Chapter 16
When Yu Ying came out of the house, Fu An, who had gone to fetch water, had also returned.
Being young and small in stature, fetching water was a difficult task for him, so he took breaks along the way and only now returned.
Fu An glanced at Yu Ying emerging from the house, said nothing, and poured the half-bucket of water he carried into the tank, which was already half full.
Not all the water in the tank was fetched by him.
After looking at Yu Ying and noticing her slightly unsteady walk, Fu An pursed his lips and then ran out of the yard with the wooden bucket.
Yu Ying was about to say there was no need to fetch more water, but found that Fu An had already run off.
Yu Ying then turned her attention away and started preparing the evening meal.
She first took out the half a pound and eight taels of pork and placed it on a wooden tray for later use.
Since the Fu family didn’t have a cleaver, Yu Ying had to scald the newly bought scissors with boiling water, then separate the fat from the lean pork, ending up with a little over three taels of fat.
She began boiling half a pot of water, then used the scissors to slice the fat into uniformly thin pieces, placing them in the pottery jar.
The pottery stove was much more efficient than the simple stone stoves, even reducing the time it took for water to boil.
After blanching the fat, she set it aside for later use.
She poured out the water from the jar, added a little fresh water, then put the blanched fat back into the jar, stirring with a long wooden spoon and rendering the fat over a low flame.
When the fat rendered, foam appeared, which she skimmed off with the spoon.
She didn't frequently add firewood but simmered it slowly. After a little more than half a moment, a substantial amount of oil was rendered. She wrapped the edge of the pottery jar with an old towel, lifted it, and poured the rendered pork fat into a bowl.
After pouring it out, she continued to simmer the remains, pressing them with a wooden spoon to extract more oil, until all the residue turned golden brown. She then poured everything into an empty bowl and added the rendered fat to the bowl containing the oil.
The small amount of fatty meat, not being rendered in an iron pot, produced less oil than expected, not even two ounces.
But with careful use, it would be enough for the next seven to eight days.
Having less oil and salt was alright; having some was enough.
With the leftover oil residue from rendering, Yu Ying planned to stir-fry some wild vegetables in a clay pot.
After days of eating porridge, Yu Ying's stomach felt empty, so she planned to cook some rice for dinner.
When Yu Ying brought out a bowl of rice, Fu An, his grandmother, and sister returned to the aroma of cooking oil in the yard. Fu An deeply inhaled the scent of the meat and couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
Seeing them return, Yu Ying said to Fu An, "Just leave the water by the water tank, I'll pour it in later. Go inside and see if your Uncle needs any help."
Being a woman, Yu Ying thought it best to respect Fu Wei's privacy.
Without a word, Fu An wobbled over to the water tank, struggling to pour the water into it.
Yu Ying glanced at his stubborn figure.
She thought to herself that at eight years old, he was still a child, yet here, he already bore the weight of a family.
After pouring the water, Fu An stood outside the thatched hut and called in, "Uncle, may I come in?"
He waited a moment before lifting the grass curtain and entering the hut.
Inside the room, Fu Wei was tying the laces of his robe.
Fu An, proactively picking up the used water, intended to leave but hesitated for a moment before asking, "Uncle, are you alright?"
Fu Wei's fingertips paused, turning to look at his nephew who, for the first time, inquired about his condition. After a moment of silence, he replied in a flat tone, "There's nothing seriously wrong."
Fu An, somewhat uneasily, said, "If you're hurt from the fall, don't just endure it."
After saying this, probably feeling awkward, he quickly left the room with the water.
The remaining Fu Wei slightly lowered his gaze.
After that woman arrived, every member of the Fu family seemed to be influenced by her, gradually changing.
Under her vibrant and determined spirit to make the best of life, the once listless and dull-eyed members of the Fu family began to show signs of vitality.
After carrying out the water, Fu An went back inside to take out the spittoon.
Outside, Yu Ying saw Fu An come out, glanced at the still bright sky, and after a moment's thought, poured all the remaining bael fruits into the new basin and took them into Fu Wei's room.
Fu Wei had just put on his outer garment when Yu Ying entered.
