Chapter 43
The midday meal was simple: taro rice and a half-pot of egg soup.
Though basic, it was a luxurious meal for a farming family. For Fu Zhen and his wife, accustomed to eating steamed buns and rice soup for three years, this was beyond their wildest dreams.
Fu Zhen felt a profound difference in the household's daily life, a stark contrast to the past.
The family, for the first time, ate together in full attendance.
No one spoke; they quietly enjoyed their meal.
After the meal, Fu An started to clear the dishes, but his mother was a step ahead, softly telling him, “Let mother take care of it.”
Yet, Fu An still helped his mother with the cleanup.
After eating and cleaning up, Fu Zhen took an axe to chop firewood, with Wen Xing following to assist.
Yu Ying had intended to suggest they rest for the day, but by the time she came out of the kitchen with a boiled egg, they had already left.
Yu Ying let it be and called Fu An over, using the peeled egg to reduce the bruising on his face.
She felt a tightness in her chest seeing the handprint on Fu An's face.
She asked, “Does it hurt?”
Fu An shook his head, saying, “It doesn’t hurt now, but it was very painful when I was hit.”
Yu Ying silently then rolled the egg over his cheek.
Fu An was still in some pain, but he gritted his teeth and bore it.
“In the future, if someone slanders our family, don’t rush into action. Think carefully whether you can handle it before you act,” Yu Ying advised gently.
Fu An was taken aback and said in surprise, "I thought my little aunt would advise me not to fight anymore."
Yu Ying spoke gently, "It's true that resorting to fighting isn't ideal, but ignoring such issues only invites more bullying."
The different times call for different approaches.
Fu Wei, overhearing the conversation outside the house, became pensive.
Yu Ying added, "Don’t worry, Auntie Cui Lan slandering me and hitting you won’t just be overlooked."
Remembering the aggressive woman, Fu An expressed his concern, "With her unruly behavior, what can my little aunt do?"
Yu Ying didn’t specify her plan for Auntie Cui Lan, only saying, "You’ll know soon enough."
After treating Fu An’s bruises, Yu Ying visited Uncle He and Auntie He to discuss the herb gathering, returning after about half an hour.
At dusk, after dinner, a problem arose.
With two additional people in the house, which only had two rooms and two beds, where would everyone sleep?
Yu Ying had considered this earlier. Although a bamboo bed was being made, it wasn’t ready yet, so the eldest brother and his wife would have to make do sleeping on the floor for a couple of nights.
Fu Zhen had no complaints, feeling that even sleeping in the courtyard was better than staying in the quarry.
Yu Ying suggested to Fu Wei, "Now that your elder brother and his wife have returned, and since we can't arrange the thatched huts and bamboo beds immediately, it’s really crowded. How about letting your mother and them stay in this room, while you and I move to the adjacent one?"
Fu Wei had no particular preference for sleeping arrangements and nodded, "Alright, as you say."
Since Fu Wei couldn't stand up, Yu Ying called the eldest brother to help move him to the other room.
There were two thick bamboo poles in the room, used by Fu Wei for brief washing up.
Yu Ying brought the bamboo poles to Fu Wei, allowing him to lean on them for support.
Observing the two thick bamboo poles, Yu Ying thought of the crutches used by those with mobility issues in later times, pondering that if Chen Daye's cousin could make bamboo furniture, he surely could make crutches too.
Planning to visit the county town tomorrow, she decided to stop by Chen Daye's in Chen Village on the way back to check on the bamboo bed and discuss the bamboo crutches.
A wheelchair might be out of the question, but crutches should be feasible.
After some more rest, Fu Wei should be able to get out of bed using a pair of crutches.
Being cooped up inside all day could lead to illness even in the healthy.
Moreover, staying in a confined space for an extended period could lead to a decline in mood and a more somber disposition.
Initially, Yu Ying intended to help Fu Wei move with the assistance of his elder brother, but as soon as Fu Zhen entered the room, he said directly to Fu Wei, "I’ll carry you there."
Fu Wei quickly agreed, allowing Fu Zhen to carry him out.
Stepping outside for the first time in over two months, Fu Wei felt a lift in his spirits as he saw the outside light.
The adjacent room was originally quite small and seemed even smaller with a pile of firewood, but it had become more spacious after the firewood was moved to the newly built kitchen. The room only had a straw bed smaller than the one in the other room, with no other furniture.
It was relatively spacious.
Although Luo Shi suggested moving the bamboo bed, Yu Ying mentioned that a new bamboo bed would be ready in a couple of days, so they decided to manage for two nights without moving it.
After Fu Wei settled on the straw bed, Yu Ying began cleaning the small room.
