Chapter 33: Do Not Hide Your Illness from the Doctor

The Tianxiang Restaurant was the finest establishment in Luoyang. With a constant stream of customers and robust daily revenue, it had long since surpassed its many covetous competitors.

However, the current proprietor spent his days sighing in distress. Because there had been no new dishes for a long time, the menu had become stagnant, and many regulars were growing weary of the same old offerings. Watching the revenue steadily decline, the owner could no longer sit idly by. If this continued, the restaurant would surely go bankrupt, and his ancestral legacy would be ruined in his hands.

Yet, he had no good solutions. The prevailing environment was such that everyone followed the same tired, traditional recipes. The owner even entertained the idea of sending someone to infiltrate the kitchens of noble families to steal a few secret recipes. But this was a fantasy; those high-walled mansions were heavily guarded, and getting inside was nearly impossible, let alone stealing anything. Furthermore, cooking is a matter of personal touch—even if a recipe were written down in full, it would be impossible to replicate the exact flavor. Chefs have their own ways of guarding their techniques. Moreover, even if they perfectly recreated a dish, if the noble families found out and came knocking, the restaurant would be a sitting duck, helpless against their wrath. Their very lives might be in danger.

In desperation, he could only encourage his chefs to see if they had any ideas, promising a raise to anyone who could invent a new, successful dish. It was a "treat a dead horse as if it were alive" situation. He held no real hope, just doing what he could. Yet, to his surprise, someone actually brought him a massive breakthrough.

"What? You really made it? Quick, let me taste!" His eyes widened, joy surging in his heart. The owner couldn't wait to taste the new dish Father Xue had prepared to see if it could become the restaurant's signature.

"Be careful with this flavor, it's quite spicy. Just try a little bit first, and if you can't handle it, spit it out," Father Xue said hesitantly, unsure if the owner had a tolerance for spice.

"Pah, what is this? There is nothing I haven't tasted!" For the sake of the business, the owner had sampled countless dishes; he was not far off from a legendary tester of herbs. A little spice was nothing to him. He picked up a piece of chicken and put it in his mouth. His eyes lit up. He chewed a few times, swallowed, and immediately reached for more.

"Good, delicious! It’s just very spicy." As a restaurant owner who had tasted many dishes, he keenly realized that the spiciness was an indispensable element of this dish. "Master Xue, how did you come up with this? Why didn't you bring it out earlier? This could be our signature dish!" The owner gulped down several mouthfuls of water and asked curiously.

"It wasn't my own invention. Have you read the book *After Being Split from the Family, I Became Extremely Rich*?"

"I've heard of it—the new book by the esteemed Yue Ming. But I’ve been so worried lately, I haven't had the time to read. What does this book have to do with the dish?" The owner was puzzled.

"It's the recipe for 'Big Plate Chicken' written in the book. I made it exactly as described."

"What!" Is there still someone who does charity like this these days? The owner was shocked, then immediately realized this was a golden opportunity. "Master Xue, listen, I have a favor to ask of you."

***

When Xue Zhenrui arrived, Xu Chengyue was instructing Qiu Lu on how to make Big Plate Chicken. Despite how detailed her writing was in the book, she had never actually tasted a bite since arriving in this world. While writing, she would imagine her readers being tempted by her descriptions, while she herself drooled with longing. Who could resist? If she weren't such a foodie, she wouldn't have known the methods for so many delicacies in such detail, nor would she have been able to describe them so vividly after transmigrating to an ancient era where nothing was available.

Seeing Xue Zhenrui, Xu Chengyue hurriedly invited her inside and warmly asked her to join for a meal. "Miss Xue, you've come at the perfect time. I had Qiu Lu prepare some food. Why don't you join me?"

Xue Zhenrui felt a bit embarrassed; she hadn't expected to run into mealtime. It was, after all, just the right time for lunch. She had intended to wait until Xu Chengyue went to the Shanhai Bookstore to tell her, but her father had been nagging her incessantly, repeating his requests over and over. Xue Zhenrui couldn't stand it and came directly. Now, it looked like she had come specifically to freeload. *Mm, but the food at Xu's place seems to taste even better than what my father makes.*

They began to talk business only after eating. "Miss Xu, my father has some questions he would like to ask you," Xue Zhenrui said bashfully.

"What questions? Tell me." Xu Chengyue was puzzled; she didn't know Father Xue and wondered what he could possibly need to ask. Xue Zhenrui explained everything one by one. Xu Chengyue suddenly realized—they were just small questions about cooking, very simple. She answered them after a moment's thought.

