Chapter 52

Chapter 52

After their heart-to-heart, the couple paid little mind to their neighbor Huang Li’s suggestion. They would soon be moving, and who knew if their paths would ever cross again.

Besides, with no night market that day and Lu Yuan feeling unwell, she simply stayed in bed.

She lay completely still, not daring to move a muscle.

Lu Yuan stared blankly at the bed canopy, pondering what kind of snacks she could make for the night market. Rich, heavy dishes weren't suitable for late-night fare, and she lacked the culinary skills anyway.

After much thought, she realized she needed to do some market research first.

The inn was small, and their room even smaller. She and Qi Cheng were practically squeezed in together.

She lay on the bed while he sat by its edge. When neither spoke, a subtle awkwardness filled the air.

Normally, apart from sleeping, they rarely spent such extended periods together in the room. After their conversation ended, Qi Cheng didn't initiate another, and there was nothing else to discuss.

Eventually, Lu Yuan drifted off to sleep. When she awoke, Qi Cheng was still in the same spot.

"You've been sitting there for ages without moving," she grumbled, "Aren't you tired?"

Qi Cheng, lost in his own thoughts, replied, "No, not tired."

Lu Yuan reached out and tugged his sleeve. "Come lie down here for a bit."

At her gentle tug, he stood and sat on the bed.

"Lie down," she said, patting the outer edge of the bed and scooting inward to make room.

Qi Cheng removed his shoes and lay down.

No sooner had he settled than she sat up, preparing to get off the bed.

Qi Cheng paused, "Where are you going?"

"To do some needlework," Lu Yuan replied.

She possessed only one set of clothes without patches. If she were to sell food in the city, she needed to appear presentable—at least clean and tidy, without any mends.

Before their journey, Lu Yuan had asked Old Lady He to cut all the fabric for her, so she only needed to sew them.

Old Lady He, well aware of Lu Yuan's poor sewing skills, not only cut the fabric but also roughly basted the pieces together. All Lu Yuan had to do was reinforce the stitches.

With nothing else to do at the inn, she estimated she could finish the work in about two days.

Her hands tired from sewing, she glanced at Qi Cheng on the bed. His eyes were closed, his breathing even—he must have fallen asleep.

He was truly strange. She had been asleep earlier, but he hadn't, and he only lay down after she told him to.

She turned to check the time.

It was almost time to start dinner. If she waited too long, other guests would use the kitchen, and she wouldn't be able to.

She scooped half a bowl of rice, grabbed three eggs, some long beans, a piece of meat, and the rehydrated dried mushrooms, then headed downstairs.

She planned to stir-fry the beans with eggs and steam the meat and mushrooms while the rice cooked.

When traveling, meat was readily available, so she couldn't skimp on food—she needed to keep her strength up.

She had already bought oil and salt earlier and brought them along.

As Lu Yuan was frying the eggs, Huang Li, from across the hall, followed the enticing aroma downstairs. Leaning against the kitchen door, she said, "Bring me a portion upstairs too. I'll pay you."

Lu Yuan glanced at her, then turned back to her cooking. "There's only enough for my husband and me."

Huang Li countered, "My appetite is half of yours. I'll pay you twenty coins per meal. Deal?"

Lu Yuan quickly calculated in her mind.

Dancers were meticulous about their diet, strictly controlling their portions.

Given Huang Li's slender figure, she'd eat no more than two ounces of rice, costing about one coin, and the side dishes would be around five coins.

That meant a clear profit of over ten coins. Hesitantly, Lu Yuan said, "I don't have extra bowls or chopsticks."

"Wait here," Huang Li said, heading upstairs. A moment later, she returned with a tray.

On the tray were a plate and a set of bowls and chopsticks.

The bowls, chopsticks, and plate were exquisite, made of fine porcelain with colorful glazes.

Looking at the tableware, Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, then decided—why turn down easy money?

She just wouldn't tell Qi Cheng.

She didn't want him to think she was greedy; she still needed to maintain some dignity.

After preparing the meal, Lu Yuan first brought Huang Li’s portion upstairs.

She furtively glanced at her own door, then lightly knocked on Huang Li’s.

A voice from inside responded, "Coming."

A moment later, the door opened. Huang Li inspected the portion on the tray and, seeing that the dishes were not carelessly prepared, handed Lu Yuan a small string of coins.

"If the food is good, I’ll have you make it again next time."

Lu Yuan didn't reply, afraid Qi Cheng might overhear her.

Pocketing the coins, Lu Yuan happily went back downstairs to bring up their evening meal.

Qi Cheng had woken up by then.

