This kind of thinking was very dangerous. Yu Tingwan endured the pain and rejected it.
She began running up the mountain again.
She had left home at the break of dawn, and when she came down the mountain, it was already dark. She couldn’t bother to return to the old house and ran to Old Man Qian’s home.
Old Man Qian, who was preparing to sleep, found it extremely baffling.
“You want to sell me medicinal herbs?”
Yu Tingwan nodded.
Old Man Qian had just wanted to drive her away—what nonsense, what do you even know about medicinal herbs.
But Yu Tingwan poured out an entire basket of medicinal herbs from behind her. There wasn’t a single weed.
His expression immediately changed.
“You understand these?”
Yu Tingwan: “No, but I memorized them.”
“That time in the mountain, what you pointed out to Aunt Hui-niang was exactly like this.”
But last time I only pointed out three types, and you’ve got six kinds here!
Before he could ask, Yu Tingwan was especially honest.
“Last time I came over to get medicine for my uncle, these were what you were drying outside your house.”
That was stuff from three years ago, wasn’t it?
She really can observe, this brain works pretty well.
But Old Man Qian had a weird temper and spoke grumpily: “I can dig the herbs myself, why would I buy yours.”
Yu Tingwan earnestly promoted herself: “You’re older now, your movements definitely aren’t as fast as mine.”
This is the attitude of someone asking for a favor???
Yu Tingwan pressed on: “Each type of herb has a different price. No matter how you and the medical hall set the price, I’ll only take sixty percent of my share. The remaining forty percent will be considered Doctor Qian’s effort fee.”
“Anyway, Doctor Qian, you go to the county’s medical hall from time to time to sell herbs—bringing a bit more won’t hurt.”
This was very sincere already.
Yu Tingwan also wasn’t greedy. She understood the principle of accumulating little by little.
Old Man Qian was scornful: “Take it, take it away. Don’t just stand here being an eyesore.”
He lived alone and did things alone. As long as he could get by, and drink a little liquor every few days, what was the point of earning so much money?
Yu Tingwan was puzzled.
“You… why are you just so unmotivated.”
Old Man Qian: …..
He was puzzled too.
“Can’t you carry it yourself to the medical hall?”
Yu Tingwan calmly shook her head: “The county city is far, I don’t want to walk.”
“Then go to the village entrance and take the horse-drawn cart.”
Yu Tingwan penny-pinched: “One trip costs three wen.”
What’s more, Old Man Qian had long-term dealings with the medical hall, and acquaintances are easier to talk to. But she only half-understood these things. The clerks at the medical hall, seeing her unfamiliar face, would most likely press down the price.
Old Man Qian: ….
“Right.”
Yu Tingwan suddenly thought of something. Her eyes lit up, making Old Man Qian’s scalp inexplicably tingle.
“There’s one more thing.”
He hadn’t even agreed to the herbs yet—now there’s something else!
Yu Tingwan: “Doctor Qian often treats people; you probably know a lot of people, right?”
She was casting a wide net.
“If there’s anyone around you who hasn’t gotten married yet, I’d trouble you to help introduce me.”
Old Man Qian: ??
He was directly rendered speechless.
He looked at Yu Tingwan in disbelief, unable to see even a trace of joking on her face.
Yu Tingwan: “Much obliged.”
“When the wedding banquet comes, I’ll invite Doctor Qian to sit at the main table.”
Coming back from Old Man Qian’s, Yu Tingwan tightly clenched the four wen she had earned.
Old Man Qian had said the herbs she picked were not in short supply at the medicine shop, so he bought them cheap.
Yu Tingwan then asked what the expensive herbs looked like.
Old Man Qian didn’t say.
Those grow deep in the mountains, where there are often fierce beasts. What was a girl like her asking for?
After nearly a whole day of work, she had become a little girl who had saved up ten wen!
———
Wei family.
Hui-niang sat sewing shoes, Wei Shouzhong was decocting medicine.
The husband and wife would occasionally raise their eyes to look at Wei Zhao on the couch.
He still hadn’t slept, just staring lifelessly at the peace amulet in a daze, no different from a walking corpse.
These past few days he hadn’t shown any violent behavior, and the couple was already especially content.
Hui-niang: “Tomorrow we’ll stew bones with radish. A’Lang should drink a few more bowls.”
