Chapter 24: A Song, Oh A Song
“A Song, oh A Song, my poor A Song…”
Just as A Song had fallen asleep after taking her medicine, another woman in her thirties, dusty and disheveled, arrived from the Yayoi family. She rushed to A Song’s side upon entering, tightly gripping her small hand and weeping uncontrollably, as if A Song would pass away if she let go.
This was not due to her being timid; in the Medieval Period of Japan, the infant mortality rate was so high it would shock modern people. For ordinary commoner families, if two or three out of six or seven children survived, it was considered a blessing from the gods, with mortality rates typically exceeding 50%. Even for warrior families, with relatively better nutrition, the mortality rate was usually over 30%.
This was an era where a common cold could be fatal. Sudden, excruciating abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea leading to delirium were certainly not good omens, and dying from such ailments was not uncommon.
Maeda Toshiie had calmed down when he saw the pain gradually fade from A Song’s face after she took the medicine. However, when this woman ran in weeping, her cries incessant, with snot and tears streaming down her face, he felt deeply embarrassed. Muttering an apology, he explained awkwardly to Yuan Ye, “My apologies, this is Madam A Mei, A Song’s wet nurse. She has been taking care of A Song since she was a child and loves her dearly. She is just a bit frightened this time…”
During his leave to visit his family, he encountered his favorite younger sister, a sworn sister, and cousin. In a moment of impulse, and with a desire to show off, he took his newly acquired prized horse to take his young sister out for a ride. He also gave her half a bottle of Konpeito that Oda Nobunaga had rewarded him with, which he had been reluctant to eat. The result was that this gift caused a great disaster. With Japan’s summer humidity, Konpeito, being rich in wheat flour, would be fortunate to not grow mold if kept sealed in a bottle for half a year after opening. How could it not spoil?
Fortunately, Konpeito was a luxury item in this era – usually produced in India, resold to China by the Portuguese and Dutch, then resold from China to Kyushu in Japan, then sold from Kyushu to the ports along the Seto Inland Sea, then resold from the Seto Inland Sea to Sakai, then distributed from Sakai to Shimazu, and then transported overland from Shimazu to Nagoya Castle. Over such a long journey, even a pile of excrement would be worth more than gold. It was indeed a luxury item. Fortunately, Konpeito was a luxury, and the glass bottle was beautiful, so A Song cherished it and didn’t eat much, otherwise the situation would have been worse.
However, the sudden excruciating abdominal pain and vomiting everything in her stomach completely terrified both Maeda Toshiie and his wet nurse, A Mei. They quickly took A Song to Nakamura nearby to rest. But upon arriving at Nakamura, A Song’s condition worsened. She vomited more yellow bile, and her abdominal pain and diarrhea led to her falling unconscious.
At this point, a follower of the Maeda family in Nakamura mentioned Yuan Ye, saying that a samurai lodging in Hibitsu Village from out of town was rumored to have excellent medical skills. He had saved Jikuro, who was on the verge of death, and perhaps he could be asked to take a look.
Although young, Maeda Toshiie was quite decisive. Hearing there was still hope, he didn’t hesitate. He wrapped A Song up, held her in his arms, and galloped to Hibitsu Village. As for A Mei, she had it rough, running on foot. Along the way, she grew more and more fearful, worried that if she reached A Song, A Song would also die. She cried buckets of tears and collapsed on the road several times.
Maeda Toshiie awkwardly explained the situation. Yuan Ye listened and nodded slightly.
Historically, A Song made several trips to Atsuta Shrine to pray, leaving records of requests to alleviate loss of appetite, stomach acid, and stomach pain, roughly equivalent in number to prayers for Maeda Toshiie’s military fortune and not to die on the battlefield. This indicates she suffered from severe chronic gastritis. These records have survived to the present day and are stored in the Atsuta Shrine museum. Yuan Ye had glanced at them before, and looking at them now, it is highly likely that she suffered from acute gastroenteritis as a child but did not receive proper treatment. She was tough and endured it, leaving her with a chronic condition.
However…
Yuan Ye then looked at Maeda Toshiie again. Was this young man more than ten years younger than A Song?
Fifteen or sixteen and four or five years old, what kind of childhood sweethearts is this?
