But such a life is really tiring. Every morning, before dawn, she has to go to the Li's house to pay her respects, then stand by and watch how Mrs. Li handles household chores. In the afternoon, she stays in the small kitchen learning to chop vegetables. At night, after returning to An Garden, she still has to finish those two embroidered handkerchiefs... making her fall asleep as soon as she lies down every night.

  She still found some abnormalities in Li's family.

  She first consulted with Old Mrs. Wang and brought up the matter of foot-binding again.

  "Wang's mother sighed and said, 'The young lady is already twelve years old, even if she were to bind her feet now, it would be a bit late... Fortunately, the young lady has small feet, so when the time comes, we can make some high-low shoes for her to wear, and that should pass muster.'"

  Li listened and asked Wang's mother to put down what she was doing, and specially invited a shoe maker from Deng Si Hutong to make shoes for Shen Muqing. Every time he made a pair, he would bring it over for Shen Muqing to try on. The high-heeled shoes were of course not as comfortable as flat shoes. Shen Muqing pouted twice, and Li glared at her fiercely: "Are you going to bind your feet or wear these high heels?"

  Shen Muqing was so frightened that he nodded repeatedly. Li ordered Shen Muqing to wear those shoes every day at home and specifically instructed the people in Shen's house: "Whoever dares to help the girl make decisions will be beaten to death with sticks immediately!"

  The maidservants around Shen Mu Qing stared at her feet every day, not daring to relax for a moment.

  Shen Muqing knew that Li was doing it for her own good, so she obediently put on the shoes and practiced walking at home. She even comforted herself by thinking: "I'll just pretend I'm wearing flower pot shoes."

  Secondly, it was Li's attitude towards her that was unexpectedly severe. One time, while following the cook to learn how to cut beef along the grain, she accidentally scraped off a layer of skin from the tip of her thumb, scaring everyone in the kitchen white... If it were any other day, Li would have told her to take a break, but that day, she coldly ordered Lu Mei to cut off Shen Muqing's long fingernails: "Things in the kitchen can't be compared to needlework, if you're going to do something, you have to do it with some finesse!" In the past, whenever Shen Muqing had a few more hairs on her comb, she would always ask the kitchen staff to make her a walnut and pine nut soup.

  It was just Li's appearance, seemingly getting fatter and fatter, with a yellowish complexion, and her spirit didn't seem to be lifted. Shen Muqing looked at her and felt that she didn't look fat, but rather puffy.

  This is very abnormal!

  Shen Muqing suddenly called out to Zhu Di: "You and Zhou Bai Mu are both born into the family, shouldn't you know each other?"

  Zhu Qi's expression was somewhat uneasy: "I and Bai Mu grew up together."

  Shen Mu Qing had something on his mind, and he didn't care about the rest. He said in a low voice: "You quietly go find Bai Mu, let him bring me the prescription for Madam's illness to take a look!"

  Every time Dr. Liu examines Ms. Li and writes a prescription, he also gives the pulse diagnosis to Shen Zhen, who puts them in the outer study.

  Pearls of tears reddened her face, and she departed at the sound.

  Shen Mu Qing stared blankly at the small green double-ringed pendant hanging on the wall.

  In the evening, Zhu Di really took out Li's prescription: "It is said that this year... last year's has been put away. If the young lady wants it, I'm afraid she will have to wait a few days."

  Shen Muqing carefully compared a dozen or so prescriptions in her hand.

  All are mainly flavored with "Danshen, Danggui, Maogen, Cheqianzi, Zexie each three coins, Yimucao six coins, Honghua, Chuanxiong, Niuxi, Baizhu each two and a half coins, Mahuang two coins". Or replace Danshen with Jixuefeng, Zelan, Chi Shao, or replace Baizhu with Lianzimeat, Shanyao, Fuliong... Just around Yimucao, Zexie, Cheqianzi, Baizhu, Mahuang adding and subtracting...

  She pinched the prescription, her eyebrows tightly locked.

  Long illness makes a good doctor. Shen Muqing, although not ill, has not become a good doctor either, but due to Li's reason, under Mr. Min's guidance, she also has some knowledge of pharmacology.

  If it's Yiqi Congming Tang, there should be people like ginseng and astragalus that warm and supplement the spleen yang, how come these flavors are not seen at all, but instead they are all diuretic, and the dosage is so large...

  She thought of Li's swollen face!

  The quiet and clear heart suddenly jumps up and down in disorder.

  An idea came up.

  She immediately became flustered and anxious.

  Also thinking of Mr. Min and Shen Zhen, now I don't know what they are doing, how is that ghost folding paper... Is the estimate of the situation accurate or not...

  Tossing and turning, calm and clean, sleepless all night. The next day, early in the morning, he forced himself to go and pay his respects to Li's family, and found an opportunity to ask Li: "I want to go to Yao Wang Temple to pray."

  Since Li's illness, Shen Zhen often took Shen Muqing to the Medicine King Temple for worship. When Li's illness worsened and Shen Zhen was busy, Shen Muqing would also take the family servants there by himself.

  Li comforted her: "I'm fine, no need to go to the Medicine King Temple."

  Shen Mu Qing stared at her mother with wide eyes.

  "Two days later is the Chongyang Festival, and every household will be visiting their ancestors' graves. The temples will also be bustling with activity. I think it's best for you to go now, otherwise you'll have to squeeze in with the crowds later." She whispered to Li, "These past few days have been tough on you too, let her go out and clear her mind."

  Li was finally moved by the words "Girls are also hardworking" and nodded in agreement.

