Chapter 72.
After being apart for two days, the siblings had endless things to talk about upon reuniting.
While most of the conversation was dominated by Fu An's nonstop chatter, Fu Ning listened with giggles, her face filled with joyous smiles.
Fu An shared stories about the county town with his sister, about becoming friends with a boy next door.
He told her how he would wait at the alley entrance every day for their uncle to finish his duties.
He also spoke of missing his aunt and sister, as well as their father and mother, and the He family's ox, Niu Niu.
When Yu Ying returned after seeing Fu Wei out, she saw the siblings lying on Mrs. Luo's bed, chatting and laughing, bringing a gentle smile to her face.
After watching them for a while, Yu Ying yawned, feeling tired.
Perhaps because she was unaccustomed to having fewer people at home these past two nights, Yu Ying found herself sleeping poorly.
Not wanting to disturb the sibling's time together, she decided to rest in Fu Wei's room.
Before entering, she instructed Mrs. Luo to wake her up in half an hour.
Opening the door to Fu Wei's room, she found it as clean and tidy as she had left it, with a faint scent of medicinal herbs in the air.
The only difference was that the bamboo leaves on the branches had started to wilt slightly.
Yu Ying wondered if Fu Wei had been too busy even to find time to replace the bamboo branches.
Thinking it over, she decided to fetch some fresh bamboo branches after waking up.
She lay down on the bed, pulling the covers over her for a light sleep.
Waking up around the hour of Wei, she set out to find clay pots for the cream.
Using bamboo containers might not justify the price, as throughout history, packaging has always influenced the selling price.
The sky was overcast, the weather cold and gloomy. Yu Ying pulled her clothes tighter around her and left the house with a bamboo basket.
After wandering around half of Yu County, she found that many of the clay pots were unglazed, and even those glazed were quite rough.
Eventually, she found some decent small clay pots, but they cost five coins each and there were only about twenty available.
This was far from the hundred she needed.
Moreover, these small pots were not as exquisite as Yu Ying had hoped.
After some deliberation, Yu Ying decided to buy the twenty available pots anyway.
After purchasing the small clay pots, Yu Ying returned home.
Back at the rental, Fu Wei had already finished his duties and was home.
Yu Ying placed the clay pots down, washed her hands, and then joined Mrs. Luo to prepare dinner.
They made a simple meal of scrambled eggs with chives, chive soup, and a dish of green vegetables.
Before getting ready for bed, Yu Ying placed her bundle in Mrs. Luo's room and, while helping her to dry Fu Ning's hair, said, “Mother, tonight Ning Ning and I will sleep with you.”
Mrs. Luo was momentarily startled at this and involuntarily glanced towards the open door of the opposite room.
Her son was sitting at the table behind the window, engrossed in writing something.
Mrs. Luo, momentarily lost in thought, then smiled and responded, “Alright, I’ll get the bedding ready.”
She didn’t dare ask what was going on between Yu Ying and her son, fearing it might make Yu Ying uncomfortable and reluctant to stay at the Fu house any longer.
Although she clearly knew that Erlang and Yu Ying were not a real couple, she still felt maintaining the current situation was good enough.
Mrs. Luo might not ask, but that didn’t mean Fu An wouldn’t.
After bathing, Fu An saw his aunt in his grandmother's room and asked in surprise, “Auntie, why aren’t you sleeping in Uncle's room?”
His question made Mrs. Luo nervously glance at Yu Ying, worried it might make her uncomfortable.
Yu Ying smiled and fibbed to him, “Your uncle has to be on duty tomorrow. He can’t afford any mistakes at the government office, and I don’t sleep well in new places. I don’t want to disturb his rest.”
Fu Wei, who was just about to step out, heard this: “...”
He knew all too well how soundly she slept, having shared a bed with her for half a year.
And that night at the inn, she had barely moved at all.
"She really..."
"Knows how to deceive a child."
Fu Wei shook his head helplessly, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Fu An muttered in response, “But no matter how bad Auntie's sleeping habits might be, they can’t be worse than mine.”
Mrs. Luo nodded emphatically, fully agreeing.
Even Fu Ning chimed in, “Brother, sleep, not good.”
Yu Ying reminisced about the few nights she had spent sleeping next to Fu An.
True, she remembered him being quite restless, prone to sprawling over onto others.
Yu Ying looked towards Fu Wei, who had just stepped out of his room, and asked, “Did Fu An ever disturb your sleep when you two shared a bed?”
Fu Wei looked at her with a half-smile, “Compared to you, he’s on a completely different level.”
Yu Ying caught his hint of amusement and gave him a light glare, retorting, “Then you should be more accustomed to it.”
Hearing this, Fu An excitedly asked, “Does that mean Auntie might...”
Before he could finish, Yu Ying interrupted, “Tomorrow, I’ll take you, Ning Ning, and grandma to the morning market in Yu County. Do you want to go?”
Fu An's eyes lit up at the mention of going to the morning market in Yu County, “I want to go, I want to go! I have copper coins, I can buy things!”
Yu Ying smiled and asked him, “By the way, what have you been learning with your uncle these past two days?”
Fu An eagerly responded, “Wait a second!”
