NOVPUB77: Chapter 48: The Gift (One More Update)
77: Chapter 48: The Gift (One More Update)
Ran Yan set aside all distractions and began to massage the old lady with grease.
The so-called grease was actually plant oil mixed with several herbs by Ran Yan to relax the mind and body, its primary purpose being to avoid too much dryness and damage to the skin during scraping therapy.
The scraping board used was a horn comb Ran Yan had casually taken from the dressing table that morning.
The back of the comb was round and arched, very similar to a scraping board.
Given the challenging conditions, she economized where she could.
Ignoring the peculiar looks from Lady Qi beside her, Ran Yan began the scraping therapy.
She scraped from the top downwards on the back.
It was customary to first scrape the Governor Vessel along the midline of the back and then the Bladder Meridian and the Jiaji Acupoint on both sides.
To avoid damaging the spine, Ran Yan used the supplemental method; she was gentle when scraping along the midline of the back.
On the sides of the back, she used the edges of the scraping board to press between the spinous processes, choosing the supplementing and reducing techniques based on the old lady’s body constitution and condition.
The old lady’s back slowly showed red sha marks against the backdrop of her pale skin, a sight somewhat alarming.
Lady Qi quickly asked, “Why is she injured?”
“It’s not an injury, this is called ‘releasing sha,’ and it’s a sign of detoxification.” After finishing the scraping on her back, Ran Yan turned and asked the old lady’s two personal servants, “When did the old lady have breakfast?”
One of the older servants answered, “She has been vomiting severely.
She managed to eat half a bowl of rice porridge at the end of the ‘Mao’ hour and took her medicine half an hour ago, eating nothing else since.”
Ran Yan nodded, stopped the scraping, and began to press and massage acupoints such as Jiuwei, Zhongwan, Guan Yuan, and Qugou in succession.
About forty minutes later, the treatment finally ended.
“Use a warm towel to wipe down the old lady’s body and change her into dry clothes.
She should not bathe, be exposed to cold wind, and ensure the room is well ventilated to keep fresh for the next six hours,” Ran Yan instructed.
Just as she was about to rise, her hand was suddenly grasped by the old lady.
Everyone in the room was a bit surprised.
The old lady had been so weak that she could barely open her eyes, and now, just after the treatment, she could lift her hand!
They thought, this Ran Shiqi indeed lives up to her reputation.
Realizing this, Lady Qi felt an even greater aversion to Ran Yan.
“Are you Ran Shiqi?” the old lady asked weakly, her enunciation still very clear despite her frailty.
The people outside the curtain also heard her voice, and they were instantly overjoyed.
The illness had tormented the old lady for a month, as well as them.
Originally, when Lu Hongchao planned to have Ran Yan treat the old lady, they did not object, yet, in their hearts, they merely adopted the attitude of trying it as a last resort, not expecting it to actually work.
“Indeed,” answered Ran Yan.
The old lady opened her eyes, exhaled, and after giving Ran Yan a quick glance, sighed, “You are beautiful and skilled in medical arts.”
Ran Yan did not quite grasp if there was a deeper meaning to Old Lady Cui’s words, taking them as mere general praise and replied, “You flatter me, Lady.” She then added, “Your gastrointestinal system is weak; it might be good to slightly alter your dietary preferences.
Actually, Southern cuisine isn’t bad either.”
The Cui family from Qing He was from the North, and Ran Yan guessed that the old lady was not used to the light and bland flavors of Suzhou cuisine, thus maintaining her previous eating habits.
But now that she was older, her digestive system could not handle it.
The old lady responded helplessly, “Clear soups are tasteless and uninspiring!”
Ran Yan’s heart stirred slightly.
Winning the favor of Lady Lu was all to her advantage; now was an excellent opportunity, so why not seize it?
She then said, “After you recover, I will write down a few recipes for the chefs at your estate that will suit your taste and won’t cause you any discomfort.”
