Chapter 23
At the entrance of Lingshui Village, siblings Fu An and Fu Ning had been eagerly waiting.
From a distance, Uncle Chen smiled and said, "Your niece and nephew really do love their aunt."
If children like someone, that person must have a good temperament.
Upon reaching the village entrance, Yu Ying gave Uncle Chen a copper coin.
Uncle Chen initially wanted to say that she wouldn't need to pay for the ride in the future, but since there were other people on the ox cart, he decided to wait until next time to mention it.
After all, Madame Yu's ice cream had attracted many customers to the Wu's eatery, improving its business. With her son earning more profit, he brought more fruits and vegetables, and Uncle Chen earned more money. Naturally, he felt it was unnecessary to charge her for the rides.
Just as Yu Ying got off the ox cart and handed over the copper coin, Fu An came over to carry the empty basket on his back, also picking up the wooden bucket.
Yu Ying glanced at Fu An and reached out, saying, "I can carry the bucket."
But Fu An switched hands and stubbornly said, "I can handle it."
Since the bucket was empty and light, Yu Ying let him be, but upon seeing his somewhat stooped back, she fell silent for a moment and then lifted the basket from behind him.
"What are you doing?" Fu An turned around, looking puzzled at her.
"Give me the basket, I need to take something out of it."
"Oh." He obediently put the bucket down on the ground and then removed the basket from his back.
Yu Ying took the basket, slipped her arms through the straps, and hung it in front of her. Looking at Fu An, who was curiously wondering what she would take out, she said, "Never mind, I won't take it out now. I'll show you when we get back."
Fu An: ...?
It seemed like something was off, but then again, maybe not.
Yu Ying took little girl Fu Ning's hand, and the three of them walked back side by side.
On the way, they encountered a familiar-looking woman working in the fields, who seemed surprised to see them.
The woman first looked at Yu Ying, then at Fu An, and asked, "Fu An, where are you all coming from?"
Fu An's expression darkened, and he decided not to engage with her.
The woman frowned upon being ignored, "Why are you so rude, child? I'm talking to you. Why don't you answer?"
Yu Ying frowned upon hearing this.
She thought to herself: she accuses Fu An of being rude, but aren't her own words lacking in manners?
Fu An retorted with a sneer, "Well-mannered people don't go around accusing others of being ill-mannered."
The woman in the field turned grim, spat disdainfully, and muttered under her breath, "A wild thing without parents' upbringing."
Yu Ying, hearing this insult, paused in her steps, turned around, and looked steadily at the woman, who appeared to be in her thirties, in the field.
The woman, initially unfazed by Yu Ying's gaze, began to feel uneasy under her silent and intense stare.
But then she thought to herself: what's there to fear about the Fu family? A family of orphans and widows, the old blind, the young crippled, the small mute, and just a powerless eight-year-old child.
Even if they have a new daughter-in-law now, what difference does it make?
Why should she be afraid of the Fu family?
With this thought, the woman suddenly exclaimed mockingly, "Oh, the Fu family's new bride can glare too, how terrifying."
Yu Ying's eyes were indifferent, as if she was angered.
Fu An, fearing a confrontation and worried about Yu Ying being at a disadvantage since his family had no one strong, quickly tugged at his young aunt and whispered, "Let's just go back, auntie."
Yu Ying pulled him behind her, then let go of Fu Ning's hand and slowly walked towards the woman.
The woman, seeing her approach, didn't quite understand her intention, thinking she might start a fight, but she wasn't afraid and gripped her hoe tightly.
As Yu Ying drew near, maintaining a distance of two steps, she stopped, bent down, and in a voice only audible to the two of them, she slowly began, "Not only can I glare at people, but I can also poison them. A poison that's colorless and tasteless, one that kills without anyone noticing."
There was no one around except for the woman, so Yu Ying wasn't worried about others hearing her words.
The woman had initially thought Yu Ying would retort with an insult and was prepared to respond in kind, but she was taken aback by Yu Ying's unexpected words.
While the woman was still startled, Yu Ying slightly lifted her chin, her voice devoid of any anger, instead speaking lightly, "Don't think that just because I'm a woman, I'm easy to bully. Before you harbor such thoughts, I advise you to inquire about what kind of person I, Yu Liuniang, am. If anyone dares to bully me, I will retaliate twofold. If you no longer wish to keep your tongue, I can help you rot it with poison."
