Chapter 20.
Following Yu Ying's stern directive to "Take off your clothes for the medicine," there was a long, silent standoff between her and Fu Wei, as if it were a test of patience.
After a long while, Fu Wei still showed no signs of agreeing.
Knowing his concerns, Yu Ying proposed a compromise, "Alright, I'll only take care of your arms and back. You can apply the medicine to the other areas yourself. Let's not be awkward about this."
Fu Wei's eyebrows furrowed slightly upon hearing her call him awkward.
Perhaps realizing her determination, Fu Wei eventually conceded.
Bowing his head, he untied his shirt and removed it, revealing his lean upper body.
Fu Wei, with his handsome features, closed his eyes and slightly lifted his chin, revealing his neck. Yu Ying's gaze followed down to his distinctly outlined collarbone.
Fu Wei, in this state, seemed to exude an air of abstinence.
This scene was indeed pleasing to the eye, but the sight of his old wounds made Yu Ying lose any interest in admiring his beauty.
She opened the bottle of medicinal wine, sniffing its faint herbal scent.
Tilting the bottle slightly, a small amount of the brown liquid poured into her palm.
Yu Ying observed the bruises on his arms and shoulders.
Aside from the fresh bruise on his arm, the other bruises weren't as dark, likely to fade after two or three sessions of hot compresses and massage.
With the medicinal wine in her palm, she gently covered the bruised area on his arm, softly rubbing it to ensure the entire bruised area was coated.
Her movements were gentle. Despite her hands becoming slightly calloused from days of work, the moment she touched the bruise, Fu Wei's hand tensed slightly.
Noticing his tensed hand, Yu Ying thought he was in pain and softly said, "If it hurts, just bear with it."
Hearing this, Fu Wei relaxed his slightly clenched hand.
The slight pain was nothing compared to having his legs brutally broken and then set back into place. This minor discomfort was like a bug bite to Fu Wei, barely noticeable.
However, whether from the medicinal wine or something else, his arm felt not only hot but also a bit itchy.
Just as Fu Wei thought the heat was from the medicinal wine, Yu Ying suddenly said, "It will feel hot when I massage it, just bear with it."
Fu Wei remained silent, offering no response.
Yu Ying didn't expect a reply; she was merely giving him a heads-up.
The room was quiet, save for the chirping of cicadas coming from outside.
Yu Ying applied medicinal wine to his arm, followed by Fu Wei's shoulder. As her palm covered it, she felt his muscles tense slightly.
Yu Ying glanced at him, his eyes still closed and his lips tightly pressed. She said softly, "Relax."
As her words fell, the room suddenly brightened. Someone had rolled up the grass curtain at the door.
Yu Ying turned her head and saw Fu An, who had been lifting the curtain, panic and quickly let go, running away.
Yu Ying frowned slightly, puzzled by his reaction, but since she was occupied, she didn't dwell on it.
After applying medicinal wine to his shoulder, Yu Ying proceeded to massage his neck and back, pushing aside Fu Wei's crow-black hair that scattered over his back.
Her fingertips and palms touched his bare skin without obstruction, and the medicinal wine made the contact overly smooth.
Yu Ying initially had no romantic intentions, but accidentally noticed a fine layer of sweat on Fu Wei's forehead and his flushed skin.
Upon closer observation, she saw his eyes were half-closed, his eyelashes trembling slightly, and his usually pale lips now appeared vivid.
Yu Ying pondered for a moment and suddenly understood why Fu An had run away in a panic.
Realizing this, she also noticed the atmosphere in the room had become somewhat unusual.
Ancient customs were rigid. What was a normal massage for her seemed overly intimate to them, especially for someone like Fu Wei who strictly adhered to the principle of propriety between men and women.
Yu Ying sighed inwardly, then pushed these thoughts from her mind, focusing solely on massaging Fu Wei without concern for their opinions.
For Fu Wei, time seemed to pass exceptionally slowly, every sensation following the movements of the hands on his shoulders and neck. The friction of the palm over his spine, all the way down to the tailbone, made him involuntarily tingle.
