Chapter 115
A few days after the construction of Yu Ying's clinic began, Fu Wei returned.
After spending half a day overseeing the clinic with her sister-in-law, Yu Ying returned at dusk, only to hear from Fu Ning that her father and younger brother had come back.
Wen Xing's face lit up upon hearing that her husband had returned.
The couple had been married for so long and had never been apart for half a month. She missed her husband but tried not to show it too much, for fear of being teased.
As the sisters-in-law entered the courtyard, Luo Shi, the mother-in-law, came to take off the backpack from the eldest daughter-in-law, saying, "Your husbands came back half an hour before you. Both brothers looked exhausted. After washing up, they ate a few buns and went to sleep. Let's not wake them for dinner, let them rest."
Yu Ying glanced towards the house and nodded, "Then I won't go back to my room just yet."
Her sister-in-law agreed, "I won't go back either, so as not to wake up my husband with any noise."
Everyone moved quietly and in sync, careful not to disturb.
Luo Shi kept the brothers' meals warm in the pot with hot water.
After dinner, the sisters-in-law changed and bathed using the clothes hung outside.
Evidently, the brothers had hurried back from the county seat, day and night, and had not woken up even as night fell.
Having slept for about an hour, Yu Ying and her sister-in-law went separately to wake them up.
Carrying an oil lamp, Yu Ying entered the room, lit the oil lamp inside, extinguished the one she brought in, and then walked towards the bed.
"Fu Wei, wake up and eat dinner before you go back to sleep."
Yu Ying approached the bed and reached out to lift the curtain.
Just as she lifted the curtain, her wrist was suddenly grasped, and before she could react, she was pulled into a warm embrace.
Yu Ying raised her head, but before she could clearly see Fu Wei, her lips were abruptly seized.
Caught by surprise, her lips parted slightly, allowing Fu Wei's breath to mingle with hers, drawing the moisture from her mouth.
The subtle sound of stirring water made her heart race and face flush.
Fu Wei had never been like this before.
For a moment, Yu Ying was overwhelmed, melting into his arms.
Unnoticed, she moved from his embrace to lying on the bed.
Gradually, her clothes loosened, revealing her pale, jade-like collarbone, while Fu Wei left damp marks and red trails on her smooth skin.
Much later, Fu Wei buried his head in the crook of her neck, still not fully dressed, breathing heavily.
Yu Ying's face was flushed, her lips slightly parted, breathing like a fish surfacing for air.
"Sorry, I scared you," Fu Wei said in a voice unusually deep and hoarse, laced with a hint of desire.
As Yu Ying's thoughts gradually collected, she heard his words, unsure whether to laugh or feel fortunate to have met such a gentleman.
Their romance had been ongoing since before the New Year, amounting to roughly four months.
In the four months they had shared a bed, the most audacious thing he had done was tonight. With another man, who knows how far things might have gone.
However, it was precisely because of his gentlemanly conduct that she had begun to accept him.
Yu Ying's lips curved slightly, her arms sliding around his waist, embracing him to show she didn't mind.
Just then, a knock came at the door, followed by Fu Ning's soft and sweet voice: "Auntie, Uncle, mother says dinner is ready."
Their emotions having settled, Yu Ying quickly released her arms.
Fu Wei looked up at Yu Ying, noticing her still slightly flushed eyebrows and moist lips, and the half-open collar revealing a glimpse of her pale yellow undergarment. Recalling his earlier actions, his eyes darkened, but his ears turned red.
Fu Wei hurriedly straightened her collar, feeling a bit remorseful for overstepping, and apologized again in a hoarse voice, "Sorry."
Yu Ying's cheeks also felt warm.
Carrying the oil lamp, Fu Wei led Yu Ying out of the room.
Fu Ning looked up at them, his gaze falling on Auntie's mouth, and asked curiously, "Why are Auntie's lips so red?"
Yu Ying: ...
Fu Wei: ...
