Chapter 102
Outside the courtyard, Wen Xing craned her neck to peek into the main hall.
Madame Luo, coming out of the kitchen, saw her daughter-in-law's curious look and tapped her on the shoulder, startling Wen Xing.
Realizing it was her mother-in-law, she quickly patted her chest to calm herself, saying, "Mother, you scared me to death."
Following Wen Xing's gaze into the main hall, Madame Luo wondered, "What are you looking at, sneaking around like a thief?"
Wen Xing quickly lowered her voice, "I just saw the Second Son pulling his sister-in-law into the room, and then the door shut with a 'snap'."
Hearing this, Madame Luo paused, taken aback.
Recalling the forceful way the Second Son had pulled his sister-in-law into the room, Wen Xing couldn’t help but smile.
Even from a distance, she felt the sweetness between them.
Madame Luo, deep in thought, glanced at the tightly closed door.
What could be happening between the Second Son and Sixth Lady now?
Inside the room, Yu Ying leaned against the door with her back, resting on Fu Wei's chest, gasping for breath, her lips moist and her eyebrows tinged with a rosy hue.
Yu Ying couldn't help but think how different Fu Wei had become in less than a month since their time in the county seat.
Back then, Fu Wei had been particularly awkward in his closeness with her, but now he was so confident and adept it was embarrassing.
Fu Wei, holding Yu Ying, apologized in a hoarse voice, "Sorry, I overstepped."
Yu Ying's face turned even redder.
After a while, once they had calmed down, Fu Wei went out to pour some hot tea.
Stepping into the main hall, he coincidentally met Madame Luo carrying hot dishes into the hall.
Madame Luo's inquisitive eyes fell on her son.
Seeing his mother's probing look, Fu Wei's face showed a rare hint of discomfort.
Madame Luo, without asking anything, simply told her son, "Come out to wash up before resting."
Fu Wei nodded and said seriously, "I'm discussing some matters with Sixth Lady. We'll be out soon."
With that, he carried the tea back into the room.
Madame Luo watched the door close again and sighed softly.
Although the Second Son was more mature and steady than his peers, as someone who had been through it all, how could she not notice the signs?
Not to mention his lips, redder than before he entered the room, but also the unmistakable joy and pride that he couldn't hide in his expression.
Without much thought, she knew just how affectionate the two must have been inside the room.
Naturally, Madame Luo wished to see her son and Sixth Lady form a lasting union, but the better their days became, the more she feared.
She feared that one day, all this happiness would turn into an illusion.
She was even more afraid that their family's matters would end up causing trouble for Sixth Lady.
With another sigh, not wanting her son and daughter-in-law to see her worries, she concealed her concerns.
Fu Wei re-entered the room and closed the door, handing the tea to Yu Ying.
After taking a sip to moisten her throat, Yu Ying spoke about the main issue: "That man will probably be able to leave the settlement in the next couple of days. When I went for his follow-up, he claimed in front of the yamen officials that he was from Shi'an County. He even mentioned his address, and that he was visiting friends in Nanhai County. He planned to return to Shi'an for the festival but ended up staying overnight in Yuxian, and the next day when he was about to leave, the town was sealed off. The rest is as you instructed."
Fu Wei pondered for a moment and said, "The epidemic is temporarily stable, and people are allowed out of their homes, but not to leave Yuxian's jurisdiction. Even if we send someone to verify his story, it won't be until February, and it's only mid-January now. In this half a month, they'll probably just put him in jail first."
Continuing, he added, "Since he could reveal such an identity, he must have his own people. Once he's locked up at the yamen, I'll meet with him."
Yu Ying didn't need to follow up on this matter anymore, so they didn’t continue discussing it, but instead brought up the topic of four medical halls, three of which wanted to hire her as a resident doctor.
"Zheng Ji and Li Ji's medical halls have philosophies that don't align with mine, so I definitely won't be joining them. As for Ji Shi Medical Hall, I am still considering it."
Hearing her thoughts, Fu Wei suggested, "If you plan to open your own medical hall in the future, you might consider spending some time at Ji Shi Medical Hall first."
Since Fu Wei agreed, she had no more reservations.
"Then, after I move my things from Lingshui Village to Yuxian, I'll go talk to Director Luo of Ji Shi Medical Hall."
Speaking of moving to Yuxian, Fu Wei mentioned a house he had seen, "During my recent visits around, I noticed a house for rent at the east alley entrance, going for seven hundred wen a month."
