Chapter 55
In the early morning, with the faint dawn light, a ray of sunlight slipped through the gap in the window and fell on Yuying's face.
Yuying woke up shortly after.
The intermittent rain from yesterday had stopped in the middle of the night. Today the sun was out, warming the air a bit, but the wind still carried a touch of dryness.
Yuying got up, quickly freshened up, and quietly opened the door to peek outside.
Fawei, seeing her cautious demeanor, couldn't help but smile wryly, but then remembered the awkwardness of the previous night.
Yuying only saw Mrs. Luo in the courtyard and, not seeing the elder brother and his wife, felt relieved and stepped out.
Approaching the kitchen, she glanced at her elder brother's room before entering and whispered to Mrs. Luo, "Mother, haven't the elder brother and sister-in-law woken up yet?"
Mrs. Luo peered out and whispered back, "Your sister-in-law is shy; I suspect she won’t leave her room today."
Remembering the embarrassing sounds from yesterday, Yuying blushed slightly and spoke even softer, "Maybe she will come out the day after tomorrow?"
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conversed in hushed tones, as if conspiring.
Mrs. Luo thought for a moment, her brow slightly furrowed, "Not necessarily. Xiangniang is extremely shy. When she first got married, she ran home and hid after being teased by some gossipy women."
Yuying: …
That really is quite shy.
At that moment, the sound of a door opening came from the elder brother’s room, and the two immediately fell silent.
After quieting down, Mrs. Luo suddenly realized, "Why am I discussing this with Liuniang, who is still so young?"
Fuzhen entered the kitchen, seeing his mother and sister-in-law present, greeted them as usual, "Mother, sister-in-law."
Though Yuying felt awkward, she maintained a composed expression and responded, "Good morning, elder brother."
Fuzhen nodded and then went to rinse his mouth and wash his face.
Yuying glanced again at the elder brother’s room, noting the continued silence.
Knowing that usually, the sister-in-law sometimes rose earlier than Mrs. Luo, her absence indicated she was indeed too embarrassed to show her face...
During breakfast, Yuying took Fawei's portion back to the room. When she returned, she overheard Fuan asking, "Dad, where's mom?"
Standing outside the door, Yuying felt awkward about whether to enter or leave. Finally, she nonchalantly entered, ready to have breakfast with Fawei.
Fuzhen calmly answered his son, "Your mom is feeling a bit unwell today, so she's resting."
Carrying the porridge, Yuying said, "I'll go have breakfast with Erlang in the room."
As she left, she heard Fuan asking, "Dad, last night I think I heard a loud 'bang', what was that?"
Yuying quickened her steps, eager to get back to the room.
Although Funing couldn't speak yet, Fuan was quite talkative. Yuying had anticipated his questions about last night at breakfast, which is why she chose to eat in the room to avoid embarrassment.
Back in the room, Fawei shook his head resignedly seeing her with the porridge.
Seeing his expression, Yuying put the porridge on the table and stirred the hot egg porridge with a wooden spoon, muttering, "Fuan is too direct, even I can't handle his questions, let alone stay in the dining room."
Hearing this, Fawei recalled the nights he spent with Fuan, where he was almost left speechless by the boy's inquiries.
It wasn't just her who couldn't handle it; even he found it challenging.
After breakfast, Fuzhen brought food to his wife, then went to gather herbs.
With winter approaching, it was the best time to harvest root herbs for their maximum medicinal effect.
Yuying took advantage of the still mild weather to gather these herbs, planning to reduce trips into the mountains once it got colder.
The vast mountain ranges of Lingnan ensured that the herbs wouldn't be depleted despite their frequent harvesting.
Focused mainly on root herbs, even six people working together couldn't gather a large quantity.
Returning home at noon, Fuzhen went to fix the bamboo bed.
He told his wife that once they sold the herbs, they would buy a new bamboo bed and also prepare a small bed for their eldest son.
