Chapter Forty-Nine
Yu Ying thought that if the news of her stitching Song Sanlang got out, it might cause unnecessary trouble, so she asked Uncle He and Aunt He to keep it a secret.
If others asked how Song Sanlang recovered, he would say that his injury was not very serious. He was given some herbal medicine to stop bleeding and needed to rest for a while before he recovered.
Uncle He and Aunt He were also worried that the villagers would know that Madam Yu had such excellent medical skills, and would come to her for treatment for all their illnesses, no matter whether they were serious or minor, and then would still ask Madam Yu to treat them even if they couldn't afford the money.
If the cure is successful, we will be grateful. If it is not, I wonder how many complaints there will be. This kind of thankless task should be avoided if possible.
Thinking of these reasons, Uncle He and Aunt He agreed.
Because of what happened to Song Sanlang today, even though the food they ate was venison, which tasted great, no one could taste it.
After dinner, everyone simply washed up and went back to their rooms.
The dark room was quiet, but Yu Ying couldn't sleep.
Even though the room was dark, Fu Wei could tell she was awake and asked, "What's wrong?"
"You didn't sleep either?" Yu Ying asked back.
Fu Weiqing hummed, still immersed in the calmness and composure she showed when she stitched up Song Sanlang today.
Such calmness and composure, even men don't have such courage.
Fu Wei was also deeply shocked.
How can an ordinary man be worthy of such an outstanding woman?
"Are you worried about Song Sanlang?" Fu Wei asked.
Yu Ying stared at the dark rooftop and replied, "When he was sewing him up, there was no protection at all. I'm a little worried."
Fu Wei thought for a moment and said, "You made your choice after careful consideration. You must know whether suturing or not suturing is more appropriate."
When Yu Ying heard Fu Wei's words, she seemed to feel trusted.
This feeling of trust is like a breeze, very light and subtle, but makes people feel very comfortable.
"Why are you so sure I made the right choice? After all, I could have made the wrong choice."
A faint smile played on Fu Wei's lips. His voice was low and slow, exceptionally gentle. "I may not know about others, but I know that you are a person who takes your time and works hard. You won't give up on yourself or panic when faced with difficulties. How could I not trust you?"
In the darkness, Fu Wei's voice was clear and gentle, and had the magic to soothe emotions.
Yu Ying's worried mood was also eased by these words and the voice.
After calming down for a while, Yu Ying said, "Today's events were indeed risky. I still have to keep an eye on Song Sanlang. In order to prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future, I have to prepare some necessary things."
After experiencing what happened with Song Sanlang, Yu Ying felt that no matter whether she ever became a doctor in the future, she should prepare some things for emergency use.
"What are needed?" Fu Wei asked.
Yu Ying pondered for a moment and replied, "For sutures, we need to find fresh sheep intestines, but ordinary people can't afford to eat sheep, so it might be difficult to find."
Fu Wei pondered for a moment and reminded him, "Although Yu County doesn't have to be a prosperous city, restaurants should still slaughter sheep. You might want to ask around. Rich families don't like to eat offal, so it's relatively cheap."
Yu Ying clapped her hands lightly and replied, "Yes, the restaurant will definitely have it. Catgut is no problem either. I can also get scissors and needles for sutures from the blacksmith shop. As for the wine, it's quite expensive, so I'll have to wait until the goods are delivered in October before I can buy it."
At the end of the conversation, his tone was a little depressed.
As expected, everything is easy to get with money, but without money, even ideas are difficult to implement.
Hearing this, Fu Wei smiled and said, "It's late at night, and you still have so many things to deal with tomorrow. Things will work out when the time comes, so don't think too much about it."
Yu Ying responded with a "hmm," and then said, "Okay, then you should get some rest early too."
After saying that, he slowly closed his eyes, slowed down his thoughts, and gradually fell asleep.
Hearing the even and continuous breathing beside his ears, Fu Wei did not feel sleepy at all.
He couldn't give her anything she needed.
Not only can he not afford it, but once her reputation gradually spreads, it is very likely that she will bring trouble to herself because of him.
In order to avoid this kind of disaster, after his legs recovered, he must not just join her in the medicinal herb business.
