Chapter 40: Father-in-law

The weather grew colder, and the autumn atmosphere deepened.

Having arrived in this other world two months ago, although she thought of her grandfather from her previous life constantly, her love for her younger brother, Feng Buji, was completely etched into her very bones.

Feng Chuchen actually felt a sense of belonging to a home.

What made her feel even more relieved was that the path ahead was gradually becoming clear.

On September 19th, Carpenter Liu finished making the simple stethoscope.

It was polished very smooth and coated with bright lacquer.

Feng Chuchen liked it very much and named it the "Listening Cylinder."

She placed it against Feng Buji's neck to listen, and the sound of his pulse was crystal clear.

She gave Carpenter Liu another four hundred copper coins and asked him to make five more.

Feng Buji asked curiously, "Sister, can this little cylinder really hear heartbeats and pulses?"

"Of course." Feng Chuchen pressed the stethoscope against her own wrist. "Listen, brother."

Then she pressed it against her own chest.

"Listen again, brother."

Feng Buji listened seriously for a while and smiled. "I heard it. Thump-thump, thump-thump."

Feng Chuchen then pressed the stethoscope against Feng Buji's chest to let Auntie Wang, Banxia, and Shaoyao listen.

They also smiled and said, "We heard it, we heard it."

Feng Chuchen briefly explained the principle. "If there is no murmur in the heartbeat, sixty to one hundred beats every eighteen breaths is normal. You can also hear the fetal heartbeat, which is the heartbeat of the fetus inside the mother's womb..."

The next morning, after tying Datou to the house to guard it, Feng Chuchen led her family in a hired donkey cart into the capital.

She placed Feng Buji and Shaoyao at the Xu Family Bun Shop, which was not far from the Marquis of Wuyi's manor, to eat lunch there.

The Xu Family Bun Shop was a famous snack shop in the capital, known for its thin skins, plenty of meat, and excellent value.

The others went to the Marquis of Wuyi's manor.

Upon arriving at the eastern corner gate, they were led directly to Grandmistress Tang's courtyard.

Just as they reached the courtyard entrance, they saw a man in brocade clothing walking out.

He was likely the heir of the Marquis of Wuyi; it was said he served as a fifth-rank general in the Imperial Camp.

Feng Chuchen gave him a slight curtsy.

Wen Kai nodded to her. He felt suspicious in his heart—could such a young girl truly possess such great medical skills?

Grandmistress Wen and her daughter, Tang Ying, were sitting on a couch in the side room.

Grandmistress Wen smiled and said, "Miss Feng has arrived; we were just looking forward to seeing you."

Feng Chuchen sat down, while Auntie Wang and Banxia stood behind her.

Tang Ying said to Feng Chuchen, "Auntie, when you pick up my brother, please make sure he is obedient and doesn't insist on not coming out. Mother is in pain, and it breaks my heart."

The little girl was five years old this year, as lovely as white jade, and very articulate.

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "Alright, I will certainly try my best."

After the wet nurse took Tang Ying away, Grandmistress Wen said, "I heard from my second sister-in-law that the Sophora Officinalis Repair Ointment Miss Feng gave her is extremely effective, with a good scent and color. How much is a box?"

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "That kind of ointment uses many good medicinal ingredients and is troublesome to make, so it is somewhat expensive. It is five silver taels per box."

Grandmistress Wen smiled. "As long as it works well, a higher price is no matter. Next time, bring twenty boxes; my second sister-in-law and I will use some, and we will take some more to give as gifts."

Feng Chuchen said, "Making that ointment is time-consuming, and I am busy, so I haven't made that many."

"I'll take as many as you have. For the past few days, I have been following Miss Feng's method—resting on my left side and doing exercises every day. I invited a doctor to check my pulse two days ago, and he still said the fetal movement was frequent..."

Feng Chuchen checked her pulse; indeed, the fetal movement was frequent.

She then had her lie down and used the stethoscope to monitor the fetal heartbeat.

Grandmistress Wen was initially reluctant. "What is this thing? I haven't seen anything like it before."

