Chapter 34: A Friend to Women

The woman hurriedly took the newspaper from the old woman’s hands and flipped through it quickly. She scanned the headlines of every article, but could not find any mention of that particular ailment. She was forced to read through each piece one by one until, finally, within an article about a dish called "Big Plate Chicken," she discovered the relevant content.

What?! Eating too much *Zhu-yu* could actually cause that kind of illness? Fortunately, she had never eaten it. It turned out this condition was called hemorrhoids, and nine out of ten people would suffer from it. She continued reading and found that the article not only explained the causes of hemorrhoids but also provided detailed instructions on how to treat, manage, and prevent them. The most crucial points were paying attention to one's diet and performing a "perineal contraction" exercise.

Upon seeing how this exercise was to be performed, the woman’s pupils dilated. Could such a thing really be published in a newspaper for everyone to see? However, her initial fear was gradually replaced by a sense of calm, thanks to the article’s methodical narration and concise, logical phrasing. It didn't seem like such a big deal after all; perhaps by following these instructions, she could recover. As she pondered, she felt a surge of gratitude toward the author. Without him, she might still be living in perpetual anxiety, weeping in despair.

There were many others like this woman. The *Mountain and Sea Gazette* was thriving and had a vast readership, so the number of people who saw this article was not small. Because the content was suitable for all ages, many women who were confined to their inner quarters and had very limited channels for outside information also subscribed to the paper. Although they felt a bit shy upon seeing the article, they all unanimously tucked it away for future reference.

Later, those women who suffered from hemorrhoids found that their symptoms became less frequent thanks to the content of the article; some even saw the condition disappear entirely, which greatly alleviated their suffering. Consequently, in the circles of women living in the inner quarters, Yue Ming became known as a "friend to all women," and many later wrote to her for advice when facing unspeakable troubles. Of course, that is a story for another time.

***

When the second volume was released, the bookstore entrance was once again crowded with readers eager to buy the book, a sight that had not been seen for a long time. Although they were strangers, they were mostly familiar faces by now. They gathered in small groups, chatting and discussing the plot to pass the time while waiting for the shop to open.

"Although I was happy to see Er'ya earn some money last time, I still feel like something is missing because I didn't get to see the Wang family regret their actions."

"I think it’s better the Wang family doesn't know. Given how shameless they are, who knows what they would do if they found out Wang Er was making money?"

"True. That whole family is like a nest of snakes and rats. Only Wang Er-lang and his wife are remotely normal, yet they managed to produce a gem like Er'ya."

"Ah, the poor thing. If it weren't for Er'ya’s luck in meeting that old immortal, she probably wouldn't have survived."

"By the way, what do you all think is the background of Master Yue Ming? I’ve been curious about that for a long time."

This topic piqued everyone’s interest, and they began to chime in with their own theories and opinions.

"At first, I thought he was just some poor scholar looking for attention to make a few coins. Later, I figured he must be the son of a noble house, which is why he understands the lives of the elite so well."

"No, that’s not it. He writes about country life so realistically. That Mother Wang is exactly like an old village woman I once saw."

"Can't it be a combination of both? Perhaps he was once from a high-ranking family, but after the family fell into decline, he had to live in the countryside. Having seen so much, he can write about it."

They could not reach a consensus and almost started arguing, stopping only when the bookstore finally opened its doors.

Jian Hang, lost in the crowd, bought his copy and left without delay, heading home to deliver it to Jian Tong. That little girl was now completely obsessed with this book. The first volume was fine—he wouldn't let her read the inappropriate parts, and she was obedient enough to listen. She wasn't this persistent back then; now, she was prattling on about it all day long. If he stopped buying it for even a day, she would surely throw a tantrum.

Jian Hang couldn't understand it. Perhaps it was because the protagonist was roughly her age—just a little girl? When she read the first volume, she was incredibly invested. Seeing how miserable and pitiful Wang Er'ya was, she had actually cried while reading, tears and snot streaming down her face, and it took him a long time to comfort her. Jian Hang had a headache just thinking about it. He wondered if this volume contained anything too tragic that might make her cry again. He was hesitant, but he couldn't deny her, or she would make an even bigger scene.

Jian Tong was quite the opportunist; she was attentive and sweet to her brother when she needed something, but indifferent when she didn't. Right now, she was at the middle gate, waiting anxiously for Jian Hang. Seeing him walk over with a book in hand, she rushed to meet him impatiently. "Brother, you're finally back! I've been waiting for ages."

Without waiting for him to hand it over, she snatched it herself and ran back to the study to read it alone, not looking back once. Jian Tong had a very ritualistic way of doing things: she placed the book on the desk, washed and dried her hands, knelt before the desk, and then, with her fingers gently pinching the corner of the cover, opened the pages with reverence.

The story picked up where it left off.

Wang Er-lang’s family had earned a decent amount of money from the "Big Plate Chicken" dish. While not enough to make them wealthy overnight, it significantly eased the pressure of survival, allowing them to save enough to repair their house and eat a meat dish every few days. The patches on their clothes were gone, and they had enough surplus to buy new fabric for new outfits.

