Chapter 5: Physical Depletion
In the deep, quiet hours of the night.
Yu Ying, who was deep in sleep, suddenly opened her eyes to a desolate darkness, with intermittent howling of wolves coming from outside.
The frightening sounds of the wild animals not only jolted Yu Ying awake but also reminded her of her current whereabouts.
Just now, she dreamt she was back in the modern era, celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with her grandparents, parents, and sister.
They were enjoying the moonlight, laughing and talking, when her grandfather pointed towards the bright moon in the sky.
Yu Ying looked around, only to realize with shock that she was now alone, with no one else in sight.
It was at this moment in her dream that Yu Ying suddenly woke up.
Recalling her family, Yu Ying felt a sting in her eyes, and her eyes gradually reddened.
She had been suppressing her emotions for a long time, but finally, tears streamed down her face, and she covered her mouth tightly to muffle her sobs.
After a sleepless night, she got up from her bed as dawn began to break, having calmed her sadness.
Early in the morning, Luo Shi was already waiting outside Yu Ying’s door.
When Yu Ying lifted the grass curtain to step out, she saw Luo Shi standing outside, lost in thought, who didn't notice her emergence.
Yu Ying picked up the stick she used as a walking stick, tapping it lightly on the ground.
Hearing the sound, Luo Shi came back to reality and turned to face Yu Ying, her eyes cloudy and struggling to see in the dim morning light.
Luo Shi spoke softly, "Er Lang has agreed to let you treat his leg."
Yu Ying was slightly surprised; she hadn't expected the male protagonist to agree so easily.
She nodded in response, "I'll go and check on him once it gets a bit lighter."
Without oil lamps in the Fu household, it was nearly pitch black inside, making it impossible to examine the male protagonist’s condition.
Luo Shi exhaled and turned away, using her bamboo stick to navigate towards the fireplace in the courtyard to prepare breakfast.
Yu Ying watched Luo Shi’s retreating figure, then looked up at the faintly starlit sky, recalling her dream from the previous night. She sighed softly, burying all her sorrows deep in her heart.
As dawn broke and villagers began their farm work, Yu Ying looked at her foot, which was now half less swollen, and decided to take a basket from the yard to gather wild vegetables and herbs.
With the poor medical standards of ancient times, even a common cold could be lethal. Fortunately, her grandfather was an experienced traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and she had chosen to specialize in this field, giving her the skills to survive even in this destitute and backward era.
She planned to collect and dry some herbs for future emergencies.
Hearing the noise, Luo Shi’s ears twitched, and she looked towards the sound with a puzzled expression.
Due to her impaired vision, Luo Shi was unaware of what Yu Ying was doing.
Yu Ying, carrying a basket on her back and leaning on a stick, walked out of the courtyard.
The wild grasses along the country path looked overgrown, but almost all of them were medicinal herbs, which she collected as she identified them.
However, the usual wild vegetables seemed to have been picked already, likely by the villagers.
As the sky gradually brightened, Yu Ying, not paying attention, wandered further and further, unknowingly reaching the foot of the mountain.
She should have stopped, but after a moment's hesitation, she decided to venture a little way into the mountain.
Some precious herbs only grow in the mountains, and collecting more would be prudent for future needs.
Furthermore, when she used to accompany her grandfather into the mountains to learn about herbs, he often said that the mountains were full of treasures.
She wanted to see if there were any valuable items in the mountains that could earn her some money.
To change her current situation, she knew she couldn't just sit and wait for rescue; she had to take proactive steps.
Experienced in traversing the mountains, Yu Ying used her stick to clear the path and ward off snakes and insects in the undergrowth.
In less than half an hour, Yu Ying had already gathered a substantial collection.
Apart from the herbs not commonly found along the country paths, she also found a small patch of Yao Jin Niang (a valuable herb) in the bushes.
The so-called 'Yao Jinniang', commonly known as Nianzi in Lingnan, is a dark purple wild berry, the size of a fingertip, with a flower-like top. The fruit is particularly sweet when ripe.
She picked the ripe ones, and after a while, stopped with a little over a pound.
Besides wild berries, she also found some red mushrooms.
It had rained heavily in the days since her arrival, creating a conducive environment for fungi to grow.
Ancient people might have thought that all brightly colored fungi were poisonous, so these striking red mushrooms were left unpicked.
After eating flavorless wild vegetables for many days, the sight of these red mushrooms nearly moved Yu Ying to tears.
Even without oil, salt, or meat, just a simple stewed red mushroom soup would have a delicate umami taste, far superior to the boiled wild vegetables.