The two exchanged a glance, both unable to help blushing.
Fu Wei cleared his throat and said, "Auntie was just trying out a lip rouge that Uncle bought from the county seat."
Yu Ying looked at Fu Wei, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if to say, "When did you buy lip rouge?"
Fu Wei smiled at her, then took Fu Ning's hand, saying, "Let's go."
Worried that her sister-in-law might notice something, Yu Ying said to Fu Wei, "I'll tidy up a bit, you go ahead and eat."
Fu Wei nodded, then headed to the kitchen with Fu Ning.
The kitchen had a table, and it was where they usually ate when there were no guests.
Fu Zhen was already seated, and Wen Xing was serving the food.
After the brothers sat down, they ate in silence.
After eating, Fu Wei went to bathe.
When he returned to the room after his bath, he saw Yu Ying busy writing and drawing on paper. He didn't disturb her and started rummaging through his belongings.
A moment later, he found what he was looking for and approached Yu Ying from behind, sliding the item into her hair.
Yu Ying, who was calculating the expenses of the past few days, didn't stop when Fu Wei entered. Sensing him behind her, she thought he wanted to see what she was writing. But then she felt him place something in her hair, so she set down her pen and reached up to feel it.
—It was a hairpin.
Fu Wei looked at the hairpin in her hair and said softly, "You have few ornaments. I wanted to buy you something in the county town, but I didn't bring enough money, so I could only afford this copper hairpin."
Yu Ying had always worn simple hairpins, only buying two plain iron ones for a banquet.
Yu Ying pulled the hairpin from her head and examined it in her hand.
The design was not complex; the tail of the copper pin was slightly curved, shaped into auspicious clouds, and some parts were hollowed out.
The craftsmanship was decent, and even though it was a copper hairpin, it was not cheap in terms of style.
A smile appeared on Yu Ying's face. She handed the hairpin back to Fu Wei, saying with a smile, "Please put it back for me."
Fu Wei took it and deftly slid the copper pin back into her hair, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and murmured, "In the future, I'll buy you silver and gold hairpins."
"Okay, I'll be waiting," Yu Ying smiled in response.
His gaze fell on the paper on the table detailing the clinic's expenses. Remembering what his mother had briefly mentioned about Yu Ying opening a clinic, he asked, "When do you plan to open the clinic?"
Knowing he was already aware, Yu Ying didn't start from the beginning, replying, "Once everything is ready, it should take about a month."
Then, turning to him, she said, "Your paintings and calligraphy are excellent. Could you paint a few pictures for me and inscribe the signboard when the time comes?"
Speaking of the clinic, Yu Ying's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Seeing her expression, Fu Wei smiled faintly, "If you ask me, I naturally won't refuse."
After a moment's thought, he asked, "What will the clinic be called?"
Yu Ying turned back, picked up the pen, and wrote "Yongxi Tang" on the paper.
This was a stark contrast to the naming style of other clinics in Yuxian.
Reading the three characters, Fu Wei said softly, "The character 'xi' means bright; 'Yongxi', everlasting brightness."
Yu Ying nodded, confirming his understanding.
The name of the clinic was the same as the one she had taken over just before her transmigration, a legacy clinic that had been around for a hundred years.
Fu Wei's gaze rested on Yu Ying's profile, understanding the significance of the name to her from her nostalgic expression.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "How do you want these characters written? Sketch them out, and I'll try to match the style."
Yu Ying nodded, sighed silently in her heart, then turned to ask him, "By the way, how did the discussions in the county town go?"
Mentioning this, the smile on Fu Wei's face faded, replaced by a sense of helplessness. In a low voice, he said, "I now understand what you once told me: in times of great chaos, one must flow with the current, not against it. Such a dynasty indeed does not have a long future."
Yu Ying raised her hand to pat the back of his hand resting on the table.
No more words were needed; she understood that the court must have increased taxes. Many dynasties have fallen for reasons including harsh governance and the cruelty of emperors.
