がその宮妓を気にしているのは、レアキャラに出会ってしまった興奮からというわけでは――いや、多少の野次馬根性が疼いたのは否定しないが、それだけではない。
「楽師だとしたら、リウマチ――風湿病は辛いだろうなって思って」
に、雨妹は風湿病について説明する。
「症状には覚えがあると思いますよ?
雨妹の説明に、美娜が「ああ、それね!」と手を叩く。
「子どもの頃、近所に住んでいたおばさんがソレだったよ!」
美娜は納得顔で頷く。
前世でリウマチとも呼ばれていた風湿病は、身体の関節が腫れてしまい、放っておくと関節が変形してしまう病だ。
関節が腫れる原因は関節が炎症を起こすからなのだが、放っておくと軟骨や骨が破壊されて関節の機能が損なわれ、関節が変形してしまう。
症状として有名なのは腫れや激しい痛みだが、これは関節を動かさなくても痛みが生じるのが、他の関節の病気と異なる点だ。
その他にも発熱や疲れやすい、食欲がないなどの全身症状が出て、関節の炎症が肺や血管など全身に広がることもある。
関節の病気というと老人の病気と思われがちだが、風湿病はどの年代にも発症する可能性があり、特に男女で比べると女性が多い。
すなわち、あの宮妓の年齢でも風湿病の発症が早すぎるということはないのだ。
そんな風湿病は、放っておいても三割程度が自然と治るが、七割にとっては一生付き合うことになる病である。
関節の炎症が進むにつれて、関節の破壊も進むため、関節の破壊が酷くなる前に治療を始めることがなによりも重要となる。そうすれば治る可能性も高くなるし、生活の質を保つことができるのだから。
――そのためには特に、煙草を止めること!
あの宮妓からは煙草の匂いがしたが、煙草は風湿病の症状を悪化させるので、即座に止める必要がある。
不摂生な生活も発症の要因でもあるので、不規則な生活での睡眠不足や、疲労を溜めて心労が多いなどの事態も避けたい。
そして栄養のある食事をバランスよくとることで、体質改善を図るのが大切なのだ。
「早めに生活を見直して治療に取り組めば治りますから、あの人がそれを知っているかを話したかったんですけど」
「見ず知らずの宮妓が相手だってのに、
感心半分、呆れ半分の美娜に、雨妹は笑顔でそう返す。
そう、もう性分なので、解決策を模索しないとモヤモヤするのだ。ここまでくるとはっきり言って自己満足以外の何物でもないと、雨妹も自分でわかっている。
「なにが性分だって?」
声の方を見ると、楊の姿があった。
「宮妓がどうのという話が聞こえたがね、なにか揉め事かい?」
楊はどうやら、宮妓という言葉を心配したようだ。
「そう言う話ではなくてですね」
雨妹が楊にもごみ捨て場での出来事を語ると、楊はなんとも言えない顔をした。
は、宮妓になんとも思わない質かい?」
「へ? ああ、そうですね、特には」
雨妹はそう返しながら、そう言えば宮妓に良くない感情を持つ人たちもいることを思い出す。
宮妓は妓女というよりも芸能集団と呼ぶ方が正しいのだろうが、それでも宮妓のことを、民間での寝所働きが仕事の妓女と同じように考える人たちがいるようだ。
辺境にはその妓女というものがいなかったが、近くの大きな里へと出れば妓女が働く店がある。
――あの人たちだって、アレが仕事なんだろうけど。
雨妹が掃除をするのと同じく、女官が高貴な人のお世話をするのとも同じく、稼ぐ手段だ。
それが何故か妓女と聞くと、「閨事好きな連中だ」という視点がどこからか出てくるのだから不思議だ。
人は誰かを見下していると安心するという、厄介な業を背負う生き物なのかもしれない。
Yui Mei wasn't bothered about that court courtesan because of the excitement of meeting a rare character --well,  no, she admittedly felt that pang of curiosity, but that wasn't the only reason.
"If she's a musician, then that arthri-- that feng shi bing must have been really painful."