Wang Er-lang and his wife naturally valued and cherished this little daughter who had brought them wealth, giving her the best of everything. Wang Er'ya could finally wear the bright, colorful clothes she had once admired on the other village children, and her thin, sunken cheeks had filled out a little, no longer looking so haggard.

As Jian Tong read this, she felt happy for Wang Er'ya, but immediately became confused. Still young and lacking experience, she did not understand the ways of the world. Er'ya was their only daughter, so why had they neglected her before for the sake of a non-existent son? Could a parent’s love for their child really change based on gender? Why did they only start to value and cherish her after she received the old immortal’s blessing and started earning money? Jian Tong secretly kept this question in her heart.

Meanwhile, after the family split, the members of the Wang family were each harboring their own ulterior motives. Old Man Wang and Mother Wang were waiting for Wang Er to repent and beg for forgiveness, hoping he would return to being the dutiful, long-suffering son. The eldest branch still lived with the parents, but now that they were in charge, they had seized the majority of the house, land, and property, and were overjoyed. The third branch, no longer under the parents' thumb, lived behind closed doors and enjoyed their own little life, feeling more at ease than ever. All these people unanimously assumed that Wang Er-lang’s family was living in misery and were waiting to watch them suffer.

"The Wang family is truly short-sighted. They don't know that Er'ya’s family is living much better than they are. If they had been nicer to Er'ya earlier, they might have gotten a share of the profits," Jian Tong muttered, acting older than her years.

Later, the Wang family learned from other villagers that the second branch was thriving—they had repaired their house, wore new clothes, and were eating well; every few days, the scent of meat would waft from their home. Upon hearing this, some in the Wang family didn't believe it at all, while others grew suspicious and prepared to investigate Wang Er-lang’s home.

Jian Tong felt her heart tighten as she read this. The people in the Wang family were so despicable; if they found out Wang Er-lang had made money, there was no telling what evil things they would do to harm them. She prayed that Wang Er-lang would hide everything valuable quickly so they wouldn't be discovered.

However, the plot unfolded in the exact opposite way she had imagined.

Wang San and the others arrived to investigate just as the Wang Er-lang family was enjoying a feast. Seeing them in decent new clothes with several meat dishes on the table, Wang San and his cohorts were green with envy. They refused to believe the money was earned by Wang Er-lang’s own efforts, suspecting instead that they had stolen family wealth, and they started a scene right there on the spot.

"How outrageous! How can they be so unreasonable? If they want money, they should use their own skills to earn it. Slandering others is no skill at all!" Jian Tong sniffed in indignation, deeply dissatisfied with Wang San’s family.

But people change; Wang Er-lang was no longer the man he once was. Having been the master of his own house and managing his street stall for these days, he had regained his confidence. He had the courage to stand up to others and was no longer timid. He grabbed a club, beat Wang San, and declared that the money was all earned from selling Big Plate Chicken. He reminded them that the clan elders had witnessed the family split, and if they had any questions, they could go ask the elders.

"Well done! If someone bullies you, you have to hit back hard." Jian Tong, having been taught this by her mother since she was small, clenched her little fists.

But beating the young one brought out the old ones. Mother Wang, unable to believe that Wang Er had dared to strike Wang San, was furious. Wang San, meanwhile, had set his sights on the Big Plate Chicken recipe and urged Mother Wang to demand it. Thus, Wang Er was summoned back to the Wang household, where he was immediately subjected to a three-way confrontation, accused of stealing an ancestral recipe and ordered to hand it over.

"How can there be such shameless people in this world?!" Jian Tong’s face flushed with anger. Why was the Wang family so incapable of distinguishing right from wrong? There was not a shred of benevolence, righteousness, or integrity in them. She prayed that Wang Er would never agree. Even if it were just a trivial recipe for Er'ya, who had an immortal as a master, it shouldn't be handed over to evil people.

The Wang family’s reasoning was completely baseless. If it were an ancestral recipe, why did none of them know its contents? Wang Er-lang, now possessing a bit of backbone, refuted them in a few short sentences. Old Man Wang and his wife, seeing him dare to disobey, were livid and used the concept of filial piety to force him to hand over the recipe. Jian Tong was so angry her face turned red. She didn't understand—did being a parent or the concept of filial piety mean one could commit any evil deed? It was simply absurd.

In the end, Wang Er agreed, but he set a condition: the Wang family could no longer demand anything from him under any pretext. Knowing the significant profits the recipe could bring, and believing there was nothing else to gain from Wang Er-lang’s family, they finally agreed. For Wang Er'ya, such a small recipe meant nothing, so she did not object to her father's decision. However, Wang Qin-shi, having no affection for the Wang family, did not want them to benefit, yet she dared not oppose her husband and could only swallow her dissatisfaction.

"Why?! Has Wang Er forgotten all their past cruelty and heartlessness? How could he agree to this!"