Chapter 90.
The morning light was faint, the brightness filtering through the latticed window screens, gradually illuminating the room.
Yu Ying woke up in Fu Wei's embrace, dazed for a moment before realizing where she was.
—She was no longer single.
Today marked the fifth day of their romantic relationship.
On the first day, they held hands.
On the third day, they embraced and shared a kiss.
On the fourth day, they slept in each other's arms.
The progression of their relationship was indeed swift, but considering they had been sharing a bed for some time, it wasn't exceptionally fast.
Yu Ying gently lifted her head to look at Fu Wei, who was breathing softly.
Even from this upward angle, Fu Wei looked perfect.
On closer inspection, Yu Ying noticed that his eyelashes were remarkably curled.
Fu Wei was still asleep, evidently exhausted from the past few days.
First, there was the three-day journey, followed by two days of accompanying Zhou, the county official, to social events, always on edge. Only when the door was closed could he relax, so how could he not be tired?
After a moment of contemplation, realizing it was already late, Yu Ying decided to get up and prepare for the day. Her plan was to deliver the lip rouge to the county official's wife and then go out to buy materials for the face cream.
Just as she was about to get out of bed, she realized that Fu Wei had his arms firmly around her waist.
She barely moved his arm when Fu Wei woke up.
He half-opened his eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"
Fu Wei's voice was low and husky upon waking, unexpectedly pleasant to the ear.
Yu Ying said, "I'm getting ready to wash up."
Fu Wei, upon hearing this, was slow to react. It was only after she nudged his arm that he finally let go and sat up.
Yu Ying got out of bed and put on her outer garment before starting to comb her hair.
"By the way, I'm going out to buy materials for the face cream today, and I'll be working on it at Song Sanlang's place, so I might return late."
Fu Wei, who was putting on his outer clothing by the bed, paused in his movements and after a moment's thought asked, "Will it be just you and Song Sanlang?"
Yu Ying chuckled lightly, "I'll be careful to avoid any misunderstandings. On my way back in the afternoon, I'll bring along Miss Su, who conveniently lives nearby."
After all, in this era, it was important to avoid any impropriety between a man and a woman alone together.
Hearing this, Fu Wei let out a sigh of relief.
Yu Ying turned to Fu Wei and said, "About the gold hairpin you brought back the day before yesterday, since the pawnshops in the county can't compare to those in the jurisdiction, I plan to pawn it today. What do you think?"
Fu Wei was indifferent: "Since I gave it to you, you can decide what to do with it."
Yu Ying nodded and then casually mentioned, "When I was at the market yesterday, I heard people talking about you. They said a young man named Fu, riding in a palanquin, made quite an impression at the governor's mansion, hitting the bullseye with four out of five arrows."
Continuing, Yu Ying narrowed her eyes, "I also heard the prize was a gold hairpin and a night with a beautiful dancer."
Fu Wei, anxious she might misunderstand, quickly clarified, "I only took the hairpin, I didn’t engage in anything else. Even when the dancer approached, I didn’t spare her a glance."
Yu Ying covered her mouth with a smile, "I never said you did anything else."
After saying this, she turned back, picked up a small bottle, opened it, dabbed some black liquid onto a cloth, and started applying it to her face.
Fu Wei let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Yu Ying then went to fetch water for washing up.
After washing up, she brought back another basin of water for Fu Wei.
After getting ready, Yu Ying took the extra lip rouges she had made the previous day to visit the county official's wife.
Living in the inn and with Fu Wei being an aide, it was necessary for her to pay her respects to the county official's wife these days.
Moreover, maintaining a good relationship with the county official's wife was only beneficial.
Yu Ying learned that the county official's wife had gone to the temple to offer prayers early that morning when she arrived at her residence.
Yu Ying left the lip rouge with a servant to pass on to the county official's wife, then took the medicinal herbs she had brought from Yu County and headed out.
In the market, Yu Ying bought sheep fat and alcohol for making the face cream, and then took them to her stall.
Miss Su, upon seeing Yu Ying, hurriedly called out, "Owner."
Yu Ying laughed, "It's just a small stall, calling me 'owner' might be laughable. Just call me Madam Yu."
Miss Su looked a bit surprised, unsure whether to comply, and hesitantly glanced at Song Sanlang.
Song Sanlang nodded and said, "Listen to what the wife of the Fu family says."
Reassured by Song Sanlang's approval, Miss Su immediately showed a sweet smile to Yu Ying, "Madam Yu."
Yu Ying smiled warmly.
The weather was pleasant and the streets were busy. Soon customers began to show interest in the face cream, and Yu Ying asked her to attend to them.