Yu Ying spoke with a gentle tone, yet her words were intimidating.
The woman glared, "You wouldn't dare!"
Yu Ying stood up, speaking calmly, "You can try if you wish, but before you do, perhaps you should learn more about who Yu Liuniang really is."
After all, Yu Liuniang had a notorious reputation, which Yu Ying used to her advantage to intimidate others.
Having said this, Yu Ying turned and walked back to Fu An and Fu Ning, saying, "Let's go back and prepare dinner."
The woman's glaring gaze followed Yu Ying, who turned her head back and looked at her indifferently.
Her gaze held no anger, but was so calm that it gave the woman an unsettling feeling, as if there were a scheme behind it.
A flicker of unease stirred in the woman, as she vaguely recalled what others had said about the new bride of the Fu family.
It's said that the child mistakenly taken in by the Fu family harbored resentment against them, especially against the true second son of the Fu family, whose identity he had occupied for over twenty years.
Consequently, the child had someone break the legs of Fu's second son and forced him to marry an ugly and ill-natured daughter of a criminal, to humiliate him.
This daughter of a criminal, from a village a hundred miles away, was rumored to have poisoned someone. The woman had initially thought that a young girl wouldn't resort to such means.
But after hearing her speak just now, for some reason, she felt a chill run down her spine.
As the three walked away, Fu An finally looked up at his young aunt.
It had been a long time since someone had stood up for him.
He had always been the one protecting his grandmother and sister. Since his parents were gone, today was the first time someone stood up for him, and it felt quite extraordinary.
Not unpleasant at all.
After walking with his head down for a while, he asked, "What did you say to Aunt Cui Lan just now?"
Yu Ying replied, "I scolded her a bit. Those are words of scolding not meant for children's ears."
Hearing this, Fu An pouted, "I've heard all sorts of harsh words used in scolding."
He hesitated for a moment, then added, worried she might think he was ill-mannered, "I didn't mean to ignore her; it's just that she's so annoying, always gossiping behind people's backs. She used to mock my grandmother for being blind and said it was pointless. She called Ning Ning a mute who wouldn't find a suitor when grown up. And she even said that my uncle, not only can't use his legs, but also can't perform in bed, even with a wife, saying it's useless..."
Towards the end, Fu An curiously asked, "What does she mean by 'that work'?"
Yu Ying: ...
She had frowned deeply at the first part of his statement, but upon hearing his last question, she fell completely silent.
How could she explain this?
After pondering, Yu Ying decided to feign calm and said, “I don’t know what it is, probably just nonsense. Don’t mind it.”
As her words fell, they arrived back at the courtyard of the Fu residence.
Yu Ying asked Fu An to scrub the pot and start boiling water while she went to the river to wash the pig's lung.
For some reason, Fu An was more obedient than usual that evening, not showing his usual stubbornness and listening to everything she said.
After returning from the river, Yu Ying first cut the pig's lung into pieces with scissors, then blanched them in a clay pot on the stove.
After blanching twice and rinsing with cold water, she aimed to reduce the gamey smell.
Once cleaned, she then put them back into the clay pot, now filled with half a pot of hot water.
She had boiled the cleaver in hot water, then sliced some ginger she bought for a penny and threw it into the clay pot.
Out of the one and a half pounds of pears, which totaled seven, she took out three and left four for making jelly.
After washing the pears and cutting them into pieces, Yu Ying tasted a small piece and found it very sweet; she then fed a piece to Xiao Fu Ning, who was helping her with the fire.
The little girl savored the sweet fruit, smiled with squinted eyes, licked her lips, and seemed to relish the taste.
Seeing her eagerness, Yu Ying fed her another piece.
After feeding Xiao Fu Ning, Yu Ying put most of the pears into the clay pot along with the pig's lung to stew, saving the rest for fruit after the meal. While stewing the soup, she also prepared several thick bamboo sticks.
The stew of pear and pig's lung soon began to emit a faint, sweet fragrance.