Moreover, these red mushrooms could be dried and stored as provisions.
In such impoverished conditions, Yu Ying became like a hamster, eager to gather anything edible.
Yu Ying harvested all the red mushrooms nearby, collecting about two pounds in total.
Fearing the villagers might suspect her of planning to poison the Fu family, she hid the red mushrooms at the bottom of her basket, covered by wild greens.
With many fierce beasts in the mountains, she didn't dare to be too greedy and didn't venture deep, turning back after collecting enough.
By the time she emerged from the mountains, it was already broad daylight, and a village woman in her forties changed her expression upon seeing her exit the forest.
Yu Ying walked past the woman with her head down. The woman glanced at the wild vegetables and herbs in her basket, frowning.
A few moments after Yu Ying passed, the woman's face displayed a struggle between caution and concern, eventually calling out, "Fu family's new bride, the mountains are dangerous, it's best not to go in."
Yu Ying paused in her steps and turned to look at the village woman.
Recognizing the woman's good intentions, she nodded and thanked her, saying, "Thank you for the reminder."
After expressing her gratitude, she turned and headed back.
The village woman's face showed a hint of surprise, having thought the Fu family's new bride would be difficult to interact with, yet she showed unexpected politeness.
Yu Ying returned to the Fu residence, where the three generations of the family were standing in the yard, seemingly waiting for her.
Without saying anything, she put down her basket. Considering they might need the basket, she emptied its contents.
Fu An and Fu Ning watched as she emptied the basket.
There were wild vegetables and fruits they recognized, as well as some wild herbs they did not.
Upon seeing the bright red mushrooms, Fu An's face turned pale. He rushed over, kicking them away and shouted, "These mushrooms are poisonous, you can't eat them."
Watching him ruin the red mushrooms, Yu Ying quickly stopped him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him aside, scolding in a low voice, "I know better than you whether they are poisonous or not."
Fu An, struggling to free his hand, called out to his grandmother, "Grandma, this bad woman wants to poison us, she picked poisonous red mushrooms!"
Yu Ying, annoyed by his noise, released his hand but blocked him to prevent further damage to the mushrooms.
With a stern face, she feigned a threatening tone, "I didn't say I'd feed them to you, they're for me to eat."
Fu An, distrustful, glared at her, "You just want to poison us all!"
Yu Ying, no longer bothering to explain, sighed looking at the worried Luo. She gathered the red mushrooms from the ground and said, "Just keep an eye on your cooking and don't touch my red mushrooms."
These were provisions after all, which could sustain them in case of any natural disasters leading to food shortages.
Luo, needing Yu to heal her son, hesitated but eventually sided with Yu Ying. She scolded her grandson, "Fu An, stop making a fuss."
Fu An protested, "But she..."
"Come here!" Luo called out firmly.
Reluctantly, Fu An returned to his grandmother's side, but his eyes remained fixed on Yu Ying.
Yu Ying, holding the red mushrooms in her skirt, went inside the house and placed them on the floor.
After coming out of the house, lifting the grass curtain, she warned Fu An, "Don't touch my things."
Fu An, just an eight-year-old child, was already somewhat afraid of the original host. Startled by Yu Ying's stern warning, he involuntarily stepped back.
After warning the older child, Yu Ying then looked at the little girl, only to see fear written in her timid, large eyes.
As soon as Yu Ying looked her way, the girl immediately hid behind Luo, tightly clutching her grandmother's skirt, clearly very scared.
……
This little girl was even less courageous than Fu An; she wouldn’t even think of entering Yu Ying's room, probably even avoiding it altogether.
Yu Ying rolled up her sleeves and hobbled over to the water jar, scooping half a ladle of water to wash her hands.
The jar was only half-filled with water, never completely full.
She had noticed yesterday that the water was carried back from the river by Fu An in small half-basins.
Fu An had probably made around ten trips back and forth yesterday.
The weather was fiercely hot, and his thin, pale face was drenched in sweat, flushed red, his clothes so soaked they could wring out water. Yu Ying worried that one more trip might cause him to faint from heatstroke.
Feeling a sense of guilt using the water brought by the child not yet ten, Yu Ying planned to fetch some more water herself after examining the male lead's leg.
After washing her hands, Yu Ying looked at Luo, "I'm going to check on Erlang in the room now."
Luo nodded and then instructed the two grandsons, "You two wait outside."
Fu An pouted and reluctantly uttered an "Oh."
After giving her instructions, Luo slowly made her way into the house.
