"Mom, what kind of book is this? It's so mysterious. Let me see it."
"I'll show you next month."
Zhen Muyao was puzzled. "What's the difference between watching it next month and watching it now?"
Madam Zhen looked at her and said, "The difference between being married and not being married."
Even Zhen Muyao's face couldn't help but turn red. "Mom!"
Mrs. Zhen opened the title page and showed her a page with the words "Gynecological Manual" written on it, without further explanation.
Zhen Muyao was speechless, "Why did Sister Xuan give me such a book?"
"A book like this? If you don't have good connections, you can't even ask for it."
Zhen Muyao became happy after hearing this. "Although Sister Xuan and I have only just met, she really likes me, so I am sure I will be able to please her." Zhen Muyao was quite confident.
Madam Zhen was too lazy to criticize her. Who said that if someone caught your eye, they should like you? She was so arrogant and conceited that she treated everyone as if they owed her money. She had a bad temper and it was good enough that she was not despised.
"Mom, since Sister Xuan gave us such a good thing, shouldn't we reciprocate? I will bring some gifts to her tomorrow and play with her at the same time. What do you think?" Zhen Muyao pulled her mother and said in a rather flattering manner.
"The end is the key point." Mrs. Zhen said lightly.
"Oh, mother, you can see it but don't say it, why don't you just say it directly?"
"If I tell you no, you won't go out? You are getting married next month. Who is like you, running outside all day long? Forget embroidering a wedding dress. Can you even embroider a handkerchief?" Although she seemed to be scolding, Mrs. Zhen's expression did not fluctuate at all.
"No, mother, you asked me, can you embroider a handkerchief?" Zhen Muyao said rudely.
"No. But can you compete with me?"
Zhen Muyao didn't want to admit it, but she really couldn't compare to her mother. Her mother was extremely powerful in the entire Cheng'en Mansion. Her grandparents listened to her. Her father was not around. If he was, he would have to be humble in front of her mother. "I can't, but Jianshu prepared my wedding dress, handkerchief, shoes, and wedding quilt. When you married my father, did he prepare these things for you?" Zhen Muyao raised her chin slightly, feeling proud.
Madam Zhen was silent for a rare moment, "It's only because Jian Shu is blind that he fell in love with you. If it wasn't for him, you would have been destined to be an old maid for the rest of your life."
"What do you mean you're blind? You obviously have excellent taste, otherwise how could you choose me among so many girls at first sight?"
"Didn't you help him when he was bullied before? Others laughed at you as a tiger girl who would never get married, so you coaxed Jian Shu into 'committing yourself to him'? However, you were able to coax him for so many years and make him devoted to you, which is also a skill of yours. - You, Zhen Muyao, are lucky in this life, you should cherish your blessings."
Talking about the great achievements of the past, Zhen Muyao was still a little embarrassed, but mostly he was still proud.
"Of course I'm lucky to be your daughter. How could I be unlucky?" Occasionally, Zhen Muyao didn't mind complimenting her mother. She, Zhen Muyao, was a grown-up woman who could bend and stretch herself.
Madam Zhen lowered her head to glance at the book in her hand, her fingers gently stroking the plain cover. Her daughter didn't understand that whether a life is good or not is never determined by one aspect, nor is it just determined by one stage. With a good family background, a good husband, and good friends, her daughter's future will not be too bad. She doesn't understand it now, but she will understand it in the future.
Madam Zhen waved her hand, "Go do what you need to do, don't stand here and get in the way. It's annoying."
"Mom, then I'll go and find out about other people's affairs..."
Mrs. Zhen glanced at her lightly, and Zhen Muyao immediately shut up and left quickly.
After the trouble was gone, Mrs. Zhen found a place with good lighting, opened the book, and began to read slowly.
After reading it carefully, Mrs. Zhen realized that she had underestimated the book too much before. She was born into a truly noble family. Her family was an aristocratic family that had gone through three dynasties. They had even stood at the pinnacle of power in an era when clans were everywhere. The phrase "generations of nobles" was no joke. Such a background destined her to be equipped with "talents" in all aspects from the moment she was born. She had to be proficient in pharmacology and gynecology. This was a necessary preparation. However, compared with what was in this book, what the nanny taught her was nothing. They were not on the same level and there was no possibility of comparing them.
