Chapter 58 Seeking a Cure: “Just enjoy it.”

Chapter 58: Seeking a Remedy: You Just Enjoy It.

Spring had arrived. Xian Qiu, nourished through the winter, was slowly recovering, her complexion visibly rosier.

Stone women were not incurable. Previously, the wife of the Duke of England had said that the old physician at Qianjin Hall was adept at the method of unblocking, almost miraculous, and those seeking children were countless.

A few days ago, Yu Yuan and He Shi wrote a resentful and tearful letter home, complaining that the frontier was bitterly cold, they were scraping by, and life was extremely hard.

If Xian Qiu wanted to remain in the capital as a noble lady long-term, she must cure her stone disease and give birth to her own child; or use a concubine as a surrogate and raise the child as her own.

In her letter, He Shi said that Ku Ju was ill on the frontier, but Tian Qin was still in the Xie household, so she suggested letting Tian Qin bear a child.

As a fallback, if Xian Qiu didn't trust Tian Qin, she could buy a concubine from a respectable family—in any case, get herself a child.

This matter is urgent and cannot be delayed any further. Once Xie Tanwei got tired of playing the loving husband act, he would ruthlessly expel her, and then the Yu family would truly be stuck on the frontier for life.

Xian Qiu crumpled the letter.

Getting a child—it's not that easy.

From start to finish, it was she and the Yu family who worried about offspring, not Xie Tanwei. No matter how favored Tian Qin was, she was only occasionally summoned to his bed and always had to drink contraceptive soup; now even the contraceptive soup was dispensed with. Tian Qin had somehow charmed Xie Tanwei, and he even took the initiative to avoid pregnancy.

If it were Ku Ju, she definitely wouldn't have caused as much trouble as Tian Qin. Xian Qiu closed her eyes heavily, her head aching, regretting her past choices.

"Madam, it's time to drink your medicine." A maidservant brought in steaming herbal medicine, interrupting Xian Qiu's thoughts.

Xian Qiu adjusted her clothes and rose from the couch. A soft, bell-like voice came, "Let me help you drink your medicine, sister."

Tian Qin came around from behind the screen, carrying two packets of medicine, her dimples showing. "I went to the pharmacy and brought the medicine that Brother-in-law prescribed for you."

Xian Qiu put on a smiling face: "Tian'er, why trouble yourself?"

Lately, Tian Qin had frequently come to Qiutang Courtyard, spending hours with Xian Qiu. The sisters were harmonious and full of laughter, a far cry from the shyness she showed when first arriving.

"You're being so attentive—do you have another favor to ask of me, sister?"

Xian Qiu weighed the medicine packet in her hand, examining it, a hint of a smile in her eyes.

Tian Qin blushed like a dewy camellia. "Sister, don't tease me. In the future, when I marry, I'll still rely on you to arrange my marriage."

Xian Qiu neither approved nor disapproved. "You are still young. Stay at home for a few more years."

Tian Qin nodded, blew on the medicine to cool it, and carefully helped Xian Qiu drink it. "At Qianjin Hall, there is a gynecology expert who sees patients and teaches students. Sister, won't you go and have a look?"

Xian Qiu sighed as she opened her mouth to drink the medicine. "I'd like to see, but after all, it's a private matter. Going out in public might make noble ladies laugh at me. And I'm afraid Qianjin Hall isn't that miraculous—just folk exaggerations."

Tian Qin said, "That's true. With Brother-in-law preparing medicine for you every day and taking care of you, why would you need Qianjin Hall?"

Xian Qiu laughed. "Silly girl, your brother-in-law's medical skills are rough. He can prepare some health tonics, but to truly treat my kind of illness, he may have the will but not the skill."

Tian Qin laughed to herself. If Xie Tanwei's medical skills were rough, then no one in the world could claim proficiency. He even manipulated the Love Gu with consummate skill.

This confirmed again that Xie Tanwei was holding back from Xian Qiu, and Xian Qiu was still kept in the dark.

"Tian'er originally wanted to scout the way for you, sister. If Qianjin Hall is a fraud, you won't have to go there for nothing."

Tian Qin carefully observed Xian Qiu's reaction and said cautiously, "But Brother-in-law thinks I'm being silly and won't agree. He won't let me go out."

