The afternoon passed in a flash. Lu Da had chopped plenty of firewood, stacking it neatly against the wall.
After tidying up the medicinal herbs, Jiang A Yao prepared dinner, and she did not brew medicine for Lu Mingzhu.
The evening meal was simple. Lu Mingzhu still had her usual porridge, while Jiang A Yao made noodles for herself and Lu Da.
Though only vegetables were added without any meat, it was still fragrant.
As Lu Da ate the noodles, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
This was truly a meal fit for humans.
It had been so long since he’d eaten proper human food.
That night, Lu Da did not sleep with Jiang A Yao but instead set up a wooden plank in the main hall to rest on.
After washing up, Jiang A Yao lay in bed, staring wide-eyed at the dark ceiling. The suppressed emotions of the day quietly surfaced in this moment.
She didn’t know how much time had passed before she finally drifted into a hazy sleep.
The next day, she woke up early.
But Lu Da was even earlier, having already fetched water and filled the water vat.
“Will you be going out today?”
Jiang A Yao stood at the door and asked him. Lu Da initially nodded, then added, “If there’s anything you need, feel free to tell me. If you need to buy something, I can take you to town.”
His tone was sincere, and worried that she might hesitate to spend money, he added, “Don’t worry about the money. If you’re short of anything, just buy it.”
“The weather isn’t cold these two days, but winter is coming soon. I noticed from your bundle yesterday that you don’t seem to have many clothes. You should go to town and have two sets of cotton-padded clothes made.”
Jiang A Yao had originally wanted to suggest repairing the house, as she was worried about rain, but as soon as Lu Da spoke, it was all about her needs.
Jiang A Yao wanted to decline, but what Lu Da said was indeed true—she had nothing. Once the rainy and cold days arrived, she wouldn’t even have warm clothes to wear.
Earlier this spring, Lin Qinghua had put away all her cotton-padded clothes, thinking that since she was to marry Zhang Chun, the Zhang family would make new ones for her, and the old ones could be passed down to her two younger sisters.
She only had two cotton-padded clothes in total. One was very old, with the sleeves and waist patched up with old fabric, barely wearable.
The other was slightly newer, made for her by the Zhang family when the engagement was settled, just to save face.
But because she had accepted the engagement gifts, Jiang A Yao ended up like a servant to the Zhang family—after finishing her own chores, she still had to toil for them.
“What about Mingzhu if we go to town?” Jiang A Yao wanted to go. Medical care here was underdeveloped; even a common cold could be fatal. The cost of two sets of cotton-padded clothes was much cheaper than medicine for treating a cold.
But she was also worried about Mingzhu in the house.
Lu Da thought for a moment and said in a low voice, “How about we take her with us?”
“How?” Jiang A Yao was puzzled. Lu Mingzhu was currently lethargic and unable to walk.
“I’ll borrow the village ox and use a cart to pull Mingzhu.”
After saying this, a trace of guilt flashed across Lu Da’s face. “Miss Jiang, actually, it’s time for A Yao to have a follow-up examination. I’d like to take her to see the doctor again.”
Even though the old doctor had said those words, Lu Da couldn’t help but hold onto a sliver of hope.
What if?
What if she could be treated again?
“Miss Jiang, it’s not that I don’t trust you. It’s just… I just want to try one more time.”
Jiang A Yao understood Lu Da’s feelings. Lu Mingzhu was his own younger sister—how could he bear to see her so young and beyond cure?
She said softly, “You can call me A Yao from now on. I’ll go with you to the town to have Mingzhu examined. Traditional Chinese medicine requires seeing multiple doctors anyway. Perhaps I can gain some insights from other physicians as well.”
“Alright.”
Lu Da’s throat tightened with emotion, but as a man, he wouldn’t easily show his feelings, so he quickly composed himself.
“Then you go borrow the ox. I’ll prepare breakfast. After we eat, we should hurry to avoid wasting time.”
Lu Da agreed once more and strode out briskly.
Jiang A Yao watched him leave, glanced up at the roof, and sighed softly.
