The General's Delicious Wife Chapter 035: Replenishing nourishment
The medicinal sweets and the box carrier are prepared. Qin Zheng cannot wait to rush into town.
But Xia Yue Chu feels uneasy to send him alone selling the medicinal sweets. It just so happens that Xue Zhuang's prescribed medicine is only left with one day's intake, so they decide to go together for the doctor's appointment and the sale of the medicinal sweets in town.
To avoid hearing Madam Sheng complaining more, Xia Yue Chu intentionally finds Liu uncle who goes to the town every day for work as a cargo delivery driver. Planning to take his transportation to town early morning the next day and coming back together at night. Counting the three of them with Xue Zhuang's wheelchair, the two way trip for a total of eighteen copper coins.
Liu uncle is someone with a straightforward personality, telling her directly. "We are all neighbours of the same village, I have also watched Xue Zhuang grow up! For all of you, just give me ten coins will do, it was going to be an empty cart to and fro anyways."
Xia Yue Chu gives her thanks repeatedly when she hears that. Currently, she desperately wishes to split each of her copper coins into two for their expenditure, hearing that the deal can be cheaper makes her happier than ever.
The next day early morning, Xia Yue Chu takes the opportunity to ask Xue Liang Ping for their expense allowance before Madam Sheng has come out from her room. Bringing everything they have prepared and start their journey.
The end of the third month is still cold and chilling. It is especially so before dawn and at night, on top of that, the wind is blowing strong.
Xue Zhuang and Qin Zheng are two strong lads with endurance so they don't feel much, only Xia Yue Chu who is wrapped up in a cotton gown that is not too efficient in keeping her warm, and soon enough the wind is beating into her bones.
"Sit over here."
Xia Yue Chu is pulled over by Xue Zhuang and her body falls into a seat beside the wheelchair. More than half of that incoming wind is blocked by him.
"Dreadfully stupid, don't you know to wear more when you are coming out." Xue Zhuang's tone carries a hint of disdain, but he takes off his outer layer clothes and throws it over her head.
Before Xia Yue Chu manages to say anything in response and she is hit in the face with an outer layer clothing that has retained residue body heat.
As Liu uncle is striking with his whip, he laughs and teases them. "Da Zhuang this child is not bad, coming back after a few years of army, still knows how to treasure your wife!"
When those words are said, Xue Zhuang tenses up his body immediately.
Xia Yue Chu wants to return the clothing back to him but upon seeing his rigid expression, she sensibly decides to wrap it around herself, which is perfect for her to take a nap leaning against the side of the wheelchair.
When they arrive town, the three of them head directly to Doctor Tang's clinic.
Doctor Tang is compiling a prescription when he sees the few of them coming in, he smiles and welcomes them. "I was still thinking when I wake up this morning that you should be coming over today, you can go into the inner room straight away."
Qin Zheng pushes Xue Zhuang into the inner room and looks upon Doctor Tang with great expectations. Desperately wishing that he is Hua Tuo's* reincarnation, able to heal illness instantly as he puts his hand on the patient.
Firstly, Doctor Tang monitors his pulse, then he carefully inspects Xue Zhuang's back and legs. Nodding his head and commenting. "Comparing to the previous time, there is a good turn towards improvement. It looks like the blood clots are almost dissolved completely. I will give you an acupuncture therapy today and we'll see if you can feel anything."
After informing them, he washes his hands clean and starts performing the needling on Xue Zhuang.
In this round of acupuncture, Xue Zhuang can clearly feel the soreness around the back of his waist, both of his legs which has been unable to feel anything seems to begin reacting as well, his toes twitch a couple of times.
Qin Zheng who is watching by the side witnesses this situation and starts crying with tears of joy.
Although Xue Zhuang has not revealed his emotions the way Qin Zheng has, the gleam in his eyes is evident of his delight and they are shining with hopefulness.
It is a slight sensation he feels in the previous consultation, but it happens only for a split second. No matter what he does to his two legs after going back home, there has been no response at all, which leads him to believe that both of his legs are possibly and completely crippled.
Never has he thought that in today's consultation, the situation is actually much better from before, even his toes have begun spasming in reaction.
Doctor Tang plucks of his needles one by one and keeps them carefully, goes out to the main hall and begins writing the prescription. "This time, I'm prescribing you fifteen days' worth of medicine, you need to eat your medicine on time every day and soak your feet in the hot water and the leftover medicine dregs from the medicine brew every night before you go to sleep. Then massage your legs at least for fifteen minutes."
Qin Zheng listens with his utmost seriousness, remembering every single word that the doctor has said into his heart.
"But then…" Doctor Tang's tone changes as he continues to say. "Da Zhuang, although the foundation of your body is not bad, over this period there has been too much loss in nutrition. Right now is the critical period of your recovery, you need to replenish your nourishment well."
Qin Zheng quickly asks. "Doctor, how to replenish nourishment? What medicine is needed please prescribe them. It is okay even if it is more expensive!"
