The dumplings stuffed with fatty radish filling were simply too delicious.
Taohua ate a big bowl and was still not satisfied, so she added another bowl.
Seeing how happily she was eating, Ning Yuchan picked up a few more dumplings for her after she had already eaten two large bowls.
Taohua’s stomach was quite strong. She did not end up squatting in the toilet like Tian Fengying.
However, her clothes were tight and small, and her belly bulged out, forcing the frog buttons to pop open.
She had never experienced something this embarrassing before. Taohua’s little face turned red, and she covered herself with her hand in great embarrassment.
Ning Yuqiao could not stand someone so lacking in self-control and kept a cold expression the whole time.
Old Man Ning, however, found it endearing. “What child doesn’t eat a lot? Yuchan, all the clothes you wore when you were little are still there. They’ve been left so long that mice have already gnawed at them. You might as well let Taohua wear them.”
Ning Yuchan had been raised by Old Man Ning for eighteen years.
Now that she was married, she still had to return to her natal home to take things. She truly felt uncomfortable about it.
But Old Man Ning was right. Clothes that no longer fit would be wasted if left unused. It was better to take them out.
“Thank you, Father. I’ll go look for them now.”
Old Man Ning often set up stalls and knew the shopkeepers who sold fabric nearby. Leftover cloth scraps, unsold old stock, and slightly flawed silk fabrics were all bought back by him at low prices.
When the two children were young, he did not know how to make clothes and spent money to have the village aunties sew for them.
Later, when the sisters learned needlework, they made their own clothes.
The two sisters were both clever and skillful. With just a bit of design, the finished clothes were always very beautiful.
From childhood to adulthood, neither of them had ever lacked clothing.
Ning Yuchan quickly found four or five sets of clothes suitable for Taohua.
They had been stored in the cabinet for a long time and had a bit of a musty smell, but once washed, they would be no different from new.
“Taohua, these are all clothes I’ve worn before. Don’t dislike them.”
How could Taohua possibly dislike them? “Sister-in-law and Uncle Ning are giving them to me because they like me.”
Ning Yuchan liked girls like Taohua. She was open and straightforward, not awkward, not overthinking, and not consumed by internal worries.
If she liked something, she liked it. If she did not, she did not. Her words and actions were consistent, making her easy to get along with.
It was just a pity that her family’s life was not good.
Otherwise, this family would certainly be very happy.
Ning Yuchan silently made up her mind that she must restore the Huo family’s medicinal plaster, earn a great deal of silver, and let Old Man Ning, as well as her parents-in-law and sister-in-law, all live good lives.
“Father, Taohua and I are leaving,” after finishing the meal and cleaning up the dishes, Ning Yuchan said goodbye to Old Man Ning.
Naturally, Ning Yuqiao would go with them, so they could keep each other company on the road.
Old Man Ning reminded them to be diligent at their in-laws’ home, to speak sweetly, to be filial to their parents-in-law, and to live their lives well.
The man in his fifties watched as his daughter was about to leave, and his eyes could not help but turn red.
Ning Yuchan felt uncomfortable. “Father, when you have time, come more often to Huojia Village, come to my place. My parents-in-law are very kind and will certainly welcome you.”
Old Man Ning lived quite well. After his wife died, who knew how many matchmakers came to his door.
But Old Man Ning refused them all.
He devoted himself entirely to raising his two daughters.
Now that both of them were married, only he remained, lonely and by himself.
Ning Yuchan even wanted to persuade Old Man Ning to find another companion, at least someone to talk to.
But Old Man Ning was not her biological father after all. She worried that Ning Yuqiao would hold a grudge, so she could only suppress the thought.
Old Man Ning walked them all the way out of the village. “Come back often when you have time.”
…
After Ning Yuchan returned, she showed the note given to her by Doctor Yang to Tian Fengying.
“Mother, this person is a friend of Doctor Yang. Doctor Yang asked me to go ask him. I heard he is a doctor with very high medical skills.”
Tian Fengying could not read. She held the note and looked at it back and forth several times before returning it to Ning Yuchan.
“You want to go?”