This is clearly two generations apart; judging by their appearance alone, calling them uncle and niece wouldn’t be out of place!
Yuan Ye had originally thought that Maeda Toshiie and A Song would get married, having grown up together and developed deep feelings through mutual support. Now, it seemed that wasn’t the case!
Could it be a “raising” type of relationship? Was that a thing this early?
As expected, the Japanese are more adventurous. China is far behind in this regard and may never catch up.
While Yuan Ye’s mind was wandering, he asked Maeda Toshiie with feigned ignorance, “I see. May I ask who you are?”
Maeda Toshiie’s attire was not as eccentric or flamboyant as Yuan Ye’s. Perhaps it was Yuan Ye’s dignified demeanor and noble, indifferent expression that put him under psychological pressure. Before they were familiar, he couldn’t be too presumptuous. Upon hearing the question, he quickly sat up straight, placed his hands on his knees, bowed his head, and said solemnly, “My apologies, I am Sonschirō Toshiie, the fourth son of the Aragiko Maeda family. I am currently a vassal of Lord Oda Nobunaga. I was rude earlier.”
Yuan Ye slightly lowered his head in return, acting with full conviction, “So you are Lord Sonschirō of the Aragiko Maeda family. I am Nohara Saburo from the west, temporarily lodging here. My apologies for the disturbance.”
“Not at all, Lord Nohara. It is the fortune of Aragiko Castle that you are lodging in Hibitsu Village!”
Maeda Toshiie was still young and somewhat naive at this time, with a straightforward personality. He wasn’t very good at social pleasantries. His words were dry, and his primary concern was A Song. After a brief pleasantry, he asked expectantly, “Lord Nohara, A Song’s condition now… it’s alright, isn’t it?”
“We’ll see when she wakes up. There shouldn’t be any major problems,” Yuan Ye replied, following the instructions in his book. “If she’s still experiencing diarrhea, have her drink some warm saltwater later. For the next few days, consume easily digestible… For the next few days, drink hot rice porridge and eat some egg custard to nourish her body. She should recover. This is just a minor illness, and the treatment was timely, so Lord Maeda need not worry too much.”
If the prescription didn’t work, he still had a trump card. Given A Song’s future status as “one of the three wives of the Warring States,” she probably deserved a dose… a third of a dose of anti-inflammatory medicine would be enough to cure her. There was indeed no need to worry too much.
“A minor illness?” Maeda Toshiie was ignorant of medical skills. In the game “Taiko Risshiden 2,” his medical skill was zero stars. He understood neither medicine nor the era’s limitations, and it didn’t seem like a minor illness to him. Normally, one would at least lose half their life. However, Yuan Ye appeared to be of noble birth and a doctor who saved lives. Even with his straightforward nature, he dared not question him directly and could only bow deeply again, “Thank you for your hard work, I am immensely grateful!”
“You’re welcome. Saving lives is a doctor’s duty, no need for politeness.”
Yuan Ye left after uttering a common doctor’s phrase, telling him to stay with the patient. He didn’t show excessive enthusiasm or try to curry favor. Although befriending Maeda Toshiie would be very beneficial for establishing himself in this era, it was their first meeting, and first impressions are crucial in interpersonal relationships. Going out of his way to force a connection would only lead to him being looked down upon, which would be counterproductive and something a wise person would avoid.
Self-respect, self-esteem, self-humility, and self-love are the keys to gaining respect and affection from others. This principle holds true in any era.
Things are good as they are now; we can take it slow.
…
A Song slept until the afternoon before waking up.
When she woke up, her complexion had improved significantly. Accompanied by her wet nurse, A Mei, she went to wash her hands behind the house. She then invited Yuan Ye to thank him, showing great gratitude. In her childish voice, she expressed many words of thanks. People in this era matured early; at only four or five years old, she acted with a serious demeanor, like a little adult, her mental maturity astonishing.
Perhaps being abandoned by her mother at a young age and raised as an adopted daughter in another family had honed her?
Yes, she was also from a warrior family. Her father, Shinohara Kazumoto Ichien, was ordered by Oda Nobuhide to support his eldest illegitimate son, Oda Nobuhiro. He died in battle while stationed at Anshō Castle in Mikawa Province. When her mother, the eldest daughter of the Takeno family, remarried into the Takabatake family, she sent A Song to her brother-in-law’s family, the Aragiko Maeda family, as an adopted daughter. This had been the case for two or three years.
