Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Lu Yuan awoke to a bright sky, sunlight already streaming through the window.

Startled by the light, she sat up abruptly and patted the man beside her: "Quick, get up, we’ll be late."

Before her hand fully landed, Qi Cheng’s eyes were open. As he moved to sit up, her palm met his chest.

Qi Cheng: …

Lu Yuan turned to see him propped on his hands, a hint of bewilderment on his face.

"Oops, my mistake," she mumbled, "don’t mind it."

Then she urged him again: "Hurry up, we’ll be late for the clinic."

As Qi Cheng sat up, she slipped out of bed, combing her hair. "No time for breakfast. We’ll have to grab some steamed buns from the East Market on our way."

She quickly styled her hair, secured it with a hairpin, and shook her head to ensure it wouldn't come loose. Then, she and Qi Cheng went to wash up in the courtyard.

After washing, they rushed out the door.

At the clinic, the physician didn’t immediately perform acupuncture. Instead, he first took Qi Cheng’s pulse and removed the bandage to examine his eyes.

With the bandage off, Qi Cheng could faintly discern moving shapes before him.

After inquiring about his condition, the physician had him reapply the bandage.

Lu Yuan asked, "Given his current progress, when can my husband see again?"

The physician replied, "Based on your husband’s condition, after three to five more acupuncture sessions, we’ll switch to every other day. After that, he’ll only need medication and time for his vision to gradually recover."

Hearing "gradually," Lu Yuan felt a pang of anxiety. She pressed, "How long exactly does 'gradual recovery' mean?"

The physician said, "To recover seventy to eighty percent, or even fully, typically takes three to six months."

Lu Yuan pondered, "So, within three months, his vision could recover up to sixty percent?"

The physician confirmed, "That’s a fair assessment. It might even be quicker. His vision has already improved by ten percent. After a few more acupuncture sessions, recovering thirty to forty percent is certainly achievable, or even fifty to sixty percent if it progresses faster."

Fifty or sixty percent recovery would be sufficient for daily activities.

After the acupuncture, they returned home.

Passing through the East Market, Lu Yuan bought rice and vegetables, careful to keep her spending under thirty coins.

Back home, Lu Yuan cooked a meal so Qi Cheng could eat early and get some rest.

She had noticed dark circles under his eyes that morning.

One night wouldn’t cause dark circles; clearly, he hadn’t slept well in days.

The daytime quiet here was perfect for him to catch up on sleep.

Once rested, he could help her at the stall tomorrow night.

Tomorrow night, they wouldn’t be able to close as early as last night; they’d likely sell until midnight.

With nothing else to do, Qi Cheng naturally needed to sleep.

He hadn’t been sleeping well lately; without rest, he’d soon be exhausted.

Seeing him asleep, Lu Yuan quietly took the clothes outside to the courtyard to finish up.

For their second night, they set up the stall early and managed to secure their previous spot.

Lu Yuan fried several pieces of youtiao before beginning her calls to customers.

As a novel food, some had already tried it and praised its taste, so many were willing to pay three coins for a taste.

Lu Yuan’s stall was doing well, but she lacked someone to pack orders.

She glanced at her husband, thinking he’d need at least thirty percent vision back to help with packing. She’d just have to wait.

Even if he couldn’t assist much, he could still be a great advertisement.

In this night market, besides their stall, which other vendor boasted such a handsome man?

With both fresh food and a charming vendor, it was a double draw. Even if others eventually learned to make youtiao, her stall would retain its advantage.

As night deepened and the market thinned, Lu Yuan finally found a moment to rest.

She took some money and told Qi Cheng, "Watch the stall for a bit. I’m going to buy some lamp oil. If anyone comes, ask them to wait."

She had bought a lantern at the night market earlier, but it had very little oil, enough for only half an hour.

Last time, by the time they returned to the inn from the night market, the flame was dim and the oil nearly gone.

Lu Yuan bought a few coins' worth of lamp oil and refilled the lantern.

After refilling, she returned with the lantern, spotting several people waiting at her stall from a distance. She hurried back.

As she approached, she heard one of them say, "What’s a blind man doing running a business? Tending a stall? That’s a joke!"

Lu Yuan frowned. Looking at Qi Cheng, his expression had turned cold.

She thought he was angry, but then she heard him say firmly, "You took the youtiao and weren't going to pay? Did you really think I wouldn’t know just because I can’t see?"

