They had once envied the Yu family for having three scholars. But after the family split, they realized that the scholars from the eldest branch had all gone off to study, leaving the elderly couple and one daughter to handle everything at home. The fields still needed to be worked, and it was inappropriate to leave it all to the elderly.
While it was true that studying was important and couldn’t be delayed, it was also unreasonable to dump all the farm work on the old folks and a child. Yu Laoda could have come back to help out a little.
This had sparked plenty of gossip among the villagers, who suddenly didn’t find the Yu family so enviable anymore.
After all, the scholars in the Yu family hadn’t achieved any official titles yet, and the crops in the fields wouldn’t wait. Seeing the current mess the eldest branch was in, the villagers thought it was chaotic and unworthy of envy.
Perhaps when Yu Jingde and the others passed the imperial exams, they could admire them again.
—
When the old matriarch of the Yu family charged out with the fire poker, Yu Li pulled Yu Jin away and left.
She had no interest in the commotion.
Arriving at the second branch of the Yu family, she entered to find Yu Lao’er and his wife, Liu Shi, building a wall in the kitchen.
The kitchen was a temporary structure, hastily set up as a simple little shed. Using his rest time, Yu Lao’er had been slowly improving it bit by bit.
Not only the kitchen, but the other parts of the house were also being tidied up.
Seeing Yu Li arrive, the couple was very happy.
Liu Shi shyly asked, “Li Niang, have you eaten? Would you like to have a meal here?”
“I’ve already eaten,” Yu Li said calmly. She greeted them briefly and then went inside to check on Yu Zhu.
Liu Shi opened her mouth as if to say something but felt a bit disappointed when Yu Li left.
Inside the room, Yu Zhu was sitting on the bed drinking medicine, while Yu Yin sat nearby, embroidering flowers on a pouch.
Seeing Yu Li, both sisters lit up with joy.
“Elder Sister, why are you here?” Yu Yin stood up to pour her water, smiling as she spoke.
“I came to check on our little sister,” Yu Li replied. She then asked Yu Zhu how she was doing.
“Elder Sister, I think I’m all better now,” Yu Zhu said softly. “Second Sister and Third Sister don’t need to stay with me anymore, and I don’t need to drink any more medicine—it’s such a waste of money.”
Yu Yin rolled her eyes at her. “It’s not up to you to say whether you’re fine or not. The doctor said you need to take a few more doses of medicine to strengthen your recovery. Listen to the doctor.”
Yu Zhu pouted and muttered about how expensive the medicine was and how it was draining the family’s money.
Although she was young, she understood that the family didn’t have much silver and was reluctant to waste it.
Yu Yin patted her head. “Be good, Zhu’er. I’ll work hard on my embroidery to make money. You don’t need to worry.”
Yu Jin’s expression softened as she said, “I’ll also find some work to do. When I earn money, I’ll buy you meat and candy. Don’t worry about the money.”
Now that Elder Sister was married, she felt the responsibility to support the family rested on her shoulders.
Yu Li confirmed that Yu Zhu’s condition was indeed much better and didn’t require constant care anymore. She then said to Yu Yin, “Didn’t you say you wanted to visit the county? Let’s go together tomorrow.”
Yu Jin gasped, her eyes lighting up. “Alright, I’ll go to the county tomorrow!”
Both Yu Yin and Yu Zhu looked over, their eyes sparkling. They had never been to the county before.
Not wanting to favor one over the other, Yu Li said, “I’ll take you two in the future as well.”
“Thank you, Elder Sister!” Yu Yin and Yu Zhu smiled at her sweetly.
Their smiles warmed Yu Li’s heart. She patted each of them on the head and then told Yu Jin, “I’ll leave early tomorrow morning, so I won’t go with you. Wait until daylight to take the boat to the county, and don’t try to save money.”
She was worried that her sister might hesitate to spend the four wen for the boat fare and decide to walk to the county instead, which could be dangerous if she encountered any trouble on the road.
Yu Jin hesitated briefly before nodding in agreement.
She had never been to the county before and had rarely even left the village, so she felt a bit nervous and scared. But knowing her elder sister would be waiting for her in the county gave her a sense of reassurance.
—
As Yu Li left the Yu family, passing by the main courtyard, she could still hear the old matriarch’s strong and scolding voice, cursing Aunt Guihua for being unable to say anything nice and then turning to curse Yu Qin, calling her useless and only good for crying.
Yu Qin felt wronged but didn’t dare to talk back. She could only cover her face and cry.
She really wanted to go to the county, but ever since Yu Jingzong had run off to the county and didn’t return, the old matriarch had been worried that she would do the same. She kept a close eye on her, making it impossible for Yu Qin to sneak away. She could only stay in the village.
Her mother hadn’t come back either, and there was no one at home to protect her.
Yu Li didn’t linger or look back. She left the Yu family and headed toward the Fu household.
