Chapter 62

Chapter 62

Old Lady He, usually so strong-willed, had shed tears several times while gazing at her grandson, who had regained his sight.

Lu Yuan said, "Granny He, don’t cry. It’s a joyous occasion that your grandson can see again."

Old Lady He wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked at her grandson, who was repairing the storage room roof with Liu Sanlang. "You don't understand. These are tears of joy."

With that, she turned to her daughter-in-law and asked, "How did you manage in the city?"

Lu Yuan replied, "We rented a small courtyard near the night market. We set up a stall at night to sell *youtiao* and soybean milk, and every other day, we also set up at the morning market."

Chun Hua, clinging to Lu Yuan, asked, "Mom, what are *youtiao*?"

Lu Yuan looked down at Chun Hua, who was leaning against her left leg, and said, "I’ll make some for you and Qiu Hua soon."

Qiu Hua, on her right side, heard the keyword and said, "Qiu Hua wants to eat."

Lu Yuan tapped her nose. "You little one, always so sharp when food is mentioned."

Old Lady He noticed immediately that the skin on the back of her hand was slightly reddish and asked, "What happened to your hand?"

Lu Yuan held it up for Old Lady He to see. "I was splashed with hot oil earlier. Luckily, it wasn’t too serious, but it’s remained red for several days."

Hearing that she had been burned by oil, both children immediately grabbed her hand.

Chun Hua looked at the reddened skin on her mother’s hand, her eyes welling up again. "Mom, does it hurt?"

Even Qiu Hua stood on her tiptoes and blew on the darker patch of skin.

Lu Yuan’s heart melted, and she smiled gently. "It doesn’t hurt anymore."

Old Lady He asked, "How did you get splashed with oil, and why is half your hand burned?"

Lu Yuan briefly explained what had happened.

After hearing her story, Old Lady He’s face darkened. "If I had been there, I would’ve made her compensate for it. Let’s see who’s more formidable."

Lu Yuan said, "I was so startled by the burn that I froze. If I had reacted in time, I would’ve grabbed her and demanded compensation."

The more she thought about it afterward, the angrier she felt—like she hadn’t held her ground well enough and was filled with regret.

Old Lady He sighed. "Your reaction was rather slow."

She took Lu Yuan’s hand and examined it carefully. "It doesn’t look like it’ll leave a scar. It should heal in time. If it does scar, I’d track that woman down even if I had to dig three feet deep."

Their voices were not quiet, and the two men repairing the roof naturally could hear them.

Qi Cheng glanced over at the four of them. Though the distance made it a bit blurry, he could still make out the harmonious and happy scene.

The weather had turned cold, and the temporary bathing area in the storage room lacked a roof, making it easy to get chilled while bathing. So, after returning, Qi Cheng had asked Liu Sanlang to stay and help repair the roof.

Liu Junsheng was about to ask him to pass up the thatch when he followed his gaze and took a look as well.

He lowered his voice and joked, "So, how’s married life? Is it as I said—does your heart feel full?"

Qi Cheng handed him the thatch. "I didn’t see it that way before because I thought you were still freshly married. After two or three years, you probably wouldn’t feel the same way."

Liu Junsheng laughed. "True, after being married for a while, I often have spats with your sister-in-law too. But isn’t that just life? I don’t believe you and your wife never have any arguments."

Qi Cheng smiled. "My wife is so capable—I wouldn't dare have any complaints!"

Liu Junsheng said, "You know, kid, even while in a coma, you managed to land such a good wife."

Before, everyone said that someone as proud as Qi Cheng would be furious if he woke up to find he’d married a plain-looking widow with children.

But as Su Liniang started earning money for the Qi family, Qi Cheng woke up thanks to the wedding’s curative effect, and she even paid for his eye treatment—not to mention she wasn't as plain-looking as before—everyone in the village now envied him for marrying such a good wife.

The corners of Qi Cheng’s mouth lifted slightly higher.

Once the storage room was repaired, Liu Sanlang prepared to take the ladder and head home.

Lu Yuan quickly called out to him and handed him a packet of cakes. "These are red date cakes for the village chief and his wife. Please give these to them to try. If we delivered them ourselves, people might say we’re trying to curry favor, and it wouldn’t sound good."

