her way when he remembered, or not, and Madam Wu never took her seriously. Her life in the household was neither particularly good nor terribly bad.

As the only other secondary wife in the household, she had previously had some interactions with Madam Wan, and the two occasionally spoke.

Chu Yufu smiled and invited them inside: “Fourth Sister, Madam Bai, what brings you here today?”

Madam Bai, a little embarrassed, adjusted the long hair on her shoulder: “It’s that Lan’er has been coughing for a while without improvement. The medicine didn’t help, so I thought to trouble you to have a look.”

Entering the main room and removing her cloak, Chu Yufu had Chu Linglan sit down. She took her pulse and asked her to open her mouth to check her throat. In a gentle voice, she said: “Fourth Sister is mostly fine. The illness has nearly cleared; only a residual cough remains. Avoid cold or greasy food for now. Boil some ginger and red dates with brown sugar—drink it a few times, and you’ll recover.”

Madam Bai exhaled in relief and patted her daughter’s back: “That’s good. Thank you for your trouble.”

Chu Yufu smiled: “We’re family; there’s no need to be so polite.”

As they were leaving, Chu Linglan, with a hoarse voice, shyly thanked her and handed over two small packets of candy wrapped in oiled paper before following her mother out.

Yun Sui came to collect the used teacups and refilled them with hot tea, smiling: “Miss, this place is almost like a small clinic now. Everyone in the household knows your kind heart. Whenever someone has minor ailments, they all want to come to Zhuyu Courtyard.”

Since Second Miss had treated her and her cousin’s illnesses, her reputation as a skilled healer had spread. On two occasions, Gu Mama encountered difficult cases and specifically consulted Miss, who kindly and humbly offered advice. Following her prescriptions, the illnesses were cured. Now even the other young ladies in the household sought Miss’s help.

As one of the few maids in the courtyard, Yun Sui felt honored. Those who had previously avoided Zhuyu Courtyard regretted it. People inevitably fall ill, and now everyone called her “Sister Yun Sui,” thinking that if they ever fell seriously ill, maintaining a good relationship might allow her to pass along a message to Second Miss—and perhaps save a life.

Chu Yufu lightly swirled her teacup, let the tea leaves settle, and took a sip.

Having a reputation within the household was not enough; her ambitions were much greater. One day, when everyone outside knew of her medical skill, that would be ideal.

With Madam Wu’s approval, the steward acted efficiently. By the afternoon, a stove had been set up in Zhuyu Courtyard, and the next day the household staff busied themselves preparing a nourishing medicinal dish: Old Duck Soup with Glehnia and Polygonatum to moisten the lungs and enrich yin.

The duck had been stewing for several hours until tender and rich, its fat melting into the pale, clear soup. The inherent sweetness of the American ginseng and Solomon’s seal wasn’t like sugar but like the fresh sweetness of wild herbs, and the enticing aroma of the meat filled the small courtyard.

Once the duck soup was ready, Chu Yufu lined up four bowls, ladled in the thick broth, and added several pieces of meat to each, calling the little maids to eat together.

Lan Zhu: “It smells amazing! Miss, your cooking is truly wonderful!”

Yun Sui: “I’m so lucky to follow you, Miss! This is the first time I’ve eaten such delicious duck!”

Yin Suo: “It’s so tasty, but Miss… is this really okay…”

Chu Yufu blew on her hot soup and took a satisfied sip: “Why wouldn’t it be okay? We’re just testing the dishes for Third Brother. If we don’t taste it ourselves, how would we know how it turned out?”

Yin Suo tilted her head and thought it over—Miss was right. She gulped down a mouthful of soup, feeling that following Second Miss was truly a blessing!

After everyone had eaten, Chu Yufu chose a delicate celadon Ru kiln bowl, filled it with soup, a duck leg, and a duck wing, and packed it in a food container for Lan Zhu to deliver to Yunxi Hall.

The next day, she made Poria pork rib soup; on the third day, white fungus and lily soup; the fourth day, Angelica and ginger mutton soup. After four days of medicinal dishes, the little girls of Zhuyu Courtyard felt their hands and feet warm and slept more soundly—but Chu Junze had a hard time!

