Yang Rong pulled his mother into the room to find his father. Seeing his father sitting motionless in the chair, he ran over and tugged at his sleeve.
“Father, Father, I want to go to a private school to study!”
Official Yang was surprised and asked why he suddenly wanted to study.
Yang Rong, not noticing the subtle expression on Madam Yang’s face as she followed them in, said matter-of-factly, “I don’t want Mother to be sad anymore. Just now Mother was crying because she wanted me to go study. So I thought, if I study, Mother won’t be sad anymore, right?”
Official Yang quickly stood up and asked Madam Yang what was wrong, saying why would she suddenly cry for no reason.
As he spoke, his heart was uneasy, feeling that his wife must know something. After being husband and wife for so many years, sharing a bed for so long, he knew his wife was an observant person.
Madam Yang glanced at him quietly and said flatly, “What could possibly be wrong with me?”
Seeing the Three Yellows Pills still unused on the table, she changed the subject and urged him to take the medicine quickly.
“Doctor Xu said to take them with warm water. There’s water in the room, go pour some yourself. Don’t always wait for me to remind you.” As Madam Yang spoke, she sat down on a nearby stool.
Official Yang’s body stiffened. No need to wonder anymore. His wife definitely knew.
Not daring to think further, he poured five pills into his palm and quickly swallowed them.
The pills had an unmistakable bitter taste mixed with the sweetness of honey, making them even more unpleasant.
Official Yang felt the bitterness lingering on his tongue and in his throat for a long time, and quickly gulped down two more cups of warm water.
As long as the diagnosis was correct, medicine prescribed for the condition would show results after taking it.
Pills worked more slowly, but after about a quarter hour, Official Yang felt less thirsty. Unlike before, when he would become unbearably thirsty before even half a quarter hour had passed.
Official Yang was delighted. “Doctor Xu’s medical skills are truly brilliant. I actually feel much better.”
So young, yet surely destined for great achievements in the future.
Seeing him like this, Madam Yang only said flatly, “Doctor Xu should be arriving soon. I’ll go outside to wait for him.”
Official Yang suddenly called out, “Wife…”
Madam Yang cut him off. “Whatever you want to say, don’t say it in front of Rong’er. I don’t blame you for anything. If I’m to blame anyone, I blame this unjust world that won’t tolerate a mere woman speaking her mind.”
Official Yang fell silent.
Madam Yang looked up at him once, then left the main room with pursed lips and went out to the courtyard.
…
“Doctor Xu.”
Shortly after Madam Yang went outside, she saw Xu Yi returning with his medicine box. Behind him followed a child wearing a narrow-sleeved robe.
Last time her mind had been elsewhere, but seeing the child again now, she couldn’t help but take a closer look.
Xu Yi was invited inside. He turned to Madam Yang and said, “Could you please bring an oil lamp, Madam Yang?”
The weather had turned colder recently. The Yang family’s bed platform was covered with soft padding. Xu Yi had Official Yang remove his upper garment and lie down.
He opened his medicine box and took out a cotton cloth bundle. After unwrapping it, he laid out a row of stone needles.
At this moment, Madam Yang came in holding an oil lamp and placed it on a low table nearby.
She stood quietly to one side, watching how Xu Yi administered the needles.
Neither Official Yang nor Madam Yang had seen these stone needles before. Seeing they were rough needles made of stone, they both found them quite peculiar.
Compared to their curiosity, Xu Yi felt an additional trace of excitement.
He had bought these stone needles so long ago but had never used them clinically. This time, Official Yang’s condition was an excellent experimental medical case. He first used a plain white cloth, dampened it with wine, and wiped the acupoint areas where he would perform moxibustion.
After wiping, Xu Yi took out the stone needles and heated the narrow, rounded part over the oil lamp flame. He chose the Weiwanxiashu position on the lower back of the stomach meridian, that is, following the eighth vertebral spinous process downward, at the Zhongwan acupoint located three cun (inches) apart between the two points.