Xian Qiu gave a faint smile. "Your brother-in-law is worried about you. Last time you went to the Su mansion and came home late, he hardly touched his dinner. Since he says you shouldn't go, be good and don't. I'll find someone else to scout."

"Alright."

Tian Qin agreed with a false smile.

It seemed that to avoid losing Xie Tanwei, Xian Qiu always stayed on his side and could never become her ally.

This couple, seemingly close but actually alienated, had their own conflicts but were united externally. Driving a wedge between them was not so easy.

Tian Qin walked dejectedly out of Qiutang Courtyard, dragging her feet through the spring sunshine. Not only was Xian Qiu's illness hard to cure, but her own Love Gu was even more hopeless.

She couldn't just sit back and wait to die, living all her life in a cage of humiliation and suffocation, with a noose tightening around her neck.

Everything seemed boundless and hopeless.

The Xie mansion was lifeless, and the sky was gray.

Spring grass was as fine as hair. In the pond, a few scattered green moneywort leaves, dragonflies skimming the water, creating ripples.

Night, quiet and heavy. The moon's dim, blurry light shrouded the earth, and the flickering candlelight cast shadows on the wall.

Inside the bed curtains, it was tender and lingering, filled with floral scents. Clothes and shoes were scattered in disarray, and the curtains revealed a narrow slit.

A snow-white, slender arm struggled out from the curtains, exposed under the hazy moonlight, only to be quickly pulled back. The large canopy bed shook from time to time, eliciting unbearable moans.

After it was over, Tian Qin whimpered quietly, her forehead still glittering with fine sweat. She sank into the bedding, her face buried in the pillow, breathing heavily like a fish dying on the shore.

"No more, Brother-in-law..."

Xie Tanwei rose from her, called for water to clean up, and also helped wash her. He lazily rested his chin on her shoulder, making her shiver—a ticklish, lightning-like sensation.

"Tired?"

His lips were close but not quite touching her ear.

Tian Qin's expression was blank. "Contraception."

"Rest assured." He flicked her cheek with his index finger, letting out a pleased sigh.

Tian Qin freed herself from him and cleaned herself. Xie Tanwei dressed himself and said, "It's late. I'm leaving."

Tian Qin's haggard eyes darted around as she stood woodenly by the basin. Him wanting her was one thing; staying overnight was another.

She mustered her spirits, dragging her loose nightgown, and helped Xie Tanwei put on his clothes, fasten his belt, and smooth out the wrinkles.

Xie Tanwei suddenly grasped her arm and laughed: "What, in such a good mood tonight?"

When had she ever attended to him while dressing?

Tian Qin let him hold her, her limpid eyes flowing like peach petals with spring beauty. "It's what I should do. During the day I attend to sister drinking medicine, at night I attend to brother-in-law to bed. Living under someone else's roof, I can't just freeload."

He pinched the little cherry on her lip, so gently it was almost imperceptible. "What living under someone else's roof? I don't need you to serve me. Just lie down and enjoy. Don't always look like a dead fish with no will to live."

Tian Qin wrapped her arms around him like a vine absorbing nutrients, burying her face in the lapel of his garment that smelled of agarwood, her voice muffled and coquettish: "I haven't experienced these things much. When you want me, I'm scared. Give me more time to get used to it."

"Take your time." Xie Tanwei patted her, bent down and pressed his forehead close to hers. "You'll get used to me, Tian'er."

Tian Qin murmured "Mm," so low it almost merged into the darkness. He pushed her away with a distant yet gentle touch, draped his cloak, and prepared to leave. Before leaving, he said: "You want to go to Qianjin Hall and have a look?"

Tian Qin was startled, and her dark face suddenly lit up. "May I?"

He had refused her once, and his words had been final.

After a pause, she added hesitantly, "...I was thinking of finding a prescription for my sister to help her conceive."

Xie Tanwei neither agreed nor disagreed. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

With that, he turned and left.

Tian Qin stood there, feeling hollow. Half her words were left hanging—what did he mean?

She stifled a yawn, too weary to dwell on it, and flopped onto the daybed, sinking into a daze before falling asleep in no time.

...

The next day, after a deep sleep, she dressed and made herself up. It was a beautiful spring day, and when she opened the window, a butterfly fluttered in to land lightly just above her hairline.