Since they weren’t for him, Liu Sanlang accepted them.

Qi Cheng saw him out of the courtyard.

Liu Junsheng asked, "Now that your eyes are functioning normally, have you thought about what you’ll do next?"

Qi Cheng said, "We’ll still need to go to Guang Kang City. I might find work there later."

Surprised, Liu Junsheng asked, "You’re planning to live in Guang Kang City?"

Qi Cheng pointed to his eyes. "My eyes aren’t fully healed yet. I need to go to Guang Kang City regularly for treatment."

"Going once or twice a month is too troublesome. Besides, we’re managing alright now, so we’re thinking of living in the city for a while."

After seeing Liu Junsheng off, Qi Cheng went to wash his hands.

Old Lady He said, "Perfect timing. I bought an old hen from the village chief’s house today. I’ll butcher it now so you two can build up your strength."

Qi Cheng said, "Grandmother, you sit. I’ll do it."

Old Lady He worried, "Your eyes are only 60% healed yet. Are you sure you can?"

Lu Yuan said, "Don’t worry about him. Even though his eyes are only 60% recovered, he’s still very capable."

After her hand was burned, they still set up the stall twice, and Qi Cheng did most of the work while she just fried the dough sticks.

Qi Cheng nodded and went to the chicken coop to get the hen.

When he opened the coop, he saw the rooster that had almost stood in for him at the wedding.

He couldn’t help but find it amusing—they had really kept that rooster.

The rooster gave him a sideways glance, then strutted by him with its head held high.

Qi Cheng: …

The old lady came over and said, "We didn't have the heart to get rid of it, so we just kept it."

She pointed out the recently bought hen to her grandson.

Qi Cheng caught the hen quickly and skillfully.

While Qi Cheng killed the chicken, Lu Yuan, who had gone to heat up water, brought their two children to watch.

With a swift, clean motion, he cut its throat and bled it.

Lu Yuan covered the two children's eyes.

Chun Hua said, "Mom, I'm not scared."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan lowered her hands, and Qiu Hua also pushed her mother's hand away, staring fixedly at how her stepfather killed the chicken.

Seeing how excited the children were, Lu Yuan thought to herself that children these days were really bold.

Qi Cheng, having used to be a skilled hunter, was also very efficient at plucking the chicken.

Old Lady He had seen this many times, showed no curiosity and called, "Li Niang, come to my room for a moment."

Lu Yuan let the children keep watching and went into Old Lady He's room.

Inside, she saw Old Lady He lift a small jar from the corner, place it on the table, and open it. Inside was a layer of straw, and after removing the straw, there were about half a jar of copper cash.

Old Lady He pushed the jar toward her and said, "This is what we earned while you were away. It should be around three to four hundred coins."

Lu Yuan did a quick mental calculation and said, "You didn’t spend much, did you?"

Old Lady He replied, "You left some money before you went away, and you also asked Liu Sanlang to help buy meat. We had eggs and vegetables at home, so we only spent money on rice."

"Besides, the village head’s family sends over five *jin* of rice every month. An old woman like me and two children don’t even eat a *jin* of rice a day, so our expenses aren’t high."

Lu Yuan looked at the money in the jar, thought for a moment, and then turned to Old Lady He, saying, "Actually, my husband and I need to go back to Guangkang City in a few days."

Old Lady He was taken aback: "Why?"

Lu Yuan explained that Qi Cheng needed to go back for a re-examination.

"Besides the regular check-ups, I also think it’s better to make a living in the city than in Weishan Village or the town."

Living in Weishan Village, it took so long just to get to the town, that’s time wasted.

Even if they lived in the town, there was only one market day every three days, and the town’s population was small. The spending power is low, so no matter what business they did, they wouldn’t be able to earn much.

If they lived in the town, aside from renting a place, there were also living expenses. With such costs, they wouldn’t even achieve a modest living—they might only get by simply. If they ever got sick and needed more money, they wouldn’t have enough.

In the city, whether at the night market or the morning market, they could earn money.

Old Lady He was silent for a moment before asking, "So, are you planning to stay in the city to make a living?"

Lu Yuan could tell that the old woman probably thought she and her husband were going to the city without taking her and the children.

She added, "We plan to come back in half a month and then take you, Chun Hua, and Qiu Hua to the city with us."