Since she already had one soup, Yu Ying didn't prepare pork bones. But due to the hot weather and fear of spoilage, she blanched them and then placed them in an old basin with half a basin of water, putting the bowl with the bones inside the wooden basin.
After the pig's lung soup was ready, Yu Ying added a bit of salt and lard, and it was done.
She blanched some greens in the pear and pig's lung soup, completing the meal with a dish and a soup.
Conserving rice and grain, Yu Ying didn't cook dinner tonight.
Each had a bowl of pear and pig lung soup, which was quite filling.
The grandmother and grandchildren enjoyed their meal, but Fu Wei only had a few sips of soup, a piece of pig lung, and a few bites of cabbage before stopping.
Yu Ying noticed his usually stoic face seemed a bit off. Skilled in observation, she detected a hint of nausea in his subtle expressions.
Some people naturally dislike pork offal, not out of pickiness, but due to an aversion to certain smells. Even if others don't notice anything unusual, those with heightened senses of smell and taste can find it nauseating.
If Fu Wei had expressed his dislike, Yu Ying would have understood, but she didn't expect him to remain silent.
After the meal, Yu Ying asked Fu An to have some pears before clearing the dishes.
Yu Ying skewered a piece of pear and offered it to Fu Wei.
Fu Wei looked up from the pear to Yu Ying, who smiled gently and said softly, “Eat something sweet to cleanse your palate, then rinse with mint leaves later.”
Fu Wei shifted his gaze from her radiant smile, raised his hand to accept the pear, and thanked her.
He bit into the pear flesh.
Indeed, it was very sweet.
After eating the pear, Fu An began tidying up, while Fu Ning and Luo Shi went to the kitchen to boil water. Yu Ying stayed in the room to discuss matters with Fu Wei.
She talked about selling the herbs, and Fu Wei raised his eyebrows slightly upon hearing this.
Her face was unmistakably filled with joy.
For a moment, Fu Wei felt truly useless, not just physically but emotionally as well.
The entire family, including himself, seemed to be relying on a slender woman.
“How can I help?”
This was the second time Fu Wei asked what he could do to help, showing he was beginning to take an interest in matters beyond himself.
Yu Ying looked at him and said, “I plan to go into the mountains in the next few days to gather herbs and continue picking bael fruit. I'll teach you how to make liangfen, and then you can take over making it, how about that?”
Fu Wei nodded slightly, his expression subdued, “I can do those tasks. What about Fu An, will you take him to the mountains?”
Yu Ying shook her head, “No, I’m afraid I might get too absorbed in gathering herbs and forget about him.”
“So you'll be going to the mountains alone?” Fu Wei's brow furrowed slightly.
Yu Ying thought for a moment before nodding, “It seems so.”
Fu Wei fell silent for a while, his expression too cold for Yu Ying to decipher his thoughts.
After a moment, he asked, "The mountains are dangerous, aren’t you afraid?"
"Naturally, I am," Yu Ying admitted truthfully.
Over the past days, as she ventured into the mountains, Fu Wei heard from Fu An that they mostly stayed around the foothills and didn’t venture deep.
But even so, the saying 'frequent walks by the river lead to wet shoes' applies, not to mention the presence of wild beasts in the forest.
Considering this, Fu Wei advised her, "You have skills; there are other ways to make money without risking your life."
Realizing that Fu Wei, who previously showed little interest in external affairs, was actually concerned about her, Yu Ying was surprised but rational in her response: "But opportunities to earn money are scarce, and I urgently need it. If I don’t seize this chance, it will be lost."
Fu Wei’s brow furrowed slightly upon hearing her urgent need for money and asked, "What do you need the money for so urgently?"
Yu Ying hadn’t planned to tell anyone about the eldest son of the Fu family’s situation, but considering Fu Wei had accepted her mysterious background and unspoken understanding between them, he might also accept this matter.
Having someone to discuss it with was probably for the best.
After deciding, Yu Ying walked to the door, lifted the straw curtain to peek outside, and seeing no one, turned back to Fu Wei.
As Fu Wei braced for her to reveal something of great importance, she said, "I want to save money to rescue your elder brother and sister-in-law from the quarry."
Fu Wei’s expression froze, showing a hint of incomprehension.
After a moment of silence, he looked puzzled and asked, "Do you know them?"