Lu Yuan quickly moved to his side, glaring at the man in front, and asked Qi Cheng, "What’s happening?"

Qi Cheng told her, "He knew I couldn’t see and tried to take the fried dough without paying."

The man at the stall, seeing Lu Yuan return, quickly changed his expression and protested, "How can you accuse me? I clearly took the youtiao first and was about to pay, but he grabbed my hand!"

"Look, he even left marks!"

Who would have thought this blind man could precisely grab his hand with such surprising strength that he couldn’t break free? Only when he put the youtiao down did Qi Cheng release his grip.

Lu Yuan glanced over and saw red marks on the man’s wrist where he had been grabbed.

Qi Cheng turned to Lu Yuan and said, "This man explicitly said, 'It’s expensive, only a fool would buy it,' yet his hand dishonestly reached for the youtiao."

The man immediately retorted angrily, "I never said any such thing! If you don’t believe me, ask anyone around. Besides you, blind man, who else heard me?"

"Besides, I clearly said I’d take it myself and then pay you. But you, without a word, grabbed my hand and accused and insulted me like this. You must apologize and compensate me, or this isn’t over!"

Lu Yuan let out a disbelieving laugh. She looked at the rogue and forced a smile: "You claim my husband falsely accused you, but listen to what you yourself said the moment you opened your mouth?"

Hearing this, those around couldn’t help but carefully recall what the man had just said.

The man was momentarily stunned, not processing what he himself had just said.

Lu Yuan scoffed, "When someone is falsely accused, they usually seek witnesses. But the moment you spoke, you claimed no one heard my husband, implying no one could corroborate his words. This suggests you deliberately checked for an empty vicinity before approaching. And you still claim no ill intentions? Why such meticulous observation?"

The man tried to interject, but Lu Yuan gave him no chance, pressing on relentlessly, "Furthermore, it’s no secret in this night market that my husband has poor eyesight. You probably knew this long ago and waited for my absence to try and take advantage!"

"If you deny it, surely someone saw you loitering around for a long time. I can easily ask around to confirm!"

Her words made the onlookers reflect carefully on what the man had just said, and they began whispering among themselves.

Faint murmurs could be heard, with some agreeing that her reasoning made sense.

Hearing this, the man grew furious, "What's with the attitude, lady! As if I’d try to cheat you out of a few coins for some youtiao!"

Lu Yuan retorted, "Whether you intended to or not, I won't have anyone badmouthing my husband. And who said my husband is blind?"

The man was taken aback, and she continued, "My husband can see—things just look blurry. So don’t think you can take advantage of him."

Upon hearing this, the crowd understood—they had indeed encountered a scammer.

After all, what street vendor would give customers attitude? And no honest vendor would pick a fight with a genuine customer.

A flicker of panic crossed the rogue’s face, but he stubbornly insisted, "Your stall is clearly cheating customers! A business like this won’t last long. I can’t be bothered arguing with unreasonable people like you—it’s a waste of my time."

With that, he took off, muttering curses.

As the commotion died down, the crowd dispersed.

Lu Yuan dropped her pretense, her face flushing with anger as she muttered under her breath, "Shameless lowlife."

Qi Cheng said calmly, "Don’t get worked up over someone like that."

Lu Yuan turned to him, "How can you not be angry after what he said about you?"

Qi Cheng smiled faintly, "What he said later was true—I really am blind."

Lu Yuan shot back, "It’s only temporary! You’ll be able to see again soon—how does that make you blind?!"

She went on, "Even if you were truly blind, so what? A blind person is still a thousand times better than a scoundrel like him."

Hearing this, Qi Cheng’s lips curved into a slight smile.

A customer came to buy fried dough sticks, and Lu Yuan finally stopped ranting.

Before midnight, they ran out of dough, so Lu Yuan packed up the stall and headed back.

Returning home with the lantern, she heated some water to wash her face and feet.

The night was chilly, and the water was bone-chilling—her body couldn’t handle soaking in icy water.

As Lu Yuan soaked her feet, she pulled Qi Cheng to join her, stepping on the tops of his feet, unconcerned by his stiffening body.

He still seemed uncomfortable with such intimate gestures.

Thinking back to the evening’s incident, Lu Yuan remained indignant.

"How can there be scoundrels like that in the world, targeting vulnerable people? So shameless."

