Chapter 111
As the night deepened, hearing the faint breathing next to him, Fu Wei opened his eyes and lay on his side, propped on his arm, trying to discern the barely visible person beside him.
The room was dim, obscuring all vision.
But even without sight, just hearing her soft breaths was enough to reassure Fu Wei.
If she chose to go home, he would let her, despite his deep reluctance.
But if she left him in another way, he couldn't accept it, not only unable to accept but would also...
—would follow her in departure.
Fu Wei sighed silently to himself.
The Prefect of Cangwu County could protect the Fu family openly for now, but who knew what unexpected events might occur in the future.
A new plan was needed.
Muyun Village in Lingnan had been safe for so many years; he didn't believe it was without the support of local powers.
In recent years, with unrest throughout the land, some regions had been covertly training soldiers or manufacturing weapons.
Having heard what Ah Ying said, he became even more certain that Muyun Village knew something, especially since she mentioned things would completely fall into chaos when the ice and snow melt next year.
Although Ah Ying said Muyun Village would help him, he couldn't fully trust them. Yet, if they indeed had connections with local powers, they would be a significant ally.
As the saying goes, a good bird chooses a tree to nest in; he must do the same.
When Yu Ying woke up in the morning, Fu Wei was already dressing, his upright silhouette visible beyond the bed curtain.
Last night, Fu Wei had held her for a long time, and even when they went to bed, he kept his arms around her, not letting go.
Seeing his tense actions last night, she felt he might be deeply affected, so she decided not to say such things again in the future.
Yu Ying also got out of bed to dress and freshen up, and Fu Wei, while tying his belt, asked her, "Aren’t you supposed to rest today? Why not sleep a little longer?"
Having lived under the same roof for quite some time, the initial awkwardness had faded, and they had grown accustomed to each other's presence.
After putting on her cloth shoes and taking a long robe from the rack, she replied while dressing, "It’s almost the season for planting crops and herbs. I plan to plant more grains and medicinal herbs, so I need to make a trip back to Lingshui Village today."
Indeed, this time next year, the world would be in great turmoil, and now was a critical moment.
Fu Wei nodded, "Be careful."
After a moment of thought, he added, "I’ll give you something for self-defense."
Hearing this, Yu Ying saw him turn and fetch something from beside his wheelchair.
Moments later, Fu Wei turned back, handing her a short dagger, "A crossbow isn't convenient to carry; take this with you."
Yu Ying took the dagger and examined it, noting its sharp blade glinting coldly.
Ironware was expensive, and the ironworks of Yu County couldn't produce such a dagger.
Fu Wei explained, "I bought this for self-defense when I was in the prefecture. Now, I'm giving it to you for the same purpose."
Yu Ying looked up at him, "What about you?"
Fu Wei smiled, "There are always people from the office going to the prefecture. I'll ask them to buy another one for me. Besides, with my elder brother by my side now, there's no need to worry."
Still concerned about her, he added, "Once you return today, I'll start teaching you some basic grappling techniques."
Yu Ying nodded with a smile, "That would be great."
Fu Wei had duties to attend to and couldn't chat longer, so they both got ready and left the room together.
Luo and Wen Xing had prepared breakfast early, waiting for them to come and eat.
After breakfast, Song Sanlang said to Yu Ying, "The face and lip creams are ready. I'll head to the prefecture tomorrow."
Yu Ying nodded, then said, "In the future, if you run out of stock, there's no need to make a special trip back. Just send a message. If you and Miss Su have any good ideas, go ahead and try them out. Even if there's some loss, it's okay."
Song Sanlang was surprised, "Does Sister-in-law Fu trust me that much?"
Yu Ying smiled, "After all, you're in charge of the business, and the journey is long. Making a profit is best, but if there's a loss, cut it quickly. That's the way to go."
Song Sanlang was not rash, and with Miss Su's assistance, their collaboration would surely be a boon.
Although he had only met Miss Su a few times, he had a good general understanding of her.
Miss Su is indeed a smart and clever girl.
Remembering her plan to visit Lingshui Village today, Yu Ying asked Song Sanlang, "I'm going back to Lingshui Village with my mother and sister-in-law today. Will you be joining us?"
