Yu Li brought back so many things today that even Zhou Shi was astonished.
“Li Niang, why did you buy so many things?”
While eating, Yu Li replied, “It’s not that much. These are all things we’re missing at home. I saw we didn’t have them, so I bought some… Oh, right, tonight we’re having braised meat and roast chicken.”
These words were directed at the two children.
As expected, Fu Yanhui and Fu Yansheng cheered. Children are always greedy for good food, and hearing there was something delicious, they couldn’t contain their excitement.
After finishing the meal, Yu Li took out the white rice cakes and osmanthus cakes, handing one piece to each of the two children.
The white rice cakes were the cheapest, one wen per piece. She had bought ten of them, planning to send some later to her younger sisters to try.
The osmanthus cakes were a bit pricier, three wen per piece, with a sweet osmanthus fragrance. She only bought a few this time but thought that once she had more money in the future, she could buy more.
The two children held their white rice cakes and began eating. The texture of the white rice cake was rather coarse, but it was sweet. Even though it was only mildly sweet, for children who rarely had the chance to eat pastries, it was already very delicious.
Watching them, Yu Li couldn’t resist eating a piece herself.
Hmm, it was indeed tasty.
Yu Li took out the items from her basket one by one and organized them, finally pulling out two portions of offal.
“Mother, these are offal pieces given by the butcher. They’re free. Do you know how to prepare them?”
Zhou Shi immediately noticed the word “free” and said, “Yes, I know. If offal is prepared well, it can be quite tasty, though it’s a bit of a hassle.”
But since it was free, no amount of trouble would matter.
Hearing this, Yu Li was naturally delighted—more good food to enjoy.
Her mother-in-law was indeed very capable, so much so that Yu Li began to feel reluctant to leave the Fu family. If she ever had to leave in the future, without her mother-in-law cooking for her, she would certainly feel unaccustomed.
After organizing everything, Yu Li took out two pieces of osmanthus cake and placed them on a plate, along with some sweets and candied fruit, and carried them back to her room.
When she entered the room, she found Fu Wenxiao had just woken up. She asked, “I bought some osmanthus cake. Would you like to have a piece?”
Fu Wenxiao, having just woken up, didn’t have much appetite and replied softly, “Just leave it there for now.”
Yu Li placed the items on the table and pointed at the sweets and candied fruit. “These are candies and candied fruits I bought for you. After you take your medicine, you can have some to sweeten your mouth.”
Fu Wenxiao: “….”
Fu Wenxiao was speechless. Was she treating him like a child?
After Yu Li took some clothes to wash up, Fu Wenxiao reached out, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, and slowly ate it.
What Yu Li found fragrant and delicious in the osmanthus cake, he considered to be roughly made, with a texture that was far from refined and a sweetness that was overly cloying. However, rural folk liked this kind of sugary treat—the sweeter it was, the more they felt it was worth the money.
When Yu Li returned after her bath, she dried her hair and then went to bed to rest.
Yawning, she casually told him, “I’ll take a nap first. Wake me up at the hour of You ( 5 – 7 p.m.).”
Although the two of them shared the same bed, it was large enough that they each occupied their own space, peacefully coexisting—for the most part. Occasionally, when Yu Li slept deeply, there would be some unconscious movements, but overall, it was harmonious.
Fu Wenxiao, sitting by the window with a book in hand, responded first with a sound of acknowledgment, then added, “You can sleep a little longer.”
In the middle of the night, she had gotten up and was undoubtedly exhausted. Moreover, her health seemed to still be unwell. Fu Wenxiao felt she should rest more.
“The firewood at home is almost gone. I need to go into the mountains to chop some wood… and fetch some water…”
Yu Li’s voice gradually grew quieter until it finally disappeared.
Fu Wenxiao sat there, his gaze shifting to the bed, where she lay quietly.
This was the place where he usually slept, imbued with his scent—a deeply private space that outsiders rarely intruded upon. He had never imagined that his bed would one day have another person on it, or that he would sit in his room, watching someone else peacefully sleep on his bed.
