Chapter 20: A’ye (Father)

T/N: Finally an update! So sorry I have been so busy these past few weeks I did not have time to translate a new chapter. I will try to translate chapters in advance so that updates will be more regular even when I’m busy.

After experiencing these events, Ran Yan felt a lot closer to Miss Xing and Wan Lu, their interactions also became more comfortable.

The next day, Miss Xing and Wan Lu started to cut the cloth to make clothing, while Ran Yan went to Wu Xiuhe to learn medicine.

Wu Xiuhe accepted the two ready-made clothing from Ran Yan, his smile was as brilliant as a chrysanthemum flower, as his clothes were already becoming more and more worn[1]. However, towards Ran Yan he really gave his all in teaching her. Although Ran Yan already knew the medical knowledge he taught, she still pretended to be learning earnestly.

Relying on the pulse to differentiate illness, this was Ran Yan’s weakness, thus, once Wu Xiuhe taught anything regarding this aspect, she became extremely meticulous and brought out her enthusiasm for studying from her doctorate days.

Wu Xiuhe also noticed that Ran Yan was very interested in this area, so he started to focus on describing pulse character[2].

Her medical studies ended in the morning. After lunch, Ran Yan started to research penicillin extraction, at the same time she needed to think of a way to create a syringe, otherwise even if she managed to extract penicillin, without a way to infuse it into the bloodstream, it would be a futile effort.

The syringe cylinder was actually not difficult to make, many people thought that the ancient Egyptians were the earliest to invent glass, little did they know that in Western Zhou Dynasty in China glass had already been invented, over 1000 years ago uncoloured glass had already been created, but they were only sold commercially during the Song dynasty. The Tang Dynasty[3] would definitely have glass as well, even if there was no glass, ceramic could be used as a substitute.

Only… where would she find someone that could craft such a fine needle head?

Ran Yan’s thoughts were scattered, she absently collected leftover food, fruit skins, and everything that could potentially grow Penicillium, and placed them where it was damp and conducive to growing fungi.

Afterwards, she started to make distilled water and culture medium[4].

Ran Yan heaved a sigh, before this she had never kept in mind, treating a disease actually needed so many materials, now she deeply felt that asking for 20 taels really was too little.

Miss Xing and Wan Lu sat under the veranda sewing clothes. Watching Ran Yan one moment like a rat, hiding food she collected, another moment shifting jars and pots, the next moment deeply sighing while looking towards they sky, the both of them could not help but look at each other, deeply worried.

“What is the matter with Miss?” Wan Lu could not hold back, leaned towards Miss Xing and asked in a low voice.

Miss Xing smoothed out a newly sewn shirt hem and guessed: “It’s probably… the medicine mentioned by the celestial being must be very difficult to make.”

Wan Lu hesitated for moment, suddenly remembered something, slapped her forehead and said: “Yesterday, in the city, we found out something, Miss originally wanted to discuss it with you when we returned, but in the end Miss did not mention it, and I forgot about it too.”

“What is it?” Miss Xing halted her movement and asked.

Wan Lu said: “Yesterday we heard in the city that Master is arranging marriage for Miss, they say it is Fourth Master Qin!”

Fourth Master Qin? Miss Xing felt that it sounded familiar, suddenly remembered that last night Wan Lu had told her that while in the brothel they heard Fourth Master Qin murdered someone, her eyebrows immediately rose up, rapped her knuckles hard on Wan Lu’s head, “Such an important matter, why did you only mention it now! Can’t you differentiate between what is more important and what isn’t?”

Wan Lu rubbed her head, saying: “Miss was not bothered about it either, and in my excitement I forgot.”

“Both this master and servant… Ai[5]!” Miss Xing sighed heavily, “I even thought that Miss had finally matured, turns out she still worries people like this! Women, the most important thing in their life, aside from marriage, giving birth, what else is more important?! But what did you tell me, how is that Fourth Master Qin like?”

“Miss and I met him at the restaurant, he actually looks attractive and intelligent, only his temper is somewhat violent. I accidentally knocked into him, without any explanation he gave me a slap!” Speaking about this, Wan Lu’s heart smouldered in anger, it’s just that he was a nobleman, while her mistress was in such a situation, no matter how big her temper is, she could only endure it.

Seeing Miss Xing’s face suddenly turn white, Wan Lu quickly continued: “But afterwards when the noble ladies from the Orchard Gathering appeared, he gave face[6] to Miss, came over and apologised seriously, saying that recently everything has not been going well for him, so he was a little frustrated, that’s why he lost control and hit me.”

Hearing this, Miss Xing’s pallor improved a little, “Even is that is the case, Fourth Master Qin’s character may not be very good, if they really marry, ai…”

In Miss Xing’s opinion, Fourth Master Qin was the legitimate son of Qin Shangzhuo, the Qin family was not a small clan either, and his looks were not bad, even though he was dissolute and degenerate, Qin Shangzhuo would always be able to protect him, if his temper is bad, Ran Yan would definitely suffer if she married into his family.

“Miss seems very dissatisfied with Fourth Master Qin, do you think with Miss’s current self, is she feeling worried?” Wan Lu finally came to the main issue.