Wenxing, still troubled, paid him no mind.
After leaving the house, Fuzhen fixed up the chicken coop a bit as the weather was turning colder.
With nightfall, problems arose.
Even though the old bed was repaired, it couldn't bear the weight of an adult man like Fuzhen; it was only suitable for his wife and son.
After pondering for a while, Fuzhen decided to make do by laying a mat on the floor for a few nights.
Fuan, seeing his dad laying a mat on the floor, learned that he had to sleep there due to the broken bed.
After thinking for a bit, he had a sudden brainwave.
If Dad has nowhere to sleep, couldn't he use the small bed that his uncle currently occupies?
If Dad uses the small bed, wouldn't that mean his uncle and aunt have no reason to sleep separately?
Fuan had heard from village women that only couples who are not close sleep in separate beds, and over time, this leads to separation.
After separation, the husband would marry a new wife, and the wife would remarry another man.
Fuan, always having his aunt around, didn't want her to leave or marry another man, becoming someone else's aunt.
With this in mind, he quickly ran out to his uncle and aunt's room.
Due to the cold weather and dry wind, Yuying's face felt sore after her bath, and she noticed that Funing's little cheeks were somewhat red and cracked.
Yuying thought for a while and decided to make a face cream the next day.
Thinking of making face cream, Yuying remembered she had some herbs. Although she might lack one or two kinds, they should be available at the herbal shop. If she made and sold face cream in this weather, she could earn some silver!
Excited about this idea, Yuying shared it with Fawei, who was in the same room.
"What do you think about me making and selling face cream this winter?"
Fawei, who was reconstructing something in the room and moving slowly, stopped and turned to her, "You know how to make face cream?"
After asking, Fawei realized that since she knew medical skills, it was natural she might know how to make face cream too.
Yuying nodded, "I used to make my own face cream during my spare time, and it worked quite well."
Fawei pondered for a moment before asking her, "Are the materials needed to make face cream easy to find?"
Yuying mentally reviewed the recipes she knew for various face creams.
The simpler recipes required herbs not available in the Lingnan region.
The more complex ones were also missing one or two ingredients, but it was possible to substitute similar herbs.
However, some recipes required alcohol, which would increase the cost. If she were to sell at a stall, she couldn't charge too high a price.
After thinking it over, Yuying said, "I want to try making a small amount first, to see if I can reduce the costs."
Fawei nodded, supporting her, "Having an additional source of income is always good."
As they were discussing, the room door was suddenly knocked. Yuying opened it to find Fuan looking up at her.
Fuan pleaded, "Auntie, may I borrow uncle's small bed to sleep for a few nights?"
Yuying, puzzled at first, then understood as Fuan added, "Dad and mom's bed broke, and dad has to sleep on the floor. It's so cold, and we don't have extra blankets. I'm afraid dad will catch a cold, so can uncle and auntie sleep together and lend the small bed to dad for a few nights?"
Hearing Fuan's words, Fawei slightly narrowed his eyes and looked over.
"Ah Fu's gaze briefly passed over his aunt and into the room, locking eyes with his uncle."
"Sensing his uncle's thoughtful look, Ah Fu felt somewhat guilty, as if his little secret had been uncovered."
"Feeling guilty, he shifted his gaze back to his aunt, hesitantly saying, 'If it's not okay, I can go back.'"
"Yu Ying wasn't petty. She had already shared a bed with Fu Wei for quite some time, so a few more nights weren't a big deal, but it wasn’t her decision to make."
"She said, 'The small bed belongs to your uncle. Ask him, and if he agrees, then it's settled.'"
"Upon hearing this, Fu Wei slightly lowered his gaze, pondering the implication of her words – perhaps she meant for him to lend it... right?"
"Hesitating briefly, Ah Fu entered the room and asked, 'Uncle, would you mind lending the bed to father?'"
"After asking, he muttered softly to himself, 'If father sleeps on the floor, mother and I won’t be able to rest easy. What if he catches a cold...'"