Ning Yuchan nodded. “I haven’t studied much. I don’t even recognize medicinal herbs. Treating simple cases like my father’s skin redness, swelling, and itching is still manageable. But if something serious happens and a life is involved…”
Tian Fengying understood her concerns. “But I’m not at ease letting you go alone. How about I go with you tomorrow?”
She also had another concern. “But can you really get to know him just by asking once? There are so many medicinal herbs…”
Ning Yuchan had another idea. “I was thinking that no matter what, I should ask the old doctor to let me stay. I can do odd jobs and slowly learn. If the old doctor is willing to take me as a disciple, then that would be my good fortune.”
This time, Tian Fengying was truly worried. “Wouldn’t that mean you wouldn’t be able to come back for a long time?”
Her daughter-in-law had only gone through a ceremony with a rooster. If she went out and stayed elsewhere for a long time, could she still be considered part of their Huo family?
Ning Yuchan was not sure what tomorrow would bring. “Our home is close to the city. I can come back anytime, and Mother can also come visit me anytime.”
Tian Fengying was still worried. “You’re just a young girl. What if you run into danger…”
Ning Yuchan had also considered this. “Taohua can go with me. The two of us can look out for each other.”
After all, the Huo family’s medicinal plaster belonged to the Huo family. She was an outsider, but Taohua was a descendant of the Huo family.
Tian Fengying was still concerned. “Let me discuss it with your father.”
Father Huo was reluctant to let Ning Yuchan and Taohua go out.
Firstly, the two young girls would not be safe.
Moreover, he was a grown man staying at home while letting young girls go out to venture on their own. As a father, how could he feel at ease with that?
But the Huo family’s life was truly too poor.
Old Lady Huo would never take care of them.
The family had a total of more than ten mu of land, yet five mu had been snatched away by the eldest branch.
With his leg in this condition, even planting in the spring had become difficult.
They could endure through the summer, but when winter came, were the whole family supposed to live on nothing?
“Hai,” Father Huo sighed. “It’s all because of this leg of mine, dragging you mother and daughter down to suffer with me.”
Tian Fengying also felt bitter inside. “What’s the point of saying this? Good or bad, we’ve lived like this for over twenty years.”
She knew Father Huo was in a difficult position. After hesitating for a moment, she made the decision. “Tomorrow, I’ll take the two of them there to have a look. Whether it works or not, we’ll decide based on the situation.”
Father Huo nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you.”
That night, Ning Yuchan added an extra handful of grain for the bald-feathered rooster.
On the morning it was stolen by Huo Changfu, Tian Fengying had shouted at the top of her lungs that her son was gone and her man was gone.
Thinking about it now, it still felt a bit amusing.
She reached out and stroked the rooster’s bare back. “I hope you grow new feathers soon. In summer, it’s easy to get pecked and bitten. Fortunately, the weather is warm. But in winter, without feathers, it’ll be hard to endure. Don’t end up not making it through the winter.”
The rooster was busy eating the grain and had no time to pay attention to her.
Ning Yuchan sat for a while before going to tidy up the house.
Taohua had received several sets of clothes, all better than what she usually wore, and she liked them very much.
As soon as she got home, she put them all into a basin of water. By now, they had already been washed and were hanging in the courtyard to dry.
…
Early the next morning, the three of them, mother and daughters, set off again on the road to the city.
Coincidentally, Huo Mingqian was also returning to the academy today.
He carried a large bundle on his back, which was filled with food and silver that Old Lady Huo had prepared for him.
In his hand, he also carried another large bundle.
Just now, Father Liang had stopped him at the courtyard gate and handed him this large bundle, asking him to pass it on to Liang Yunxian.
They were all from the same village. No matter how heavy it was, Huo Mingqian would not refuse.
When he saw Tian Fengying and her daughters, he quickened his pace and caught up to them.
“Second Sister-in-law, heading out?”
Tian Fengying still remembered how the city guard had mistaken him for Ning Yuchan’s husband, and she remained wary in her heart.
“Yes. You’re returning to the academy today?”
Huo Mingqian openly glanced at Ning Yuchan. When he withdrew his gaze, he smiled and replied, “Yes. I helped out at home for a day yesterday, and today I’m heading back.”