Lady Lu was slightly surprised and didn’t take it too seriously.
In these times, there were few noblewomen who knew their way around the kitchen, and even if they could cook, they could hardly be better than professional chefs.
She smiled faintly, “Then I’ll trouble you with that.”
Seeing that Lady Lu’s fatigue was increasing, Ran Yan stood up to take her leave.
It was then that the servants lifted the thin quilt to help Lady Lu wipe her body and changed her into dry clothes before opening the windows to ventilate the room.
The air inside the room circulated, and though a wave of summer heat entered, the atmosphere became much fresher.
Lady Lu slept comfortably on her couch.
Seeing this, Lady Qi also withdrew.
The Ran family’s influence was much greater than that of the Lu family, and since Ran Pingyu was Suzhou’s richest man, using silver coins to compensate Ran Yan would be beneath the dignity of both families.
Thus, Lu Hongchao had prepared two appropriate gifts early in the morning and handed them to her as soon as she came out.
Lady Lu’s condition had improved, and Lu Hongchao looked somewhat relieved, “Thank you, Seventeenth Lady, for treating my mother this time.
These two items are a gesture from the Lu family; I hope you won’t find them lacking.”
Both gifts were packed in exquisite gift boxes.
One was square and not very tall; its appearance alone suggested it might contain one or two books.
The other box was elongated, about a foot tall.
Ran Yan subtly sniffed and immediately detected a strong ginseng scent.
It must be a high-quality wild ginseng.
Ran Yan handed it back, “The gift is too generous, and I am ashamed to accept it.
Please take back the ginseng, Uncle Lu.
I will take this book and return it after reading it for a few days.” 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝘣.𝘤𝘰𝑚
Ran Yan’s sniff was very natural and discreet, not meant to show off but because openly scrutinizing the contents in front of others would appear unsophisticated.
Considering future interactions, she was mindful that excessively valuable gifts should not be casually accepted.
Everyone in the Lu family was surprised and couldn’t help but take a few more glances at the face hidden behind the mask, especially the unmarried young men among their grandsons.
Earlier, Lady Lu’s comment, “She is beautiful, and her medical skills are excellent,” might seem like plain praise to outsiders, but they knew Lady Lu had taken a liking to Seventeen Lady, who might very well become their wife, so they paid extra attention.
For major families, marriages are seldom about romance; as long as one looks pleasant and has an acceptable temperament, that is often enough.
But Ran Yan had recently become a hot topic in Suzhou City, rumored to be as beautiful as Lady Qi the Sixth.
Since there was no talk of feelings, a more beautiful appearance was definitely an advantage.
Lu Hongchao said, “As Seventeen Lady has cured my mother, I feel profoundly grateful.
It is only right to send some gifts, and you should not refuse.”
“If that’s the case, then I will accept them without further ceremony,” Ran Yan said, no longer making any fuss, and took the book while placing the box containing the ginseng on a nearby table.
“I will accept the book, but this ginseng is of such fine quality that it’s almost priceless in the market.
Lady Lu is frail, so consider this ginseng my tribute to her.
Please do not decline, Uncle Lu.”
A medical book was already quite valuable, especially if it was a rare or secret edition, which could be worth a fortune.
Ran Yan felt that curing a mere gastroenteritis, severe as it might have been for Lady Lu, didn’t merit such a costly consultation fee.
Transactions ought to be fair and even if they weren’t, they shouldn’t be too imbalanced.
This was the way she always conducted herself.
Lu Hongchao inwardly praised Ran Yan for her tactfulness.
After exchanging a few more polite remarks, Ran Yan went into detail about the precautions and the method for decocting the medicine, then stood up to leave, heading towards a residence near East Market.
**
The chapter notification arrived; it’s going live tomorrow, so let me give you a little extra benefit tonight by adding another chapter.
I hope that after going live, you all will continue to support the full Tang dynasty and the series.
Thank you, everyone!
