Chapter 36
Under Fu Wei's palm was the soft back of the woman's hand. After just a moment, he withdrew his hand.
I put my fingertips back on my legs and rubbed them lightly. I seemed to still feel the warm and soft touch lingering on them.
Besides, the word "trust" mentioned by Fu Wei and Yu Ying struck directly into the hearts of the He couple.
Uncle He and Aunt He were originally a wealthy family, but because their family committed a crime, they were implicated and exiled to Lingnan.
Over the past few decades, they have been worn down by hardship and have come to terms with reality. After becoming a lowly person, being trusted or trusting others is no longer an option for them.
Now when I hear that someone trusts me, the feeling is strange yet familiar.
Fu Wei glanced at the stunned expressions of Uncle He and Aunt He, then said slowly, "Sixth Mother and I want to bring our eldest brother and his wife back home, and we're also hoping He Erlang can return soon. But now that our family has brought our eldest brother and his wife back, we don't have much money left, so we can't help much."
Aunt He seemed to understand what he meant and sighed, "Don't feel bad. You don't owe us anything. We understand and won't harbor any grudges against you out of jealousy."
Fu Wei shook his head: "That's not what I meant."
Uncle He and Aunt He were puzzled, but then he heard him speak calmly, "Our two families support each other. We're not family, but we're better than family. So, even though we can't help much with money, Liu Niang and I both want to help Uncle He and Aunt He, as long as we can earn money. We hope they can save enough money soon to bring He Erlang back."
Fu Wei's voice was gentle and his tone was calm, which inexplicably made people feel convinced.
Yu Ying knew that Fu Wei was just speaking for the sake of courtesy, but she also knew that he said this to convince Uncle He and Aunt He, so she cooperated with him.
She said, "October is still two or three months away, which is too long. So I'm already looking for other short-term, one-time herbalists. If anyone is interested, all I need is for Uncle He and Aunt He to spare a few mornings to go into the mountains with me to collect herbs. I'll take care of the drying and subsequent work."
After thinking for a moment, Yu Ying continued, "As for the herbs I sell, I can charge them by the kilogram, or pay them according to their wishes."
After Yu Ying and Fu Wei finished speaking, they looked at Uncle He and Aunt He, quietly waiting for their answers.
Uncle He and Aunt He were stunned by so much information at once.
Uncle He slowly stroked it for a while before he recovered.
Aunt He looked at her husband unsurely.
Uncle He glanced at Fu Wei and Yu Ying, then pondered for a long time before speaking rationally, "It's perfectly fine to help out for a few days, but if I have to do it for two or three months, to be honest, I'm not sure."
He looked at Yu Ying and said, "Although you have signed a contract with the medicine merchant for 500 kilograms of medicinal materials, these traveling merchants travel all over the country and don't have a fixed place to stay. I don't know if he will come to Lingnan in a few months."
Before Yu Ying could say anything, Fu Wei, the son of an official for twenty years, spoke first: "If they are merchants, they must have registered with the government. Otherwise, the local checkpoints would not easily allow merchants carrying supplies to pass. Behind the numerous checkpoints are all the information they left. We really don't know their whereabouts, but the government will know it with a simple investigation."
After listening to Fu Wei's analysis, Yu Ying, who was originally a little worried about this deal, now feels more stable.
Even Uncle He started to weigh the pros and cons.
Fu Wei turned to look at Yu Ying again and said, "Bring the deed here for Uncle He and Aunt He to have a look."
Yu Ying knew Fu Wei's intention, so she got up and went to the next room to get the deed.
Because this room was often used for entering and leaving, and meals were also eaten in this room, Yu Ying placed the deed and silver in the next room and hid them in the interlayer of the straw bed.
When Yu Ying came out of the house, Sun and the children in the yard looked at her with curiosity.
Yu Ying went back to the next room, found the deed, and then went back.
After she sat back in her seat, she calmly handed the deed to Uncle He.
Uncle He was from a wealthy family, so he was naturally literate.
He took the deed, opened it and took a closer look, then a look of surprise appeared on his face.
Fu Wei said slowly, "If the merchant hasn't signed a document, he's certainly not trustworthy. But he's signed and stamped his seal. If he breaks the contract, we can report him to the county magistrate. The county magistrate can also use the customs clearance files to find the merchant's ancestral home. If the merchant breaks the contract, it will only be more trouble than it gains. If he has no intention of doing so, why leave any evidence?"
