Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Lu Yuan and Huang Lan had been sewing for a while when Lu Yuan suddenly remembered an unfinished task and abruptly stood up.

Huang Lan was so startled she nearly pricked her hand, asking, “Why the sudden jump?”

“My husband needs his medicine applied. I forgot.” She put down her needlework, went inside to fetch the medicine, and chided Qi Cheng, who was sitting in the room: “Why didn’t you remind me? You still need your medicine applied.”

Qi Cheng paused for a few moments before saying, “I forgot too.”

Lu Yuan rummaged through the basket for the medicine tucked at the very bottom, muttering, “A bumped head really isn’t working right, is it?”

Qi Cheng fell silent.

“You haven’t bumped your head, yet you didn’t remember either?”

He hadn’t been the type to argue with others before, but with her, he often couldn’t help but exchange a few words.

Lu Yuan pulled out the medicine packet and retorted, “Am I the one who bumped my head and needs medicine applied? You’re not mindful of your own needs at all, and I have to remember for you?”

Qi Cheng: …

Even when he bickered, he still couldn’t win.

Lu Yuan found the undyed linen cloth she had specially gotten for him and went out to the kitchen to steam the medicine.

Huang Lan moved to sit just outside the kitchen and said, “If A Cheng’s eyes get better, your hardships will finally be over.”

Lu Yuan scooped water into the pot and said, “Yes, once he’s better, I’ll have made it through.”

The heavy work—fetching water, pushing the millstone, carrying soybean milk and tofu—would all be his to do.

Huang Lan watched her busy back and lowered her voice again: “You know, back when A Cheng had just slipped into a coma, I heard there was a girl who wanted to marry your husband, but Old Lady He didn’t allow it.”

Lu Yuan turned to look at her: “Why?”

There was actually a young woman willing to take care of Qi Cheng, yet Old Lady He hadn’t kept her.

Huang Lan said, “What else? If she’d really taken her in, the girl’s family would’ve surely made trouble.”

“But besides that girl, there was also a widow with a son who said she’d even have her son adopted under your husband’s name.”

Lu Yuan: …

He really is popular.

Now, after lying in bed for months, he’s thinner, but his looks are still so striking. If he gets his abs back later from exercise, wouldn’t that be a perk for me?

Can’t think about it, can’t think about it. If I keep thinking, my thoughts will turn risqué.

“Then why didn’t she agree? Instead, she took in me, a widow?”

Huang Lan said with an awkward laugh: “That widow had a poor reputation.”

Lu Yuan found the logic flawed and asked, “But I was a famine refugee. How did the old lady dare to take me in?”

Huang Lan thought for a moment and said, “Probably liked your looks.”

Lu Yuan shrugged. Maybe.

She boiled water and put the wrapped medicine into the pot.

Then she turned to Huang Lan and asked, “The Qi family’s situation was pretty good before, right? What became of their old house?”

Huang Lan said in surprise, “You mean you’ve never even asked your husband about his past?”

Lu Yuan nodded.

Huang Lan filled her in: “Niu Cui’s family is living in your old house now. Before, Qi Cheng also had a small property in town, but after he became comatose, they lost it all.”

After steaming for nearly half an hour, Lu Yuan lifted the lid, and a pungent herbal odor wafted out.

Huang Lan waved her hand: “This smell is really strong.”

Lu Yuan used bamboo tongs to lift the yellowish-black medicine packet into a basin, picked up the basin, and said to Huang Lan: “I probably won’t be able to do needlework for a while.”

Huang Lan said, “You go on with your tasks. I’ll head back first. Come find me when you have time.”

Lu Yuan nodded: “Alright. Once I’ve applied my husband’s medicine, I’ll come find you.”

Without guidance, she really couldn’t handle making clothes on her own.

She carried the basin into the room and said to Qi Cheng: “Let it cool for a bit, then put it on the bed. Just use the packet as a pillow.”

Qi Cheng nodded.

After waiting a while, Lu Yuan tested it several times, until her hand almost blistered from the heat, before she felt the temperature was right.

She rolled up the mat at the head of the bed a little, placed the medicine packet directly on the bed board, and helped Qi Cheng lie down.

“If it feels too hot, raise your head slightly, wait a moment, and then lie back down.”

Qi Cheng murmured “mm-hmm” and lay down on the medicine packet.

Lu Yuan crouched beside him and asked: “Is it too hot?”

Qi Cheng, eyes closed, replied: “No.”