Feng Chuchen smiled. "This is the listening cylinder designed by my aunt and me. It can hear the fetal heartbeat. Through the fetal heartbeat, one can more accurately determine if the fetus is healthy..."

Hearing that it was designed by the late Midwife Feng, Grandmistress Tang cooperated very well and lay down.

The stethoscope was pressed against her large belly and moved to several positions before the sound could be heard.

The fetal heartbeat was rapid.

Furthermore, it was discovered that her contractions were frequent.

Hearing that the fetal heartbeat was abnormal and the contractions were frequent, Grandmistress Tang said anxiously, "What should be done?"

The Shui family had a set of acupuncture techniques specifically for regulating contractions. Combined with Midwife Feng's writings, Feng Chuchen had already figured out a set of techniques.

Feng Chuchen administered acupuncture to her. "Grandmistress, your contractions are frequent, which can easily cause abnormal fetal movement and heartbeat. You must continue the knee-chest position exercises I told you to do, once in the morning and once in the evening, for fifteen minutes each time. I will come to check and perform acupuncture again in ten days."

Grandmistress Wen invited Feng Chuchen to stay for lunch.

Feng Chuchen politely declined. "My brother is still at the bun shop."

Grandmistress Wen smiled. "Bring him to the house to play next time; there's no need to stay outside right at our doorstep."

She had her maid pay one tael of medical fees and also gave four extra packs of osmanthus cakes made by the manor's kitchen.

Feng Chuchen and the others arrived at the bun shop.

They saw Feng Buji chatting and laughing with an elderly man at another table.

The old man was in his sixties, wearing cloth clothes and a wooden hairpin; he was tall, robust, and smiling.

Feng Buji also saw Feng Chuchen and said to the elder with a smile, "Grandpa, this is my sister. Her medical skills are high, she is beautiful, she can cure many illnesses, and she is very good at acupuncture."

The little fellow was constantly showing off his sister, though he was quite clever; he didn't dare mention the "Shadow Needle" to strangers.

Feng Chuchen gave her brother a reproachful look and smiled at the old man. "I've made you laugh, sir."

The old man laughed heartily. "The little one is very likable and very smart."

Feng Buji asked again, "Sister, did you hear the fetal heartbeat?"

"I heard it. We will do a follow-up check in ten days."

Feng Chuchen ordered several bowls of rice porridge, several steamers of small buns with bamboo shoots and mushrooms, and a few vegetable dishes.

As they were eating, the low whispers of several men at the next table drifted over again.

"Have you heard? As soon as the eldest Young Master Ming left the capital a few days ago, the Duke of Ding's manor called off his engagement to the third Miss Xue. Don't you think it's strange? The third Miss Xue, who couldn't even get out of bed, suddenly recovered her health and is no longer ill."

Everyone who could hear him looked up, including Feng Chuchen and her group.

Another person said, "Ha, this news has already spread throughout the capital; everyone knows. The eldest Young Master Ming's fate as a 'lone star of misfortune' has been further confirmed; he can forget about getting a wife in this lifetime."

"Tsk tsk, what a pity. A fine, iron-blooded man, handsome and of high birth, destined to be a bachelor for life."

A man at another table said leisurely, "It's not just the eldest Young Master Ming. The second Master Ming hasn't married in his thirties, and the third Master Ming is twenty-six or twenty-seven and still hasn't married. Tell me, why are they willing to remain bachelors?"

The others shook their heads.

"I don't know."

"I don't know."

That man smiled and added, "Both of them were wounded on the battlefield—wounded in their 'vital parts.' With three men in one family unable to marry, it's no wonder Dowager Madam Ming is sick with anger from the stress."

As they spoke, everyone's eyes lit up, and even Feng Chuchen found it quite engaging.

The gossiping ability of people in ancient times was too strong.

Using the men of the Duke of Ding's manor as entertainment, and without even any sense of discretion.

The fact that commoners could speak freely and dare to mock high-ranking officials also demonstrated the openness of this dynasty.

They didn't notice that the two young men at the old man's table were flushing red with anger, wanting to stand up and fight, but were stopped by a look from the old man.

"Treat it as a joke and eat."

The old man felt they weren't wrong; it was their own descendants' fault for being so useless.