Yu Ying exclaimed, "Seven hundred wen? That's expensive!"
Their current residence only cost two hundred wen. Why would somewhere else be three and a half times more?
Fu Wei explained, "It's a bit far from the yamen, but it’s built with green bricks and black tiles. Besides the kitchen and main hall, there are five livable rooms."
Hearing this, the price seemed quite reasonable.
Their current place was a mud house with a simple kitchen and latrine built in the yard, excluding these two, there were only two living rooms and one main hall.
But even if it was reasonable, Yu Ying still had concerns.
"We can afford this new house, but what about Elder Brother and Sister-in-law? Will it be too much for them?"
Knowing their nature, they would definitely not live there for free, but they would also strain themselves financially just to keep up appearances.
Indeed, this was a problem.
After pondering for a moment, Fu Wei suggested, "To ensure they live comfortably, we should charge them rent. Elder Brother will start working at the yamen next month, earning three hundred wen monthly."
Surprised, Yu Ying asked, "Elder Brother is going to work at the yamen?"
Fu Wei nodded and briefly updated her on the recent events.
Due to the epidemic, the yamen was short-staffed. With Fu Wei's limited mobility, he had asked the magistrate after obtaining permission to have his elder brother assist him at the yamen.
While there, the elder brother helped with various tasks. His strong build and great strength caught the attention of Magistrate Zhou.
Upon hearing that Fu Zhen had once single-handedly defeated seven men, Magistrate Zhou, intrigued, sparred a few moves with him.
Although Fu Zhen was no match for the military-trained Magistrate Zhou, the magistrate was still very pleased with him and directly asked him to report to the yamen on the first of February.
After listening, Yu Ying pondered and said, "When we went to the county seat, we had agreed that the profits from the first batch of face cream would give a tenth to elder brother and sister-in-law. And as we continue to make face cream, they will produce it and I will give them a share. In this way, they can afford the rent for this house."
Fu Wei agreed, adding, "Making face cream doesn't take too much time. Elder brother can continue to help after his shift at the yamen."
The greatest pressure on the elder brother and sister-in-law must be repaying her money.
After careful calculation, if they pay back a little every month, plus the rent for this house, there will be pressure, but it won’t be too overwhelming.
Still, they would need to discuss and agree with the elder brother and sister-in-law before making a decision.
After lunch, Yu Ying, Fu Wei, and the elder brother and sister-in-law discussed the move to Yuxian.
With Fu Zhen deciding to work at the yamen, moving to Yuxian was inevitable.
As for the house, they decided to see it first before making any decisions.
After lunch and a half-hour rest, the whole family went out.
Previously, it took only a quarter of an hour to reach the yamen, but now it was about fifteen minutes each way, making the round trip almost half an hour. However, with the elder brother and Fu Wei going to the yamen together, they could make it faster.
The house at the east alley entrance was twice as large as their current residence, built with green bricks and tiles, bright, dry, and less humid during the rainy season compared to a mud house.
For Fu Wei and Yu Ying, this environment was satisfactory, but for Fu Zhen's family and their two children, it seemed like a lavish mansion they had never dared to dream of.
Fu An excitedly ran around the yard with his sister, visibly thrilled.
Seeing the children so happy, Fu Zhen and his wife felt reassured.
"Let's rent it."
They decided to rent the house for two reasons: first, because the younger brother and his wife wanted it, and second, to provide a better life for their children and mother.
Although expensive, they resolved to be more frugal in the future to save enough for the rent.
Finally, it was agreed that Yu Ying and Fu Wei would take the bright and spacious main house, including one main room and a study.
The elder brother and sister-in-law would take two smaller rooms, one for the couple and one for Fu An.
Madame Luo would stay in the room opposite the main house, sharing with Fu Ning.
The arrangement set, Yu Ying and Fu Wei contributed four hundred wen, while the elder brother and sister-in-law gave three hundred wen.
Anticipating the possibility of renting, Yu Ying had brought a string of coins with her. After deciding to rent, they immediately paid the landlord three months' rent and signed the lease.
With the house matter settled, upon their return to the entrance of West Alley, they found a yamen carriage parked outside, with Huo, the yamen runner, waiting for them.
Seeing them return, Huo approached with a wooden box, "Mr. Fu, Madame Yu, you're finally back."
Fu Wei glanced at the carriage, then turned to Huo, "Why are you here, Huo?"