“How does it feel? Is it uncomfortable?”

Qi Cheng answered each of her questions one by one: “Nice and warm, and very comfortable.”

Lu Yuan nodded: “If you feel any discomfort, let me know. When the medicine packet cools down, tell me too.”

As she spoke, Lu Yuan felt like she was coaching someone through an illness.

Force of habit from my past work.

I should break that habit.

Lu Yuan brought her sewing and sat by the bed, occasionally checking Qi Cheng’s expression.

After a short while, Qi Cheng said: “It’s cooled down.”

Lu Yuan promptly returned the medicine packet to the basin, carried it to the kitchen, and placed it again into the hot water still heating over charcoal. When she lifted the lid, steam poured out. She just needed to stoke the fire a bit, wait a short while, and it would be ready to apply again.

After waiting a bit, Lu Yuan lifted out the medicine packet and brought it back into the room.

Qi Cheng used the compress four times until it totaled about half an hour.

When Lu Yuan returned to the room, Qi Cheng was already asleep.

She picked up her sewing tools and tiptoed quietly out of the room.

Although Qi Cheng’s sleep had improved recently, it remained very light—the slightest noise would wake him. Only when truly exhausted would he sleep longer.

Lu Yuan gently closed the door.

Old Lady He returned home with the two children after visiting neighbors. Lu Yuan told her, "My husband just applied his medicine and has fallen asleep. Please don’t disturb him; let him rest."

Old Lady He glanced toward the room and nodded, then asked, "What are you planning to do now?"

Lu Yuan replied, "I’m taking the clothes to Sister-in-law Chen’s house to work on them together."

Old Lady He said, "Go ahead then. Sister-in-law Chen is quite skilled with needlework—you can ask her if you run into trouble."

Lu Yuan nodded and took both children with her.

Qi Cheng slept until noon.

Perhaps having caught up on lost sleep, he woke up feeling refreshed.

Qi Cheng got up, left the room, and called out, "Li Niang?"

Old Lady He, who was preparing lunch in the kitchen, heard him and came out, responding, "Your wife has gone to Sister-in-law Chen’s house to do needlework."

Qi Cheng asked, "What time is it?"

Old Lady He replied, "Almost noon. Sit for a while; lunch will be ready soon."

Qi Cheng nodded and made his way to the table to sit down.

He listened quietly for any movement outside.

A slight smile touched his lips when he heard bright, cheerful voices approaching.

Lu Yuan entered the yard with the two children and said, "Alright, you’ve played long enough. Go wash your hands and get ready for lunch."

As she passed by Qi Cheng, Lu Yuan remarked, "You’re awake."

She set her basket inside the house, then came back out to pour herself a cup of water to drink.

After drinking her water, she asked him, "Would you like some water?"

Qi Cheng shook his head. "I’ll pour my own if I’m thirsty. You go ahead with your work."

After drinking, Lu Yuan went into the kitchen and asked, "Is there anything I can help with?"

Old Lady He said, "Serve the congee and bring it out."

Lu Yuan scooped the thick congee into bowls and asked, "Do we need to buy more rice soon?"

Old Lady He replied, "We have enough for two more days."

Lu Yuan said, "I’ll take sixty coppers later to buy another ten pounds."

Old Lady He sighed worriedly, "Ten pounds of rice will last us six or seven days at most. Food is so expensive. Once Sheng Geer’s eyesight is better, we’ll clear land and start farming again."

Hearing the word "farming," Lu Yuan felt a shiver of dread.

Working under the scorching sun to harvest rice.

Standing in soft, muddy fields, possibly getting leeches stuck to her skin, sucking blood.

The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

She would rather work harder in business, earn money, and buy rice than farm the land herself.

She didn’t agree or disagree.

This was something she needed to discuss with Qi Cheng first, and then he could talk to his grandmother.

Lu Yuan set up her stall again.

The competing stall was still selling two bowls for one copper, but business was slow—few people went there for soy milk.

In contrast, Lu Yuan’s stall was busy with customers.

In an hour and a half, she sold out all the soy milk and tofu fa she had brought.

Lu Yuan felt the competing vendor’s gaze could practically turn into sharp arrows, piercing her a thousand times over.

After selling out, Lu Yuan placed the buckets on the ox-cart and went with Old Lady He to look around the market.

They stopped at the meat stall, originally planning to buy just some lard and pork before heading back. But at the sight of pig’s feet and ribs, her mouth watered.

