Chapter 12: A Change
During the evening meal, only the sound of sipping thin porridge filled the air.
The three generations of the Fu family had not had a full meal in a long time, perhaps even forgotten the taste of salted food, hence they silently sipped their thin porridge with mixed emotions.
Fu An seemed to have cried, a fact which Yu Ying noticed but tactfully did not mention.
Fu Wei's first taste of the red mushroom porridge made him pause in surprise.
The porridge had no extra ingredients, just salt, but the flavor of mushrooms filled his mouth.
This was the first decent meal Fu Wei had since being exiled over a month ago.
With different thoughts in their minds, everyone quietly finished the meal.
Not only was the red mushroom porridge finished, but the plate of wild ferns was also cleaned out.
After eating, Fu An, the diligent worker, actively began cleaning the dishes. When he took them out to wash, Luo Shi, probably worried, followed him out.
Yu Ying moved the table to the wall and her expression grew complex at the sight of the straw mat nearby.
Now, the situation at home was that Fu Wei slept on the bamboo bed, she on a pile of straw, and the oldest and youngest slept on the ground.
Yu Ying fell silent for a moment, then looked away.
She turned to look at Fu Wei and instructed, "Don't get your legs wet," before leaving the house.
Fu Wei watched her retreating figure and the little tail following her, and only after a moment did he withdraw his calm gaze.
As Yu Ying left the house to prepare medicine, she noticed that the young girl Fu Ning was following her everywhere she went.
Yu Ying turned to look at her, and the girl stared back with wide, clear eyes, looking somewhat bewildered.
It had been almost ten days since she arrived here, and Yu Ying had not heard this young girl utter a single word.
Was she born mute, or did she become so later in life?
The story hadn't elaborated on this, so Yu Ying didn't know the exact reason. She decided to wait until they were more familiar before asking Mrs. Luo in detail.
Fu Ning was young and mute. Yu Ying didn't guard against her as she did with others, so she smiled gently at the girl and let her follow.
Yu Ying had gathered many herbs recently, which dried quickly over a day or two. Using some of these herbs, she prepared several doses of medicine for Fu Wei and also for Mrs. Luo.
Fu Wei was physically weak and in the mid-stage of a deficiency-cold condition. Without dietary supplements, he could only be temporarily treated with mild herbs.
Mrs. Luo's treatment focused on soothing the liver and improving vision, clearing heat, detoxifying, and, secondarily, addressing her persistent night cough.
After preparing the herbs, Yu Ying first decocted Mrs. Luo's medicinal soup, stuffing the herbs into a pot. She also boiled extra water, steeping a handful of Prunella vulgaris to simmer for a while. After cooling, it served as herbal tea for moistening the throat and relieving cough.
Yu Ying instructed Fu An, "Drink this water for the next few days. It will help ease your coughing at night. Also, don't drink river water directly. Boil it first and let it cool."
The more Fu An listened, the more troublesome it seemed, mumbling, "What's the harm in drinking it? Everyone drinks it this way."
Yu Ying calmly said, "Boiling the water before drinking is only beneficial to your health, not harmful."
Mrs. Luo, sitting in the courtyard and enjoying the cool breeze of the evening, spoke to her grandson, "From now on, just listen to your little aunt."
Yu Ying looked towards Mrs. Luo.
The term "little aunt" always made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
She had never even been in love, yet suddenly she was someone's nominal wife, daughter-in-law, and little aunt. No matter how she heard it, it felt awkward.
But her current status in the Fu family was indeed that of Fu Wei's wife.
They were living separately now, so things were peaceful, but what about when Fu Wei's foot healed?
Should they amicably separate, or perhaps... try to make it work together?
Thinking this, Yu Ying glanced towards the thatched cottage, observing the figure inside.
She might try to accept living her days with Fu Wei, but he might not accept her.
If they couldn't be husband and wife, perhaps they could later propose recognizing each other as siblings; that wasn't out of the question...
With this thought, Yu Ying quickly shook her head to dismiss these still formless ideas, clearing her mind of such distant matters.
Coming back to her senses, Yu Ying continued tidying up the herbs drying in the yard, then brought them back inside the house.
Seeing the grandparents and grandson standing in the yard, she instructed Fu An to bring out two bamboo stools from Fu Wei's thatched cottage.
As night fell, only a faint glow of firelight illuminated the small courtyard. Some herbs were burned to repel mosquitoes, keeping them at bay for the time being.
This was the first time Mrs. Luo had stayed outside to enjoy the cool evening air since her eldest son and daughter-in-law went to the mining camp.