Huo replied, "Magistrate Zhou said that the miracle during this epidemic is largely thanks to Madame Yu. A reward is certainly due, and he also mentioned hosting a banquet for Madame Yu once the epidemic is completely over."
Considering the crowded alley, Yu Ying invited him inside to talk further.
Once in the main hall with tea served, Huo placed the wooden box on the table.
"The magistrate said half the treasury was spent on the epidemic, so he could only give twenty guan as a reward to Madame Yu, along with two bushels of grain and three bolts of cloth."
Huo added at the end, "These are actually subsidies from the magistrate’s private funds, Madame Yu, please don’t find it too little."
Yu Ying quickly responded, "Such a generous reward, how could I find it lacking?"
Huo smiled and turned to Fu Zhen, "Then, I'll trouble Mr. Fu to help move the grain."
Both men went out together, but it was Fu Zhen who easily shouldered the two hundred pounds of grain into the courtyard, with Huo, the yamen runner, only carrying a few bolts of cloth behind him.
When Huo was leaving, Yu Ying offered him a string of coins.
Surprisingly, Huo, who usually didn't refuse such offers, firmly declined, "Mr. Fu and Madame Yu are people I deeply admire from the bottom of my heart. How could I accept your money and go against my conscience?"
Huo, looking at Fu Wei, expressed with a sigh, "Mr. Fu is right. I've been living in a daze before, but I won't continue like that in the future."
Huo's words suggested a desire for a fresh start, a decision to stop his corrupt ways.
It seemed he had made up his mind, which is why he refused any money. Yu Ying, seeing this, instead gave him two strips of cured meat.
The cured meat wasn’t very valuable, so he accepted it.
Despite receiving such good things, Yu Ying felt no joy, probably because the epidemic had not yet passed.
Yu Ying calmly surveyed the grain and cloth in the room, as well as the wooden box on the table.
The cloth was in indigo, green, and apricot colors.
She didn't know how to sew, but her sister-in-law was skilled at it, so she left the task of making clothes and quilts to her.
As a token of gratitude, she gave her sister-in-law half of each of the green and indigo cloths for making clothes.
After the decision, they had the elder brother store the grain and cloth in Madame Luo’s room, to be moved to the new house once it was cleaned.
Chapter 102
Outside the courtyard, Wen Xing craned her neck to peek into the main hall.
Madame Luo, coming out of the kitchen, saw her daughter-in-law's curious look and tapped her on the shoulder, startling Wen Xing.
Realizing it was her mother-in-law, she quickly patted her chest to calm herself, saying, "Mother, you scared me to death."
Following Wen Xing's gaze into the main hall, Madame Luo wondered, "What are you looking at, sneaking around like a thief?"
Wen Xing quickly lowered her voice, "I just saw the Second Son pulling his sister-in-law into the room, and then the door shut with a 'snap'."
Hearing this, Madame Luo paused, taken aback.
Recalling the forceful way the Second Son had pulled his sister-in-law into the room, Wen Xing couldn’t help but smile.
Even from a distance, she felt the sweetness between them.
Madame Luo, deep in thought, glanced at the tightly closed door.
What could be happening between the Second Son and Sixth Lady now?
Inside the room, Yu Ying leaned against the door with her back, resting on Fu Wei's chest, gasping for breath, her lips moist and her eyebrows tinged with a rosy hue.
Yu Ying couldn't help but think how different Fu Wei had become in less than a month since their time in the county seat.
Back then, Fu Wei had been particularly awkward in his closeness with her, but now he was so confident and adept it was embarrassing.
Fu Wei, holding Yu Ying, apologized in a hoarse voice, "Sorry, I overstepped."
Yu Ying's face turned even redder.
After a while, once they had calmed down, Fu Wei went out to pour some hot tea.
Stepping into the main hall, he coincidentally met Madame Luo carrying hot dishes into the hall.
Madame Luo's inquisitive eyes fell on her son.
Seeing his mother's probing look, Fu Wei's face showed a rare hint of discomfort.
Madame Luo, without asking anything, simply told her son, "Come out to wash up before resting."
Fu Wei nodded and said seriously, "I'm discussing some matters with Sixth Lady. We'll be out soon."
With that, he carried the tea back into the room.
Madame Luo watched the door close again and sighed softly.
Although the Second Son was more mature and steady than his peers, as someone who had been through it all, how could she not notice the signs?
Not to mention his lips, redder than before he entered the room, but also the unmistakable joy and pride that he couldn't hide in his expression.
