Chapter 43: Having a Request

The weather grew colder, and in the blink of an eye, it was October 12th.

At the beginning of the Si hour, a carriage from the Count of Wuyi's estate arrived to pick them up.

Feng Chuchen, Feng Buji, and Auntie Wang boarded the carriage, leaving Banxia and Shaoyao to watch the house.

Datou was extremely reluctant to leave; he sat squatting in front of the unfinished memorial archway and only ran back toward the mountains once he could no longer see his masters.

They arrived at the Count of Wuyi's estate at the beginning of the Wei hour and were led directly by a servant woman to a secluded small courtyard.

The courtyard contained only three rooms: Feng Chuchen and her brother each had one, and Auntie Wang set up a floor bed in the main hall.

Lunch was delivered consisting of four dishes and one soup—exquisite vegetarian fare.

After eating, the group was led by the servant woman to the courtyard of the Eldest Young Mistress Wen.

Wen Ying was also there.

The Eldest Young Mistress was in an excellent mood today. She beckoned with a smile, "So this is little Master Feng. He is truly handsome. I heard he had asthma, but he looks quite well."

She even rewarded Feng Buji with two brushes and two sticks of ink as a meeting gift.

Feng Buji bowed and said, "Reporting to the Eldest Young Mistress, my asthma used to be very severe, but my sister and Old Doctor Fang cured it."

The Eldest Young Mistress looked at Feng Chuchen in surprise. "You know how to treat asthma?"

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "I have not only studied gynecology and pediatrics, but also the diagnosis and treatment of other ailments..."

She brought out six boxes of Sophora Restorative Ointment and explained, "In the future, I will burn porcelain bottles to store them. These boxes are old ones that have been used; they were boiled in a pot."

She then brought out two dolls to give to Wen Ying.

They were large, pale yellow spheres with two small black round eyes, a tiny upturned red beak, a small chicken comb on top, and two little claws at the bottom.

Feng Chuchen had drawn them, and Auntie Wang had made them.

Wen Ying loved them immensely. Giggling, she asked, "Is this a little chick? It looks like one, yet not quite. It's so cute!"

Feng Buji looked at her in astonishment. "The Young Miss is so clever; you even know this doll is a baby chick. Many people can't tell." He added proudly, "My sister drew it, so of course it is unique."

The little interaction delighted the Eldest Young Mistress.

After a few moments of pleasantries, they let Feng Buji and Wen Ying eat fruit in the hall while the women went to the eastern room.

The Eldest Young Mistress smiled and said, "I invited the imperial physician to check my pulse yesterday, and he said the fetal movement and contractions have returned to normal. Let me hear how the fetal heartbeat is."

She had become even more convinced of Feng Chuchen's abilities.

After performing the examination, Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "Congratulations, Eldest Young Mistress. The fetal heartbeat, contractions, and fetal movement are all normal. There is no need for more strenuous exercises; moderate walking will suffice."

A maid brought over a silk pouch, and the Eldest Young Mistress smiled, "Thank you, Miss Feng."

Nanny Li tested the waters again, "I heard that Midwife Feng can determine the gender of..."

Feng Chuchen was very surprised. "That can't be right; I have never heard my eldest aunt mention such a thing."

A flash of disappointment crossed the Eldest Young Mistress's face.

If this child were not a son, her mother-in-law would likely allow those two "vixen" concubines to stop taking contraceptive decoctions.

After Feng Chuchen and the others left, the Eldest Young Mistress took Wen Ying to the main courtyard.

In the main hall, only Madam Wen and the Fourth Young Lady were speaking in whispers.

Madam Wen asked, "What did Miss Feng say?"

The Eldest Young Mistress smiled and recounted Feng Chuchen's words, adding, "Mother, I believe Miss Feng is a person of true skill. Not only is she proficient in gynecology and pediatrics, but she also has her own methods for treating other illnesses. Her brother had severe asthma before, and he is much better now."

Madam Wen said, "In that case, aside from midwifery, Miss Feng's other medical skills are no inferior to Midwife Feng's. We shall see after you successfully give birth. I only hope she is not just skilled in medicine, but also in her conduct..."

The Fourth Young Lady lowered her head, her face flushing red.

Returning to the small courtyard, Feng Chuchen opened the silk pouch; inside was twenty-three taels of silver.

