Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Inside the clinic, the physician meticulously examined Qi Sheng’s pulse and assessed the extent of his vision.

After a brief interval, the physician withdrew his hand and instructed, "Continue applying the medicine tonight. Return to the clinic first thing tomorrow for another application, followed by acupuncture."

Lu Yuan pressed, "What are the chances my husband will regain his sight?"

Qi Sheng, hands resting on his knees, subtly clenched his fists.

He was far from as composed as he appeared.

Perhaps initially, he had thought blindness was preferable to never waking up.

But with the passage of time, he yearned for his vision to return.

The physician explained, "Given your husband's current ability to perceive shadows, and with a period of acupuncture combined with medicinal applications to disperse blood clots, there's an eighty to ninety percent chance he will regain some vision. However, the degree of recovery remains uncertain."

"His vision might start blurry and gradually clear, or it might remain consistently blurry even after he begins to see."

Lu Yuan mused that this sounded akin to nearsightedness. Though things might not be perfectly clear, at least he wouldn't be completely blind—which was, in itself, good news.

Qi Sheng's hands on his knees relaxed slightly.

Lu Yuan then inquired, "Doctor, I’d like to know how long this treatment will last. We’ve traveled from Anping Town, and the round trip takes four hours, making travel inconvenient. We must stay in the city, but lodging here is expensive. If I had a rough estimate of the duration, I could seek alternative accommodation."

The physician pondered for a moment before replying, "At least two weeks, possibly over a month. Afterward, you'll only need to return every fortnight for a check-up. If there are no issues, further visits won't be necessary."

Upon learning the approximate timeframe, Lu Yuan expressed her gratitude.

The physician prescribed a few more doses of medicine for Qi Sheng, to be applied warm before bed each night.

Leaving the clinic, Lu Yuan observed the silent Qi Sheng. His expression was placid, betraying no emotion.

She asked, "Are you happy or unhappy?"

Qi Sheng exhaled softly and responded, "I am happy."

Lu Yuan shook her head. "But you don't look happy to me."

Qi Sheng offered a faint smile. "When I heard I might regain my sight, there wasn't much joy, only relief. I felt as though I was no longer a burden."

Lu Yuan's brow furrowed slightly.

His words hinted at insecurity.

Yet, given his blindness, such feelings were understandable. Once he recovered, she suspected any trace of insecurity would vanish, swept away by the deluge of praise he would undoubtedly receive.

Even though she hadn't known the former Qi Sheng, she had heard countless commendations about him from those who did.

Under the nurturing influence of praise, the tiny seed of confidence within anyone is almost certain to sprout.

Lu Yuan chuckled softly. "Don't dwell on it too much. We still have a mountain of things to do."

Guiding him by the wrist, she continued, "We need to buy a mat, a brazier, and a pot. We can't use the inn's kitchen to brew medicine. After that, we still need to find a place to stay."

There was indeed so much to accomplish.

Lu Yuan added, "The doctor said we'd be here for more than half a month. We can't keep staying at the inn; it's too expensive. Let's look for a real estate agency later and see if there are any affordable monthly rentals."

"Tomorrow, I'll also scout out suitable locations to set up a stall and earn a living."

Hearing this, Qi Sheng asked, "Are you really planning to sell braised pig's trotters?"

At the mention of this, Lu Yuan's brow furrowed with worry.

"Not necessarily. The cost is quite high. I'll investigate the market conditions first before deciding."

She wondered why it seemed so effortless for transmigration heroines to amass wealth by selling braised meat, yet it proved so challenging for her.

Lu Yuan and Qi Sheng searched the West Market for a considerable time but found neither braziers nor mats. Upon inquiring with street vendors, they learned that everyday necessities were sold in the East Market.

They asked for directions along the way, slowly making their way there, arriving after nearly half an hour.

Lu Yuan purchased two sets of bowls and chopsticks, two plates, a brazier, a pot, and the necessary charcoal.

Charcoal, which had been inexpensive in her era, was remarkably costly here—the cheapest kind was eighteen coins per pound.

Two pounds of charcoal, combined with the other items, amounted to eighty-eight coins.

The medical consultation and medicine from that morning had cost forty-eight coins.

A straw mat was fifteen coins.

In just a short span, they had already spent one hundred and fifty-one coins.