"Fu Wei: ..."
"Such a young age and already adept at emotional manipulation. If he uses his intelligence in the right way, he could definitely be a promising individual in the future."
"Fu Wei, feeling resigned, said, 'Let your father come and move the bed then.'"
After speaking, Fu Wei tidied up the clothes on the bed, placing them on the table, and then stood up with the support of his crutches.
Hearing his uncle's agreement, Fu An's face lit up with joy, and he hurried back to tell his father the news.
Fu An relayed the information to his father and mother.
Wen Xing, hearing her son’s words, blushed deeply and covered her face with the quilt.
She was so embarrassed she couldn't face anyone, and her son had even gone to borrow a bed!
Fu Zhen thought it over and decided not to trouble his younger brother, so he went with his son.
Just as they stepped outside, they saw Fu Wei standing next to the small bed, speaking gently, “It’s getting colder. I’ll need your help with delivering the herbs, elder brother. Don’t catch a cold.”
Fu Zhen wondered when his brother had started showing such concern for him.
After pondering, Fu Zhen suspected that Fu Wei wanted to sleep with his wife and was using concern as a pretext to get him to move the bed.
Realizing this, Fu Zhen swallowed his refusal and asked instead, “If I move the bed, will it cause any inconvenience to you and sister-in-law?”
Yu Ying shook her head and replied, “The ground gets damp and cold, which can lead to illness. Elder brother, you should take the bed. Wei and I can manage.”
After thanking them, Fu Zhen moved the bamboo bed.
Watching her brother-in-law take the bed away, Yu Ying suddenly realized no one in the family had ever questioned why she and Fu Wei slept separately.
Perhaps they had already understood that their marriage was only in name, which is why they never inquired.
Since they understood and didn’t ask, Yu Ying felt no need to worry about it and was happy to enjoy her freedom.
After closing the room door, everyone went back to their respective beds.
Little Fu Ning, lying between his aunt and uncle, glanced at them and felt the warmth coming from both sides, smiling contentedly.
"The room gradually quietened as Fu Wei sensed that the two had fallen asleep, but his mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts."
It wasn't appropriate for him to share a bed with a woman under such vague circumstances, yet there were many things he couldn't bring himself to say in their current predicament.
Possessing nothing of value, with legs still not fully healed, residing in a mere humble hut, and facing an uncertain future, how could he dare to delay this fine lady?
Fu Wei sighed softly and closed his eyes to sleep.
A few days passed in a blink, and the deadline for delivery arrived.
When the contract was signed, the details of delivery weren't specified. The hundreds of pounds of herbs probably couldn't be transported in just one ox cart.
After pondering, Yu Ying decided to go to Penglai Inn to find Manager Luo, asking him to collect the medicinal herbs from Lingshui Village.
They were herb traders after all, naturally having carts specially for transporting herbs.
Having figured this out, Yu Ying asked her sister-in-law to accompany her to buy some grain to store, in case they couldn't frequently visit Yuxian due to bad weather.
On the third day after the bed collapsed, the shy Wen Xing finally came out of the house, but she always avoided her sister-in-law and mother-in-law.
However, after a few days, seeing them acting as usual, she gradually relaxed.
Upon reaching Yuxian, the two sisters-in-law went straight to Penglai Inn to inquire if Zhao Dong, who was buying herbs, had checked in.
The innkeeper said, "Zhao Dong hasn't checked in yet." After a moment's thought, he looked at Mrs. Yu and asked, "Has the agreed time come?"
Mrs. Yu's signing of the sales contract with the big herbalist was no secret in the inn.
To be honest, the innkeeper wasn't optimistic about this deal.
After all, these herb traders travel far and wide to purchase herbs; who could guarantee that they would return to the same place next time?
Yu Ying nodded, fell silent for a moment, then smiled and said to the innkeeper, "Since I can't frequently travel to Yuxian, if a Mr. Chen comes asking about Zhao Dong, please do me a favor and inform him."