Pig’s feet were priced the same as lean meat—twelve coppers per pound. But since bones made up part of the weight, some people thought it wasn’t worth it, so they were still there.

Lu Yuan asked the butcher to split one in half and took one portion.

The pig wasn’t large; half a pig’s foot weighed one pound and fourteen ounces, costing twenty-three coppers.

Remembering she needed oil for making comfrey ointment, and since there was none at home, Lu Yuan also bought one pound of lard for twenty coppers.

She also restocked oil for the lamps and salt.

Old Lady He watched each item with a look of pain but didn’t comment.

Finally, Lu Yuan went to the herbal shop and bought small amounts of star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, and Sichuan pepper.

She bought beans before heading home.

Although she had spent quite a bit on these items,

she knew that before Qi Cheng went to the city again, she would have one more stall day. She had saved enough for his eye treatment and his stay in the city.

Plus, she could sell another batch of dried mushrooms and make a profit, so she didn’t feel anxious.

Back home, Lu Yuan started preparing the pig’s feet.

The pig’s feet she bought hadn’t been pre-singed to remove the hair, so she had to take a burning branch and singe them several times at home.

The singed skin turned blackened and needed scrubbing thoroughly before chopping.

After chopping the pig’s feet, Lu Yuan heated water, added a few slices of ginger, and parboiled the pig’s feet once the water boiled.

She then removed them, stir-fried them with malt sugar to caramelize, transferred them to an earthenware pot, added salt, ginger, garlic, and the spices she bought—all in small amounts.

Pork in this era had a strong odor, especially pig’s feet. To make them taste good, it was necessary to add some spices to mask the smell.

While stewing the pig's feet, she began making lard.

Lu Yuan was busy working, with two little tagalongs following closely behind her.

The little tagalongs caught the enticing aroma and couldn't help sniffing the air eagerly. If she had something to feed them, Lu Yuan would have happily filled their bellies.

The rendered lard was divided into two portions. A few Sichuan peppercorns and two star anise pods were added to the oil jar for cooking, making it more fragrant and helping the lard last longer.

Grandma He glanced at her granddaughter-in-law bustling in the kitchen, then turned her attention back to rushing to finish the handkerchiefs.

Even though so much money was spent today, it was all earned by her granddaughter-in-law herself, so she couldn't complain much. Still, she felt uneasy inside.

The exact cost of treating Sheng Geer’s eye condition was unclear, and all the treatment costs had to be borne by her granddaughter-in-law alone. If the cost turned out to be high and she couldn’t come up with the money immediately, Grandma He thought she could at least earn whatever small amount she could.

…

Around dusk, they had their evening meal.

There were stewed pig's feet, braised bamboo shoots with cracklings, and an egg drop soup.

Chun Hua carefully counted how many dishes were on the table and asked, "Mom, is today special?"

Usually, there were at most two dishes, but today there were three.

Lu Yuan said, "Yes, today is my birthday, so we should eat a little better."

Grandma He and Qi Cheng both looked surprised.

Qi Cheng asked, "Your birthday?"

Lu Yuan nodded and said, "A couple of days ago, when I returned from the city, the village head mentioned the date. I figured it out, and it turns out today is my birthday."

Today was indeed Lu Yuan’s birthday.

Chun Hua and Qiu Hua both looked confused.

Chun Hua asked, "Mom, what is a birthday?"

In Su Liniang’s memory, birthdays had never been celebrated, and the children had never experienced one either, so they naturally didn’t know what a birthday was.

Lu Yuan explained, "A birthday is something everyone has. It’s to commemorate the day they were born from their mother’s womb."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Hua looked at her mother’s belly, her big eyes filled with confusion.

Grandma He frowned and said, "Why didn’t you say something earlier?"

Lu Yuan smiled casually, "I made delicious food anyway, so it doesn't matter whether I mentioned it or not."

Qi Cheng, however, went quiet.

Lu Yuan, sitting across from him, put a piece of meat in his bowl, saying, "You still need to watch the greasy food. Although you can’t eat too much meat, you can still have a couple of pieces."

Grandma He added, "If I had known it was your birthday, I would have boiled two red eggs for you earlier."

After thinking a moment, she added, "Birthdays call for red eggs. No, after we finish eating, I’ll go boil two for you to have as a late-night snack."

Lu Yuan looked curiously at Grandma He and asked, "What’s the difference between the red eggs last time and the red eggs this time?"