Madam Zhen stroked the pages of the book. Because of what happened in Pingjin Marquis' Mansion, she thought that Xiaocao was probably an ulcer doctor, specializing in external injuries. She might know other things as well, but she was not very good. Even the gynecological manual she wrote might be similar to the one written by the nanny beside her, or even worse.
It was really wrong. She jumped to conclusions without any understanding. She made a mistake that she should not have made.
Mrs. Zhen hadn't read a book like this for a long time, but today she finished a book directly.
"Go and call mother Yu."
The maid who had been serving by the side responded and went to call someone.
Mother Yu was brought up by Madam Zhen's nanny who was proficient in gynecology, and was also one of the dowries that Madam Zhen was going to give to Zhen Muyao. Madam Zhen didn't say anything, but just gave the book to the other party and asked her to read it carefully. She would talk about the rest later.
After reading only a small part, Yu's mother could not help but get excited. There were some things she knew vaguely, but she could only judge the right degree based on her own experience. When her godmother taught her, she also relied on her feelings. She knew some practices were beneficial, but she didn't know why. However, the book explained clearly why to do things that way. Suddenly, she felt enlightened and immersed in it as if she had found a treasure. After finishing reading, her mind had a lot more things. Of course, it was just a rough outline, and it would take a lot of time to fully understand it.
Even if there were some things in the book that were contrary to her usual understanding, she believed that it was her own fault. After all, it was impossible for something so detailed and reasonable to be her fault.
Mother Yu couldn't wait to find Mrs. Zhen and ask about the origin of the book. She must be an old lady with extensive knowledge and experience. It took her decades of accumulation to create such a "holy book". She can truly be called a "saint".
"Mu Yao just met a girl. They have similar personalities. This book was written by that girl."
"How is that possible?" Yu's mother cried out in amazement.
"Nothing is impossible. That girl has been studying medicine since she was young and has extraordinary medical skills."
"But, even if that's the case, she should be in her teens, how could she possibly write..."
"Mother Yu, everyone has their own expertise. There are geniuses in every field. You can't question her ability just because of her age. It's important to have a leader who is more accomplished. Besides, that girl has a lot of experience. From the content of the book, you can see that she gave up a lot in order to study medicine. A girl like her shouldn't be questioned."
Madam Zhen always spoke in such a slow and steady manner. Mother Yu also realized her own mistake, "Madam, I was wrong. I was shallow." In any case, she believed in Madam's judgment and quickly adjusted her mindset. It was just that she had originally wanted to discuss and learn with the other party, but now this situation really couldn't happen.
"Tomorrow Mu Yao will go to play with them. Ask them to prepare a gift for Mu Yao. It's a generous gift, but they still value the friendship between them and Mu Yao. The return gift doesn't have to be too expensive."
It doesn’t have to be expensive, but it needs to be exquisite and meaningful.
When Zhen Muyao received the things, she couldn't help but snort twice. She knew it would be like this.
The next day, after Zhen Muyao had breakfast, he took his things and went straight to the Wenren family.
When Han learned that Zhen Muyao came to her house, she was a little surprised, but she didn't care much. It was normal for girls to visit each other and play, and there was no need to send an invitation or anything. She didn't show up, but asked someone to take Zhen Muyao to Xiaocao's yard.
Xiao Cao was also surprised to see Zhen Muyao, but Zhen Muyao didn't know what politeness was, she was quite comfortable, and it didn't look like she was here for the first time. "Sister Xuan, your yard is not big, but it's quite exquisite." Looking at the furnishings in the house, it was very thoughtful. Even her mother didn't treat her this well, which showed that Sister Xuan was valued after returning home.
Xiao Cao asked the maid to make a cup of scented tea for Zhen Muyao. "My mother has kept it for me. She has not allowed anyone else to live here for more than ten years. She has always taken good care of it."
Zhen Muyao nodded, took the tea and took a sip, "Oh, it tastes good. What kind of tea is it? I don't like most teas, especially the bitter tea that my mother likes to drink. This one is very good."
"It's my homemade flower tea. Because I added some herbs into it, it can be called medicinal tea. If Mu Yao likes it, you can take some back."