The innkeeper nodded: "If Zhao Dong arrives, I will certainly inform him as promised."
After thanking the innkeeper, Yu Ying and her sister-in-law left the inn.
Once outside, her sister-in-law, with a worried expression, said: "Shouldn't merchants value their promises? The agreed time was set, so why hasn't he arrived?"
A look of concern deepened on Yu Ying's face.
If the date was set, he should have arrived early. But now it's the delivery day, and he's still not in Yuxian. Could something unexpected have happened?
Yu Ying sighed, saying, "Perhaps there's a delay on the road. It's normal to be a day or two late."
This comment seemed to be for her sister-in-law's reassurance, but it was also for herself.
She hoped it was just a delay and not some unforeseen complication.
With a heavy heart, Yu Ying and her sister-in-law headed to Wu's Restaurant.
The weather was getting cooler. Although mung bean jelly was no longer for sale, it was lunchtime, so she planned to have a bowl of noodles at Wu's.
Upon entering the restaurant and about to greet Manager Chen, he hurriedly said to her, "Mrs. Yu, I'm glad you've come."
Yu Ying was startled and asked, "Is there something you need, Manager Chen?"
Manager Chen smiled, "It's not about me, it's good news for you, Mrs. Yu."
Puzzled, Yu Ying then heard Manager Chen say, "Didn't you make a deal with the herbalist before? He has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Yu Ying quickly inquired, "Has Zhao Dong come to the restaurant?"
Manager Chen nodded and explained, "Yesterday, when the herbalist came for lunch, he left a message for you. He said that they have already settled on purchasing herbs from you this year and don't need to go to the medical hall for more. But they were worried about being disturbed by people from other medical halls at the inn, so they changed their lodging."
Hearing this, Yu Ying felt a great weight lifted from her heart.
Hearing the innkeeper's words at the inn had left her anxious, but fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm.
Chapter 55
In the early morning, with the faint dawn light, a ray of sunlight slipped through the gap in the window and fell on Yuying's face.
Yuying woke up shortly after.
The intermittent rain from yesterday had stopped in the middle of the night. Today the sun was out, warming the air a bit, but the wind still carried a touch of dryness.
Yuying got up, quickly freshened up, and quietly opened the door to peek outside.
Fawei, seeing her cautious demeanor, couldn't help but smile wryly, but then remembered the awkwardness of the previous night.
Yuying only saw Mrs. Luo in the courtyard and, not seeing the elder brother and his wife, felt relieved and stepped out.
Approaching the kitchen, she glanced at her elder brother's room before entering and whispered to Mrs. Luo, "Mother, haven't the elder brother and sister-in-law woken up yet?"
Mrs. Luo peered out and whispered back, "Your sister-in-law is shy; I suspect she won’t leave her room today."
Remembering the embarrassing sounds from yesterday, Yuying blushed slightly and spoke even softer, "Maybe she will come out the day after tomorrow?"
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conversed in hushed tones, as if conspiring.
Mrs. Luo thought for a moment, her brow slightly furrowed, "Not necessarily. Xiangniang is extremely shy. When she first got married, she ran home and hid after being teased by some gossipy women."
Yuying: …
That really is quite shy.
At that moment, the sound of a door opening came from the elder brother’s room, and the two immediately fell silent.
After quieting down, Mrs. Luo suddenly realized, "Why am I discussing this with Liuniang, who is still so young?"
Fuzhen entered the kitchen, seeing his mother and sister-in-law present, greeted them as usual, "Mother, sister-in-law."
Though Yuying felt awkward, she maintained a composed expression and responded, "Good morning, elder brother."
Fuzhen nodded and then went to rinse his mouth and wash his face.
Yuying glanced again at the elder brother’s room, noting the continued silence.