Xue Zhenrui’s eyes turned into stars. *Miss Xu is truly amazing.* Xue Zhenrui sighed to herself for the umpteenth time. After answering the questions, Xu Chengyue noticed Xue Zhenrui still sitting there, looking like she wanted to say something but didn't know how to start.

"Is there anything else? Just say it." Xu Chengyue said helplessly. This girl was lovely in every way, but she was always a bit reserved. Xu Chengyue didn't think she was intimidating at all.

"...Miss Xu, my father is a chef at Tianxiang Restaurant. The owner thinks your dish is excellent and would like to collaborate with you." Xue Zhenrui finally managed to say it, letting out a sigh of relief.

Xu Chengyue didn't intend to refuse. Her purpose in writing out the recipes in such detail was exactly this—to popularize these rich cooking methods throughout the Tang Dynasty. If she could enrich the culinary landscape and inspire restaurants to improve their cooking, she wouldn't have to worry about food in the future; she could just go out and buy it. It would save her the trouble of cooking at home—though she only had to give orders to her two maids, it was still troublesome and time-consuming. Moreover, it would add a source of income. Why not?

They set a time, and the next day at noon, Xu Chengyue went to the Xue household. Hoping to make a good impression, the owner had been waiting for a long time. After Xue Zhenrui made the introductions, both sides exchanged greetings and sat down.

"I won't beat around the bush, Miss Xu. I'll be direct. I'm here to ask if you would allow Tianxiang Restaurant to be the one to serve this Big Plate Chicken." The owner was a straightforward person.

"Are you asking for an exclusive license?" Xu Chengyue asked in surprise. She hadn't expected a merchant in the Tang Dynasty to have such long-term foresight.

"Exclusive? Miss Xu, that is a fitting term. Of course, Tianxiang Restaurant will not let you suffer a loss. I promise to give you twenty percent of the profits from this dish."

So generous? Xu Chengyue was suspicious. "Does the owner have any other requirements?"

"Miss Xu is sharp," the owner praised. "Could I ask you to write something for my shop, stating that Tianxiang Restaurant is designated by you? I would like to hang it in the main hall of the restaurant."

Xu Chengyue understood. This was just wanting to use her fame for publicity! It was a mutually beneficial arrangement, so there was no reason to refuse. The negotiations went very smoothly.

Afterward, Big Plate Chicken was officially launched at Tianxiang Restaurant and became their signature dish. With the promotion of Xu Chengyue’s name, customers came in an endless stream. Big Plate Chicken became a new and trendy delicacy that swept through Luoyang.

"As expected of Tianxiang Restaurant. Master Yue Ming is truly generous to be willing to publish such a precious recipe."

"Who wouldn't say so? It makes those noble families who hide everything all day seem petty."

"But which name do you think is better? Big Plate Chicken or 'Red Cornel Pointing to Golden Wind'?"

"Of course it's Big Plate Chicken. It’s such a grounded name. You hear it and you know it's chicken on a big plate."

"But 'Red Cornel Pointing to Golden Wind' was named by the Duke of Zheng. It sounds so elegant, like something from a noble family!"

Some people began to argue over the names. However, none of this had anything to do with Xu Chengyue, as she was currently troubled by another matter.

***

Dr. Lin of the Xinglin Pharmacy was very puzzled. The reason was simply that the number of customers in the shop had increased recently. While having more customers was usually a good thing, as it meant more money, he was, after all, a doctor; he couldn't exactly hope for people to fall ill.

The symptoms of these customers were very similar: either abdominal pain, mouth sores, or pain in "that" area. Dr. Lin was perplexed, thinking it might be some terrible contagious disease. He prepared to diagnose it properly, hoping to raise awareness, control the source of infection, and so on.

As it turned out, upon asking, he discovered they had all eaten that dish called "Big Plate Chicken," which contained a large amount of cornel. This was nonsense! Cornel was so spicy, and since everyone was used to a bland diet, how could they handle that kind of heat? It was no wonder they were getting mouth sores from eating too much of it. He hurriedly prescribed some cooling, fever-reducing medicine for those who needed it and advised them not to eat it anymore. The patients all nodded submissively.

Yet, a day or two later, they would walk back into his shop to buy medicine, saying, "Dr. Lin, I know I shouldn't, but I just can't help myself." Dr. Lin was so angry he could have set his own shop on fire.