Listening to the chirping of insects and basking in the cool breeze, the gloom in her heart seemed to dissipate considerably.
The three generations did not enter the house; Fu An watched the fire, Fu Ning sat on a stone. After a brief glance at the bright stars, she turned her attention back to Yu Ying, checking if the medicine was ready.
Only when darkness fully enveloped the sky was Mrs. Luo's medicine ready. Yu Ying, with a damp cloth wrapped around the handle of the pot, carefully poured the medicine into a bowl.
The replacement shirts had already been torn by Yu Ying into pieces for various uses.
In the hot weather, she wore just a light garment and an outer dress indoors, and her only shirt when going to town.
After preparing Mrs. Luo's medicinal soup and cleaning the pot, she began brewing Fu Wei's medicine.
While waiting for Mrs. Luo's soup to cool to the right temperature, Yu Ying soaked a cloth in slightly hot Prunella vulgaris tea, wrung it out, and applied it to Mrs. Luo's eyelids while still warm.
Mrs. Luo lay back, letting Yu Ying attend to her as needed.
The hot compress was initially uncomfortable, but soon, a soothing sensation spread, bringing relief.
Yu Ying said, "Apply this compress to your eyes every evening. It helps ease eye fatigue. Along with the medicinal soup, it won't completely restore your vision, but it will clear it up. You won't suffer from daytime blurriness or near blindness at night."
Mrs. Luo, who had resigned herself to eventual blindness, clenched her fists in silent hope upon hearing she could still see.
Who would choose blindness if sight were an option?
"During the day, cover your eyes with cloth to protect them from the harsh sunlight," Yu Ying instructed, then turned to Fu An by the stove, "From tomorrow, you'll tie the cloth for your grandmother. I'll give it to you."
Fu An, who had been paying attention, maintained his defiant demeanor, responding nonchalantly, "Whatever you say."
After days of interaction, Yu Ying knew that Fu An was just stubborn with words, but he never neglected what needed to be done.
After about fifteen minutes, Yu Ying removed the now barely warm cloth and handed the much cooler medicine to Mrs. Luo.
"Once you've taken the medicine, you should be ready to go to bed."
Mrs. Luo complied without any objections.
As a doctor, such cooperative patients were always a joy.
It took another half an hour to prepare Fu Wei's medicine.
The freshly brewed medicine was slightly hot to the touch, and not trusting Fu An to carry it, Yu Ying took it into the room herself.
Entering the dark room and guided by the faint moonlight, she approached the bed and, seeing a blurry figure sitting up, spoke softly, "If you wish to be treated, drink this. If not, I'll take it away and pour it out."
In the dim light, Fu Wei looked at the figure outside the bed. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "Indeed, I had harbored thoughts of death, but I've been clinging to life because of a message relayed to me from the person responsible for my leg injury, on behalf of the one whose identity was switched with mine."
Yu Ying was momentarily taken aback, not expecting him to suddenly open up to her.
After a pause, she followed his lead and asked, "What was the message?"
Fu Wei gave a sorrowful laugh in the darkness, his voice low, "If I were to take my own life, five members of the Fu family would join me in death."
Shocked, Yu Ying's face paled. After a moment, she turned to look out the window at the courtyard, then turned back and lowered her voice, "But those were the people he lived with as a family for twenty years! How could he be so heartless?!"
"If you want to know the reasons, seek out my birth mother."
He continued in a calm voice, "If he could break my legs once, he could do it again. He will never let me rise again."
The most tragic part was that the man he had called father for twenty-one years had turned cold due to a mistaken identity, allowing his biological child to harm him.
Yu Ying heard in his voice an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
His father was framed and the Fu family wrongly accused. There were opportunities he discovered to reveal the truth, all interconnected. She must not speak of these, for if she did, the future could change unpredictably and become uncontrollable.
After a long silence, Yu Ying said, "It seems you cannot abandon the Fu family, and that's why you cling to life. Since you choose to live, live as a whole person. Keep your leg injury a secret for now, and disclose it when you find the right moment."
Fu Wei reached out in the darkness and accurately took the medicine from her hand, slowly responding, "That's exactly my intention."
Yu Ying was unsure why Fu Wei suddenly changed his mind, but it was a good start nonetheless.
A faint smile curved the corners of her lips.
As the first rays of dawn filtered through the gaps in the straw curtain, lighting up the small thatched cottage, Yu Ying rose from her straw bed.
She combed her long hair with a wooden comb and twisted it into a bun with a thorn pin. After tidying her clothes, she rolled up the straw curtain to let the warm morning sun dispel the gloom.