Knowing that usually, the sister-in-law sometimes rose earlier than Mrs. Luo, her absence indicated she was indeed too embarrassed to show her face...
During breakfast, Yuying took Fawei's portion back to the room. When she returned, she overheard Fuan asking, "Dad, where's mom?"
Standing outside the door, Yuying felt awkward about whether to enter or leave. Finally, she nonchalantly entered, ready to have breakfast with Fawei.
Fuzhen calmly answered his son, "Your mom is feeling a bit unwell today, so she's resting."
Carrying the porridge, Yuying said, "I'll go have breakfast with Erlang in the room."
As she left, she heard Fuan asking, "Dad, last night I think I heard a loud 'bang', what was that?"
Yuying quickened her steps, eager to get back to the room.
Although Funing couldn't speak yet, Fuan was quite talkative. Yuying had anticipated his questions about last night at breakfast, which is why she chose to eat in the room to avoid embarrassment.
Back in the room, Fawei shook his head resignedly seeing her with the porridge.
Seeing his expression, Yuying put the porridge on the table and stirred the hot egg porridge with a wooden spoon, muttering, "Fuan is too direct, even I can't handle his questions, let alone stay in the dining room."
Hearing this, Fawei recalled the nights he spent with Fuan, where he was almost left speechless by the boy's inquiries.
It wasn't just her who couldn't handle it; even he found it challenging.
After breakfast, Fuzhen brought food to his wife, then went to gather herbs.
With winter approaching, it was the best time to harvest root herbs for their maximum medicinal effect.
Yuying took advantage of the still mild weather to gather these herbs, planning to reduce trips into the mountains once it got colder.
The vast mountain ranges of Lingnan ensured that the herbs wouldn't be depleted despite their frequent harvesting.
Focused mainly on root herbs, even six people working together couldn't gather a large quantity.
Returning home at noon, Fuzhen went to fix the bamboo bed.
He told his wife that once they sold the herbs, they would buy a new bamboo bed and also prepare a small bed for their eldest son.
Wenxing, still troubled, paid him no mind.
After leaving the house, Fuzhen fixed up the chicken coop a bit as the weather was turning colder.
With nightfall, problems arose.
Even though the old bed was repaired, it couldn't bear the weight of an adult man like Fuzhen; it was only suitable for his wife and son.
After pondering for a while, Fuzhen decided to make do by laying a mat on the floor for a few nights.
Fuan, seeing his dad laying a mat on the floor, learned that he had to sleep there due to the broken bed.
After thinking for a bit, he had a sudden brainwave.
If Dad has nowhere to sleep, couldn't he use the small bed that his uncle currently occupies?
If Dad uses the small bed, wouldn't that mean his uncle and aunt have no reason to sleep separately?
Fuan had heard from village women that only couples who are not close sleep in separate beds, and over time, this leads to separation.
After separation, the husband would marry a new wife, and the wife would remarry another man.
Fuan, always having his aunt around, didn't want her to leave or marry another man, becoming someone else's aunt.
With this in mind, he quickly ran out to his uncle and aunt's room.
Due to the cold weather and dry wind, Yuying's face felt sore after her bath, and she noticed that Funing's little cheeks were somewhat red and cracked.
Yuying thought for a while and decided to make a face cream the next day.
Thinking of making face cream, Yuying remembered she had some herbs. Although she might lack one or two kinds, they should be available at the herbal shop. If she made and sold face cream in this weather, she could earn some silver!
Excited about this idea, Yuying shared it with Fawei, who was in the same room.
"What do you think about me making and selling face cream this winter?"
Fawei, who was reconstructing something in the room and moving slowly, stopped and turned to her, "You know how to make face cream?"
After asking, Fawei realized that since she knew medical skills, it was natural she might know how to make face cream too.
Yuying nodded, "I used to make my own face cream during my spare time, and it worked quite well."
Fawei pondered for a moment before asking her, "Are the materials needed to make face cream easy to find?"