Luo hadn't been back in a long time, so she was encouraged to visit as well.
Song Sanlang paused for a moment and then shook his head, "No, I won't be going back."
That made sense, as when Yu Ying and others had returned previously, they had told the villagers that Song Sanlang was working in the prefecture.
His return to the village might lead the Song family to believe he had money, potentially causing a disturbance.
Yu Ying spent twenty coins to rent an ox cart for the day.
Back in Lingshui Village, she first checked the two to three acres of herb fields. After half a year, the herbs had grown well.
The newly planted seedlings were thriving, too. Once she found someone to help, they could be transplanted to the slope, hopefully yielding the first harvest during next year's chaos.
With herbs and grains in hand, she hoped to secure stability for herself, Fu Wei, and the Fu family.
She stood up from the herb field and looked towards the sloped land.
Much of the slope had been cultivated.
Right, not just for them, but the people of Lingshui Village and Yu County might also find a viable livelihood.
During times of war, both food and medicine are in high demand. With Yu County's medicinal herbs, it would be wise to ally with a capable power.
Knowing certain things, she couldn't just sit idly by. While she lacked the means to effect significant change, she was doing all she could.
After inspecting the herb fields, Yu Ying returned to discuss hiring help with Uncle He.
Given that people in the village were in need of work, she decided to stick with the previously agreed rate of five coins a day, which was enough to attract helpers.
Getting help isn't an issue.
For cultivating medicinal herbs, Uncle He and his team have experience, so we can ask them to oversee it. Farming is a common livelihood, so it shouldn't be too much trouble.
After settling these matters, Yuming went to the village head to lease an additional ten acres of paddy fields.
Surprised at her request for more paddy fields to grow grains, the village head asked, "You've already rented five acres, which should be enough for your family's consumption. Why rent more?"
Yuming replied, "Growing more can also be exchanged for silver."
"That's not profitable. Not to mention the tax on crops, even hiring people to farm costs money. After a year's hard work, there's hardly any profit. As the second wife of the Fu family, you are a doctor at the medical hall, and your eldest and second sons work in the government office. You're not in need of this small amount of money."
Yuming had already prepared her response: "In these hard times, even if we can feed ourselves today, who knows about the future? It's always good to have a backup plan. While I have some extra money now, it's better to rent more land and make whatever extra I can."
The village head, after hearing this, felt there was some truth to it: "That's true, having a reserve of grain is indeed the most reassuring."
After reflecting, he said, "Although there's almost no hillside land left, there's still quite a bit that can be converted into paddy fields. Have a look at which area you'd like to rent."
After deciding on the location of the paddy fields, Yuming visited Uncle He's home for a while, as it was almost evening.
They had to return to Yuxian before dark, so they didn't stay at Uncle He's house for dinner.
Fu Wei received a letter from Wuling, written by his close friend Shen Mingcong.
In the letter, Shen Mingcong wrote that there was news from the court: there were uprisings in Longxi and Shu prefectures, which were suppressed, but the emperor was furious. It was expected that soon there would be orders to improve the livelihood of people in remote areas, which might affect Lingnan.
Reading the contents of the letter, Fu Wei's brows lightly furrowed.
He finally understood the catalyst of the chaos engulfing the world.
A local uprising, not pacified but exploited, was bleeding the common folk dry. How could there not be chaos?
It seemed to be the work of those treacherous ministers who thrived on disorder.
Fu Wei continued reading calmly until a particular line in the letter made his brow instantly tense.
"Lady Rongshu knows where you are. I told her you're married, but a few days ago, she still sneaked out with her guards to look for you."
Rongshu, his former fiancée.
Huo Shanrong, lured by endless wealth, had arranged his marriage with the richest girl in Wuling Prefecture.
Had nothing happened, he might have followed through with the arrangement, marrying her and living a life of mutual respect.
But life is not filled with 'ifs', and what happened, happened.
Even if she came, he wouldn't waver. The only concern was... would Yuming overthink it?
But considering she knew so much already, perhaps she was aware of his past engagement? Would she still care?