Uncle He thought about it carefully and felt that what Fu Erlang said made sense.
Thinking of this, he was already tempted. After all, the document stated not fifty kilograms, but a full five hundred kilograms of herbs.
The eldest son worked in the fields on a farm owned by a noble family. He had two meals a day and one day off a month, which meant he only earned ten pounds of rice and one hundred and fifty coins a month.
This is already an excellent treatment in Yu County.
My eldest son has his own family to support, so it is impossible for him to hand over all his wages. The only amount he can hand over is 120 cents a month.
The crops in the fields were just planted this year, and there are still various taxes to pay. They have to save for at least a year before they can afford to bring their second son back.
Uncle He knew what the environment in a quarry was like as he had worked there for many years.
If possible, he didn't want Erlang to stay in that place for a single day.
Thinking of this, Uncle He's expression gradually became firm, and he immediately made a decision: "Let's do it! We will do this medicinal herb business together with you!"
Fu Wei didn't seem surprised at all. A faint smile appeared on his lips. He glanced around at the few people and said, "Brothers, let's be clear about the accounts. Since we are going to do this, we should discuss the price in advance to avoid disputes and rifts later."
Uncle He said, "Of course."
Having said that, he returned the receipt.
Yu Ying took the receipt and thought about it for a while before asking, "Uncle He, do you want to buy by the pound, or do you want wages?"
Uncle He and Aunt He were a little confused.
Yu Ying added, "I don't have much money right now, and I can't charge by the kilogram. I have to wait until I receive the money before I can settle the bill. As for wages, I will pay them in full for the short term, and only half for the long term."
When Aunt He saw her old man said he was going to do it, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's the difference between the two?"
Yu Ying said, "Before I explain, I need to clarify the account first."
"First, I'm responsible for finding merchants who buy medicinal herbs. Second, I may need to use my connections and connections to find new merchants in the future, so this will also cost some money. Third, I'll be responsible for drying and storing the herbs."
"Regarding the above three points, no matter how much silver I sell for, I will set a fixed price for you, Uncle He. But it can't be half of twenty-one coins. After all, not all medicinal herbs can be sold at this price."
Uncle He thought for a moment before saying, "I heard from the villagers that they carried a large basket of herbs to the clinic and only got one or two coins in the end. So you can just give three or four coins per pound, which is already a sky-high price."
Yu Ying smiled and said, "Although it's not ten cents per catty, we charge according to the quality. If the quality is good, we charge seven cents per catty, and if the quality is average, we only charge six cents. If it's a more expensive medicinal material, we charge two cents per catty."
The He couple looked surprised.
Aunt He: "T-So many?"
At this time, Fu Wei said on the side: "This price is only offered to the He family. Even if other people help in the future, we will not offer this price again."
"Also, as time goes by, Liu Niang's medicinal herb business grows, and Uncle He and Aunt He know more herbs, the task of inspecting the herbs will be handed over to Uncle He and Aunt He. At that time, Uncle He and Aunt He will be directly paid dividends based on the profits. I believe that before long, not only will He Erlang be brought back, but the He family will also be able to live a good life from then on."
The more Yu Ying listened to Fu Wei's words, the weirder they seemed to her.
After a moment, she realized that the deal hadn't even been completed yet, so wasn't Fu Wei just making empty promises to Uncle He and Aunt He?
Uncle He and Aunt He were so excited about this cake that they felt motivated.
Seeing that Uncle He and Aunt He seemed to be leaning towards the purchase method, Yu Ying still explained her plan for wages: "We'll buy by the kilogram. As for wages, it's fifteen cents a day, but you have to ensure that you have at least two kilograms of herbs a day. If it's less than two kilograms, but less than one kilogram, it will only be seven cents a day."
Although the two are similar in calculation, the first one has no upper limit, so Uncle He and Aunt He both prefer the first one.
Uncle He chose: "The first one, buy by the kilogram."
Yu Ying: "Uncle He, don't rush to make a decision. There is one last thing that needs to be considered carefully."
Uncle He looked puzzled.
Yu Ying's face was solemn as she said, "The mountains are treacherous. Even the outer areas are full of danger. Uncle He and Aunt He should know this. The more precious the herbs, the greater the danger. I hope Uncle He and Aunt He will consider it and get back to me."
After the excitement passed, Uncle He calmed down and realized that money in the mountains was not so easy to earn.
But when he thought of his son in the quarry, he felt that he had to fight no matter how dangerous it was.