She swept up the herbal fragments and small twigs in the corner and rolled up the grass mat to ventilate the room.
Fu Wei watched her bustling about, his eyes gradually softening.
Yu Ying, having traveled for several days without proper rest, was exhausted after finishing the chores.
Entering the room, which was so narrow that it could only fit her and Fu Wei lying shoulder to shoulder, and definitely no room for Fu Ning, Yu Ying fell silent.
Focused on allocating the rooms, she had overlooked this detail.
But considering the current situation, could she really go out and ask them to move the bamboo bed over now?
Fu Wei, already aware of Yu Ying's dilemma, contemplated for a while and then suggested, "Perhaps we should move the bamboo bed over."
Yu Ying shook her head and replied, "That bed was originally for my elder brother and his wife. The new bamboo bed will be ready in a few days; it’s just for these two nights that we need to...”
She paused, then continued, “We might have to squeeze in a bit.”
Fu Wei shifted towards the edge of the bed, almost half his body hanging off.
He then said, “I don’t mind; it’s just an inconvenience for you.”
Yu Ying smiled and responded, “It’s not a problem for me, hardly an inconvenience.”
That’s how real life is – you can’t ask for too much and there aren’t that many choices.
After speaking, she left the room to boil some water for washing, and then to rest.
As Yu Ying only had two sets of clothes, with one already lent to her sister-in-law, she had nothing else to change into.
Thinking of her elder brother’s clothes, even more ragged than Fu An’s and Fu Ning’s, she decided to buy some fabric in Yuxian the next day to make clothes.
Even if she couldn’t sew, her sister-in-law probably could.
After bathing, it was already dark. Yu Ying entered the room carrying an oil lamp.
Having mentally prepared herself to share a bed with Fu Wei, she quickly accepted the situation upon returning.
She placed the oil lamp on the ground outside the bed, then climbed onto the bed, lying on the inside.
Their shoulders touched unavoidably, as did their arms.
The warmth of each other seeped through the thin layers of their clothes, creating a silent yet awkward atmosphere.
Yu Ying’s ears gradually turned red.
She had never lain so close to a man before. Although she had shared the bed with little Fu Ning previously, it didn’t have the same awkward and indescribable atmosphere as now.
It was an atmosphere that was awkward and uncomfortable.
Yu Ying was physically exhausted, but her mind was tense.
She wanted to sleep, yet found it elusive.
Sensing the tension in the person beside him, Fu Wei asked softly, “With the return of my elder brother and his wife, when do you plan to start gathering herbs?”
Yu Ying thought for a moment and replied, “Let’s give them a couple of days to rest. After that, I’ll teach them how to identify and dry herbs. We’ll gather herbs in the morning and work on the thatched huts in the afternoon, managing both tasks.”
“This way, you won’t have to exhaust yourself.”
Yu Ying smiled faintly, saying softly, “I didn’t feel tired before; I just wanted to keep busy, to not have spare time to think about other things.”
Fu Wei pondered briefly, understanding what she meant by “other things.”
Perhaps her previous life was as privileged as his was when he was the son of the county magistrate, but like him, she had lost everything in an instant and naturally found it hard to accept.
“What about now?” he asked.
Gazing at the roof, Yu Ying thought carefully before answering, “Maybe I've come to accept reality, or perhaps life is gradually improving, making me feel that it's not so bad here, and sometimes I think about taking a break.”
She relaxed a bit and yawned, then added, “Tomorrow, when we go to Chen Village, I’ll ask the bamboo craftsman to make you a pair of crutches. That way, you won’t have to stay indoors all day. In a little over a month, you should be able to start walking and rehabilitating.”
Hearing this, Fu Wei looked down and murmured softly, “Thank you.”
Yu Ying closed her eyes and murmured, "There's no need to keep saying thank you. We're just helping each other out. Just like when I brought your elder brother and his wife back, I was actually just finding two trustworthy people to assist. Now I'm helping you, and maybe in the future, you might be able to help me..."
As she spoke, her voice trailed off, and sleepiness washed over her like gentle waves. Yu Ying relaxed and gradually fell asleep.
Fu Wei, realizing she had fallen asleep, slowly turned his head to look at her.
His gaze lingered on her profile, from her well-defined brows and thick eyelashes, to her high nose bridge and pink lips.
A lump formed in Fu Wei's throat involuntarily, and sensing his own behavior was not gentlemanly, he abruptly turned his head back and then extinguished the oil lamp on the floor.
In the darkness, Fu Wei closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
After a long silence, believing she couldn’t hear, he finally spoke in a low voice, “If you truly feel it’s not so bad here, then stay.”