After placing the materials under the stall, she quietly said to Song Sanlang, "I want to visit the pawnshop but fear it might not be safe. Would you come with me?"
Holding gold that could be exchanged for several taels of silver, enough to buy a house in Yu County, Yu Ying was naturally worried about being targeted.
After instructing Miss Su to watch the stall, Song Sanlang accompanied the wife of the Fu family to the pawnshop.
The pawnshop wasn't far, just about a quarter of an hour's walk.
Upon reaching the pawnshop, Song Sanlang stayed outside while waiting.
Yu Ying entered the pawnshop and approached the counter, then took out the gold hairpin to show to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper, upon seeing the exquisitely designed gold hairpin, looked intriguingly at the plainly dressed woman, who appeared unremarkable.
If it were stolen goods, it could still be bought for a standard gold price, then melted down and remade into jewelry for a guaranteed profit.
Yu Ying sensed the shopkeeper's peculiar gaze, suspecting he thought she had acquired the hairpin through dubious means and was perhaps calculating to take advantage of the situation.
For instance — assuming she wouldn't dare cause a scene and thus offering a lower price.
Yu Ying slightly lifted her chin, maintaining a calm demeanor, "This hairpin was acquired legitimately, so, shopkeeper, there's no need for baseless speculations. If the price is fair, I'll pawn it; if not, I'll find another pawnshop."
The shopkeeper, realizing his thoughts had been seen through by the woman, coughed awkwardly and then asked, "Since the lady claims the hairpin was obtained legitimately, may I know its origin?"
Yu Ying frowned, retrieving the hairpin from the counter, "If you suspect it to be stolen, then I'd rather not pawn it here."
The pawnshop owner hastily replied, "Madam, please don't be offended. We just have to be cautious to avoid trouble, hence the inquiry."
He deliberated for a moment and said, "Let me weigh the hairpin first, then I'll quote a price."
With that, he took out the scales and looked at the woman.
After a moment of consideration, Yu Ying handed over the hairpin for weighing.
After weighing it, the shopkeeper said, "One tael and six qian, which converts to sixteen thousand copper coins."
The weight was accurate and matched Yu Ying's own assessment.
After stating the weight, the pawnshop owner pondered for a moment before offering a price: "I'll pay 16,200 coins, including 200 as a crafting fee. It's a fair offer, Madam. You might want to consider it."
Yu Ying replied, "I am willing to accept 17,000 coins."
The shopkeeper exclaimed in surprise, "Madam is really bold! A 1,000-coin crafting fee is unheard of; no pawnshop would dare to ask for that."
Next to the pawnshop was a jewelry store, and it was not hard to guess that the pawnshop and the jewelry store were owned by the same party.
Yu Ying argued, "As I understand it, intricate gold jewelry designs are valued higher, and while the design of this hairpin is not extremely complex, its finesse makes it valuable. If it were sold in a jewelry store, it would fetch at least eighteen taels of silver. Asking for 17,000 coins is not unreasonable."
The shopkeeper shook his head, insisting, "No, no, a 1,000-coin crafting fee is still too expensive. I can only offer up to an additional 500 coins."
Yu Ying thought for a moment and countered, "Then let's meet halfway. The lowest price I can accept is 16,800 coins. Any lower, and I won't pawn it."
The pawnshop owner furrowed his brows in hesitation, but after a while, he nodded in agreement and asked the woman whether she preferred silver or copper coins.
Silver was more convenient to carry, so naturally, it was the better choice.
The pawnshop owner weighed out sixteen taels of silver and added eight strings of copper coins, asking the woman to confirm the amount before accepting it.
Yu Ying checked the silver and roughly counted the copper coins. After confirming the amounts, she wrapped the silver and copper in cloth and placed them in her basket.
Leaving the pawnshop, Yu Ying said to Song Sanlang, "Let's go back to the inn first. I need to drop off these things. In the afternoon, after closing the stall, I'll join Miss Su and go to your place to make the face cream."
Song Sanlang had no objections and did not show any curiosity about what she had pawned.
Across the street, a ruffian leaning against a wall with a grass stalk in his mouth eyed the woman's basket with ill intent.
When she entered, her basket was empty, but upon leaving, it was visibly fuller, clearly indicating she had pawned something valuable.
Just as the ruffian's greed surfaced, he saw the woman speaking with a tall, robust man at the pawnshop entrance before they left together.
The ruffian furrowed his brows tightly.
How had he not noticed earlier that these two were together?!