Qi Cheng knew exactly which occasion she was referring to and immediately looked uncomfortable.

In contrast, the two women at the table, Grandma He and Lu Yuan, seemed perfectly comfortable.

Grandma He said, "There’s no difference. Both are joyous occasions. Even when you and Sheng Geer have children in the future, you’ll have to eat them too."

"Cough, cough, cough." Qi Cheng coughed a few times.

Grandma He quickly said, "What’s wrong? Did you choke? Have some water."

She poured him a bowl of water.

Lu Yuan glanced at him.

She thought to herself that he wasn’t choking—he was just flustered by his grandmother and wife’s words.

Having spent almost a month together, she knew that although he seemed steady, he was actually quite innocent. It was precisely because he was still so innocent that she loved teasing him.

Once he lost his innocence, it wouldn’t be as fun anymore.

Qi Cheng took a sip of water and said, "Let’s eat. No more talking."

See? She had guessed right.

Qi Cheng didn’t hear her say anything, but based on his understanding of her, he knew her eyes must be full of teasing.

Grandma He gave the two children some meat and said, "Eat up, eat up."

She also tried a piece of the pig's feet, and her eyes lit up instantly.

It was tender, flavorful, and without any gaminess.

Grandma He said, "Li Niang, this pig's foot is delicious! You could even set up a stall selling this. If you could, you wouldn’t have to work so hard making soy milk and douhua."

Compliments on her cooking always made her happy. Lu Yuan unconsciously straightened her back and looked at Qi Cheng, saying, "Husband, try it quickly. Do you think I could really sell this at a stall?"

Qi Cheng picked up his bowl and, relying on his senses, tasted a piece of meat.

After taking a bite, he said, "The texture is excellent, but without soy sauce, it’s missing something."

Lu Yuan’s shoulders slumped slightly.

Qi Cheng added, "Even without soy sauce, your cooking is better than the chefs at 'Welcome Guest'. With soy sauce, you could compete with the chefs in the city."

Lu Yuan’s back straightened again.

"Do you think I could make money selling pig's feet?" she asked.

Qi Cheng nodded, "You could, but not in this town."

Seeing her look, Qi Cheng continued to explain to her, "Raw pig's feet aren’t cheap to begin with, and with the cost of spices, a pound would cost about 14 wen. How much would you price it per pound?"

Lu Yuan thought about it for a moment, frowning as she followed his train of thought, "If I price it too high, only wealthier families could afford it, and the quantity sold would be low, so I wouldn’t make much money."

The town’s population wasn’t large, and most people came from nearby villages. They were farming families—who would be willing to spend so much money on a few pieces of pig's feet?

Qi Cheng smiled, "Although it might not sell well in town, it would sell in the city. Even if you priced it at 25 wen per pound, people would still buy it."

Lu Yuan listened to his words and began to seriously consider the idea.

After finishing the meal, applying medicine to Qi Cheng, and getting washed, Lu Yuan returned to her room and continued to mull over the matter.

Qi Cheng came in from outside and, not hearing her voice, felt his way to the bedside and asked, “Still thinking about selling the trotters?”

Lu Yuan stood up from the stool and sat beside him, saying, “I was originally thinking of asking Old Man Li to accompany you to the city for your eye treatment and stay there for a while. But after hearing what you said earlier, I feel we could give it a try.”

Qi Cheng asked, “What about your tofu pudding and soy milk business?”

Lu Yuan replied, “I can get someone to help me sell it.”

“Soy milk is easy for others to copy, but tofu pudding isn’t as simple. I’ll teach the old lady how to set the tofu pudding right. Once it’s ready, we can have someone bring it to town to sell.”

Hearing she wanted to join him in the city for his eye treatment, Qi Cheng instinctively became more attentive to her business plans.

“But after my eyes are treated, will you stay in the city or return to Weishan Village?”

Lu Yuan thought for a moment and said, “I haven’t thought that far ahead. After all, we don’t have much money. If we go to the county town, where we can stay won’t be great, and what we earn might only cover our expenses.”

“Besides, the business hasn’t even started yet. Who knows how it will go? The city isn’t short of skilled cooks. I can make delicious dishes, but so can others. What I can earn would likely come from those who can’t afford to eat out often, so the braised trotters probably won’t bring in much profit.”

Qi Cheng was puzzled, “Then why are you leaving your town business to come to the city with me?”

Lu Yuan got into bed and sat on the inner side, naturally leaning back against him.