What he faces is not only the current poor and difficult situation, but also people who don't want him to have an easy life.
That person's power has not yet extended too far, but if one day he becomes more powerful and knows that he is living a happy life, he will definitely continue to use dirty tricks.
When he was in Wuling County, he learned that the newly enthroned emperor had been arrogant and extravagant in the past two years, and had recruited countless men to build palaces and pavilions.
There will always be resistance under power, it is just a matter of time.
What he needs to do is to find a force to protect his family before the chaos.
One is to make plans for the future, the other is to shelter from persecution.
The only force that can be found now is the county government of Yu County.
However, Yu County was poor and backward, and the magistrate was something the common people in Yu County could only look up to. But in the eyes of the dignitaries, he was no more than an ant.
But the only person he could try to contact now was the magistrate of Yu County.
***
The next day, Yu Ying prepared an anti-inflammatory medicine and boiled it for half an hour before sending it to the He family with Fu An and Funing, and also went to check on Song Sanlang's injuries.
As soon as she entered the He family, she found that when Uncle He, Aunt He and He Dalang looked at her, there was a hint of awe in their eyes, which made her feel a little uncomfortable.
She asked, "Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Uncle He sighed, "Yesterday, all of us grown men were panicking, but you, Liu Niang, remained calm. We admire you from the bottom of our hearts."
Yu Ying smiled and said modestly, "I only looked calm, but I was actually very nervous. I couldn't sleep for most of last night because I was worried about whether Song Sanlang had any accidents, so I came here early this morning to check on him."
Uncle He said to her, "Song Sanlang must have been in so much pain last night that he couldn't sleep. He drank some hot porridge this morning and went to sleep."
Yu Ying asked, "Did anyone from the Song family come?"
Aunt He got angry when she mentioned this. Afraid that Song Sanlang might hear, she lowered her voice and said, "She's here. It's the Song family's youngest daughter. She just came with a few eggs and left. Her father didn't even come to see her, as if he was afraid that he would have to take her back if he came."
The eldest sister-in-law of the He family, who was hanging clothes nearby, said, "When your eldest brother brought the man back yesterday, Song Sanlang was covered in blood. Naturally, the rumors spread among the villagers."
"When I was washing clothes just now, I heard those women saying that it would cost a lot of money to cure Song Sanlang. I guess the Song family didn't dare to come because they were afraid of taking a burden back."
Although the eldest sister-in-law of the He family also blamed her husband and parents-in-law for taking Song Jia Sanlang back, she did not dare to say it out loud.
Moreover, Song Sanlang usually worked with her husband at the gentry's place, and they took care of each other a lot. She would not complain and make her husband and parents-in-law unhappy.
Aunt He said, "If you don't want to answer it, then don't answer it. Let the villagers see the true face of the Song family. If the Song couple still want to use filial piety to oppress Song Sanlang in the future, then we will have something to say back."
Hearing this, Mrs. He said, "But I still have to go back to live in the Song family from now on."
I can't continue to stay in their house, right?
Uncle He thought for a moment and said, "When we build the thatched hut for the Fu family in a few days, tell the village head to allocate some land nearby to build a thatched hut for Song Sanlang."
Yu Ying listened from the side without interrupting.
You can get a rough idea of a person's character from his actions.
The He family’s kind actions towards their neighbors show that they are kind people.
After staying at the He family for a while, Yu Ying was afraid that the medicine would get cold, so she asked Uncle He to wake up Song Sanlang.
When Song Sanlang saw the wife of Fu Jia Erlang, he thought of what happened yesterday and there was gratitude and a bit of awe in his eyes.
He propped himself up on the bed and sat up, "Thank you, Brother and Sister Fu, for what happened yesterday."
Song Sanlang and Fu Zhen call each other brothers, so calling them Fu's younger brother and sister is quite appropriate.
Yu Ying asked him, "Is the wound open?"
Song Sanlang shook his head and replied, "It's not cracked."
After Song Sanlang drank the medicine, Yu Ying asked him to lie down.
