Yu Li was not familiar with Tu Laoda.
Although Tu Laoda was from Qingshi Village, he had left the village ten years ago to serve in the military and only returned last year.
The Tu family were originally hunters in the mountains. When Tu Laoda was young, his father died in the mountains during a hunting trip, leaving behind Tu Laoda and his mother.
Later, shortly after Tu Laoda was conscripted, his mother also passed away.
When Tu Laoda returned to Qingshi Village, he was left all alone and chose to become a hunter.
Since Tu Laoda lived in the mountains, the villagers were not very familiar with him, let alone a young woman like Yu Li, who rarely crossed paths with him.
However, after Tu Laoda returned, he was introduced to all the villagers under the guidance of the village chief. He had a good memory and could recognize most of the people he had met.
Seeing that they knew each other, Yu Li handed the injured Xuan Huaiqing, with his broken leg, over to Tu Laoda.
Tu Laoda, still somewhat dazed, blankly supported Xuan Huaiqing and asked, “Li Niang, why are you here?”
“I came into the mountains to take a look,” Yu Li replied truthfully. Today, she had entered the mountains to patrol her territory.
Tu Laoda took another look at her. Who enters the mountains empty-handed? Wasn’t she afraid of encountering poisonous snakes or fierce beasts?
This area was already far from the outskirts of the mountains. Villagers rarely came near, let alone a young woman like her venturing into such a place.
Even more unexpectedly, she had been carrying the injured Xuan Huaiqing on her back.
Although Tu Laoda had many questions, Yu Li had already taken the fish from him, greeted them briefly, and left.
She didn’t walk particularly fast, but not slowly either. She moved quicker than most women, especially on the uneven paths of the mountain forest.
In no time, her figure disappeared up ahead.
Tu Laoda withdrew his gaze and first examined Xuan Huaiqing’s body. Aside from the broken leg, there were no other injuries, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.
“Young Master Xuan, why did you come into the mountains alone?” he asked with a sigh. “If your servant hadn’t come to find me, I wouldn’t have known you had entered the mountains.”
These mountains were not easy to traverse. Anyone unfamiliar with them could easily get lost.
Xuan Huaiqing’s face was somewhat cold. “I was chasing a spy from Nanzhao. Last night, the light was too dim, and I lost him…”
Instead, he had the misfortune of falling in the mountains during the night.
Tu Laoda understood.
He had served as a soldier under General Xuan and had returned to his hometown last year to recover from an injury.
As the only grandson of General Xuan, Xuan Huaiqing was addressed as “Young Master Xuan” by most. The Xuan family, having only this one heir, did not want him to follow the path of a soldier, so they avoided calling him “Little General.”
Qingshi Village was located in the southeastern part of the Great Qing Dynasty, bordering places like Baiyi and Nanzhao.
In recent years, Nanzhao had been harboring restless intentions and often sent spies into Great Qing, keeping people on constant alert.
What Tu Laoda hadn’t expected was that Xuan Huaiqing had personally come to investigate the matter, chasing a Nanzhao spy into the mountains and nearly getting into trouble.
With this in mind, Tu Laoda asked again, “Young Master Xuan, where did you meet Li Niang?”
He did not doubt Yu Li’s identity, but Tu Laoda, despite his rough appearance, was observant and meticulous. He was still a bit puzzled about what had happened earlier.
Xuan Huaiqing recounted to Tu Laoda how Yu Li had saved him.
Upon hearing this, Tu Laoda was visibly stunned.
“Uncle Tu, are all the young women in your village this strong?” Xuan Huaiqing couldn’t help but ask.
“Well… no, not really,” Tu Laoda replied hesitantly. “It’s probably just Li Niang who’s particularly strong. During the busy farming season, she can help carry sacks of grain and pound rice. She does have remarkable strength.”
He had returned to the village during last year’s autumn harvest and had seen Yu Li single-handedly carrying freshly dried grain to be pounded. That scene left a deep impression on him, which was why he recognized Yu Li at a glance earlier.