Excitedly, he ran back to fetch his small wooden sword, saying, “Uncle taught me swordsmanship and calligraphy!”
Yu Ying, busy with her own tasks in the previous days, only occasionally found time to teach Fu An and Fu Ning how to write.
Yu Ying encouraged, "Then show Auntie how you wield your sword."
Fu An instantly forgot the question he was about to ask and began demonstrating his swordplay with the wooden sword in the room.
Having only learned for two days, he knew just a few moves, but Yu Ying and Mrs. Luo applauded enthusiastically, with Ning Ning being the most supportive.
Little cheerleader Ning Ning clapped her small hands and said, “Brother, awesome.”
Fu Wei leaned against the doorway, watching the joyous scene with a gentle smile on his face.
As night fully descended, Yu Ying lay in bed pretending to sleep.
When Fu An realized what he had originally wanted to ask and saw his aunt seemingly asleep, he pouted in disappointment.
Fu Ning, puzzled as to how her aunt fell asleep so quickly, was about to call her when Fu An gestured for her to be quiet, whispering, “Don’t wake Auntie.”
Saying this, he quietly left the room, gently closing the door behind him.
As the door closed, Yu Ying opened her eyes and silently exhaled.
If Fu Wei couldn’t handle Fu An, she certainly couldn’t either.
Fu Ning, seeing her aunt suddenly awake, was surprised and her eyes widened.
Yu Ying softly hushed her and whispered, “We’ll sleep with grandma these next few nights, not with your brother or uncle.”
Gap-toothed Ning Ning grinned broadly and nodded enthusiastically, “Sleep with grandma.”
Yu Ying lifted the quilt, inviting her in.
Fu Ning, warm and snug, was immediately embraced by Yu Ying upon entering the bed, causing the little girl to giggle with joy.
Fearing the laughter would attract Fu An, Yu Ying quickly hushed her again.
The two, like mischievous conspirators, were full of smiles.
Meanwhile, Fu An returned to his room, disappointed. Seeing his uncle still up, writing by the lamplight, he muttered under his breath and flopped onto the bed, calling out dully, “Uncle.”
Fu Wei, continuing to write without pause, responded absentmindedly, "Hmm?"
Fu An turned over, gazing at the ceiling, and asked, "Can you bring auntie back to the room?"
Fu Wei's hand trembled, nearly ruining the half-written bamboo slip.
He glanced at the intact bamboo slip, silently exhaling in relief, and then listened to his nephew's words behind him.
"Uncle, why don't you ever call auntie to come back to the room to sleep?"
Fu Wei: ...
He sighed quietly, pondering how to respond, when his nephew spoke again.
"I always feel that you and auntie are different from other couples, but I can't pinpoint how."
Fu Wei's eyelids drooped slightly as he spoke softly, "What's different now, might become the same in the future."
These words were meant for Fu An to hear, and for himself as well.
Furrowing his brows, Fu An asked, "Then why can't it be like other couples now? If it were, could you and auntie give me and Ning Ning a little sister?"
Fu Wei: ...
Enough, no more beating around the bush.
"I still have work to do; you should go to sleep."
Fu An's frown deepened, his sense of security wavering, yet he couldn't figure out why.
After careful thought, he was still afraid that auntie might leave, afraid that he might never see her again.
Amidst these worries, he gradually fell asleep.
After finishing his work, Fu Wei turned around to find his nephew shivering in his sleep, his body curled up without a blanket.
Sighing in resignation, he walked over and covered his nephew with the quilt.
How could he not wish to be a true husband and wife? Yet, he knew her heart was filled with endless longing for the past, and given the chance, she would surely yearn to return to those days.
She didn't want to leave behind any attachments or cause unbearable longing for those left here if the opportunity to return ever arose.
Even though they were not husband and wife now, her departure would still leave him longing painfully…
Dawn broke with the weather turning even colder and damper, the clothes inadequate against the chill.
After washing with warm water, Yu Ying saw the two children and the elder shivering, their necks hunched, and thought to herself that she needed to remember how to knit sweaters.
She had knitted sweaters during her university days, but it had been years, and her memory was hazy. The journey to Cangwu County would take days, giving her time to recall.
Back in the house, the siblings lined up, tilting their little faces upwards, waiting for Yu Ying to apply face cream.
Children's skin is different from adults', so it's best not to use the same face cream. Therefore, Yu Ying had made two jars of mutton fat cream without any medicinal herbs the last time she made a new batch.
She scooped some onto her fingertips and dotted it onto their faces, then let them spread it evenly themselves.
Fu An vigorously rubbed his face as if it were clothing, while Fu Ning, a gentle little girl, softly and meticulously applied it, imitating Yu Ying's usual method.
After applying the cream, they came out to find Fu Wei had finished his breakfast and was preparing to go on duty.
Fu An ran ahead to push his uncle out of the alley, then dashed back.
Nowadays, Fu Wei had become increasingly accustomed to using a wheelchair, so much so that Yu Ying almost doubted if his legs had become lame again, had she not seen him walking in the morning.
After they finished breakfast, they all left the house together.
Not having seen Mrs. Yu of the Fu family for two days, people were curious when they saw her today, asking, "Mrs. Yu, where have you been these past two days?"