After returning, Zhou, the county magistrate, pondered deeply before issuing a notice, also dispatching people to loudly proclaim the imperial decree with gongs.
The tax was changed to twice a year, adding up to a 20% increase from previous years.
However, as there was a prior promise to the people about taxing after the planting season, Governor Shen extended a three-month grace period.
Upon receiving the decree, the people sat on the ground, wailing in despair.
Life was already hard enough, and now with the increased taxes, it felt like they were being driven to their deaths.
For a time, the entire Yuxian was extremely despondent.
Perhaps due to the recent epidemic, the people respected Zhou, the county magistrate, so there were no disturbances in Yuxian.
However, the situation in other counties was starkly different.
Yu Ying learned from Fu Wei that after the decree was issued, people in several counties started rioting. The magistrates of these counties, overwhelmed, had to resort to military force to suppress the unrest, finally restoring some calm.
But this calm was temporary. The real trouble was expected during the tax collection in June and even more so in December.
Those corrupt officials only saw the prosperity of the capital, ignorant of the struggles in the peripheral regions.
While Yu Ying felt powerless, she also realized the urgency of stockpiling grain and medicine.
The produce from her medicinal and agricultural fields couldn't be openly stored, as it might incite envy. Hence, she planned to sell it outside Yuxian, storing it secretly in the county town or other places.
Therefore, she needed to rent a hidden place in the county town to store these grains and medicines.
She had discussed this with Fu Wei, who agreed to inspect potential locations during his next visit to the county town.
Amidst the gloom, Luo Dianshi, the local historian who had been out of town, returned to Yuxian, bringing a source of income that greatly relieved the troubled Zhou, the county magistrate.
Before leaving, he arranged for the clinic to collect medicinal herbs from a neighboring county, thousands of kilograms, to be sold northward.
The strategy was to sell the local medicinal herbs and then buy others from the north to sell southward, profiting from the price difference.
With the involvement of the government, the process went smoothly and quickly.
Zhou, the county magistrate, seeing a glimmer of hope, encouraged the people to grow more medicinal herbs. The government office offered to provide seeds for the herbs and promised to purchase the mature plants, thus alleviating concerns about the increased taxes.
The people seemed inspired by this initiative, understanding that life must go on, so their despondency didn't last too long.
At this time, Yu Ying's clinic was also nearing completion.
Fu Wei, enjoying a rare day off, accompanied Yu Ying to visit the nearly finished clinic.
Yu Ying proudly showed him around the almost ready clinic, like unveiling a treasured possession.
The elegant rooms on the second floor of the clinic resembled a tastefully designed tea house.
Fu Wei joked, "If someone played the zither here, it would feel just like a tea house."
His comment sparked an idea in Yu Ying, who responded, "You're right, if there were zither music, it would elevate the place to another level."
Her goal was to attract wealthy clients, ensuring they felt their money was well spent.
Enthusiastically, Yu Ying turned to Fu Wei and asked, "Do you know how to play the zither?"
Fu Wei: ...
After a moment of silence, he said, "I do know how, but zithers are expensive, and I also have duties at the government office. Even if you found someone to learn, it's not guaranteed they could master it."
Hearing Fu Wei's response, Yu Ying realized the impracticality of her idea, and her enthusiasm quickly faded.
"You're right, both the cost and finding someone are challenging; let's take it slow."
Fu Wei smiled and embraced her from behind, saying, "Flutes are cheaper. If I find some free time, I can come and entertain you."
Yu Ying laughed in response, "Then perhaps it's better not to. Otherwise, if people hear someone playing the flute and get excited, I'd have to run to the government office to fetch you, wouldn't I?"
After a pause, she added, "Although I don't need you to perform here, you can still play for me."
Fu Wei replied warmly, "If you want to hear it, I'll play as many times as you like."
Both their faces were filled with smiles.