Tian Fengying reminded him, “Then study well. If you pass the provincial examination and become a juren this autumn, our Huo family will have finally made it through.”
Huo Mingqian smiled. “Second Sister-in-law is right. I will definitely study hard. By the way, where are you all going?”
Taohua was just about to answer, “We’re also going to the city,” but Tian Fengying stopped her.
“Oh, we’re going to Dayang Village. Your second brother’s leg still hasn’t healed, so I’m going to get some more medicine.”
The more Huo Mingqian thought about it, the more it felt off. His second brother’s leg had improved quite a bit. Last night, he had not even needed a crutch.
However, Tian Fengying had always doted on his second brother. It was understandable that she would frequently seek out doctors out of concern.
“So that’s how it is. I thought Second Sister-in-law was going to the city.”
“We’re not going, we’re not going. We’re not going,” Tian Fengying said, trying hard to suppress the nervousness in her heart.
When they reached the fork in the road, Tian Fengying pulled Ning Yuchan and Taohua and turned in another direction.
After that, they hid behind a wall. Only when Huo Mingqian had walked far away and could no longer see them did they continue on their way.
Taohua asked in confusion, “Mother, why aren’t we going together with Third Uncle?”
Tian Fengying could not bring up Ning Yuchan, so she only said, “That prescription of ours cannot be known by anyone. Your Third Uncle is the most shrewd. He’s the last person we can let know.”
Taohua understood. “Then we’ll leave a bit later.”
The weather was gradually getting hotter. Huo Mingqian was carrying two particularly heavy bundles, so halfway through the journey, he stopped under a large willow tree to rest.
Tian Fengying never expected that, on the same road, she would run into Huo Mingqian a second time.
Both sides felt somewhat awkward.
Tian Fengying also felt guilty and did not quite know how to explain.
Huo Mingqian’s gaze moved back and forth between Tian Fengying and Ning Yuchan. It was not difficult for him to figure out what Second Sister-in-law meant.
“Second Sister-in-law must have found that Doctor Yang’s medical skills aren’t sufficient and wants to go to the city to have a look, so she can feel more assured.”
He had even found a reason for her. Tian Fengying gave an embarrassed smile. “Exactly. Although our family is a bit poor, your second brother’s leg is a major matter. After thinking it over, I still feel it’s more reliable to go to the city for treatment.”
Taohua felt embarrassed facing her Third Uncle and tried to avoid him as much as possible.
Ning Yuchan could not help but laugh.
However, since everything was decided by Tian Fengying, she did not feel embarrassed.
It was just that her relationship with Huo Mingqian was awkward, so it was not appropriate for them to interact too much.
Otherwise, she would have quite liked to ask Huo Mingqian for more guidance.
Someone who had passed the county-level examination was knowledgeable and experienced. Perhaps even a casual piece of advice from him could help her understand things she had pondered over for a long time.
Since Huo Mingqian understood Tian Fengying’s intention, he naturally avoided suspicion.
He only spoke with Taohua.
Besides reviewing the knowledge he had taught before, he also taught her a lot of new things.
Taohua had a good memory. Even the most difficult knowledge, she could remember after hearing it once.
As for whether she could understand the meaning behind it, Taohua herself felt confused.
Huo Mingqian did not have high expectations either.
After entering the city, Huo Mingqian went to find the carriage that usually took him to the academy.
Meanwhile, Tian Fengying and the other two went to look for the address on the note.
After asking around multiple times, the three of them confirmed that it was the medicine hall they had seen the first time they entered the city, the one recruiting odd-job workers.
Unfortunately, the owner of the medical hall, Doctor Cui, was not there.
Because Doctor Cui was famous and had excellent medical skills, countless patients came to him for treatment on a daily basis.
Doctor Cui was also not someone who was good at management.
As a result, all the staff in the medical hall did not have very good attitudes.
When facing Ning Yuchan and the others, they initially still had some smiles. But when they heard that the three were not here to seek medical treatment, and seeing that they were dressed plainly and clearly not people of wealth or status, even those smiles disappeared.
“Go, go. This isn’t a place for you to wander around. Don’t stand here getting in the way.”