After thinking for a while, Uncle He said, "There's no such thing as a free lunch. You have to pay before you can gain anything. I understand this principle, so I decided to work with Madam Yu to make medicinal herbs."
After discussing some subsequent details, Uncle He asked, "When do you want to go and redeem your elder brother and his wife?"
Yu Ying pondered for a moment, then said, "I'll ask someone to help inquire with the new drug dealer whether he'll accept the herbs. We'll know the result the day after tomorrow. If not, we'll make preparations and leave in three days at the latest. If it's successful, we'll complete the deal first."
Uncle He looked at his wife beside him and said in a heavy voice, "We haven't seen Erlang for a long time. Let's take this opportunity to go and see him."
Aunt He's eyes reddened slightly as she thought of Er'er. She then said, "Yes, I haven't seen Erlang for two years. I wonder how thin he has become."
The couple felt sad for a while before getting up to say goodbye.
Yu Ying saw them off, then brought back the medicine that Fu An had prepared from outside the house, placed it on the table, and said to Fu Wei, "It's been sitting there for a while, drink it while it's hot."
Fu Wei thanked him and picked up the medicine.
The medicine was still hot, so he drank it slowly and calmly.
The medicine tasted bitter, and even Yu Ying drank it in two or three gulps, but Fu Wei...
Yu Ying felt a bitter taste in her mouth as she watched him drink the medicine. She asked, "Don't you feel it's bitter?"
Fu Wei looked at the dark medicinal soup in the bowl and said meaningfully, "I want to remember the pain I'm experiencing now."
Yu Ying heard the ambiguous meaning in his words, and thought of all the misfortunes arranged for him in the book, which led to him becoming a cold-hearted and powerful official in the end.
After pondering for a moment, she finally said, "Human nature is inherently diverse. We can be hypocritical and selfish, but we just have to stick to the bottom line."
Fu Wei's eyes changed slightly when he heard her words. He then raised his head and looked at her. He stared at her quietly for a moment before asking, "What would you do if I became the hypocritical and selfish person you described?"
If it were in later times, Yu Ying might not like to associate with him, but the background of this era is different.
She continued, "If you have to do this to protect yourself and strengthen yourself, there's nothing wrong with that, but I also hope you can hold on to your bottom line."
There seemed to be a glimmer of light in the dark corner of Fu Wei's heart.
"What is the final bottom line?"
Yu Ying thought for a moment and said, "When no one is hurting you, you are taking someone's life for your own selfish desires. If you cross the line, then we may not even be friends anymore, but just strangers. This is probably what the saying goes, 'People with different ideals cannot work together.'"
Fu Wei felt relieved and a faint smile appeared on the corner of his lips: "So, in order to avoid becoming strangers in the future, I will always remember what you said today."
This topic was too heavy. Yu Ying felt that he had taken it to heart, so she changed the subject.
"Oh, right, I've talked to Master Chen about the bamboo bed. It should be ready in four days at the shortest, seven or eight at the longest, but it might take a few more days..." She glanced at the bamboo bed on the inside of him, "I might have to bother you for a few more days."
Fu Wei was stunned for a moment before he said calmly, "I don't feel bothered."
Yu Ying thought he was just saying it for show, smiled, and went out to get ready.
Fu Wei looked at her departing back, then took another sip of the bitter medicine.
The bitter medicine went down his throat, so bitter that he frowned tightly, and then he lowered his eyes to look at the medicine in the bowl.
Why did he feel that today's medicine was much more bitter than the previous ones?
*
Yu Ying did not tell Luo Shi and Fu An Funing about bringing Fu Dalang and his wife back.
She thought that it would be a much greater surprise if someone appeared right in front of them rather than waiting anxiously.
Besides, Luo's eyes have been treated for a month, and it's about time to remove the gauze.
When Yu Ying was about to remove the gauze from Luo's wound, Fu An moved the bamboo stool out of the yard and asked his grandmother to sit in the yard, while he and his sister stood aside, waiting with anticipation.
"Aunt, can grandma's eyes really be cured?" Fu An asked.
Yu Ying smiled. "It's not that easy. We have to address the root cause as well as the symptoms. Addressing the root cause is a process that requires patience. Although I can't see clearly yet, I can still see things and find the way. If I want to see more clearly, I have to continue to recuperate slowly."
Upon hearing this, Luo said, "Being able to see the road and not needing a guide is already excellent. I wouldn't dare ask for anything more."