"Okay, okay." Zhen Muyao began to walk around the room again, "Sister Xuan, your study is almost becoming a pharmacy."
"Don't you like the taste? Otherwise, go sit outside."
"No, I just think it's a bit strange."
Xiao Cao smiled, "A little, indeed, but it's become a habit. I deal with these medicines all year round. If there is no such smell, I will feel that something is missing. My family doesn't mind this, so I slowly added to it and it became like this. This is convenient. Basically, we have all the daily medicines here. But compared with the drugstores outside, the quantity of each kind is very small. It doesn't matter if it's left there. If it's not used, the effect of the medicine is almost over, and I can just replace it. I don't feel bad about it."
Zhen Muyao nodded, looked around curiously, and then his eyes fell on Xiaocao's desk, which was filled with papers covered with dry ink. "Sister Xuan, are you writing a book again?" He said with a hint of sarcasm, "My mother asked me to read the book you gave me next month."
"Are you going to get married next month?" Xiaocao asked.
"Yes, the wedding date is set for the tenth day, which is more than twenty days away. The invitations will be sent out in a few days, and I will send you one then. Remember to prepare the makeup for me."
Xiao Cao raised her chin towards the desk, "I'm almost done with the parenting manual, I'll give you one to go with it."
Zhen Muyao clapped her hands immediately, "Okay, this is such a thoughtful addition to the makeup, it's unique, I couldn't ask for more."
Xiaocao laughed, what a straightforward girl who doesn't know how to be shy.
In Zhen Muyao's opinion, there was nothing to be shy about. She was married and was going to have children anyway. It was naturally thoughtful for someone to teach her how to raise a child in advance. Most people would never think of this.
After the parenting manual is written, there will definitely be a copy for Zhen Muyao, but it will be sent to her in advance as a gift, so it can't be used as a dowry gift. Xiaocao estimated that she would be able to finish writing it in two days. Given her mother's vigorous and resolute style, she would probably be able to print a bunch of copies in less than five days, and then give them away everywhere.
Given Zhen Muyao's personality, it was unlikely that she would stay quietly for a long time. However, what was rare was that she actually stayed at Xiaocao's place for almost a whole day. She didn't want Xiaocao to accompany her and let Xiaocao do her own thing. Xiaocao didn't argue with her either, as she wanted to finish writing the parenting manual in the next two days.
You know, Wen Renying came here twice and didn't stay long.
Xiao Cao occasionally talked to her, and sometimes she was so focused on the things at hand that she forgot about her. She could also read those scattered parenting manuals. Don't say, she was actually able to read them. But after reading some, she found that raising a child was so complicated and hard. She seemed to be very naughty when she was a child. Did her mother have a hard time at that time? Then she went against her from time to time. Was she really unfilial? Zhen Muyao couldn't help but start to reflect on herself.
So, after returning, Zhen Muyao acted like a good daughter for once. She was caring towards her mother, massaging her shoulders and back. However, Mrs. Zhen's reaction was different from that of ordinary people. She did not show any sign of abnormality and accepted Zhen Muyao's hospitality well.
Zhen Muyao more or less wanted to see her mother's surprised look, but her mother turned out to be the noble lady who was not easily surprised by praise or criticism. This was a bit depressing.
Then, Zhen Muyao took the initiative to talk about the semi-finished manual he had seen at Xiaocao's place.
Madam Zhen glanced at her calmly, "So, you have a change of heart?"
"But I feel like you don't need it at all."
"I really don't need it. I'm in good health and have people to serve me no matter what I do. What you do is redundant, especially when you don't do it well and make people uncomfortable. Why should I wrong myself?"
Zhen Muyao was a little irritable, "You endured the discomfort for so long?"
"That's quite rare, it may not happen again in this life, just bear with it and it will pass."
Zhen Muyao looked at her and her mother remained silent. Why did this sound a bit sad? Did her mother really have no expectations for her? Thinking about it carefully, her mother seemed to have no expectations for her. This realization made people a bit depressed.
"If you really feel bad, give me half of the flower tea you brought back."
"Why?" Zhen Muyao immediately became unhappy.
Mrs. Zhen ignored her and said, "After the child sends the parenting manual over, remember to show it to me."