Thinking about how he had been carried for a long stretch, Xuan Huaiqing felt a little uncomfortable and said, “I owe her this time. If it weren’t for her, who knows how long I would have been stuck in that pit? I must thank her properly.”
Tu Laoda said, “Leave it to me, I’ll—”
“No need!” Xuan Huaiqing waved his hand. “I’ll thank her myself once my leg heals. Don’t go—it might cause her trouble.”
Recalling what had happened, he grew concerned, worried that Yu Li might attract unwanted attention because of him.
With Nanzhao’s spies frequently active in the area, if Yu Li were targeted because of his involvement, it would be his fault.
—
By the time Yu Li returned to the village carrying four fish, the sky was already growing dark, with only faint afterglow lingering on the horizon.
She was utterly exhausted and famished. The wild fruits she had eaten in the mountains had long since been digested, and she felt as though she could devour an entire cow.
Most of the villagers had already gone home for dinner, so as she walked through the village, she didn’t encounter many people, and no one saw the fish in her hands.
When she returned to the Fu household and knocked on the door, it opened almost immediately.
The ones who opened the door were Fu Yanhui and his younger sister. They had been playing in the courtyard and ran over when they heard the knock.
Seeing Yu Li, they cheerfully called out, “Auntie, you’re back!”
The siblings, with their sharp eyes, quickly noticed the fish in her hands and exclaimed excitedly, “Fish! Grandma, Auntie brought fish back!”
When Zhou Shi saw the fish Yu Li was holding, she was a little surprised. “Li Niang, where did these fish come from?”
“I caught them in a mountain pool,” Yu Li replied as she handed the fish to Zhou Shi. “Mother, I want to eat fish.”
She never hid her thoughts. Since she had brought fish back, of course, she wanted to eat them immediately. Saving them was out of the question.
Zhou Shi said, “Alright, I’ll cook them all.”
Though it was already late, the fish were dead and couldn’t be kept fresh, especially in the hot weather. It was better to cook and eat them right away.
After handing the fish to Zhou Shi, Yu Li felt sticky and uncomfortable all over, so she decided to take a bath first.
When she went to her room to get clothes, she noticed that Fu Wenxiao was still awake.
Just like the night before, he was sitting there with his eyes closed, resting. His pale face looked weary.
When she saw him open his eyes and glance over, Yu Li said, “I brought back fish, and Mother said she’d make fish soup. You should have some later. I heard fish soup is good for the body.”
If the body was unwell, then it needed nourishment.
This was how Yu Li felt now. She believed her own discomfort was because she hadn’t eaten enough. Once she was full, her body wouldn’t feel so bad.
So she figured Fu Wenxiao should also eat more like her to recover faster.
Looking at her earnest expression, Fu Wenxiao was once again at a loss for words.
She really seemed to believe that…
“I understand,” he said softly.
Yu Li, busy preparing to take a bath, grabbed her clothes and left the room.
The weather was stuffy and hot, and she had spent nearly the entire day in the mountains. Her rough linen clothes were far from breathable, making comfort impossible.
The water had been warmed by the sun and was at a perfect temperature, making it extremely pleasant to rinse off.
After her bath, Yu Li, with her wet hair hanging loosely, hurriedly ran toward the kitchen.
The reason? She could smell the aroma of the food.
In the dimly lit kitchen, where an oil lamp flickered, Zhou Shi was cooking fish while Fu Yanhui and his younger sister were helping to stoke the fire.
Children in the countryside matured early. Even though the two siblings were only four years old, they handled the task of feeding the fire with impressive skill, a clear indication that they had likely helped with such chores often.
By comparison, Yu Jingyi, who was six years old, still didn’t know how to tend the fire—evidence that he hadn’t done as much work.
Zhou Shi had prepared all four fish: two were made into fish soup, and two were braised.
The fish soup was milky white with chopped green onions sprinkled on top, rich and flavorful. The braised fish exuded a mouthwatering aroma, and its sauce was perfect for mixing with rice.