Thinking it was Fu An returning, he didn’t look up until a basin was placed on the table beside him, then he turned to look.
When he saw it was Yu Ying, Fu Wei's gaze shifted down to the half basin of wild fruits on the table, then slowly raised his eyes to her.
Yu Ying said, "If you think of yourself as a useless person, then make yourself less so by helping me with some work."
Fu Wei glanced at the wild fruits, seemingly used for earning money, remained silent for a long while before asking, "How do I do it?"
Yu Ying left the room, returning with a palm-sized stone slab she had picked up from the riverbank, normally used for cutting bael fruits.
She placed the stone slab, effectively a cutting board, on the table.
She took a bael fruit, placed it on the slab, and using a flat-bladed, thick-backed cleaver, sliced the fruit in half. Then she scooped out the seeds with a wooden spoon and placed them in a wooden bowl beside her.
After completing these tasks, she put down the spoon and looked at him: "Just like this."
Fu Wei stayed silent for a few breaths, then picked up a chopping knife. His posture holding the knife was skilled, the joints of his fingers gripping the handle seemed to contain hidden strength.
Such adeptness with a knife surely didn't come from cooking; considering his previous status, he must have been skilled in using swords and blades.
His slender-fingered hand reached into the wooden basin and took out a passion fruit, placing it on the stone slab. He cut it open cleanly and effortlessly, unlike Yu Ying who struggled to do the same.
After cutting one, he didn’t rush to remove the seeds but set it aside and continued cutting the second one.
Yu Ying watched him work and, after he had cut three, said, "Let me check if the bamboo splints on your legs have loosened."
Fu Wei continued his work, nodding nonchalantly.
Yu Ying approached, eyeing the thin blanket covering his legs, and asked with suspicion, "Why keep it covered all the time?"
Given the hot weather, there was hardly any need for a blanket at night, yet every time she entered, his legs were always covered.
Fu Wei's movements didn't stop, and with a cool demeanor, he calmly said, "I don't want to see them."
Yu Ying glanced at him, said nothing more, and shifted her gaze away as she lifted the loose fabric of his trousers.
The bamboo splint was intact and the cloth bindings tight.
However, the sound she heard earlier was loud, suggesting a hard fall. Since his legs weren't affected, the injury must be on his upper body.
Yu Ying pondered for a moment, then quietly looked at Fu Wei.
Unable to ignore her gaze, Fu Wei eventually stopped his work and turned to meet her eyes.
"Speak your mind."
Yu Ying calmly asked, "If I asked you to remove your shirt, would you?"
Fu Wei was taken aback, but quickly gathered from her serious expression that she only wanted to check for bruises.
"Just a few bumps," he said, his gaze dropping to his legs with a fleeting look of disgust, "Insignificant compared to these legs."
"Bruises need to be massaged out," Yu Ying didn't quite believe it was just a bump, considering the loud sound of the fall and his limited leg mobility, which would make his injuries different from those of an able-bodied person.
Thinking this, she added, "Since the fall has happened, no need to act tough. Healing sooner can help you assist me with more work earlier."
At the mention of work, Fu Wei raised an eyebrow, glanced at his legs, then back at her, as if to say—In this disabled state, what help could I possibly offer you?
Yu Ying seemed to understand the meaning behind his look and explained, "A small eatery in Yun County has ordered a lot of mung bean jelly from me, but making it is very time-consuming. In the next few days, we need to reinforce the house, and both Fu An and I will be occupied with that."
She indeed treated him as if he were fully capable.
A flicker of something crossed Fu Wei's mind, and after a moment of silence, he agreed with a simple "Alright."
Yu Ying said, "If you are concerned about propriety between men and women, I can ask Fu An to come in and check."
Before she could turn to call Fu An, Fu Wei's voice came gently from behind her, "Yu Liuniang, we are technically husband and wife."
Yu Ying paused mid-step, turning her head to look at him curiously, "Though there is a marriage contract, you've never really treated Yu Liuniang as your wife, have you?"
Both had been forced into the marriage, neither truly regarding the other as a spouse.
Fu Wei asked, "Then what do you propose for the future?"