Chapter 43
The midday meal was simple: taro rice and a half-pot of egg soup.
Though basic, it was a luxurious meal for a farming family. For Fu Zhen and his wife, accustomed to eating steamed buns and rice soup for three years, this was beyond their wildest dreams.
Fu Zhen felt a profound difference in the household's daily life, a stark contrast to the past.
The family, for the first time, ate together in full attendance.
No one spoke; they quietly enjoyed their meal.
After the meal, Fu An started to clear the dishes, but his mother was a step ahead, softly telling him, “Let mother take care of it.”
Yet, Fu An still helped his mother with the cleanup.
After eating and cleaning up, Fu Zhen took an axe to chop firewood, with Wen Xing following to assist.
Yu Ying had intended to suggest they rest for the day, but by the time she came out of the kitchen with a boiled egg, they had already left.
Yu Ying let it be and called Fu An over, using the peeled egg to reduce the bruising on his face.
She felt a tightness in her chest seeing the handprint on Fu An's face.
She asked, “Does it hurt?”
Fu An shook his head, saying, “It doesn’t hurt now, but it was very painful when I was hit.”
Yu Ying silently then rolled the egg over his cheek.
Fu An was still in some pain, but he gritted his teeth and bore it.
“In the future, if someone slanders our family, don’t rush into action. Think carefully whether you can handle it before you act,” Yu Ying advised gently.
Fu An was taken aback and said in surprise, "I thought my little aunt would advise me not to fight anymore."
Yu Ying spoke gently, "It's true that resorting to fighting isn't ideal, but ignoring such issues only invites more bullying."
The different times call for different approaches.
Fu Wei, overhearing the conversation outside the house, became pensive.
Yu Ying added, "Don’t worry, Auntie Cui Lan slandering me and hitting you won’t just be overlooked."
Remembering the aggressive woman, Fu An expressed his concern, "With her unruly behavior, what can my little aunt do?"
Yu Ying didn’t specify her plan for Auntie Cui Lan, only saying, "You’ll know soon enough."
After treating Fu An’s bruises, Yu Ying visited Uncle He and Auntie He to discuss the herb gathering, returning after about half an hour.
At dusk, after dinner, a problem arose.
With two additional people in the house, which only had two rooms and two beds, where would everyone sleep?
Yu Ying had considered this earlier. Although a bamboo bed was being made, it wasn’t ready yet, so the eldest brother and his wife would have to make do sleeping on the floor for a couple of nights.
Fu Zhen had no complaints, feeling that even sleeping in the courtyard was better than staying in the quarry.
Yu Ying suggested to Fu Wei, "Now that your elder brother and his wife have returned, and since we can't arrange the thatched huts and bamboo beds immediately, it’s really crowded. How about letting your mother and them stay in this room, while you and I move to the adjacent one?"
Fu Wei had no particular preference for sleeping arrangements and nodded, "Alright, as you say."
Since Fu Wei couldn't stand up, Yu Ying called the eldest brother to help move him to the other room.
There were two thick bamboo poles in the room, used by Fu Wei for brief washing up.
Yu Ying brought the bamboo poles to Fu Wei, allowing him to lean on them for support.
Observing the two thick bamboo poles, Yu Ying thought of the crutches used by those with mobility issues in later times, pondering that if Chen Daye's cousin could make bamboo furniture, he surely could make crutches too.
Planning to visit the county town tomorrow, she decided to stop by Chen Daye's in Chen Village on the way back to check on the bamboo bed and discuss the bamboo crutches.
A wheelchair might be out of the question, but crutches should be feasible.
After some more rest, Fu Wei should be able to get out of bed using a pair of crutches.
Being cooped up inside all day could lead to illness even in the healthy.
Moreover, staying in a confined space for an extended period could lead to a decline in mood and a more somber disposition.
Initially, Yu Ying intended to help Fu Wei move with the assistance of his elder brother, but as soon as Fu Zhen entered the room, he said directly to Fu Wei, "I’ll carry you there."
Fu Wei quickly agreed, allowing Fu Zhen to carry him out.
Stepping outside for the first time in over two months, Fu Wei felt a lift in his spirits as he saw the outside light.
The adjacent room was originally quite small and seemed even smaller with a pile of firewood, but it had become more spacious after the firewood was moved to the newly built kitchen. The room only had a straw bed smaller than the one in the other room, with no other furniture.
It was relatively spacious.
Although Luo Shi suggested moving the bamboo bed, Yu Ying mentioned that a new bamboo bed would be ready in a couple of days, so they decided to manage for two nights without moving it.
After Fu Wei settled on the straw bed, Yu Ying began cleaning the small room.