It wasn't just Dr. Lin who noticed this. Other interested parties had taken note as well.

***

The earlier success of the *Shanhai News* had attracted the attention of many other bookstores. They couldn't copy the content, but they could certainly learn the format of the newspaper. Thus, following the *Shanhai News*, all sorts of miscellaneous newspapers sprang up. While they weren't as well-run as the *Shanhai News*—some content was excellent, some mediocre—they were decent imitations and became alternatives.

One such small newspaper published an article claiming that a dish called Big Plate Chicken contained a significant amount of cornel, leading to various illnesses—mild cases resulting in mouth sores, and severe cases in unbearable abdominal pain. It warned that this was just the effect of eating a little; if consumed long-term, it might cause serious harm to the body, perhaps even death within a few days. The person who created this dish was malicious, inducing everyone to eat something poisonous.

"This newspaper is simply talking nonsense! I chose to eat it myself; what does that have to do with Master Yue Ming? If they didn't want to eat it, they could have just left out the cornel."

"Exactly. Master Yue Ming kindly shared the recipe with everyone. Who would have thought it would lead to such trouble? It’s truly disheartening."

"But... why do I feel like what they said has some truth to it?"

Xu Chengyue was speechless after reading it, thinking to herself, *You are really exaggerating.*

In reality, if this had happened on any other day, it might not have caused such severe consequences or triggered such widespread tasting and discussion. After all, only those with a little extra money could frequently afford to eat in restaurants. Ordinary people were more accustomed to cooking at home.

As it happened, the Double Ninth Festival was only two or three days away. The Double Ninth Festival was a major occasion where climbing high and wearing cornel were essential. Cornel was very important; many people would wear it on that day to ward off evil, and some young ladies would tuck it into their hair alongside chrysanthemums. Many families had prepared plenty of cornel, waiting for the holiday. Because of the festival, families who usually couldn't afford meat had prepared chickens to slaughter. Since mutton was expensive and pork had a strong odor, and ordinary people didn't care about complex cooking methods—as long as it was cooked, it was fine—chicken, which was easy to make delicious without complex seasonings and was very cheap, was beloved by all.

As a result, after the book was released, many people tried it, and restaurants made it. People saw it was feasible and followed suit. Once they tried it, they couldn't stop. However, eating too much spicy food was indeed bad for you. Spicy food is addictive; in her past life, there was a certain city where people ate the spiciest hot pot and visited the best proctologists.

Consequently, Xu Chengyue wrote an article, preparing to publish it the next day. She first urged everyone to eat according to their capacity and not to force themselves to eat spicy food if they couldn't handle it, as it would harm their health. She then explained that if they suffered from unbearable abdominal pain after eating spicy food, they could drink milk or honey water to alleviate it. Immediately after, Xu Chengyue wrote about "anal tightening exercises." After all, "out of ten people, nine have hemorrhoids"; having hemorrhoids was nothing to be ashamed of.

The medical conditions in the Tang Dynasty were inadequate, and people were quite sensitive about such privacy. Being a modern person, she naturally wanted to popularize relevant medical knowledge. Moreover, most people suffering from the pain of hemorrhoids were women, especially those who had given birth, as hemorrhoids were a common postnatal complication. For them, it was even harder to speak about.

If one asked why Xu Chengyue knew so much about this, it was because she was an author who often had to sit for long periods—hemorrhoids were an occupational hazard. The first topic of conversation she had every day with a fellow writer friend was, "Hi, babe, have you done your anal tightening exercises today?"

This article was an explosive existence for the Tang Dynasty. At least for Xue Zhenrui, it was. Holding the article, Xue Zhenrui’s face turned red, and she stuttered, "Miss Xu, is this really okay? Won't people scold you?"

"Of course it's okay. There's nothing wrong with it. Don't avoid the doctor out of fear of the illness. Besides, this is just normal physiological and medical knowledge. If people delay treatment because of so-called shame, that would be truly bad," Xu Chengyue said righteously. She truly felt this way and was very calm about it.

"Miss Xu is right. I was the one who was wrong," Xue Zhenrui said shamefully.

Tang Dynasty people cared about "face"; they even referred to using the restroom as "changing clothes." To speak of such private matters, let alone publish them openly on paper for everyone to see, was shocking. As soon as the newspaper was released, it caused an uproar—there were supporters and opponents.

"Utterly shameless! To actually write about such things in the newspaper and publish them so brazenly!"

"Ahem... although it's a bit embarrassing, what if it really works?"