Yu Ying followed closely behind.
The room was dim, as the grass curtains over the windows were not lifted.
Yu Ying glanced at the male lead lying on the bamboo bed, his expression cold and detached.
Even as they entered, he remained motionless, his gaze fixed ahead, even though it was just a wall of thatch.
His eyes, devoid of any emotion, were like a still, lifeless pool of water, leaving others clueless about his thoughts.
In this dim environment, Yu Ying felt an oppressive and somber atmosphere.
She disliked this feeling.
Even though she was in a harsh environment, she wanted to live well and optimistically.
Yu Ying withdrew her gaze and the heavy thoughts, turning instead to roll up the grass curtain and hook it in place.
Rolling up the grass curtain let a faint morning light stream through the window, half of it falling on the floor and the other half on the foot of the bamboo bed.
The thatched cottage instantly brightened up significantly, dispersing the heavy, morbid atmosphere.
Yu Ying turned back, pulled over a bamboo stool to the bedside, and sat down.
She pulled a corner of the thin quilt to the edge of the bed, then looked at the male lead and said in a clear voice, “Give me your hand. I’ll take your pulse first, then check your leg injury.”
Fu Wei's eyelids flickered slightly as he turned to look at his nominal wife, her skin pale but marred by blotches of dark spots.
Fu Wei was well aware that he was forced to marry this unattractive wife as a means of revenge and humiliation against him.
Malicious, lazy, and unsightly – this was Fu Wei's impression of his wife over the past half month.
She wouldn't rise early if there was no benefit; what was her purpose in treating her own leg?
Whatever scheme she was concocting, Fu Wei had not the slightest interest.
He even felt that it wouldn't matter if she intended to harm him.
After a moment of silence, Fu Wei placed his hand on the corner of the quilt, palm facing upwards.
Seeing his cooperation, Yu Ying secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
It's not the incurable diseases that are feared, but the non-cooperative patients.
After all, even a common cold is hard to cure if the patient doesn't cooperate.
Yu Ying raised her hand, her pale, tender, callus-free fingertips touching his wrist, thin to the point of being almost fleshless.
As she felt his pulse, Yu Ying's expression gradually grew solemn.
Judging only by the man's appearance, he seemed quite spirited, but a closer examination revealed his foundation was severely depleted.
Chapter 5: Physical Depletion
In the deep, quiet hours of the night.
Yu Ying, who was deep in sleep, suddenly opened her eyes to a desolate darkness, with intermittent howling of wolves coming from outside.
The frightening sounds of the wild animals not only jolted Yu Ying awake but also reminded her of her current whereabouts.
Just now, she dreamt she was back in the modern era, celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival with her grandparents, parents, and sister.
They were enjoying the moonlight, laughing and talking, when her grandfather pointed towards the bright moon in the sky.
Yu Ying looked around, only to realize with shock that she was now alone, with no one else in sight.
It was at this moment in her dream that Yu Ying suddenly woke up.
Recalling her family, Yu Ying felt a sting in her eyes, and her eyes gradually reddened.
She had been suppressing her emotions for a long time, but finally, tears streamed down her face, and she covered her mouth tightly to muffle her sobs.
After a sleepless night, she got up from her bed as dawn began to break, having calmed her sadness.
Early in the morning, Luo Shi was already waiting outside Yu Ying’s door.
When Yu Ying lifted the grass curtain to step out, she saw Luo Shi standing outside, lost in thought, who didn't notice her emergence.
Yu Ying picked up the stick she used as a walking stick, tapping it lightly on the ground.
Hearing the sound, Luo Shi came back to reality and turned to face Yu Ying, her eyes cloudy and struggling to see in the dim morning light.
Luo Shi spoke softly, "Er Lang has agreed to let you treat his leg."
Yu Ying was slightly surprised; she hadn't expected the male protagonist to agree so easily.
She nodded in response, "I'll go and check on him once it gets a bit lighter."
Without oil lamps in the Fu household, it was nearly pitch black inside, making it impossible to examine the male protagonist’s condition.
Luo Shi exhaled and turned away, using her bamboo stick to navigate towards the fireplace in the courtyard to prepare breakfast.
Yu Ying watched Luo Shi’s retreating figure, then looked up at the faintly starlit sky, recalling her dream from the previous night. She sighed softly, burying all her sorrows deep in her heart.
As dawn broke and villagers began their farm work, Yu Ying looked at her foot, which was now half less swollen, and decided to take a basket from the yard to gather wild vegetables and herbs.
