Chapter 82.
The carriage was much smoother than a bullock cart, and also spared one from the brunt of the weather. For Yu Ying, who had spent half a year traveling by bullock cart, it felt like a world of difference.
The comfort of the carriage made her drowsy, but the whispered conversation of the mother and daughter nearby, seemingly about her, kept her from falling asleep.
Although they spoke softly, Yu Ying, sitting so close, could not help but overhear.
Moreover, they didn’t seem to mind her overhearing.
“Mother, why is she so ugly?” The girl, around seven or eight, was at an age where innocence meets awareness, but her question lacked any politeness.
Yu Ying’s lips twitched slightly as she kept her eyes nearly closed.
Despite some blemishes, she certainly wouldn’t consider herself ugly.
Madam Qian frowned and admonished, “I’ve told you before, even if you don’t like someone, you mustn't speak rudely. Have you forgotten?”
Yu Ying: ...
This was hardly a reprimand, and Madam Qian's words were not much more polite.
Deciding to open her eyes, Yu Ying looked directly at the mother and daughter, her gaze resting on the chubby little girl.
The girl stared at her unabashedly, her gaze impolite.
Yu Ying, maintaining a calm tone, continued Lady Qian's sentiment, "It's also impolite to discuss someone in their presence. Such behavior is quite rude."
Lady Qian's brow furrowed, her expression displeased: "Lady Fu, I am disciplining my daughter. As an outsider, you should not interject."
Yu Ying looked up at Lady Qian, her expression serene: "Lady Qian is teaching her daughter in my presence, which I don’t oppose. However, Lady Qian's recent remarks seemed quite impolite, making me feel offended."
As Lady Qian was about to retort, Yu Ying added, "When I went to pay respects to the wife of the county magistrate, she was gracious and dignified, showing no disdain for my background. Hence, I hold the Lady of the county magistrate in high regard."
Yu Ying paused, then continued, "Perhaps Lady Qian, of noble birth, looks down on me as a descendant of a criminal. Even so, I will not tolerate slander or be disrespected without response. Should Lady Qian or her daughter make any more disrespectful remarks, I will not hesitate to retort. If necessary, I would seek justice from the wife of the county magistrate, who I believe would judge fairly who is at fault."
Lady Qian's face darkened, surprised that Yu Ying would invoke the wife of the county magistrate against her.
This time, it was Lady Qian who had sought the company of the county magistrate's wife for the journey. Creating discord would only reflect poorly on her husband.
Finally, albeit reluctantly, Lady Qian conceded, "I misspoke earlier. Please, Lady Fu, do not take it to heart."
Yu Ying smiled faintly, shifting her gaze from Lady Qian to the little girl, and said, "It's alright."
The little girl looked in surprise at the woman in front of her, dressed almost like a servant in her own home.
She hadn't expected this woman to make her mother back down. She also realized that this woman was different from the servile servants at home.
With this thought, she withdrew her scrutinizing gaze.
The minor altercation had already stifled conversation, and now they simply ignored each other.
For those who disliked her and whom she also disliked, such an arrangement suited her perfectly.
After a day of travel, they only stopped for a half-hour rest at noon before continuing on their journey.
Since the yamen runners were on foot, the journey by carriage to the provincial capital took about the same time as by ox cart, spanning three days and two nights.
Just before nightfall, they arrived at the post station.
The station was small with limited rooms, so some yamen runners had to sleep on mats on the ground floor.
Fu Wei and Yu Ying, as a couple, were assigned a small room.
The room was even narrower than the thatched hut Yu Ying had slept in when she first time-traveled, with a bed just wide enough for two.
After entering a room with Yu Ying, Fu Wei furrowed his brows slightly upon seeing the surroundings.
Perhaps knowing that the county magistrate would rest here, the station had been specially cleaned.
Although he didn't know what the rooms of the county magistrate and Qian's aide were like, the one they were staying in was clearly very dilapidated.
With a gust of wind, cold air fiercely rushed in through the large gaps in the windows, chilling to the bone.
Stepping on the floorboards, they creaked loudly, echoing the sound of wood being gnawed by termites in the beams.
The quilt on the small wooden bed was patched and washed to the point of fading.
Fu Wei, apologetically, said to Yu Ying, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
Yu Ying smiled and replied, "This isn't great, but it's much better than the straw hut we stayed in before."
As they spoke, a yamen runner came to call for Fu Wei.
Fu Wei had no choice but to leave first.