"So, if you eat too much cornel, will you get that condition? How terrifying! I must eat less in the future."

The name "Yue Ming" seemed to be a magnet for heat. Any topic discussed by her would trigger a fierce storm. Regarding hemorrhoids and colorectal issues, although many were scolding her on the surface, no one knew what they were doing in private. After all, that area is fragile, and such conditions are not rare at all.

Looking at the newspaper, Dr. Lin frowned in thought. As a doctor, he often encountered various conditions. Hemorrhoids were not strange to him. Often, a customer would come in, looking embarrassed, and ask to speak in private, and he would know exactly what the ailment was. Most of the patients who came to him already had very severe symptoms, bleeding profusely until their clothes were stained. One had even died from blood loss. Most patients with milder symptoms never came to the pharmacy—partly because they didn't take it seriously, and partly because they were embarrassed about that area and didn't want anyone to know. He had never seen a woman with it, so he previously didn't know women could also suffer from this condition, and as a male doctor, it wasn't appropriate for him to ask.

Now, looking at the article written by Yue Ming, it seemed truly feasible—promoting blood circulation and exercising the muscles of that area, along with some precautions and dietary restrictions. *Hmm, I must make a note of this.*

Dr. Lin copied the method into his small notebook and summarized the key points of the article. He couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for Yue Ming. She disregarded her own reputation as a scholar to bring forward a method that, while looked down upon by others, could save lives. Even if those she helped might not be grateful, she was truly a selfless person who did not care for fame or profit.

***

In the inner chamber of a courtyard in Luoyang, a woman sobbed in the arms of an elderly woman. "Mother, what should I do? How could I have contracted this disease? How am I to face the world in the future? Woo-woo-woo—" She cried bitterly, heartbroken.

She had finally given birth to a child after ten months of pregnancy; she should have been happy. But now, she couldn't be happy at all, simply because she discovered a lump like a small tumor in that area shortly after giving birth. She didn't take it seriously at first, thinking it would heal on its own. But who would have thought it would not only fail to heal but become increasingly painful, even bleeding when she used the restroom? When the pain was unbearable, even walking was difficult.

She felt as if the sky had collapsed. She couldn't bring herself to tell her husband, and she had driven him away several times when he wanted to be intimate. She felt dead inside, seeing no hope for life, often lying in bed all day at home, ignoring even the crying of her child.

It wasn't until her mother came today, touching her face as gently as when she was still a maiden at home, and being infinitely patient with her bad temper, saying, "My child, what has happened? Is there anything you cannot tell Mother? Tell me quickly, don't let me worry."

It was as if she had finally found a pillar of support. She poured out all the unspeakable secrets she couldn't tell her husband or in-laws. "Mother, I'm in pain, woo-woo-woo—" She cried and acted spoiled.

"Don't cry, don't cry, my darling. This illness is not rare. It is only because you don't understand it that you are so panicked. Let me tell you—don't tell anyone else—but your father has had it too." The old woman went all out, selling out her own husband for the sake of her daughter.

"What! Father has also..." The woman stopped crying, asking in shock. The old woman nodded firmly.

"Then how did Father get cured?" She asked hurriedly, as if grasping a straw.

"He went to see a doctor and was cured after a while," the old woman lied without changing her expression. In reality, it had never been cured; it was a recurring issue, just not as severe. She only said this today to trick her daughter into seeing a doctor.

"Doctors are all men. I'm afraid I can't go," the woman’s hope vanished instantly, and she said dejectedly.

"Then tell me about it. I’m an old woman; I don't need to save face. It’s simple enough for me to ask for you."

"Mother, you are so good." The woman finally held back her tears and smiled through them. She endured her embarrassment and explained everything to her mother one by one.

While the old woman went out to find a doctor, the woman waited anxiously at home, wondering if the doctor could treat this illness. Finally, the old woman returned, but she was carrying not only medicine but also a newspaper. The woman naturally knew about the "newspaper," a novel thing, as she would occasionally buy one to look at.

"Mother, why did you buy a newspaper?" She remembered her mother couldn't read.

The old woman didn't understand it either and said, "I just went to ask Dr. Lin. He prescribed some medicine and told me to go to the Shanhai Bookstore to buy this newspaper, read it carefully, and do as it says. I don't recognize the characters, and it took me quite a while to find that Shanhai Bookstore."

"Why do we have to do what the newspaper says? Mother, let me see it quickly," the woman said impatiently.