Chapter 10 · Widow Chin, prompted by a desire to reap advantage, puts up temporarily with an insult. Dr. Chang in discussing Mrs. Chin's illness minutely exhausts its origin.
many and their pressure so great, and as, what was more, Chia Jui urged
him to make amends, he had to knock his head on the ground before Ch'in
Chung. Pao-yü then gave up his clamorous remonstrances and the whole
crowd dispersed from school.
Chin Jung himself returned home all alone, but the more he pondered on
the occurrence, the more incensed he felt. "Ch'in Chung," he argued, "is
simply Chia Jung's young brother-in-law, and is no son or grandson of
the Chia family, and he too joins the class and prosecutes his studies
on no other footing than that of mine; but it's because he relies upon
Pao-yü's friendship for him that he has no eye for any one. This being
the case, he should be somewhat proper in his behaviour, and there would
be then not a word to say about it! He has besides all along been very
mystical with Pao-yü, imagining that we are all blind, and have no eyes
to see what's up! Here he goes again to-day and mixes with people in
illicit intrigues; and it's all because they happened to obtrude
themselves before my very eyes that this rumpus has broken out; but of
what need I fear?"
His mother, née Hu, hearing him mutter; "Why meddle again," she
explained, "in things that don't concern you? I had endless trouble in
getting to speak to your paternal aunt; and your aunt had, on the other
hand, a thousand and one ways and means to devise, before she could
appeal to lady Secunda, of the Western mansion; and then only it was
that you got this place to study in. Had we not others to depend upon
for your studies, would we have in our house the means sufficient to
engage a teacher? Besides, in other people's school, tea and eatables
are all ready and found; and these two years that you've been there for
your lessons, we've likewise effected at home a great saving in what
would otherwise have been necessary for your eating and use. Something
has been, it's true, economised; but you have further a liking for spick
and span clothes. Besides, it's only through your being there to study,
that you've come to know Mr. Hsüeh! that Mr. Hsüeh, who has even in one
year given us so much pecuniary assistance as seventy and eighty taels!
And now you would go and raise a row in this school-room! why, if we
were bent upon finding such another place, I tell you plainly, and once
for all, that we would find it more difficult than if we tried to scale
the heavens! Now do quietly play for a while, and then go to sleep, and
you'll be ever so much better for it then."
Chin Jung thereupon stifled his anger and held his tongue; and, after a
short while, he in fact went to sleep of his own accord.
The next day he again went to school, and no further comment need be
made about it; but we will go on to explain that a young lady related to
her had at one time been given in marriage to a descendant (of the
eldest branch) of the Chia family, (whose names were written) with the
jade radical, Chia Huang by name; but how could the whole number of
members of the clan equal in affluence and power the two mansions of
Ning and Jung? This fact goes, as a matter of course, without saying.
The Chia Huang couple enjoyed some small income; but they also went, on
frequent occasions, to the mansions of Ning and Jung to pay their
respects; and they knew likewise so well how to adulate lady Feng and
Mrs. Yu, that lady Feng and Mrs. Yu would often grant them that
assistance and support which afforded them the means of meeting their
daily expenses.
It just occurred on this occasion that the weather was clear and fine,
and that there happened, on the other hand, to be nothing to attend to
at home, so forthwith taking along with her a matron, (Mrs. Chia Huang)
got into a carriage and came over to see widow Chin and her nephew.
While engaged in a chat, Chin Jung's mother accidentally broached the
subject of the affair, which had transpired in the school-room of the
Chia mansion on the previous day, and she gave, for the benefit of her
young sister-in-law, a detailed account of the whole occurrence from
beginning to end.
This Mrs. Huang would not have had her temper ruffled had she not come
to hear what had happened; but having heard about it, anger sprung from
the very depths of her heart. "This fellow, Ch'in Chung," she exclaimed,
"is a relative of the Chia family, but is it likely that Jung Erh isn't,
in like manner, a relative of the Chia family; and when relatives are
many, there's no need to put on airs! Besides, does his conduct consist,
for the most part, of anything that would make one get any face? In
fact, Pao-yü himself shouldn't do injury to himself by condescending to
look at him. But, as things have come to this pass, give me time and
I'll go to the Eastern mansion and see our lady Chen and then have a
chat with Ch'in Chung's sister, and ask her to decide who's right and
who's wrong!"
Chin Jung's mother upon hearing these words was terribly distressed.