Once Yu Li fell into a deep sleep, Fu Wenxiao slowly got up and walked out the door.
As he stepped outside, a wave of heat hit him.
The sky was clear and cloudless, with the glaring sunlight stinging his eyes.
Fu Wenxiao glanced at the sunlight in the courtyard before heading toward the main hall.
He walked slowly, yet his steps were steady.
The village was very quiet in the afternoon, as most villagers were resting, and there was rarely any noise.
In the main hall, Zhou Shi was swiftly sewing a garment. Fu Yanhui and Fu Yansheng had already been sent back to their room to nap.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed someone entering. She looked up and was startled when she saw Fu Wenxiao.
“Xiao Ge’er, why are you out?” Zhou Shi quickly went over to support him.
Fu Wenxiao didn’t actually need help, but he understood her concern and didn’t refuse her.
Zhou Shi looked at him with worry. “Why did you come out? Is something wrong?”
Fu Wenxiao sat down and said to the worried Zhou Shi, “The weather is good today, so I thought I’d come out and sit for a while.”
Hearing this, Zhou Shi was naturally happy, as it had been a long time since he’d been outside. Walking and moving around was good for his health. However, she quickly realized something and opened her mouth hesitantly, asking, “Is Li Niang asleep?”
“She is.”
Zhou Shi sighed and said, “Xiao Ge’er, you’re always so considerate of others. Sometimes, I’d rather you not be like this…”
She poured him a cup of water, looking at him with hesitation.
Fu Wenxiao smiled faintly and took the cup, drinking slowly.
“Xiao Ge’er…” Zhou Shi said uneasily, “Your illness… it can definitely be cured, right?”
Fu Wenxiao simply looked at her gently without replying.
Zhou Shi’s eyes suddenly turned red. “Xiao Ge’er…”
She knew deep down that the marriage for good fortune might not truly save him, but she still clung to the hope of a miracle. That was why she had taken matters into her own hands and arranged for him to marry, hoping it would bring him luck.
If Fu Wenxiao didn’t survive, the Fu family would truly come to an end…
And she would have failed the trust placed in her by their master.
Fu Wenxiao gave her a reassuring smile and said, “Don’t worry. If I… I’ll make arrangements for all of you.”
Zhou Shi lowered her head, wiping her tears with a handkerchief as she choked out, “Xiao Ge’er, you know I just want you to be well. You’re all the Fu family has left. I can’t let your mother down—she entrusted you to me, and I haven’t taken good care of you…”
Fu Wenxiao shook his head. “Even thousand-year-old clans eventually fall. If the Fu family is destined to end… so be it.”
His expression was indifferent, as if he had already come to terms with everything.
Zhou Shi, however, felt deeply distressed. Now that there was someone new in the household, life seemed to be looking up, yet he still…
“Li Niang is very good. If I am no longer here in the future, she will take good care of you,” Fu Wenxiao said softly.
He had observed her for more than a month and confirmed her character—she was someone trustworthy.
Although she was a bit strange and seemed like a wandering soul from who-knows-where, as long as she was a good person, the rest didn’t matter.
Zhou Shi lowered her head and remained silent. After a while, she said in a low voice, “Xiao Ge’er, Li Niang truly is very good. Can’t you… give her a chance? If your mother were here to see her, she would surely like her too.”
Such a diligent and lively girl, full of hope and enthusiasm for life—just watching her made the days feel less difficult.
Zhou Shi herself liked her very much, always imagining how wonderful it would be if Fu Wenxiao could recover his health and be as vibrant and energetic as she was.
Compared to superficial traits like beauty or family background, Zhou Shi much preferred a healthy and spirited young woman.
Fu Wenxiao was silent for a long moment before he replied gently, “Mother, please don’t say things like that again.”
He was a dying man; he didn’t want to drag the girl down with him. To burden her even after his death, leaving her in sorrow, would be cruel. It was better this way—keeping their relationship simple and uneventful.
As long as they didn’t truly become husband and wife, she could still find a better match in the future.
Thinking this, he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of loss and melancholy.
And perhaps, a hint of unwillingness.
He didn’t want to delve into what exactly that unwillingness meant.
