Old Madam Yu darted off so quickly that by the time Yu Qin and Wang Shi turned their heads, all they could see was her disappearing figure heading into the kitchen.
The two were left speechless.
For so many years, Old Madam Yu had run rampant in the Yu family, her loud voice capable of berating someone into utter collapse. Everyone else avoided her; there was never a situation where she was the one doing the avoiding.
But now, every time she saw Yu Li, it was as if a mouse had encountered a cat.
She couldn’t hide fast enough.
This sight left Wang Shi deeply moved.
If someone had told her a few months ago that Old Madam Yu would have someone she feared—and that this person would be the granddaughter from the second branch—she wouldn’t have believed it. Old Madam Yu had always treated these granddaughters as less than human, scolding them even for eating a bit more, like they were mere playthings under her thumb.
When Yu Li turned to look at her, Wang Shi froze, forcing a smile as she greeted awkwardly, “L-Li Niang, are you feeling better?”
Yu Qin remained silent, stepping aside toward the area where clothes were being hung out to dry.
She still remembered how Yu Li had almost hit her before.
The Yu family members had also heard about Yu Li fainting that day. When Old Madam Yu learned of it, she muttered under her breath, hoping the heavens would take her, but she dared not say it aloud.
After all, Yu Li had only fainted, not died. She didn’t dare provoke her.
If Yu Li were really dead one day, perhaps Old Madam Yu would have the courage to make a fuss.
As for Old Master Yu and the rest of the first branch, they were all eagerly waiting for something to happen to Yu Li. As long as she remained in the family, they didn’t dare act recklessly. Their days were stiflingly uncomfortable because of her.
Who would’ve thought that she’d wake up after just two days?
When they heard the news, their disappointment was palpable.
Then came word that Yu Li’s body was severely weakened and required proper rest; otherwise, her life wouldn’t last long.
Why was her body so weak? It wasn’t hard to guess—it was the years of toil she had endured in the Yu family before marriage.
Upon hearing this, many people began openly or subtly criticizing the Yu family for treating their daughters like they weren’t human. Their disdain was evident.
This incident even served as a wake-up call for some families in the village who didn’t value their daughters.
They didn’t truly hate their daughters; it was just that poverty forced them to prioritize their sons, leaving daughters with whatever scraps were left.
Fearing their own daughters might end up like Yu Li, with ruined health and short lives, these families began treating their daughters better. Whenever there was food, they would set aside a bit more for the girls instead of giving it all to the boys.
When spoken to, Yu Li would usually respond politely and wouldn’t deliberately ignore others.
She paused and said to Wang Shi, “Thank you, Third Aunt, for your concern. My health is fine; I’ve just been undergoing some recuperation recently.”
This was also said for the benefit of the passersby.
Now that she had life-related abilities, she could use them to repair her body. Soon, her health would recover completely. If her recovery seemed too miraculous, it would definitely attract suspicion.
By mentioning recuperation now, when her health improved noticeably later, people wouldn’t find it overly strange.
Sure enough, a woman carrying a basket of pigweed on her back asked, “Li Niang, how are you recuperating?”
The concept of recuperation sounded novel to the villagers, who didn’t really understand it.
“The doctor prescribed me medicine, tonic medicine,” Yu Li replied. “I drink a bowl in the morning and evening, and the doctor said six months should be enough.”
The older woman clicked her tongue in astonishment. Tonic medicine? And for six months? How much silver would that cost?
Another older woman asked, “Li Niang, how much does a single dose of the tonic cost?”
She thought about her own daughter, who looked thin as well. If her daughter turned out to have the same physical deficiencies as Yu Li, she’d have to find some tonic medicine for her too.
Yu Li said, “About two to three hundred wen per dose.”
As soon as these words left her mouth, everyone present gasped.
Two to three hundred wen for one dose of tonic medicine? And to be taken for six months?
Might as well be eating money!
In rural families, they toiled year-round in the fields. After the autumn harvest and paying taxes, whatever surplus they had left could be sold. Coupled with earning a bit from odd jobs during the off-season, a family might manage to scrape together four or five taels of silver at most in a year.
One tael of silver was a thousand wen, and one dose of medicine cost two to three hundred wen. Who could afford it?
Someone muttered, “Is there ginseng and lingzhi in that medicine? It’s so expensive!”
They knew that ginseng was a life-saving treasure. Even a single ginseng root was exorbitantly expensive, and if someone were lucky enough to dig up ginseng in the mountains, they could strike it rich overnight.
But ginseng was a rare and precious thing, not something you’d come across easily.
“Yes,” Yu Li confirmed, “the tonic medicine contains ginseng roots. That’s what makes it effective.”
She had heard from Fu Wenxiao that the medicine indeed had ginseng roots added, as per Zhou Shi’s request. Zhou Shi wasn’t stingy with the money.
Upon hearing this, the crowd looked at her with envy.
