Chapter 6

Ji Rong

Since that day, in addition to causing trouble for Meixue, Chūnxiù also started to pick on Yùnyí at every turn. She was quite clever, always making trouble when Yang Māmā wasn’t around, making it difficult for Meixue to accuse her.

However, Chūnxiù wasn’t just trying to please others. Recently, for some unknown reason, she had been suffering from strange, inexplicable pains, and they always seemed to happen when she was reprimanding Meixue or Yùnyí.

Once, she tried to pull the same trick as before, intending to trip Meixue. But unexpectedly, she felt a sharp pain in her knee and ended up falling to the ground. Her knee was bruised badly, and she couldn’t dance for two days.

While the previous incidents could be passed off as accidents, this time, Chūnxiù was certain that it wasn’t. Someone had deliberately hurt her. But when she asked Jì Róng and the others, they all said they hadn’t seen anyone do anything, and assured her that Meixue was not involved.

Their words only made Chūnxiù more uneasy. Two days before the performance, she pulled Jì Róng aside at night, hesitating before speaking. “Sister, do you think one of them, Meixue or Yùnyí, might know some kind of sorcery?”

“Why do you ask that all of a sudden?” Jì Róng asked, puzzled.

Chūnxiù lifted her skirt, showing her knee, which was still bruised and not healed. In a low voice, she said, “In the past few days, I’ve been falling down or getting hurt by something almost every day. I’ve thought it over, and aside from those two, who else would do such a thing? If this continues, I won’t even be able to walk, let alone fight Meixue for the lead dancer position.”

Chapter 6: Jì Róng

After that day, in addition to causing trouble for Meixue, Chūnxiù also started finding faults with Yùnyí at every turn. She was somewhat clever, always making trouble when Yang Māmā wasn’t around, so Meixue couldn’t point fingers at her.

However, Chūnxiù wasn’t just trying to please others. Recently, for some unknown reason, she had been suffering from strange, inexplicable pains, and they always seemed to occur when she was reprimanding Meixue or Yùnyí.

Once, she attempted to use the same trick as before and trip Meixue, but unexpectedly, she felt a sharp pain in her knee and fell to the ground. Her knee was badly bruised, and she couldn’t dance for two days.

While the previous incidents could be passed off as accidents, this time, Chūnxiù was sure it wasn’t. Someone had deliberately harmed her. But when she asked Jì Róng and the others, they all said they hadn’t seen anyone do anything, and assured her that Meixue wasn’t involved.

Their words only made Chūnxiù feel more uneasy. Two days before the performance, she pulled Jì Róng aside at night, hesitating before speaking. “Sister, do you think one of them, Meixue or Yùnyí, might know some kind of sorcery?”

“Why are you asking this all of a sudden?” Jì Róng asked, puzzled.

Chūnxiù lifted her skirt, showing her knee, which was still bruised and not healed. In a low voice, she said, “In the past few days, I’ve been falling down or getting hurt by something almost every day. I’ve thought it over, and aside from those two, who else would do such a thing? If this continues, I won’t even be able to walk, let alone compete with Meixue for the lead dancer position.”

Jì Róng thought for a moment and said, “We’ve known Meixue since we were young, so we’re very clear about her abilities. It shouldn’t be her.”

“Then it must be Yùnyí,” Chūnxiù gritted her teeth and said. “I don’t know if we were enemies in a past life, but since we met, she’s been going against me at every turn, never giving me a moment of peace.” She shook Jì Róng’s hand and pleaded, “Jì Róng, please help me come up with a solution.”

Jì Róng hesitated and said, “At times like this, how can I come up with a solution?”

Chūnxiù wouldn’t give up. “Jì Róng, you’re sharp, you can definitely think of something. Besides, you don’t want me to practice so hard, only for that Yùnyí to sabotage me, do you?”

Reluctantly, Jì Róng said, “Alright, alright. Don’t rush me, let me think.”

The night was filled with the constant chirping of autumn insects. After a long silence, Jì Róng finally spoke. “Right now, the most crucial thing is the performance for the Governor’s birthday in two days. So, the one you should focus on is not Yùnyí, but Meixue.”