"It's all through my hasty tongue," she observed with vehemence, "that
I've told you all, sister-in-law: but please, sister, give up at once
the idea of going over to say anything about it! Don't trouble yourself
as to who is in the right, and who is in the wrong; for were any
unpleasantness to come out of it, how could we here stand on our legs?
and were we not to stand on our legs, not only would we never be able to
engage a tutor, but the result will be, on the contrary, that for his
own person will be superadded many an expense for eatables and
necessaries."
"What do I care about how many?" replied Mrs. Huang; "wait till I've
spoken about it, and we'll see what will be the result." Nor would she
accede to her sister-in-law's entreaties, but bidding, at the same time,
the matron look after the carriage, she got into it, and came over to
the Ning Mansion.
On her arrival at the Ning Mansion, she entered by the eastern side
gate, and dismounting from the carriage, she went in to call on Mrs. Yu,
the spouse of Chia Chen, with whom she had not the courage to put on any
high airs; but gently and quietly she made inquiries after her health,
and after passing some irrelevant remarks, she ascertained: "How is it I
don't see lady Jung to-day?"
"I don't know," replied Mrs. Yu, "what's the matter with her these last
few days; but she hasn't been herself for two months and more; and the
doctor who was asked to see her declares that it is nothing connected
with any happy event. A couple of days back, she felt, as soon as the
afternoon came, both to move, and both even to utter a word; while the
brightness of her eyes was all dimmed; and I told her, 'You needn't
stick to etiquette, for there's no use for you to come in the forenoon
and evening, as required by conventionalities; but what you must do is,
to look after your own health. Should any relative come over, there's
also myself to receive them; and should any of the senior generation
think your absence strange, I'll explain things for you, if you'll let
me.'
"I also advised brother Jung on the subject: 'You shouldn't,' I said,
'allow any one to trouble her; nor let her be put out of temper, but let
her quietly attend to her health, and she'll get all right. Should she
fancy anything to eat, just come over here and fetch it; for, in the
event of anything happening to her, were you to try and find another
such a wife to wed, with such a face and such a disposition, why, I
fear, were you even to seek with a lantern in hand, there would really
be no place where you could discover her. And with such a temperament
and deportment as hers, which of our relatives and which of our elders
don't love her?' That's why my heart has been very distressed these two
days! As luck would have it early this morning her brother turned up to
see her, but who would have fancied him to be such a child, and so
ignorant of what is proper and not proper to do? He saw well enough that
his sister was not well; and what's more all these matters shouldn't
have been recounted to her; for even supposing he had received the
gravest offences imaginable, it behoved him anyhow not to have broached
the subject to her! Yesterday, one would scarcely believe it, a fight
occurred in the school-room, and some pupil or other who attends that
class, somehow insulted him; besides, in this business, there were a
good many indecent and improper utterances, but all these he went and
told his sister! Now, sister-in-law, you are well aware that though (our
son Jung's) wife talks and laughs when she sees people, that she is
nevertheless imaginative and withal too sensitive, so that no matter
what she hears, she's for the most part bound to brood over it for three
days and five nights, before she loses sight of it, and it's from this
excessive sensitiveness that this complaint of hers arises. Today, when
she heard that some one had insulted her brother, she felt both vexed
and angry; vexed that those fox-like, cur-like friends of his had moved
right and wrong, and intrigued with this one and deluded that one; angry
that her brother had, by not learning anything profitable, and not
having his mind set upon study, been the means of bringing about a row
at school; and on account of this affair, she was so upset that she did
not even have her early meal. I went over a short while back and
consoled her for a time, and likewise gave her brother a few words of
advice; and after having packed off that brother of hers to the mansion
on the other side, in search of Pao-yü, and having stood by and seen her
have half a bowl of birds' nests soup, I at length came over. Now,
sister-in-law, tell me, is my heart sore or not? Besides, as there's
nowadays no good doctor, the mere thought of her complaint makes my
heart feel as if it were actually pricked with needles! But do you and
yours, perchance, know of any good practitioner?"
Mrs. Chin had, while listening to these words, been, at an early period,
so filled with concern that she cast away to distant lands the reckless
rage she had been in recently while at her sister-in-law's house, when
she had determined to go and discuss matters over with Mrs. Ch'in. Upon
hearing Mrs. Yu inquire of her about a good doctor, she lost no time in
saying by way of reply: "Neither have we heard of any one speak of a
good doctor; but from the account I've just heard of Mrs. Ch'in's
illness, it may still, there's no saying, be some felicitous ailment;
so, sister-in-law, don't let any one treat her recklessly, for were she
to be treated for the wrong thing, the result may be dreadful!"