Hearing this, Old Lady He was slightly stunned and said, "The cost of living in the city is high. In the town, a two-room courtyard costs two hundred coins a month. It is surely more expensive in the city."

Lu Yuan said, "In the city, there’s a night market on even-numbered days and a morning market every day. As long as we can make some delicious snacks, we can earn money and make a living in the city."

"Treating my husband’s eye ailment was expensive, and we weren’t able to save much, but we have enough to live on in the city. Now that his eye ailment doesn’t require as much expense, we’ll definitely be able to save money."

Lu Yuan had originally thought it would take another month to bring the old woman and children to the city, but Qi Cheng’s recovery exceeded expectations. Plus, they had these few hundred coins, and if they worked for another half month, it should be enough to rent a place with two more rooms.

The old woman listened to her granddaughter-in-law’s words, thought for a moment, and said, "While you were away in the city, I made nine handkerchiefs. When you go back to the city this time, sell them along the way. You don’t need to give me the money—use it as seed money for your small business."

Lu Yuan thought to herself that she and Qi Cheng had been in the city for not even a month. The old woman used to take about three days to make one handkerchief, even working tirelessly.

These nine handkerchiefs must have taken nearly a month to complete.

Thinking of this, Lu Yuan’s expression turned serious, and she advised, "Grandma, I know you were worried about our expenses since you didn’t know how we were doing, which is why you made so many handkerchiefs. But now that my husband’s eye ailment is improving, don’t strain your eyes like this anymore."

"You still need to help watch the children. You shouldn’t ruin your eyes."

Old Lady He snorted lightly, "So you’re not concerned about me—you just want me to help watch your children."

Lu Yuan smiled and said, "I’ve looked after your grandson too, so it’s square."

Old Lady He couldn’t help but laugh at her words.

"You have the nerve to say that. Isn’t my grandson also your husband?"

Lu Yuan retorted, "And aren’t Chun Hua and Qiu Hua your great-granddaughters too?"

After a month apart, Chun Hua and Qiu Hua had filled out and grown much fairer. They were also wearing cloth shoes made by the old woman.

The two children were being well taken care of.

Even an own grandmother might not have raised them so well.

Besides, if their biological grandmother had taken care of them for a month, who knows if they’d have survived.

As they spoke, Chun Hua and Qiu Hua couldn’t stand being apart from their mother for too long, so they ran in and clung to their mother.

Lu Yuan picked up Qiu Hua and said, "Come on, let’s go find Sister-in-law Chen."

She turned to Old Lady He and said, "Sister-in-law Chen previously asked me to sell some mushrooms for her. I’m going to give her the money now."

Old Lady He said, "You should go a bit later. She probably hasn’t returned from the fields yet."

Lu Yuan nodded and was about to leave when Old Lady He reminded her, "Take the jar back with you."

Lu Yuan didn’t hesitate. She put Qiu Hua down and took the jar back to her room.

Just as she stepped out of the room, she saw a bunch of children crowded outside the fence of the yard, ranging from six or seven to ten years old. Among them were Xiao Wu and his two younger sisters.

Lu Yuan had just put the jar back in the room and came out to ask them, "What are you all looking at?"

Xiao Wu replied, "We heard that Brother Qi Cheng is back and that his eyes are better. We came to see for ourselves."

Qi Cheng, who had finished cleaning the chicken innards, stood up and said to them, "You’ve seen enough. Hurry home now, and don’t run around."

Xiao Wu asked, "Brother Qi Cheng, can you really see now?"

Qi Cheng nodded.

After watching for a while longer, the children dispersed.

Lu Yuan walked over to him and muttered, "Those kids were pressed against the fence as if watching a monkey."

Hearing this, Qi Cheng frowned slightly and turned to her: "Are you saying I’m a monkey?"

Lu Yuan turned to look at him, suddenly cupped his face, examined him closely, and laughed, "Even if you were a monkey, you’d be the best-looking monkey."

Qi Cheng’s eyes darted away awkwardly. When he looked down, he saw two pairs of innocent, bright eyes. When he looked up, he saw his grandmother coming out of the house.

Even if he couldn’t see her expression, he could imagine the meaningful look in her eyes.