Fu Wei quietly adjusted his breathing, but his nostrils were filled with the scent of medicinal wine and a faint herbal aroma.
He knew exactly where those herbs had come from.
Fu Wei couldn't help but recall the herbs she dried in the courtyard, tirelessly gathering numerous herbs each day, drying batch after batch, probably filling her room with them.
Roughly half an hour later, Yu Ying was covered in a thin layer of sweat, indicative of the effort involved in the massage.
Yu Ying glanced at Fu Wei's bare upper body, which had previously been a cold white but now had a reddish hue.
"The circulation must be improved," Yu Ying thought to herself.
"That's it, you might feel some soreness and swelling, but that's normal. You'll be able to sleep soundly tonight, and I'll massage you again the day after tomorrow."
Having said that, Yu Ying closed the bottle of medicinal wine and then turned to leave the room.
After she left, Fu Wei finally opened his eyes, exhaling deeply, and slowly placed his hand over his heart.
He sighed deeply again.
When Yu Ying came out of the room, she saw Fu An asleep on the table, with fruits of bixie fruit already dried on the winnowing fan beside him.
Yu Ying withdrew her gaze and turned to wash her hands.
The sound of washing hands probably woke Fu An, who lifted his head and groggily rubbed his eyes.
But when Yu Ying turned to look at him, he suddenly blushed and averted his gaze, seemingly thinking of something.
Yu Ying: …
She didn't know how to explain it, and in the eyes of others, she and Fu Wei were husband and wife, so a bit of intimacy might seem normal to others.
Without saying anything, she quietly entered the house and glanced at the grandfather and grandchild sleeping closely together on the straw bed. Yu Ying gently took the bamboo tube filled with water outside.
After drinking a sip of mint water, she felt refreshed, and much of the heat dissipated.
Soon, Aunt He and others arrived to continue the work.
By mid-afternoon, the latrine, kitchen, and bath area were all set up. Song Sanlang and He Dazhuang had even brought back lots of sand and gravel from the river, including some pebbles.
A layer of sand and pebbles was laid in the bath area, slightly lower than the kitchen, to prevent water from spilling out.
By sunset, the two thatched huts were also reinforced and secured.
Aunt He repeatedly insisted that Yu Ying shouldn't bother cooking for them, so they left once the work was done.
The courtyard returned to tranquility. Yu Ying looked at the newly erected thatched huts and bath area, feeling like she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Finally, there was no need to go outside for the toilet, nor to hold it in all night.
After days of simply wiping down, she could finally enjoy a proper bath.
The happiest were undoubtedly the two children, who were excitedly entering and exiting the new thatched hut and kitchen, and bath area.
Yu Ying watched the joyous siblings, smiled, and then went to do some simple cleaning.
The thatched hut was located in the farthest corner of the courtyard.
Yu Ying had picked some wildflowers this morning and placed them near the water jar, occasionally sprinkling water on them to keep them from wilting. She divided the wildflowers into several portions.
A small bunch was hung in the thatched hut and another in the bath area, adding a touch of difference to the simple straw huts, making them look comforting.
She then made two bamboo tubes, filled them with water, and placed the flowers inside.
One tube of flowers was placed in her own room, and due to the lack of space, it could only be placed on the ground beside her bed.
The other tube of flowers was brought into Fu Wei's room, placed on the table, adding a vibrant touch of life to the otherwise dull room.
Seeing that Fu Wei seemed to be resting, Yu Ying did not call out to him and went straight out to prepare the evening meal.
After she left, Fu Wei, who had been closing his eyes, opened them and turned to look at the brightly colored wildflowers on the table.
His usually expressionless and somber face lightened slightly, losing some of its gloom and gaining a hint of vitality.
Yu Ying moved a wooden stump, about knee-high, into the kitchen and placed the pottery stove on top to start cooking.
Tonight's meal was simply a pot of porridge, with a few dried red mushrooms added, along with a spoonful of lard and a pinch of salt.
