Chapter 16 - 16 13 The Condition of Fistula in Flowers

16: Chapter 13: The Condition of Fistula in Flowers 16: Chapter 13: The Condition of Fistula in Flowers “Wife, there’s some excitement to be seen,” Wan Lu’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Ran Yan. “They’re looking at a woman, and what would you go to see?” Ran Yan asked with a smile. Wan Lu curiously asked, “Wife, how did you know it’s a woman?” Ran Yan’s power of observation had always been very good. As long as something unusual within her line of sight, she would rarely miss it, even down to a wound as small as the tip of a needle, let alone a whole living person. When someone had carried a litter past earlier, Ran Yan had seen it. A person on the litter was covered with a thin quilt from body to face, revealing only their hair and a single red silk flower. The quilts of summer were only a thin layer, and even when covered, the woman’s exquisite figure was indisputably revealed. Through the thin quilt, her bosom already heaved, belying a figure that was surely breathtaking. Ran Yan looked up and saw that behind the crowd was a clinic. “Let’s go. It won’t hurt to take a look at this excitement,” Ran Yan had come out looking for business opportunities. She had set her goal to treat only women. Since she encountered this right on the street, she naturally wanted to get a closer look, perhaps this could be an opportunity. More and more people gathered on the street, and before Ran Yan and Wan Lu got close, the area was already three layers inside and three layers outside, completely surrounded, with many women standing far away watching the excitement but not daring to push through the crowd. So naturally, Ran Yan and Wan Lu could only stand far away and watch. There was a buzz of low whispers and discussions everywhere, but not a single useful word was heard. After the two had watched for a while and found it boring, they were ready to leave. However, a middle-aged woman in a low-necked jacket forcibly dragged an old man out. The woman had a thick layer of white powder on her face, was slightly plump, heaped up in a cloud-like hairstyle, and her red lips painted as big as a cherry. This appearance reminded Ran Yan of the portraits of Tang Dynasty ladies, which, although with some differences, roughly looked like this. “I have said that I will not do business with prostitutes. Don’t the brothels have doctors on call?” The old man was reluctant in the first place. Being pulled and dragged by a prostitute in public was very unbecoming, and now he was even more unwilling, his tone resolute. “Divine Doctor Zhang, Slave has heard of your famous kindness in Suzhou City, how can you ignore someone in need of help?” The prostitute clung to him without letting go, tears in her beautiful eyes, looking as though they might fall at any moment, truly making a group of men’s hearts break. However, as attractive as her face was, it was not as eye-catching as the top part of her breasts, partly exposed and trembling against the old doctor’s arm, truly enviable indeed. Suddenly, many people spoke up to help her plead her case. “Divine Doctor Zhang, could it be that you are looking down on us because we are prostitutes?” The prostitute asked persistently. Looking down upon them was certainly the case, but these words could not be said out loud. During the Tang Dynasty, social customs were liberal, and there were no legal or public objections to officials and scholars visiting prostitutes. It was even considered a charming and elegant tale worth emulating. Among the common people, extramarital affairs were not taken very seriously, and frequenting prostitutes even less so. Prostitutes were of the lowest social status, and it was common in many books to mention some official taking a prostitute as a concubine. In an era of such liberal customs as the Tang Dynasty, this was an extremely difficult feat. The Tang Code explicitly stated that people of different social ranks with a difference of two grades or more could not marry, and having a concubine was not allowed either. But there is an old saying, “A wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a secret affair.” At times, the attention that the wealthy lavished on prostitutes reached an almost inconceivable level, as if they were just shy of taking them home to offer them fame. Therefore, Divine Doctor Zhang naturally did not dare to admit this openly, and he repeated several times, “I do not mean this, I simply am not skilled in women’s diseases. You may ask the neighbors around; I have never treated diseases of women!” Once Divine Doctor Zhang said this, no one doubted him, because he wasn’t the only one who did not treat women’s diseases—many doctors hardly did. Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes observation, listening, inquiring, and palpation; most legitimate doctors were men and naturally found it inconvenient to examine women’s bodies, so it was normal for them not to have experience with these diseases. “Besides, there’s no need to look at her. From the symptoms you’ve described, I can tell it’s a case of ‘flowery fistula,’ a condition known to have been dealt with by Divine Doctor Hua Tuo who once had a remedy passed down, and it was also recorded by Chao Yuanfang in the previous Sui dynasty. But I am not a descendant of the Divine Doctor, so naturally, I have no knowledge of the prescription. Please, Miss Qing Dai, stop making things difficult for this old man,” Divine Doctor Zhang had been dubbed “Divine Doctor” out of respect by people because of his kind nature. At that time, there were many such ‘Divine Doctors,’ but not all were really capable of miraculous cures. Doctors in ancient times mostly followed prescriptions when dispensing medicine, treasuring any prescription they obtained as if it were a prized possession, keeping it secret and fearing that others might glimpse it. Those who acquired Medical Books even considered them family treasures, deeply afraid of others catching sight of them. As a result, doctors at that time loved to collect prescriptions, becoming a mainstream trend. And the so-called flower fistula, by the Song Dynasty, was known as “flower willow disease,” which was a general term for sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis, gonorrhea, mycoplasma genitalium, and so on. During the Ming Dynasty, the flower willow disease was once rampant, and in modern times, the most famous is undoubtedly AIDS. This disease was not only difficult to treat but also prone to recurrence. In this current era, contracting this condition meant that one should quickly return home to prepare a coffin. Once the crowd heard it was flower fistula, they dispersed in a commotion. A few well-dressed men, who likely often sought pleasure, immediately requested treatment from Divine Doctor Zhang and insisted on seeing the prostitute that had succumbed to the disease, but they were blocked by several brawny men and sent away. While that commotion was going on, Qing Dai, still harboring hope, said, “But the patient has already been brought here, at least take a look and prescribe some medicine.” Divine Doctor Zhang sighed heavily, about to turn back into his house, when suddenly he remembered something, paused, and discreetly led Qing Dai to the dispensary, whispering, “Miss Qing Dai, the day before yesterday, I encountered a female divine doctor in Zhou Family Village five miles away. I witnessed her reviving a person who had been dead for more than ten hours.” “Really?” Qing Dai’s tear-filled eyes brightened as she asked eagerly, “I will take my sister to find her right away, no matter the cost, I must save my sister.” Divine Doctor Zhang was always compassionate. Seeing that a brothel woman like Qing Dai was so affectionate and loyal, he kindly reminded her, “I later inquired about her. The female divine doctor is from a prestigious family. You must go quietly, or it could harm her reputation and cause others difficulty…” It turned out that Divine Doctor Zhang, since his clinic was near the eastern gate and he was always kind-hearted, was called to Zhou Family Village that day. Afterwards, he had wanted to visit Ran Yan to learn more about medicine, but upon inquiring, he found out that Ran Yan was the legitimate daughter of the Ran family, and living alone to recuperate in a manor; it was not appropriate for him to go visit her. “Thank you for your guidance, Divine Doctor! I will go back and make preparations right away,” Qing Dai said, and hurried out the door to have the patient carried away. Ran Yan watched them leave in a hurry and followed suit. Wan Lu, concerned, quickly tugged at her, lowering her voice, “Wife, given your current situation, it may be unwise to associate with the brothel!” Seeing that Ran Yan paid no attention, Wan Lu firmly remembered Mrs. seaʀᴄh thё Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Xing’s instructions, and diligently advised, “Wife! Though it’s not a great sin, the head of the main court is just waiting to catch you in the act, to get rid of you. Wife, what exactly are you planning to do? Just order your slaves to do it.” Ran Yan saw the group turn into a secluded alley and said flatly, “Don’t talk, just follow me.” Her long experience as a forensic doctor lent Ran Yan an air of authority that commanded respect once she took a matter seriously, and inexplicably, one felt that what she said was an absolute truth, her actions resulting from calm and careful deliberation. Wan Lu’s firm determination to protect her mistress dissipated like dust, filled with a slight unease, yet she obediently shut her mouth. After following for a while, she became even more proactive than Ran Yan, peering around curiously—it was a sight that elicited both laughter and tears from Ran Yan. The alleys of Suzhou City were almost all paved with blue stone, and with many canals and bridges within the city, palanquins were used instead of carriages. Thus, even the main street was only wide enough for four or five palanquins to pass side by side, and the alleys could only accommodate two palanquins to pass each other. After several turns, the alley was devoid of pedestrians. Ran Yan was about to catch up when she saw a group of lavishly dressed women approaching, their faces caked in makeup. The middle-aged woman leading them stared fiercely at Qing Dai. Qing Dai stiffened, standing still. The middle-aged woman strode forward and slapped her, her voice cold and venomous, “I don’t care if you two want to live or die! But your actions today, how could I let you off!” In a day or two, nearly the whole of Suzhou City would probably know that a certain brothel had contracted flower fistula—who would then dare to visit their establishment? “Take them back!” the middle-aged woman said with spite.