—
That afternoon, when Yu Li woke up, she changed into old clothes and first fetched water, filling up the household’s water jars, then grabbed a hatchet and went into the mountains to chop firewood.
She brought back two bundles of wood, placed them in the woodshed, and began splitting logs in the courtyard.
Seeing her drenched in sweat, Zhou Shi made her a bowl of sugar water and said with concern, “Li Niang, why don’t we let Da Zhuang handle these chores instead?”
She was already exhausted from waking up in the middle of the night to work in the county town, and now she was doing all this on top of it. Zhou Shi was worried she might wear herself out.
It would be better to let Da Zhuang help so that she could have an easier time when she came back.
Yu Li drank the sugar water and replied, “Mother, there’s no need. I can handle this work.”
She truly didn’t find fetching water or chopping wood tiring. Compared to fighting off otherworldly creatures, this was far simpler and didn’t even require much effort.
In the evening, Zhou Shi made stir-fried pig liver and kidneys, generously using oil. The dish was flavorful, with some cornelian cherry added for a hint of spiciness.
The liver and kidneys were tender, with no gamey taste.
Zhou Shi said, “Li Niang, when you go to the city tomorrow, buy some spices for me. I’ll make a marinade to stew the offal; it’ll taste even better that way.”
Hearing this, Yu Li readily agreed. Learning that spices were expensive, she decided to bring extra silver tomorrow.
In this world, marinated dishes were quite common. People already knew how to use spices to make stews, though the limited variety of spices led to different flavors in each household’s dishes.
After dinner, the sky was already dark.
Yu Li packed some pastries, braised meat, and half a roast chicken into a basket and said to Zhou Shi, “Mother, I’m going to the Yu family.”
Zhou Shi didn’t think much of it, assuming she wanted to bring some food to her family. After all, it was money she earned and things she bought—how she chose to distribute them was up to her. Zhou Shi wasn’t petty and didn’t see this as Yu Li taking from her husband’s family to support her own.
As dusk fell, Yu Li arrived at the Yu family home.
When they saw her walk through the door, Yu Laosan and his wife, who had just finished dinner, turned pale, thinking she had come to demand repayment.
As for the Yu family’s elderly matriarch and patriarch, they immediately retreated to their room and shut the door behind them.
Sure enough, as soon as Yu Li saw them, she said, “Third Uncle, Third Aunt, today is the second day. Have you paid back the money to Ah Yin yet?”
She had only given them a three-day deadline and wouldn’t allow them to drag it out for one or two months, only to end up defaulting entirely.
Whether they borrowed, stole, or robbed, it didn’t matter to her—they had to repay the debt.
Yu Laosan and his wife remained silent.
Yu Jingzhong and the others stood by their parents’ side, their eyes red with anger as they clenched their fists, feeling she was being utterly unreasonable.
“Our… our family doesn’t have any money…” Yu Jingyi muttered softly.
Yu Li’s expression didn’t change as she replied, “That’s your problem. Tomorrow is the third day—don’t forget to repay the money, Third Uncle.”
The entire third branch: “…”
Ignoring them, Yu Li picked up her basket and went with her younger sisters to the west wing.
In her sisters’ room, Yu Li uncovered the cloth draped over her basket and began taking out the food inside, leaving Yu Jin and the others gasping in astonishment.
Pastries, braised meat, and roast chicken—none of these were things they’d ever eaten before.
“Go ahead and eat,” Yu Li told them. “Eat as much as you want and take care of your health.”
She studied her three younger sisters and noticed that their facial features were quite refined, having inherited Liu Shi’s delicate looks.
Liu Shi had been remarkably attractive in her youth. If she hadn’t been, it would have been difficult for the Yu family matriarch to secure her as a wife for the second son. After all, Liu Shi had come from the north as a refugee with no family or roots, and few respectable families would marry their sons to a girl who had fled famine—except for those who were too poor to find a wife otherwise.
But no matter how beautiful someone was, years of hardship would inevitably take their toll.
“Big Sister, the white rice cake is delicious, the braised meat is delicious, and the roast chicken is so, so good!”