Lu Yuan felt as though her heart was bleeding and her flesh ached.

If she had felt flush with cash upon leaving the dried goods store earlier, now she realized this meager sum wouldn't suffice for city expenses.

They had to earn money, and quickly!

After purchasing a few pounds of rice and a pound of eggs, they finally sought out a real estate agency.

To avoid the arduous task of searching for rental properties themselves, they could directly approach a real estate agency. For two coins, the agency would provide two housing options based on their requirements. For an additional two coins, they would personally escort them to view the properties.

As soon as Qi Sheng heard this, he led Lu Yuan away.

Lu Yuan asked, "What's wrong?"

Qi Sheng replied, "The people at this agency aren't trustworthy."

Lu Yuan looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Qi Sheng explained, "How could they sustain their business with just four coins? They're likely taking a cut from the rent."

Lu Yuan pondered this and agreed it made sense.

In her time, real estate agents charged a percentage of the monthly rent as their fee. This agency only asked for a few coins to provide listings—they were likely deducting a significant portion from the monthly rent.

Qi Sheng added, "Let's try another agency."

After a moment's thought, Lu Yuan said, "No need to ask another agency. I'll find a place myself."

Qi Sheng frowned slightly. "You're not familiar with the city. Where will you look?"

Lu Yuan smiled and replied, "Naturally, I'll go wherever the rent seems cheapest and inquire there."

She continued, "Houses near the East and West Markets must be expensive, and locations near the city gates are also out of the question. We can only look in more secluded areas. If we can't afford to rent, we could go outside the city and find a household in the nearest village to rent a livable room. If even that fails, we could stay at an inn for the time being."

She had practically considered the worst-case scenario.

All her efforts and rushing about were entirely for him.

Qi Sheng's heart swelled with a tumult of complex emotions.

She must care for him deeply; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths.

Her earlier talk about a hundred gold at the inn was probably just to provoke him.

If someone truly offered her a hundred gold to separate from him, she would undoubtedly remain steadfast.

Back at the inn, Lu Yuan began to clean.

Although the inn appeared clean, some nooks and crannies still required attention.

She placed the inn's mat and quilt on the stool, then spread out the newly purchased mat. She dampened a cloth with water and wiped everything down—the tabletop, the chairs, and the mat.

Once the mat was dry, Lu Yuan took out the quilt, stuffed with a thin layer of reed catkins, and laid it on the bed. Then she sprawled out on the bed like a starfish and let out a long sigh.

So tired.

Qi Sheng said, "Turn over onto your stomach. I'll give you a massage."

Lu Yuan rolled over weakly. "Massage is fine, but don't get handsy."

Qi Sheng: …

At times like this, he especially wanted to silence her.

He walked to the bedside, extended his hand, and said, "Give me your hand."

Lu Yuan lifted her hand and placed it in his palm.

Qi Sheng followed her arm with both hands and rested them on her shoulders.

After massaging for a while, Lu Yuan said, "My lower back hurts too. Massage there as well."

Qi Sheng's hands paused. Then he heard her mutter, "It's sore and swollen—so uncomfortable."

He hesitated for a moment, lifted his hands slightly from her shoulders, mentally gauged the position, swallowed hard, and after a few breaths, placed his hands back down.

His voice slightly deeper, he asked, "Is it here?"

Lu Yuan: "A bit lower."

Qi Sheng's fingertips moved half an inch down her lower back.

"Right there," she said.

Qi Sheng applied pressure, trying hard to push away all inappropriate thoughts, but he couldn't help the sensations under his hands, which led his mind astray.

Her waist was slender and soft, without an ounce of excess fat.

Unconsciously, the man's breathing grew heavier.

Just as Lu Yuan was comfortably drifting into sleep, she suddenly jolted awake and sat up abruptly.

Qi Sheng thought he had hurt her and quickly asked, "What's wrong?!"

Lu Yuan: "I almost forgot something."

Qi Sheng: "Forgot what?"

She: "Women's matters."

It had been over two months since she arrived in this era, and due to her poor health, she hadn't had her period yet!

She had taken some medicine and eaten better, so her body's functions were gradually returning to normal.

She hadn't thought much about her sore and swollen back all day, nor had it occurred to her. But once she calmed down, the feeling seemed familiar, and upon reflection, she remembered her period.