The stone needles didn’t need to pierce the skin; they only needed to be placed on the corresponding acupoints after being heated.
Xu Yi placed the stone needle in his hand on Official Yang’s body. Official Yang let out a soft “hmm.”
Xu Yi asked, “Does it hurt?”
Official Yang responded with an “mm,” but seeing Madam Yang’s eyes on him, he instinctively added, “Not too painful.”
Xu Yi merely watched without speaking and continued the needle treatment.
As for the next acupoints to be treated, they were the “three points.”
The “three points” were: the Quchi point in the depression when the left arm was bent, the Xuehai point on the inner side when the left knee was bent, and the Zusanli point located four finger-widths below the inner knee eye under the kneecap at the knee joint.
These three acupoints needed to be stimulated with pressing force, one hundred moxa cones at each point, meaning pressing one hundred times.
With only Xu Yi doing the work, it would consume too much energy and take too long.
He said, “Ah Xu, go wash your hands.”
Ah Xu nodded. “Yes, sir.”
When he returned from washing his hands, Xu Yi said, “You heat the stone needle and press it at this position. Count to fifty twice, then you can stop.”
What he assigned to Ah Xu was the Zusanli point. This acupoint was below the knee. Official Yang was lying down, and Xu Yi sat at the side of the bed platform, which happened to leave space for Ah Xu to administer the needle.
Ah Xu listened carefully to Xu Yi’s instructions. After hearing them, he couldn’t help but say softly, “Sir, I’ve never used this before.”
Never mind using it, this was the first time he’d even seen these stone needles.
His curiosity was no less than that of the Yang family.
Xu Yi said, “It’s fine. The strength of someone your age is just right. Just use the same force you use when washing clothes, and that will work. If there are any problems, I’ll take responsibility.”
With these words, Ah Xu felt less nervous. He picked up the stone needle and carefully held it over the fire to heat it.
Hearing their conversation, Official Yang’s heart skipped a beat.
When Ah Xu applied the heated stone needle to the acupoint, the slightly warm sensation touching his skin immediately made him feel tingly and numb, making him want to hum comfortably.
Official Yang squinted his eyes, and in the next moment, a wave of soreness and numbness struck.
He: “!!!”
Official Yang opened his eyes, feeling like his inner thigh had instantly lost all sensation, going so soft and numb that he couldn’t quite control it… He wanted to go to the toilet…
“Doctor Xu, I need to…” His face showed embarrassment as he opened his mouth, everything being so difficult to express.
Xu Yi said, “This is normal. Official Yang must endure a bit longer.”
Official Yang’s breathing paused slightly. “How much longer?”
Xu Yi: “A quarter hour.”
Official Yang: “…”
In all his years, Official Yang had rarely been as flustered as today. A quarter hour suddenly became impossibly long.
He waited and waited. Xu Yi was still unhurriedly warming the acupoints. The discomfort in his lower abdomen and the tingling numbness in his legs became unbearable torture.
Just when he could barely hold it any longer, Xu Yi finally stopped.
Xu Yi said, “Official Yang, time’s up.”
…
After leaving the Yang residence.
Ah Xu followed beside Xu Yi, his small face tilted slightly upward looking at Xu Yi’s profile. He held back, but still asked softly, “Sir, do you dislike Official Yang?”
Hearing this, Xu Yi raised an eyebrow, smiled, and didn’t answer. Instead, he asked, “Why do you ask?”
Ah Xu scratched his head and said somewhat uncertainly, “When you were talking to Official Yang, you never smiled.”
Xu Yi: “…”
He recalled and found that indeed, he hadn’t smiled earlier.
Was it that obvious?
Xu Yi said, “This matter, you know, I know, heaven knows, earth knows. Don’t tell Ah Jin.”