Chapter 23
At the entrance of Lingshui Village, siblings Fu An and Fu Ning had been eagerly waiting.
From a distance, Uncle Chen smiled and said, "Your niece and nephew really do love their aunt."
If children like someone, that person must have a good temperament.
Upon reaching the village entrance, Yu Ying gave Uncle Chen a copper coin.
Uncle Chen initially wanted to say that she wouldn't need to pay for the ride in the future, but since there were other people on the ox cart, he decided to wait until next time to mention it.
After all, Madame Yu's ice cream had attracted many customers to the Wu's eatery, improving its business. With her son earning more profit, he brought more fruits and vegetables, and Uncle Chen earned more money. Naturally, he felt it was unnecessary to charge her for the rides.
Just as Yu Ying got off the ox cart and handed over the copper coin, Fu An came over to carry the empty basket on his back, also picking up the wooden bucket.
Yu Ying glanced at Fu An and reached out, saying, "I can carry the bucket."
But Fu An switched hands and stubbornly said, "I can handle it."
Since the bucket was empty and light, Yu Ying let him be, but upon seeing his somewhat stooped back, she fell silent for a moment and then lifted the basket from behind him.
"What are you doing?" Fu An turned around, looking puzzled at her.
"Give me the basket, I need to take something out of it."
"Oh." He obediently put the bucket down on the ground and then removed the basket from his back.
Yu Ying took the basket, slipped her arms through the straps, and hung it in front of her. Looking at Fu An, who was curiously wondering what she would take out, she said, "Never mind, I won't take it out now. I'll show you when we get back."
Fu An: ...?
It seemed like something was off, but then again, maybe not.
Yu Ying took little girl Fu Ning's hand, and the three of them walked back side by side.
On the way, they encountered a familiar-looking woman working in the fields, who seemed surprised to see them.
The woman first looked at Yu Ying, then at Fu An, and asked, "Fu An, where are you all coming from?"
Fu An's expression darkened, and he decided not to engage with her.
The woman frowned upon being ignored, "Why are you so rude, child? I'm talking to you. Why don't you answer?"
Yu Ying frowned upon hearing this.
She thought to herself: she accuses Fu An of being rude, but aren't her own words lacking in manners?
Fu An retorted with a sneer, "Well-mannered people don't go around accusing others of being ill-mannered."
The woman in the field turned grim, spat disdainfully, and muttered under her breath, "A wild thing without parents' upbringing."
Yu Ying, hearing this insult, paused in her steps, turned around, and looked steadily at the woman, who appeared to be in her thirties, in the field.
The woman, initially unfazed by Yu Ying's gaze, began to feel uneasy under her silent and intense stare.
But then she thought to herself: what's there to fear about the Fu family? A family of orphans and widows, the old blind, the young crippled, the small mute, and just a powerless eight-year-old child.
Even if they have a new daughter-in-law now, what difference does it make?
Why should she be afraid of the Fu family?
With this thought, the woman suddenly exclaimed mockingly, "Oh, the Fu family's new bride can glare too, how terrifying."
Yu Ying's eyes were indifferent, as if she was angered.
Fu An, fearing a confrontation and worried about Yu Ying being at a disadvantage since his family had no one strong, quickly tugged at his young aunt and whispered, "Let's just go back, auntie."
Yu Ying pulled him behind her, then let go of Fu Ning's hand and slowly walked towards the woman.
The woman, seeing her approach, didn't quite understand her intention, thinking she might start a fight, but she wasn't afraid and gripped her hoe tightly.
As Yu Ying drew near, maintaining a distance of two steps, she stopped, bent down, and in a voice only audible to the two of them, she slowly began, "Not only can I glare at people, but I can also poison them. A poison that's colorless and tasteless, one that kills without anyone noticing."
There was no one around except for the woman, so Yu Ying wasn't worried about others hearing her words.
The woman had initially thought Yu Ying would retort with an insult and was prepared to respond in kind, but she was taken aback by Yu Ying's unexpected words.
While the woman was still startled, Yu Ying slightly lifted her chin, her voice devoid of any anger, instead speaking lightly, "Don't think that just because I'm a woman, I'm easy to bully. Before you harbor such thoughts, I advise you to inquire about what kind of person I, Yu Liuniang, am. If anyone dares to bully me, I will retaliate twofold. If you no longer wish to keep your tongue, I can help you rot it with poison."