"Quite so!" replied Mrs. Yu.
But while they were talking, Chia Chen came in from out of doors, and
upon catching sight of Mrs. Chin; "Isn't this Mrs. Huang?" he inquired
of Mrs. Yu; whereupon Mrs. Chin came forward and paid her respects to
Chia Chen.
"Invite this lady to have her repast here before she goes," observed
Chia Chen to Mrs. Yu; and as he uttered these words he forthwith walked
into the room on the off side.
The object of Mrs. Chin's present visit had originally been to talk to
Mrs. Ch'in about the insult which her brother had received from the
hands of Ch'in Chung, but when she heard that Mrs. Ch'in was ill, she
did not have the courage to even so much as make mention of the object
of her errand. Besides, as Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu had given her a most
cordial reception, her resentment was transformed into pleasure, so that
after a while spent in a further chat about one thing and another, she
at length returned to her home.
It was only after the departure of Mrs. Chin that Chia Chen came over
and took a seat. "What did she have to say for herself during this visit
to-day?" he asked of Mrs. Yu.
"She said nothing much," replied Mrs. Yu. "When she first entered the
room, her face bore somewhat of an angry look, but, after a lengthy chat
and as soon as mention of our son's wife's illness was made, this
angered look after all gradually abated. You also asked me to keep her
for the repast, but, having heard that our son's wife was so ill she
could not very well stay, so that all she did was to sit down, and after
making a few more irrelevant remarks, she took her departure. But she
had no request to make. To return however now to the illness of Jung's
wife, it's urgent that you should find somewhere a good doctor to
diagnose it for her; and whatever you do, you should lose no time. The
whole body of doctors who at present go in and out of our household, are
they worth having? Each one of them listens to what the patient has to
say of the ailment, and then, adding a string of flowery sentences, out
he comes with a long rigmarole; but they are exceedingly diligent in
paying us visits; and in one day, three or four of them are here at
least four and five times in rotation! They come and feel her pulse,
they hold consultation together, and write their prescriptions, but,
though she has taken their medicines, she has seen no improvement; on
the contrary, she's compelled to change her clothes three and five times
each day, and to sit up to see the doctor; a thing which, in fact, does
the patient no good."
"This child too is somewhat simple," observed Chia Chen; "for what need
has she to be taking off her clothes, and changing them for others? And
were she again to catch a chill, she would add something more to her
illness; and won't it be dreadful! The clothes may be no matter how
fine, but what is their worth, after all? The health of our child is
what is important to look to! and were she even to wear out a suit of
new clothes a-day, what would that too amount to? I was about to tell
you that a short while back, Feng Tzu-ying came to see me, and,
perceiving that I had somewhat of a worried look, he asked me what was
up; and I told him that our son's wife was not well at all, that as we
couldn't get any good doctor, we couldn't determine with any certainty,
whether she was in an interesting condition, or whether she was
suffering from some disease; that as we could neither tell whether there
was any danger or not, my heart was, for this reason, really very much
distressed. Feng Tzu-ying then explained that he knew a young doctor who
had made a study of his profession, Chang by surname, and Yu-shih by
name, whose learning was profound to a degree; who was besides most
proficient in the principles of medicine, and had the knack of
discriminating whether a patient would live or die; that this year he
had come to the capital to purchase an official rank for his son, and
that he was now living with him in his house. In view of these
circumstances, not knowing but that if, perchance, the case of our
daughter-in-law were placed in his hands, he couldn't avert the danger,
I readily despatched a servant, with a card of mine, to invite him to
come; but the hour to-day being rather late, he probably won't be round,
but I believe he's sure to be here to-morrow. Besides, Feng-Tzu-ying was
also on his return home, to personally entreat him on my behalf, so that
he's bound, when he has asked him, to come and see her. Let's therefore
wait till Dr. Chang has been here and seen her, when we can talk matters
over!"
Mrs. Yu was very much cheered when she heard what was said. "The day
after to-morrow," she felt obliged to add, "is again our senior's, Mr.
Chia Ching's birthday, and how are we to celebrate it after all?"