Ah Xu nodded and said honestly, “Ah Jin doesn’t know Official Yang. I won’t tell her.”
Official Yang’s illness couldn’t be cured in just a day or two.
Xu Yi had to come to the Yang residence for a whole week to treat Official Yang with stone needles. Compared to last time, Ah Xu was much more confident in administering the needles to Official Yang this time.
After several days, Official Yang’s symptoms improved considerably. During the needle treatment, he no longer felt the urge to use the toilet. Xu Yi felt somewhat regretful that he could no longer see Official Yang embarrassedly holding up his pants and rushing outside.
As a first-time patient receiving stone needle treatment, Xu Yi considerately gave him a discount when calculating the fee.
Only ten wen per day. A very fair price.
After seven days, Xu Yi no longer needed to come to the Yang residence, but he still instructed Official Yang to continue taking the Three Yellows Pills as before.
Official Yang repeatedly agreed. These past few days had been quite an ordeal for him, and he already deeply regretted his actions. Looking at Madam Yang again, he not only felt guilty but also remorseful.
At nightfall, Official Yang entered the room and saw Madam Yang lying on the inner side of the bed, her back turned outward. He walked over quietly and reached out to touch her shoulder.
Official Yang called softly, “Wife, are you awake?”
In the dim light, Madam Yang stared at the dull gray wall with open eyes. Hearing Official Yang calling her, she closed her eyes briefly.
She spoke. “What is it?”
Official Yang swallowed, his palms unconsciously breaking out in sweat. He said in a low voice, “Wife, I have something to say. I’ve wanted to say it for days. If I don’t, I’ll feel terrible.”
Madam Yang didn’t move. The air was so quiet that both their breathing could be heard.
Just when Official Yang thought she had fallen asleep, Madam Yang suddenly spoke. “Aren’t you afraid that after you say it, I’ll feel terrible?”
“I…” Before Official Yang could finish, Madam Yang suddenly sat up. In the dim yellow light, her eyes stared straight at him.
For a long time, she stared until Official Yang uncomfortably turned his face away.
Madam Yang said, “I know what you want to say, but I don’t want to hear it. What use is it for me to hear it? If you go to that place again in the future, you’re trampling on me. As a proper wife, how dare I stop you? Wouldn’t I be labeled as jealous and petty? Who would I cry to then?”
The more she spoke this way, the more remorseful Official Yang felt.
With his status, how could he be qualified to take a concubine? Moreover, he had never had such thoughts.
All the wrongs stemmed from that day when he shouldn’t have drunk those few cups of wine, getting himself into trouble and contracting that unspeakable disease.
“Wife, I was wrong.” Official Yang bowed deeply to her and promised, “If I ever dare go to that place again, may I die a terrible death. Please forgive me this once. I will treat you and Rong’er even better in the future.”
“The road is hard, take care. I know it was my mistake. I shouldn’t have been greedy for that momentary pleasure. Wife, just hit me! If hitting me makes you feel better, I’ll feel better too.”
As he spoke, he tried to pull Madam Yang’s hand toward his face. Madam Yang couldn’t break free and looked at him with tear-filled eyes, wanting to see sincerity in him.
A man’s words couldn’t be trusted. Even a husband who had shared her bed for over ten years was like this.
Madam Yang sobbed, “You…”
What could she do?
…
That night, Xu Yi unusually couldn’t fall asleep. Despite being tired all day and having written three large pages of a literacy education plan in the evening, he was wide awake.
He tossed and turned, unable to sleep, so he got up, got dressed, and lit the oil lamp.
Going to his desk, he took out the completed plan and reread it, finding problems everywhere.
These children… how exactly should he teach them to read?
Should he hire a teacher to come home and teach the two children?
Hiring a teacher was expensive. Based on the previous owner’s experience attending private school, besides the ceremonial gifts for the teacher, he would also have to pay three strings of cash as tuition.
Spend where necessary, save where possible. Xu Yi felt he could competently take on the task of being an elementary teacher.
