NOVPUB34: Chapter 28 Tea Party Invitation
34 -28 Tea Party Invitation
Madam Xing indeed knew much about human relationships and how to handle matters, but she lacked ruthlessness and schemes.
She could manage minor setbacks, but other things were likely beyond her abilities; otherwise, she wouldn’t have allowed the stepmother to bully them this far.
With the marriage arranged, Madam Xing was at a loss.
The betrothal gifts had been presented, and there were only one or two months left, what measures could she possibly take to turn the tide!
Moreover, Ran Wen had kept this matter secret, and it was unclear what his intentions were.
After completing her bath, Ran Yan came out of the bathing room and sent Wan Lu to tell Sang Chen that if the ceramic prototypes were not drying easily, there was no need to rush.
After that, she checked the pile of food left from the previous day.
Some items had already developed penicillin mold due to being placed during damp weather, and with the ongoing rainy days, the spread had increased considerably.
In another day or two, there should be enough grown for use.
Ran Yan couldn’t understand why she was so unlucky, randomly picking up syphilis, an obstinate disease.
Facing such a highly contagious disease, any doctor who was aware of the condition wouldn’t stand idly by, let alone her, who had some confidence in being able to cure it.
The syphilis incubation period was long, and Zi Xu’s symptoms had reached the secondary stage.
Although severe, it was not life-threatening for the moment.
However, she had been symptomatic for at least three months.
If left untreated and it progressed to the tertiary stage, that would be serious trouble.
It couldn’t kill her immediately, but living would be torture.
Ran Yan frowned and sighed.
Furthermore, the allergic reaction rate to penicillin in the population ranged from one to ten percent, meaning that out of a hundred people, at least one to ten would have an allergic reaction, which was a very high probability.
Ran Yan could only pray that Madam Yan, Zi Xu, and Hong Xing were not among them.
Traditional Chinese Medicine…
in the modern era, TCM can treat syphilis, but Ran Yan had rarely paid attention to this disease in the past.
She only vaguely remembered some herbs, which were not complete prescriptions.
Thus, she formulated a new recipe based on medical principles for both internal and external application, hoping it would work.
“My Lady,” Madam Xing saw Ran Yan zoning out in the corridor and brought over a satin dress to drape over her, then knelt beside her.
“Are you worried about the wedding?”
“The wedding?” Ran Yan lifted her eyebrows slightly, only then remembering her engagement.
Glancing at Madam Xing’s worried face, she said, “It’s not something to fuss over.
One must think positively.
Qin Silang is still a young, unmarried man with a good family background.
That’s certainly better than being given to a man past fifty with a wife and children as a concubine, isn’t it!”
Even if Ran Yan was not favored, she was still a legitimate daughter, and to be given to someone as a concubine was equivalent to slapping one’s own face.
Madam Xing knew that Ran Yan’s words were meant as comfort, so she replied with a bitter smile, “If the lord is truly so heartless, we would rather seek refuge at Lady Mother’s maiden home!”
“There’s always a solution to a problem.
There’s no need for worry; I will handle it,” Ran Yan added in her mind that if she had no choice but to marry, it would be fine if Qin Musheng agreed not to touch her.
However, if he didn’t agree, she’d have to use medicine to temporarily incapacitate him and then slowly seek a way to free herself.
But after some thought, given Qin Musheng’s reputation for dalliances, the latter seemed more likely.
“You really have grown up,” Madam Xing sighed and lowered her gaze.
“I know I’m not very useful and can’t help you much.”
Ran Yan knew Madam Xing hadn’t finished speaking, so she didn’t interrupt and listened quietly.
Madam Xing continued, “Back in Xingyang, all the maids by Lady Mother’s side were assigned by Lady Lu, including me. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
Among the four of us, I was the least useful, timid and unable to bear responsibility.
However, when Lady Mother married, Lady Lu uniquely left me to Lady Mother.
I have witnessed all the hardships Lady Mother endured, and though I could only offer her my loyalty and protection, I couldn’t provide any other help.”
In the Tang Dynasty, women did not adopt their husband’s surname after marriage, so it was not strange at all for the women from Xingyang Zheng and Fanyang Lu families to be married for generations and the mistress’s surname to be Lu.
“So many years have passed, and I still haven’t improved.
Now, apart from loyalty and protection, I still can’t provide much help to you,” Madam Xing said, her tears flowing down in frustration.
Ran Yan understood; Madam Xing could clearly see the situation and knew who was kind and who was not, but she couldn’t think of any solutions, which was an extremely frustrating feeling of being powerless.
It was actually less stressful to be oblivious to everything.
“Don’t blame yourself.
I promised to protect you.
Now I’m learning medical skills and making money, all in an effort to become stronger.
Trust me,” Ran Yan’s expression may be a bit lifeless, but her reassuring determination was unquestionable.
“Of course, I trust you, My Lady!” Madam Xing wiped her tears away and suddenly remembered something.
She hurriedly took out an invitation and a letter from her sleeve, saying, “My Lady, these were delivered from the city this morning—an invitation and a letter for you to read.”
Ran Yan took the items and first looked at the invitation.
