Chapter Five: Do One's Best

  Yao Yan carefully felt Yao Feng's pulse, then directly ordered Shanhu to remove the incense from the room and open the windows, leaving only the mosquito net to prevent mosquitoes from flying in.

  The courtyard outside is full of flowers and trees, and when the window is opened, a gentle breeze blows in with a faint scent of lotus. In no time, the stale incense smell and medicinal smell inside the house are blown away, making it much fresher.

  Yao Yan took out the set of silver needles she had been keeping to herself. They were not special silver needles, but rather ones she had bought from an old man selling them at a temple fair when she went there to burn incense. At the time, Cui Wei had asked her what she wanted them for, and couldn't they be used for embroidery instead. She had only replied with two words: fun to play with.

  This set of silver needles has been hidden by Yao Yanyu for more than six years, and it has always been used to pierce the acupoints on those cats, dogs, chickens, and rabbits. Of course, in order to find the exact location of the acupoints on a human body, Yao Yanyu had also tried them out on herself. Secretly, in the middle of the night, while pretending to sleep and deceiving everyone else, she would try it alone.

  But today was different, today she wasn't injecting needles into her own body, but rather into the patient's.

  Yao Fengge was her first patient after she arrived at this place.

  Yao Yanyu made Coral lift up the quilt, pulled up Yao Yanyu's pants, located the Zusanli acupoint, and slowly inserted the silver needle.

  She first needs to cure Yao Fengge's gastrointestinal problems. She has been drinking medicinal soup for too long, and her poor appetite has caused her stomach to be irritated to the point of near collapse. Now she can only eat a few mouthfuls before vomiting. Any good prescription or tonic is useless if she can't keep it down. In this era without IV drips or Western medicine, treating illnesses relies solely on medicinal soups, which in turn rely on gastrointestinal absorption.

  She withdrew the incense, opened the window for ventilation, and then administered acupuncture again. Yao Yanyu was busy for more than half a day before coming out of Yao Fengge's bedroom, and whispered to Shanhu: "Don't give your sister the medicinal soup yet, in her current state drinking it would only irritate her spleen and stomach, no good will come of it. For now, just make some rice porridge for her to drink. Feed her several times a day, hmm... every two hours feed her once, one time half a bowl. Use millet flour to make the porridge, got it?

  "Yes, I understand." Coral felt grateful to heaven and earth, knowing that if Yao Fengge died, her fate would likely be to go to the ancestral temple to recite scriptures for her masters.

  For three consecutive days, Yao Fengge did not use the calming incense or drink the medicinal soup. Of course, Xanadu had been keeping the matter of the medicinal soup a secret, telling outsiders that she was still using it, when in fact she had been pouring it all into the spittoon.

  Yao Fengge had moments of clarity over the past three days, but every time she saw Yao Yanyu, she would only shed tears. On the fourth day, Yao Yanyu took Yao Fengge's pulse and a faint smile appeared on her face. Yao Fengge's stomach meridian showed significant improvement, as she also received acupuncture at related points along the kidney meridian, so while her kidney energy rose, her lung fire also subsided slightly.

  In traditional Chinese medicine, the five internal organs are associated with the Five Elements: the heart meridian belongs to fire, the liver meridian belongs to wood, the spleen meridian belongs to earth, the lung meridian belongs to metal, and the kidney meridian belongs to water. The relationships of inter-promotion and inter-restraint among the Five Elements are very subtle, and traditional Chinese medical treatment follows these rules.

  This is completely different from Western medicine, and it was very unfamiliar to Yaoyan at first. However, ten years is not a short period of time, and she is smart enough. Today, she tried her hand at it for the first time and actually achieved results. It seems that Chinese civilization is indeed profound, and this magical medical skill is not just a legend.

  "Miss, how are you?" Coral saw this and felt very relieved in her heart. These past few days, Second Miss had been working hard and laboring with a sincere heart, so Coral naturally felt grateful.

  "From today on, a little bit of green vegetable leaves can be added to the porridge for sister each time. As for what kind of vegetable leaves... I'll write it down later and have someone you trust go buy them, don't disturb anyone unrelated. Understand?"

  "Yes, I understand."

  "Also, you and Li Ayi must tell Jie that her illness will definitely be cured and she won't die when she's awake. You have to make her believe it." Yao Yan reminded in a soft voice.