Then she instructed He Dalang to untie the cloth on Song Sanlang's foot. After taking a look at the wound, Yu Ying gave He Dalang gauze boiled in hot water and taught him how to bandage it.
Because the disinfection conditions did not meet the requirements, Yu Ying instructed: "The bandages must be boiled in boiling water and left indoors to dry before use. The bandages for the wounds must also be changed every day."
After He Dalang agreed, Yu Ying said, "I have medicine over there, and I also have medicine jars, which will be convenient for boiling the medicine. I'll have my sister-in-law boil it and send it to me in the next few days."
After Song Sanlang was injured, only his younger sister came to visit him. She only came into the house and took a quick look before leaving in a hurry. It was obvious that she just came to inquire about his condition, not to care about him.
The indifference of family members makes people feel discouraged.
But compared to his own family, the Fu family and the He family treated him so well, how could one not be moved.
Even a grown man couldn't help but have tears in his eyes.
Song Sanlang thanked him in a hoarse voice: "Madam Yu, when my injury is healed, if you need any help, please feel free to ask for it."
Yu Ying smiled and said, "Don't think about repaying me yet. Let's heal our injuries first."
After saying that, he left the house and told He Dalang some things that he should pay attention to.
After returning home, Yu Ying asked her elder brother and sister-in-law to get ready and go find the village head to check the fields.
She returned to the house and checked whether the bamboo strips that fixed Fu Wei were loose.
After checking for a while, Fu Wei asked, "How is Song Jia Sanlang?"
Yu Ying said, "Perhaps Song Sanlang's health was good to begin with, so there's nothing serious wrong with him. It's just..."
Fu Wei raised his eyes to look at her: "Just?"
Yu Ying frowned slightly and said, "Song Sanlang is quite pitiful. He was the only one from his family who came to see him, but I don't think he came out of sincerity. He just wanted to make sure if his injuries were serious. Maybe this incident has chilled his heart, so he's very grateful to the He family. When he thanked me just now, his eyes were red."
Hearing this, Fu Wei also remembered his past.
If she had appeared when his legs had just become lame, he would have lost his composure like Song Sanlang.
It’s not that he’s not grateful to her now, it’s just that he has gone through the most difficult stage to accept, his mood is different, and his behavior is also different.
Although his behavior was different, whenever he met her, he would be amazed at her uniqueness and his eyes would be attracted to her.
Thinking of this, Fu Wei narrowed his eyes slightly, hiding the emotions in his eyes.
Furthermore, when a person is heartbroken and depressed, if a charming person comes to his aid and pulls him out of the quagmire, he will gradually develop feelings other than gratitude.
Fu Wei felt this deeply.
After a few moments of silence, he slowly said, "Song Sanlang is under the care of the He family, so nothing should go wrong. You can focus on other things and don't delay the delivery of the medicinal materials in October."
Yu Ying didn't suspect anything and replied, "It didn't delay anything. I just stopped by every day to take a look. After two or three days, I won't need to go there every day. I can just go when the stitches are removed."
Fu Wei didn't know what to say.
But at this time, Yu Ying saw the crutches in the house and said, "It will take about ten days before you can remove the bamboo from your feet. You haven't used the crutches very often these days. Why not lend one to Song Sanlang for a few days to save him from the inconvenience of moving around."
At the end of the conversation, Yu Ying still asked for his opinion: "Are you willing to lend it?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Wei slightly closed his palm and turned to look at the crutch sticking against the wall.
After two breaths of silence, he replied insincerely, "It's just for a few days, why wouldn't I lend it to you?"
After a pause, he continued, "You still have to go to the village head in a while. When you come back, ask my brother to deliver it. You can also teach Song Sanlang how to use it while you are at it."
Yu Ying nodded: "That's fine."
She lowered his trouser legs and instructed, "Your leg bones have healed well, but you should stay still if possible. Otherwise, if you move your body, it will be easy to hurt the injury."
Fu Wei smiled faintly and responded.
After Yu Ying gave Fu Wei a quick checkup, she left.
After she left, Fu Wei turned to look at his crutch, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared.
After a while, he let out a breath and looked away, thinking out of sight, out of mind.