Without much thought, she knew just how affectionate the two must have been inside the room.
Naturally, Madame Luo wished to see her son and Sixth Lady form a lasting union, but the better their days became, the more she feared.
She feared that one day, all this happiness would turn into an illusion.
She was even more afraid that their family's matters would end up causing trouble for Sixth Lady.
With another sigh, not wanting her son and daughter-in-law to see her worries, she concealed her concerns.
Fu Wei re-entered the room and closed the door, handing the tea to Yu Ying.
After taking a sip to moisten her throat, Yu Ying spoke about the main issue: "That man will probably be able to leave the settlement in the next couple of days. When I went for his follow-up, he claimed in front of the yamen officials that he was from Shi'an County. He even mentioned his address, and that he was visiting friends in Nanhai County. He planned to return to Shi'an for the festival but ended up staying overnight in Yuxian, and the next day when he was about to leave, the town was sealed off. The rest is as you instructed."
Fu Wei pondered for a moment and said, "The epidemic is temporarily stable, and people are allowed out of their homes, but not to leave Yuxian's jurisdiction. Even if we send someone to verify his story, it won't be until February, and it's only mid-January now. In this half a month, they'll probably just put him in jail first."
Continuing, he added, "Since he could reveal such an identity, he must have his own people. Once he's locked up at the yamen, I'll meet with him."
Yu Ying didn't need to follow up on this matter anymore, so they didn’t continue discussing it, but instead brought up the topic of four medical halls, three of which wanted to hire her as a resident doctor.
"Zheng Ji and Li Ji's medical halls have philosophies that don't align with mine, so I definitely won't be joining them. As for Ji Shi Medical Hall, I am still considering it."
Hearing her thoughts, Fu Wei suggested, "If you plan to open your own medical hall in the future, you might consider spending some time at Ji Shi Medical Hall first."
Since Fu Wei agreed, she had no more reservations.
"Then, after I move my things from Lingshui Village to Yuxian, I'll go talk to Director Luo of Ji Shi Medical Hall."
Speaking of moving to Yuxian, Fu Wei mentioned a house he had seen, "During my recent visits around, I noticed a house for rent at the east alley entrance, going for seven hundred wen a month."
Yu Ying exclaimed, "Seven hundred wen? That's expensive!"
Their current residence only cost two hundred wen. Why would somewhere else be three and a half times more?
Fu Wei explained, "It's a bit far from the yamen, but it’s built with green bricks and black tiles. Besides the kitchen and main hall, there are five livable rooms."
Hearing this, the price seemed quite reasonable.
Their current place was a mud house with a simple kitchen and latrine built in the yard, excluding these two, there were only two living rooms and one main hall.
But even if it was reasonable, Yu Ying still had concerns.
"We can afford this new house, but what about Elder Brother and Sister-in-law? Will it be too much for them?"
Knowing their nature, they would definitely not live there for free, but they would also strain themselves financially just to keep up appearances.
Indeed, this was a problem.
After pondering for a moment, Fu Wei suggested, "To ensure they live comfortably, we should charge them rent. Elder Brother will start working at the yamen next month, earning three hundred wen monthly."
Surprised, Yu Ying asked, "Elder Brother is going to work at the yamen?"
Fu Wei nodded and briefly updated her on the recent events.
Due to the epidemic, the yamen was short-staffed. With Fu Wei's limited mobility, he had asked the magistrate after obtaining permission to have his elder brother assist him at the yamen.
While there, the elder brother helped with various tasks. His strong build and great strength caught the attention of Magistrate Zhou.
Upon hearing that Fu Zhen had once single-handedly defeated seven men, Magistrate Zhou, intrigued, sparred a few moves with him.
Although Fu Zhen was no match for the military-trained Magistrate Zhou, the magistrate was still very pleased with him and directly asked him to report to the yamen on the first of February.
After listening, Yu Ying pondered and said, "When we went to the county seat, we had agreed that the profits from the first batch of face cream would give a tenth to elder brother and sister-in-law. And as we continue to make face cream, they will produce it and I will give them a share. In this way, they can afford the rent for this house."
Fu Wei agreed, adding, "Making face cream doesn't take too much time. Elder brother can continue to help after his shift at the yamen."
The greatest pressure on the elder brother and sister-in-law must be repaying her money.
After careful calculation, if they pay back a little every month, plus the rent for this house, there will be pressure, but it won’t be too overwhelming.