Yu Ying examined the small bed and sighed helplessly.
In the eyes of others, she and Fu Wei were husband and wife, so a small bed wasn't unusual.
But they weren't, and if only the bed were a bit larger, she wouldn't have sighed.
After sighing, Yu Ying began to tidy up.
Calmly, she went to the kitchen and fetched some straw to block the large gaps in the windows.
Although cold air still entered through the gaps, it was much better than before.
Yu Ying, foreseeing this, had prepared clean sheets knowing the conditions wouldn't be great.
She took out an indigo duvet cover and sheets to start making the bed.
The sheet was spread over the bed, neatly covering the old, patch-ridden mattress, and then the worn but clean and odorless quilt was slipped into the cover.
When Fu Wei returned and saw the transformed bedding, he looked at Yu Ying in surprise.
Yu Ying, with her arms crossed and a slight smile on her face, said, "How about that? I do have some skills, don’t I?"
Fu Wei clapped his hands lightly in admiration, "Indeed, you are foresighted."
Yu Ying laughed, "You're just flattering me."
After tidying up the room, the next issue was dinner.
Unlike other magistrates who might have asked the yamen runners to bring their own dry food, this magistrate Zhou was planning a big move to win people's hearts, including providing food and lodging.
With yamen runners specially preparing the meals, Yu Ying didn't need to worry about it.
Dinner was a stew of cabbage and meat, served with an egg for each person - a hearty meal to forget the day’s fatigue.
After dinner, Yu Ying went to the kitchen to brew a pot of longan and red date tea.
Dried longan and red dates, readily available in stores, were not very expensive in Lingnan.
The brown sugar was a bit scarce, so Yu Ying used only a small amount in the brew.
After the red date tea was ready, Yu Ying tasted it. The natural sweetness of the longan meant that even with little sugar, the tea had a pleasant sweetness.
Yu Ying filled several bowls of tea and handed them to the maid serving the magistrate's wife, saying, "It's cold, this longan and red date tea should help with sleep. Please, take a bowl to the magistrate’s wife."
The maid took the tray, "Mrs. Yu is so thoughtful."
Yu Ying smiled, then said, "I've made plenty, there's enough for everyone. I'll bring yours in a bit."
Hearing this, the maid's face brightened with a smile, "You're too polite, Mrs. Yu, I can serve myself."
Yu Ying replied, "It's no trouble at all."
Yu Ying then turned and left, returning to the kitchen to pour more bowls of tea, and called on the familiar Wu, a junior yamen runner, to deliver them to Mr. Qian's room.
Although she didn't get along with Mrs. Qian and her son, Yu Ying knew the importance of maintaining appearances.
After serving three extra bowls, Yu Ying moved the pot to the main hall and said to Huo, the yamen runner, "It's cold tonight. Everyone will sleep in the main hall. I've made some hot tea to help warm up and sleep better. Please call others to share it."
Huo, the yamen runner, replied, "Mrs. Yu, your kindness is appreciated. I'll thank you on behalf of everyone."
Yu Ying smiled and said, "My husband has received much care from everyone recently. Brewing some hot tea is the least I can do."
Nearby yamen runners, hearing Mrs. Fu's words, praised Fu for having such a virtuous wife.
After speaking, Yu Ying turned back to the kitchen and carried several bowls of hot tea upstairs.
Entering the room and seeing Fu Wei looking up from his bamboo slips, he asked her, "Did you go to make tea?"
Yu Ying placed two bowls on the table and said, "It's cold, and though we have a bed to keep us warm, the others have to sleep on the floor. So, I made a pot of longan and red date tea to warm us up. Let's drink it while it's hot and not busy ourselves with other things."
Fu Wei looked at the other bowl in her bowl and asked, "Who is the other bowl for?"
Yu Ying picked up the tray, "It's for the maid serving the magistrate's wife. She's busy serving the magistrate's wife, and by the time she's free, there might be no tea left. I don't want her to remember me just for a bowl of tea."
Saying this, she left the room.
Inside the magistrate's quarters.
Magistrate Zhou was soaking his feet, and as Mrs. Zhou was trying to put the child to sleep, the serving maid came in with several bowls of tea.
"This is longan and red date tea sent by Mrs. Yu. She said she made plenty for everyone."
Both longan and red dates are warming tonics, so it's not unusual to brew them together as tea.
Hearing this, Mrs. Zhou smiled, "Mrs. Yu is quite considerate."