Yu Zhu spoke with her mouth full, oil smeared all over her lips, her cheeks puffed out as she spoke indistinctly.
Yu Jin and Yu Yin ate more delicately, but like their younger sister, they couldn’t stop eating. Even though they had already eaten dinner, they found they still had room for more.
Currently, the Yu family no longer dared to treat the second branch too harshly, but that didn’t mean they could eat their fill. At night, they were typically about 60-70% full.
“If you like it, I’ll buy more next time,” Yu Li said.
“It’s better if you don’t,” Yu Jin said rationally. “These things aren’t cheap, are they? Big Sister, don’t waste money—save more for yourself.”
Money was a person’s backbone. If her big sister had savings, she could stand taller in the Fu family without fear of being bullied—though, honestly, no one seemed capable of bullying her anyway.
“It’s fine. I’ll just earn more,” Yu Li replied nonchalantly. Wasn’t money meant to be spent?
Once she earned more in the future, she would bring her sisters out of the Yu family’s control, so they could live freely—eating what they wanted and doing what they liked.
—
While the second branch sisters were eating meat in their room, the third branch was in turmoil, panicked over Yu Li’s return.
Wang Shi said tremulously, “What should we do? Is she really going to demolish our house?”
In their minds, the money had already been spent, and they had no intention of paying it back. But Yu Li, this calamity-star, was threatening to demolish their house if they didn’t repay her.
“She definitely will,” Yu Jingzhong said. “Mother, she even broke one of the main hall’s support beams. If Father doesn’t repay her, she’ll surely tear down our house.”
Without the house, would they really have to sleep out in the courtyard?
Yu Jingzhong and his two younger brothers were utterly terrified.
Right now, the person they feared most was Yu Li. The once-bullied cousin whom anyone could step on had now become the most frightening member of the Yu family. They genuinely believed she might destroy their house or even beat them up if they couldn’t repay her.
Though she wouldn’t strike elders, she certainly wouldn’t hesitate to hit younger family members. All of them were younger than her, and they were sure she would come for them.
Yu Laosan looked at his frightened sons, gritted his teeth, and said, “I’ll go find Mother.”
“Find Mother?” Wang Shi asked. “Do you think she’ll help us repay this debt?” It was two taels of silver! With how stingy the old lady was, there was no way she’d pay it off, right?
Yu Laosan grimaced. “But we can’t come up with two taels of silver all at once.”
Yu Laosan was cunning and usually handed over only part of his earnings from odd jobs to the family’s communal fund. The rest he spent on treats, which he and his family secretly ate in their room.
He figured that since the family’s money was always allocated to the eldest branch for his nephews’ education, it would never benefit anyone else. So, he might as well spend it before the old lady found out and demanded the surplus from him.
As a result, the third branch had no savings to speak of.
Frightened that Yu Li might actually tear down their house, Yu Laosan was reminded of her breaking the main hall’s support beam. Desperate to stop her from targeting them further, he decided to repay the debt quickly.
He immediately headed to the main house.
Not long after, the sound of the old lady’s furious yelling came from the main house, and Yu Laosan was kicked out.
“No money!” the old lady cursed angrily. “You’re the one who spent all the money, and now you have the nerve to ask me for it? Figure it out yourselves!”
Clinging to her leg, Yu Laosan wailed and refused to let go despite her beating. “Mother, please help your son! Your son has no money to repay…”
He had already made up his mind that he wouldn’t repay the debt himself, nor would he send Wang Shi to her family to borrow the money. Two taels of silver were an enormous amount—how long would it take to repay such a debt?
Wang Shi was also unwilling to borrow money from her family, not wanting to shoulder such a heavy burden.
The best solution was to get the old lady to pay it off.
Over the years, they had contributed so much to the communal fund. The eldest son was even working as a bookkeeper in the county town and sent money home regularly. He didn’t believe the old lady had no silver stashed away.
It was just two taels of silver. The fact that she refused to help infuriated him, especially after all these years of selfless contributions to the eldest branch.
In that moment, Yu Laosan finally felt a twinge of resentment.