"I've just been over to our Senior's and paid my respects," replied Chia
Chen, "and further invited the old gentleman to come home, and receive
the congratulations of the whole family.
"'I'm accustomed,' our Senior explained, 'to peace and quiet, and have
no wish to go over to that worldly place of yours; for you people are
certain to have published that it's my birthday, and to entertain the
design to ask me to go round to receive the bows of the whole lot of
you. But won't it be better if you were to give the "Record of
Meritorious Acts," which I annotated some time ago, to some one to copy
out clean for me, and have it printed? Compared with asking me to come,
and uselessly receive the obeisances of you all, this will be yea even a
hundred times more profitable! In the event of the whole family wishing
to pay me a visit on any of the two days, to-morrow or the day after
to-morrow, if you were to stay at home and entertain them in proper
style, that will be all that is wanted; nor will there be any need to
send me anything! Even you needn't come two days from this; and should
you not feel contented at heart, well, you had better bow your head
before me to-day before you go. But if you do come again the day after
to-morrow, with a lot of people to disturb me, I shall certainly be
angry with you.' After what he said, I will not venture to go and see
him two days hence; but you had better send for Lai Sheng, and bid him
get ready a banquet to continue for a couple of days."
Mrs. Yu, having asked Chia Jung to come round, told him to direct Lai
Sheng to make the usual necessary preparations for a banquet to last for
a couple of days, with due regard to a profuse and sumptuous style.
"You go by-and-by," (she advised him), "in person to the Western Mansion
and invite dowager lady Chia, mesdames Hsing and Wang, and your
sister-in-law Secunda lady Lien to come over for a stroll. Your father
has also heard of a good doctor, and having already sent some one to ask
him round, I think that by to-morrow he's sure to come; and you had
better tell him, in a minute manner, the serious symptoms of her ailment
during these few days."
Chia Jung having signified his obedience to each of her recommendations,
and taken his leave, was just in time to meet the youth coming back from
Feng Tzu-ying's house, whither he had gone a short while back to invite
the doctor round.
"Your slave," he consequently reported, "has just been with a card of
master's to Mr. Feng's house and asked the doctor to come. 'The gentleman
here,' replied the doctor, 'has just told me about it; but to-day, I've
had to call on people the whole day, and I've only this moment come
home; and I feel now my strength (so worn out), that I couldn't really
stand any exertion. In fact were I even to get as far as the mansion, I
shouldn't be in a fit state to diagnose the pulses! I must therefore
have a night's rest, but, to-morrow for certain, I shall come to the
mansion. My medical knowledge,' he went on to observe, 'is very shallow,
and I don't deserve the honour of such eminent recommendation; but as
Mr. Feng has already thus spoken of me in your mansion, I can't but
present myself. It will be all right if in anticipation you deliver this
message for me to your honourable master; but as for your worthy
master's card, I cannot really presume to keep it.' It was again at his
instance that I've brought it back; but, Sir, please mention this result
for me (to master)."
Chia Jung turned back again, and entering the house delivered the
message to Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu; whereupon he walked out, and, calling
Lai Sheng before him, he transmitted to him the orders to prepare the
banquet for a couple of days.
After Lai Sheng had listened to the directions, he went off, of course,
to get ready the customary preparations; but upon these we shall not
dilate, but confine ourselves to the next day.
At noon, a servant on duty at the gate announced that the Doctor Chang,
who had been sent for, had come, and Chia Chen conducted him along the
Court into the large reception Hall, where they sat down; and after they
had partaken of tea, he broached the subject.
"Yesterday," he explained, "the estimable Mr. Feng did me the honour to
speak to me of your character and proficiency, venerable doctor, as well
as of your thorough knowledge of medicine, and I, your mean brother, was
filled with an immeasurable sense of admiration!"
"Your Junior," remonstrated Dr. Chang, "is a coarse, despicable and mean
scholar and my knowledge is shallow and vile! but as worthy Mr. Feng did
me the honour yesterday of telling me that your family, sir, had
condescended to look upon me, a low scholar, and to favour me too with
an invitation, could I presume not to obey your commands? But as I
cannot boast of the least particle of real learning, I feel overburdened
with shame!"
"Why need you be so modest?" observed Chia Chen; "Doctor, do please walk
in at once to see our son's wife, for I look up, with full reliance, to
your lofty intelligence to dispel my solicitude!"