The small but neat thatched cottage instantly brightened.
The firewood was neatly stacked in a corner, with half-dried herbs lying on top.
Having finished her morning routine, Yu Ying stepped out, only to find Fu Ning squatting outside the door, eagerly gazing at it.
Surprised to see her up so early, Yu Ying helped her stand, asking curiously, "Why are you awake so early today?"
Fu Ning remained silent, merely clutching gently at Yu Ying's sleeve.
Seeing her like this and not knowing what was wrong, Yu Ying simply let her be.
Mrs. Luo sat outside the house, while Fu An's whereabouts were unknown.
Yu Ying washed up with her little shadow in tow. Afterward, noticing the little girl's unwashed face, she fetched water and gently wiped it clean. The girl cooperatively lifted her face, allowing her to clean it thoroughly.
Once cleaned, the stains were gone, revealing her sallow complexion due to malnutrition. However, her large, clear eyes stood out on her small face.
After washing her face, Yu Ying looked at her messy long hair, sifted through it, and thankfully found no fleas.
He was quite clean, but his hair was just too messy.
Yu Ying asked her, "Would you like me to braid your hair into a pretty little braid?"
Fu Ning hesitated for a moment, then timidly nodded her head.
Yu Ying then took the girl inside and gently combed her fine, soft hair. After smoothing it out, she began to braid it from the top of her head, securing the end with a ribbon she had used for her own hair.
Once done, the little girl cautiously touched the braid on her head, her eyes and brows instantly curving into an innocent, joyful smile.
Yu Ying spoke softly, "All done, go out and play."
The little girl took small, careful steps towards the door, afraid that moving too fast might undo her braid.
When she left the house, Fu An, who had just returned with water, was surprised by her transformed appearance and exclaimed, "Sis, where did that messy bird's nest on your head go?"
The girl, teased by her brother for having hair like a bird's nest, puffed up her cheeks in displeasure and ran off to their grandmother, seemingly no longer wanting to engage with her brother.
Yu Ying, stepping out of the house, caught sight of the girl's annoyed expression and a smile appeared on her face.
Compared to the lifeless look she had days before, the girl’s face now seemed to have a newfound vitality.
Chapter 12: A Change
During the evening meal, only the sound of sipping thin porridge filled the air.
The three generations of the Fu family had not had a full meal in a long time, perhaps even forgotten the taste of salted food, hence they silently sipped their thin porridge with mixed emotions.
Fu An seemed to have cried, a fact which Yu Ying noticed but tactfully did not mention.
Fu Wei's first taste of the red mushroom porridge made him pause in surprise.
The porridge had no extra ingredients, just salt, but the flavor of mushrooms filled his mouth.
This was the first decent meal Fu Wei had since being exiled over a month ago.
With different thoughts in their minds, everyone quietly finished the meal.
Not only was the red mushroom porridge finished, but the plate of wild ferns was also cleaned out.
After eating, Fu An, the diligent worker, actively began cleaning the dishes. When he took them out to wash, Luo Shi, probably worried, followed him out.
Yu Ying moved the table to the wall and her expression grew complex at the sight of the straw mat nearby.
Now, the situation at home was that Fu Wei slept on the bamboo bed, she on a pile of straw, and the oldest and youngest slept on the ground.
Yu Ying fell silent for a moment, then looked away.
She turned to look at Fu Wei and instructed, "Don't get your legs wet," before leaving the house.
Fu Wei watched her retreating figure and the little tail following her, and only after a moment did he withdraw his calm gaze.
As Yu Ying left the house to prepare medicine, she noticed that the young girl Fu Ning was following her everywhere she went.
Yu Ying turned to look at her, and the girl stared back with wide, clear eyes, looking somewhat bewildered.
It had been almost ten days since she arrived here, and Yu Ying had not heard this young girl utter a single word.
Was she born mute, or did she become so later in life?
The story hadn't elaborated on this, so Yu Ying didn't know the exact reason. She decided to wait until they were more familiar before asking Mrs. Luo in detail.
Fu Ning was young and mute. Yu Ying didn't guard against her as she did with others, so she smiled gently at the girl and let her follow.
Yu Ying had gathered many herbs recently, which dried quickly over a day or two. Using some of these herbs, she prepared several doses of medicine for Fu Wei and also for Mrs. Luo.
Fu Wei was physically weak and in the mid-stage of a deficiency-cold condition. Without dietary supplements, he could only be temporarily treated with mild herbs.