Having thought this through, sleepiness finally came over Xu Yi, and the oil lamp was extinguished again.
After a good night’s sleep, Xu Yi woke up full of energy. Wearing a short brown garment, he practiced a set of Five Animal Exercises and Thunderclap Tai Chi in his room, then went out to call Ah Xu and Ah Jin to the main hall.
Two kids, one tall and one short, stood before him. Xu Yi observed their complexions and had them extend their hands.
Taking pulses in the morning had become Xu Yi’s recent habit.
After less than half a month of nourishment, these two children’s physical condition had noticeably improved. Their pulses were no longer thin and weak, gradually becoming stable.
Seeing this, Xu Yi said, “Starting today, I will serve as your elementary teacher. Ah Xu, Ah Jin, you’ll still call me ‘sir.’ Not only that, but from today on, you’ll also practice exercises with me to stay fit.”
The Five Animal Exercises could relax tendons and clear meridians, strengthen internal organs, help increase abdominal and lower back strength, exercise muscles throughout the body, and improve limb flexibility.
He had already decided that if Ah Xu was a talented child, then this boy would definitely follow him climbing mountains and crossing rivers in the future. Without a robust physique, how could he keep up?
Ah Jin was a girl, but girls needed self-defense abilities. The Five Animal Exercises could be used for both offense and defense. If she encountered ruffians who didn’t know martial arts, the Five Animal Exercises would be enough for self-protection.
Naturally, he wouldn’t easily put Ah Jin in dangerous situations in the future either.
Reading and literacy were inevitable. Xu Yi made no distinction between boys and girls. Ah Xu and Ah Jin were both his people. If Ah Xu needed to read, so did Ah Jin.
At any rate, he could read and write. Teaching two children to recognize characters was more than sufficient.
He distributed the copies of the Three Character Classic he had bought to them and had them open to the first page.
Seeing the traditional regular script on the page, Xu Yi pointed to the first line and said in a clear, cool voice, “At birth, humans are naturally good. Their natures are similar; their habits become different.” (tl: I’m interpreting the meaning here, but each phrase is three characters.)
After speaking, he had Ah Xu and Ah Jin recite it once after him, then Xu Yi explained the meaning of this line to them.
After explaining twice, Xu Yi felt that smart children like Ah Xu and Ah Jin must have understood, so he planned to have them memorize this line along with the annotations.
New students weren’t suitable for immediately learning to write. Xu Yi wasn’t in a hurry to have them touch writing brushes so soon.
After they read through the Three Character Classic to “Jade, if not polished, cannot become a useful vessel. If people do not learn, they cannot understand righteousness,” Xu Yi would have them practice writing the first line, with an assignment of writing two large character sheets per day.
In his view, this homework was already very light.
He would need to increase the difficulty later.
Xu Yi hadn’t expected that for the siblings, who were newly students and also had to practice the Five Animal Exercises for an hour every day, their days had become very full, painful yet joyful.
After assigning homework, he planned to start preparing the emergency pills.
After the Limit of Heat solar term passed, the weather gradually turned cooler. Hibiscus flowers, sage, and other plants successively bloomed on the mountain. In low areas and shrub forests, wild roses could occasionally be seen.
Wild roses could be used medicinally. Both the “Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica” and “Medical Compilation” recorded the medicinal properties and effects of wild roses. However, in medical texts before the Qing Dynasty, there were few records of wild roses’ medicinal properties, so currently very few physicians would study them as medicinal materials.
However, since Xu Yi had seen them, of course he would dig them up.
They were good things. They could relieve summer heat, harmonize the stomach, promote blood circulation and stop bleeding, detoxify, treat malaria, and even treat irregular menstruation.
Xu Yi dug up quite a few and put them in a bamboo basket. Next, he planned to enter the deep mountains to see if he could find some medicinal materials for making emergency pills.