Chia Jung forthwith walked in with him. When they reached the inner
apartment, and he caught sight of Mrs. Ch'in, he turned round and asked
Chia Jung, "This is your honourable spouse, isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," assented Chia Jung; "but please, Doctor, take a seat, and
let me tell you the symptoms of my humble wife's ailment, before her
pulse be felt. Will this do?"
"My mean idea is," remarked the Doctor, "that it would, after all, be
better that I should begin by feeling her pulse, before I ask you to
inform me what the source of the ailment is. This is the first visit I
pay to your honourable mansion; besides, I possess no knowledge of
anything; but as our worthy Mr. Feng would insist upon my coming over to
see you, I had in consequence no alternative but to come. After I have
now made a diagnosis, you can judge whether what I say is right or not,
before you explain to me the phases of the complaint during the last few
days, and we can deliberate together upon some prescription; as to the
suitableness or unsuitableness of which your honourable father will then
have to decide, and what is necessary will have been done."
"Doctor," rejoined Chia Jung, "you are indeed eminently clear sighted;
all I regret at present is that we have met so late! But please, Doctor,
diagnose the state of the pulse, so as to find out whether there be hope
of a cure or not; if a cure can be effected, it will be the means of
allaying the solicitude of my father and mother."
The married women attached to that menage forthwith presented a pillow;
and as it was being put down for Mrs. Ch'in to rest her arm on, they
raised the lower part of her sleeve so as to leave her wrist exposed.
The Doctor thereupon put out his hand and pressed it on the pulse of the
right hand. Regulating his breath (to the pulsation) so as to be able to
count the beatings, he with due care and minuteness felt the action for
a considerable time, when, substituting the left hand, he again went
through the same operation.
"Let us go and sit outside," he suggested, after he had concluded
feeling her pulses. Chia Jung readily adjourned, in company with the
Doctor, to the outer apartment, where they seated themselves on the
stove-couch. A matron having served tea; "Please take a cup of tea,
doctor," Chia Jung observed. When tea was over, "Judging," he inquired,
"Doctor, from the present action of the pulses, is there any remedy or
not?"
"The action of the pulse, under the forefinger, on the left hand of your
honorable spouse," proceeded the Doctor, "is deep and agitated; the left
hand pulse, under the second finger, is deep and faint. The pulse, under
the forefinger, of the right hand, is gentle and lacks vitality. The
right hand pulse, under my second finger, is superficial, and has lost
all energy. The deep and agitated beating of the forepulse of the left
hand arises from the febrile state, due to the weak action of the heart.
The deep and delicate condition of the second part of the pulse of the
left wrist, emanates from the sluggishness of the liver, and the
scarcity of the blood in that organ. The action of the forefinger pulse,
of the right wrist, is faint and lacks strength, as the breathing of the
lungs is too weak. The second finger pulse of the right wrist is
superficial and devoid of vigour, as the spleen must be affected
injuriously by the liver. The weak action of the heart, and its febrile
state, should be the natural causes which conduce to the present
irregularity in the catamenia, and insomnia at night; the poverty of
blood in the liver, and the sluggish condition of that organ must
necessarily produce pain in the ribs; while the overdue of the
catamenia, the cardiac fever, and debility of the respiration of the
lungs, should occasion frequent giddiness in the head, and swimming of
the eyes, the certain recurrence of perspiration between the periods of
3 to 5 and 5 to 7, and the sensation of being seated on board ship. The
obstruction of the spleen by the liver should naturally create distaste
for liquid or food, debility of the vital energies and prostration of
the four limbs. From my diagnosis of these pulses, there should exist
these various symptoms, before (the pulses and the symptoms can be said)
to harmonise. But should perchance (any doctor maintain) that this state
of the pulses imports a felicitous event, your servant will not presume
to give an ear to such an opinion!"
A matron, who was attached as a personal attendant (to Mrs. Ch'in,) and
who happened to be standing by interposed: "How could it be otherwise?"
she ventured. "In real truth, Doctor, you speak like a supernatural
being, and there's verily no need for us to say anything! We have now,
ready at hand, in our household, a good number of medical gentlemen, who
are in attendance upon her, but none of these are proficient enough to
speak in this positive manner. Some there are who say that it's a
genital complaint; others maintain that it's an organic disease. This
doctor explains that there is no danger: while another, again, holds
that there's fear of a crisis either before or after the winter
solstice; but there is, in one word, nothing certain said by them. May
it please you, sir, now to favour us with your clear directions."