“I know, but Yùnyí might know sorcery, I…” Before Chūnxiù could finish, Jì Róng interrupted, “Let’s not discuss whether she knows sorcery or not. Even if she does, judging by the recent events, it seems that it can only cause you some minor injuries, nothing serious. But if you lose to Meixue, you’ll miss a great opportunity. So the most important thing for you right now is to secure the lead dancer position.”

“I want to, but first, Yang Māmā favors Meixue, and second, I’ve suddenly gotten so many injuries on my legs. How can I compete with her…” Chūnxiù paused, unwilling to admit it, then reluctantly said, “It’s easier said than done!”

Jì Róng smiled faintly. “If I’m not mistaken, tomorrow is the fifteenth.”

Chūnxiù was confused and asked, “It’s the fifteenth, so what?”

“According to the rules of the household, every first and fifteenth day, one is allowed to visit home. Tomorrow, you should go home for a visit and…” Before Jì Róng could finish, Chūnxiù quickly shook her head. “The performance is the day after tomorrow, and Yang Māmā will decide who will be the lead dancer tomorrow. If I leave at this time, wouldn’t I be handing the opportunity to Meixue? I absolutely can’t do that!”

“Just listen to me finish,” Jì Róng said, “Everyone faces trials in life, and sickness is inevitable. If Meixue falls ill and can’t get up, the lead dancer position will naturally be yours.”

“I know that, but she’s fine right now. How could she suddenly fall ill?” Chūnxiù questioned, but Jì Róng smiled and said, “I once heard my father tell a story. There was a rich landlord who had only one son at the age of fifty. He loved the boy dearly. When the son was four years old, he fell ill, and after recovery, the doctor advised gradual nourishment. But the landlord misunderstood and thought that the more nourishment, the better. So, he had someone cook an aged wild ginseng for the boy, thinking it would do him good. The boy ate too much, and instead of improving, his health worsened. Soon after, he passed away. The landlord was filled with regret, but by then, it was too late.”

The story wasn’t difficult to understand, and Chūnxiù quickly grasped its meaning, but she still didn’t see how it was relevant to her situation. Jì Róng noticed her confusion and explained, “Ginseng can be a great tonic or a deadly poison, depending on how it’s used. If a healthy person suddenly takes too much, what do you think will happen?”

Chūnxiù thought for a moment and tentatively said, “It will cause weakness, and they won’t be able to handle it?”

“Exactly. As long as we can trick Meixue into taking it, not only will she not be able to take the lead dancer position, but she won’t even be able to perform,” Jì Róng said. Though the Jì family’s medical knowledge wasn’t as strong as it once was, they still had many medical books, and Jì Róng had been exposed to them since she was young. While she wasn’t a master, she understood the principles of many medicines.

Chūnxiù’s eyes lit up with a smile, but it quickly faded. “But ginseng isn’t an ordinary item. How can we afford it?”

Jì Róng thought for a moment and said, “We just received our monthly allowance yesterday. If we pool our money together and also take some from your father’s savings, we should be able to buy a good piece of ginseng.”

Chūnxiù thought about it and gritted her teeth. “Then that’s the only way. Tomorrow, I’ll tell Yang Māmā that I need to go home for a visit.”

Jì Róng nodded and added, “Make sure to buy the best ginseng you can afford. Don’t hesitate to spend the money, this is our only chance.”

Chūnxiù nodded. “Don’t worry, sister, I know what to do.”

That night, Chūnxiù stayed up all night. Early the next morning, she asked Yang Māmā for leave to go out. Though Yang Māmā felt uneasy, she didn’t stop her, since it was the household’s rule.

After noon, Chūnxiù returned to the Governor’s Mansion with a decent piece of ginseng. She gave the remaining copper coins to the kitchen staff, asking them to help her make a ginseng soup.

Following Jì Róng’s instructions, she had the ginseng cut into small slices before making the soup, as this method would extract all the essence of the ginseng, yielding far better results than boiling the whole root.

Because the ginseng soup took a long time to cook, it wasn’t ready until nearly dusk. Chūnxiù took it to the dance hall, where everyone was still practicing as they were about to choose the lead dancer.