*
Yu Ying, her elder brother and her elder sister-in-law went to the village head's house together and went to see the land with him.
The land is indeed good land and is close to the water source. There is no need to dig long ditches, just dig ditches in ridges.
Yu Ying looked at several places and chose one that was closer to home.
The headman measured the land for her using strides, deliberately taking the largest strides possible. The final result showed that the land was more than five mu, but a little more.
Because there are so many fields, even if there are a few more acres, it won’t be noticeable.
The village head also hinted to Yu Ying and let her know.
After expressing her gratitude, Yu Ying went back to prepare the money to send to the head of the village, and then signed the contract.
When Fu Wei saw them coming back, he called his eldest brother into the house and told him what Yu Ying had instructed him to do.
Fu Zhen took a crutch, and Fu Wei suddenly said, "Tell Song Sanlang to use it carefully and don't break it."
Fu Zhen was startled, then he remembered that the crutch was specially made by his sister-in-law for his second brother. If he lent it to someone else, his second brother would naturally feel bad, so he agreed: "I will tell him. When his legs are almost healed, I will go get it back immediately."
After Fu Zhen left the house, Fu Wei looked silently at the other crutch left behind. No matter how he looked at it, he felt that this single crutch looked lonely and a little desolate.
*
Yu Ying went to the village head's house, paid the money, and rented five acres of land.
After thinking about it for a night, he called the He father and son home when he came back from picking herbs the next morning.
Then he discussed with his elder brother, sister-in-law, and Fu Wei how to manage these fields.
In order to make it convenient for Fu Wei, Fu Zhen moved the table and chairs into the house, and everyone sat down to discuss.
Among the herbs she collected these days, many have a short planting cycle and can cure colds and febrile diseases, stop bleeding and reduce inflammation. She has kept the seeds of almost all of these herbs.
Now all we need to do is find someone to divide the fields into ridges and dig ditches, then turn over the seeds underground, and leave one or two people to look after them.
Uncle He told her that many people in the village pooled their money to rent the land together.
So many people only work on a piece of land and have no other work to do. As long as they are paid five cents a day, there will be many people to help.
It wouldn't take many people to work on these five acres of land, and it would only take four or five days at most.
It would be fine to leave one or two people to take care of it long-term.
Fu Wei had never touched the farmland on which these low-class people depended for their survival before, but now, after listening to it, he felt a little more touched.
Although the territory is vast and there is so much arable land, they would rather leave it go to waste than let the people cultivate it.
The common people could not afford to rent land, and those who could afford it had their rent and grain sent to prosperous cities. This cycle continued, and the poor land remained poor.
If this continues for a long time, how can the country continue to prosper?
Yu Ying agreed with Uncle He's suggestion, then looked at Fu Wei, only to see him frowning in thought.
After thinking for a while, he asked him, "Erlang, what do you think?"
Fu Wei was brought back to his senses by her shout of "Erlang". He looked at her and said, "You still need to collect herbs and can't spare any manpower. Uncle He's suggestion is very good."
Yu Ying nodded, she really couldn't spare any manpower.
The two mountains near Lingshui Village had limited medicinal herbs, so they had to go to the surrounding mountains to collect them. Furthermore, they were unfamiliar with herbs, and Yu Ying had to go along, making it difficult to take care of the family's fields.
I asked Uncle He to help with hiring people.
When the people in the village heard that the Fu family had rented a few acres of land and wanted to hire someone to farm it, many people went to Mrs. Luo and asked if they needed help, without Uncle He having to ask.
Luo Shi refused to talk and just told them to go find Uncle He.
Yu Ying no longer had to worry about hiring someone to do the work. She always remembered to ask the inn's waiter Afu to find a medicine dealer, so she found some time and took some medicinal herbs to Yu County.
The waiter who came to the Penglai Inn used his clever words to attract a small drug dealer.
It is also necessary to see Yu Ying's medicinal materials before making a decision.
I was satisfied with the medicinal materials, but because the price could not be lowered, I did not ask for too much. I only asked for 50 kilograms of the specified medicinal materials.
Since there was stock at home, Yu Ying delivered the goods quickly.
The price was nineteen wen per catty, and I got nine hundred and fifty wen.
