Chapter 15
Having received twenty-eight coins and a ten-coin deposit from Shopkeeper Chen, Yu Ying’s savings increased.
While it’s necessary to plan for the future and save where possible, meeting basic daily needs was currently a challenge, making it difficult to save much.
Considering the He family's assistance with housework the next day, Yu Ying decided to use the money for shopping.
She first inquired about the price of pork in the eastern market.
Fat pork was eighteen coins per pound, lean meat ten coins, and a mix of fat and lean was twelve coins per pound.
She bought half a pound of the mixed meat at twelve coins per pound, spending six coins.
Since it was already late for the morning market, the remaining vegetables were wilted, so Yu Ying didn’t buy any.
Remembering the fresh ingredients Uncle Chen transported to the eatery every three days, Yu Ying planned to ask him to bring some along when delivering the jelly noodles the next day, and she would pay for them.
Upon mentioning this to Uncle Chen, he readily agreed.
They negotiated a reasonable price.
Today, Yu Ying went to the east market to buy pork, and then to the west market for some cloth.
Colored hemp cloth was six coins per chi, while plain was four coins. Neither was of great quality, but Yu Ying still bought four chi of plain hemp cloth.
Including scissors, needles, thread, a bucket, and a basin, she spent another eighteen coins.
In total, she spent forty-three coins.
Today's earnings weren't enough to cover the expenses, but these were necessary items that couldn't be skimped on.
Yu Ying packed everything that could fit into her basket, covering it with herbs, and carried the wooden bucket.
As for the herbs Yu Ying brought, other medical halls also bought them at low prices and picked out some.
Jade County had four medical halls, none with particularly skilled doctors. Yu Ying knew this but harbored no disdain.
Her background in this ancient era was different. She had access to numerous resources and had learned much from the wisdom accumulated by medical practitioners over many dynasties.
The people of this ancient era not only faced difficulties in seeking education, but also lacked the abundant resources available to later generations.
It was hard to compare the two, so as long as there were no ethical issues in medicine, Yu Ying would not look down on them.
Despite having some skills, Yu Ying dared not rashly save strangers or open a medical clinic.
Having studied traditional Chinese medicine, she was aware of the requirements for physicians in ancient times.
To be a practitioner, one had to pass assessments to be under the protection of the government. Otherwise, those practicing without such assessments faced difficulties if medical disputes arose, making it hard for the authorities to decide.
Moreover, those who open medical clinics usually have strong backing. Without it, it's easy to offend people.
Therefore, to maintain peace in her current situation, Yu Ying temporarily had no plans to open a clinic or practice medicine for income.
When it was about time, she headed back to Lingshui Village.
Returning to Lingshui Village, the sky was the same as it had been in previous days.
At the entrance of the village, the Luo family and Fu An had been waiting for a long time.
Fu An, with his neck stretched out, finally saw the ox cart and excitedly waved continuously towards it.
As the cart drew nearer, Fu An ran towards it, calling out "Sister!" repeatedly.
Uncle Chen stopped the ox cart, and Fu An stood by its side.
Fu Ning, who was somewhat sleepy, instantly perked up at the sight of her brother and grandmother.
Yu Ying took her down from the cart, and she immediately ran to her brother's side, with Fu An quickly taking her hand.
Yu Ying smiled, settled the time for tomorrow with Uncle Chen, then shouldered her basket and, holding the bucket, prepared to return home with the three of them.
Fu An, noticing the new wooden bucket in Yu Ying's hand, opened his mouth in surprise.
New pottery jars, new wooden buckets...
When they returned to the yard, he was so astonished he couldn’t speak. There were also new basins, a new pottery stove, and meat...
Since he had been old enough to understand, he had never seen so many new things added to their home at once, leaving him incredibly shocked.
Following his shock, he fell into silence.
These items were bought by his young aunt, whom he had been reluctant to acknowledge.
Thinking of this, Fu An sneakily glanced at Yu Ying, who was rummaging through the basket.
When Yu Ying stood up, he quickly averted his gaze.
Yu Ying handed two packs of sunflower seeds to Mrs. Luo, saying, "One pack is for Aunt He, and the other is for you, Ning Ning, and Fu An."
Hearing they were for her, Mrs. Luo’s heart trembled, a warm and indescribable feeling welling up inside her.
After a moment, she said, "As long as we have enough to eat, we don’t need to buy snacks for me and the children."
Yu Ying glanced at Fu An, whose face brightened at the mention of sunflower seeds, having been unable to accompany her to Yu County. She withdrew her gaze and calmly said, "We won't buy them often, just once or twice."