Mrs. Luo's treatment focused on soothing the liver and improving vision, clearing heat, detoxifying, and, secondarily, addressing her persistent night cough.
After preparing the herbs, Yu Ying first decocted Mrs. Luo's medicinal soup, stuffing the herbs into a pot. She also boiled extra water, steeping a handful of Prunella vulgaris to simmer for a while. After cooling, it served as herbal tea for moistening the throat and relieving cough.
Yu Ying instructed Fu An, "Drink this water for the next few days. It will help ease your coughing at night. Also, don't drink river water directly. Boil it first and let it cool."
The more Fu An listened, the more troublesome it seemed, mumbling, "What's the harm in drinking it? Everyone drinks it this way."
Yu Ying calmly said, "Boiling the water before drinking is only beneficial to your health, not harmful."
Mrs. Luo, sitting in the courtyard and enjoying the cool breeze of the evening, spoke to her grandson, "From now on, just listen to your little aunt."
Yu Ying looked towards Mrs. Luo.
The term "little aunt" always made her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
She had never even been in love, yet suddenly she was someone's nominal wife, daughter-in-law, and little aunt. No matter how she heard it, it felt awkward.
But her current status in the Fu family was indeed that of Fu Wei's wife.
They were living separately now, so things were peaceful, but what about when Fu Wei's foot healed?
Should they amicably separate, or perhaps... try to make it work together?
Thinking this, Yu Ying glanced towards the thatched cottage, observing the figure inside.
She might try to accept living her days with Fu Wei, but he might not accept her.
If they couldn't be husband and wife, perhaps they could later propose recognizing each other as siblings; that wasn't out of the question...
With this thought, Yu Ying quickly shook her head to dismiss these still formless ideas, clearing her mind of such distant matters.
Coming back to her senses, Yu Ying continued tidying up the herbs drying in the yard, then brought them back inside the house.
Seeing the grandparents and grandson standing in the yard, she instructed Fu An to bring out two bamboo stools from Fu Wei's thatched cottage.
As night fell, only a faint glow of firelight illuminated the small courtyard. Some herbs were burned to repel mosquitoes, keeping them at bay for the time being.
This was the first time Mrs. Luo had stayed outside to enjoy the cool evening air since her eldest son and daughter-in-law went to the mining camp.
Listening to the chirping of insects and basking in the cool breeze, the gloom in her heart seemed to dissipate considerably.
The three generations did not enter the house; Fu An watched the fire, Fu Ning sat on a stone. After a brief glance at the bright stars, she turned her attention back to Yu Ying, checking if the medicine was ready.
Only when darkness fully enveloped the sky was Mrs. Luo's medicine ready. Yu Ying, with a damp cloth wrapped around the handle of the pot, carefully poured the medicine into a bowl.
The replacement shirts had already been torn by Yu Ying into pieces for various uses.
In the hot weather, she wore just a light garment and an outer dress indoors, and her only shirt when going to town.
After preparing Mrs. Luo's medicinal soup and cleaning the pot, she began brewing Fu Wei's medicine.
While waiting for Mrs. Luo's soup to cool to the right temperature, Yu Ying soaked a cloth in slightly hot Prunella vulgaris tea, wrung it out, and applied it to Mrs. Luo's eyelids while still warm.
Mrs. Luo lay back, letting Yu Ying attend to her as needed.
The hot compress was initially uncomfortable, but soon, a soothing sensation spread, bringing relief.
Yu Ying said, "Apply this compress to your eyes every evening. It helps ease eye fatigue. Along with the medicinal soup, it won't completely restore your vision, but it will clear it up. You won't suffer from daytime blurriness or near blindness at night."
Mrs. Luo, who had resigned herself to eventual blindness, clenched her fists in silent hope upon hearing she could still see.
Who would choose blindness if sight were an option?
"During the day, cover your eyes with cloth to protect them from the harsh sunlight," Yu Ying instructed, then turned to Fu An by the stove, "From tomorrow, you'll tie the cloth for your grandmother. I'll give it to you."
Fu An, who had been paying attention, maintained his defiant demeanor, responding nonchalantly, "Whatever you say."
After days of interaction, Yu Ying knew that Fu An was just stubborn with words, but he never neglected what needed to be done.
After about fifteen minutes, Yu Ying removed the now barely warm cloth and handed the much cooler medicine to Mrs. Luo.
"Once you've taken the medicine, you should be ready to go to bed."
Mrs. Luo complied without any objections.
As a doctor, such cooperative patients were always a joy.
It took another half an hour to prepare Fu Wei's medicine.