Still, they would need to discuss and agree with the elder brother and sister-in-law before making a decision.
After lunch, Yu Ying, Fu Wei, and the elder brother and sister-in-law discussed the move to Yuxian.
With Fu Zhen deciding to work at the yamen, moving to Yuxian was inevitable.
As for the house, they decided to see it first before making any decisions.
After lunch and a half-hour rest, the whole family went out.
Previously, it took only a quarter of an hour to reach the yamen, but now it was about fifteen minutes each way, making the round trip almost half an hour. However, with the elder brother and Fu Wei going to the yamen together, they could make it faster.
The house at the east alley entrance was twice as large as their current residence, built with green bricks and tiles, bright, dry, and less humid during the rainy season compared to a mud house.
For Fu Wei and Yu Ying, this environment was satisfactory, but for Fu Zhen's family and their two children, it seemed like a lavish mansion they had never dared to dream of.
Fu An excitedly ran around the yard with his sister, visibly thrilled.
Seeing the children so happy, Fu Zhen and his wife felt reassured.
"Let's rent it."
They decided to rent the house for two reasons: first, because the younger brother and his wife wanted it, and second, to provide a better life for their children and mother.
Although expensive, they resolved to be more frugal in the future to save enough for the rent.
Finally, it was agreed that Yu Ying and Fu Wei would take the bright and spacious main house, including one main room and a study.
The elder brother and sister-in-law would take two smaller rooms, one for the couple and one for Fu An.
Madame Luo would stay in the room opposite the main house, sharing with Fu Ning.
The arrangement set, Yu Ying and Fu Wei contributed four hundred wen, while the elder brother and sister-in-law gave three hundred wen.
Anticipating the possibility of renting, Yu Ying had brought a string of coins with her. After deciding to rent, they immediately paid the landlord three months' rent and signed the lease.
With the house matter settled, upon their return to the entrance of West Alley, they found a yamen carriage parked outside, with Huo, the yamen runner, waiting for them.
Seeing them return, Huo approached with a wooden box, "Mr. Fu, Madame Yu, you're finally back."
Fu Wei glanced at the carriage, then turned to Huo, "Why are you here, Huo?"
Huo replied, "Magistrate Zhou said that the miracle during this epidemic is largely thanks to Madame Yu. A reward is certainly due, and he also mentioned hosting a banquet for Madame Yu once the epidemic is completely over."
Considering the crowded alley, Yu Ying invited him inside to talk further.
Once in the main hall with tea served, Huo placed the wooden box on the table.
"The magistrate said half the treasury was spent on the epidemic, so he could only give twenty guan as a reward to Madame Yu, along with two bushels of grain and three bolts of cloth."
Huo added at the end, "These are actually subsidies from the magistrate’s private funds, Madame Yu, please don’t find it too little."
Yu Ying quickly responded, "Such a generous reward, how could I find it lacking?"
Huo smiled and turned to Fu Zhen, "Then, I'll trouble Mr. Fu to help move the grain."
Both men went out together, but it was Fu Zhen who easily shouldered the two hundred pounds of grain into the courtyard, with Huo, the yamen runner, only carrying a few bolts of cloth behind him.
When Huo was leaving, Yu Ying offered him a string of coins.
Surprisingly, Huo, who usually didn't refuse such offers, firmly declined, "Mr. Fu and Madame Yu are people I deeply admire from the bottom of my heart. How could I accept your money and go against my conscience?"
Huo, looking at Fu Wei, expressed with a sigh, "Mr. Fu is right. I've been living in a daze before, but I won't continue like that in the future."
Huo's words suggested a desire for a fresh start, a decision to stop his corrupt ways.
It seemed he had made up his mind, which is why he refused any money. Yu Ying, seeing this, instead gave him two strips of cured meat.
The cured meat wasn’t very valuable, so he accepted it.
Despite receiving such good things, Yu Ying felt no joy, probably because the epidemic had not yet passed.
Yu Ying calmly surveyed the grain and cloth in the room, as well as the wooden box on the table.
The cloth was in indigo, green, and apricot colors.
She didn't know how to sew, but her sister-in-law was skilled at it, so she left the task of making clothes and quilts to her.
As a token of gratitude, she gave her sister-in-law half of each of the green and indigo cloths for making clothes.
After the decision, they had the elder brother store the grain and cloth in Madame Luo’s room, to be moved to the new house once it was cleaned.