With the poor medical standards of ancient times, even a common cold could be lethal. Fortunately, her grandfather was an experienced traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and she had chosen to specialize in this field, giving her the skills to survive even in this destitute and backward era.
She planned to collect and dry some herbs for future emergencies.
Hearing the noise, Luo Shi’s ears twitched, and she looked towards the sound with a puzzled expression.
Due to her impaired vision, Luo Shi was unaware of what Yu Ying was doing.
Yu Ying, carrying a basket on her back and leaning on a stick, walked out of the courtyard.
The wild grasses along the country path looked overgrown, but almost all of them were medicinal herbs, which she collected as she identified them.
However, the usual wild vegetables seemed to have been picked already, likely by the villagers.
As the sky gradually brightened, Yu Ying, not paying attention, wandered further and further, unknowingly reaching the foot of the mountain.
She should have stopped, but after a moment's hesitation, she decided to venture a little way into the mountain.
Some precious herbs only grow in the mountains, and collecting more would be prudent for future needs.
Furthermore, when she used to accompany her grandfather into the mountains to learn about herbs, he often said that the mountains were full of treasures.
She wanted to see if there were any valuable items in the mountains that could earn her some money.
To change her current situation, she knew she couldn't just sit and wait for rescue; she had to take proactive steps.
Experienced in traversing the mountains, Yu Ying used her stick to clear the path and ward off snakes and insects in the undergrowth.
In less than half an hour, Yu Ying had already gathered a substantial collection.
Apart from the herbs not commonly found along the country paths, she also found a small patch of Yao Jin Niang (a valuable herb) in the bushes.
The so-called 'Yao Jinniang', commonly known as Nianzi in Lingnan, is a dark purple wild berry, the size of a fingertip, with a flower-like top. The fruit is particularly sweet when ripe.
She picked the ripe ones, and after a while, stopped with a little over a pound.
Besides wild berries, she also found some red mushrooms.
It had rained heavily in the days since her arrival, creating a conducive environment for fungi to grow.
Ancient people might have thought that all brightly colored fungi were poisonous, so these striking red mushrooms were left unpicked.
After eating flavorless wild vegetables for many days, the sight of these red mushrooms nearly moved Yu Ying to tears.
Even without oil, salt, or meat, just a simple stewed red mushroom soup would have a delicate umami taste, far superior to the boiled wild vegetables.
Moreover, these red mushrooms could be dried and stored as provisions.
In such impoverished conditions, Yu Ying became like a hamster, eager to gather anything edible.
Yu Ying harvested all the red mushrooms nearby, collecting about two pounds in total.
Fearing the villagers might suspect her of planning to poison the Fu family, she hid the red mushrooms at the bottom of her basket, covered by wild greens.
With many fierce beasts in the mountains, she didn't dare to be too greedy and didn't venture deep, turning back after collecting enough.
By the time she emerged from the mountains, it was already broad daylight, and a village woman in her forties changed her expression upon seeing her exit the forest.
Yu Ying walked past the woman with her head down. The woman glanced at the wild vegetables and herbs in her basket, frowning.
A few moments after Yu Ying passed, the woman's face displayed a struggle between caution and concern, eventually calling out, "Fu family's new bride, the mountains are dangerous, it's best not to go in."
Yu Ying paused in her steps and turned to look at the village woman.
Recognizing the woman's good intentions, she nodded and thanked her, saying, "Thank you for the reminder."
After expressing her gratitude, she turned and headed back.
The village woman's face showed a hint of surprise, having thought the Fu family's new bride would be difficult to interact with, yet she showed unexpected politeness.
Yu Ying returned to the Fu residence, where the three generations of the family were standing in the yard, seemingly waiting for her.
Without saying anything, she put down her basket. Considering they might need the basket, she emptied its contents.
Fu An and Fu Ning watched as she emptied the basket.
There were wild vegetables and fruits they recognized, as well as some wild herbs they did not.
Upon seeing the bright red mushrooms, Fu An's face turned pale. He rushed over, kicking them away and shouted, "These mushrooms are poisonous, you can't eat them."
Watching him ruin the red mushrooms, Yu Ying quickly stopped him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him aside, scolding in a low voice, "I know better than you whether they are poisonous or not."
Fu An, struggling to free his hand, called out to his grandmother, "Grandma, this bad woman wants to poison us, she picked poisonous red mushrooms!"
Yu Ying, annoyed by his noise, released his hand but blocked him to prevent further damage to the mushrooms.
With a stern face, she feigned a threatening tone, "I didn't say I'd feed them to you, they're for me to eat."