She brought the porridge inside where Fu Wei had just woken up. He glanced at her but said nothing.
Yu Ying said, "I still have some work to do; I'll eat once I'm done."
Fu Wei nodded slightly in response.
Not knowing where Fu An had gone, Yu Ying herself set five bowls on the table and divided the porridge.
After distributing the porridge, she took the pottery jar outside, cleaned it, filled it with water, and brought it back to the kitchen, where she started boiling water and preparing medicine.
Throughout the day, aside from his excitement over the new house, Fu An had been unusually quiet. Even the usually unobservant Luo Shi noticed something amiss and quietly took her grandson aside to talk.
Luo Shi asked him, "You've been so quiet this afternoon, what's wrong?"
Fu An opened his mouth, uttered "Noon," and then, not knowing how to continue, shut his mouth.
Thinking something happened at noon, Luo Shi quickly pressed, "What happened? Tell me!"
Fu An peeked toward the kitchen, saw his aunt busy there, and then withdrew his gaze.
He hesitated, drawing circles with his toes on the ground, and finally, with Luo Shi growing impatient, blushed and said, "This afternoon, I saw Uncle Fu Wei undressed, and Aunt Yu Ying's hands were touching and kneading on his body..."
Luo Shi was startled, and before she could react, her grandson added, "Grandma, are Uncle Fu Wei and Aunt Yu Ying going to have a baby?"
Mrs. Luo: ...
Yu Ying, calling them for dinner: ...
"Fu An's little head sure is full of big ideas, and daring ones at that."
Unaware of Yu Ying hiding around the corner, Mrs. Luo lowered her voice, "Don't talk nonsense. That's your aunt applying medicine to your uncle."
Mrs. Luo did wish to see the two of them end up together, but she dared not think about it.
"Our family has too many issues, simply not a match for the Yu family."
After a moment of thought, Yu Ying silently turned back and walked to the kitchen. Standing outside the kitchen door, she called out, "Dinner's ready."
Chapter 20.
Following Yu Ying's stern directive to "Take off your clothes for the medicine," there was a long, silent standoff between her and Fu Wei, as if it were a test of patience.
After a long while, Fu Wei still showed no signs of agreeing.
Knowing his concerns, Yu Ying proposed a compromise, "Alright, I'll only take care of your arms and back. You can apply the medicine to the other areas yourself. Let's not be awkward about this."
Fu Wei's eyebrows furrowed slightly upon hearing her call him awkward.
Perhaps realizing her determination, Fu Wei eventually conceded.
Bowing his head, he untied his shirt and removed it, revealing his lean upper body.
Fu Wei, with his handsome features, closed his eyes and slightly lifted his chin, revealing his neck. Yu Ying's gaze followed down to his distinctly outlined collarbone.
Fu Wei, in this state, seemed to exude an air of abstinence.
This scene was indeed pleasing to the eye, but the sight of his old wounds made Yu Ying lose any interest in admiring his beauty.
She opened the bottle of medicinal wine, sniffing its faint herbal scent.
Tilting the bottle slightly, a small amount of the brown liquid poured into her palm.
Yu Ying observed the bruises on his arms and shoulders.
Aside from the fresh bruise on his arm, the other bruises weren't as dark, likely to fade after two or three sessions of hot compresses and massage.
With the medicinal wine in her palm, she gently covered the bruised area on his arm, softly rubbing it to ensure the entire bruised area was coated.
Her movements were gentle. Despite her hands becoming slightly calloused from days of work, the moment she touched the bruise, Fu Wei's hand tensed slightly.
Noticing his tensed hand, Yu Ying thought he was in pain and softly said, "If it hurts, just bear with it."
Hearing this, Fu Wei relaxed his slightly clenched hand.
The slight pain was nothing compared to having his legs brutally broken and then set back into place. This minor discomfort was like a bug bite to Fu Wei, barely noticeable.
However, whether from the medicinal wine or something else, his arm felt not only hot but also a bit itchy.