Qi Sheng was puzzled and hesitantly asked, "Women's matters? What matters?"

Lu Yuan said bluntly, "My period."

Qi Sheng's mouth opened slightly. Having never encountered this before, he initially felt it should be avoided, but then he thought—they were husband and wife. If she didn't mind, why should he?

After a few breaths, he asked, "What do you need to prepare?"

Lu Yuan found it amusing: "Do you think I'm having a baby? What is there to prepare?"

But she did need to prepare menstrual pads.

Thinking about the menstrual pads used by lower-class women in this era, stuffed with plant ash—even if the ash was clean, she still couldn't bring herself to use them.

After a moment's thought, she got up from the bed and said to him, "I need to go out. Don't follow me. I'll be back soon."

Before her period arrived, she needed to prepare the menstrual pads quickly.

Qi Sheng fell silent for a moment before saying softly, "It's getting dark. Come back soon."

Lu Yuan nodded, grabbed thirty coins, and ran out.

Lu Yuan went to a fabric shop and asked the shopkeeper to sell her some soft cotton fabric scraps. The amount needed for three menstrual pads—both the outer layer and the stuffing—cost her only eight coins.

With thread and needles, it came to exactly ten coins.

She then went to a general goods store and bought ten sheets of oil paper for five coins.

The oil paper was sturdy and waterproof, making it perfect for the bottom layer to prevent leaks. The downside was that it had to be discarded after one use.

One sheet of oil paper, cut up, could be used twice.

Since it would only be for a few days, she wouldn't need much oil paper, so she didn't feel too heartbroken about the cost.

Qi Sheng sat by the door inside the room, listening for any movement outside.

Li Niang had been out for nearly half an hour and hadn't returned yet.

Suddenly, he heard light, quick footsteps—a woman's—coming up the stairs. Qi Sheng smiled, stood up, and opened the door.

"Li Niang, is that you back?"

He opened the door abruptly, startling the person who had just come upstairs. She let out a soft gasp, then fell silent.

Qi Sheng heard the faint gasp and knew it wasn't Li Niang.

He noticed someone staring at him, his smile fading as he said, "Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

With that, he moved to close the door.

"Hey, wait a moment."

It was a woman's voice.

Qi Sheng paused slightly and asked, "Can I help you, madam?"

The woman glanced at the blindfold over his eyes, her gaze moving down his face as she took a few steps closer. Her voice, soft and light, carried a hint of laughter: "You must be the guest who moved in today, right? I live across from you. My name is Huang Li, and I live alone. What's your name?"

Qi Sheng replied coldly, "Just passing through. I'd rather not say."

With that, he closed the door.

The woman outside was stunned.

Lu Yuan returned to Fulai Inn with her purchases, holding her aching lower back as she climbed the stairs, only to see a young woman standing at the top of the staircase.

The young woman appeared to be in her twenties, dressed in a vibrant rouge-red skirt, her hair styled in a high bun adorned with velvet flowers.

From the side, it was faintly visible that she was wearing makeup.

None of that mattered much; what was important was the odd position she stood in and the strange direction she was looking.

It wasn't until Lu Yuan reached the second floor that the woman snapped back to attention. Their eyes met briefly before Lu Yuan spoke: "Madam, excuse me."

From the front, the woman's makeup complemented her features, making her look quite beautiful.

Hearing Lu Yuan say "excuse me," the woman showed surprise and asked, "Do you live in this room?"

Lu Yuan nodded.

The woman suddenly smiled: "No wonder that gentleman opened the door when he heard footsteps earlier and called out 'Li Niang.' I thought he was calling me."

"By the way, my name is also Li Niang, but it's Huang Li's Li." She looked Lu Yuan up and down, her smile unchanged, then added, "I guess you can't read and wouldn't know which Li it is."

Lu Yuan sensed the subtle sarcasm and smiled back: "How could I not know? It's the Li that adds a 'bird' to 'beautiful,' and also the Li from 'owl-hearted and oriole-tongued.'"

The woman's smile faltered slightly, seemingly surprised that a woman dressed like a country woman could be literate.

At the same time, a hint of confusion appeared in her eyes, as if she didn't understand the meaning of the idiom Lu Yuan had mentioned.