While going to town, she might as well see if there were any convenient materials to patch the roof. This house was truly worrisome.
Worried about time, Jiang A Yao quickly kneaded dough and made several flatbreads.
Concerned that Lu Mingzhu might have difficulty eating, she boiled the flatbread in water, then sprinkled a bit of sesame oil and chopped scallions on top.
Just as Lu Mingzhu finished eating, Lu Da returned.
The ox cart was already hitched, but Lu Da, fearing the ride would jostle Lu Mingzhu, laid out his usual quilt on it.
Before they could finish packing, an unexpected visitor arrived at the Lu family courtyard.
From inside the house, Jiang A Yao heard the ox lowing and stepped outside.
As soon as she emerged, she saw Lin Qinghua furtively feeling the bedding on the ox cart.
“What are you doing?”
Jiang A Yao’s sudden voice startled Lin Qinghua, who jumped. Regaining her composure, she glared fiercely at Jiang A Yao.
“Why are you shouting so loudly? Trying to scare someone to death?”
“You sneak into my house and then ask why I’m speaking loudly?”
Jiang A Yao furrowed her brows, her expression darkening.
Lin Qinghua pursed her lips and asked, “You borrowed an ox cart—are you heading to town?”
“None of your business. Leave if you have nothing to do. You’re not welcome here.”
At that moment, she had no desire to see anyone from the Jiang family—not out of fear, but from worry that she might lose control and take a knife to them.
Lin Qinghua paid no heed to her expression, shamelessly saying, “Jiang A Yao, I’m your birth mother. Can’t I come see you after you’re married?”
“Unnecessary.”
Jiang A Yao replied, “We’ve severed ties. Yesterday, you said it yourself.”
“You!!”
Lin Qinghua pointed at her, gritting her teeth. “You’re truly ungrateful. As your mother, I’ve taken the initiative to come find you and offer a way out. Why are you still so stubborn?”
“Do you really take ‘sever ties’ seriously? I only said it because I was angry you wouldn’t listen to me!”
As she spoke, Lin Qinghua stepped toward the house, saying while walking, “You keep talking about severing ties. What will you do if you suffer grievances in the Lu family later?”
“No need for your concern. Whether I live or die in the future has nothing to do with you.”
Jiang A Yao blocked her from entering, but Lin Qinghua was cunning and slipped right under her arm into the house.
Like a bandit raiding a courtyard, Lin Qinghua’s eyes darted around the room, finally landing on the flatbreads still on the table, not yet packed away.
Without any courtesy, she picked one up and started eating.
Jiang A Yao directly snatched it from her mouth, even pulling out the bite already in her mouth by yanking her hair.
After retrieving it, Jiang A Yao dragged her by the hair and pushed her outside, spitting fiercely on the ground. “Have you no shame? Coming to my house early in the morning to steal food?”
“What? Is the Jiang family so poor now that they can’t even feed you, forcing you to come here and steal?”
Lin Qinghua’s eyes widened like a bull’s, completely taken aback that the once delicate and fragile Jiang A Yao now dared to treat her this way.
“Jiang A Yao, I’m your birth mother! How dare you lay a hand on me?”
Jiang A Yao couldn’t be bothered to waste words on her. In a stern voice, she declared, “This time, it’s just pulling your hair. If you don’t leave now, don’t blame me for picking up a knife.”
She knew all too well the shameless behavior of the Jiang family. If she didn’t put a stop to it once and for all, they would keep coming back—eating and drinking their fill, then wiping everything clean without a second thought.
Lin Qinghua pointed at Jiang A Yao, her face turning livid with rage. Suddenly, her eyes darted around, and she plopped down on the ground, slapping her thigh and wailing loudly.
“Heavens above, I can’t go on living! A mother humbles herself before her own daughter, only to be beaten by her!”
“They say no parent is ever in the wrong. I raised this girl through thick and thin, and now she wants me dead!”
Jiang A Yao had seen her crying and making a scene many times before and knew these theatrics weren’t meant for her. She turned to look and, sure enough, Lu Da was standing right behind her.