Yu Ying spread her hands, "Given the current situation, I just want to ensure food and peace. Other matters can wait until the day I have enough to eat and drink."
After a pause, she added, "If you have any suggestions, feel free to make them."
Fu Wei shook his head slightly, his expression indifferent, "It's your decision. The day you want to leave, I'll grant you a divorce."
They were no longer slaves, and matters of marriage and divorce could be decided independently.
Yu Ying pondered for a moment and nodded, "Alright, once things settle down and I'm capable of self-protection, we'll divorce."
After saying this, she asked, "So, will you let me check, or should Fu An do it?"
Fu Wei hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand to take off his outer garment, undoing the ties.
The sight of a handsome man undressing made Yu Ying uncomfortable. Unsure where to look, she tried to divert her gaze but felt it too deliberate, so she ended up watching him without showing any change in expression.
If only he were less attractive, she wouldn’t feel as uncomfortable as she did now.
However, as soon as Fu Wei exposed his shoulders, Yu Ying's slight discomfort vanished instantly.
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Fu Wei's collarbones were prominent, his body noticeably thin. Nearly two months without sunlight had turned his skin a sickly pale color.
But his inherently silent and cool temperament made him appear not frail but rather dignified.
The place of injury from the fall was on the arm he used for holding the knife, showing a large area of purple-black bruising on the outer side.
Yu Ying's expression darkened, and she spoke sternly, "Stop cutting the fruit. I'll go ask Aunt He if she has any medicinal wine."
Families accustomed to physical labor often kept medicinal wine for blood circulation and bruise healing. She wasn’t sure if Aunt He had any but decided to try her luck.
Having said that, Yu Ying turned and left the hut.
Fu Wei watched her departing figure, then pulled up his clothes and thoughtfully looked at the wild fruits in the basin.
When Yu Ying returned with medicinal wine, she was met with a table full of fruit husks and saw all the seeds neatly scooped into a bowl, remaining silent for a long while.
Seeing Fu Wei’s stubbornness, Yu Ying realized why Fu An was also so stubborn—it was undoubtedly a trait inherited from the Fu family.
Chapter 16
When Yu Ying came out of the house, Fu An, who had gone to fetch water, had also returned.
Being young and small in stature, fetching water was a difficult task for him, so he took breaks along the way and only now returned.
Fu An glanced at Yu Ying emerging from the house, said nothing, and poured the half-bucket of water he carried into the tank, which was already half full.
Not all the water in the tank was fetched by him.
After looking at Yu Ying and noticing her slightly unsteady walk, Fu An pursed his lips and then ran out of the yard with the wooden bucket.
Yu Ying was about to say there was no need to fetch more water, but found that Fu An had already run off.
Yu Ying then turned her attention away and started preparing the evening meal.
She first took out the half a pound and eight taels of pork and placed it on a wooden tray for later use.
Since the Fu family didn’t have a cleaver, Yu Ying had to scald the newly bought scissors with boiling water, then separate the fat from the lean pork, ending up with a little over three taels of fat.
She began boiling half a pot of water, then used the scissors to slice the fat into uniformly thin pieces, placing them in the pottery jar.
The pottery stove was much more efficient than the simple stone stoves, even reducing the time it took for water to boil.
After blanching the fat, she set it aside for later use.
She poured out the water from the jar, added a little fresh water, then put the blanched fat back into the jar, stirring with a long wooden spoon and rendering the fat over a low flame.
When the fat rendered, foam appeared, which she skimmed off with the spoon.
She didn't frequently add firewood but simmered it slowly. After a little more than half a moment, a substantial amount of oil was rendered. She wrapped the edge of the pottery jar with an old towel, lifted it, and poured the rendered pork fat into a bowl.
After pouring it out, she continued to simmer the remains, pressing them with a wooden spoon to extract more oil, until all the residue turned golden brown. She then poured everything into an empty bowl and added the rendered fat to the bowl containing the oil.
The small amount of fatty meat, not being rendered in an iron pot, produced less oil than expected, not even two ounces.
But with careful use, it would be enough for the next seven to eight days.
Having less oil and salt was alright; having some was enough.