Chapter 115
A few days after the construction of Yu Ying's clinic began, Fu Wei returned.
After spending half a day overseeing the clinic with her sister-in-law, Yu Ying returned at dusk, only to hear from Fu Ning that her father and younger brother had come back.
Wen Xing's face lit up upon hearing that her husband had returned.
The couple had been married for so long and had never been apart for half a month. She missed her husband but tried not to show it too much, for fear of being teased.
As the sisters-in-law entered the courtyard, Luo Shi, the mother-in-law, came to take off the backpack from the eldest daughter-in-law, saying, "Your husbands came back half an hour before you. Both brothers looked exhausted. After washing up, they ate a few buns and went to sleep. Let's not wake them for dinner, let them rest."
Yu Ying glanced towards the house and nodded, "Then I won't go back to my room just yet."
Her sister-in-law agreed, "I won't go back either, so as not to wake up my husband with any noise."
Everyone moved quietly and in sync, careful not to disturb.
Luo Shi kept the brothers' meals warm in the pot with hot water.
After dinner, the sisters-in-law changed and bathed using the clothes hung outside.
Evidently, the brothers had hurried back from the county seat, day and night, and had not woken up even as night fell.
Having slept for about an hour, Yu Ying and her sister-in-law went separately to wake them up.
Carrying an oil lamp, Yu Ying entered the room, lit the oil lamp inside, extinguished the one she brought in, and then walked towards the bed.
"Fu Wei, wake up and eat dinner before you go back to sleep."
Yu Ying approached the bed and reached out to lift the curtain.
Just as she lifted the curtain, her wrist was suddenly grasped, and before she could react, she was pulled into a warm embrace.
Yu Ying raised her head, but before she could clearly see Fu Wei, her lips were abruptly seized.
Caught by surprise, her lips parted slightly, allowing Fu Wei's breath to mingle with hers, drawing the moisture from her mouth.
The subtle sound of stirring water made her heart race and face flush.
Fu Wei had never been like this before.
For a moment, Yu Ying was overwhelmed, melting into his arms.
Unnoticed, she moved from his embrace to lying on the bed.
Gradually, her clothes loosened, revealing her pale, jade-like collarbone, while Fu Wei left damp marks and red trails on her smooth skin.
Much later, Fu Wei buried his head in the crook of her neck, still not fully dressed, breathing heavily.
Yu Ying's face was flushed, her lips slightly parted, breathing like a fish surfacing for air.
"Sorry, I scared you," Fu Wei said in a voice unusually deep and hoarse, laced with a hint of desire.
As Yu Ying's thoughts gradually collected, she heard his words, unsure whether to laugh or feel fortunate to have met such a gentleman.
Their romance had been ongoing since before the New Year, amounting to roughly four months.
In the four months they had shared a bed, the most audacious thing he had done was tonight. With another man, who knows how far things might have gone.
However, it was precisely because of his gentlemanly conduct that she had begun to accept him.
Yu Ying's lips curved slightly, her arms sliding around his waist, embracing him to show she didn't mind.
Just then, a knock came at the door, followed by Fu Ning's soft and sweet voice: "Auntie, Uncle, mother says dinner is ready."
Their emotions having settled, Yu Ying quickly released her arms.
Fu Wei looked up at Yu Ying, noticing her still slightly flushed eyebrows and moist lips, and the half-open collar revealing a glimpse of her pale yellow undergarment. Recalling his earlier actions, his eyes darkened, but his ears turned red.
Fu Wei hurriedly straightened her collar, feeling a bit remorseful for overstepping, and apologized again in a hoarse voice, "Sorry."
Yu Ying's cheeks also felt warm.
Carrying the oil lamp, Fu Wei led Yu Ying out of the room.
Fu Ning looked up at them, his gaze falling on Auntie's mouth, and asked curiously, "Why are Auntie's lips so red?"
Yu Ying: ...
Fu Wei: ...
The two exchanged a glance, both unable to help blushing.