Mei Na looked puzzled, so Yui Mei explained the specifics of arthritis.
"I think you're familiar with the symptoms? The joints of the hands swell, and it'll turn into an awful shape. Many women are prone to this illness."
Mei Na exclaimed "Yeah, so you're talking about that!" as she clapped her hands after listening to Yui Mei.
"There was an old lady who lived nearby when I was a child, and she had that!"
Mei Na nodded her head in understanding.
This feng shi bing was called rheumaticism in her previous life, and it was an illness where the joints and knuckles would become swollen, and it would result in deformed joints if left untreated.
The swelling was a result of the inflammation of the joints, but if left as it was, it would destroy the cartilages and bones, compromising the function of joints which would result in their deformation.
The most famous symptoms would be the swelling and the pain; however, the difference between arthritis from the other joint diseases was that the pain occurred even without moving.
Other systemic symptoms such as fever, fatigue, loss of appetite would also occur, and the inflammation of the joints could also possibly spread to the entire body -- including the lungs and the blood vessels.
It was a common misconception that joint diseases were diseases of the elderly, but rheumaticism could affect people regardless of their age, and women were more susceptible compared to men.
In other words, it couldn't be said that the onset of arthritis in that court courtesan was too early for her age.
Around 30 percent of patients would recover without any intervention, but for the rest of the 70 percent, it would be a disease that they had to live with for the rest of their lives.
Because the destruction of the joints would occur as the inflammation of the joints and tendons progressed, it was truly necessary that the treatment should be done to prevent further damage and to curtail the progression before it became too severe. If treatment was done early, the chances of recovery and maintaining quality of life also increased.
'She has to stop smoking first above all else!'
The scent of tobaccos wafted from that court courtesan. The symptoms of rheumaticism worsened with tobacco use, so it was imperative that she stopped it immediately.
Lifestyle was a huge factor, too, so it would be best to avoid unhealthy lifestyle, lack of sleep, accumulation of exhaustion and stressful situations.
She should also eat a balanced diet so that she could improve her body constitution.
"This illness can be cured by changing lifestyle and starting treatment as soon as possible, so I wanted to talk to her about this and ask if she knew that."
"Ah Mei, you're such a softhearted girl, even though you didn't even know who that court courtesan is."
Half of Mei Na was in awe, while the other half was exasperation, but Yui Mei just smiled at her.
Indeed, it was already her nature; she couldn't stand still with worry if she didn't try to find a solution. Clearly, she was just doing things for her own self-satisfaction, and she knew this fully well.
"What's that nature?"
Yang was there when they turned around towards the direction of the voice.
"I heard something about a court courtesan, did you get into trouble?"
Yang seemed worried when she heard the words "court courtesan".
"It's not like that."
Yui Mei told Yang about their encounter at the dumping site. Yang's expression contorted.
"Xiao Mei, you don't think anything about court courtesans, do you?"
"Eh? Ahh, yes, not particularly."
Yui Mei replied. It was then that she recalled that there were people who didn't view those court courtesans favorably.
Court courtesans should be called as performers instead of harlots, but still, because some of the courtesans who were among the masses usually worked in the bedroom, so it was inevitable that some people viewed them as such.
There were no such harlots in the borderlands, but there were shops where harlots worked in a larger village nearby.
'I wonder, did they do 'that kind of job'?
They were working hard, just like Yui Mei who did her cleaning duties as well as the maids who served the nobility.
And yet it was quite a mystery how people would say "they're a bunch of people who loved bedroom pleasure" when they heard the word 'courtesan'.
Maybe humans were creatures that possessed such a troublesome nature -- feeling a sense of security by looking down on others.
Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace
百花宮のお掃除係～転生した新米宮女、後宮のお悩み解決します。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/housekeeper-of-the-hundred-blossom-palace/
Fantasy Romance Shoujo Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Ancient China Complex Family Relationships Different Social Status Female Protagonist Imperial Harem Love Interest Falls in Love First Reincarnated in Another World Royalty
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4104ev/
黒辺あゆみ