Three taels were for the Sophora Restorative Ointment, and twenty taels were a thank-you fee.

After dinner, Feng Chuchen took Feng Buji for a stroll in the courtyard to aid digestion.

Nanny Liu, who served Madam Wen, arrived with two coarse-working servants carrying a chest.

Nanny Liu smiled and said, "Our Madam heard that the Eldest Young Mistress is feeling much better and is extremely happy. She says Miss Feng is truly the successor of Midwife Feng and possesses high medical skill. This is a reward from our Madam."

Feng Chuchen offered her thanks, and Auntie Wang then presented three silk pouches filled with silver ingots.

After they left, Feng Chuchen opened the chest.

Inside was a set of blue-and-white porcelain bowls and plates, a blue-and-white porcelain brush pot, a silver neck ring for a child, and two bolts of pale blue silk and two bolts of rose-pink silk.

It was worth at least fifty or sixty taels of silver.

The child had not yet been born; this gift seemed a bit excessive and perhaps a bit too early.

Furthermore, the gifts were very thoughtful, containing items for both her and her brother.

Feng Chuchen guessed that the Wen family must have a request, and it was likely a significant one.

The only thing they could request of her was medical treatment. Since they hadn't stated it explicitly, it was likely for some sensitive or embarrassing ailment.

The three of them lived quietly in this small courtyard. They stayed indoors in the mornings and went to check on the Eldest Young Mistress at the end of the Wei hour in the afternoons.

Almost every time, they encountered the Fourth Young Lady there.

The Fourth Young Lady's given name was Wen Shu. She was very friendly toward Feng Chuchen and Feng Buji, speaking in a soft, sweet voice.

Feng Buji had said privately more than once, "The Fourth Young Miss is beautiful and her voice is lovely. Er, she's only a little bit less than you, Sister."

A few days later, the eldest daughter-in-law of Vice Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Justice went into labor and faced a difficult delivery.

Fearing something might happen to the child, they first sent someone to White Horse Village to invite Feng Chuchen. Upon hearing she was at the Count of Wuyi's estate, they came there to invite her.

A servant woman presented five taels of silver as a consultation fee.

Feng Chuchen was not officially a doctor now; how much silver was offered for a house call was for the host to decide.

Feng Chuchen and Auntie Wang brought their belongings and went to the Jiang estate.

Seven or eight people were standing in the courtyard, including two imperial physicians.

The servant woman pointed to a middle-aged woman dressed in fine clothing and said, "This is my mistress."

Feng Chuchen bowed and said, "This humble girl greets Madam Jiang."

Madam Jiang had high cheekbones and thin lips; she looked at Feng Chuchen with a critical and distant gaze.

"At such a young age, can you perform the Yin Spirit Needle technique?"

Feng Chuchen replied, "I have only performed it once at the Count of Wuyi's estate."

"Oh. Go and wait in the delivery room."

Entering the delivery room, the laboring woman was clutching the ropes in agony. Several female physicians were busy around her, while a woman in clean clothing stood a bit further away, occasionally offering instructions.

The servant woman whispered, "That is Physician Zhou from the Palace."

This was Feng Chuchen's first time seeing the legendary Physician Zhou.

Nearly fifty years old, short and stout, she held a seventh-rank official position. She was the highest-ranking female physician and was skilled in treating gynecological issues such as postpartum hemorrhage and puerperal fever.

Midwife Feng's reputation during her lifetime was similar to hers, but her reputation after death far surpassed Physician Zhou's.

She was here primarily to save the mother.

She glanced at Feng Chuchen a few times and smiled, "Not bad. You have inherited Doctor Feng's true teachings at such a young age."

Her voice was gentle and her smile was warm; she did not seem like an expert, but rather like a neighborly woman.

Feng Chuchen smiled and said, "Physician Zhou overpraises me."

By nightfall, the infant was finally born. The mother suffered a massive hemorrhage, and the infant was suffocated.

Physician Zhou immediately began life-saving measures for the mother.

Feng Chuchen went to the side of the infant.

The baby was very plump, weighing at least seven and a half catties, but the body was bluish-purple, the eyes were tightly shut, and the right side of the head was slightly more concave than the left.

The child was already dead.

The child had died from oxygen deprivation and also had incomplete brain development. Even if the child hadn't died immediately upon birth, it would not have survived.