Lu Yuan said, "Wash your hands. It's time to eat."

The day before, Lu Yuan had already arranged everything and confirmed the positions with him. The room was small, and he had a good memory, so he remembered everything after one try.

Qi Cheng washed his hands, then turned and walked the two steps to the table, sitting down.

Lu Yuan served the dishes into his bowl, then placed the chopsticks and bowl in his hands.

"Eat up."

After the meal, Lu Yuan went to wash the dishes.

As night fell, both Lu Yuan and Qi Cheng needed to bathe. Qi Cheng waited outside for a while afterward.

After Lu Yuan exited the bathing area, she brought the water in for him and said, "Hand me your soiled clothes, and I'll wash them for you on my way."

Qi Cheng shook his head and refused: "Though my eyes don't work, I can still handle some chores."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan smiled, her eyes curving: "Then how about you wash mine along with yours, alright?"

Qi Cheng paused briefly, then nodded in agreement: "Alright, just leave them there."

After a moment's thought, he added, "It's late now. Head back to your room first and come back down later."

Earlier, while he was keeping watch outside, he had noticed a man moving around. He was concerned about her, a woman, being outside alone.

Lu Yuan considered it; since she had already brought him the hot water, she replied, "Alright then."

She filled a basin with some water, took it to her room to wash her undergarments, and left the outer clothes for Qi Cheng to handle.

Back in Weishan Village, she had often washed his clothes—what was wrong with him washing hers for a change?

Besides, it was only the second day of her period; she could afford to be a little fussy.

Lu Yuan knew roughly how long he took to bathe. When it was about time, after hanging her small clothes to dry, she carried the used water downstairs.

By then, Qi Cheng had finished bathing and was waiting downstairs.

Lu Yuan emptied the water, then scooped fresh water into the basin, tossed in her outer clothes and his, and finally pressed a piece of soap into his hand.

She crouched beside him and whispered, "If anyone comes, just pass the clothes to me."

She didn’t want others to think she was mistreating her blind husband. Besides, Qi Cheng had a good nature and respected others, so she was willing to adapt to the customs of the times and give him face in public.

It was Qi Cheng’s first time washing women’s clothes. He was somewhat unfamiliar with the task and didn’t dare scrub too hard, focusing entirely on the garments in his hands. He replied, "No one here knows us—what is there to fear?"

Lu Yuan said, "I’m just worried you might lose face."

But Qi Cheng didn’t mind: "Washing clothes for my wife is nothing to be ashamed of."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan smiled, her eyes curving as she rested her chin on her knees and looked at him: "Do you really mean that?"

Qi Cheng gave a soft "mm" and continued, "Face isn’t something you gain from your wife. It’s about providing a good life for your family and your wife—that’s what brings true respect."

Lu Yuan listened, her eyes sparkling with laughter: "How are you so good at sweet talk?"

Qi Cheng frowned slightly: "It’s not sweet talk—it’s what I truly think."

Lu Yuan responded, "As long as it sounds pleasant and agreeable to me, it’s sweet talk that can make me happy."

Qi Cheng caught the key point: "Hearing these words makes you happy?"

Lu Yuan also gave a soft "mm": "It improves my mood."

The corners of Qi Cheng’s lips lifted slightly, a faint smile appearing: "You’re too easy to please."

"I think so too. If you take on all the chores from now on, I’ll be even easier to please."

Qi Cheng chuckled softly: "That won't do. If I do all the work, wouldn't I just become your hired laborer?"

At the mention of "hired laborer," Lu Yuan’s mind immediately jumped to some thrilling scenarios, and her thoughts took a risqué turn.

After a long silence, Qi Cheng asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Lu Yuan replied, "Nothing much."

She was actually imagining a forbidden tale about a hired laborer and a spoiled young mistress.

Qi Cheng figured that since she was usually so talkative but had suddenly gone quiet, her mind must be wandering to some wild ideas.

He feared she might say something shocking in public, so he didn’t press further.

Just then, the Innkeeper was heading to the outhouse and passed by, catching sight of the young couple washing clothes. But when he saw it was the man doing the washing, he paused in surprise.

Having run the inn for so long, this was the first time he’d seen a man washing clothes while the woman watched from the side.

Lu Yuan snapped out of her thoughts and met the Innkeeper’s gaze, feeling somewhat awkward.

The Innkeeper couldn’t pretend he hadn’t seen them and offered an embarrassed smile: "Washing clothes?"

Lu Yuan nodded and said with a smile, "My husband cares for me and won’t let me wash."

Qi Cheng’s expression remained calm, and he didn’t stop washing even with someone else present.