Fu Wei cleared his throat and said, "Auntie was just trying out a lip rouge that Uncle bought from the county seat."
Yu Ying looked at Fu Wei, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if to say, "When did you buy lip rouge?"
Fu Wei smiled at her, then took Fu Ning's hand, saying, "Let's go."
Worried that her sister-in-law might notice something, Yu Ying said to Fu Wei, "I'll tidy up a bit, you go ahead and eat."
Fu Wei nodded, then headed to the kitchen with Fu Ning.
The kitchen had a table, and it was where they usually ate when there were no guests.
Fu Zhen was already seated, and Wen Xing was serving the food.
After the brothers sat down, they ate in silence.
After eating, Fu Wei went to bathe.
When he returned to the room after his bath, he saw Yu Ying busy writing and drawing on paper. He didn't disturb her and started rummaging through his belongings.
A moment later, he found what he was looking for and approached Yu Ying from behind, sliding the item into her hair.
Yu Ying, who was calculating the expenses of the past few days, didn't stop when Fu Wei entered. Sensing him behind her, she thought he wanted to see what she was writing. But then she felt him place something in her hair, so she set down her pen and reached up to feel it.
—It was a hairpin.
Fu Wei looked at the hairpin in her hair and said softly, "You have few ornaments. I wanted to buy you something in the county town, but I didn't bring enough money, so I could only afford this copper hairpin."
Yu Ying had always worn simple hairpins, only buying two plain iron ones for a banquet.
Yu Ying pulled the hairpin from her head and examined it in her hand.
The design was not complex; the tail of the copper pin was slightly curved, shaped into auspicious clouds, and some parts were hollowed out.
The craftsmanship was decent, and even though it was a copper hairpin, it was not cheap in terms of style.
A smile appeared on Yu Ying's face. She handed the hairpin back to Fu Wei, saying with a smile, "Please put it back for me."
Fu Wei took it and deftly slid the copper pin back into her hair, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and murmured, "In the future, I'll buy you silver and gold hairpins."
"Okay, I'll be waiting," Yu Ying smiled in response.
His gaze fell on the paper on the table detailing the clinic's expenses. Remembering what his mother had briefly mentioned about Yu Ying opening a clinic, he asked, "When do you plan to open the clinic?"
Knowing he was already aware, Yu Ying didn't start from the beginning, replying, "Once everything is ready, it should take about a month."
Then, turning to him, she said, "Your paintings and calligraphy are excellent. Could you paint a few pictures for me and inscribe the signboard when the time comes?"
Speaking of the clinic, Yu Ying's eyes sparkled with excitement.
Seeing her expression, Fu Wei smiled faintly, "If you ask me, I naturally won't refuse."
After a moment's thought, he asked, "What will the clinic be called?"
Yu Ying turned back, picked up the pen, and wrote "Yongxi Tang" on the paper.
This was a stark contrast to the naming style of other clinics in Yuxian.
Reading the three characters, Fu Wei said softly, "The character 'xi' means bright; 'Yongxi', everlasting brightness."
Yu Ying nodded, confirming his understanding.
The name of the clinic was the same as the one she had taken over just before her transmigration, a legacy clinic that had been around for a hundred years.
Fu Wei's gaze rested on Yu Ying's profile, understanding the significance of the name to her from her nostalgic expression.
After a moment of contemplation, he said, "How do you want these characters written? Sketch them out, and I'll try to match the style."
Yu Ying nodded, sighed silently in her heart, then turned to ask him, "By the way, how did the discussions in the county town go?"
Mentioning this, the smile on Fu Wei's face faded, replaced by a sense of helplessness. In a low voice, he said, "I now understand what you once told me: in times of great chaos, one must flow with the current, not against it. Such a dynasty indeed does not have a long future."
Yu Ying raised her hand to pat the back of his hand resting on the table.