Seeing her stunned, Lu Yuan didn't wait for her to move aside and simply brushed past her, pushing the door open and entering the room.

After closing the door, she slumped her shoulders, massaging her lower back a few times before giving an annoyed look at Qi Sheng, who was pouring water.

Her period was about to start, and she was already irritable—and now he was stirring up drama.

Qi Sheng handed her a cup of water: "Have a drink."

Lu Yuan took it and asked, "What's the story with that woman at the door?"

Listening carefully, she could hear the sound of a door opening and closing across the hall but no footsteps descending the stairs. It seemed the woman lived right opposite.

Qi Sheng explained: "I thought it was you earlier, so I opened the door. I didn't realize it was someone else."

Then he asked, "What does 'owl-hearted and oriole-tongued' mean?"

Lu Yuan frowned slightly: "You don't know what it means?"

Qi Sheng had started his education at a young age and was already six or seven when his family fell into decline—how could he not know?

Was he testing her, thinking that even if she was literate, she wouldn't know such an obscure idiom?

Lu Yuan chuckled and replied: "How could I not know? There was a fussy scholar in our village back then. His wife spoke sweetly to others but treated his mother harshly in private. He often used this phrase to scold her."

"Doesn't it mean someone who speaks nicely but has a wicked heart? Isn't that right?"

Qi Sheng smiled: "I suppose that's the meaning. But why did you suddenly say that about her?"

Lu Yuan took a sip of water: "She was making fun of me. Don't tell me you didn't catch that?"

What kind of decent person would immediately imply you're illiterate? If that's not mockery, what is?

Qi Sheng said: "Just ignore her."

After drinking the water, Lu Yuan handed the cup back to him, then laid out her materials to start making her sanitary pad.

"I'm also puzzled. That woman couldn't have taken one look at you and liked you, then developed hostility toward me. That makes no sense."

Even love at first sight takes time to develop complex feelings toward rivals around the person they like.

Qi Sheng carefully placed the cup back on the table and responded: "Some arrogant people naturally feel superior and have no kindness toward those they think are below them."

Lu Yuan nodded, then suddenly realized: "How am I worse than her?"

Qi Sheng's heart skipped a beat as he prepared to explain, but she continued on her own: "But to be honest, she really is quite pretty—fair-skinned, almost glowing."

Qi Sheng: …

He heard a hint of envy in her words.

Did she already forget that woman had just mocked her?

Lu Yuan began cutting and piecing together the fabric, no longer thinking about that Li Niang.

From across the hall came the sound of a door opening and closing, followed by footsteps descending the stairs. Huang Li must have gone out.

Lu Yuan didn't think twice about it, focusing solely on finishing the sanitary pad.

As dusk fell, she felt a warm flow in her lower abdomen just as she finished.

Perfect timing—it would come in handy right away.

Lu Yuan shooed Qi Sheng out of the room for a while before letting him back in.

Then she started heating water for a herbal compress for his head.

While Qi Sheng rested with the herb pack, Lu Yuan sat beside him, gently massaging her aching lower abdomen.

Having worked in healthcare, she had always prioritized her health and rarely experienced period pains.

It wasn't extremely painful, but the occasional twinges were uncomfortable.

After Qi Sheng finished his compress, Lu Yuan switched to an earthenware pot used for cooking rice and porridge. She went downstairs to rinse the rice, brought it back up, added two pieces of charcoal to the brazier, and placed the pot on top.

Once that was done, she got into bed and instructed Qi Sheng: "It should be ready in less than half an hour. Let it cool a bit, then help yourself. I'm not feeling well, so I'm going to sleep."

Liniang had always been full of energy, radiating vitality from head to toe, but this was the first time Qi Sheng had seen her so listless.

"Once the porridge is ready, I'll wake you to have some. It might make you feel better."

Lu Yuan thought for a moment and replied, "Alright."

She hugged the quilt and closed her eyes, not daring to move a muscle, afraid of staining her clothes and the mat.

Qi Sheng sat beside her, occasionally hearing her murmur in discomfort.

After a moment of thought, he took some silver and left the room, gripping the banister as he made his way downstairs.

The innkeeper saw him coming down and asked, "Young master, why have you come down by yourself?"

If he were to fall in this small inn, it would be troublesome.