The Innkeeper nodded: "I understand, I understand."

When his wife was on her period, he also washed her clothes, but he did it secretly, not letting anyone know.

Unlike her husband, who didn’t seem afraid of others finding out or worried about being called henpecked.

After exchanging greetings, the Innkeeper went to the outhouse and hurriedly nodded again when he returned.

Qi Cheng finished washing all the clothes but didn’t come across her undergarments, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.

They hadn’t even had intimate physical contact yet, and he was afraid that if he handled her personal garments, he’d be up all night thinking about it, unable to sleep.

Once the clothes were washed, they went upstairs.

Huang Li across the hall seemed to have heard the noise and suddenly opened her door.

The moment their eyes met, Lu Yuan seemed to guess what she was about to say but didn’t have time to stop her before she spoke: "Prepare lunch for me again tomorrow. I’ll pay you twenty coppers per meal."

Lu Yuan made faces, trying to cut her off, but it was too late.

After speaking, Huang Li glanced at the man beside her, smiled slightly, and said, "Good evening, sir."

With that, she closed her door.

After a long silence, Lu Yuan opened their door and, without looking at him, said, "Let’s go inside first."

Once inside, Lu Yuan took the clothes from him and hung them outside the window.

Since he didn’t ask, she didn’t bring it up.

"What was that about lunch from the woman across the hall?" he asked.

Lu Yuan: …

He certainly didn’t waste any time.

She decided not to hide it anymore and said, "While preparing dinner, she asked me to bring a portion up to her and offered twenty coppers. She doesn’t eat much—only about half of what I usually make."

"Considering how much we’re spending in the city, earning this money is justified, and I can’t exactly turn down money, right?"

She looked up at his face, and indeed, it didn’t look too good—a bit grim.

“Did you eat enough?” he asked.

“What?” Lu Yuan had expected him to say not to earn that money, but instead he asked this question.

Qi Cheng repeated, “Did you eat enough?”

Lu Yuan placed a hand on her stomach and answered truthfully, “No.”

Qi Cheng sighed and said, “I heard from the innkeeper that although there’s no night market today, the wazi is open, and food stalls line the streets and alleys at night. There’s even a wonton stall at the intersection near the inn. Let’s go out for a midnight snack.”

Lu Yuan thought about it—she might indeed end up too hungry to sleep tonight. Since she had earned over a dozen coins, having a bowl of wontons wouldn’t be a bad idea.

With that thought, she agreed, “Alright, let’s go out for a midnight snack.”

They took some coins, locked the door, went downstairs, borrowed a lantern from the innkeeper, and headed out.

The night was chilly, and as soon as they stepped outside, Lu Yuan instinctively hunched her shoulders against the cold.

It wasn’t yet late at night, and a handful of people in the alley were carrying lanterns as they walked.

Two small inns along the way had lanterns hanging under their eaves, their faint glow lighting the alley, so it wasn’t completely dark.

But the faint golden light in the darkness made the atmosphere rather spooky. Unconsciously, Lu Yuan grabbed Qi Cheng’s sleeve.

Qi Cheng took her hand in his and reassured her gently, “Don’t be afraid.”

His reassurance did nothing to reassure Lu Yuan.

After all, he was blind—if real danger arose, could he protect her?

She felt anxious the whole way to the alley’s entrance, but she relaxed when she spotted the wonton stall with several lanterns hanging.

After they sat down, Lu Yuan asked him, “Would you like some too?”

Qi Cheng shook his head. “You eat. I’m not hungry.”

Lu Yuan said, “I likely won’t finish this all. I’ll share half with you later.”

She glanced at the sign: a large bowl cost ten coins, a small bowl seven coins.

It was quite expensive, but since it was meat-filled, the price was understandable.

She ordered a large bowl and asked the vendor for an extra small bowl.

A brimming bowl arrived.

The bowl was filled with wontons, with a bone broth base and scallions floating on top—it smelled delicious.

She poured half into the small bowl and handed the large bowl to Qi Cheng.

Qi Cheng felt it was the large bowl and said, “You didn’t eat much for dinner. Have more.”

Lu Yuan shook her head. “I’m not just being polite—I’m just worried I’ll eat too much and get indigestion at night.”

As she spoke, she scooped a wonton onto her spoon, blew on it, and put it in her mouth.

There wasn’t much meat, but she had to admit, the flavor was delicious. She even detected the umami of dried shrimp in the broth.

Indeed, one shouldn’t underestimate the people of ancient times' skill at making delicious food—what their era could do, this time had perfected ages ago.