Tian Qin held her breath, not daring to move, until after a long moment, the butterfly flew away. Wan Cui chuckled, "You must have used too much scented powder during last night's bath—the butterfly was drawn to you!"

Xie Tanwei had applied the powder himself. Tian Qin sniffed her sleeve; it carried not only the scent of powder but also the lingering fragrance of agarwood from his robes.

As mistress and maid were talking, a maidservant from the outer courtyard came directly to invite her: "Miss Tian, when you are ready, please head out. The Lord will escort you to the Gold-Tongue Hall."

Zhaolu and Wan Cui exchanged glances. Tian Qin remembered his words from the night before, hurriedly slipped on her embroidered shoes, her heart pounding like a drum, and arrived at the ornamental gate. "Brother-in-law."

Xie Tanwei was giving instructions to Zhao Ning. Hearing her, he said, "So soon?"

Tian Qin's chignon was slightly tousled by the spring breeze. "Didn't you say I couldn't go?" she stammered. "So why now..."

He smiled indulgently with playful sarcasm. "Soft-hearted. I can't stand seeing my sister-in-law so downcast. Besides, you have proper business—searching for a 'fertility prescription' for your sister."

Tian Qin was mortified to the point of dizziness. Xian Qiu had never even slept with him—where would a child come from? Whether she could conceive had nothing to do with the prescriptions of Gold-Tongue Hall, but everything to do with him. He knew all about the little schemes in her heart, yet he still played along in this unspoken game.

"I just want to please my sister and live a little better," she said, searching desperately for a lame excuse.

"Please your sister, but not your brother-in-law?" Xie Tanwei's smile was light and faint, like a star reflected in a dark swamp.

Tian Qin felt deeply uncomfortable. Her feigned warmth always carried a shadow of falsehood, but she forced a smile. "Brother-in-law is my closest family. I don't need to scheme to please you."

Satisfied with this answer, he let her off the hook for now. They boarded the carriage together and headed toward the Gold-Tongue Hall.

The Gold-Tongue Hall was located in the bustling market, not hard to find. Lately, the hall's master had opened a school to teach medicine, gathering a noisy crowd, and the streets were even somewhat blocked.

"Isn't the Gold-Tongue Hall a Xie family shop?" she asked, sensing something off.

Xie Tanwei lifted the curtain to gaze into the distance at the flowing traffic and bustling noise. "Silly. The Xie family shops aren't everywhere."

Tian Qin felt a little relieved and breathed a sigh of relief, not without irony. "After all, you're so powerful—your eyes are everywhere."

He sighed helplessly. "My dear sister-in-law, you really are like a startled bird."

The streets were alive with the hustle and bustle of the marketplace: acrobats, vendors selling sugar-coated hawthorns, fortune-tellers hawking their services, sedan chairs of officials passing by, bustling theaters and teahouses—a dazzling, colorful scene, far more vibrant than the stifling, lifeless Xie manor.

Tian Qin gazed for a while. Seeing the familiar streets again felt like a lifetime ago. The very air she once breathed had become a distant dream of freedom, something she had to beg for by sacrificing her dignity and wielding cunning.

She had been her own person; now she was property of the Xie family.

"Will the medicines from Gold-Tongue Hall work?" she asked.

Xie Tanwei said, "I don't know."

They wouldn't work, at least not when it came to pregnancy.

"With your medical skills, brother-in-law, you could open a pharmacy yourself."

He shook his head. "Not interested."

Tian Qin bit her lip. The hand that held hers—fair-skinned, with prominent knuckles—was the most skillful hand in the world. Though usually low-key, it could wield a bone-dissecting knife and dispense deadly prescriptions, all concealed so well that outsiders didn't even know he practiced medicine.

A scorpion that hides its venomous stinger deep inside, appearing harmless on the surface—that was the most cunning kind.

She had run into dead ends everywhere, trying her luck at random, truly at her wit's end. She wasn't sure if the Gold-Tongue Hall had any experts who could lift curses.

Sick people came and went in an endless stream, carrying large bundles of medicine.

The coachmen steadied the carriage and put down the footstool. Xie Tanwei got out first, then helped Tian Qin down, facing the imposing doors of the Gold-Tongue Hall, which were filled with the scent of medicinal herbs.

"Get down now."