Xu Wenxiu was startled.
“Ao’er, that Yu Kou was something your father specially went to Xiangguo Temple to kneel and bow three times and kowtow nine times to obtain when you were born!”
Xu Ao had worn the jade buckle since childhood and never parted with it. It was also the only thing he managed to take from home during the confiscation of property.
Along the way, seeing Xu Wenxiu crying so miserably, he had temporarily entrusted it to her for safekeeping as a memento. But now…
Xu Ao guessed what she was about to say, pursed his lips, and said hoarsely, “Objects are lifeless; they can’t compare to the importance of living people.”
“Give it to me.”
With no wealth on hand and no one willing to lend assistance, he lacked Sang Zhixia’s ability to identify and gather herbs empty-handed. At this point, the only option was to pawn or sell the jade buckle to get some silver for her medical treatment and medicine.
Xu Wenxiu clearly disapproved but couldn’t overcome Xu Ao’s insistence. Reluctantly, she handed over the hidden jade buckle with a pained expression.
Xu Ao wrung out the cloth and placed it on Sang Zhixia’s burning forehead, saying gravely, “I’m going out for a while. Mother, please watch over her for me.”
Xu Wenxiu watched him stride out, wanting to speak but holding back. Gazing at Xu Ao’s outer robe draped over Sang Zhixia, she stood by the bed and let out a long sigh, then somewhat clumsily began wringing out the cloth and replacing it.
In the courtyard, Auntie Xu the Second sneered at the sight of Xu Ao’s hurried footsteps. “See? I told you the eldest branch was hiding something valuable. Xu Ao is definitely going to exchange it for silver now!”
When the whole family fell into hardship, Xu Ao acted as if nothing had happened, hiding things and refusing to contribute. But now that Sang Zhixia was ill, he was rushing around anxiously.
Auntie Xu the Second muttered complaints: “She was an unloved concubine’s daughter in her maiden family, but to Xu Ao, she’s become a treasure. This really is a rare oddity.”
She kept grumbling with a dark expression.
Second Uncle Xu’s eyes shifted meaningfully as he said ambiguously, “Father, Mother, Xu Ao’s behavior is unsustainable.”
“If he only cares about his own household, where does that leave the rest of the family? We may not compare to the past, but we can’t indulge him in breaking all rules like this.”
The third branch couple remained silent, seemingly agreeing with their viewpoint.
After hearing this, Old Master and Old Madam didn’t speak either, but their faces grew inexplicably darker.
Seeing the timing was right, Second Uncle Xu smiled without saying more, signaling with his eyes for the still-complaining Auntie Xu the Second to say no more.
When Xu Ao returned, someone would surely speak up.
An hour later, Xu Ao finally returned, bringing with him an elderly physician with graying hair and beard.
The physician felt her pulse, then withdrew his hand with a slight frown. “She looks young, but there’s serious internal depletion. How did her constitution become so weak?”
Sang Zhixia had been neglected in the general’s household even before marriage. After marrying Xu Ao, she was immediately sent on the exile journey, surviving daily on cold water and dry steamed buns. With all the accumulated hardships, her health naturally deteriorated.
Xu Ao’s lips tightened as he asked quietly, “Is there a way to treat her?”
“There is, but…” The old physician hesitated, glancing around at the obvious poverty. He smiled wryly, “To properly nourish her body back to health, the silver spent on medicine alone will be substantial. Can your family… afford it?”
The man before him appeared dignified, but the family’s destitution was plain to see. Could this household really cover the medical expenses?
Xu Ao clenched the silver in his sleeve and said, “Just prescribe the medicine, I’ll figure out the rest.”
Hearing this, the physician felt somewhat reassured.
After finishing the acupuncture and prescribing the medicine, the physician grasped the consultation fee Xu Ao gave him and said, “The first prescription is for reducing fever. Stop taking it once she wakes up. The second prescription is for long-term recuperation. Come for a pulse check every two months, and take the medicine for half a year first to see how it goes.”
Xu Ao nodded with a smile. “Thank you.”
“Let me see you out.”
The old physician left contentedly, carrying his small medicine chest. When Xu Ao returned, he was met with Old Madam’s cold expression.
“I heard you spent three taels of silver to hire a physician and buy medicine for that girl in the room?”
A mere three taels of broken silver—in the past, no one present would have even bent down to pick it up if it fell on the ground, but now things were different.