With the leftover oil residue from rendering, Yu Ying planned to stir-fry some wild vegetables in a clay pot.
After days of eating porridge, Yu Ying's stomach felt empty, so she planned to cook some rice for dinner.
When Yu Ying brought out a bowl of rice, Fu An, his grandmother, and sister returned to the aroma of cooking oil in the yard. Fu An deeply inhaled the scent of the meat and couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
Seeing them return, Yu Ying said to Fu An, "Just leave the water by the water tank, I'll pour it in later. Go inside and see if your Uncle needs any help."
Being a woman, Yu Ying thought it best to respect Fu Wei's privacy.
Without a word, Fu An wobbled over to the water tank, struggling to pour the water into it.
Yu Ying glanced at his stubborn figure.
She thought to herself that at eight years old, he was still a child, yet here, he already bore the weight of a family.
After pouring the water, Fu An stood outside the thatched hut and called in, "Uncle, may I come in?"
He waited a moment before lifting the grass curtain and entering the hut.
Inside the room, Fu Wei was tying the laces of his robe.
Fu An, proactively picking up the used water, intended to leave but hesitated for a moment before asking, "Uncle, are you alright?"
Fu Wei's fingertips paused, turning to look at his nephew who, for the first time, inquired about his condition. After a moment of silence, he replied in a flat tone, "There's nothing seriously wrong."
Fu An, somewhat uneasily, said, "If you're hurt from the fall, don't just endure it."
After saying this, probably feeling awkward, he quickly left the room with the water.
The remaining Fu Wei slightly lowered his gaze.
After that woman arrived, every member of the Fu family seemed to be influenced by her, gradually changing.
Under her vibrant and determined spirit to make the best of life, the once listless and dull-eyed members of the Fu family began to show signs of vitality.
After carrying out the water, Fu An went back inside to take out the spittoon.
Outside, Yu Ying saw Fu An come out, glanced at the still bright sky, and after a moment's thought, poured all the remaining bael fruits into the new basin and took them into Fu Wei's room.
Fu Wei had just put on his outer garment when Yu Ying entered.
Thinking it was Fu An returning, he didn’t look up until a basin was placed on the table beside him, then he turned to look.
When he saw it was Yu Ying, Fu Wei's gaze shifted down to the half basin of wild fruits on the table, then slowly raised his eyes to her.
Yu Ying said, "If you think of yourself as a useless person, then make yourself less so by helping me with some work."
Fu Wei glanced at the wild fruits, seemingly used for earning money, remained silent for a long while before asking, "How do I do it?"
Yu Ying left the room, returning with a palm-sized stone slab she had picked up from the riverbank, normally used for cutting bael fruits.
She placed the stone slab, effectively a cutting board, on the table.
She took a bael fruit, placed it on the slab, and using a flat-bladed, thick-backed cleaver, sliced the fruit in half. Then she scooped out the seeds with a wooden spoon and placed them in a wooden bowl beside her.
After completing these tasks, she put down the spoon and looked at him: "Just like this."
Fu Wei stayed silent for a few breaths, then picked up a chopping knife. His posture holding the knife was skilled, the joints of his fingers gripping the handle seemed to contain hidden strength.
Such adeptness with a knife surely didn't come from cooking; considering his previous status, he must have been skilled in using swords and blades.
His slender-fingered hand reached into the wooden basin and took out a passion fruit, placing it on the stone slab. He cut it open cleanly and effortlessly, unlike Yu Ying who struggled to do the same.
After cutting one, he didn’t rush to remove the seeds but set it aside and continued cutting the second one.
Yu Ying watched him work and, after he had cut three, said, "Let me check if the bamboo splints on your legs have loosened."
Fu Wei continued his work, nodding nonchalantly.
Yu Ying approached, eyeing the thin blanket covering his legs, and asked with suspicion, "Why keep it covered all the time?"
Given the hot weather, there was hardly any need for a blanket at night, yet every time she entered, his legs were always covered.
Fu Wei's movements didn't stop, and with a cool demeanor, he calmly said, "I don't want to see them."
Yu Ying glanced at him, said nothing more, and shifted her gaze away as she lifted the loose fabric of his trousers.