Yu Ying, always wearing a gentle smile, replied, "I was busy with some matters in the village, and came to the town once I was free."
Upon hearing this, some people's expressions turned peculiar, casting a surreptitious glance at Luo Shi.
They thought to themselves that usually, it's the elderly who stay back in the hometown to look after the fields, while the young couple lives in the city.
But the Fu family was peculiar, leaving such a young wife in the hometown; weren't they afraid she would get lonely...
The thought stopped abruptly when they remembered that the second son of the Fu family was disabled.
If she wanted to be unfaithful, she would have done it regardless of her husband's absence.
With this in mind, they watched the group walking towards the end of the alley, feeling a bit sorry that Mrs. Yu had married a disabled man.
Yu Ying, accompanied by Luo Shi and the two children, arrived at the bustling East Market.
The lively scene dazzled the children, their large eyes filled with curiosity as they looked around.
Yu Ying bought each of them a steamed bun to nibble on as they walked.
She visited a mutton stall, purchasing about five jin (approximately 2.5 kilograms) of sheep tail fat for eighty-five wen.
This weather was suitable for eating mutton, but Yu Ying planned to buy more and indulge in a feast after returning from Cangwu County, so she only bought one jin (approximately 0.5 kilograms) of lean meat.
Ordinary pork cost twelve wen per jin, but buying only lean meat cost nine wen per jin.
After buying lean meat, Yu Ying also bought five jin of rice flour at ten wen per jin, planning to prepare it for breakfast for Fu Wei in Yu County.
Recently, the days were shorter and nights longer. Fu Wei had to get up before dawn to prepare for duty, so Mrs. Luo also had to rise early to make breakfast for him.
Yu Ying heard that after the younger uncle made breakfast once, the grandmother started waking up even earlier, just to let the uncle sleep a bit more.
Hearing this, Yu Ying thought of preparing rice cakes the night before, so Fu Wei could simply heat them up for breakfast the next day.
When Yu Ying was weighing the rice flour, she turned and saw Fu An and Fu Ning squatting in front of a small stall selling silk flowers, watched over by Mrs. Luo.
The silk flower seller was a young woman with only a backpack in front of her.
A winnowing basket was placed on top of the backpack, containing ten cloth flowers.
These cloth flowers, made from coarse fabric, were about the size of little Fu Ning's fist, priced at one wen each.
Although made from rough materials, their design was quite decent.
Fu Ning pointed to one of them, and Fu An immediately chose three more.
He carefully counted out four copper coins and handed them reluctantly to the silk flower seller.
After receiving the silk flowers, he gave the red one to his sister and a dark blue one to his grandmother, deeply moving Mrs. Luo with tears welling up in her eyes.
Fu An then ran to Yu Ying and handed her a light blue silk flower.
"Auntie, this is a gift for you!"
Yu Ying, looking at Fu An's radiant face, was touched. She took the silk flower and softly said, "Thank you."
Fu An smiled as he arranged another apricot-yellow silk flower, planning to give it to his mother the next time he saw her.
In the county office's study, Fu Wei placed the proposals he had written in the last two days on the desk of Zhou, the county magistrate.
Three bamboo scrolls were arranged in order.
Zhou, the county magistrate, gave him a meaningful look before picking up the scrolls to review.
In the study were also Qian and Sun, two advisors.
Their brows furrowed slightly as they looked at Fu Wei, who had been stirring things up since joining the office just a few days ago.
They wondered what he had said to the magistrate, who had been calling him into the study for half an hour at a time over the past few days.
They felt a sense of crisis.
Zhou, the county magistrate, finished reading one scroll and then picked up the second.
It took him only a short time to read through all three scrolls.
After putting down the third scroll, Zhou turned to the two advisors and said, "You should take a look as well."
Hearing this, Advisor Qian stepped forward to take the first scroll, and Advisor Sun leaned in to read it too.
The first sentence read: "The arable land in Jade County is limited, but the hillside is vast. Planting medicinal herbs and beans, adapting crops to local conditions, is indeed the best strategy."
Upon reading this, Advisor Sun chuckled mockingly, "Though there may be many hillsides, they need to be cultivated and taxed. A mu of land yields only three to four dou of soybeans, and a dou sells for merely seventy to eighty wen. With a yearly rent of two hundred wen per mu for the hillside, what will they have left to eat after paying?"
Advisor Qian frowned and said displeasedly, "Can you please finish reading before commenting?"
The county magistrate Zhou also glanced at Sun with a mild expression, "Mr. Sun, please read it through first."
Hearing this, Sun's face reddened slightly and he nodded, continuing to read.
The proposal also clearly stated that after planting medicinal herbs, the yamen would form a protection squad with the locals to buy the herbs and transport them northward. On the return trip, they would purchase local herbs from the north to sell in the south.
This way, the carts would not return empty and could earn double the profit.
The next scroll mentioned that for the first three years of cultivation, the tax would be no more than a hundred wen. Planting soybeans was a temporary solution for sustenance. Soybeans were easy to manage and would allow the people more time to cultivate medicinal herbs.
After three years, when the people had some savings, they could rent better farmland or cultivate new fields, eliminating the need to plant soybeans on the hillsides.
The third scroll suggested that the villagers could initially owe the rent and pay it back after the harvest, along with a small interest.