Yu Ying spoke with a gentle tone, yet her words were intimidating.
The woman glared, "You wouldn't dare!"
Yu Ying stood up, speaking calmly, "You can try if you wish, but before you do, perhaps you should learn more about who Yu Liuniang really is."
After all, Yu Liuniang had a notorious reputation, which Yu Ying used to her advantage to intimidate others.
Having said this, Yu Ying turned and walked back to Fu An and Fu Ning, saying, "Let's go back and prepare dinner."
The woman's glaring gaze followed Yu Ying, who turned her head back and looked at her indifferently.
Her gaze held no anger, but was so calm that it gave the woman an unsettling feeling, as if there were a scheme behind it.
A flicker of unease stirred in the woman, as she vaguely recalled what others had said about the new bride of the Fu family.
It's said that the child mistakenly taken in by the Fu family harbored resentment against them, especially against the true second son of the Fu family, whose identity he had occupied for over twenty years.
Consequently, the child had someone break the legs of Fu's second son and forced him to marry an ugly and ill-natured daughter of a criminal, to humiliate him.
This daughter of a criminal, from a village a hundred miles away, was rumored to have poisoned someone. The woman had initially thought that a young girl wouldn't resort to such means.
But after hearing her speak just now, for some reason, she felt a chill run down her spine.
As the three walked away, Fu An finally looked up at his young aunt.
It had been a long time since someone had stood up for him.
He had always been the one protecting his grandmother and sister. Since his parents were gone, today was the first time someone stood up for him, and it felt quite extraordinary.
Not unpleasant at all.
After walking with his head down for a while, he asked, "What did you say to Aunt Cui Lan just now?"
Yu Ying replied, "I scolded her a bit. Those are words of scolding not meant for children's ears."
Hearing this, Fu An pouted, "I've heard all sorts of harsh words used in scolding."
He hesitated for a moment, then added, worried she might think he was ill-mannered, "I didn't mean to ignore her; it's just that she's so annoying, always gossiping behind people's backs. She used to mock my grandmother for being blind and said it was pointless. She called Ning Ning a mute who wouldn't find a suitor when grown up. And she even said that my uncle, not only can't use his legs, but also can't perform in bed, even with a wife, saying it's useless..."
Towards the end, Fu An curiously asked, "What does she mean by 'that work'?"
Yu Ying: ...
She had frowned deeply at the first part of his statement, but upon hearing his last question, she fell completely silent.
How could she explain this?
After pondering, Yu Ying decided to feign calm and said, “I don’t know what it is, probably just nonsense. Don’t mind it.”
As her words fell, they arrived back at the courtyard of the Fu residence.
Yu Ying asked Fu An to scrub the pot and start boiling water while she went to the river to wash the pig's lung.
For some reason, Fu An was more obedient than usual that evening, not showing his usual stubbornness and listening to everything she said.
After returning from the river, Yu Ying first cut the pig's lung into pieces with scissors, then blanched them in a clay pot on the stove.
After blanching twice and rinsing with cold water, she aimed to reduce the gamey smell.
Once cleaned, she then put them back into the clay pot, now filled with half a pot of hot water.
She had boiled the cleaver in hot water, then sliced some ginger she bought for a penny and threw it into the clay pot.
Out of the one and a half pounds of pears, which totaled seven, she took out three and left four for making jelly.
After washing the pears and cutting them into pieces, Yu Ying tasted a small piece and found it very sweet; she then fed a piece to Xiao Fu Ning, who was helping her with the fire.
The little girl savored the sweet fruit, smiled with squinted eyes, licked her lips, and seemed to relish the taste.
Seeing her eagerness, Yu Ying fed her another piece.
After feeding Xiao Fu Ning, Yu Ying put most of the pears into the clay pot along with the pig's lung to stew, saving the rest for fruit after the meal. While stewing the soup, she also prepared several thick bamboo sticks.
The stew of pear and pig's lung soon began to emit a faint, sweet fragrance.