Yuan Ye politely exchanged a few pleasantries, then took her pulse. However, his skills were not yet proficient, and he couldn’t discern anything. He then checked her temperature and asked her wet nurse, A Mei, if her diarrhea had improved. He nodded and said, “You look much better. Take the remaining medicine back home. For the next period, just pay attention to your diet.”
Wet nurse A Mei was still wiping away tears nearby, murmuring, “Buddha bless us, truly Buddha bless us!”
Her husband was a follower of the Shinohara family and had died in battle at Azukizaka in Mikawa. Her children had also died young. A Song was now her only support. If A Song died, she would have nowhere to go and would likely become an ordinary servant in Aragiko Castle. In fact, she might not even have a place in Aragiko Castle anymore, and they wouldn’t waste grain on her, letting her fend for herself.
Now that A Song had regained her life, it was equivalent to A Mei regaining her own life.
Maeda Toshiie, standing nearby, also breathed a huge sigh of relief. He hadn’t managed to get his young sister killed. He touched the hilt of his sword and showed a relieved smile.
A Song noticed and immediately turned her small head towards him, saying softly, “I’m sorry, Brother Aken, you must have been worried.” (Maeda Toshiie’s childhood name was Inu Chiyo.)
Maeda Toshiie immediately perked up, patted A Song’s small head, and said with a stern face and a quacking voice, “It’s good that you know you were wrong. You really scared everyone this time! You need to get better quickly, and then I’ll take you horseback riding again!”
Although it was the candy he gave her that caused the problem and nearly cost A Song her life, women in this era were completely subordinate to men, and he couldn’t apologize to a woman. A Song was also accustomed to this and immediately responded obediently. She seemed to like Maeda Toshiie very much and didn’t care at all that he had put her in such a predicament.
It was likely because Maeda Toshiie wasn’t an obedient child before his coming-of-age ceremony, already adopting a flamboyant and eccentric style. When she first arrived at Aragiko Castle, he often took her out to play, and he was the bright sunshine in her darkest moments, holding some special significance for her.
Yuan Ye, watching the “live-action historical drama” unfold beside them, indulged in his thoughts for a while before calling Maeda Toshiie outside to get the medicine and, incidentally, to teach him how to decoct it.
Maeda Toshiie listened patiently for a moment, then looked around. On three rows of bamboo racks were more than a hundred hand-woven bamboo jars of various sizes. Each jar was carefully labeled with Chinese characters indicating the medicinal names, many of which he didn’t recognize. He couldn’t help but show a look of awe – this seemed like a person of great talent!
However, his eloquence was poor, and his vocabulary was limited. He wanted to offer some flattery but couldn’t think of any good words. Moreover, looking at these unfamiliar medicinal herbs reminded him of something else.
He rubbed the hilt of his sword and asked somewhat awkwardly, “Lord Nohara, I apologize, but I don’t know the cost of the medicine… How much will it be? I was in a hurry earlier and also damaged some of the medicinal herbs in the courtyard. This…”
He remembered that seeing a doctor and taking medicine required payment. He didn’t recognize the names of the herbs, and they looked like high-quality goods from the Ming Dynasty. Ming Dynasty goods were generally very expensive, so he couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty and embarrassed when speaking.
Of course, he wasn’t poor. He was currently a page serving Oda Nobunaga, who was a super-rich third-generation heir. His income was actually quite good, with an annual salary of twenty-five kan, plus an equivalent amount of rice support. However, this money and grain were not solely for his personal use. He had the duty to fulfill military obligations and fight alongside Oda Nobunaga. This money and rice needed to be used to recruit a small number of retainers to assist him in battle, as well as to equip himself and his retainers with horses, armor, and weapons. It could only be said to be barely enough.
Especially since he was still young and spent money somewhat lavishly. He had just bought a good horse, and his personal funds were almost depleted. He had also borrowed money from Sawaki Tohachiro Yoshizane, who had been adopted into the Sawaki family, meaning he was his biological younger brother. Now, his pockets were truly empty.