Mrs. Luo fell silent for a moment, then advised, "It's hard for you to earn money; you shouldn't buy these things again in the future."
Yu Ying just softly hummed in response, while Fu An whispered, "Grandma, there's also meat..."
Hearing this, Mrs. Luo's expression shifted with surprise. Yu Ying explained, "Aunt He and Uncle He are coming tomorrow to help reinforce the house and build a small thatched hut. Aunt He refused to charge for the labor, so I thought we should at least prepare a good meal for them."
Mrs. Luo became quiet, her voice slightly subdued, "It’s your money, you decide how to use it."
After saying this, she sadly lowered her head.
Yu Ying roughly knew what she was thinking; it was because the entire family was now relying on her, a daughter-in-law not entirely recognized by tradition, which made her feel uncomfortable.
Feeling uncomfortable was still better than depending on her and not appreciating her efforts at all.
They depended on her, but wasn't she also relying on them to sustain herself in this unfamiliar place?
Besides, wasn't this thatched hut that sheltered them from wind and rain also part of their Fu family home?
Yu Ying didn’t dwell on these thoughts or try to console Mrs. Luo, instead she busied herself with her own tasks.
Just as she was about to put everything away and start cooking, a loud 'bang' suddenly came from the room where Fu Wei was, startling everyone in the courtyard, who quickly headed towards the house.
But just as they reached the door, a muffled and tense voice suddenly called out, "Don't come in!"
The voice was urgent, tinged with a hint of anger.
Yu Ying's hand, poised to lift the curtain, paused. This was the first time in many days she had heard Fu Wei express such emotion.
As a former doctor, Yu Ying vaguely guessed that something embarrassing had happened to him. She quickly stood at the doorway, blocking Fu An and Mrs. Luo, and said, "Don't go in just yet."
She turned to Fu An, "Go fetch some water in the bucket and boil it."
Then to Mrs. Luo, "You and Ning Ning should go for a walk outside."
Mrs. Luo, seemingly understanding, told her granddaughter, "Ning Ning, take grandma to Aunt He's house."
Fu Ning glanced at her young aunt, nodded, and then gently took her grandmother's hand to lead her out of the house.
Watching his grandmother leave, Fu An turned back, alarmed, "Why can't we go in? Uncle might have fallen!"
Yu Ying replied, "I'll handle it. Go quickly and fetch the water."
Fu An frowned, and in a moment of thoughtfulness, his young face took on a gravity beyond his years. He earnestly said, "Then don't be hard on Uncle. If you want to pick on someone, pick on me."
Although he wasn’t close to his uncle, that was his grandmother's son.
His grandmother often secretly cried because of his uncle, and he didn't want to see her heartbroken.
Yu Ying: ...
After a moment of silence, she responded somewhat irritably, "Have you seen me picking on anyone lately?"
Fu An was momentarily taken aback, then, after giving it some thought, realized she hadn't really bullied anyone. With this realization, he shook his head.
"So, are you still worried?" Yu Ying asked.
Fu An shook his head again.
He glanced at the curtain behind her, then without saying anything, turned and walked to the water tank. Initially intending to use the old basin to fetch water, he paused and eventually chose the new bucket instead.
Once everyone had left, Yu Ying exhaled deeply and said to Fu Wei inside the house, "If you need help, just say so."
The room was silent; Yu Ying didn’t expect a response from him. She didn’t wait further and began to light the new pottery stove, filling a pot with water to heat on it.
Being not far from the house, she could faintly hear low, labored breathing coming from inside.
Yu Ying looked towards the grass curtain and sighed.
Elderly people with mobility issues often feel a sense of wounded pride and undergo an adjustment period after facing indescribable emergencies.
During this process, even the most good-natured individuals can become irritable and quick-tempered.
Fu Wei had been managing well; he hadn’t yelled at anyone or shown any signs of aggression so far.
After another glance, Yu Ying decided to go in after half a moment.
Half a moment later, the water was hot.
She poured the hot water into an old wooden basin and mixed in some cold water, making about half a basin of warm water.
Yu Ying then cut a new piece of cloth, put it into the basin, and carried the water to the door, saying softly, “I’m coming in.”
She lifted the grass curtain and entered, seeing the pale-faced Fu Wei sitting on the bed, drenched in sweat and with his clothes in disarray.
Fu Wei turned his head towards her, silent.
Yu Ying, carrying the basin of water, said, "This is warm water for you to clean yourself."
After a moment's thought, she asked, "Do you need help?"
Fu Wei had never felt as defeated as he did now, not even when he first lost the use of his legs.
His throat rolled, and in a dry, hoarse voice, he asked, "In this state, do you not despise me?"