Most of Qi Cheng’s attention, however, was drawn to the feet resting on his. The other part of his mind was wondering if he should ask her to add some cold water.

Wasn’t the water too hot? Could she really not feel it?

Noticing that Qi Cheng seemed distracted, she said, "Aren’t you going to say something?"

Snapping back to attention, Qi Cheng asked, "Can we add some cold water? The water seems too hot."

Lu Yuan frowned, "Too hot? I think it’s just fine."

She moved her feet aside and said, "If it’s too hot for you, then don’t soak anymore."

Qi Cheng let out a quiet sigh of relief and lifted his feet out of the basin.

Lu Yuan put her feet back in and said, "Next time, I won’t leave the stall for even a moment. That way, no scoundrel can try to take advantage."

Qi Cheng sighed softly, "If only my eyes could recover sooner, I’d be able to help you more."

Lu Yuan replied, "These things can’t be rushed. Take your time."

"Besides, who says you’re not helping? Didn’t you carry the table to the night market for me? And you fetched the water we used yesterday and today."

There were few people in their alley, so after Qi Cheng became familiar with it, he started helping with getting water.

Holding a bamboo cane to feel his way with one hand and carrying a bucket about 80% full with the other, he handled it effortlessly.

What blind person could handle so many chores?

Well, there might be others, but she had never seen any—Qi Cheng was the only one she knew.

Qi Cheng gave a light laugh, "Didn’t you say you wanted to leave all the heavy work to me? Are you satisfied with just these tasks?"

Lu Yuan thought to herself, of course I'm satisfied when someone with his condition still willingly helped with chores.

"I’m waiting for your eyes to get better," she said.

Once he's regained 30-40% of his vision and could avoid obstacles, he’d be able to do even more.

Qi Cheng’s smile widened, and he returned to his earlier question, "Are you sure we don’t need to add cold water?"

Lu Yuan glanced down at his feet, now bright red from soaking, and fell silent for a moment.

So, his stiffness earlier wasn’t entirely because she was stepping on his feet—it was also because the water was scalding him.

Lu Yuan was speechless for a while before finally saying, "If you felt it was too hot, you should’ve said something."

Qi Cheng replied, "I thought you would add cold water."

Who would have guessed she’d soak as if nothing was wrong?

Lu Yuan felt the water temperature again and said, "I think it’s just right."

After a moment’s thought, she added, "Maybe it’s because my body is not as strong, so I can handle the heat better."

Jokingly, she said, "One of us is not as strong, the other is blind. With an elder and two children at home, aren’t we quite the group of ‘the old, weak, sick, and disabled’?"

Qi Cheng quirked an eyebrow, "In such a situation, you still have the mood to joke?"

Lu Yuan laughed, "Well, crying won't help. Crying won’t change our circumstances."

She swirled her feet in the water and continued, "Do you think if our stall in the city does well, we should consider staying in the city?"

Qi Cheng thought for a moment and said, "If business is good, we'll go back home to the village at the end of the month, then return to the city to continue setting up our stall. Once we've saved enough money, we'll bring Grandmother and Chun Hua and Qiu Hua to the city."

Lu Yuan thought to herself, isn't this just leaving behind elderly parents and children?

"But I'm not entirely at ease. Grandmother is getting older, and the two children are still young. If something were to happen, we wouldn't make it back in time."

Qi Cheng asked, "So you mean to bring them to the city?"

Lu Yuan pondered and said, "That's what I'm thinking. Once your vision improves a bit, I'll buy another collapsible table, and we can sell at the morning market in the East Market. We'll not only sell fried dough sticks but also soy milk. We're sure to make more money. By the end of the month, we'll have enough to rent another small courtyard."

"But if we do that, you'll run yourself ragged." He paused, then added, "The doctor said you shouldn't overexert yourself. Even if we bring them to the city, we can wait another month. There's no rush to do it this month."

"After another month, my vision will have improved further, and I'll be able to help you more. Then we can set up at the morning market in the East."

Qi Cheng's persuasive words also reminded Lu Yuan of her own physical condition.

She thought it over and sighed. "It's just that I feel sorry for leaving Grandmother and Chun Hua and Qiu Hua in Weishan Village."

Qi Cheng's heart ached for his grandmother. But given their current situation, she really shouldn't push herself too hard.