Yu Ying walked behind Luo and said softly, "It's definitely more than this."
As she spoke, she began to untie the gauze from Luo's eyes.
After round after round, the gauze was removed, and Mrs. Luo, with her eyes closed, was reluctant to open them.
After all, she was nervous too.
Yu Ying walked up to her and said with a smile, "You can open your eyes and take a look now."
Luo hesitated for a moment, then slowly opened his eyes. When light came into his eyes, everything in front of him was blurry.
She saw the vague outline of a woman among the shadows.
"How's it going?" Yu Ying leaned in to examine Luo's slightly cloudy eyes. Seeing her own hazy reflection in them, she knew the treatment had been effective.
Her eyes gradually adjusted to the light. Although her vision was still blurry, she could see people very close to her. Even if it was not very clear, she could still make out the position of their facial features.
Luo called out tentatively, "Sixth Mother?"
"Um?"
Although she couldn't see clearly, Mrs. Luo could feel that her daughter-in-law was a beauty.
Gradually, Luo came to her senses, but her heartbeat suddenly quickened. She suddenly grabbed her daughter-in-law's wrist and said, "Sixth Mother, can I see?!"
In the past, I could only see faint lights and very conspicuous objects during the day, but now, I can even see the positions of people's facial features!
"Grandma, where am I? Where am I? Can you see me?" Fu An also became excited.
Yu Ying gave up her seat to Fu An and Fu Ning, allowing the three generations of grandparents and grandchildren to be happy with each other.
After the joy and excitement, Luo stood up and turned to look in the direction of the thatched hut.
She looked a little nervously at Yu Ying and asked in a trembling voice, "Is Erlang handsome?"
Apart from Fu An, no one had ever told Mrs. Luo what their biological son actually looked like.
Fu An only said that his uncle now was handsome, much more handsome than before, but he couldn't explain what he was like.
Yu Ying also followed her gaze towards the house and said slowly, "Yes, he is very handsome, handsome and smart, and has a good temper."
Although Mrs. Luo couldn't see clearly, she wanted to see the shadow of her own son.
I reached out to grab the bamboo pole beside me, and the next moment after I held it, I suddenly realized that I could barely see the road.
She loosened her hand again, stood up, and walked towards the thatched hut step by step.
I pushed open the door, walked into the room, looked towards the bamboo bed, and vaguely saw a figure sitting on the bed.
"Erlang..." Luo's voice trembled slightly.
Fu Wei looked up and met his biological mother's eyes, only to see her eyes gradually turn red.
Fu Wei felt an indescribable subtle feeling.
His adoptive mother died early, so he did not feel much maternal love. However, since he had only known his biological mother for more than two months, the relationship between them was not very deep.
They rarely communicated before this, and even when they did, they never called her mother.
But now, Fu Wei wanted to resolve the knot between them, so he nodded and said "hmm", then called out: "Mother."
Hearing the word "mother", Luo couldn't hold back her tears. Her heart ached and she covered her mouth and cried. She turned around and ran out of the house.
When Yu Ying heard Fu Wei call her "Mother" outside the house, a smile with a hint of relief appeared on her face.
Fortunately, we recognized each other.
In the book, until Mrs. Luo's death, the mother and son only met each other, but it could not be considered a true recognition.
One of Fu Wei's regrets was that he was not able to call his biological mother "Mother" during her lifetime.
Now, from here on, things are completely different.
Yu Ying looked up at Yan Yang and thought, it won't be long before Fu Dalang and his wife return, and then the Fu family will truly be reunited.
But what about her?
Thinking of this, Yu Ying couldn't help feeling a little sad.
In this world, the so-called relatives are not hers, so who can she reunite with?
Just when I was feeling sad, my palms suddenly felt warm.
She looked down and found that it was Fu Ning holding her hand.
Fu Ning met his aunt's gaze, smiled with his eyebrows curved, and then rubbed his head against his aunt's arm.
The little girl's coquettish behavior suddenly reminded Yu Ying of a little kitten her sister raised. It also acted coquettishly in the same way. It was so cute and adorable.
She thought, Luo's eyes have not been cured, Fu Wei's legs have not been healed, and most importantly, little Fu Ning still can't speak. Even if these diseases are cured, no one knows when they will die. Why should she worry so much about where to go?
Thinking of this, Yu Ying immediately swept away all the depressed emotions and set her goal again - to cure the disease and make money!
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