Chapter 106

Yu suddenly collapsed straight in front of Ye Jia, nearly frightening him to death. Huanpei immediately stepped forward, lifted Yu up, and carried her into the house. Xiaoli, a step behind, immediately went to fetch a doctor. Before Ye Jia could even settle her down, he hurried into Yu's house. As soon as they entered, Yu opened her eyes faintly, tears streaming down her face.

She grabbed Ye Jia's hand and held it tightly, her throat choked with sobs for a long time and she could only say one sentence: "Thank you, Jia Niang."

Ye Jia was still worried about why she suddenly fainted, and was stunned when she heard this. Although she didn't necessarily understand Yu's feelings, at this moment Ye Jia felt that Yu was like a taut string loosened, and her whole body was filled with joy.

Patting her hand, Ye Jia didn't know what to say, so he just sat there silently waiting.

The doctor came quickly and came in with a medicine box on his back after a while.

Mrs. Yu insisted she was fine, but since the doctor had arrived, he simply took both Ye Jia's and Mrs. Yu's pulses. After a long pause, he came to the conclusion that Mrs. Yu was feeling a bit depressed. She was a little weak, but otherwise normal. Ye Jia's pulse revealed she was a month pregnant and overly worried. The old doctor advised both of them to relax and only prescribed Ye Jia some medicine to preserve the pregnancy.

The old doctor from Dongxiang Town often visited the Zhou family and was very familiar with Yu Shi's Ye Jia. Ye Jia knew that he was a skilled doctor, so he took out the medicine prescribed by the doctor from Yutian and showed it to the old doctor: "I saw a doctor outside, and he prescribed these medicines. Do you think they are safe to take?"

The old doctor opened a packet and took a look. He didn't intend to refute the other doctor. He just added carefully: "This medicine is a bit strong."

Ye Jia's heart froze. She glanced at Yu, who was looking at her eagerly, and swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue. She couldn't let Yu know that she and Zhou Jingchen always took medicine. Nodding, Ye Jia said she understood. "Thank you, Doctor Jiang. Mom, do you think you should prescribe some tranquilizers?"

"Why do I need to take medicine? I don't need it. I'm in good health!" Yu was happy to see that Ye Jia still cared about her at this time.

The old doctor said nothing, lowering his head as he quickly wrote a prescription: "You should take some tranquilizers so you can sleep better at night. Apart from anything else, you're still a little weak now. If you don't take good care of yourself, you'll be a burden to your children when you're old."

Yu originally wanted to quibble, but when she heard that she would become a burden, she shut her mouth.

The Zhou family didn't need the money for medicine, so they just prescribed it. After the old doctor finished writing it, Ye Jia took the prescription and went out to ask someone to get the medicine. The old doctor didn't stay long because he didn't have anything to do. Ye Jia just wanted to see him out: "Then you take a rest, mother. I'll take Doctor Jiang out."

After saying that, Ye Jia escorted the old doctor out of the house. After they left the main courtyard, Ye Jia told him about Zhou Jingchen taking medicine.

When the old doctor heard this, his brows immediately raised and he was unhappy: "I warned you last time not to take medicine carelessly just because you are young. Why don't you believe me? Your husband is really capable. He can get pregnant after taking medicine..."

Ye Jia felt a little embarrassed by his scolding, and quickly lowered her voice and said that she had stopped taking the medicine.

As she spoke, she pulled out a porcelain bottle from her sleeve. She had stolen it from Zhou Jingchen, and she wanted to show it to the old doctor. The old doctor snorted, took a pill, sniffed it, and then pinched a little bit of it into his mouth to taste it. After a moment, he nodded and said, "If that's the case, then it's correct. I think you shouldn't change the prescription. Just take the medicine from the previous doctor for a month."

Seeing this, Ye Jia nodded quickly to show that he understood.

"Don't take medicine randomly in the future, or you will regret it later." The old doctor did not forget to warn before leaving.