These three scrolls clearly outlined all the strategies.
After reading, Sun remained silent, his brow deeply furrowed.
Qian put down the scroll and looked at Fu Wei, "Is there really such a high demand for medicinal herbs?"
Fu Wei replied with a faint smile, "Wherever there are people, there are illnesses. The demand for medicine peaks in the spring and winter seasons. Even a small county like Jade County has six to seven thousand people. If a thousand people use half a jin of medicine yearly, that's five hundred jin, not to mention larger counties and multiple jurisdictions."
Zhou, the county magistrate, glanced at Fu Wei, noting that he had indeed gathered some insights over the past few days.
Sun scoffed, "Not everyone falls ill, and the poor can't afford medicine. They just endure their illnesses; there's no need for so much medicine."
Fu Wei calmly responded, "That's why I mentioned a thousand people."
Sun was momentarily at a loss for words.
Zhou, the county magistrate, sighed inwardly as he looked at Sun.
Being a native of Jade County with no exposure to the outside world, his perspective was limited to this small place.
Initially, he was chosen because, as a newcomer to Jade County, I needed a local to manage affairs, which led to the recruitment of the most learned man in the area.
But three years have passed, and this Advisor Sun has become too fixated on the petty power within this small scope of Jade County.
His vision and thoughts are too narrow.
Advisor Qian glanced at Fu Wei and then said to the magistrate, "I believe this strategy could be further refined."
If even Advisor Qian finds it feasible, then it certainly has some merit.
Yu Ying had prepared twenty jars of face cream by midday.
Fu Wei was off duty at noon, and logically, even with some delay, he should have been back by the first quarter of the hour. His absence at this time was worrying, so Yu Ying, accompanied by Fu Ning, went out to look for him at the yamen.
Just as they stepped into the alley, they saw Fu Wei returning.
Yu Ying approached to push the wheelchair and asked, "Why are you so late in returning?"
Fu Wei replied, "The discussion at the office ran late today, and the magistrate asked me to return by the time of Wei."
Wei is still over half an hour away.
"Does that mean you can rest a bit longer now?"
The two chatted as they returned home.
After washing his hands, Fu Wei entered the main hall and saw the twenty jars of face cream, asking, "Didn’t you plan to prepare a hundred jars?"
Yu Ying answered, "The pottery style in Jade County is rough. I thought I could make the cream anywhere, so I decided to make it when we go to Cangwu County and pick some nicer pottery there."
Fu Wei did some quick calculations and asked, "Doesn't that mean we'll be gone for about ten days?"
Yu Ying thought for a moment and nodded, "Roughly that long. Six days for the round trip, and we'll spend some silver to stay in villages along the way."
Fu Wei slightly furrowed his brows.
Yu Ying, understanding his concern, smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, we'll be vigilant. I'll carry the medicine powder and the repeating crossbow, and your eldest brother will be with us. Don't forget, after your training, he can take on seven opponents at once."
Fu Wei didn't want her to go, but he knew her decision was made after careful consideration and she had her reasons.
He sighed deeply and said solemnly, "As always, be extremely careful in everything."
Yu Ying nodded, "I will be."
Yu Ying arranged for an ox cart for their journey to Cangwu County. Given the long distance, the round trip fare was eighty wen, including food and lodging.
Yu Ying agreed to provide lodging, suggesting the driver could share a room with her elder brother Song Sanlang. However, she would only pay two wen per day for food, insisting on finding another driver if this was unacceptable.
Without much fuss, the driver eventually agreed.
Today, her elder brother and others arrived in the county town. After lunch at home, they all changed into old clothes.
They knew the wisdom of not displaying wealth ostentatiously.
Though their new clothes were not fancy, they were patch-free and relatively new, indicating modest wealth.
It was hard not to worry about attracting the wrong attention from those driven by desperation; caution was essential.
The sight of her elder brother's old clothes was almost unbearable, so they ended up dressing him in Song Sanlang's old clothes, while Yu Ying and her sister-in-law wore Mrs. Luo's old clothes.
Though the fits weren't perfect, they were passable.
Before leaving, Fu Wei called Yu Ying into the house.
Seeing Yu Ying in clothes full of patches, Fu Wei felt unaccustomed and quickly averted his gaze after a brief look.
He said to her, "Even if the face cream doesn't sell, don't be disheartened. We'll think of other ways when you return."
Yu Ying joked, "Good wine needs no bush."
After a shared smile, she spoke earnestly, "I've considered the possibility of making a loss, but even if I do, I can afford it."
She wouldn't hesitate for fear of losses. Rather than standing still, she preferred to take the risk.
"They are all waiting for me, I should go now."
Yu Ying smiled and turned to leave, but suddenly a low voice came from behind, "A-Ying."
Yu Ying paused mid-step and turned back to look at him.
In Fu Wei's deep black eyes was a warmth that said, "I'll be waiting here for your return."
Meeting his gaze, Yu Ying's heart trembled slightly, then she nodded gently, "Okay."
After responding, she turned around, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
As Yu Ying left, the courtyard, even filled with people talking and the noise of children and adults next door, seemed very quiet to Fu Wei, just like the night she left the small courtyard.