Miss Xing glanced at Ran Yan, at this moment, Ran Yan was squatting by the small clay stove with her brows furrowed, throwing taros[7] into the pot. Her beautiful hair was combed into two attractive hanging buns[8], because her diet was slightly better these days, her two cheeks were plump with baby fat, it really was the innocent and radiant appearance of a fifteen, sixteen year old girl.

Ran Yan probably would never have imagined that after so many years of having a poker face, she would actually have a cute face now. She boiled the taro soup with careful concentration, taro soup and rice ground into paste could be made into the solution for Penicillium culture medium[9]. Afterwards, she still needed to make distilled water… These materials were easily obtainable in the future, but now she had to use such primitive methods to manufacture them, Ran Yan was a little unused to it.

Ran Yan furrowed her brows, filtering useful information from the mess in her mind, pondering again and again, in her minds eye the Dengni ink stone appeared, Dengni ink stone… that’s right! Dengni ink stones were different from other ink stones, they were made from clay and burned[10]! Since that Sang Chen was able to make an ink stone requiring such complex craftsmanship, then he should be familiar with techniques for making ceramic.

Time was short, Ran Yan immediately gave up on looking for glass and changed to using ceramics to make the syringe body, glass originally had not been a common craft in the Tang Dynasty, by the time she found a person capable to making glass, Miss Yan and the others probably would have turned into a pile of bones already.

“Ah Yan[11].” A man’s voice suddenly rang out.

Ran Yan was briefly startled, lifted her head to look towards the entrance.

In the leaf-strewn alley, a middle-aged man wearing wide-sleeved Chinese clothes was looking at her silently. He was in his 40s, his face fair and slim with a neat, beautiful beard, he looked gentle and elegant.

A’ye, this person’s information floated up in Ran Yan’s mind. It turned out he was her current father, Ran Wen. With this knowledge in mind, Ran Yan could not stop herself from carefully analysing this middle-aged beautiful man.

It was Miss Xing and Wan Lu who first reacted, quickly rushing down from the veranda, wore their clogs, went forward and greeted, “Master!”

“Ah Yan, do you not recognise father?” After Ran Wen saw Ran Yan’s features clearly, his excited voice shook a little. He never thought that frail, skinny little girl who was ill beyond cure, actually became so beautiful now!

Ran Yan seeing that the water in the pot was boiling, quickly removed it from the stove before giving a slight bow, saying: “A’ye”

Ran Wen saw her practiced motions in carrying the pot, soared into a burning rage, his legitimate daughter was actually doing such things in a familiar manner. He said coldly to Miss Xing: “You wicked servant, how could you let Seventeenth Miss do these type of things! Do I employ you to provide for your own needs?!”

“Master…” Wan Lu was anxious to explain, but was grabbed hold by Miss Xing.

Although Miss Xing’s face was calm, her tears did not stop falling, with a trembling voice said: “The hardships Miss has faced, how can this be the only thing, if it was not because of Great Doctor Wu’s financial assistance, this old servant probably would have starved to death here!”

Wan Lu also joined her in wiping her tears, “Master, don’t send Miss to the Daoist temple, Miss has already recovered, she does not need to be sent away to become a nun!”

Seeing Yan Wen’s fair face turn from green to black, Ran Yan pursed her lips, trying not to smile, Miss Xing and Wan Lu usually seemed kind and honest, who knew that with this joint performance[12], they actually attacked stepmother.

“Ah Yan, is what they are saying the truth?” Ran Wen walked to the front of Ran Yan in a few steps, seeing that she was still wearing clothes from two years ago, his heart could not help believing it a little.

Actually her stepmother only stopped sending money and goods over half a year ago. As Ran Yan wanted to make penicillin, she was afraid to dirty her clothes, so she changed into old clothing, even if Ran Wen came back again in a few days, he would still see the same scene.

Ran Yan remembered that her house was still filled with all the things that she bought yesterday, if found she probably would not be able to explain, thus said: “Why does A’ye need to ask daughter? Even if you went back and asked, I’m afraid no one would admit to it, why don’t you return and investigate privately if there were any money or items distributed here? On the other matter, it’s not my place to say.”

[1] 褶愈发深: I’m just guessing its meaning (literally it says that his creases are becoming deeper)

[2] The different characters of a pulse: fast/slow, strong/weak, regular/irregular rhythm

[3] The Tang Dynasty where this story is set falls between the Zhou Dynasty and Song Dynasty, so while glass has been invented, it is not used commercially.

[4] Culture medium: a liquid/gel used to grow organisms or cells (in this case it is used to grow Penicillium)

[5] 唉 (ai): sigh

[6] link to wikipedia page about what “face” means culturally (sort of means honour/dignity/reputation)

[7] taro: tropical root vegetable

[8] 练垂髻: drooping training buns

[9] Similar recipe to potato dextrose broth, which is a culture medium for yeast/fungi made from potatoes, distilled water and dextrose (sugar, which I assume she obtains from the rice). Also, is a really interesting page about making your own plant-based culture media.

[10] Method to make ceramic

[11] 阿: prefix used before names, indicates familiarity. (like calling someone Tommy when their name is Thomas/Tom)

[12] 一唱一和: to echo one another (idiom)