Before dinner, staring at the dark, bitter-tasting medicinal soup in front of him, Chu Junze felt his stomach churn and retched reflexively, covering his mouth and shouting, “Bring it away! I’m not drinking this!”

Madam Meng remained firm, her face stern: “Third Brother, bitter medicine benefits the illness. Where in the world is medicine ever tasty? You’d better drink it quickly. Once you’re better, you won’t have to endure it anymore.”

Seeing Chu Junze glaring at the bowl with a pained expression, she added, “Even if you stall us, it’s useless. If it cools, we’ll reheat it; if it spills, we’ll make more. All of this is Madam’s order.”

Hearing his mother invoked, Chu Junze groaned, hesitated a moment longer, then pinched his nose and forcefully swallowed the medicine, grimacing from the bitterness.

After he finished, Madam Meng left with the others. Red Shao, a maid, came to feed him candied fruits, whispering, “Young Master, Madam only wants what’s best for you. Once you’re better, you won’t need to drink it anymore.”

Chu Junze’s eyes suddenly lit up—indeed! Once he was better, he wouldn’t have to drink this bitter medicine! And it seemed that his Second Sister’s remedies were actually working; after drinking, he no longer felt as irritable and frustrated as before.

The next day, he surprisingly got up early. At dawn, he lit a candle and sat at the desk to study on his own, reading aloud with a loud, resonant voice for half an hour before taking a break.

When Madam Wu heard about it while dressing, she froze mid-motion, thrilled: “Really? He actually got up early and studied on his own?”

Madam Meng was also pleased: “Can there be any doubt? The candle was lit early, and the maids heard him reading! Second Miss is truly amazing—medicine that cures as it should, simply miraculous!”

Madam Wu’s eyes twinkled with a smile. After a long pause, she said, “Since he’s better, let him finish the medicine for two more days, then stop. Oh, and this counts as credit for Second Miss. Choose a bolt of patterned satin from my chest and give it to her.”

Madam Wu had four or five bolts of patterned satin. Madam Meng hesitated: “Madam, should it be the peony-patterned one or the diamond-and-floral patterned one?”

Madam Wu rolled her eyes: “The little maid will be fine with the peony pattern. Don’t worry about her managing it.”

Madam Meng realized she had asked a silly question and fell silent.

…

On November 30th, fine snow drifted outside. The room was unusually dim. Chu Yufu woke naturally, lay still for a while, then called for someone.

Lan Zhu lit the candles and brought hot water for her to wash up, while Yun Sui and Yin Suo brought breakfast to the table. She finished washing, sat down, and picked up a bowl of red bean porridge, noticing it had cooled slightly. She wondered aloud, “Did I wake up late today? How did the porridge get cold?”

Food in Zhuyu Courtyard came from the main kitchen. Normally, her wake-up time coincided with the delivery of meals, so it was always served warm.

Yun Sui explained, “This morning, Madam, you, and our cousin are going to the Winter Banquet. Everyone was busy dressing, so Madam asked the kitchen to prepare breakfast earlier. That’s why it was delivered a little early. Shall I warm it up for you over the small stove?”

The porridge was still edible, so Chu Yufu shook her head: “No need.”

After breakfast, she sent the maids away, took a book, and reclined casually on the bed. She first silently reviewed the twelve meridians and the circulation of the Ren and Du meridians, noting their functions. Then she opened her maternal grandfather’s Four Directions Moxibustion and took out a cotton pad, repeatedly practicing inserting, lifting, thrusting, and twisting the needle.

This body had not undergone systematic training, so her finger strength and stability were just barely sufficient. She still had a long way to go.

By the afternoon, she spread out her partially written Military Medical Guide, bit her brush while adding two new prescriptions she had just thought of. Before the ink had dried, Lan Zhu came to report that their cousin had arrived.

She quickly set the book aside on the bookshelf, and just as she did, Cousin Lu knocked and entered, carrying a chill in his coat, lips pressed tightly, and eyes glancing at her nervously.