No more words were needed; she understood that the court must have increased taxes. Many dynasties have fallen for reasons including harsh governance and the cruelty of emperors.
After returning, Zhou, the county magistrate, pondered deeply before issuing a notice, also dispatching people to loudly proclaim the imperial decree with gongs.
The tax was changed to twice a year, adding up to a 20% increase from previous years.
However, as there was a prior promise to the people about taxing after the planting season, Governor Shen extended a three-month grace period.
Upon receiving the decree, the people sat on the ground, wailing in despair.
Life was already hard enough, and now with the increased taxes, it felt like they were being driven to their deaths.
For a time, the entire Yuxian was extremely despondent.
Perhaps due to the recent epidemic, the people respected Zhou, the county magistrate, so there were no disturbances in Yuxian.
However, the situation in other counties was starkly different.
Yu Ying learned from Fu Wei that after the decree was issued, people in several counties started rioting. The magistrates of these counties, overwhelmed, had to resort to military force to suppress the unrest, finally restoring some calm.
But this calm was temporary. The real trouble was expected during the tax collection in June and even more so in December.
Those corrupt officials only saw the prosperity of the capital, ignorant of the struggles in the peripheral regions.
While Yu Ying felt powerless, she also realized the urgency of stockpiling grain and medicine.
The produce from her medicinal and agricultural fields couldn't be openly stored, as it might incite envy. Hence, she planned to sell it outside Yuxian, storing it secretly in the county town or other places.
Therefore, she needed to rent a hidden place in the county town to store these grains and medicines.
She had discussed this with Fu Wei, who agreed to inspect potential locations during his next visit to the county town.
Amidst the gloom, Luo Dianshi, the local historian who had been out of town, returned to Yuxian, bringing a source of income that greatly relieved the troubled Zhou, the county magistrate.
Before leaving, he arranged for the clinic to collect medicinal herbs from a neighboring county, thousands of kilograms, to be sold northward.
The strategy was to sell the local medicinal herbs and then buy others from the north to sell southward, profiting from the price difference.
With the involvement of the government, the process went smoothly and quickly.
Zhou, the county magistrate, seeing a glimmer of hope, encouraged the people to grow more medicinal herbs. The government office offered to provide seeds for the herbs and promised to purchase the mature plants, thus alleviating concerns about the increased taxes.
The people seemed inspired by this initiative, understanding that life must go on, so their despondency didn't last too long.
At this time, Yu Ying's clinic was also nearing completion.
Fu Wei, enjoying a rare day off, accompanied Yu Ying to visit the nearly finished clinic.
Yu Ying proudly showed him around the almost ready clinic, like unveiling a treasured possession.
The elegant rooms on the second floor of the clinic resembled a tastefully designed tea house.
Fu Wei joked, "If someone played the zither here, it would feel just like a tea house."
His comment sparked an idea in Yu Ying, who responded, "You're right, if there were zither music, it would elevate the place to another level."
Her goal was to attract wealthy clients, ensuring they felt their money was well spent.
Enthusiastically, Yu Ying turned to Fu Wei and asked, "Do you know how to play the zither?"
Fu Wei: ...
After a moment of silence, he said, "I do know how, but zithers are expensive, and I also have duties at the government office. Even if you found someone to learn, it's not guaranteed they could master it."
Hearing Fu Wei's response, Yu Ying realized the impracticality of her idea, and her enthusiasm quickly faded.
"You're right, both the cost and finding someone are challenging; let's take it slow."
Fu Wei smiled and embraced her from behind, saying, "Flutes are cheaper. If I find some free time, I can come and entertain you."
Yu Ying laughed in response, "Then perhaps it's better not to. Otherwise, if people hear someone playing the flute and get excited, I'd have to run to the government office to fetch you, wouldn't I?"
After a pause, she added, "Although I don't need you to perform here, you can still play for me."
Fu Wei replied warmly, "If you want to hear it, I'll play as many times as you like."
Both their faces were filled with smiles.