After much contemplation, the ruffian discarded his grass stalk and exchanged glances with two others stationed in different directions. Understanding each other's intentions, they then split up to act separately.
On their way back, Song Sanlang chuckled, "I heard about the second brother of the Fu family's deeds at the county office in the market yesterday. Everyone's curious about what kind of capable man this Mr. Fu is."
Yu Ying smiled, "The second brother is naturally a man of ability."
The two engaged in intermittent small talk.
While they were talking, a man with a suspicious look approached them. Yu Ying, being on high alert, instinctively moved to the other side of Song Sanlang when the man came closer to her.
The man showed no sign of ill intent and simply walked away, which made Yu Ying wonder if she was being overly paranoid.
Song Sanlang looked slightly confused and asked, "What's wrong, sister-in-law of the Fu family?"
Not wanting to cause unnecessary worry for Song Sanlang, and thinking she might have been overthinking, Yu Ying shook her head and said, "It's nothing."
Just as she spoke, someone suddenly bumped into her from behind. Alert, Yu Ying quickly realized a hand reaching for her basket and swiftly pulled it away, shouting angrily, "What are you doing?!"
Before she could get a clear look at the person who bumped her, they ran off quickly after hearing her voice.
Yu Ying's shout drew the attention of bystanders.
At this moment, Song Sanlang also realized they were being targeted.
Seeing the thief run away, Song Sanlang initially moved to chase but then hesitated, fearing a diversion, and refrained from pursuing.
Yu Ying, looking at the unharmed basket in her hands, exhaled in relief, but her expression quickly turned grave as she said firmly, "Let's hurry back."
The near loss of the silver left Yu Ying completely tense. That silver was Fu Wei's livelihood; if it had been stolen, she didn’t know how she would explain it to him.
Moreover, her biggest concern was that the thieves might be part of a larger gang.
If it were a gang, she and Song Sanlang certainly wouldn't be able to handle it.
Amidst her worry, she suddenly heard Song Sanlang exclaim in surprise, "Isn’t that the second brother of the Fu family?!"
Yu Ying, startled by his words, looked in the direction of his gaze.
Amidst the crowd, Yu Ying’s and Fu Wei's eyes met.
Seeing Fu Wei on the street brought Yu Ying a pleasant surprise, especially seeing Huo and Wu, the constables, with him.
The tension Yu Ying had been feeling instantly eased.
Chapter 90.
The morning light was faint, the brightness filtering through the latticed window screens, gradually illuminating the room.
Yu Ying woke up in Fu Wei's embrace, dazed for a moment before realizing where she was.
—She was no longer single.
Today marked the fifth day of their romantic relationship.
On the first day, they held hands.
On the third day, they embraced and shared a kiss.
On the fourth day, they slept in each other's arms.
The progression of their relationship was indeed swift, but considering they had been sharing a bed for some time, it wasn't exceptionally fast.
Yu Ying gently lifted her head to look at Fu Wei, who was breathing softly.
Even from this upward angle, Fu Wei looked perfect.
On closer inspection, Yu Ying noticed that his eyelashes were remarkably curled.
Fu Wei was still asleep, evidently exhausted from the past few days.
First, there was the three-day journey, followed by two days of accompanying Zhou, the county official, to social events, always on edge. Only when the door was closed could he relax, so how could he not be tired?
After a moment of contemplation, realizing it was already late, Yu Ying decided to get up and prepare for the day. Her plan was to deliver the lip rouge to the county official's wife and then go out to buy materials for the face cream.
Just as she was about to get out of bed, she realized that Fu Wei had his arms firmly around her waist.
She barely moved his arm when Fu Wei woke up.
He half-opened his eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"
Fu Wei's voice was low and husky upon waking, unexpectedly pleasant to the ear.
Yu Ying said, "I'm getting ready to wash up."
Fu Wei, upon hearing this, was slow to react. It was only after she nudged his arm that he finally let go and sat up.
Yu Ying got out of bed and put on her outer garment before starting to comb her hair.
"By the way, I'm going out to buy materials for the face cream today, and I'll be working on it at Song Sanlang's place, so I might return late."
Fu Wei, who was putting on his outer clothing by the bed, paused in his movements and after a moment's thought asked, "Will it be just you and Song Sanlang?"
Yu Ying chuckled lightly, "I'll be careful to avoid any misunderstandings. On my way back in the afternoon, I'll bring along Miss Su, who conveniently lives nearby."
After all, in this era, it was important to avoid any impropriety between a man and a woman alone together.
Hearing this, Fu Wei let out a sigh of relief.