The sky had already darkened, and a crescent moon hung above the willow branches. Most villagers had returned home to rest. In the distance, the barking of dogs could be heard, along with the sound of adults shouting at children to go bathe.
Back at the Fu household, Yu Li washed up and then went to her room to rest.
An oil lamp was lit in the room. Fu Wenxiao was sitting by the window, enjoying the breeze. He wasn’t reading, as the lamp’s dim light wasn’t suitable for nighttime reading, and he didn’t want to strain his eyes.
Noticing her wet hair, he waved her over. “Li Niang, come here.”
Yu Li walked over and saw him pick up a towel from nearby. He motioned for her to sit on a smaller stool beside him. Sitting there, she was about half a head shorter than him—just the right height for him to dry her hair.
Having someone offer to dry her hair, Yu Li was happy to take it easy and sat down.
She felt the damp ends of her hair being gathered up and gently dried with the towel.
His movements were meticulous, careful not to pull her scalp. Occasionally, when his fingers brushed against her scalp, it brought a comfortable sensation.
Yu Li closed her eyes and let out a yawn.
“Sleepy?” Fu Wenxiao asked.
Yu Li murmured in agreement, feeling a bit drowsy. She hadn’t rested after returning from the county today. After lunch, she had taken a trip into the mountains to pick some autumn wild fruits.
There were plenty of ripe fruits in the mountains during autumn, and she had been craving them. In this world, she had a fondness for anything edible with a decent taste. Her appetite was insatiable, and she had long accepted it.
She had also wanted to see if there were any medicinal herbs in the mountains, but unfortunately, she didn’t recognize any. Finding something like ginseng was even harder—it wasn’t an easy task.
Fu Wenxiao chuckled softly. While drying her hair, he started chatting with her.
“How’s your little sister? Is she better?”
“Almost. The doctor said a few more doses of medicine would strengthen her body, and then she’ll be fine,” Yu Li replied casually, leaning back to relax. Feeling like she had leaned against something, she was about to turn her head to check when a hand pressed gently on her shoulder.
“Don’t move.”
Yu Li stayed still as instructed.
Fu Wenxiao glanced down at the girl leaning against his leg. His face grew slightly warm, but he didn’t find it unpleasant.
Yu Li didn’t overthink it. Since he told her not to move, it meant he didn’t mind.
She continued, “Tomorrow, I’m taking my second sister to the county. She said she wants to take a look and see if she can find something to do.”
Although she didn’t know what Yu Jin wanted to pursue, Yu Li always encouraged her.
Fu Wenxiao responded softly, “That’s nice. I’ve never been to the county myself.”
Yu Li found his words a bit odd. “You’ve never been? Didn’t you pass through the county when you moved to Qingshi Village three years ago?”
“I wasn’t well at the time,” Fu Wenxiao said with a hint of melancholy. “I was so weak that I spent the entire journey lying down, half-conscious. By the time I started to feel better, we had already settled in Qingshi Village, and I haven’t stepped out since.”
Hearing this, Yu Li felt a pang of sympathy.
With such a frail body, how could he venture outside?
Spending three years confined to a small room seemed genuinely pitiful.
She comforted him, “It’s alright. Once you get better, you can visit the county.”
Fu Wenxiao gave a soft hum in response before asking, “Will you go with me?” Without waiting for her answer, he added, “I’ve been away from the outside world for so long. I don’t know much about it, or how others might perceive me…”
His tone was light, but it carried a hint of social anxiety.
Yu Li thought back to psychology lessons from her previous life, recalling how humans, as social creatures, could develop psychological issues or even social anxiety from prolonged isolation.
She reassured him, “Don’t worry, I’ll go with you.”
After all, she planned to help him earn money once he recovered. She couldn’t let her golden goose be frightened away.
Fu Wenxiao smiled, lowering his gaze to the girl sitting obediently before him, letting him dry her hair.
Once he finished, he used a fan to waft away the remaining moisture in her hair. “All done. Go to sleep now.”
Yu Li ran her hand through her hair, realizing it was completely dry. She said, “Thank you.”
“There’s no need to thank me,” Fu Wenxiao said warmly. “You’re always running around outside to support the family, and you still have chores to do when you get home. Meanwhile, I just stay here, unable to contribute, nothing more than a bystander. Doing what little I can for you is the least I should do.”
Yu Li had originally thought it was fine for him to help her with her hair once or twice, but it wouldn’t be appropriate to rely on him for such things regularly.
After hearing his words, she felt it wasn’t so bad after all.
She said seriously, “Then I’ll trouble you with it in the future.”
The smile on Fu Wenxiao’s face deepened. “It’s no trouble at all. Helping you makes me happy. You’ve done so much for me.”
Indeed, she had helped him a lot.
Yu Li wholeheartedly agreed. After all, she was going to save his life. A life-saving debt should be repaid generously—working for her and earning money for her in the future would only be right.