The weather in April is getting hotter and hotter. The trees and grass have put on new clothes, and people who come out to bask in the sun feel a little dizzy.

Ye Jia had been riding in a carriage for a long time, the bumpy ride making her bones feel like they were falling apart. Having finished her doctor's appointment, she had nothing else to do, so she said goodbye to Mrs. Yu and went back to her room to rest. On the other hand, Mrs. Yu, upon learning that Ye Jia was pregnant, was beaming with joy, as if she had been reborn. She busied herself with orders for soup and herbs to be brewed, then she took the change and went to town to do some shopping.

Dongxiang Town was not big, and the supplies were not very abundant. But Yu was happy and bought everything she saw that she thought was good.

After returning from her shopping trip, Ye Jia had just woken up from a nap. Besides herself and Diandian, she had also brought back a lot of silk fabrics and Khotanese specialties. Yu Shi had fainted upon her return, and in her haste, Ye Jia had forgotten all about the things she had brought. She was just ordering everyone to move everything into the hall when Yu Shi returned with a whole bunch more stuff.

"That's perfect. Mother, take a look at the fabrics you want. If you like them, take them. Let Fourth Sister pick out the rest. If you don't like them, put them in the warehouse."

Yu hadn't touched silk in a long time; this was her first time seeing it. While the material wasn't as good as she'd used to, it was still far superior to what she'd seen in the Dongxiang Town shops. With her heart finally relaxed, Yu's spirits brightened. "That's great! I'll pick out a few pieces for you."

As they were talking, Fourth Sister Ye hurried back after hearing the news. Xishi's shop was doing brisk business these days, and by noon, they'd almost sold out, leaving the rest to Qiuyue. Hearing noises coming from outside, Yu quickly called her over to take her pick.

Ye Simei had never worn silk in her life, and seeing so many fine materials made her excited. What woman doesn't like to be coquettish? Ye Simei naturally liked it. However, she touched one piece of tender green material and hesitated to buy it. "Sister, these are very expensive, right? I heard that silk is only affordable for officials and gentlemen. It costs several taels per piece..."

"Pick whatever you like, no matter who can afford it." Since Ye Jia bought it, he naturally didn't hesitate to buy it. "Pick some for Xiaoqi and Xiaoba too."

Fourth Sister Ye blushed, feeling a bit embarrassed. But Yu, watching from the side, advised her, and she bravely chose three. Ye Jia took a look and took the tender green horse she had touched away from her.

Ye Simei pursed her lips and smiled happily.

After selecting all the materials, Ye Jia asked someone to put away the rest and then started talking about other things.

Yu Shi wanted to mention Ye Jia's pregnancy, but she held back, thinking it wasn't even three months yet and that it would be unlucky. Ye Jia glanced at her, told the servants to leave, and then, after a moment's deliberation, told her about Zhou Jingchen sending the Yu family to Beiting. Because this matter was discussed privately between Zhou Jingchen and the Yu family, the entire process was kept secret, and Ye Jia didn't actually know where Zhou Jingchen had sent them.

When Yu heard this, she put down the cloth in her hand and asked, "Did Yun'an bring them here too?"

"Yeah." Ye Jia couldn't say what Zhou Jingchen was planning in Yutian, so he could only vaguely say that it was to protect the Yu family so that they would not be constrained by the court in the future.

Yu naturally understood this. Her son had already seized the Beiting Protectorate, and the imperial court would sooner or later send troops to suppress them. If the Yu family were caught outside, the consequences would be disastrous. She thought for a moment and said calmly, "This arrangement is a good thing. Sending them to a place where no one else knows will prevent them from being caught. Yun'an has his own ideas, and your grandfather and uncles are all people with their own ideas. We don't need to worry."

Ye Jia hadn't expected the Yu family to be so calm. But then he thought, the Yu family wasn't exactly fools who needed someone to worry about everything, so they would naturally have a plan.