Yu Ying turned to Fu Wei and said, "About the gold hairpin you brought back the day before yesterday, since the pawnshops in the county can't compare to those in the jurisdiction, I plan to pawn it today. What do you think?"
Fu Wei was indifferent: "Since I gave it to you, you can decide what to do with it."
Yu Ying nodded and then casually mentioned, "When I was at the market yesterday, I heard people talking about you. They said a young man named Fu, riding in a palanquin, made quite an impression at the governor's mansion, hitting the bullseye with four out of five arrows."
Continuing, Yu Ying narrowed her eyes, "I also heard the prize was a gold hairpin and a night with a beautiful dancer."
Fu Wei, anxious she might misunderstand, quickly clarified, "I only took the hairpin, I didn’t engage in anything else. Even when the dancer approached, I didn’t spare her a glance."
Yu Ying covered her mouth with a smile, "I never said you did anything else."
After saying this, she turned back, picked up a small bottle, opened it, dabbed some black liquid onto a cloth, and started applying it to her face.
Fu Wei let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Yu Ying then went to fetch water for washing up.
After washing up, she brought back another basin of water for Fu Wei.
After getting ready, Yu Ying took the extra lip rouges she had made the previous day to visit the county official's wife.
Living in the inn and with Fu Wei being an aide, it was necessary for her to pay her respects to the county official's wife these days.
Moreover, maintaining a good relationship with the county official's wife was only beneficial.
Yu Ying learned that the county official's wife had gone to the temple to offer prayers early that morning when she arrived at her residence.
Yu Ying left the lip rouge with a servant to pass on to the county official's wife, then took the medicinal herbs she had brought from Yu County and headed out.
In the market, Yu Ying bought sheep fat and alcohol for making the face cream, and then took them to her stall.
Miss Su, upon seeing Yu Ying, hurriedly called out, "Owner."
Yu Ying laughed, "It's just a small stall, calling me 'owner' might be laughable. Just call me Madam Yu."
Miss Su looked a bit surprised, unsure whether to comply, and hesitantly glanced at Song Sanlang.
Song Sanlang nodded and said, "Listen to what the wife of the Fu family says."
Reassured by Song Sanlang's approval, Miss Su immediately showed a sweet smile to Yu Ying, "Madam Yu."
Yu Ying smiled warmly.
The weather was pleasant and the streets were busy. Soon customers began to show interest in the face cream, and Yu Ying asked her to attend to them.
After placing the materials under the stall, she quietly said to Song Sanlang, "I want to visit the pawnshop but fear it might not be safe. Would you come with me?"
Holding gold that could be exchanged for several taels of silver, enough to buy a house in Yu County, Yu Ying was naturally worried about being targeted.
After instructing Miss Su to watch the stall, Song Sanlang accompanied the wife of the Fu family to the pawnshop.
The pawnshop wasn't far, just about a quarter of an hour's walk.
Upon reaching the pawnshop, Song Sanlang stayed outside while waiting.
Yu Ying entered the pawnshop and approached the counter, then took out the gold hairpin to show to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper, upon seeing the exquisitely designed gold hairpin, looked intriguingly at the plainly dressed woman, who appeared unremarkable.
If it were stolen goods, it could still be bought for a standard gold price, then melted down and remade into jewelry for a guaranteed profit.
Yu Ying sensed the shopkeeper's peculiar gaze, suspecting he thought she had acquired the hairpin through dubious means and was perhaps calculating to take advantage of the situation.
For instance — assuming she wouldn't dare cause a scene and thus offering a lower price.
Yu Ying slightly lifted her chin, maintaining a calm demeanor, "This hairpin was acquired legitimately, so, shopkeeper, there's no need for baseless speculations. If the price is fair, I'll pawn it; if not, I'll find another pawnshop."
The shopkeeper, realizing his thoughts had been seen through by the woman, coughed awkwardly and then asked, "Since the lady claims the hairpin was obtained legitimately, may I know its origin?"
Yu Ying frowned, retrieving the hairpin from the counter, "If you suspect it to be stolen, then I'd rather not pawn it here."
The pawnshop owner hastily replied, "Madam, please don't be offended. We just have to be cautious to avoid trouble, hence the inquiry."
He deliberated for a moment and said, "Let me weigh the hairpin first, then I'll quote a price."
With that, he took out the scales and looked at the woman.
After a moment of consideration, Yu Ying handed over the hairpin for weighing.
After weighing it, the shopkeeper said, "One tael and six qian, which converts to sixteen thousand copper coins."
The weight was accurate and matched Yu Ying's own assessment.
After stating the weight, the pawnshop owner pondered for a moment before offering a price: "I'll pay 16,200 coins, including 200 as a crafting fee. It's a fair offer, Madam. You might want to consider it."