He coughed lightly, feeling uncomfortable, and whispered a reminder, "The children and Grandma are watching. Be careful."

Lu Yuan snorted softly, thinking to herself how such a prude he was.

She dropped her hand and asked, "Are we making the soup now?"

Qi Cheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "I'll go look around the back hill to see if I can find any five-finger fruit for the chicken soup—it's good for you."

Lu Yuan said, "Then I'll come along."

She turned to the two children and asked, "You two stay here. I'll be back soon, okay?"

Chun Hua nodded. "Mom, come back soon."

Lu Yuan agreed, then said to Old Lady He, "We're going to the back hill to look for some soup fixings."

Old Lady He’s previously playful expression changed slightly, as if recalling what happened to her grandson, her eyes filling with worry.

Qi Cheng, not hearing his grandmother’s response, guessed her concern and reassured her, "We’re just going to the back hill. We’ll be back soon."

Old Lady He sighed and said, "Then hurry back."

Qi Cheng nodded.

Lu Yuan picked up a basket and went out with him.

Once they left the house, Lu Yuan remarked, "The moment Old Lady He heard you were going to the back hill, her expression turned serious."

Qi Cheng replied, "I noticed."

"I just got better, so she’s still worried. We’ll take it slow."

Lu Yuan glanced at Qi Cheng. He didn’t seem to show any signs of post-traumatic stress, but his grandmother certainly did.

When they reached the back hill, Lu Yuan asked, "Can you tell the difference between weeds and five-finger fruit?"

Qi Cheng said, "It’s not hard to tell. The big leaves are shaped like chicken feet, and the roots grow little fruits. You’d recognize it if you saw it."

Listening to him, Lu Yuan was impressed his knowledge was almost as good as hers, a modern person’s.

"How do you know so much?" she asked.

Given that his family had faced upheaval when he was six or seven, how had he managed to learn all this?

Qi Cheng used a stick to part the grass and replied, "I’ve had a better memory than others since I was young. Plus, there are quite a few talented folks in these parts. I picked things up here and there, so I know a bit of everything."

Lingnan’s where they sent exiles, so it wasn’t surprising to find skilled people around here.

"But how did you get these skilled people to teach you?" Having talented people around wasn’t unusual, but getting them to teach him was.

Qi Cheng explained, "In my third year at Weishan Village, I learned to catch fish in the river and rob bird nests in trees. There was a guy in the next village who had a bad leg who knew some martial arts and archery. We made a deal—I brought him food, and he taught me some basic moves and archery."

Lu Yuan wondered if the man might have been an exiled general.

"What about identifying herbs and mushrooms?"

Qi Cheng said, "After I learned some skills, I started hunting for a living. I once saved an old doctor who had fallen while foraging for herbs in the mountains. I carried him down, and in return, he taught me how to identify simple herbs, common remedies for headaches and fevers, and how to make ointment for wounds."

"Of course, while hunting, I also gathered herbs for him. Sadly, the old doctor died a couple of years ago."

Lu Yuan said, "You’ve had quite a life."

Hearing this, Qi Cheng turned to her and smiled. "Your experiences are just as wild."

"Running from a famine with kids, marrying a comatose man—what other women go through is far less complicated than what you’ve endured."

He forgot one thing—*time travel*.

Both of their lives had been full of twists and turns, which was why they had ended up together so coincidentally.

After searching for a while, they found what they were looking for.

They dug them up and headed back.

Old Lady He was worried, but she relaxed when she saw them return.

As the sun was setting, Lu Yuan took the money and a pack of red date cakes, then brought the two children to visit Huang Lan.

Huang Lan was about to go out when she saw her and the kids. She was surprised for a second before she snapped out of it, looking Lu Yuan up and down with surprise and delight. "Wow, you look different after going to the city! You look so pretty!"

Lu Yuan loved compliments and smiled brightly. "I guess the city’s environment is agreeable."

Huang Lan stared at her face. "Seriously, it’s done wonders! You’ve gotten much fairer. I never realized your complexion was this good before…"

Lu Yuan waved it off playfully. "Oh, come on, you’re exaggerating."

Huang Lan insisted, "I’m not exaggerating at all. If you were any fairer, you’d be even prettier than Xing Niang."