Fu Wei looked at the letter in his hand, pondering deeply before finally burning it with the lamp's flame.
To avoid any misunderstanding, he had to clarify things with Yuming in advance.
When Yuming returned from Lingshui Village, Fu Wei brought up the matter of his former fiancée.
She paused when he mentioned that his ex-fiancée might come to Yuxian to look for him.
She carefully recalled the plot of the story but couldn't remember the specifics. However, she knew that there was no romantic continuation for the two characters.
After all, this was a book focused solely on career, with no romantic pairings.
But what was the reason behind Fu Wei's ex-fiancée seeking him out?
Was it to reconcile and reunite?
But certainly, Fu Wei couldn't agree to that.
Moreover, she must have known that Fu Wei was already married, and her family would definitely not agree to rekindle her relationship with him.
Lost in thought, Yu Ying appeared to be daydreaming in Fu Wei's eyes, prompting him to immediately explain, "Although we were engaged, the engagement was long dissolved, and there has been no contact since."
Yu Ying, returning to reality at his anxious explanation, suddenly smiled, "I wasn't misunderstanding. I was just wondering why she would come looking for you."
Fu Wei knew his ex-fiancée had feelings for him.
He paused for a moment, then looked at Yu Ying with a sincere and earnest gaze, "You are my only wife."
Yu Ying smiled slightly, lowering her head.
After pondering for a few moments, not wanting to think the worst of others, she looked up at Fu Wei and said softly, "Maybe she just wanted to see if you were doing well. If you are, it might give her peace of mind."
The book didn't describe much about this ex-fiancée. She probably didn't linger or obsess, a sensible woman.
Fu Wei fell into contemplation for a moment.
Perhaps so.
After some thought, Yu Ying seriously said to Fu Wei, "If she really does come, after all traveling from so far, it's best to make things clear to her. Let her have no lingering hopes, so she can move on and start a new life."
Fu Wei looked at her and nodded in agreement.
She was always so profoundly wise and clear-sighted, how could he not be deeply moved by her?
Chapter 111
As the night deepened, hearing the faint breathing next to him, Fu Wei opened his eyes and lay on his side, propped on his arm, trying to discern the barely visible person beside him.
The room was dim, obscuring all vision.
But even without sight, just hearing her soft breaths was enough to reassure Fu Wei.
If she chose to go home, he would let her, despite his deep reluctance.
But if she left him in another way, he couldn't accept it, not only unable to accept but would also...
—would follow her in departure.
Fu Wei sighed silently to himself.
The Prefect of Cangwu County could protect the Fu family openly for now, but who knew what unexpected events might occur in the future.
A new plan was needed.
Muyun Village in Lingnan had been safe for so many years; he didn't believe it was without the support of local powers.
In recent years, with unrest throughout the land, some regions had been covertly training soldiers or manufacturing weapons.
Having heard what Ah Ying said, he became even more certain that Muyun Village knew something, especially since she mentioned things would completely fall into chaos when the ice and snow melt next year.
Although Ah Ying said Muyun Village would help him, he couldn't fully trust them. Yet, if they indeed had connections with local powers, they would be a significant ally.
As the saying goes, a good bird chooses a tree to nest in; he must do the same.
When Yu Ying woke up in the morning, Fu Wei was already dressing, his upright silhouette visible beyond the bed curtain.
Last night, Fu Wei had held her for a long time, and even when they went to bed, he kept his arms around her, not letting go.
Seeing his tense actions last night, she felt he might be deeply affected, so she decided not to say such things again in the future.
Yu Ying also got out of bed to dress and freshen up, and Fu Wei, while tying his belt, asked her, "Aren’t you supposed to rest today? Why not sleep a little longer?"
Having lived under the same roof for quite some time, the initial awkwardness had faded, and they had grown accustomed to each other's presence.
After putting on her cloth shoes and taking a long robe from the rack, she replied while dressing, "It’s almost the season for planting crops and herbs. I plan to plant more grains and medicinal herbs, so I need to make a trip back to Lingshui Village today."