The bamboo splint was intact and the cloth bindings tight.
However, the sound she heard earlier was loud, suggesting a hard fall. Since his legs weren't affected, the injury must be on his upper body.
Yu Ying pondered for a moment, then quietly looked at Fu Wei.
Unable to ignore her gaze, Fu Wei eventually stopped his work and turned to meet her eyes.
"Speak your mind."
Yu Ying calmly asked, "If I asked you to remove your shirt, would you?"
Fu Wei was taken aback, but quickly gathered from her serious expression that she only wanted to check for bruises.
"Just a few bumps," he said, his gaze dropping to his legs with a fleeting look of disgust, "Insignificant compared to these legs."
"Bruises need to be massaged out," Yu Ying didn't quite believe it was just a bump, considering the loud sound of the fall and his limited leg mobility, which would make his injuries different from those of an able-bodied person.
Thinking this, she added, "Since the fall has happened, no need to act tough. Healing sooner can help you assist me with more work earlier."
At the mention of work, Fu Wei raised an eyebrow, glanced at his legs, then back at her, as if to say—In this disabled state, what help could I possibly offer you?
Yu Ying seemed to understand the meaning behind his look and explained, "A small eatery in Yun County has ordered a lot of mung bean jelly from me, but making it is very time-consuming. In the next few days, we need to reinforce the house, and both Fu An and I will be occupied with that."
She indeed treated him as if he were fully capable.
A flicker of something crossed Fu Wei's mind, and after a moment of silence, he agreed with a simple "Alright."
Yu Ying said, "If you are concerned about propriety between men and women, I can ask Fu An to come in and check."
Before she could turn to call Fu An, Fu Wei's voice came gently from behind her, "Yu Liuniang, we are technically husband and wife."
Yu Ying paused mid-step, turning her head to look at him curiously, "Though there is a marriage contract, you've never really treated Yu Liuniang as your wife, have you?"
Both had been forced into the marriage, neither truly regarding the other as a spouse.
Fu Wei asked, "Then what do you propose for the future?"
Yu Ying spread her hands, "Given the current situation, I just want to ensure food and peace. Other matters can wait until the day I have enough to eat and drink."
After a pause, she added, "If you have any suggestions, feel free to make them."
Fu Wei shook his head slightly, his expression indifferent, "It's your decision. The day you want to leave, I'll grant you a divorce."
They were no longer slaves, and matters of marriage and divorce could be decided independently.
Yu Ying pondered for a moment and nodded, "Alright, once things settle down and I'm capable of self-protection, we'll divorce."
After saying this, she asked, "So, will you let me check, or should Fu An do it?"
Fu Wei hesitated for a moment, then raised his hand to take off his outer garment, undoing the ties.
The sight of a handsome man undressing made Yu Ying uncomfortable. Unsure where to look, she tried to divert her gaze but felt it too deliberate, so she ended up watching him without showing any change in expression.
If only he were less attractive, she wouldn’t feel as uncomfortable as she did now.
However, as soon as Fu Wei exposed his shoulders, Yu Ying's slight discomfort vanished instantly.
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Fu Wei's collarbones were prominent, his body noticeably thin. Nearly two months without sunlight had turned his skin a sickly pale color.
But his inherently silent and cool temperament made him appear not frail but rather dignified.
The place of injury from the fall was on the arm he used for holding the knife, showing a large area of purple-black bruising on the outer side.
Yu Ying's expression darkened, and she spoke sternly, "Stop cutting the fruit. I'll go ask Aunt He if she has any medicinal wine."
Families accustomed to physical labor often kept medicinal wine for blood circulation and bruise healing. She wasn’t sure if Aunt He had any but decided to try her luck.
Having said that, Yu Ying turned and left the hut.
Fu Wei watched her departing figure, then pulled up his clothes and thoughtfully looked at the wild fruits in the basin.
When Yu Ying returned with medicinal wine, she was met with a table full of fruit husks and saw all the seeds neatly scooped into a bowl, remaining silent for a long while.
Seeing Fu Wei’s stubbornness, Yu Ying realized why Fu An was also so stubborn—it was undoubtedly a trait inherited from the Fu family.