After the maid placed the tea on the table and left the room, Mrs. Zhou cautiously tasted it to ensure it was safe before giving it to her children.
Only after her son had drunk half a bowl did she hand another bowl to her husband.
Watching her children play on the bed, Mrs. Zhou lowered her voice and asked her husband, "What do you think of Mrs. Yu's appearance, my lord?"
Magistrate Zhou, who was drinking tea, nearly choked on his wife's question. He set down his bowl and looked at her quizzically, "Why should I take special notice of a subordinate's wife?"
Mrs. Zhou gave him a sharp look, "Haven't you ever noticed the dark spots on Mrs. Yu's face?"
Magistrate Zhou placed his empty bowl aside, pondering, "I only glanced at her briefly, didn't pay much attention."
"Exactly, if you had looked closely, you would have noticed something peculiar about those dark spots."
Puzzled, Magistrate Zhou asked, "What could be peculiar about them?"
"They seem deliberately applied, but I can't be certain. I'll take a closer look in a few days to see if there's any change."
Prompted by his wife, Magistrate Zhou tried to recall Mrs. Yu's appearance but couldn't remember any specifics, so he saw nothing amiss.
He then remembered that the Yu family had been physicians and were exiled due to a misdiagnosis, adding, "Women in exile often don’t fare well. Mrs. Yu, being from a family of physicians familiar with herbs, might use them to disguise her appearance for self-protection."
Mrs. Zhou's expression dimmed at the mention of 'exile', "In the past, exiled criminals were known for their misdeeds, but now I can’t discern if those exiled are truly guilty or wrongfully accused."
The current court is so corrupt that those exiled aren't necessarily guilty of serious crimes.
Take the Yu family, for instance. Their only fault was a minor misdiagnosis of the Emperor’s favored concubine, which didn’t result in death or irreparable damage. Yet, they were still beheaded and the entire family exiled to Lingnan.
Magistrate Zhou hushed her, "My lady, be careful with your words."
Mrs. Zhou ceased, giving him a look, "Jade County may be poor, but at least it's peaceful. I don’t understand why you're so fixated on the capital."
Magistrate Zhou sighed, "I have my reasons."
With the political situation bound to descend into chaos, he needed to seize power quickly. How else could he ensure his safety in the future?
Chapter 82.
The carriage was much smoother than a bullock cart, and also spared one from the brunt of the weather. For Yu Ying, who had spent half a year traveling by bullock cart, it felt like a world of difference.
The comfort of the carriage made her drowsy, but the whispered conversation of the mother and daughter nearby, seemingly about her, kept her from falling asleep.
Although they spoke softly, Yu Ying, sitting so close, could not help but overhear.
Moreover, they didn’t seem to mind her overhearing.
“Mother, why is she so ugly?” The girl, around seven or eight, was at an age where innocence meets awareness, but her question lacked any politeness.
Yu Ying’s lips twitched slightly as she kept her eyes nearly closed.
Despite some blemishes, she certainly wouldn’t consider herself ugly.
Madam Qian frowned and admonished, “I’ve told you before, even if you don’t like someone, you mustn't speak rudely. Have you forgotten?”
Yu Ying: ...
This was hardly a reprimand, and Madam Qian's words were not much more polite.
Deciding to open her eyes, Yu Ying looked directly at the mother and daughter, her gaze resting on the chubby little girl.
The girl stared at her unabashedly, her gaze impolite.
Yu Ying, maintaining a calm tone, continued Lady Qian's sentiment, "It's also impolite to discuss someone in their presence. Such behavior is quite rude."
Lady Qian's brow furrowed, her expression displeased: "Lady Fu, I am disciplining my daughter. As an outsider, you should not interject."
Yu Ying looked up at Lady Qian, her expression serene: "Lady Qian is teaching her daughter in my presence, which I don’t oppose. However, Lady Qian's recent remarks seemed quite impolite, making me feel offended."
As Lady Qian was about to retort, Yu Ying added, "When I went to pay respects to the wife of the county magistrate, she was gracious and dignified, showing no disdain for my background. Hence, I hold the Lady of the county magistrate in high regard."
Yu Ying paused, then continued, "Perhaps Lady Qian, of noble birth, looks down on me as a descendant of a criminal. Even so, I will not tolerate slander or be disrespected without response. Should Lady Qian or her daughter make any more disrespectful remarks, I will not hesitate to retort. If necessary, I would seek justice from the wife of the county magistrate, who I believe would judge fairly who is at fault."