After a moment's thought, she nodded and began to inquire about the spring plowing. Last year's grain harvest had been completed, and planting would begin in March of this year. Ye Jia had been taken away by Zhou Jingchen, and she needed to know about the situation at the hundred acres of fertile land at the bottom of the valley, the workshops, and the shops. During the two months Ye Jia had been in Khotan, many matters had been handled by the Yu family, so naturally, she had to inquire about them.

Yu knew that Ye Jia was a hardworking person, so she sighed and explained the workshop matters first.

"The pear blossom paste sells out as soon as it's made. After adding a skin-nourishing herb, the benefits are doubled. Shops can't keep up with demand, but the workshop is a bit slow in producing the finished product. A lack of manpower is one reason, but the main reason is that the herbs are used up too quickly, and it's hard to get them in stock. The fragrant soap doesn't sell so well, but the workshop can just make a few thousand a month."

Yu listed them one by one. "Just a few days ago, someone from the Cheng family came and said they would be sending a shipment of goods to the Western Regions in mid-April."

Ye Jia was stunned when he heard this: "Have all the Turks in the northwest of Libei Town retreated?"

"I don't know." Yu had never been out of Dongxiang Town. This was brought to her by the Cheng family. "Since the Cheng family dared to run away with the goods, they must have returned everything."

Ye Jia's heart suddenly moved. This is a good opportunity! Yu Shi put down the cup in her hand and wanted to go back to the house. But then she thought, maybe Zhou Jingchen had already known about this. Ye Jia blinked and looked at Yu Shi.

Yu didn't understand why, but she continued, "Old Master Zhang is taking care of the fertile fields at the bottom of the valley. Everything that needs to be planted has been planted, and it's doing very well..."

As she spoke, Yu suddenly remembered something: "Diniang sent a letter back a while ago, saying she wanted to come back."

"Want to come back?" Ye Jia was stunned. "She's doing well at the Yang family in Luntai, why does she suddenly want to come back?"

Yu Shi couldn't say this, as it would sound like she was deliberately speaking ill of Ye Jia's parents. She raised her eyelids and glanced at Ye Jia, wanting to say something but hesitant. However, Ye Jia didn't understand what her eyes meant. Yu Shi paused before sighing, "Jia Niang, have you forgotten that your parents-in-law and their families have gone to Luntai? With their temperaments, Di Niang is afraid that things will not go well for them."

Ye Jia: "..." She actually forgot about the Ye family.

"I don't know if something happened to Di Niang in Luntai. Otherwise, with her temper, she would definitely not ask anyone to pass the message back." Yu was still a little worried when talking about this. Ye Wumei and Yu had slept in the same room for a long time, and Yu was also somewhat fond of Ye Wumei.

Ye Wumei is actually a very strong-willed person. She is not afraid of hardship and will not ask for help easily.

...This was so serious that he sent someone to pass a message to Ye Jia. He must have suffered a great injustice. Ye Jia's brows furrowed, but she couldn't say anything in front of Yu Shi. She just nodded to show that she understood. She had just returned and there were still many things to sort out. A hundred acres of fertile land in Khotan were still vacant, and the three shops were short-staffed. She had to make arrangements quickly.

Exhaling softly, Ye Jia asked Yu Shi to help him. "Mother, have someone send the account books and income to my room. I'll make arrangements for the lack of medicinal materials for the pear blossom paste later. The workshop should focus on the Cheng family's request for goods first."

After much deliberation, Ye Jia asked Lingdang to go to the garrison, summon Zhan Lin and Si Nan, and have them run to Luntai. He then ate a few meals, ordered a mule cart, and headed to the farm. A hundred acres of fertile land needed to be cultivated; leaving it empty was not a good idea. It was early April, so some crops could still be harvested. After this time, it would be too late, and Ye Jia was naturally anxious.

When she arrived at the village, a mutiny broke out in the Protectorate of Kucha.