Yu Li ate with her head down, paying no mind to the heat of the food. She held the fish soup in her hands, alternately blowing on it and sipping.
“Li Niang, eat slowly, don’t burn yourself,” Zhou Shi reminded her, watching as she devoured the food ravenously. Evidently, she was starving. Zhou Shi couldn’t help but ask, “Did you not eat lunch?”
“No,” Yu Li replied honestly. “I went up the mountain today.”
Hearing this, Zhou Shi immediately said, “Then eat more. I saved your lunch—you can have it along with this.” Knowing Yu Li’s hearty appetite, Zhou Shi had intentionally kept it for her.
In the countryside, during the busy farming season, people ate three meals a day. Only during less busy periods did they have two meals a day.
Recently, the villagers had been busy harvesting peanuts, which required a lot of energy, so they chose to eat three meals a day.
Although the Fu family didn’t work in the fields, Zhou Shi was accustomed to preparing three meals a day. With two young children at home who couldn’t go hungry, their household had three meals year-round.
Zhou Shi and the two children had already eaten dinner. With fish on the menu, they had also eaten a little more, but the majority of the food still ended up in Yu Li’s stomach.
Once she was full and satisfied, Yu Li carried the portion of fish soup she had set aside and returned to her room.
The fish soup was at the perfect temperature—not too hot or too cold.
When Fu Wenxiao saw her walk in with the soup, although he didn’t have much appetite, he couldn’t bring himself to reject her kindness.
“Do you need me to feed you?” Yu Li asked, worried he might not have the strength to hold the spoon.
“No need,” Fu Wenxiao replied helplessly, feeling that, in her mind, he must truly be a man on the brink of death.
Yu Li set up a small table on the bed, placing the fish soup on it for him to drink at his own pace.
Zhou Shi’s cooking skills were excellent; the fish soup was made perfectly, without a trace of fishy smell.
Fu Wenxiao drank slowly, his movements graceful and refined, making every gesture pleasing to the eye.
The dim, simple room seemed to become elegant and bright in his presence.
Yu Li stared at him intently, unable to look away.
Fu Wenxiao had long grown accustomed to others staring at him, but being so openly scrutinized by her still made him feel a bit uneasy—especially when he thought about the fact that this person was his wife…
“What are you looking at?” he asked.
Yu Li answered honestly, “Watching you drink fish soup.” Before he could respond, she added, “The fish soup is delicious, isn’t it?”
Fu Wenxiao: “…It is indeed quite good.”
“This is fish I caught from a mountain pool,” Yu Li said happily, her eyes narrowing slightly into crescent moons. “Mother said this fish drinks spring water, so it doesn’t have that earthy smell. Its meat is tender, better than river fish.”
Fu Wenxiao noticed that she had a pair of very beautiful eyes.
Especially when she smiled—those curved eyes made her whole face come alive. If one ignored her overly thin face, she didn’t look so unattractive after all.
Her facial features were delicate and refined. If she had more flesh on her face, she might actually be a very striking young woman.
“The mountains are full of delicious things,” Yu Li said, her eyes sparkling as if fragments of starlight had fallen into them. “It’s just a pity I didn’t bring any tools today, and later I had to carry someone, so I couldn’t bring anything back for you all to try…”
Fu Wenxiao paused for a moment, then keenly asked, “Why did you have to carry someone?”
Yu Li answered truthfully, “I ran into someone in the mountains who had broken their leg. I pulled him out of a pit. He couldn’t walk, so I carried him down the mountain.”
Fu Wenxiao lightly stirred the fish soup in his bowl with a spoon, feigning casualness as he asked, “Was it someone from the village?”
“No.” Yu Li tilted her head. “He said his name is Xuan Huaiqing. There’s no one with the surname Xuan in the village. He seemed like someone from the county town—his clothes were made of very fine fabric…”
Although she didn’t know much about this world, she could still discern the quality of clothing.
Xuan Huaiqing’s clothes had looked rather dirty, but the fabric was incredibly fine—smooth, soft, with a tightly woven texture. It was clearly not something an ordinary person could afford to wear.