Qi Sheng followed the sound to the counter and asked, "May I ask, innkeeper, if there's any remedy for a woman suffering from severe monthly pains?"

The innkeeper let out an understanding "oh" and said, "My wife also has this issue. She often uses a warming pan to warm her lower abdomen."

As he spoke, the innkeeper added, "I happen to have one in the storage room. I'll lend it to you, but you must return it before you leave."

The winters are cold, and minding the shop without a warming pan is really difficult.

Qi Sheng thought to himself that the noodle stall vendor was right—this innkeeper was indeed easy to get along with.

He thanked him, "Thank you, innkeeper."

The innkeeper said, "Just a moment, young master. I'll be right back."

With that, he headed toward the small kitchen.

The small kitchen had a small alcove used for storage.

The innkeeper found the warming pan, wiped off the dust, and filled it with hot water from the pot in the kitchen.

After a little while, the innkeeper brought the warming pan to Qi Sheng and said, "I've just filled it with hot water from the kitchen. You can take it upstairs now."

"Thank you," Qi Sheng said again before turning to feel his way upstairs.

The innkeeper watched nervously and reminded him, "Be careful, young master. Take your time, no need to rush."

Only when he saw Qi Sheng safely reach the second floor did he breathe a sigh of relief.

It's really troublesome for someone with vision problems to stay on the second floor.

Qi Sheng returned to the room, gently shut the door, and made his way to the bed from memory. He reached out, touched Lu Yuan's hand, followed it to her shoulder, and gently patted her. "Liniang, I borrowed a warming pan for you. Press it against your lower abdomen."

Lu Yuan, half-asleep, barely heard Qi Sheng's words and didn't quite catch what he said. Soon, she felt something warm placed on her lower abdomen. Not knowing what it was, she instinctively hugged it and murmured, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

She was too disoriented to tell what time it was.

Afraid she would worry about him being awake, Qi Sheng took off his shoes and lay down beside her, whispering, "Go back to sleep."

Lu Yuan let out a soft "mm" and, still mindful of her condition, remained still, continuing to hug the warming pan on her abdomen as she slept.

With the warm source on her abdomen, Lu Yuan felt her whole body grow warm, and the pain gradually eased. Soon, she fell asleep again.

Following the sound of her breathing, Qi Sheng reached out and gently traced her face with his fingertips, trying to imagine what her features looked like.

Her face seemed no larger than his palm, with a slightly raised nose bridge, a small nose, and lips…

All her features seemed delicate.

With such features, how could she be unattractive?

No matter how hard he tried, Qi Sheng couldn't picture her exact appearance. Though he couldn't visualize it, the look in her eyes was vivid in his mind—they must be lively and bright, always seeming to carry a smile.

As Lu Yuan slept, she felt an itch on her face and thought it was a mosquito. She raised her hand and swatted at it.

Qi Sheng, unable to see, took the hit squarely on the back of his hand.

The sound of the slap echoed loudly in the room.

His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly withdrew his hand.

When she didn't say anything for a long time, he realized she was still asleep.

Qi Sheng breathed a silent sigh of relief.

If she found out he had lightly touched her face while she was asleep, it would surely become fodder for her jokes in the future.

Even so, life with her was never dull.

Qi Sheng smiled, moved closer to his wife, and closed his eyes to sleep.

The next day, the first thing Lu Yuan did upon waking was check her clothes and the bed. Relieved to find no stains, she relaxed.

It seemed the flow wasn't too heavy, so she could rest easy.

On the second day of her period, Lu Yuan still felt unwell; her chest and waist ached.

Qi Sheng had also woken up and said to her, "Aside from going to the healer's, don't go out today. Rest properly in the room."

Lu Yuan got up from the foot of the bed and replied, "We'll see."

She walked to the brazier, opened the earthen pot, and saw that the porridge inside seemed untouched. Turning to Qi Sheng, she asked, "You didn't have any porridge last night?"

Qi Sheng, sitting by the bed adjusting his collar, replied, "I was tired too yesterday, so I went to sleep."

Lu Yuan said, "That's perfect. We'll just heat it up, so we wouldn't have to make breakfast this morning."

The night was cool, so the porridge had kept through the night.

To avoid the trouble of starting charcoal, Lu Yuan took the porridge downstairs to heat it up in the inn's small kitchen.