It was from the Yin Family’s third daughter, Yin Miaomiao, inviting her to a tea party.
The letter was also written by Yin Miaomiao.
Upon reflection, Ran Yan considered her relationship with Yin Miaomiao quite good; they got along well in their usual interactions.
The Yin Family’s standing in Suzhou City was only second to the Qi, Ran, and Yan families.
The Yin Family was known for its strict family tutoring, raising daughters who were considered the epitome of Suzhou’s womanhood—humble, filial, gentle, virtuous, knowledgeable, and capable in both the halls and the kitchen.
They were highly reputable throughout the entire Jiangnan Road.
Naturally, Yin Miaomiao’s temperament was excellent as well.
Ran Yan set down the invitation and opened the letter, glancing casually at its content.
As expected, it was a letter crafted by a model example, and indeed, it was very formal.
The handwriting was beautiful, the words were fine, but because it was too conventional, it lacked any semblance of emotion.
Ran Yan thought to herself that perhaps, after all, they did not truly hold her in their heart.
“Lady Yin has invited me to a tea meeting, should I attend?” Ran Yan knew that for such matters of etiquette, consulting Madam Xing was never a mistake.
Madam Xing pondered briefly and said, “Didn’t Wan Lu mention running into many Noble Ladies at the Yalan Meeting?
With the Noble Lady of the Yin Family’s scholarship, she is surely an integral part of the Yalan Meeting.
She must know that my lady has recovered, and thus sent the invitation.
It would not be good to decline.”
“Then I shall go,” Ran Yan said, though she was reserved by nature, in modern times she still had close friends, and naturally, in the Great Tang, she hoped to find one or two friends of like mind.
Attending a tea meeting was a good opportunity.
“My Lady must be wary of Eighteenth Lady,” Madam Xing reminded her.
“Mhm,” Ran Yan replied indifferently.
Ran Meiyu was not only sharp-tongued but also cruel-hearted.
Fortunately, while she had some cunning, she did not possess very deep schemes; otherwise, she would indeed be frightening.
The heavy rain gradually ceased, turning into a light drizzle, finally returning to the gentleness of Jiangnan.
The heat of summer was also washed away considerably.
In the evening, the lanterns hanging in the corridor swayed, revealing the verdure in the courtyard glistening from the rain.
After a simple evening meal, Ran Yan read medical books under the corridor.
The medical book had been given to her by Wu Xiuhe; it discussed the pulse diagnoses for various illnesses.
In the current medical field, prescriptions were secrets closely guarded, not to mention medical books.
Ran Yan knew that Wu Xiuhe was very committed to teaching her.
Ran Yan sat on a round-backed armchair with a padded backrest and was covered with a thin quilt, extremely comfortable.
The round-backed armchair was similar to the later generations’ horseshoe-backed armchairs but without legs, sitting directly on the floor.
Next to her, on a small side table, stood a Korean paper lamp made of a delicate ebony frame and shaped into a square.
Each side depicted paintings of plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, each accompanied by a small poem—bright and elegant.
Enjoying the mild breeze and gentle rain outside the corridor, she was reading with pleasure when Wan Lu led two people back.
It was only when they approached that Ran Yan saw they were Madam Liu and her son, Zhou Sanlang.
Zhou Sanlang’s appearance had been disfigured by the blistering water the other day, and Ran Yan was too rushed in saving people to look at him carefully.
Now that she saw him, the boy was quite handsome.
Clad in a dark brown coarse hemp robe, about twelve or thirteen years old, he had a pointed chin, an oval face, and a pair of lively eyes that seemed as though they could speak.
If not for the constant frown, he would seem quite endearing.
“My Lady, Sister Liu has been here many times since this morning, but you were not around,” Wan Lu said, putting away the umbrella and leading the mother and son onto the corridor.
About seven or eight feet away from Ran Yan, Madam Liu tugged at Zhou Sanlang, and both knelt before Ran Yan.
Bowing her head to the ground, Madam Liu said, “My Lady is a great benefactor to me and my son.
We have come here escaping calamity, our house is as poor as can be, and we have nothing to repay you with but ourselves.
My Lady, you have saved Sanlang’s life; from now on, we are at your disposal for any tasks!”
As she spoke, Madam Liu took out two pieces of paper from her bosom and gently placed them in front of Ran Yan, “These are our indenture contracts.
We ask for no money, we only request that my Lady accept them.”
Ran Yan observed Madam Liu carefully.
The woman in front of her showed signs of aging, but she seemed not old—thirty-five at most.
Her demeanor was calm and stable.
Although she was dressed in coarse hemp fabric, it could not conceal the temperament that distinguished her distinctly from the common village women.
“Please rise first,” Ran Yan said, offering her a symbolic hand to help Madam Liu up, while internally, she calculated.
She was very short on hands, and having a few more loyal people would be good.
As for the child, Ran Yan noticed he remained prostrate without moving until she asked them to stand.
When he finally raised his body slightly, his beautiful lips were pressed into a thin line.
Clearly, he was unwilling to be enslaved.
In a mere moment, Ran Yan had thought of a strategy.
She would take in both mother and son, but first, she had to subdue the boy.