Yuying mentally reviewed the recipes she knew for various face creams.
The simpler recipes required herbs not available in the Lingnan region.
The more complex ones were also missing one or two ingredients, but it was possible to substitute similar herbs.
However, some recipes required alcohol, which would increase the cost. If she were to sell at a stall, she couldn't charge too high a price.
After thinking it over, Yuying said, "I want to try making a small amount first, to see if I can reduce the costs."
Fawei nodded, supporting her, "Having an additional source of income is always good."
As they were discussing, the room door was suddenly knocked. Yuying opened it to find Fuan looking up at her.
Fuan pleaded, "Auntie, may I borrow uncle's small bed to sleep for a few nights?"
Yuying, puzzled at first, then understood as Fuan added, "Dad and mom's bed broke, and dad has to sleep on the floor. It's so cold, and we don't have extra blankets. I'm afraid dad will catch a cold, so can uncle and auntie sleep together and lend the small bed to dad for a few nights?"
Hearing Fuan's words, Fawei slightly narrowed his eyes and looked over.
"Ah Fu's gaze briefly passed over his aunt and into the room, locking eyes with his uncle."
"Sensing his uncle's thoughtful look, Ah Fu felt somewhat guilty, as if his little secret had been uncovered."
"Feeling guilty, he shifted his gaze back to his aunt, hesitantly saying, 'If it's not okay, I can go back.'"
"Yu Ying wasn't petty. She had already shared a bed with Fu Wei for quite some time, so a few more nights weren't a big deal, but it wasn’t her decision to make."
"She said, 'The small bed belongs to your uncle. Ask him, and if he agrees, then it's settled.'"
"Upon hearing this, Fu Wei slightly lowered his gaze, pondering the implication of her words – perhaps she meant for him to lend it... right?"
"Hesitating briefly, Ah Fu entered the room and asked, 'Uncle, would you mind lending the bed to father?'"
"After asking, he muttered softly to himself, 'If father sleeps on the floor, mother and I won’t be able to rest easy. What if he catches a cold...'"
"Fu Wei: ..."
"Such a young age and already adept at emotional manipulation. If he uses his intelligence in the right way, he could definitely be a promising individual in the future."
"Fu Wei, feeling resigned, said, 'Let your father come and move the bed then.'"
After speaking, Fu Wei tidied up the clothes on the bed, placing them on the table, and then stood up with the support of his crutches.
Hearing his uncle's agreement, Fu An's face lit up with joy, and he hurried back to tell his father the news.
Fu An relayed the information to his father and mother.
Wen Xing, hearing her son’s words, blushed deeply and covered her face with the quilt.
She was so embarrassed she couldn't face anyone, and her son had even gone to borrow a bed!
Fu Zhen thought it over and decided not to trouble his younger brother, so he went with his son.
Just as they stepped outside, they saw Fu Wei standing next to the small bed, speaking gently, “It’s getting colder. I’ll need your help with delivering the herbs, elder brother. Don’t catch a cold.”
Fu Zhen wondered when his brother had started showing such concern for him.
After pondering, Fu Zhen suspected that Fu Wei wanted to sleep with his wife and was using concern as a pretext to get him to move the bed.
Realizing this, Fu Zhen swallowed his refusal and asked instead, “If I move the bed, will it cause any inconvenience to you and sister-in-law?”
Yu Ying shook her head and replied, “The ground gets damp and cold, which can lead to illness. Elder brother, you should take the bed. Wei and I can manage.”
After thanking them, Fu Zhen moved the bamboo bed.
Watching her brother-in-law take the bed away, Yu Ying suddenly realized no one in the family had ever questioned why she and Fu Wei slept separately.
Perhaps they had already understood that their marriage was only in name, which is why they never inquired.
Since they understood and didn’t ask, Yu Ying felt no need to worry about it and was happy to enjoy her freedom.
After closing the room door, everyone went back to their respective beds.