After buying some food, Yu Ying also returned home.
When they returned home, Fu Wei called her into the house.
After she entered the house, Fu Wei gave her the improved crossbow, and he had two similarly sized crossbows next to him.
Fu Wei said, "There's a short bamboo arrow inside. Try it."
Yu Ying took the small crossbow and didn't rush to shoot the arrows. Instead, she asked, "The other two, one is for my eldest brother, who is the other one for?"
Fu Wei lowered his head and glanced at the crossbow beside the bed: "One is for my self-defense."
After hearing what he said, Yu Ying didn't ask any further questions. Instead, she pointed the crossbow at the wall of the thatched hut.
Fu Wei: "The impact of this will be much stronger. Don't aim at the wall, aim at the bamboo."
Upon hearing this, Yu Ying aimed at the bamboo a few steps away and subconsciously squinted one eye to look at it.
Fu Wei couldn't help but laugh when he saw her action.
Hearing the laughter, Yu Ying turned to look at him: "What's wrong?"
Fu Wei said: "It's okay, just try it."
Yu Ying turned her head back, but because she was concentrating, she didn't notice that the man behind her was looking at her closely.
Yu Ying had experience and was not as nervous as she was the first time.
With just one push, I could feel the difference from before, and the feel was much better.
She pulled again, and the short arrow shot out and instantly pierced into the thick bamboo.
Compared to the last time when the crossbow couldn't even penetrate the wild boar skin, this time, the bamboo arrow was deeply embedded in the bamboo.
Yu Ying stepped forward to check the short arrow, which was one-third inserted. She was surprised and turned back to look at Fu Wei, saying, "Just by changing the bow and string, the power has increased so much?"
Fu Wei said: "Actually, it's similar to the medicine you use. It has the same medicinal effect, but when combined with different herbs, the degree of therapeutic effect will be different."
Yu Ying couldn't help but laugh when she heard that.
She said, "Do you need me to call my eldest brother in?"
Fu Wei nodded.
Yu Ying wanted to remove the bamboo arrow from the bamboo, but it was stuck too tightly and she couldn't take it off. She could only ask her elder brother to help her take it off.
When Fu Zhen came in, he heard the continuous use of the crossbow, and a look of astonishment appeared on his face, which usually had no expression.
Fu Wei said calmly, "The mountains are dangerous. An ordinary hatchet won't protect me, and a bow and arrow is too conspicuous. This crossbow is quite compact, so it's perfect for hiding in a backpack."
Fu Zhen's face showed a solemn expression: "This thing must not be known to others."
After all, hunters all use bows and arrows, so no one will say anything about it. But this crossbow is not something that ordinary people can make. If it is discovered, it may cause trouble.
Whether guilty or not is determined by the government.
Fu Wei knew what his elder brother was thinking and said, "So it depends on how you use it. Of course, if you think it can handle the dangers in the mountains, then you don't need it."
Fu Zhen was silent for a moment, then picked it up and said, "Uncle He, Aunt He, and He Dalang, my sister-in-law and I all risked our lives to collect herbs. If it can help protect ourselves and others, I will definitely use it."
Fu Wei then began to explain to his elder brother how to use the repeating crossbow.
Seeing that the brothers, who usually had little to say to each other, now had something to say, Yu Ying did not fight them. After putting down the crossbow, she left the house, leaving the two brothers to talk in the house.
After Fu Wei taught it once, he asked Fu Zhen to give it a try.
Fu Zhen took a look at the bamboo arrow on the bamboo, took a step forward, and pulled it out without much effort.
Seeing this, Fu Wei raised his eyebrows slightly and his eyes fell on the undulating muscles in his elder brother's arms. The muscles were clearly visible and seemed to be full of strength.
Fu Wei has been observing his elder brother for the past few days and has discovered that he is indeed very strong.
When fetching water on weekdays, I would carry a full bucket of water and run back and forth several times without even taking a breath.
Even if it was just moving a water tank full of water, he could just lift it up with both hands, as if it didn't require any effort at all.
With this kind of strength, if he could learn to use a spear well and then join the army, he might be able to make a name for himself.
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