Just as Fu Wei thought the heat was from the medicinal wine, Yu Ying suddenly said, "It will feel hot when I massage it, just bear with it."
Fu Wei remained silent, offering no response.
Yu Ying didn't expect a reply; she was merely giving him a heads-up.
The room was quiet, save for the chirping of cicadas coming from outside.
Yu Ying applied medicinal wine to his arm, followed by Fu Wei's shoulder. As her palm covered it, she felt his muscles tense slightly.
Yu Ying glanced at him, his eyes still closed and his lips tightly pressed. She said softly, "Relax."
As her words fell, the room suddenly brightened. Someone had rolled up the grass curtain at the door.
Yu Ying turned her head and saw Fu An, who had been lifting the curtain, panic and quickly let go, running away.
Yu Ying frowned slightly, puzzled by his reaction, but since she was occupied, she didn't dwell on it.
After applying medicinal wine to his shoulder, Yu Ying proceeded to massage his neck and back, pushing aside Fu Wei's crow-black hair that scattered over his back.
Her fingertips and palms touched his bare skin without obstruction, and the medicinal wine made the contact overly smooth.
Yu Ying initially had no romantic intentions, but accidentally noticed a fine layer of sweat on Fu Wei's forehead and his flushed skin.
Upon closer observation, she saw his eyes were half-closed, his eyelashes trembling slightly, and his usually pale lips now appeared vivid.
Yu Ying pondered for a moment and suddenly understood why Fu An had run away in a panic.
Realizing this, she also noticed the atmosphere in the room had become somewhat unusual.
Ancient customs were rigid. What was a normal massage for her seemed overly intimate to them, especially for someone like Fu Wei who strictly adhered to the principle of propriety between men and women.
Yu Ying sighed inwardly, then pushed these thoughts from her mind, focusing solely on massaging Fu Wei without concern for their opinions.
For Fu Wei, time seemed to pass exceptionally slowly, every sensation following the movements of the hands on his shoulders and neck. The friction of the palm over his spine, all the way down to the tailbone, made him involuntarily tingle.
Fu Wei quietly adjusted his breathing, but his nostrils were filled with the scent of medicinal wine and a faint herbal aroma.
He knew exactly where those herbs had come from.
Fu Wei couldn't help but recall the herbs she dried in the courtyard, tirelessly gathering numerous herbs each day, drying batch after batch, probably filling her room with them.
Roughly half an hour later, Yu Ying was covered in a thin layer of sweat, indicative of the effort involved in the massage.
Yu Ying glanced at Fu Wei's bare upper body, which had previously been a cold white but now had a reddish hue.
"The circulation must be improved," Yu Ying thought to herself.
"That's it, you might feel some soreness and swelling, but that's normal. You'll be able to sleep soundly tonight, and I'll massage you again the day after tomorrow."
Having said that, Yu Ying closed the bottle of medicinal wine and then turned to leave the room.
After she left, Fu Wei finally opened his eyes, exhaling deeply, and slowly placed his hand over his heart.
He sighed deeply again.
When Yu Ying came out of the room, she saw Fu An asleep on the table, with fruits of bixie fruit already dried on the winnowing fan beside him.
Yu Ying withdrew her gaze and turned to wash her hands.
The sound of washing hands probably woke Fu An, who lifted his head and groggily rubbed his eyes.
But when Yu Ying turned to look at him, he suddenly blushed and averted his gaze, seemingly thinking of something.
Yu Ying: …
She didn't know how to explain it, and in the eyes of others, she and Fu Wei were husband and wife, so a bit of intimacy might seem normal to others.
Without saying anything, she quietly entered the house and glanced at the grandfather and grandchild sleeping closely together on the straw bed. Yu Ying gently took the bamboo tube filled with water outside.
After drinking a sip of mint water, she felt refreshed, and much of the heat dissipated.
Soon, Aunt He and others arrived to continue the work.