She swept up the herbal fragments and small twigs in the corner and rolled up the grass mat to ventilate the room.
Fu Wei watched her bustling about, his eyes gradually softening.
Yu Ying, having traveled for several days without proper rest, was exhausted after finishing the chores.
Entering the room, which was so narrow that it could only fit her and Fu Wei lying shoulder to shoulder, and definitely no room for Fu Ning, Yu Ying fell silent.
Focused on allocating the rooms, she had overlooked this detail.
But considering the current situation, could she really go out and ask them to move the bamboo bed over now?
Fu Wei, already aware of Yu Ying's dilemma, contemplated for a while and then suggested, "Perhaps we should move the bamboo bed over."
Yu Ying shook her head and replied, "That bed was originally for my elder brother and his wife. The new bamboo bed will be ready in a few days; it’s just for these two nights that we need to...”
She paused, then continued, “We might have to squeeze in a bit.”
Fu Wei shifted towards the edge of the bed, almost half his body hanging off.
He then said, “I don’t mind; it’s just an inconvenience for you.”
Yu Ying smiled and responded, “It’s not a problem for me, hardly an inconvenience.”
That’s how real life is – you can’t ask for too much and there aren’t that many choices.
After speaking, she left the room to boil some water for washing, and then to rest.
As Yu Ying only had two sets of clothes, with one already lent to her sister-in-law, she had nothing else to change into.
Thinking of her elder brother’s clothes, even more ragged than Fu An’s and Fu Ning’s, she decided to buy some fabric in Yuxian the next day to make clothes.
Even if she couldn’t sew, her sister-in-law probably could.
After bathing, it was already dark. Yu Ying entered the room carrying an oil lamp.
Having mentally prepared herself to share a bed with Fu Wei, she quickly accepted the situation upon returning.
She placed the oil lamp on the ground outside the bed, then climbed onto the bed, lying on the inside.
Their shoulders touched unavoidably, as did their arms.
The warmth of each other seeped through the thin layers of their clothes, creating a silent yet awkward atmosphere.
Yu Ying’s ears gradually turned red.
She had never lain so close to a man before. Although she had shared the bed with little Fu Ning previously, it didn’t have the same awkward and indescribable atmosphere as now.
It was an atmosphere that was awkward and uncomfortable.
Yu Ying was physically exhausted, but her mind was tense.
She wanted to sleep, yet found it elusive.
Sensing the tension in the person beside him, Fu Wei asked softly, “With the return of my elder brother and his wife, when do you plan to start gathering herbs?”
Yu Ying thought for a moment and replied, “Let’s give them a couple of days to rest. After that, I’ll teach them how to identify and dry herbs. We’ll gather herbs in the morning and work on the thatched huts in the afternoon, managing both tasks.”
“This way, you won’t have to exhaust yourself.”
Yu Ying smiled faintly, saying softly, “I didn’t feel tired before; I just wanted to keep busy, to not have spare time to think about other things.”
Fu Wei pondered briefly, understanding what she meant by “other things.”
Perhaps her previous life was as privileged as his was when he was the son of the county magistrate, but like him, she had lost everything in an instant and naturally found it hard to accept.
“What about now?” he asked.
Gazing at the roof, Yu Ying thought carefully before answering, “Maybe I've come to accept reality, or perhaps life is gradually improving, making me feel that it's not so bad here, and sometimes I think about taking a break.”
She relaxed a bit and yawned, then added, “Tomorrow, when we go to Chen Village, I’ll ask the bamboo craftsman to make you a pair of crutches. That way, you won’t have to stay indoors all day. In a little over a month, you should be able to start walking and rehabilitating.”
Hearing this, Fu Wei looked down and murmured softly, “Thank you.”
Yu Ying closed her eyes and murmured, "There's no need to keep saying thank you. We're just helping each other out. Just like when I brought your elder brother and his wife back, I was actually just finding two trustworthy people to assist. Now I'm helping you, and maybe in the future, you might be able to help me..."
As she spoke, her voice trailed off, and sleepiness washed over her like gentle waves. Yu Ying relaxed and gradually fell asleep.
Fu Wei, realizing she had fallen asleep, slowly turned his head to look at her.
His gaze lingered on her profile, from her well-defined brows and thick eyelashes, to her high nose bridge and pink lips.
A lump formed in Fu Wei's throat involuntarily, and sensing his own behavior was not gentlemanly, he abruptly turned his head back and then extinguished the oil lamp on the floor.
In the darkness, Fu Wei closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh.
After a long silence, believing she couldn’t hear, he finally spoke in a low voice, “If you truly feel it’s not so bad here, then stay.”