He said to her, "On market days, you're busy for most of the day and work until midnight. You still have one day to rest and recover."

"But if you add the morning market every day, plus making soy milk, you'll be busy all day, having to get up before mao hour (around 5-7 AM) to prepare for the morning market. After the morning market ends and you return home, you'll eat lunch and rest for less than two hours before preparing for the night market and the next day's morning market."

Lu Yuan hadn't thought it through carefully before, but hearing this, she felt exhausted just thinking about it.

She immediately abandoned the idea of bringing the elderly and children to the city after returning at the end of the month.

"Then... let's wait a bit longer?"

Qi Cheng sighed softly. "More important than bringing them here is taking care of your own health first."

Lu Yuan said, "I understand. Let's save up a bit more money first. When we have more of a financial cushion, they won't have to suffer with us when they come to the city."

The water had cooled, so she lifted her feet and rested them on the edge of the basin to dry.

Once her feet were dry, she slipped on her straw sandals, picked up the basin, and went outside to pour out the water.

When she returned, she said, "I didn't notice it when we were setting up the stall, but now, when I step out of the house, a cold wind blows, and it's really freezing."

Qi Cheng said, "Grandmother packed some dry reed flowers for you. If it's cold tomorrow, stuff some into the lining of your clothes."

When they left, Grandmother He, knowing her granddaughter-in-law wasn't skilled at sewing, had prepared the inner lining for them.

Even for new clothes, she made the lining and told her to sew it on herself.

Lu Yuan was a bit lazy about these small tasks and dismissed it casually, saying, "It's not that cold during the day. Stuffing reed flowers would make it too hot."

With that, she blew out the lantern, climbed into bed, and burrowed under the covers.

Qi Cheng couldn't see her expression, but he knew her well.

"Don't be lazy. You'll be the one feeling cold," he chided.

"Got it, got it. If it's cold, I'll add some myself."

Qi Cheng: ...

He could tell she was still being dismissive.

Lu Yuan patted the bed and called out, "Come up and sleep soon too. Even if you might not fall asleep, lying down is more comfortable."

Just as it struck midnight, in the night market, the local officials began sounding gongs to remind vendors to pack up.

This was the noisiest time. The sound of stalls being taken down clattered outside, and even if Lu Yuan was tired, the noise kept her awake.

After waiting for nearly half an hour, it finally quieted down, though the faint sound of music and strings could still be heard from the entertainment district.

Lu Yuan yawned and said, "This really isn't a good place to live. Once we make enough money to bring Grandmother and Chun Hua and Qiu Hua to the city, we'll rent a quieter courtyard."

Qi Cheng took off his outer robe and lay down on the bed. "If you're tired, just sleep. No need to keep me company."

Lu Yuan pulled the quilt over him and replied, "I'm not keeping you company. I might be talking to you one moment and fall asleep the next."

Then she added, "I sleep deeply at night. If I roll over onto you, you can just push me off. Even if I wake up, I'll fall right back asleep."

Qi Cheng adjusted the quilt covering him and responded with an "Mm."

Lu Yuan knew he was the quiet, enduring type, so she added, "Don't just agree and then tough it out till morning. If most of my body is lying on you for half the night, won't your whole side go numb?"

After a moment's thought, she added, "I'll check in the morning."

Hearing this, Qi Cheng smiled helplessly. "Understood."

As soon as he agreed, she muttered under her breath, "Dismissive."

...

So she knew this kind of response was dismissive? Then why didn't she realize her own responses were just as dismissive?

Truly, the pot calling the kettle black.

In the darkness, Qi Cheng still smiled helplessly.

Though Lu Yuan was somewhat sleepy, she didn't forget to ask, "How much did we make tonight?"

She was afraid counting the copper coins would get her too excited, and she wouldn't be able to sleep for the rest of the night.

Qi Cheng replied, "Two hundred ninety-one cash."

Lu Yuan said happily, "Then business is still pretty good."

The cost was only around a hundred cash, so they probably made a profit of over a hundred eighty.

Qi Cheng's medical expenses for the past few days could also be settled. Even though there wouldn't be much left after that, her lingering worries now felt completely at ease, stable.

Qi Cheng told her, "Fried dough sticks are a novelty, so many people are buying them. After a while, there might not be as many customers."

Lu Yuan said, "I know that. Anyway, we can still make this much in the short term, and I'm satisfied with that."

