Chapter 55: The Mei Family
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The Mei family mansion was located on South Street of Fengshan City. Anyone could find it with a simple inquiry.
The carriage driver drove to the Mei family home. When the steward saw that Mei Sanniang had returned, he immediately called for servants in a panic. The unconscious Mei Sanniang was carried through the front door by several maidservants.
Family members who had been without news for five years had already been almost completely forgotten by the Mei family. Some Mei family descendants who came upon hearing the news, aside from their luxurious clothing, mostly showed no anxiety on their faces, but rather appeared somewhat curious.
Mei Sanniang’s father, Mei Xinju, had four wives and concubines. Mei Sanniang was his third daughter. She had two older brothers, and below her were two younger sisters and one younger brother. Since the incident five years ago, Mei Xinju had taken two more beautiful concubines and added four more children in these five years.
In wealthy families with countless riches, losing a son or lacking a daughter could be compensated. Not only compensated, but they would add two more.
Mei Sanniang was carried into the Mei family’s rear quarters. The family steward had already instructed someone to fetch a doctor, while Xu Yan was left in the gatehouse, with a huge black dog crouching in front of him.
Outsiders couldn’t enter the rear quarters unless they were close family friends. For Xu Yan, a disheveled little Taoist, not being driven away already showed the Mei family’s kindness.
After inquiring about Xu Yan’s background – that he had also fallen into the bandit stronghold like Mei Sanniang – the steward felt contemptuous inside, though he didn’t show it on the surface. He just told Xu Yan to wait at the entrance while he needed to report to the master.
Coming from a bandit’s den, what good could he be? In the steward’s view, anyone who could survive and escape from a bandit’s lair could be classified as bandit-like.
Leading the little black pig, Xu Yan honestly waited in the gatehouse. The Mei family’s big dog was famously fierce, but this time it didn’t even bark. Looking at the little black pig at Xu Yan’s feet, its four paws trembled, always wanting to burrow behind the door. If it weren’t chained, this big dog would probably have fled.
Xu Yan was actually extremely anxious inside, but he was unfamiliar with people and places. It was natural for them to take Mei Sanniang back home, while he, a little Taoist, was destined to be ignored.
Being ignored didn’t matter. Xu Yan was worried about the deadly poison in Mei Sanniang’s body.
The earlier fainting was already a sign of poison onset. Unexpectedly, though the carriage ran fast, the poison acted even faster.
After all, she was a woman, and having lived in constant fear for five years, Mei Sanniang’s constitution had weakened too much during those five years at Yuan Mountain Stronghold. She couldn’t compare to ordinary strong men. Xu Yan’s estimate of ten days for poison onset becoming earlier in Mei Sanniang’s case was inevitable.
Soon, an old doctor carrying a wooden box hurried over, passing by Xu Yan like a gust of wind as he entered the Mei family home. He looked extraordinary in temperament, like an immortal, with two young medicine boys following behind.
This was one of the famous doctors in Fengshan City, surnamed Li, nicknamed “Li Quick-hands.” He was called quick at treating illnesses – no matter what ailment, as long as he examined it, it would be cured within three days. His prices were fair and honest to all.
Li Quick-hands was indeed quick – quick to arrive and even quicker to leave.
Standing in the gatehouse, Xu Yan stared blankly at the three figures departing like wind, scratching his head and thinking this hadn’t even taken the time to drink a cup of tea.
“Are you called Xu Yan?”
Someone approached from the side – a prosperous-looking gentleman with fair skin and three wisps of beard, appearing to be in his forties. He came near and asked in a gentle, pleasant voice.
“That’s correct.”
Xu Yan could tell this should be the master of the house and bowed in response.
The visitor was indeed Mei Sanniang’s father, Mei Xinju.
“So you’re a Taoist. My apologies, my apologies.”
Mei Xinju was also somewhat surprised at first sight of the little Taoist at the entrance. The steward had already said that the one who brought Mei Sanniang back was a half-grown child named Xu Yan. Mei Xinju had thought he was an orphan from the bandit stronghold, not expecting a Taoist.