Chapter 72.
After being apart for two days, the siblings had endless things to talk about upon reuniting.
While most of the conversation was dominated by Fu An's nonstop chatter, Fu Ning listened with giggles, her face filled with joyous smiles.
Fu An shared stories about the county town with his sister, about becoming friends with a boy next door.
He told her how he would wait at the alley entrance every day for their uncle to finish his duties.
He also spoke of missing his aunt and sister, as well as their father and mother, and the He family's ox, Niu Niu.
When Yu Ying returned after seeing Fu Wei out, she saw the siblings lying on Mrs. Luo's bed, chatting and laughing, bringing a gentle smile to her face.
After watching them for a while, Yu Ying yawned, feeling tired.
Perhaps because she was unaccustomed to having fewer people at home these past two nights, Yu Ying found herself sleeping poorly.
Not wanting to disturb the sibling's time together, she decided to rest in Fu Wei's room.
Before entering, she instructed Mrs. Luo to wake her up in half an hour.
Opening the door to Fu Wei's room, she found it as clean and tidy as she had left it, with a faint scent of medicinal herbs in the air.
The only difference was that the bamboo leaves on the branches had started to wilt slightly.
Yu Ying wondered if Fu Wei had been too busy even to find time to replace the bamboo branches.
Thinking it over, she decided to fetch some fresh bamboo branches after waking up.
She lay down on the bed, pulling the covers over her for a light sleep.
Waking up around the hour of Wei, she set out to find clay pots for the cream.
Using bamboo containers might not justify the price, as throughout history, packaging has always influenced the selling price.
The sky was overcast, the weather cold and gloomy. Yu Ying pulled her clothes tighter around her and left the house with a bamboo basket.
After wandering around half of Yu County, she found that many of the clay pots were unglazed, and even those glazed were quite rough.
Eventually, she found some decent small clay pots, but they cost five coins each and there were only about twenty available.
This was far from the hundred she needed.
Moreover, these small pots were not as exquisite as Yu Ying had hoped.
After some deliberation, Yu Ying decided to buy the twenty available pots anyway.
After purchasing the small clay pots, Yu Ying returned home.
Back at the rental, Fu Wei had already finished his duties and was home.
Yu Ying placed the clay pots down, washed her hands, and then joined Mrs. Luo to prepare dinner.
They made a simple meal of scrambled eggs with chives, chive soup, and a dish of green vegetables.
Before getting ready for bed, Yu Ying placed her bundle in Mrs. Luo's room and, while helping her to dry Fu Ning's hair, said, “Mother, tonight Ning Ning and I will sleep with you.”
Mrs. Luo was momentarily startled at this and involuntarily glanced towards the open door of the opposite room.
Her son was sitting at the table behind the window, engrossed in writing something.
Mrs. Luo, momentarily lost in thought, then smiled and responded, “Alright, I’ll get the bedding ready.”
She didn’t dare ask what was going on between Yu Ying and her son, fearing it might make Yu Ying uncomfortable and reluctant to stay at the Fu house any longer.
Although she clearly knew that Erlang and Yu Ying were not a real couple, she still felt maintaining the current situation was good enough.
Mrs. Luo might not ask, but that didn’t mean Fu An wouldn’t.
After bathing, Fu An saw his aunt in his grandmother's room and asked in surprise, “Auntie, why aren’t you sleeping in Uncle's room?”
His question made Mrs. Luo nervously glance at Yu Ying, worried it might make her uncomfortable.
Yu Ying smiled and fibbed to him, “Your uncle has to be on duty tomorrow. He can’t afford any mistakes at the government office, and I don’t sleep well in new places. I don’t want to disturb his rest.”
Fu Wei, who was just about to step out, heard this: “...”
He knew all too well how soundly she slept, having shared a bed with her for half a year.
And that night at the inn, she had barely moved at all.
"She really..."
"Knows how to deceive a child."
Fu Wei shook his head helplessly, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Fu An muttered in response, “But no matter how bad Auntie's sleeping habits might be, they can’t be worse than mine.”
Mrs. Luo nodded emphatically, fully agreeing.
Even Fu Ning chimed in, “Brother, sleep, not good.”
Yu Ying reminisced about the few nights she had spent sleeping next to Fu An.
True, she remembered him being quite restless, prone to sprawling over onto others.
Yu Ying looked towards Fu Wei, who had just stepped out of his room, and asked, “Did Fu An ever disturb your sleep when you two shared a bed?”
Fu Wei looked at her with a half-smile, “Compared to you, he’s on a completely different level.”
Yu Ying caught his hint of amusement and gave him a light glare, retorting, “Then you should be more accustomed to it.”
Hearing this, Fu An excitedly asked, “Does that mean Auntie might...”
Before he could finish, Yu Ying interrupted, “Tomorrow, I’ll take you, Ning Ning, and grandma to the morning market in Yu County. Do you want to go?”
Fu An's eyes lit up at the mention of going to the morning market in Yu County, “I want to go, I want to go! I have copper coins, I can buy things!”
Yu Ying smiled and asked him, “By the way, what have you been learning with your uncle these past two days?”
Fu An eagerly responded, “Wait a second!”
Excitedly, he ran back to fetch his small wooden sword, saying, “Uncle taught me swordsmanship and calligraphy!”