He had been too anxious to save the person earlier, constantly worried that A Song would die, and hadn’t paid attention to these matters. Now that it came up, he felt extremely ashamed, his hand constantly stroking the hilt of his sword, wondering if Yuan Ye would accept a temporary debt.
If not, he would have to leave his horse as collateral and then go find Oda Nobunaga to advance his annual salary.
After all, facing a respectable person, even if he was eccentric and didn’t adhere to etiquette, he would feel too ashamed to default on the debt. That would be truly undignified.
Yuan Ye was carefully selecting the herbs, afraid of making a mistake and poisoning A Song. He wasn’t thinking as much as Maeda Toshiie. After mentally calculating the cost, he said, “Forget about the trampled herbs; you were in a hurry to save someone. As for the medicine fee… let’s say thirty-five mon!”
This was roughly equivalent to the price of over ten catties of polished rice. After all, Yuan Ye practiced medicine not to get rich, and he didn’t intend to fleece his patients. This was a standard fee, making a small profit. What he wanted was a good reputation, and a small profit would suffice. If it were an ordinary villager, he would charge ten mon or one *to* of grains, as the herbs he could pick at will were not valuable. Or rather, very few of the prescriptions in the “Barefoot Doctor’s Manual” used precious medicinal materials; they were all inexpensive and readily available items.
Moreover, he was increasingly satisfied with his current approach of being a doctor and intended to continue implementing it.
The current situation was the best example. Maeda Toshiie was within his own family’s territory and was not an obedient child. He was the type to draw his sword and prepare to fight A Man if provoked, with a hot temper. He was very young and spirited, yet he was respectful and polite to Yuan Ye, not daring to speak too loudly. It could only be said that doctors, in any era, were universally respected.
This path was indeed chosen correctly; it was very safe and would definitely and effectively increase his chances of survival!
“Thirty-five mon?” Maeda Toshiie was stunned. He saw that Yuan Ye had cured the illness and his medical skills were extraordinary. He assumed the medicinal herbs used were also very expensive and thought it would cost at least three to five kan. If he could save A Song’s life for three to five kan, he felt he had already made a huge profit. To his surprise, it was just a fraction of that?
Yuan Ye tied the medicine with coarse paper and hemp rope and handed it to him, even tying a “bent finger hook” like they did in later pharmacies. He sensed his meaning and said indifferently, “What, is the money not enough? It’s okay if it’s inconvenient for now. Saving lives is important; the money can be discussed later.”
“Yes, yes,” Maeda Toshiie, being a samurai with an annual income of fifty kan mon, still had thirty to fifty mon. He immediately took out the money and handed it to him, unable to help but frankly exclaim, “Thank you so much, Lord Nohara. I didn’t expect it to be so cheap.”
Cheap?
Yuan Ye had been waiting for an opportunity, and now it had presented itself. He didn’t hesitate. He glanced at the various medicinal herbs in the courtyard and, seizing the moment, began to act. He said calmly, “Even if it’s cheap, no one comes to see me.”
“Why is that?” Maeda Toshiie asked, confused. He felt that with Yuan Ye’s medical skills, this small courtyard should have been crowded.
“I don’t know. Perhaps they’re worried I’ll cheat them out of money!” Yuan Ye casually flipped through the medicinal herbs, his expression still calm but with a hint of disheartened weariness, his acting skills impeccable. “Originally, I saw that there were no doctors here and people were getting sick without treatment, so I wanted to help. Now, it seems I was overthinking it.”
Maeda Toshiie was taken aback. Filled with gratitude, he immediately showed the proactive attitude characteristic of young people and eagerly offered his help. Gripping the hilt of his sword firmly, he said, “If you don’t mind, please let me lend you a hand!”
“As you wish, but you may not be able to help. Such things cannot be forced.” Yuan Ye, as a novice actor, couldn’t control his performance freely. Although he had achieved his goal, he was still immersed in his acting and couldn’t immediately shift gears. He simply responded indifferently, his demeanor still high.
Maeda Toshiie didn’t mind at all. Instead, he became even more convinced that he had discovered a “peerless master” hidden among the common people. He immediately clenched his fists, excited, “Then leave it to me!”
He was confident that on this small patch of land in Hibitsu Village, anyone who dared not come for treatment, he could beat them into submission with three punches!