Even half a copper coin could make these people fight tooth and nail.
Xu Wenxiu couldn’t hide her unease as she tugged at Xu Ao’s clothes, but Xu Ao replied calmly, “Yes.”
Nothing in a household could escape others’ notice.
While the physician was there, Auntie Xu the Second had been peeking around the door of the East Room, making it impossible to keep it a secret.
Old Madam instantly flew into a rage. “Do you know what situation we’re in now? How dare you spend money on her?!”
“Exactly. The family can hardly put food on the table, and we don’t even know what tomorrow will bring, yet you’re so generous with your money.”
Auntie Xu the Second spoke with sarcasm, her eyes constantly scanning Xu Ao’s person.
“If you’re willing to spend three taels in one go, you must still have quite a bit of money hidden on you, right? I always knew the eldest branch had their own schemes. I suppose you intend to keep the rest for yourselves and have no intention of caring for anyone else?”
Xu Wenxiu was on the verge of tears. “Second sister-in-law, how can you say that?”
“That silver was…”
“Wherever it came from, it should be handed over to Old Madam for management!”
Auntie Xu the Second retorted defiantly, “Otherwise, if everyone acts like the eldest branch, hoarding privately, how are we supposed to get by?”
“I think Second Sister-in-law is right.”
The usually reserved Auntie Xu the Third said with a stern face, “The household finances should be managed by Old Madam, and all income and expenses should be decided by her.”
“Allowing private hoarding with selfish motives—this goes against the rules.”
Old Madam and Old Master both wore identical dark expressions and remained silent, but everything that needed to be said had already been voiced by the others.
Xu Ao curled his lips mockingly.
In such a state, what household finances were left to manage?
All this high-sounding talk was nothing more than fear of being shortchanged.
He said indifferently, “When I left the mansion, I only had a jade buckle on me. Today, I sold it for fifty taels of silver.”
Old Master frowned at this. “The jade buckle your father sought for you?”
“Yes.”
“Foolish!”
Old Master finally said something less biased. “The master said your fate was ill-omened. That was something your father worked hard to obtain for you. How could you…”
“With a fortunate fate, how could I have brought such a great disaster upon the Xu Family?”
Second Uncle Xu hit the nail on the head. “In our current situation, exchanging it for silver is more practical.”
“Then where is the remaining silver? You’ve already hired the physician. The rest should be handed over now, right?”
Under everyone’s watchful eyes, and with the family still undivided, there was no choice but to hand it over.
But in the end, Xu Ao only produced forty taels.
Under Old Madam’s dissatisfied gaze, he said, “Her illness is quite serious and requires medicinal nourishment.”
Old Madam frowned. “A concubine-born girl—why must she be treated so preciously?”
“She may be born of a concubine, but she is my lawfully wedded wife whom I, Xu Ao, married with proper ceremony!”
Xu Ao had been enduring the humiliation of his father’s crimes in silence, but this time he unexpectedly turned cold-faced.
The crowd, who had been pressing him relentlessly, fell silent at the sight.
Xu Ao let out a cold laugh and said sharply, “Given the Xu Family’s current circumstances, distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate offspring no longer apply.”
“Since Sang Zhixia has married me, it is naturally my duty to protect her.”
“If Grandmother wishes for this family to maintain even a semblance of harmony, such words should not be spoken again. I will not tolerate them.”
Xu Ao’s rare display of firmness revealed a glimpse of the Young Marquis’ former arrogance when he galloped through the capital, silencing the discontented mutterers with grim expressions.
He had endured humiliation meekly all this way.
But this young master had never been known for a gentle temperament since childhood – he was never one to be easily persuaded.
Those nursing grievances returned to their rooms in displeasure, while Xu Ao sat down expressionlessly and began trying to light a fire to brew medicine.
Xu Wenxiu held two younger children close, watching the medicine pot emitting bluish smoke as she wept silently. Seeing Xu Ao’s stern profile made her cry even more sorrowfully.
If the Marquis hadn’t committed those grave crimes, why would Xu Ao have to suffer such insolent bullying?
Her tearful mother-in-law’s crying remained familiar, while the increasingly strong bitter scent of medicine spread through the air.
In the East Room, Sang Zhixia, who had been awake for some time, blinked through her bodily aches. Gazing at the thatched roof where light seeped through, she thought with a sigh: Other things might be uncertain, but Xu Ao was clearly different from the rumors – he’s actually quite decent.