The ginseng in the tonic medicine was specifically requested by Zhou Shi? That mother-in-law was too kind! She was treating her daughter-in-law like her own daughter.
When they looked more closely at Yu Li, they were shocked to realize that she had completely changed.
She was still the same person, but she no longer looked emaciated. Her cheeks had filled out, her skin was fairer, and even her previously dry, straw-like hair had become noticeably darker.
Though still thin, she no longer looked gaunt and skeletal.
She stood there in a plain blue dress, exuding an indescribable charm, something uniquely captivating that drew attention effortlessly.
Someone exclaimed in surprise, “Li-Li Niang, you seem to have grown taller?”
In truth, it wasn’t just that she had grown taller—she had also become more beautiful.
She now had the youthful radiance of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl, as lovely as a budding flower. Without any special adornments, she still stood out and left people dazzled.
The women only then noticed how remarkably beautiful Yu Li’s face had become.
Her eyebrows were long and dark, as if drawn with a brush, exquisitely shaped. Her eyes were bright, with a striking contrast of black and white. Her nose was straight, her lips perfectly proportioned, and while her skin wasn’t as fair as the translucent complexions of town girls, it was free of sunspots and looked smooth and fresh.
Yu Li nodded and said, “My mother-in-law’s cooking is so delicious, and I’ve been eating a lot recently, so I’ve grown taller.”
Seventeen was an age for physical growth. The original host of her body hadn’t eaten well, slept well, or had any respite from grueling labor, which had stunted her growth and hunched her shoulders.
Now, as Yu Li, it might have been due to her soul’s infusion, or perhaps because she ate well and plentifully at the Fu family, coupled with her awakened ability, that her height began to shoot up.
Yu Li estimated that the original host had only been slightly over 150 cm tall. In time, with her ability nourishing her body, she could likely grow to around 170 cm.
Qingshi Village belonged to the southern region of the Great Qing Dynasty, where people were generally not very tall. It was rare for men to exceed 1.8 meters, with most falling between 1.6 and 1.7 meters.
However, Yu Lao’er and Liu Shi were both relatively tall, so it was natural for their children to inherit their height as well. With proper nutrition and enough rest, even the Yu Jin sisters wouldn’t end up being short.
The onlookers listened with envy.
They all knew the Fu family was wealthy, but they had no idea just how wealthy.
When Yu Li had been married off to the Fu family as a “Chong Xi bride,” everyone thought it was pitiful for her to wed a sickly man.
But putting that aside, the fact that the Fu family was rich alone made it an excellent match. Look at them now—buying expensive tonic medicine for Yu Li to nourish her body, medicine that cost two to three hundred wen per dose, willing to give it to her for six months straight. Their food was also exceptional, transforming her into her current state.
Everyone still remembered what Yu Li had looked like before marrying into the Fu family. Seeing her now, well-fed and taken care of by the Fu family, it was clear that they were not only wealthy but also kind-hearted.
How could that not be a good match?
If Fu Wenxiao weren’t ill, the villagers would probably all be scrambling to marry their daughters into the Fu family to enjoy such a comfortable life.
While Yu Li was chatting with the others, Wang Shi, who was hanging clothes in the yard, wore a face full of envy.
The Fu family truly had money—and they were generous too, treating their daughter-in-law like a daughter. No wonder Li Niang had such confidence after marrying into the Fu family, even daring to stir up trouble when returning to her maiden home.
If she had married into the Fu family, she would definitely have gone further than Yu Li—she wouldn’t just push for the Yu family to split their household but would also extract more silver from the elderly couple as her dowry.
Wang Shi thought back to how it had been her who overheard Zhou Shi planning to go to Tile Market to buy a young girl for the “Chong Xi bride” and had mentioned it to her husband, which ultimately led to this marriage.
Yu Li marrying into the Fu family—wasn’t that thanks to her?
But she didn’t dare bring this up to Yu Li, fearing she might get beaten.
The women cheerfully chatted with Yu Li, who patiently answered their questions without showing any irritation.
This surprised them. They hadn’t expected her to be so approachable. In the past, she’d always been busy with her head down, toiling from morning till night without even a moment to catch her breath. Naturally, she hadn’t had time to talk with the villagers, which had made her seem distant and unfamiliar.
Finally, as the sun grew higher and the villagers had to get back to work, the crowd dispersed.
Yu Li also returned to the Fu family.
The area in front of the Yu family’s gate quickly emptied.
Old Madam Yu peeked out from the kitchen, muttering curses under her breath when she saw that Yu Li was gone. Her voice was so low that neither Wang Shi nor Yu Qin could make out what she was saying.
Yu Qin looked a little downcast and was absentminded as she worked.
Just now, seeing Yu Li standing there so composed and serene, with an air of unique elegance, Yu Qin had found it hard to take her eyes off her.
She felt as if she no longer recognized her, and, try as she might, she couldn’t even recall what the old Yu Li had looked like.