  Coral looked at Yao Yanyu in surprise: "Miss means that our master will definitely get better? You have 100% confidence?" A desperate person, grasping at a straw is also good.

  "I didn't mean that." Yao Yanru glanced at Yao Fengge, who had already fallen asleep, and pulled Shanhu to one side, saying in a low voice: "Think carefully, if the people at home, including the imperial physician, all say you have a serious illness that can't be cured, what would happen? You've followed Big Sister for so many years, you should understand the principle of 'three people making a tiger' and 'pointing to a deer as a horse'. Maybe this illness isn't that severe, but with all of you saying it's like she really has a terminal illness and no way out. She herself doesn't have the will to live anymore, how can this illness be cured?"

  "Yes, I understand." Coral immediately lowered her head. For more than half a year now, since the second lady inadvertently let it slip that the master's illness was probably incurable and the imperial physician said that even heaven couldn't save him, the master's mood had not been good. He couldn't eat or sleep, and every day he was filled with worry. He was so anxious that he became ill.

  Yao Yan's words made Shanhu listen carefully and naturally didn't say much more.

  Yao Yanen sent his sister to Houfu and stayed for two days before returning. Before leaving, he met with Yao Yanyu again and reminded her to take good care of herself and not to neglect etiquette while thinking about home. Yao Yanyu naturally listened humbly and repeatedly nodded in agreement.

  The upper house of the Marquis's residence was quiet, with all the young maids waiting outside, and not a sound could be heard inside.

  Madam Lu had just lit an incense stick for the Buddha and was about to open a scripture when the sound of the door curtain at the back door disturbed her tranquility. Lian Qiao, who had returned from the back door, waved her hand and dismissed the young maids, then approached Madam Lu's ear and whispered, "Lan'er sent word that Third Madame's room has been burning calming incense."

  Madam Lu's gaze was steady for a moment before returning to normal: "At this point, whether or not we use the calming incense makes no difference, does it?"

  "The mistress said so." Lian's nurse smiled slightly, even the best doctor in Lian's hospital, Dr. Zhang, said that there were only a few months left, and even if it was a god, it would be powerless to save her.

  Madam Lu's expression didn't change, she put down the Buddhist scripture in her hand and asked lightly: "Who told you to stop burning the calming incense?"

  "It's Second Young Mistress Yao." Lian's voice was low as she replied, "It was Second Young Mistress Yao who said that the incense is too strong and might be unbearable for the patient, so it was stopped. She also said that since Third Madame has been unable to drink her medicine for several days and has been dazed all along, there's no need to calm her spirit."

  Mrs. Lu slightly furrowed her brow, her eyes vague and uncertain: "That's also true."

  "Indigo said that every day, Yao's second daughter would sit in front of San Nainai's bed for a while, saying she was taking care of her, but didn't seem to be doing anything."

  "Let her go, they are sisters after all, and at this time there must be some private words to say." Madam Lu said, closing her eyes slightly, counting the rosary in her hand.

  In the backyard, in the courtyard of Fang's house, Sun's maid Qingwei and Fang's maid Cai Zhu were whispering to each other.

  "Cai Zhu sister, I heard that San Nainai's side has even stopped taking medicine?" Qing Wei asked.

  "Nothing's going on, is it? The medicine is still being decocted in the kitchen every day and sent over." Cai Zhu furrowed her brow and replied, "Don't talk nonsense, no matter what, Third Granny's medicine will never be stopped."

  "Oh, I didn't mean it that way. How much is the ginseng worth anyway? I heard it was the second daughter of the Yao family who ordered it. Anyway, Third Granny spat out the medicine after drinking it, so they just decided not to let her suffer anymore."

  "It's true. Even if you drink it, you'll just vomit it out and suffer."

  "This is still her own sister, isn't it too cruel? You say in the future she becomes a three-time grandmother, who knows how stingy she'll be."

  "You still expect a girl from a humble background to be very generous? It's already quite enough. If it weren't for the sake of the Grand Governor of the Two Rivers' position... right?" Cai Zhu smiled brightly, wanting to speak but stopping herself.

  "Alas! Poor Third Master!"

  "Go! What's there for you to worry about? You're not from Third Master's household, as long as Second Master is fond of you, that's all that matters."

  "Sister is laughing at people again! Doesn't your husband care about you?"

  ……