Yu Ying, busy with her own tasks in the previous days, only occasionally found time to teach Fu An and Fu Ning how to write.
Yu Ying encouraged, "Then show Auntie how you wield your sword."
Fu An instantly forgot the question he was about to ask and began demonstrating his swordplay with the wooden sword in the room.
Having only learned for two days, he knew just a few moves, but Yu Ying and Mrs. Luo applauded enthusiastically, with Ning Ning being the most supportive.
Little cheerleader Ning Ning clapped her small hands and said, “Brother, awesome.”
Fu Wei leaned against the doorway, watching the joyous scene with a gentle smile on his face.
As night fully descended, Yu Ying lay in bed pretending to sleep.
When Fu An realized what he had originally wanted to ask and saw his aunt seemingly asleep, he pouted in disappointment.
Fu Ning, puzzled as to how her aunt fell asleep so quickly, was about to call her when Fu An gestured for her to be quiet, whispering, “Don’t wake Auntie.”
Saying this, he quietly left the room, gently closing the door behind him.
As the door closed, Yu Ying opened her eyes and silently exhaled.
If Fu Wei couldn’t handle Fu An, she certainly couldn’t either.
Fu Ning, seeing her aunt suddenly awake, was surprised and her eyes widened.
Yu Ying softly hushed her and whispered, “We’ll sleep with grandma these next few nights, not with your brother or uncle.”
Gap-toothed Ning Ning grinned broadly and nodded enthusiastically, “Sleep with grandma.”
Yu Ying lifted the quilt, inviting her in.
Fu Ning, warm and snug, was immediately embraced by Yu Ying upon entering the bed, causing the little girl to giggle with joy.
Fearing the laughter would attract Fu An, Yu Ying quickly hushed her again.
The two, like mischievous conspirators, were full of smiles.
Meanwhile, Fu An returned to his room, disappointed. Seeing his uncle still up, writing by the lamplight, he muttered under his breath and flopped onto the bed, calling out dully, “Uncle.”
Fu Wei, continuing to write without pause, responded absentmindedly, "Hmm?"
Fu An turned over, gazing at the ceiling, and asked, "Can you bring auntie back to the room?"
Fu Wei's hand trembled, nearly ruining the half-written bamboo slip.
He glanced at the intact bamboo slip, silently exhaling in relief, and then listened to his nephew's words behind him.
"Uncle, why don't you ever call auntie to come back to the room to sleep?"
Fu Wei: ...
He sighed quietly, pondering how to respond, when his nephew spoke again.
"I always feel that you and auntie are different from other couples, but I can't pinpoint how."
Fu Wei's eyelids drooped slightly as he spoke softly, "What's different now, might become the same in the future."
These words were meant for Fu An to hear, and for himself as well.
Furrowing his brows, Fu An asked, "Then why can't it be like other couples now? If it were, could you and auntie give me and Ning Ning a little sister?"
Fu Wei: ...
Enough, no more beating around the bush.
"I still have work to do; you should go to sleep."
Fu An's frown deepened, his sense of security wavering, yet he couldn't figure out why.
After careful thought, he was still afraid that auntie might leave, afraid that he might never see her again.
Amidst these worries, he gradually fell asleep.
After finishing his work, Fu Wei turned around to find his nephew shivering in his sleep, his body curled up without a blanket.
Sighing in resignation, he walked over and covered his nephew with the quilt.
How could he not wish to be a true husband and wife? Yet, he knew her heart was filled with endless longing for the past, and given the chance, she would surely yearn to return to those days.
She didn't want to leave behind any attachments or cause unbearable longing for those left here if the opportunity to return ever arose.
Even though they were not husband and wife now, her departure would still leave him longing painfully…
Dawn broke with the weather turning even colder and damper, the clothes inadequate against the chill.
After washing with warm water, Yu Ying saw the two children and the elder shivering, their necks hunched, and thought to herself that she needed to remember how to knit sweaters.
She had knitted sweaters during her university days, but it had been years, and her memory was hazy. The journey to Cangwu County would take days, giving her time to recall.
Back in the house, the siblings lined up, tilting their little faces upwards, waiting for Yu Ying to apply face cream.
Children's skin is different from adults', so it's best not to use the same face cream. Therefore, Yu Ying had made two jars of mutton fat cream without any medicinal herbs the last time she made a new batch.
She scooped some onto her fingertips and dotted it onto their faces, then let them spread it evenly themselves.
Fu An vigorously rubbed his face as if it were clothing, while Fu Ning, a gentle little girl, softly and meticulously applied it, imitating Yu Ying's usual method.
After applying the cream, they came out to find Fu Wei had finished his breakfast and was preparing to go on duty.
Fu An ran ahead to push his uncle out of the alley, then dashed back.
Nowadays, Fu Wei had become increasingly accustomed to using a wheelchair, so much so that Yu Ying almost doubted if his legs had become lame again, had she not seen him walking in the morning.
After they finished breakfast, they all left the house together.
Not having seen Mrs. Yu of the Fu family for two days, people were curious when they saw her today, asking, "Mrs. Yu, where have you been these past two days?"