Wei Zhao didn’t want to speak.
Wei Shouzhong: “He does.”
Hui-niang: “There’s still quite a lot of pig intestines left. No one buys this stuff, so I brought it all back. I was thinking to stir-fry half, and braise the other half to save for New Year. A’Lang, what do you think?”
Wei Shouzhong: “He thinks it’s excellent.”
Wei Zhao: …..
Really noisy.
Wei Shouzhong: “Tomorrow I’ll go find the lizheng.”
Hui-niang suddenly looked at him.
Wei Shouzhong: “These years I’ve had no abilities, made you suffer along with me.”
Hui-niang shook her head. How could she not know that Wei Shouzhong had also been enduring.
Wei Shouzhong raised his hand to wipe the dampness from the corner of Hui-niang’s eyes—only to discover that Wei Zhao was looking over.
No idea how long he’d been watching.
And using that kind of strange gaze.
Wei Zhao truly was confused and at a loss.
He had seen too much of the ugliness and hypocrisy of human nature. How few couples in grand households looked united on the surface but were divided in truth?
Those filthy sorts did everything to put on a show of affection—just to cover up the dirty things they did behind closed doors.
They all said: “Poor couples have sorrow in everything.” [Note: “平贱夫妻百事哀” — a traditional Chinese saying meaning that when a couple is poor and of low status, everything in life becomes sorrowful.]
So how come this Wei family couple had never once quarreled harshly?
Hui-niang suddenly thought of something: “Why is there still no movement from next door? I saw Wan-niang leave early this morning carrying a basket. Hope nothing’s happened.”
Wei Shouzhong: “Maybe she came back early and is resting.”
But Hui-niang felt uneasy.
“No, I have to go take a look.”
The moonlight was dim.
Yu Tingwan had walked the road in the dark.
The snow was thick; her shoes had long soaked through, and the cold made her shiver all over.
Yu Tingwan was both hungry and tired, forcing herself forward step by step.
From afar, she heard someone calling her.
Hui-niang was holding up a lantern, knocking on the door of the old house.
“Wan-niang, are you home?”
“Wan-niang?”
No response came from inside the house for a long time. Hui-niang’s brows furrowed tightly.
No, the head of the household has to go find the lizheng—the whole village must go look for her.
“Auntie?”
Just then, someone softly called from behind.
Hui-niang turned at the sound and quickly walked toward her. By the light of the kerosene lamp, she looked at Yu Tingwan’s tired brows and eyes.
She let out a breath of relief, but still spoke up: “You’re a young girl, after all. It’s not safe. What village doesn’t have some local thugs and rascals? It’s hard to walk when it’s dark—next time you’d better return home before sunset.”
Hui-niang touched her hand and let out a startled cry: “Feels like ice! Hurry back inside.”
Yu Tingwan blinked.
She and Hui-niang weren’t even that familiar, right?
Hui-niang’s gaze shifted down and saw the cloth shoes she was wearing—not only worn through, but already soaked through.
She was so cold she wished she could curl herself into a ball. Only a pair of pitiful eyes were left showing.
Hui-niang felt a pang in her heart.
“Wait a moment.”
She returned to the Wei household and soon came back with a pair of somewhat old cotton shoes.
“If you don’t mind, just wear these for now.”
Yu Tingwan didn’t move.
Her gaze gained a layer of scrutiny.
“Auntie, what do you want to get from me?”
Seeing her guardedness, Hui-niang couldn’t help but laugh.
“It’s good to know how to guard against people.”
She pushed the shoes into Yu Tingwan’s arms.
“These belonged to Xiao-niang when she was alive.”
“Auntie doesn’t want anything from you.”
“It’s just that…”
Her voice got lower and lower: “It’s just that, back then, if someone had been willing to lend Xiao-niang a hand, maybe she wouldn’t have ended up…”
She paused, didn’t continue, only said:
“If the cold gets into your body, you’ll suffer for it later.”
“You’re still young. There’s a long road ahead for you.”
“We live nearby. If anything happens in the future, don’t feel embarrassed to speak up. Auntie knows you girls have thin skin.”
Yu Tingwan didn’t say a word.
She held the cloth shoes tightly, head slightly lowered.
The last time someone had whispered beside her ear like this—it had been her mother.