Lady Qian's face darkened, surprised that Yu Ying would invoke the wife of the county magistrate against her.
This time, it was Lady Qian who had sought the company of the county magistrate's wife for the journey. Creating discord would only reflect poorly on her husband.
Finally, albeit reluctantly, Lady Qian conceded, "I misspoke earlier. Please, Lady Fu, do not take it to heart."
Yu Ying smiled faintly, shifting her gaze from Lady Qian to the little girl, and said, "It's alright."
The little girl looked in surprise at the woman in front of her, dressed almost like a servant in her own home.
She hadn't expected this woman to make her mother back down. She also realized that this woman was different from the servile servants at home.
With this thought, she withdrew her scrutinizing gaze.
The minor altercation had already stifled conversation, and now they simply ignored each other.
For those who disliked her and whom she also disliked, such an arrangement suited her perfectly.
After a day of travel, they only stopped for a half-hour rest at noon before continuing on their journey.
Since the yamen runners were on foot, the journey by carriage to the provincial capital took about the same time as by ox cart, spanning three days and two nights.
Just before nightfall, they arrived at the post station.
The station was small with limited rooms, so some yamen runners had to sleep on mats on the ground floor.
Fu Wei and Yu Ying, as a couple, were assigned a small room.
The room was even narrower than the thatched hut Yu Ying had slept in when she first time-traveled, with a bed just wide enough for two.
After entering a room with Yu Ying, Fu Wei furrowed his brows slightly upon seeing the surroundings.
Perhaps knowing that the county magistrate would rest here, the station had been specially cleaned.
Although he didn't know what the rooms of the county magistrate and Qian's aide were like, the one they were staying in was clearly very dilapidated.
With a gust of wind, cold air fiercely rushed in through the large gaps in the windows, chilling to the bone.
Stepping on the floorboards, they creaked loudly, echoing the sound of wood being gnawed by termites in the beams.
The quilt on the small wooden bed was patched and washed to the point of fading.
Fu Wei, apologetically, said to Yu Ying, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
Yu Ying smiled and replied, "This isn't great, but it's much better than the straw hut we stayed in before."
As they spoke, a yamen runner came to call for Fu Wei.
Fu Wei had no choice but to leave first.
Yu Ying examined the small bed and sighed helplessly.
In the eyes of others, she and Fu Wei were husband and wife, so a small bed wasn't unusual.
But they weren't, and if only the bed were a bit larger, she wouldn't have sighed.
After sighing, Yu Ying began to tidy up.
Calmly, she went to the kitchen and fetched some straw to block the large gaps in the windows.
Although cold air still entered through the gaps, it was much better than before.
Yu Ying, foreseeing this, had prepared clean sheets knowing the conditions wouldn't be great.
She took out an indigo duvet cover and sheets to start making the bed.
The sheet was spread over the bed, neatly covering the old, patch-ridden mattress, and then the worn but clean and odorless quilt was slipped into the cover.
When Fu Wei returned and saw the transformed bedding, he looked at Yu Ying in surprise.
Yu Ying, with her arms crossed and a slight smile on her face, said, "How about that? I do have some skills, don’t I?"
Fu Wei clapped his hands lightly in admiration, "Indeed, you are foresighted."
Yu Ying laughed, "You're just flattering me."
After tidying up the room, the next issue was dinner.
Unlike other magistrates who might have asked the yamen runners to bring their own dry food, this magistrate Zhou was planning a big move to win people's hearts, including providing food and lodging.
With yamen runners specially preparing the meals, Yu Ying didn't need to worry about it.
Dinner was a stew of cabbage and meat, served with an egg for each person - a hearty meal to forget the day’s fatigue.
After dinner, Yu Ying went to the kitchen to brew a pot of longan and red date tea.
Dried longan and red dates, readily available in stores, were not very expensive in Lingnan.
The brown sugar was a bit scarce, so Yu Ying used only a small amount in the brew.
After the red date tea was ready, Yu Ying tasted it. The natural sweetness of the longan meant that even with little sugar, the tea had a pleasant sweetness.
Yu Ying filled several bowls of tea and handed them to the maid serving the magistrate's wife, saying, "It's cold, this longan and red date tea should help with sleep. Please, take a bowl to the magistrate’s wife."
The maid took the tray, "Mrs. Yu is so thoughtful."
Yu Ying smiled, then said, "I've made plenty, there's enough for everyone. I'll bring yours in a bit."