Yu Ying, always wearing a gentle smile, replied, "I was busy with some matters in the village, and came to the town once I was free."
Upon hearing this, some people's expressions turned peculiar, casting a surreptitious glance at Luo Shi.
They thought to themselves that usually, it's the elderly who stay back in the hometown to look after the fields, while the young couple lives in the city.
But the Fu family was peculiar, leaving such a young wife in the hometown; weren't they afraid she would get lonely...
The thought stopped abruptly when they remembered that the second son of the Fu family was disabled.
If she wanted to be unfaithful, she would have done it regardless of her husband's absence.
With this in mind, they watched the group walking towards the end of the alley, feeling a bit sorry that Mrs. Yu had married a disabled man.
Yu Ying, accompanied by Luo Shi and the two children, arrived at the bustling East Market.
The lively scene dazzled the children, their large eyes filled with curiosity as they looked around.
Yu Ying bought each of them a steamed bun to nibble on as they walked.
She visited a mutton stall, purchasing about five jin (approximately 2.5 kilograms) of sheep tail fat for eighty-five wen.
This weather was suitable for eating mutton, but Yu Ying planned to buy more and indulge in a feast after returning from Cangwu County, so she only bought one jin (approximately 0.5 kilograms) of lean meat.
Ordinary pork cost twelve wen per jin, but buying only lean meat cost nine wen per jin.
After buying lean meat, Yu Ying also bought five jin of rice flour at ten wen per jin, planning to prepare it for breakfast for Fu Wei in Yu County.
Recently, the days were shorter and nights longer. Fu Wei had to get up before dawn to prepare for duty, so Mrs. Luo also had to rise early to make breakfast for him.
Yu Ying heard that after the younger uncle made breakfast once, the grandmother started waking up even earlier, just to let the uncle sleep a bit more.
Hearing this, Yu Ying thought of preparing rice cakes the night before, so Fu Wei could simply heat them up for breakfast the next day.
When Yu Ying was weighing the rice flour, she turned and saw Fu An and Fu Ning squatting in front of a small stall selling silk flowers, watched over by Mrs. Luo.
The silk flower seller was a young woman with only a backpack in front of her.
A winnowing basket was placed on top of the backpack, containing ten cloth flowers.
These cloth flowers, made from coarse fabric, were about the size of little Fu Ning's fist, priced at one wen each.
Although made from rough materials, their design was quite decent.
Fu Ning pointed to one of them, and Fu An immediately chose three more.
He carefully counted out four copper coins and handed them reluctantly to the silk flower seller.
After receiving the silk flowers, he gave the red one to his sister and a dark blue one to his grandmother, deeply moving Mrs. Luo with tears welling up in her eyes.
Fu An then ran to Yu Ying and handed her a light blue silk flower.
"Auntie, this is a gift for you!"
Yu Ying, looking at Fu An's radiant face, was touched. She took the silk flower and softly said, "Thank you."
Fu An smiled as he arranged another apricot-yellow silk flower, planning to give it to his mother the next time he saw her.
In the county office's study, Fu Wei placed the proposals he had written in the last two days on the desk of Zhou, the county magistrate.
Three bamboo scrolls were arranged in order.
Zhou, the county magistrate, gave him a meaningful look before picking up the scrolls to review.
In the study were also Qian and Sun, two advisors.
Their brows furrowed slightly as they looked at Fu Wei, who had been stirring things up since joining the office just a few days ago.
They wondered what he had said to the magistrate, who had been calling him into the study for half an hour at a time over the past few days.
They felt a sense of crisis.
Zhou, the county magistrate, finished reading one scroll and then picked up the second.
It took him only a short time to read through all three scrolls.
After putting down the third scroll, Zhou turned to the two advisors and said, "You should take a look as well."
Hearing this, Advisor Qian stepped forward to take the first scroll, and Advisor Sun leaned in to read it too.
The first sentence read: "The arable land in Jade County is limited, but the hillside is vast. Planting medicinal herbs and beans, adapting crops to local conditions, is indeed the best strategy."
Upon reading this, Advisor Sun chuckled mockingly, "Though there may be many hillsides, they need to be cultivated and taxed. A mu of land yields only three to four dou of soybeans, and a dou sells for merely seventy to eighty wen. With a yearly rent of two hundred wen per mu for the hillside, what will they have left to eat after paying?"
Advisor Qian frowned and said displeasedly, "Can you please finish reading before commenting?"
The county magistrate Zhou also glanced at Sun with a mild expression, "Mr. Sun, please read it through first."
Hearing this, Sun's face reddened slightly and he nodded, continuing to read.
The proposal also clearly stated that after planting medicinal herbs, the yamen would form a protection squad with the locals to buy the herbs and transport them northward. On the return trip, they would purchase local herbs from the north to sell in the south.
This way, the carts would not return empty and could earn double the profit.
The next scroll mentioned that for the first three years of cultivation, the tax would be no more than a hundred wen. Planting soybeans was a temporary solution for sustenance. Soybeans were easy to manage and would allow the people more time to cultivate medicinal herbs.
After three years, when the people had some savings, they could rent better farmland or cultivate new fields, eliminating the need to plant soybeans on the hillsides.
The third scroll suggested that the villagers could initially owe the rent and pay it back after the harvest, along with a small interest.