Indeed, this time next year, the world would be in great turmoil, and now was a critical moment.
Fu Wei nodded, "Be careful."
After a moment of thought, he added, "I’ll give you something for self-defense."
Hearing this, Yu Ying saw him turn and fetch something from beside his wheelchair.
Moments later, Fu Wei turned back, handing her a short dagger, "A crossbow isn't convenient to carry; take this with you."
Yu Ying took the dagger and examined it, noting its sharp blade glinting coldly.
Ironware was expensive, and the ironworks of Yu County couldn't produce such a dagger.
Fu Wei explained, "I bought this for self-defense when I was in the prefecture. Now, I'm giving it to you for the same purpose."
Yu Ying looked up at him, "What about you?"
Fu Wei smiled, "There are always people from the office going to the prefecture. I'll ask them to buy another one for me. Besides, with my elder brother by my side now, there's no need to worry."
Still concerned about her, he added, "Once you return today, I'll start teaching you some basic grappling techniques."
Yu Ying nodded with a smile, "That would be great."
Fu Wei had duties to attend to and couldn't chat longer, so they both got ready and left the room together.
Luo and Wen Xing had prepared breakfast early, waiting for them to come and eat.
After breakfast, Song Sanlang said to Yu Ying, "The face and lip creams are ready. I'll head to the prefecture tomorrow."
Yu Ying nodded, then said, "In the future, if you run out of stock, there's no need to make a special trip back. Just send a message. If you and Miss Su have any good ideas, go ahead and try them out. Even if there's some loss, it's okay."
Song Sanlang was surprised, "Does Sister-in-law Fu trust me that much?"
Yu Ying smiled, "After all, you're in charge of the business, and the journey is long. Making a profit is best, but if there's a loss, cut it quickly. That's the way to go."
Song Sanlang was not rash, and with Miss Su's assistance, their collaboration would surely be a boon.
Although he had only met Miss Su a few times, he had a good general understanding of her.
Miss Su is indeed a smart and clever girl.
Remembering her plan to visit Lingshui Village today, Yu Ying asked Song Sanlang, "I'm going back to Lingshui Village with my mother and sister-in-law today. Will you be joining us?"
Luo hadn't been back in a long time, so she was encouraged to visit as well.
Song Sanlang paused for a moment and then shook his head, "No, I won't be going back."
That made sense, as when Yu Ying and others had returned previously, they had told the villagers that Song Sanlang was working in the prefecture.
His return to the village might lead the Song family to believe he had money, potentially causing a disturbance.
Yu Ying spent twenty coins to rent an ox cart for the day.
Back in Lingshui Village, she first checked the two to three acres of herb fields. After half a year, the herbs had grown well.
The newly planted seedlings were thriving, too. Once she found someone to help, they could be transplanted to the slope, hopefully yielding the first harvest during next year's chaos.
With herbs and grains in hand, she hoped to secure stability for herself, Fu Wei, and the Fu family.
She stood up from the herb field and looked towards the sloped land.
Much of the slope had been cultivated.
Right, not just for them, but the people of Lingshui Village and Yu County might also find a viable livelihood.
During times of war, both food and medicine are in high demand. With Yu County's medicinal herbs, it would be wise to ally with a capable power.
Knowing certain things, she couldn't just sit idly by. While she lacked the means to effect significant change, she was doing all she could.
After inspecting the herb fields, Yu Ying returned to discuss hiring help with Uncle He.
Given that people in the village were in need of work, she decided to stick with the previously agreed rate of five coins a day, which was enough to attract helpers.
Getting help isn't an issue.
For cultivating medicinal herbs, Uncle He and his team have experience, so we can ask them to oversee it. Farming is a common livelihood, so it shouldn't be too much trouble.
After settling these matters, Yuming went to the village head to lease an additional ten acres of paddy fields.
Surprised at her request for more paddy fields to grow grains, the village head asked, "You've already rented five acres, which should be enough for your family's consumption. Why rent more?"
Yuming replied, "Growing more can also be exchanged for silver."