"This complaint of your lady's," observed the Doctor, "has certainly
been neglected by the whole number of doctors; for had a treatment with
certain medicines been initiated at the time of the first occurrence of
her habitual sickness, I cannot but opine that, by this time, a perfect
cure would have been effected. But seeing that the organic complaint has
now been, through neglect, allowed to reach this phase, this calamity
was, in truth, inevitable. My ideas are that this illness stands, as
yet, a certain chance of recovery, (three chances out of ten); but we
will see how she gets on, after she has had these medicines of mine.
Should they prove productive of sleep at night, then there will be added
furthermore two more chances in the grip of our hands. From my
diagnosis, your lady is a person, gifted with a preëminently excellent,
and intelligent disposition; but an excessive degree of intelligence is
the cause of frequent contrarieties; and frequent contrarieties give
origin to an excessive amount of anxious cares. This illness arises from
the injury done, by worrying and fretting, to the spleen, and from the
inordinate vigour of the liver; hence it is that the relief cannot come
at the proper time and season. Has not your lady, may I ask, heretofore
at the period of the catamenia, suffered, if indeed not from anaemia,
then necessarily from plethora? Am I right in assuming this or not?"
"To be sure she did," replied the matron; "but she has never been
subject to anaemia, but to a plethora, varying from either two to three
days, and extending, with much irregularity, to even ten days."
"Quite so!" observed the Doctor, after hearing what she had to say, "and
this is the source of this organic illness! Had it in past days been
treated with such medicine as could strengthen the heart, and improve
the respiration, would it have reached this stage? This has now overtly
made itself manifest in an ailment originating from the paucity of water
and the vigour of fire; but let me make use of some medicines, and we'll
see how she gets on!"
There and then he set to work and wrote a prescription, which he handed
to Chia Jung, the purpose of which was: Decoction for the improvement of
respiration, the betterment of the blood, and the restoration of the
spleen. Ginseng, Atractylodes Lancea; Yunnan root; Prepared Ti root;
Aralia edulis; Peony roots; Levisticum from Sze Ch'uan; Sophora
tormentosa; Cyperus rotundus, prepared with rice; Gentian, soaked in
vinegar; Huai Shan Yao root; Real "O" glue; Carydalis Ambigua; and Dried
liquorice. Seven Fukien lotus seeds, (the cores of which should be
extracted,) and two large zizyphi to be used as a preparative.
"What exalted intelligence!" Chia Jung, after perusing it, exclaimed.
"But I would also ask you, Doctor, to be good enough to tell me whether
this illness will, in the long run, endanger her life or not?"
The Doctor smiled. "You, sir, who are endowed with most eminent
intelligence (are certain to know) that when a human illness has reached
this phase, it is not a derangement of a day or of a single night; but
after these medicines have been taken, we shall also have to watch the
effect of the treatment! My humble opinion is that, as far as the winter
of this year goes, there is no fear; in fact, after the spring equinox,
I entertain hopes of a complete cure."
Chia Jung was likewise a person with all his wits about him, so that he
did not press any further minute questions.
Chia Jung forthwith escorted the Doctor and saw him off, and taking the
prescription and the diagnosis, he handed them both to Chia Chen for his
perusal, and in like manner recounted to Chia Chen and Mrs. Yu all that
had been said on the subject.
"The other doctors have hitherto not expressed any opinions as positive
as this one has done," observed Mrs. Yu, addressing herself to Chia
Chen, "so that the medicines to be used are, I think, surely the right
ones!"
"He really isn't a man," rejoined Chia Chen, "accustomed to give much of
his time to the practice of medicine, in order to earn rice for his
support: and it's Feng Tzu-ying, who is so friendly with us, who is
mainly to be thanked for succeeding, after ever so much trouble, in
inducing him to come. But now that we have this man, the illness of our
son's wife may, there is no saying, stand a chance of being cured. But
on that prescription of his there is ginseng mentioned, so you had
better make use of that catty of good quality which was bought the other
day."
Chia Jung listened until the conversation came to a close, after which
he left the room, and bade a servant go and buy the medicines, in order
that they should be prepared and administered to Mrs. Ch'in.
What was the state of Mrs. Ch'in's illness, after she partook of these
medicines, we do not know; but, reader, listen to the explanation given
in the chapter which follows.