  ******

  The Medicine King Temple in Kyoto is located next to the Ao Mountain outside the outer city, covering an area of about 10 mu. The temple faces east and west, with a small mountain gate, a front hall with five bays, enshrining the statue of Sun Simiao, the king of medicine, and a back hall enshrining Fuxi. On both sides are the emperors Huangdi Xuan and Yandi Shennong. The two halls have walls on all sides, with corridors and side doors connected to each other. Inside the mountain gate, there is an ancient tree that touches the sky. Compared with Mingyin Temple, Ciyuan Temple, Tianqing Temple, and Qinghua Temple around it, not only is the scale small, but also the incense fire is not as prosperous as that of the other temples.

  Li called seven or eight strong and powerful guards, led by Li's mother, while Shen Muqing went to the Medicine King Temple in two black lacquered flat-headed horse-drawn carriages accompanied by Luo Mei, Zhu Hui, Jin Xiu, Ying Fen and others.

  When they arrived, it was almost noon. The temple was deserted, with only a few old women carrying baskets of incense and candles walking out together.

  The Shen family also frequently visited the Temple of the Medicine King, where Shen Jian's incense money was always readily available. The abbot of the temple, Zhishan, personally came out to welcome Shen Muqing.

  Everyone sat quietly in the ear room, drank tea, and Zhishan accompanied Shen Muqing to the main hall to burn incense and paper, and then accompanied Shen Muqing to a secluded wing room in the back hall to rest.

  Although he was a monk, Zhishan also found it inconvenient to sit for long periods. He asked about Li's illness, offered some words of comfort, and after another round of polite conversation, he stood up and took his leave.

  Luomei and Yingfeng had borrowed a kitchen, heated up the vegetarian dishes they brought from home. After Zhishan bid farewell, they set the table. In the west wing of the house, there was one table, served by Jinxiu and Zhuji for Shen Muqing to eat, outside in the main hall, another table was left for Li Mama, Luomei and Yingfeng, and also set a table in the side room next to the front hall of Yaowang Temple, for several guards.

  Shen Mu Qing sent Jin Wei away to the outer wing room, and whispered to Zhu Ji: "After dinner, I want to rest here. You take this opportunity to choose a few older guards, go to a nearby pharmacy near the Medicine King Temple, take the prescription and ask the shopkeeper what kind of medicine it is."

  Zhu Ji received the prescription and left immediately.

  Shen Mu Qing gazed at her back and smiled faintly.

  Luomei and Zhuiji both have a steady personality, but their steadiness is different. Luomei's steadiness is reflected in her meticulous actions, while Zhuiji's steadiness is reflected in her adherence to rules and conventions - she never speaks more than necessary, never asks unnecessary questions, and never tries to guess the master's thoughts...

  Jin Yu soaked the Liu'an melon slices she brought from home, Shen Muqing took out a copy of "Yan Niang Zhuan" and lay on the couch to read.

  These past few nights, she hasn't been sleeping well. This morning, at the hour of the Tiger, she got out of bed. The road was bumpy, and after flipping through a few pages of her book, she felt drowsy, her eyelids gradually drooping down.

  In a daze, she felt someone take off her outer garment and then cover her with a quilt.

  She closed her eyes, turned over and curled up to sleep.

  It was unclear how much time had passed when Shen Muqing was startled awake by a cacophony of quarrelsome voices.

  She leaned in to listen, amidst which was also mixed with the sound of a woman's sobbing.

  Shen Mu Qing hesitated...

  When going out, it's better to see less of the hustle and bustle.

  Thinking about it, I still haven't moved from lying down.

  The sound of crying and wailing grew clearer and clearer.

  Thinking of bringing someone out, Shen Muqing called Jin Xiu.

  Jin Xiu was dozing off in the master's chair in the main hall, but she was startled awake. She was used to being in the mansion, and hearing such a commotion wasn't usually a good thing. Although she had woken up early, she remained still, leaning against the back of the chair. When she heard Shen Muqing call out to her, she tidied up her hair and went forward to respond.

  "What's going on outside?" Shen Muqing wore a white silk shirt with a standing collar, "It can't be our people!"

  Embroidered clothes served her to wear a sandy green gold-toed mud horse face skirt: "Miss, don't worry, it's definitely not our people!"

  Shen Mu Qing put on a green official robe and a pair of high-heeled shoes: "Oh?"

  Jin Ou squatted down to help Shen Muqing take off her shoes: "Luomei and Zhuiji heard the young lady's instructions and left; Li Mama took Yingfen to the nearby Mingyin Temple - said that there is a incense meeting on that side today, just go and worship, and will come back immediately!" As she spoke, she took out a green and red woven gold cloak and put it on her.

  Next to Mingyin Temple is the dojo of King Dizang, which Li Mama believes in most.

  Shen Mu nodded slightly and listened as the shouting voice came under his window.

  "...Sir, just be nice and give us two more days. My brother will be back, and we'll pay the money right away..." The woman's voice was soft and sweet.

  The man's voice was loud and clear: "You're still trying to cheat me! If you had intended to return the money, why did you hide in the Medicine King Temple... I think you're just pretending to be drunk to take advantage of my kindness..."

  "Sir, sir, whatever it is, let's talk it over, don't resort to violence..."

  A male duck shouted: "You turtle egg, what are you showing off here..." Before the words had fallen, Shen Muqing heard a loud crash.

  Two people looked into the distance following the sound.

  Only the left door of his own room had been pushed to the ground, and the right door was hanging precariously on the door frame. A short man lay on his back with his legs in the air on the fallen door, shouting "Ah yo yo". Through the pushed-open door, it could be clearly seen that several sturdy men were dragging a young and beautiful woman outwards on the corridor.

  Participate in this month's PK, and please ask the sisters to support more. Press the purple little mouse on the edge of the book page a few more times oh (*^__^*) hehe......