Hearing this, the maid's face brightened with a smile, "You're too polite, Mrs. Yu, I can serve myself."
Yu Ying replied, "It's no trouble at all."
Yu Ying then turned and left, returning to the kitchen to pour more bowls of tea, and called on the familiar Wu, a junior yamen runner, to deliver them to Mr. Qian's room.
Although she didn't get along with Mrs. Qian and her son, Yu Ying knew the importance of maintaining appearances.
After serving three extra bowls, Yu Ying moved the pot to the main hall and said to Huo, the yamen runner, "It's cold tonight. Everyone will sleep in the main hall. I've made some hot tea to help warm up and sleep better. Please call others to share it."
Huo, the yamen runner, replied, "Mrs. Yu, your kindness is appreciated. I'll thank you on behalf of everyone."
Yu Ying smiled and said, "My husband has received much care from everyone recently. Brewing some hot tea is the least I can do."
Nearby yamen runners, hearing Mrs. Fu's words, praised Fu for having such a virtuous wife.
After speaking, Yu Ying turned back to the kitchen and carried several bowls of hot tea upstairs.
Entering the room and seeing Fu Wei looking up from his bamboo slips, he asked her, "Did you go to make tea?"
Yu Ying placed two bowls on the table and said, "It's cold, and though we have a bed to keep us warm, the others have to sleep on the floor. So, I made a pot of longan and red date tea to warm us up. Let's drink it while it's hot and not busy ourselves with other things."
Fu Wei looked at the other bowl in her bowl and asked, "Who is the other bowl for?"
Yu Ying picked up the tray, "It's for the maid serving the magistrate's wife. She's busy serving the magistrate's wife, and by the time she's free, there might be no tea left. I don't want her to remember me just for a bowl of tea."
Saying this, she left the room.
Inside the magistrate's quarters.
Magistrate Zhou was soaking his feet, and as Mrs. Zhou was trying to put the child to sleep, the serving maid came in with several bowls of tea.
"This is longan and red date tea sent by Mrs. Yu. She said she made plenty for everyone."
Both longan and red dates are warming tonics, so it's not unusual to brew them together as tea.
Hearing this, Mrs. Zhou smiled, "Mrs. Yu is quite considerate."
After the maid placed the tea on the table and left the room, Mrs. Zhou cautiously tasted it to ensure it was safe before giving it to her children.
Only after her son had drunk half a bowl did she hand another bowl to her husband.
Watching her children play on the bed, Mrs. Zhou lowered her voice and asked her husband, "What do you think of Mrs. Yu's appearance, my lord?"
Magistrate Zhou, who was drinking tea, nearly choked on his wife's question. He set down his bowl and looked at her quizzically, "Why should I take special notice of a subordinate's wife?"
Mrs. Zhou gave him a sharp look, "Haven't you ever noticed the dark spots on Mrs. Yu's face?"
Magistrate Zhou placed his empty bowl aside, pondering, "I only glanced at her briefly, didn't pay much attention."
"Exactly, if you had looked closely, you would have noticed something peculiar about those dark spots."
Puzzled, Magistrate Zhou asked, "What could be peculiar about them?"
"They seem deliberately applied, but I can't be certain. I'll take a closer look in a few days to see if there's any change."
Prompted by his wife, Magistrate Zhou tried to recall Mrs. Yu's appearance but couldn't remember any specifics, so he saw nothing amiss.
He then remembered that the Yu family had been physicians and were exiled due to a misdiagnosis, adding, "Women in exile often don’t fare well. Mrs. Yu, being from a family of physicians familiar with herbs, might use them to disguise her appearance for self-protection."
Mrs. Zhou's expression dimmed at the mention of 'exile', "In the past, exiled criminals were known for their misdeeds, but now I can’t discern if those exiled are truly guilty or wrongfully accused."
The current court is so corrupt that those exiled aren't necessarily guilty of serious crimes.
Take the Yu family, for instance. Their only fault was a minor misdiagnosis of the Emperor’s favored concubine, which didn’t result in death or irreparable damage. Yet, they were still beheaded and the entire family exiled to Lingnan.
Magistrate Zhou hushed her, "My lady, be careful with your words."
Mrs. Zhou ceased, giving him a look, "Jade County may be poor, but at least it's peaceful. I don’t understand why you're so fixated on the capital."
Magistrate Zhou sighed, "I have my reasons."
With the political situation bound to descend into chaos, he needed to seize power quickly. How else could he ensure his safety in the future?