Since she already had one soup, Yu Ying didn't prepare pork bones. But due to the hot weather and fear of spoilage, she blanched them and then placed them in an old basin with half a basin of water, putting the bowl with the bones inside the wooden basin.
After the pig's lung soup was ready, Yu Ying added a bit of salt and lard, and it was done.
She blanched some greens in the pear and pig's lung soup, completing the meal with a dish and a soup.
Conserving rice and grain, Yu Ying didn't cook dinner tonight.
Each had a bowl of pear and pig lung soup, which was quite filling.
The grandmother and grandchildren enjoyed their meal, but Fu Wei only had a few sips of soup, a piece of pig lung, and a few bites of cabbage before stopping.
Yu Ying noticed his usually stoic face seemed a bit off. Skilled in observation, she detected a hint of nausea in his subtle expressions.
Some people naturally dislike pork offal, not out of pickiness, but due to an aversion to certain smells. Even if others don't notice anything unusual, those with heightened senses of smell and taste can find it nauseating.
If Fu Wei had expressed his dislike, Yu Ying would have understood, but she didn't expect him to remain silent.
After the meal, Yu Ying asked Fu An to have some pears before clearing the dishes.
Yu Ying skewered a piece of pear and offered it to Fu Wei.
Fu Wei looked up from the pear to Yu Ying, who smiled gently and said softly, “Eat something sweet to cleanse your palate, then rinse with mint leaves later.”
Fu Wei shifted his gaze from her radiant smile, raised his hand to accept the pear, and thanked her.
He bit into the pear flesh.
Indeed, it was very sweet.
After eating the pear, Fu An began tidying up, while Fu Ning and Luo Shi went to the kitchen to boil water. Yu Ying stayed in the room to discuss matters with Fu Wei.
She talked about selling the herbs, and Fu Wei raised his eyebrows slightly upon hearing this.
Her face was unmistakably filled with joy.
For a moment, Fu Wei felt truly useless, not just physically but emotionally as well.
The entire family, including himself, seemed to be relying on a slender woman.
“How can I help?”
This was the second time Fu Wei asked what he could do to help, showing he was beginning to take an interest in matters beyond himself.
Yu Ying looked at him and said, “I plan to go into the mountains in the next few days to gather herbs and continue picking bael fruit. I'll teach you how to make liangfen, and then you can take over making it, how about that?”
Fu Wei nodded slightly, his expression subdued, “I can do those tasks. What about Fu An, will you take him to the mountains?”
Yu Ying shook her head, “No, I’m afraid I might get too absorbed in gathering herbs and forget about him.”
“So you'll be going to the mountains alone?” Fu Wei's brow furrowed slightly.
Yu Ying thought for a moment before nodding, “It seems so.”
Fu Wei fell silent for a while, his expression too cold for Yu Ying to decipher his thoughts.
After a moment, he asked, "The mountains are dangerous, aren’t you afraid?"
"Naturally, I am," Yu Ying admitted truthfully.
Over the past days, as she ventured into the mountains, Fu Wei heard from Fu An that they mostly stayed around the foothills and didn’t venture deep.
But even so, the saying 'frequent walks by the river lead to wet shoes' applies, not to mention the presence of wild beasts in the forest.
Considering this, Fu Wei advised her, "You have skills; there are other ways to make money without risking your life."
Realizing that Fu Wei, who previously showed little interest in external affairs, was actually concerned about her, Yu Ying was surprised but rational in her response: "But opportunities to earn money are scarce, and I urgently need it. If I don’t seize this chance, it will be lost."
Fu Wei’s brow furrowed slightly upon hearing her urgent need for money and asked, "What do you need the money for so urgently?"
Yu Ying hadn’t planned to tell anyone about the eldest son of the Fu family’s situation, but considering Fu Wei had accepted her mysterious background and unspoken understanding between them, he might also accept this matter.
Having someone to discuss it with was probably for the best.
After deciding, Yu Ying walked to the door, lifted the straw curtain to peek outside, and seeing no one, turned back to Fu Wei.
As Fu Wei braced for her to reveal something of great importance, she said, "I want to save money to rescue your elder brother and sister-in-law from the quarry."
Fu Wei’s expression froze, showing a hint of incomprehension.
After a moment of silence, he looked puzzled and asked, "Do you know them?"