The freshly brewed medicine was slightly hot to the touch, and not trusting Fu An to carry it, Yu Ying took it into the room herself.
Entering the dark room and guided by the faint moonlight, she approached the bed and, seeing a blurry figure sitting up, spoke softly, "If you wish to be treated, drink this. If not, I'll take it away and pour it out."
In the dim light, Fu Wei looked at the figure outside the bed. After a moment of silence, he spoke, "Indeed, I had harbored thoughts of death, but I've been clinging to life because of a message relayed to me from the person responsible for my leg injury, on behalf of the one whose identity was switched with mine."
Yu Ying was momentarily taken aback, not expecting him to suddenly open up to her.
After a pause, she followed his lead and asked, "What was the message?"
Fu Wei gave a sorrowful laugh in the darkness, his voice low, "If I were to take my own life, five members of the Fu family would join me in death."
Shocked, Yu Ying's face paled. After a moment, she turned to look out the window at the courtyard, then turned back and lowered her voice, "But those were the people he lived with as a family for twenty years! How could he be so heartless?!"
"If you want to know the reasons, seek out my birth mother."
He continued in a calm voice, "If he could break my legs once, he could do it again. He will never let me rise again."
The most tragic part was that the man he had called father for twenty-one years had turned cold due to a mistaken identity, allowing his biological child to harm him.
Yu Ying heard in his voice an overwhelming sense of helplessness.
His father was framed and the Fu family wrongly accused. There were opportunities he discovered to reveal the truth, all interconnected. She must not speak of these, for if she did, the future could change unpredictably and become uncontrollable.
After a long silence, Yu Ying said, "It seems you cannot abandon the Fu family, and that's why you cling to life. Since you choose to live, live as a whole person. Keep your leg injury a secret for now, and disclose it when you find the right moment."
Fu Wei reached out in the darkness and accurately took the medicine from her hand, slowly responding, "That's exactly my intention."
Yu Ying was unsure why Fu Wei suddenly changed his mind, but it was a good start nonetheless.
A faint smile curved the corners of her lips.
As the first rays of dawn filtered through the gaps in the straw curtain, lighting up the small thatched cottage, Yu Ying rose from her straw bed.
She combed her long hair with a wooden comb and twisted it into a bun with a thorn pin. After tidying her clothes, she rolled up the straw curtain to let the warm morning sun dispel the gloom.
The small but neat thatched cottage instantly brightened.
The firewood was neatly stacked in a corner, with half-dried herbs lying on top.
Having finished her morning routine, Yu Ying stepped out, only to find Fu Ning squatting outside the door, eagerly gazing at it.
Surprised to see her up so early, Yu Ying helped her stand, asking curiously, "Why are you awake so early today?"
Fu Ning remained silent, merely clutching gently at Yu Ying's sleeve.
Seeing her like this and not knowing what was wrong, Yu Ying simply let her be.
Mrs. Luo sat outside the house, while Fu An's whereabouts were unknown.
Yu Ying washed up with her little shadow in tow. Afterward, noticing the little girl's unwashed face, she fetched water and gently wiped it clean. The girl cooperatively lifted her face, allowing her to clean it thoroughly.
Once cleaned, the stains were gone, revealing her sallow complexion due to malnutrition. However, her large, clear eyes stood out on her small face.
After washing her face, Yu Ying looked at her messy long hair, sifted through it, and thankfully found no fleas.
He was quite clean, but his hair was just too messy.
Yu Ying asked her, "Would you like me to braid your hair into a pretty little braid?"
Fu Ning hesitated for a moment, then timidly nodded her head.
Yu Ying then took the girl inside and gently combed her fine, soft hair. After smoothing it out, she began to braid it from the top of her head, securing the end with a ribbon she had used for her own hair.
Once done, the little girl cautiously touched the braid on her head, her eyes and brows instantly curving into an innocent, joyful smile.
Yu Ying spoke softly, "All done, go out and play."
The little girl took small, careful steps towards the door, afraid that moving too fast might undo her braid.
When she left the house, Fu An, who had just returned with water, was surprised by her transformed appearance and exclaimed, "Sis, where did that messy bird's nest on your head go?"
The girl, teased by her brother for having hair like a bird's nest, puffed up her cheeks in displeasure and ran off to their grandmother, seemingly no longer wanting to engage with her brother.
Yu Ying, stepping out of the house, caught sight of the girl's annoyed expression and a smile appeared on her face.
Compared to the lifeless look she had days before, the girl’s face now seemed to have a newfound vitality.