Yu Ying placed the water on a nearby table and calmly said, "So if you cooperate with the treatment for your legs, you'll only be despised for a few months. If you don’t, it'll be a lifetime of disdain."
Fu Wei fell silent for a moment: "A lifetime?" He paused, then added somberly, "My lifetime might just be tomorrow, or next month, or a year."
Yu Ying wrung the towel, turned to him and said, "No, you will live a long life."
Fu Wei was taken aback: "How can you be so sure?"
Yu Ying wrung out the towel and handed it to him: "Wipe your sweat."
Ultimately, Fu Wei didn’t refuse her and took it, wiping his own face.
Yu Ying replied, "Intuition."
"Your intuition is inaccurate," he said softly.
Yu Ying didn’t explain further and then asked him, "Where did you fall?"
Reminded of the incident, Fu Wei’s palms tensed slightly, his voice strained, "I can manage on my own, you should leave."
Yu Ying nodded, "Clean yourself first. I'll come back in a while to check where you fell."
Saying this, she turned and left.
As she reached the door, Fu Wei's voice suddenly came from behind: "What should I call you? Or rather, who are you?"
Yu Ying paused in her steps, her heart skipping a beat, but she quickly regained her composure.
In the book, the male lead was intelligent and wise. If he couldn't even notice her changes, how could he aspire to great heights in the future?
She had long anticipated that he would notice something off about her.
Turning to face him, she calmly asked, "You can think of me as anyone, but for now, I am simply Yu Liuniang."
Fu Wei's gaze met hers in the air, and they locked eyes for several moments.
After a few moments, Fu Wei slowly spoke, "If you say you are Yu Liuniang, then in my eyes, you are Yu Liuniang."
After experiencing being mistaken for someone else and the humiliation of his broken legs, what else couldn't Fu Wei accept?
It seemed there was nothing left.
Hearing his words, she felt a sense of relief, softly hummed in response, and then lifted the curtain and walked out of the room.
Fu Wei, watching her leave, thoughtfully squeezed the towel in his hand.
She said she was Yu Liuniang.
But did she remember that Yu Liuniang and he were husband and wife?
Fu Wei couldn't understand. He was a cripple, the Fu family was in such a state, and with lurking enemies, why would she still throw herself into this situation?
Wasn’t she afraid of being a burden, or of potential revenge?
There must be a decisive reason why she chose to stay.
Chapter 15
Having received twenty-eight coins and a ten-coin deposit from Shopkeeper Chen, Yu Ying’s savings increased.
While it’s necessary to plan for the future and save where possible, meeting basic daily needs was currently a challenge, making it difficult to save much.
Considering the He family's assistance with housework the next day, Yu Ying decided to use the money for shopping.
She first inquired about the price of pork in the eastern market.
Fat pork was eighteen coins per pound, lean meat ten coins, and a mix of fat and lean was twelve coins per pound.
She bought half a pound of the mixed meat at twelve coins per pound, spending six coins.
Since it was already late for the morning market, the remaining vegetables were wilted, so Yu Ying didn’t buy any.
Remembering the fresh ingredients Uncle Chen transported to the eatery every three days, Yu Ying planned to ask him to bring some along when delivering the jelly noodles the next day, and she would pay for them.
Upon mentioning this to Uncle Chen, he readily agreed.
They negotiated a reasonable price.
Today, Yu Ying went to the east market to buy pork, and then to the west market for some cloth.
Colored hemp cloth was six coins per chi, while plain was four coins. Neither was of great quality, but Yu Ying still bought four chi of plain hemp cloth.
Including scissors, needles, thread, a bucket, and a basin, she spent another eighteen coins.
In total, she spent forty-three coins.
Today's earnings weren't enough to cover the expenses, but these were necessary items that couldn't be skimped on.
Yu Ying packed everything that could fit into her basket, covering it with herbs, and carried the wooden bucket.
As for the herbs Yu Ying brought, other medical halls also bought them at low prices and picked out some.
Jade County had four medical halls, none with particularly skilled doctors. Yu Ying knew this but harbored no disdain.
Her background in this ancient era was different. She had access to numerous resources and had learned much from the wisdom accumulated by medical practitioners over many dynasties.
The people of this ancient era not only faced difficulties in seeking education, but also lacked the abundant resources available to later generations.
It was hard to compare the two, so as long as there were no ethical issues in medicine, Yu Ying would not look down on them.
Despite having some skills, Yu Ying dared not rashly save strangers or open a medical clinic.
Having studied traditional Chinese medicine, she was aware of the requirements for physicians in ancient times.
To be a practitioner, one had to pass assessments to be under the protection of the government. Otherwise, those practicing without such assessments faced difficulties if medical disputes arose, making it hard for the authorities to decide.