Little Fu Ning, lying between his aunt and uncle, glanced at them and felt the warmth coming from both sides, smiling contentedly.
"The room gradually quietened as Fu Wei sensed that the two had fallen asleep, but his mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts."
It wasn't appropriate for him to share a bed with a woman under such vague circumstances, yet there were many things he couldn't bring himself to say in their current predicament.
Possessing nothing of value, with legs still not fully healed, residing in a mere humble hut, and facing an uncertain future, how could he dare to delay this fine lady?
Fu Wei sighed softly and closed his eyes to sleep.
A few days passed in a blink, and the deadline for delivery arrived.
When the contract was signed, the details of delivery weren't specified. The hundreds of pounds of herbs probably couldn't be transported in just one ox cart.
After pondering, Yu Ying decided to go to Penglai Inn to find Manager Luo, asking him to collect the medicinal herbs from Lingshui Village.
They were herb traders after all, naturally having carts specially for transporting herbs.
Having figured this out, Yu Ying asked her sister-in-law to accompany her to buy some grain to store, in case they couldn't frequently visit Yuxian due to bad weather.
On the third day after the bed collapsed, the shy Wen Xing finally came out of the house, but she always avoided her sister-in-law and mother-in-law.
However, after a few days, seeing them acting as usual, she gradually relaxed.
Upon reaching Yuxian, the two sisters-in-law went straight to Penglai Inn to inquire if Zhao Dong, who was buying herbs, had checked in.
The innkeeper said, "Zhao Dong hasn't checked in yet." After a moment's thought, he looked at Mrs. Yu and asked, "Has the agreed time come?"
Mrs. Yu's signing of the sales contract with the big herbalist was no secret in the inn.
To be honest, the innkeeper wasn't optimistic about this deal.
After all, these herb traders travel far and wide to purchase herbs; who could guarantee that they would return to the same place next time?
Yu Ying nodded, fell silent for a moment, then smiled and said to the innkeeper, "Since I can't frequently travel to Yuxian, if a Mr. Chen comes asking about Zhao Dong, please do me a favor and inform him."
The innkeeper nodded: "If Zhao Dong arrives, I will certainly inform him as promised."
After thanking the innkeeper, Yu Ying and her sister-in-law left the inn.
Once outside, her sister-in-law, with a worried expression, said: "Shouldn't merchants value their promises? The agreed time was set, so why hasn't he arrived?"
A look of concern deepened on Yu Ying's face.
If the date was set, he should have arrived early. But now it's the delivery day, and he's still not in Yuxian. Could something unexpected have happened?
Yu Ying sighed, saying, "Perhaps there's a delay on the road. It's normal to be a day or two late."
This comment seemed to be for her sister-in-law's reassurance, but it was also for herself.
She hoped it was just a delay and not some unforeseen complication.
With a heavy heart, Yu Ying and her sister-in-law headed to Wu's Restaurant.
The weather was getting cooler. Although mung bean jelly was no longer for sale, it was lunchtime, so she planned to have a bowl of noodles at Wu's.
Upon entering the restaurant and about to greet Manager Chen, he hurriedly said to her, "Mrs. Yu, I'm glad you've come."
Yu Ying was startled and asked, "Is there something you need, Manager Chen?"
Manager Chen smiled, "It's not about me, it's good news for you, Mrs. Yu."
Puzzled, Yu Ying then heard Manager Chen say, "Didn't you make a deal with the herbalist before? He has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Yu Ying quickly inquired, "Has Zhao Dong come to the restaurant?"
Manager Chen nodded and explained, "Yesterday, when the herbalist came for lunch, he left a message for you. He said that they have already settled on purchasing herbs from you this year and don't need to go to the medical hall for more. But they were worried about being disturbed by people from other medical halls at the inn, so they changed their lodging."
Hearing this, Yu Ying felt a great weight lifted from her heart.
Hearing the innkeeper's words at the inn had left her anxious, but fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm.