These three scrolls clearly outlined all the strategies.
After reading, Sun remained silent, his brow deeply furrowed.
Qian put down the scroll and looked at Fu Wei, "Is there really such a high demand for medicinal herbs?"
Fu Wei replied with a faint smile, "Wherever there are people, there are illnesses. The demand for medicine peaks in the spring and winter seasons. Even a small county like Jade County has six to seven thousand people. If a thousand people use half a jin of medicine yearly, that's five hundred jin, not to mention larger counties and multiple jurisdictions."
Zhou, the county magistrate, glanced at Fu Wei, noting that he had indeed gathered some insights over the past few days.
Sun scoffed, "Not everyone falls ill, and the poor can't afford medicine. They just endure their illnesses; there's no need for so much medicine."
Fu Wei calmly responded, "That's why I mentioned a thousand people."
Sun was momentarily at a loss for words.
Zhou, the county magistrate, sighed inwardly as he looked at Sun.
Being a native of Jade County with no exposure to the outside world, his perspective was limited to this small place.
Initially, he was chosen because, as a newcomer to Jade County, I needed a local to manage affairs, which led to the recruitment of the most learned man in the area.
But three years have passed, and this Advisor Sun has become too fixated on the petty power within this small scope of Jade County.
His vision and thoughts are too narrow.
Advisor Qian glanced at Fu Wei and then said to the magistrate, "I believe this strategy could be further refined."
If even Advisor Qian finds it feasible, then it certainly has some merit.
Yu Ying had prepared twenty jars of face cream by midday.
Fu Wei was off duty at noon, and logically, even with some delay, he should have been back by the first quarter of the hour. His absence at this time was worrying, so Yu Ying, accompanied by Fu Ning, went out to look for him at the yamen.
Just as they stepped into the alley, they saw Fu Wei returning.
Yu Ying approached to push the wheelchair and asked, "Why are you so late in returning?"
Fu Wei replied, "The discussion at the office ran late today, and the magistrate asked me to return by the time of Wei."
Wei is still over half an hour away.
"Does that mean you can rest a bit longer now?"
The two chatted as they returned home.
After washing his hands, Fu Wei entered the main hall and saw the twenty jars of face cream, asking, "Didn’t you plan to prepare a hundred jars?"
Yu Ying answered, "The pottery style in Jade County is rough. I thought I could make the cream anywhere, so I decided to make it when we go to Cangwu County and pick some nicer pottery there."
Fu Wei did some quick calculations and asked, "Doesn't that mean we'll be gone for about ten days?"
Yu Ying thought for a moment and nodded, "Roughly that long. Six days for the round trip, and we'll spend some silver to stay in villages along the way."
Fu Wei slightly furrowed his brows.
Yu Ying, understanding his concern, smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry, we'll be vigilant. I'll carry the medicine powder and the repeating crossbow, and your eldest brother will be with us. Don't forget, after your training, he can take on seven opponents at once."
Fu Wei didn't want her to go, but he knew her decision was made after careful consideration and she had her reasons.
He sighed deeply and said solemnly, "As always, be extremely careful in everything."
Yu Ying nodded, "I will be."
Yu Ying arranged for an ox cart for their journey to Cangwu County. Given the long distance, the round trip fare was eighty wen, including food and lodging.
Yu Ying agreed to provide lodging, suggesting the driver could share a room with her elder brother Song Sanlang. However, she would only pay two wen per day for food, insisting on finding another driver if this was unacceptable.
Without much fuss, the driver eventually agreed.
Today, her elder brother and others arrived in the county town. After lunch at home, they all changed into old clothes.
They knew the wisdom of not displaying wealth ostentatiously.
Though their new clothes were not fancy, they were patch-free and relatively new, indicating modest wealth.
It was hard not to worry about attracting the wrong attention from those driven by desperation; caution was essential.
The sight of her elder brother's old clothes was almost unbearable, so they ended up dressing him in Song Sanlang's old clothes, while Yu Ying and her sister-in-law wore Mrs. Luo's old clothes.
Though the fits weren't perfect, they were passable.
Before leaving, Fu Wei called Yu Ying into the house.
Seeing Yu Ying in clothes full of patches, Fu Wei felt unaccustomed and quickly averted his gaze after a brief look.
He said to her, "Even if the face cream doesn't sell, don't be disheartened. We'll think of other ways when you return."
Yu Ying joked, "Good wine needs no bush."
After a shared smile, she spoke earnestly, "I've considered the possibility of making a loss, but even if I do, I can afford it."
She wouldn't hesitate for fear of losses. Rather than standing still, she preferred to take the risk.
"They are all waiting for me, I should go now."
Yu Ying smiled and turned to leave, but suddenly a low voice came from behind, "A-Ying."
Yu Ying paused mid-step and turned back to look at him.
In Fu Wei's deep black eyes was a warmth that said, "I'll be waiting here for your return."
Meeting his gaze, Yu Ying's heart trembled slightly, then she nodded gently, "Okay."
After responding, she turned around, a faint smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
As Yu Ying left, the courtyard, even filled with people talking and the noise of children and adults next door, seemed very quiet to Fu Wei, just like the night she left the small courtyard.