"That's not profitable. Not to mention the tax on crops, even hiring people to farm costs money. After a year's hard work, there's hardly any profit. As the second wife of the Fu family, you are a doctor at the medical hall, and your eldest and second sons work in the government office. You're not in need of this small amount of money."
Yuming had already prepared her response: "In these hard times, even if we can feed ourselves today, who knows about the future? It's always good to have a backup plan. While I have some extra money now, it's better to rent more land and make whatever extra I can."
The village head, after hearing this, felt there was some truth to it: "That's true, having a reserve of grain is indeed the most reassuring."
After reflecting, he said, "Although there's almost no hillside land left, there's still quite a bit that can be converted into paddy fields. Have a look at which area you'd like to rent."
After deciding on the location of the paddy fields, Yuming visited Uncle He's home for a while, as it was almost evening.
They had to return to Yuxian before dark, so they didn't stay at Uncle He's house for dinner.
Fu Wei received a letter from Wuling, written by his close friend Shen Mingcong.
In the letter, Shen Mingcong wrote that there was news from the court: there were uprisings in Longxi and Shu prefectures, which were suppressed, but the emperor was furious. It was expected that soon there would be orders to improve the livelihood of people in remote areas, which might affect Lingnan.
Reading the contents of the letter, Fu Wei's brows lightly furrowed.
He finally understood the catalyst of the chaos engulfing the world.
A local uprising, not pacified but exploited, was bleeding the common folk dry. How could there not be chaos?
It seemed to be the work of those treacherous ministers who thrived on disorder.
Fu Wei continued reading calmly until a particular line in the letter made his brow instantly tense.
"Lady Rongshu knows where you are. I told her you're married, but a few days ago, she still sneaked out with her guards to look for you."
Rongshu, his former fiancée.
Huo Shanrong, lured by endless wealth, had arranged his marriage with the richest girl in Wuling Prefecture.
Had nothing happened, he might have followed through with the arrangement, marrying her and living a life of mutual respect.
But life is not filled with 'ifs', and what happened, happened.
Even if she came, he wouldn't waver. The only concern was... would Yuming overthink it?
But considering she knew so much already, perhaps she was aware of his past engagement? Would she still care?
Fu Wei looked at the letter in his hand, pondering deeply before finally burning it with the lamp's flame.
To avoid any misunderstanding, he had to clarify things with Yuming in advance.
When Yuming returned from Lingshui Village, Fu Wei brought up the matter of his former fiancée.
She paused when he mentioned that his ex-fiancée might come to Yuxian to look for him.
She carefully recalled the plot of the story but couldn't remember the specifics. However, she knew that there was no romantic continuation for the two characters.
After all, this was a book focused solely on career, with no romantic pairings.
But what was the reason behind Fu Wei's ex-fiancée seeking him out?
Was it to reconcile and reunite?
But certainly, Fu Wei couldn't agree to that.
Moreover, she must have known that Fu Wei was already married, and her family would definitely not agree to rekindle her relationship with him.
Lost in thought, Yu Ying appeared to be daydreaming in Fu Wei's eyes, prompting him to immediately explain, "Although we were engaged, the engagement was long dissolved, and there has been no contact since."
Yu Ying, returning to reality at his anxious explanation, suddenly smiled, "I wasn't misunderstanding. I was just wondering why she would come looking for you."
Fu Wei knew his ex-fiancée had feelings for him.
He paused for a moment, then looked at Yu Ying with a sincere and earnest gaze, "You are my only wife."
Yu Ying smiled slightly, lowering her head.
After pondering for a few moments, not wanting to think the worst of others, she looked up at Fu Wei and said softly, "Maybe she just wanted to see if you were doing well. If you are, it might give her peace of mind."
The book didn't describe much about this ex-fiancée. She probably didn't linger or obsess, a sensible woman.
Fu Wei fell into contemplation for a moment.
Perhaps so.
After some thought, Yu Ying seriously said to Fu Wei, "If she really does come, after all traveling from so far, it's best to make things clear to her. Let her have no lingering hopes, so she can move on and start a new life."
Fu Wei looked at her and nodded in agreement.
She was always so profoundly wise and clear-sighted, how could he not be deeply moved by her?