Moreover, those who open medical clinics usually have strong backing. Without it, it's easy to offend people.
Therefore, to maintain peace in her current situation, Yu Ying temporarily had no plans to open a clinic or practice medicine for income.
When it was about time, she headed back to Lingshui Village.
Returning to Lingshui Village, the sky was the same as it had been in previous days.
At the entrance of the village, the Luo family and Fu An had been waiting for a long time.
Fu An, with his neck stretched out, finally saw the ox cart and excitedly waved continuously towards it.
As the cart drew nearer, Fu An ran towards it, calling out "Sister!" repeatedly.
Uncle Chen stopped the ox cart, and Fu An stood by its side.
Fu Ning, who was somewhat sleepy, instantly perked up at the sight of her brother and grandmother.
Yu Ying took her down from the cart, and she immediately ran to her brother's side, with Fu An quickly taking her hand.
Yu Ying smiled, settled the time for tomorrow with Uncle Chen, then shouldered her basket and, holding the bucket, prepared to return home with the three of them.
Fu An, noticing the new wooden bucket in Yu Ying's hand, opened his mouth in surprise.
New pottery jars, new wooden buckets...
When they returned to the yard, he was so astonished he couldn’t speak. There were also new basins, a new pottery stove, and meat...
Since he had been old enough to understand, he had never seen so many new things added to their home at once, leaving him incredibly shocked.
Following his shock, he fell into silence.
These items were bought by his young aunt, whom he had been reluctant to acknowledge.
Thinking of this, Fu An sneakily glanced at Yu Ying, who was rummaging through the basket.
When Yu Ying stood up, he quickly averted his gaze.
Yu Ying handed two packs of sunflower seeds to Mrs. Luo, saying, "One pack is for Aunt He, and the other is for you, Ning Ning, and Fu An."
Hearing they were for her, Mrs. Luo’s heart trembled, a warm and indescribable feeling welling up inside her.
After a moment, she said, "As long as we have enough to eat, we don’t need to buy snacks for me and the children."
Yu Ying glanced at Fu An, whose face brightened at the mention of sunflower seeds, having been unable to accompany her to Yu County. She withdrew her gaze and calmly said, "We won't buy them often, just once or twice."
Mrs. Luo fell silent for a moment, then advised, "It's hard for you to earn money; you shouldn't buy these things again in the future."
Yu Ying just softly hummed in response, while Fu An whispered, "Grandma, there's also meat..."
Hearing this, Mrs. Luo's expression shifted with surprise. Yu Ying explained, "Aunt He and Uncle He are coming tomorrow to help reinforce the house and build a small thatched hut. Aunt He refused to charge for the labor, so I thought we should at least prepare a good meal for them."
Mrs. Luo became quiet, her voice slightly subdued, "It’s your money, you decide how to use it."
After saying this, she sadly lowered her head.
Yu Ying roughly knew what she was thinking; it was because the entire family was now relying on her, a daughter-in-law not entirely recognized by tradition, which made her feel uncomfortable.
Feeling uncomfortable was still better than depending on her and not appreciating her efforts at all.
They depended on her, but wasn't she also relying on them to sustain herself in this unfamiliar place?
Besides, wasn't this thatched hut that sheltered them from wind and rain also part of their Fu family home?
Yu Ying didn’t dwell on these thoughts or try to console Mrs. Luo, instead she busied herself with her own tasks.
Just as she was about to put everything away and start cooking, a loud 'bang' suddenly came from the room where Fu Wei was, startling everyone in the courtyard, who quickly headed towards the house.
But just as they reached the door, a muffled and tense voice suddenly called out, "Don't come in!"
The voice was urgent, tinged with a hint of anger.
Yu Ying's hand, poised to lift the curtain, paused. This was the first time in many days she had heard Fu Wei express such emotion.
As a former doctor, Yu Ying vaguely guessed that something embarrassing had happened to him. She quickly stood at the doorway, blocking Fu An and Mrs. Luo, and said, "Don't go in just yet."
She turned to Fu An, "Go fetch some water in the bucket and boil it."
Then to Mrs. Luo, "You and Ning Ning should go for a walk outside."
Mrs. Luo, seemingly understanding, told her granddaughter, "Ning Ning, take grandma to Aunt He's house."
Fu Ning glanced at her young aunt, nodded, and then gently took her grandmother's hand to lead her out of the house.
Watching his grandmother leave, Fu An turned back, alarmed, "Why can't we go in? Uncle might have fallen!"
Yu Ying replied, "I'll handle it. Go quickly and fetch the water."