Fu An, distrustful, glared at her, "You just want to poison us all!"
Yu Ying, no longer bothering to explain, sighed looking at the worried Luo. She gathered the red mushrooms from the ground and said, "Just keep an eye on your cooking and don't touch my red mushrooms."
These were provisions after all, which could sustain them in case of any natural disasters leading to food shortages.
Luo, needing Yu to heal her son, hesitated but eventually sided with Yu Ying. She scolded her grandson, "Fu An, stop making a fuss."
Fu An protested, "But she..."
"Come here!" Luo called out firmly.
Reluctantly, Fu An returned to his grandmother's side, but his eyes remained fixed on Yu Ying.
Yu Ying, holding the red mushrooms in her skirt, went inside the house and placed them on the floor.
After coming out of the house, lifting the grass curtain, she warned Fu An, "Don't touch my things."
Fu An, just an eight-year-old child, was already somewhat afraid of the original host. Startled by Yu Ying's stern warning, he involuntarily stepped back.
After warning the older child, Yu Ying then looked at the little girl, only to see fear written in her timid, large eyes.
As soon as Yu Ying looked her way, the girl immediately hid behind Luo, tightly clutching her grandmother's skirt, clearly very scared.
……
This little girl was even less courageous than Fu An; she wouldn’t even think of entering Yu Ying's room, probably even avoiding it altogether.
Yu Ying rolled up her sleeves and hobbled over to the water jar, scooping half a ladle of water to wash her hands.
The jar was only half-filled with water, never completely full.
She had noticed yesterday that the water was carried back from the river by Fu An in small half-basins.
Fu An had probably made around ten trips back and forth yesterday.
The weather was fiercely hot, and his thin, pale face was drenched in sweat, flushed red, his clothes so soaked they could wring out water. Yu Ying worried that one more trip might cause him to faint from heatstroke.
Feeling a sense of guilt using the water brought by the child not yet ten, Yu Ying planned to fetch some more water herself after examining the male lead's leg.
After washing her hands, Yu Ying looked at Luo, "I'm going to check on Erlang in the room now."
Luo nodded and then instructed the two grandsons, "You two wait outside."
Fu An pouted and reluctantly uttered an "Oh."
After giving her instructions, Luo slowly made her way into the house.
Yu Ying followed closely behind.
The room was dim, as the grass curtains over the windows were not lifted.
Yu Ying glanced at the male lead lying on the bamboo bed, his expression cold and detached.
Even as they entered, he remained motionless, his gaze fixed ahead, even though it was just a wall of thatch.
His eyes, devoid of any emotion, were like a still, lifeless pool of water, leaving others clueless about his thoughts.
In this dim environment, Yu Ying felt an oppressive and somber atmosphere.
She disliked this feeling.
Even though she was in a harsh environment, she wanted to live well and optimistically.
Yu Ying withdrew her gaze and the heavy thoughts, turning instead to roll up the grass curtain and hook it in place.
Rolling up the grass curtain let a faint morning light stream through the window, half of it falling on the floor and the other half on the foot of the bamboo bed.
The thatched cottage instantly brightened up significantly, dispersing the heavy, morbid atmosphere.
Yu Ying turned back, pulled over a bamboo stool to the bedside, and sat down.
She pulled a corner of the thin quilt to the edge of the bed, then looked at the male lead and said in a clear voice, “Give me your hand. I’ll take your pulse first, then check your leg injury.”
Fu Wei's eyelids flickered slightly as he turned to look at his nominal wife, her skin pale but marred by blotches of dark spots.
Fu Wei was well aware that he was forced to marry this unattractive wife as a means of revenge and humiliation against him.
Malicious, lazy, and unsightly – this was Fu Wei's impression of his wife over the past half month.
She wouldn't rise early if there was no benefit; what was her purpose in treating her own leg?
Whatever scheme she was concocting, Fu Wei had not the slightest interest.
He even felt that it wouldn't matter if she intended to harm him.
After a moment of silence, Fu Wei placed his hand on the corner of the quilt, palm facing upwards.
Seeing his cooperation, Yu Ying secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
It's not the incurable diseases that are feared, but the non-cooperative patients.
After all, even a common cold is hard to cure if the patient doesn't cooperate.
Yu Ying raised her hand, her pale, tender, callus-free fingertips touching his wrist, thin to the point of being almost fleshless.
As she felt his pulse, Yu Ying's expression gradually grew solemn.
Judging only by the man's appearance, he seemed quite spirited, but a closer examination revealed his foundation was severely depleted.