Lu Yuan didn’t want to compare herself to others and changed the subject. "Where were you planning to go, sis?"

Huang Lan smiled. "I just got back from the fields. Xiao Hu told me you were back, so I was about to go see you. Guess we were both thinking the same thing."

Lu Yuan laughed. "That’s why we always click so well."

Huang Lan led them into the yard.

Lu Yuan greeted Old Mr. and Mrs. Chen, and their eldest son and daughter-in-law.

With many people in the yard, Huang Lan said, "Let’s talk in my room."

Lu Yuan let the two children go play with Xiao Hu and followed Huang Lan into the room.

Inside, Lu Yuan handed her the cakes. "These are red date cakes. I thought they were delicious and not too expensive, so I brought a pack for you to try."

Huang Lan was surprised. "There’s even something for me?"

Lu Yuan said, "I could forget anyone else’s, but never yours."

Huang Lan smiled. "You’re such a sweet talker, always know how to make people happy."

She took the cakes and added, "After you left for the city, I felt like something was missing. Now I realize it was having someone to share heart-to-hearts with."

Then Huang Lan asked, "How’s your husband’s eyesight?"

Lu Yuan replied, "He can see now, but it’s still blurry. He’s recovering slowly."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lu Yuan took out the coin purse. "The money from selling the dried mushrooms is all here. Count it out, sis."

Huang Lan took the pouch, poured the coins onto the bed, and carefully counted them.

After finishing, she smiled and asked, "When are you going back to the city next time?"

Lu Yuan knew what she wanted to ask and said, "I'm not taking your dried mushrooms anymore, Sister-in-law."

Huang Lan was taken aback. "What? That shop stopped buying dried mushrooms?"

Lu Yuan replied, "That’s not it. They don't buy them in winter and summer, but they still do in spring and autumn."

"I said I won’t help because I think you'd make more money if you or your family went in person."

Huang Lan responded, "We country people are clueless about these things. As for dried goods shops, we’re afraid of being kicked out and don’t even dare step inside."

Lu Yuan said, "I can introduce you. If you have a large quantity of dried mushrooms, taking them yourself would bring in more profit and make it worthwhile."

Huang Lan thought it over carefully and asked, "If it’s so profitable, why tell me instead of keeping it for yourself?"

She wasn’t suspicious, just curious.

Lu Yuan smiled and said, "The previous two times, I bought them directly from you, but since you've treated me so well, I couldn’t hide a money-making opportunity from you."

"Listen to me—deliver them yourself. You won’t lose out, and you might make even more in the future."

Huang Lan and her family were quite knowledgeable about mushroom types. With a steady outlet, they could definitely make a good profit.

Huang Lan understood her meaning, even though it wasn't stated explicitly.

The price of dried mushrooms in the city was much higher than selling them in town.

"Alright then, I’ll talk to my family. Once we’ve dried the mushrooms in the sun in spring, we’ll deliver them to the city."

After settling the matter, Huang Lan suddenly gave her a knowing look and asked, "Have you consummated your marriage with your husband? After being unconscious for so long, is he still... up to it?"

Lu Yuan:…

Married women who’d been wed for years certainly knew how to change subjects quickly.

"Not yet, not yet. We’re renting a room in someone else’s house, and it’s rather awkward."

She didn’t dare use Qi Cheng’s health as an excuse, afraid that the village would start gossiping about him being incapable by the next day.

Huang Lan thought it over and said, "That’s true, it’s really inconvenient. But now that you’re back, isn’t it…"

The unspoken words were obvious.

Lu Yuan shook her head. "No, the house isn't soundproof. Even my snoring can be heard in the next room. If the children or the old lady hear anything, I'd die of shame."

Hearing this, Huang Lan’s eyebrows furrowed. "Is consummating your marriage really that difficult? Or is Qi Cheng making excuses because he doesn’t want to?"

Lu Yuan defended Qi Cheng, "It’s really not his fault. It’s just the environment."

Huang Lan thought for a moment, took her hand, and whispered, "Well, you’d better get things moving soon. Don’t let it become a topic of gossip later."

"Even though your husband isn’t the kind to be ungrateful, it’s better to be cautious, especially with a man who looks like him."

Lu Yuan nodded and agreed readily, but whether she would actually do it was entirely up to her.