"It is not to the point of requiring medicine for nourishment, mainly, it is that you need to eat better for your daily meals, for example eat more fish, meat, occasionally stew some chicken soup for consumption and the whatnots."
Coming out from the clinic, the three of them find a roadside noodles store and eat three bowls of noodles as their lunch.
Qin Zheng is thinking about the next agenda which is to sell the medicinal sweets, and he cannot help but feel the anxiety that is filling his heart.
The initial plan to earn some money for Xue Zhuang to cure his ailment has now turned into a more pressing issue which is to get enough nourishment for his health, but can the strange tasting candy really earn money?
Qin Zheng is troubled with these problems in his heart. His original appetite, which is about two big bowls full, is affected and today, he puts his chopsticks down after eating a single bowl.
"Just one bowl is enough to fill you?" Xue Zhuang frowns as he says this and lifts his hand up, planning to order another bowl of noodles for him.
Xia Yue Chu is actually also nervous in her heart, this is not the world she originally lives in. Will the medicinal sweets be accepted by the market, she actually also does not have a basis in her heart.
But in front of Qin Zheng, she definitely cannot display any of these emotions. "Leave him be, this is him waiting for our big sales in the afternoon, then going eat something delicious afterwards!"
Upon hearing that, Qin Zheng scratches his head in embarrassment.
After eating their lunch, Xia Yue Chu is not in a rush to head to the market. Instead, she goes into a stationery shop, Song Ya Zhai.
Buying a piece of white paper and cutting it into the size of the box lid and spending a few coins so that the gentleman in the shop can write the words for them.
At the top is two lines in big font size.
One line writes -- Qin family medicinal sweets, Hundred years of heritage, One coin for three pieces, No deceit to young or old.
The second line writes – Stops coughs disperses phlegm, Clears throat relieves sore throat, Aids salivation quenches thirst, Digests food increase appetite.
Below few lines are the introductions to the different medicinal sweet benefits.
The gentleman in the shop is also someone with a strong curiosity, asking as he writes. "This is my first time seeing this snack, is this truly sweets that are made from medicine?"
Xia Yue Chu does not get annoyed, opening the box and picks up a piece, wrapping it up with the paper she has just bought and cut and giving it to the mister.
The gentleman waves his hands repeatedly, refusing to accept. When he cannot reject that, he offers to buy them instead.
"Mister does not need to be reserved, we are new to this area, giving you a few pieces, if you find it tasty, please help us spread a good word and we will be extremely grateful to you."
The gentleman hears what Xia Yue Chu has said and accepts them happily. "Then I shall just not be accepting the fees for this writing."
Coming out from Song Ya Zhai, not far off is the most prosperous street in town. The two sides of the street are filled with many various store fronts, and there is also many pushcarts and street vendors peddling.
Today is a busy market day for the town, the people in the street are closely packed, rubbing shoulders to shoulders, squeezing here and squeezing there.
Xia Yue Chu sees that many people has brought their children along, her eyes immediately shine a little brighter. Prepping herself in her heart with encouragements, striving to take the opportunity and opening the market in one shot.
Qin Zheng holds the wooden box in front of himself, finds a spot to stand and opening his mouth wanting to cry out his sales speech, but before he could say a single word, he chokes back and stifles himself until his face turns red.
But Xia Yue Chu has none of those apprehension, in her previous life, she has lost both of her parents at the age of five, barely surviving base on the material assistance that the neighbours from the same village would give her.
Just like that until she is a little over ten years old, she is found and kept by her master who has gone to the mountains looking for precious ingredients. Then following him as he travels to the South skies and North seas, training a set of an excellent culinary skills.
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To fill her stomach when she is young, she uses whatever she can find in the mountains, river fish, wild vegetables, mushrooms and traditional herbs… There is nothing that she has not sell before, a simple sales cry is no challenge to her at all.
"Uncles and aunties who are passing by, big brothers and big sisters who are bringing children out, please let me take a moment of yours and look over here." Xia Yue Chu's voice is pretty bright, travelling far even in the midst of the noisy street. "What are you looking over for? Please look this way."
She stretches out her hands and points at Qin Zheng who is holding the box, continuing in her loud cry. "This brother of mine has just arrived here, this thing that he is selling is made by the secret recipe passed down from his family ancestors, the medicinal sweet. This uncle over here asks what is medicinal sweet, this is something that I must inform everybody well here!"
This type of street peddling is new and fresh in town, many people are shopping idly with nothing much on their agenda, and they crowd around with interest. Taking it as listening to a storyteller and it is good enough to gain entertainment out of it.
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Translator Notes:
*Hua Tuo is the epitome of Eastern medical practices. He is a historical figure recorded to have saved the lives of important leaders in his time period, the Han dynasty during the Three Kingdoms, with impossible and unimaginable acts of medical practices, which has exponentially driven the medical knowledge of his day and age. Many belief that he is capable of miracles, bringing those who have died back to life.
Translated by Yellow. Oct 2022.