By mid-afternoon, the latrine, kitchen, and bath area were all set up. Song Sanlang and He Dazhuang had even brought back lots of sand and gravel from the river, including some pebbles.
A layer of sand and pebbles was laid in the bath area, slightly lower than the kitchen, to prevent water from spilling out.
By sunset, the two thatched huts were also reinforced and secured.
Aunt He repeatedly insisted that Yu Ying shouldn't bother cooking for them, so they left once the work was done.
The courtyard returned to tranquility. Yu Ying looked at the newly erected thatched huts and bath area, feeling like she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Finally, there was no need to go outside for the toilet, nor to hold it in all night.
After days of simply wiping down, she could finally enjoy a proper bath.
The happiest were undoubtedly the two children, who were excitedly entering and exiting the new thatched hut and kitchen, and bath area.
Yu Ying watched the joyous siblings, smiled, and then went to do some simple cleaning.
The thatched hut was located in the farthest corner of the courtyard.
Yu Ying had picked some wildflowers this morning and placed them near the water jar, occasionally sprinkling water on them to keep them from wilting. She divided the wildflowers into several portions.
A small bunch was hung in the thatched hut and another in the bath area, adding a touch of difference to the simple straw huts, making them look comforting.
She then made two bamboo tubes, filled them with water, and placed the flowers inside.
One tube of flowers was placed in her own room, and due to the lack of space, it could only be placed on the ground beside her bed.
The other tube of flowers was brought into Fu Wei's room, placed on the table, adding a vibrant touch of life to the otherwise dull room.
Seeing that Fu Wei seemed to be resting, Yu Ying did not call out to him and went straight out to prepare the evening meal.
After she left, Fu Wei, who had been closing his eyes, opened them and turned to look at the brightly colored wildflowers on the table.
His usually expressionless and somber face lightened slightly, losing some of its gloom and gaining a hint of vitality.
Yu Ying moved a wooden stump, about knee-high, into the kitchen and placed the pottery stove on top to start cooking.
Tonight's meal was simply a pot of porridge, with a few dried red mushrooms added, along with a spoonful of lard and a pinch of salt.
She brought the porridge inside where Fu Wei had just woken up. He glanced at her but said nothing.
Yu Ying said, "I still have some work to do; I'll eat once I'm done."
Fu Wei nodded slightly in response.
Not knowing where Fu An had gone, Yu Ying herself set five bowls on the table and divided the porridge.
After distributing the porridge, she took the pottery jar outside, cleaned it, filled it with water, and brought it back to the kitchen, where she started boiling water and preparing medicine.
Throughout the day, aside from his excitement over the new house, Fu An had been unusually quiet. Even the usually unobservant Luo Shi noticed something amiss and quietly took her grandson aside to talk.
Luo Shi asked him, "You've been so quiet this afternoon, what's wrong?"
Fu An opened his mouth, uttered "Noon," and then, not knowing how to continue, shut his mouth.
Thinking something happened at noon, Luo Shi quickly pressed, "What happened? Tell me!"
Fu An peeked toward the kitchen, saw his aunt busy there, and then withdrew his gaze.
He hesitated, drawing circles with his toes on the ground, and finally, with Luo Shi growing impatient, blushed and said, "This afternoon, I saw Uncle Fu Wei undressed, and Aunt Yu Ying's hands were touching and kneading on his body..."
Luo Shi was startled, and before she could react, her grandson added, "Grandma, are Uncle Fu Wei and Aunt Yu Ying going to have a baby?"
Mrs. Luo: ...
Yu Ying, calling them for dinner: ...
"Fu An's little head sure is full of big ideas, and daring ones at that."
Unaware of Yu Ying hiding around the corner, Mrs. Luo lowered her voice, "Don't talk nonsense. That's your aunt applying medicine to your uncle."
Mrs. Luo did wish to see the two of them end up together, but she dared not think about it.
"Our family has too many issues, simply not a match for the Yu family."
After a moment of thought, Yu Ying silently turned back and walked to the kitchen. Standing outside the kitchen door, she called out, "Dinner's ready."