Fu An frowned, and in a moment of thoughtfulness, his young face took on a gravity beyond his years. He earnestly said, "Then don't be hard on Uncle. If you want to pick on someone, pick on me."
Although he wasn’t close to his uncle, that was his grandmother's son.
His grandmother often secretly cried because of his uncle, and he didn't want to see her heartbroken.
Yu Ying: ...
After a moment of silence, she responded somewhat irritably, "Have you seen me picking on anyone lately?"
Fu An was momentarily taken aback, then, after giving it some thought, realized she hadn't really bullied anyone. With this realization, he shook his head.
"So, are you still worried?" Yu Ying asked.
Fu An shook his head again.
He glanced at the curtain behind her, then without saying anything, turned and walked to the water tank. Initially intending to use the old basin to fetch water, he paused and eventually chose the new bucket instead.
Once everyone had left, Yu Ying exhaled deeply and said to Fu Wei inside the house, "If you need help, just say so."
The room was silent; Yu Ying didn’t expect a response from him. She didn’t wait further and began to light the new pottery stove, filling a pot with water to heat on it.
Being not far from the house, she could faintly hear low, labored breathing coming from inside.
Yu Ying looked towards the grass curtain and sighed.
Elderly people with mobility issues often feel a sense of wounded pride and undergo an adjustment period after facing indescribable emergencies.
During this process, even the most good-natured individuals can become irritable and quick-tempered.
Fu Wei had been managing well; he hadn’t yelled at anyone or shown any signs of aggression so far.
After another glance, Yu Ying decided to go in after half a moment.
Half a moment later, the water was hot.
She poured the hot water into an old wooden basin and mixed in some cold water, making about half a basin of warm water.
Yu Ying then cut a new piece of cloth, put it into the basin, and carried the water to the door, saying softly, “I’m coming in.”
She lifted the grass curtain and entered, seeing the pale-faced Fu Wei sitting on the bed, drenched in sweat and with his clothes in disarray.
Fu Wei turned his head towards her, silent.
Yu Ying, carrying the basin of water, said, "This is warm water for you to clean yourself."
After a moment's thought, she asked, "Do you need help?"
Fu Wei had never felt as defeated as he did now, not even when he first lost the use of his legs.
His throat rolled, and in a dry, hoarse voice, he asked, "In this state, do you not despise me?"
Yu Ying placed the water on a nearby table and calmly said, "So if you cooperate with the treatment for your legs, you'll only be despised for a few months. If you don’t, it'll be a lifetime of disdain."
Fu Wei fell silent for a moment: "A lifetime?" He paused, then added somberly, "My lifetime might just be tomorrow, or next month, or a year."
Yu Ying wrung the towel, turned to him and said, "No, you will live a long life."
Fu Wei was taken aback: "How can you be so sure?"
Yu Ying wrung out the towel and handed it to him: "Wipe your sweat."
Ultimately, Fu Wei didn’t refuse her and took it, wiping his own face.
Yu Ying replied, "Intuition."
"Your intuition is inaccurate," he said softly.
Yu Ying didn’t explain further and then asked him, "Where did you fall?"
Reminded of the incident, Fu Wei’s palms tensed slightly, his voice strained, "I can manage on my own, you should leave."
Yu Ying nodded, "Clean yourself first. I'll come back in a while to check where you fell."
Saying this, she turned and left.
As she reached the door, Fu Wei's voice suddenly came from behind: "What should I call you? Or rather, who are you?"
Yu Ying paused in her steps, her heart skipping a beat, but she quickly regained her composure.
In the book, the male lead was intelligent and wise. If he couldn't even notice her changes, how could he aspire to great heights in the future?
She had long anticipated that he would notice something off about her.
Turning to face him, she calmly asked, "You can think of me as anyone, but for now, I am simply Yu Liuniang."
Fu Wei's gaze met hers in the air, and they locked eyes for several moments.
After a few moments, Fu Wei slowly spoke, "If you say you are Yu Liuniang, then in my eyes, you are Yu Liuniang."
After experiencing being mistaken for someone else and the humiliation of his broken legs, what else couldn't Fu Wei accept?
It seemed there was nothing left.
Hearing his words, she felt a sense of relief, softly hummed in response, and then lifted the curtain and walked out of the room.
Fu Wei, watching her leave, thoughtfully squeezed the towel in his hand.
She said she was Yu Liuniang.
But did she remember that Yu Liuniang and he were husband and wife?
Fu Wei couldn't understand. He was a cripple, the Fu family was in such a state, and with lurking enemies, why would she still throw herself into this situation?
Wasn’t she afraid of being a burden, or of potential revenge?
There must be a decisive reason why she chose to stay.