"Tomorrow, when the shops in front open for work, I'll ask the shop owner if anyone nearby has a stone mill. I'll spend a few coins to borrow it. The day after, we can sell fried dough sticks and soy milk together."

Qi Cheng said, "I can help you turn the mill now."

Lu Yuan suddenly laughed. "You know, even donkeys turning mills are blindfolded and keep going round and round."

Qi Cheng wasn't angry but laughed along. "Are you comparing me to a donkey?"

Her mouth could really be sharp at times.

Lu Yuan shook her head repeatedly, holding back a smile as she said, "I didn't say it—you're the one who said it."

Qi Cheng asked, "I thought you said you were tired? Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Lu Yuan replied, "We earned money tonight, so I'm kind of excited. Even though my eyelids are tired, my mind's still alert."

This feeling was something Qi Cheng had been experiencing these past few days, so he got it.

"You used to sell soy milk and tofu pudding—didn't that make money too? Why are you so excited about tonight's earnings?"

Lu Yuan explained, "It's because we're in a strange place with only a dozen coppers left, and we still owe the medical clinic. You also need continued treatment. I've been so worried these past few days. Now that all this pressure is gone because we've earned money, you think I wouldn't be excited?"

Qi Cheng couldn't help but ask curiously, "When you're under pressure, you fall asleep the moment you hit the bed. So why is it that now, without that pressure, you can't sleep?"

Lu Yuan thought for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't know either."

As she spoke, she started figuring how much they might earn next time.

She couldn't keep thinking about it—really couldn't. If she kept going, she wouldn't sleep at all.

"Time to sleep, time to sleep. I won't talk to you anymore."

With that, she closed her eyes and stopped talking.

Hearing her words, Qi Cheng went quiet too and closed his eyes to rest.

After some time had passed, the person beside him kept shifting around, perhaps because the bed was too cramped. No matter how she shifted, she couldn't find a comfortable position.

Qi Cheng was considering whether to offer to go sit outside for a while when she suddenly lifted her foot, unsure about what to do. After a long moment, she carefully placed it on his calf.

Qi Cheng: …

Before sleeping, she had made him promise to push her away if she rolled onto him. But now, in the middle of the night, unable to sleep, she placed her foot on him. Should he push her away or not?

Perhaps knowing she was being unfair, she whispered in his ear, "I can't sleep. Let me rest my foot here for a while. Once I fall asleep, you can push me away."

Qi Cheng paused for a moment, then said, "Fine."

Lu Yuan immediately felt justified and made herself at home, turning on her side and resting her arm on him as well.

She really was… testing her limits.

Before long, Qi Cheng could hear her steady, even breathing pattern.

She really had gotten used to this—without resting against him, she couldn't fall asleep.

In the end, he didn't push her away but let her get comfortable however she wanted.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, Lu Yuan woke up to find herself mostly lying on Qi Cheng again. After a moment of silence, she quietly pulled back her arms and legs.

Qi Cheng sensed she was awake but didn’t open his eyes immediately. He waited until she had sneakily pulled her arms and legs away before he finally opened his eyes.

As his eyes opened, the light flooded in, pretty bright. He blinked a few times before gradually adjusting.

Once his vision adapted, a slender figure abruptly came into his blurry field of view.

He saw her turn halfway toward him, looking his way, and even waving her hand at him.

Her features were still blurry to him, but he could make out the shape of her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Lu Yuan studied his eyes, her tone suspicious. "Why do I feel like you can see me now?"

Otherwise, why would his brown eyes be locked on her like that?

The corners of his mouth lifted, his voice with a hint of happiness. "I can indeed see your outline now, though your features are still blurry."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan's eyes went wide. She abruptly leaned down, bringing her face close to his to examine his eyes.

Her sudden proximity startled Qi Cheng, and for a moment, his breath caught.

He gazed intently at the person now so near, hoping his vision would sharpen, but it was futile.

Her blurred features still wouldn't come together into a clear image, yet he felt certain she wasn't bad-looking.

No matter how she looked—whether beautiful or plain—she was his wife.

Lu Yuan, watching the light reflect in his eyes, broke into a smile. Excitedly, she asked, "Does this mean you've recovered about thirty percent?"

If he could see her outline instead of just a shadow, then in a few more days, wouldn't his vision get even clearer?