Yu Ying replied, "I am willing to accept 17,000 coins."
The shopkeeper exclaimed in surprise, "Madam is really bold! A 1,000-coin crafting fee is unheard of; no pawnshop would dare to ask for that."
Next to the pawnshop was a jewelry store, and it was not hard to guess that the pawnshop and the jewelry store were owned by the same party.
Yu Ying argued, "As I understand it, intricate gold jewelry designs are valued higher, and while the design of this hairpin is not extremely complex, its finesse makes it valuable. If it were sold in a jewelry store, it would fetch at least eighteen taels of silver. Asking for 17,000 coins is not unreasonable."
The shopkeeper shook his head, insisting, "No, no, a 1,000-coin crafting fee is still too expensive. I can only offer up to an additional 500 coins."
Yu Ying thought for a moment and countered, "Then let's meet halfway. The lowest price I can accept is 16,800 coins. Any lower, and I won't pawn it."
The pawnshop owner furrowed his brows in hesitation, but after a while, he nodded in agreement and asked the woman whether she preferred silver or copper coins.
Silver was more convenient to carry, so naturally, it was the better choice.
The pawnshop owner weighed out sixteen taels of silver and added eight strings of copper coins, asking the woman to confirm the amount before accepting it.
Yu Ying checked the silver and roughly counted the copper coins. After confirming the amounts, she wrapped the silver and copper in cloth and placed them in her basket.
Leaving the pawnshop, Yu Ying said to Song Sanlang, "Let's go back to the inn first. I need to drop off these things. In the afternoon, after closing the stall, I'll join Miss Su and go to your place to make the face cream."
Song Sanlang had no objections and did not show any curiosity about what she had pawned.
Across the street, a ruffian leaning against a wall with a grass stalk in his mouth eyed the woman's basket with ill intent.
When she entered, her basket was empty, but upon leaving, it was visibly fuller, clearly indicating she had pawned something valuable.
Just as the ruffian's greed surfaced, he saw the woman speaking with a tall, robust man at the pawnshop entrance before they left together.
The ruffian furrowed his brows tightly.
How had he not noticed earlier that these two were together?!
After much contemplation, the ruffian discarded his grass stalk and exchanged glances with two others stationed in different directions. Understanding each other's intentions, they then split up to act separately.
On their way back, Song Sanlang chuckled, "I heard about the second brother of the Fu family's deeds at the county office in the market yesterday. Everyone's curious about what kind of capable man this Mr. Fu is."
Yu Ying smiled, "The second brother is naturally a man of ability."
The two engaged in intermittent small talk.
While they were talking, a man with a suspicious look approached them. Yu Ying, being on high alert, instinctively moved to the other side of Song Sanlang when the man came closer to her.
The man showed no sign of ill intent and simply walked away, which made Yu Ying wonder if she was being overly paranoid.
Song Sanlang looked slightly confused and asked, "What's wrong, sister-in-law of the Fu family?"
Not wanting to cause unnecessary worry for Song Sanlang, and thinking she might have been overthinking, Yu Ying shook her head and said, "It's nothing."
Just as she spoke, someone suddenly bumped into her from behind. Alert, Yu Ying quickly realized a hand reaching for her basket and swiftly pulled it away, shouting angrily, "What are you doing?!"
Before she could get a clear look at the person who bumped her, they ran off quickly after hearing her voice.
Yu Ying's shout drew the attention of bystanders.
At this moment, Song Sanlang also realized they were being targeted.
Seeing the thief run away, Song Sanlang initially moved to chase but then hesitated, fearing a diversion, and refrained from pursuing.
Yu Ying, looking at the unharmed basket in her hands, exhaled in relief, but her expression quickly turned grave as she said firmly, "Let's hurry back."
The near loss of the silver left Yu Ying completely tense. That silver was Fu Wei's livelihood; if it had been stolen, she didn’t know how she would explain it to him.
Moreover, her biggest concern was that the thieves might be part of a larger gang.
If it were a gang, she and Song Sanlang certainly wouldn't be able to handle it.
Amidst her worry, she suddenly heard Song Sanlang exclaim in surprise, "Isn’t that the second brother of the Fu family?!"
Yu Ying, startled by his words, looked in the direction of his gaze.
Amidst the crowd, Yu Ying’s and Fu Wei's eyes met.
Seeing Fu Wei on the street brought Yu Ying a pleasant surprise, especially seeing Huo and Wu, the constables, with him.
The tension Yu Ying had been feeling instantly eased.