“Mercy, mercy.” Xu Yan spoke again: “Master Mei, has Sanniang awakened?”
Mei Xinju shook his head and sighed: “Someone just examined her. They said it was excessive shock, plus experiencing days of travel, resulting in deficiency of both qi and blood causing unconsciousness. She needs long-term care to recover.”
Master Mei’s words left Xu Yan dumbstruck. Today he had not only seen thieves on the street, but now he was seeing an old fraud. That famous doctor really dared to deceive – a person about to die was diagnosed as excessive shock and qi-blood deficiency. No wonder he left so quickly.
“Master Mei, Sanniang has been poisoned.”
Xu Yan decided it was better to tell the truth. If they delayed any longer, whether she could be saved was questionable.
The Mei family had made their living selling medicinal herbs for generations. Most of this great family fortune came from pharmacies. It was impossible that no one in the Mei family understood medicine. Even if the family members weren’t skilled in medicine, the resident physicians at Mei family pharmacies must have profound medical skills. Not calling the Mei family’s own doctors but randomly finding a traveling physician showed the Mei family’s somewhat cold treatment of Mei Sanniang.
“Poisoned?”
Mei Xinju frowned. He had come to inquire about his son Little Cheng, not expecting to hear such annoying news.
“What poison did she take?”
Xu Yan couldn’t truthfully answer Mei Xinju’s follow-up question. He couldn’t very well tell about his feat of poisoning a thousand people. Not only would no one believe it, but if people really knew there was a killing demon here, it would bring even more trouble.
“During our escape, being hungry and not choosy about food, Sanniang mistakenly ate some poisonous mushrooms.”
This improvised lie left Mei Xinju stunned. It made sense though – being able to escape alive from a bandit stronghold, surviving on mountain mushrooms seemed perfectly normal to Mei Xinju.
“When I was learning from my master, I saw that type of mushroom and know how to detoxify it. I was too slow to stop her then, which caused Sanniang to be deeply poisoned.” Xu Yan looked full of guilt, continuously chanting mercy.
“Good that it can be cured, good that it can be cured.” Mei Xinju nodded: “This doesn’t blame you. Since you know the detoxification method, my family runs pharmacies. Take whatever medicinal herbs you need. Just save Sanniang’s life.”
After speaking, Mei Xinju instructed the steward to take Xu Yan to the Mei family’s largest pharmacy to get medicine, then turned to ask: “Little Taoist, have you seen Sanniang’s younger brother?”
When inquiring about Mei Sanniang, Mei Xinju had remained calm throughout. Even hearing that Mei Sanniang was poisoned, he only frowned slightly. Now asking about his own son, his face clearly showed hope and anxiety.
Favoring sons over daughters – a common practice in wealthy families.
Because male heirs could prosper the family line, while daughters could only marry others. Not only would they take away dowries, but following their husband’s family, they would forget their birth family.
“Little Cheng has already passed away, buried at Qi Yuan Mountain.” Xu Yan spoke truthfully.
Hearing that his son had truly died, Mei Xinju’s body swayed as he shook his head and sighed.
He had thought of this outcome many times over these five years, but what he hadn’t expected was that Mei Sanniang would actually return alive.
Mei Xinju walked toward the rear quarters with heavy steps. When he turned past the artificial mountain, Xu Yan could hear faint angry cursing.
“Why didn’t she die outside! Why didn’t she die outside!”
Mei Xinju was indeed filled with resentment – hating those bandits for killing his son, and even more hating that Mei Sanniang had taken Little Cheng out that year, which brought about this fatal disaster.
Losing a daughter wasn’t much, but losing a son was the real loss in the eyes of wealthy families.
This brief conversation let Xu Yan vaguely see a fact – Mei Sanniang’s return probably wouldn’t receive very good treatment from her family.
Not thinking further about it, the most important thing now was to prepare the antidote. So Xu Yan followed behind the steward, heading to the Mei family’s largest pharmacy in Fengshan City.