Qi Cheng instinctively stiffened his back.

The warmth seeped through two thin layers of clothing onto his back.

Lu Yuan could feel his tension but didn’t mind, chattering on, “Mainly, I wanted to ask Old Man Li to accompany you, but he might not agree, and I’m not sure how to calculate the wages. Besides, I only set up my stall one day out of three; the rest of the time, I’m at home doing needlework.”

“Rather than wasting time on needlework, I could pay Sister-in-law Chen to help make clothes, and I could set up a small stall in the city to earn some daily expenses.”

Finally, Lu Yuan asked him, “What do you think?”

Qi Cheng’s mind was filled with how naturally she leaned against his back.

He thought she was very thin, but leaning against him, she didn’t feel bony at all—instead, she was unexpectedly soft.

“I think whatever you want to do is fine, as long as it’s what you want,” he said, his voice somewhat low.

Lu Yuan frowned, “Why does that feel a bit dismissive to me?”

Qi Cheng took a quiet breath and replied, “Because I believe that with your skills, you can earn money whether in town or in the city.”

Lu Yuan’s lips curved into a smile, “I like hearing that.”

As she spoke, she moved away and lay down on the bed. Looking at his stiffened back, she asked, “Aren’t you tired, being so tense?”

Qi Cheng paused and replied, “Not tired.”

“You’re always so easily nervous. What are we going to do with you?” She shook her head, laughing mischievously.

Qi Cheng: ...

He didn’t respond.

He lay down beside her, close to her arm, his voice slightly deeper, “Then if you lean against me more often, I won’t be so nervous anymore.”

Lu Yuan said disdainfully, “I don’t want to lean against you. Your head is covered in medicine—it’s practically marinated.”

The bed board was also soaked with medicinal liquid, so as soon as they lay down, the strong smell of medicine filled the air.

“If you dislike it so much, why were you leaning so close just now?” Without another word, Qi Cheng pulled her back, tightly wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

He couldn’t let her tease him every time without retaliating.

Lu Yuan was stunned.

Oh no, she’d been counterattacked.

Just as Lu Yuan was about to speak, someone knocked on the door, “Li Niang, the red eggs are ready.”

She immediately brightened and pushed him, “Let go, I’ll go get the eggs.”

Qi Cheng: ...

He silently released his grip.

Lu Yuan responded cheerfully, “Coming.”

Hearing her lighthearted voice, Qi Cheng felt as if he’d thrown a punch into cotton—frustratingly stifled.

Lu Yuan opened the door.

Old Lady He held a bowl with two eggs.

She took only one and said, “Let the child have half.”

Old Lady He replied, “They’re eating already. You and Sheng Geer have these.”

Hearing this, Lu Yuan took the bowl.

Closing the door, Lu Yuan turned and saw the man sitting at the edge of the bed, lips pressed tightly together. She said, “If you can’t win, don’t sulk.”

Qi Cheng said helplessly, “I’m not sulking.”

Lu Yuan smiled, “Let’s eat the eggs.”

Qi Cheng reached out, “I’ll peel it for you.”

Lu Yuan simply handed him the bowl.

Qi Cheng peeled one egg and handed it to her.

As Lu Yuan took it, she heard him say, “Wishing you a joyful birthday and smooth sailing in all things.” He paused, then added, “And abundant wealth.”

Hearing the latter blessing, Lu Yuan’s eyes crinkled with laughter, but she pretended to be displeased, “My birthday gift is just a peeled egg and a few words of blessing?”

Qi Cheng sighed softly, “You only told me this evening. Where could I prepare a birthday gift? I can’t just weave you a few grasshoppers to be half-hearted.”

Lu Yuan took the egg and began eating, saying, “Then you’ll have to make it up to me later. You can’t skip it.”

Qi Cheng nodded lightly, “I’ll definitely make it up to you. I won’t forget, year after year.”

Lu Yuan casually remarked, “See, you haven’t even given me the first birthday gift, and you’re already making empty promises.”

Qi Cheng: ...

Her mouth could really be quite infuriating at times.

After eating the egg, they rinsed their mouths with plain water and put out the light before returning to bed.

In the quiet of the night, the smile faded from Lu Yuan’s face as she gazed expressionlessly at the dark ceiling.

If she could make a wish, she would want to send a dream to her family in another world.

To tell them:

—Mom, Dad, Sis, I’m still alive in this other world, and I’m doing well. Don’t worry.