One of the medicinal ingredients for the nourishing meal cost ten taels of silver for just a single qian. With that kind of money, how could they possibly struggle to find a suitable place to settle in Yanzhou City?
Therefore, her words didn’t sound entirely truthful.
If she clearly had money, why pretend to be poor?
Tang Zhou remained calm and didn’t press further, deciding to wait and see for now.
“Why aren’t you eating, Miss Lily? And your sister?”
“We’ve already eaten. Please have more, Mr. Tang. This medicinal porridge was specially prepared for you. I won’t disturb you any further. I’ll come back later to collect the bowls. We’ll be just outside, so call us if you need anything.”
“Alright, thank you, Miss Lily.”
Tang Zhou expressed his gratitude subtly, his sightless eyes still fixed ahead as he watched her leave.
Afterward, he could no longer lift the spoon.
It wasn’t due to physical weakness, but rather a pang of guilt.
What if Miss Lily had spent all her savings for the sake of his injuries? If that were the case, suspecting her of ulterior motives would make him nothing short of a scoundrel.
He would wait a little longer. If they were truly impoverished, they couldn’t possibly afford such extravagance every day. The truth would eventually come to light.
Shen Zhixi’s room was directly opposite Tang Zhou’s, separated by a small courtyard.
As soon as she returned to her room, Shen Zhixi began instructing Yuanyang, “Tomorrow’s medicinal meal needs to be changed. Replace the herbs with more expensive ones and add jade ginseng. It will nourish the body even better.”
“Jade ginseng?”
Yuanyang blinked, confused.
“Young Miss, jade ginseng is naturally not expensive for our Shen family—just over fifty taels of silver. But given our current assumed identity, that’s practically a fortune. We’re just street vendors trying to make a living. How could we afford such expensive herbs? Aren’t you afraid it will arouse Tang Zhou’s suspicions? Didn’t you say we mustn’t let him know our true identity?”
Shen Zhixi smiled at her, her expression profound.
“You, just do as I say. I’m not afraid of him suspecting—I’m afraid of him not suspecting. Don’t worry, this is part of your young miss’s plan. I don’t do things without careful calculation.”
Looking out through the wide-open bamboo door, she could just see the pot of lilies of the valley placed on the windowsill opposite.
In the shadow of the blooming buds, Tang Zhou’s figure flickered faintly.
As she gazed, Shen Zhixi’s thoughts drifted far away.
Her mind conjured images of her future child, and a smile unconsciously touched her lips, filled with longing.
“By the way, Young Miss, when I went back this morning, I heard that Qin Mu came to the mansion looking for you.”
Hearing Qin Mu’s name, Shen Zhixi immediately felt her mood sour. The smile vanished from her lips, and she frowned with impatience. “What did he say?”
“He said he hadn’t seen you in a month and was worried you might be ill. He insisted on seeing you. Although Steward Feng managed to persuade him to leave, I don’t think he’ll give up.”
“Of course he won’t give up. With the vast fortune of the wealthiest family in Yanzhou at stake, how could he possibly give up?”
At the mention of Qin Mu, Shen Zhixi’s face was filled with disgust.
In truth, she and Qin Mu had grown up together as childhood friends. The Qin family once had considerable wealth, but later fell into decline and lived in poverty. If not for the Shen family’s frequent support, they would have long been unable to make ends meet. Back then, even though her mother opposed it, she insisted on being with Qin Mu—only to be met with betrayal.
A month ago, Qin Mu brought back a cousin, claiming she had nowhere to go, and asked her to help find work for that cousin.
Out of respect for Qin Mu, she not only arranged a job for the cousin but also set up a courtyard for her. Late at night, she skipped her own meal to deliver supplies to the cousin, only to accidentally witness Qin Mu and that cousin confessing their love for each other. They said that marrying Shen Zhixi was merely a temporary measure, with the goal of seizing her family fortune.
Once he gained control of the Shen family’s wealth, he would divorce Shen Zhixi and then marry his cousin.
At the time, she did not barge in and expose them, but she secretly resolved not to let him off easily.
“And, miss, the managers of several branch stores also seem to have matters to discuss with you. Will you be leaving the mountains to attend to them?”
“Of course I must go. Matters of childbirth are important, but I cannot neglect serious business for the sake of a man. Business is still the top priority. Besides, it’s time to deal with Qin Mu’s affairs.”
When she returned to Tang Zhou’s room, she found him once again kneeling on one knee, hunched over and vomiting blood.
Shen Zhixi hurried into the room just as he swayed and began to collapse. Fortunately, she moved quickly and caught him, letting him lie in her arms.
Given the propriety between men and women, he naturally wanted to distance himself to avoid impropriety.
But he was too weak, unable to even lift his hands.
“Master Tang, let me help you to the bed.” Shen Zhixi tried to support him, but he was too heavy. After several attempts, she couldn’t lift him.
“Miss… Miss Lily…”
He was extremely weak, his voice barely audible.
“Just leave me on the floor. Don’t worry about me. I’ll recover after a short rest.” He felt guilty, knowing it was too much to ask a delicate woman to move him from the floor to the bed.
“That won’t do. Although it’s early spring, the floor is still quite cold. But my sister has just left for the city, and I… I don’t dare move you recklessly on my own. Not only might your external injuries reopen, but if your internal injuries worsen, I would never forgive myself.”
Yuanyang had indeed left for the city to purchase the medicinal herbs she had requested earlier.
With no one around to help, she couldn’t lift him back to the bed, nor could she leave him lying on the floor. So, she had no choice but to let him continue resting in her arms—a perfect opportunity to deepen their affection.
Tang Zhou was too weak to resist, breathing shallowly as if on the verge of losing consciousness.
“Miss Lily, please put me down.”
“I know what Master Tang is worried about, but I’m just a simple village girl. I don’t adhere to strict rules about propriety between men and women. If I were overly concerned about such things, we wouldn’t have taken in a stranger like you in the first place. Master Tang should focus on recovering from your injuries and not worry about trivial matters.”
Shen Zhixi was adept at saying the right words.
After all, she had learned from those deceitful men. Men often use sweet words to deceive women.
If men can say such things, why can’t women?
“Miss Lily’s kindness and goodwill make Tang feel ashamed. I have fallen to such a state, like a stray dog, and I don’t know if I will ever have a chance to rise again. Moreover, my eyes are blind, and I may become a useless person. I don’t even know if I will have the opportunity to repay you in the future.”
Shen Zhixi frowned. He thought she had saved him in hopes of future repayment.
But in a way, he was right—she was not acting without expecting something in return.
It’s just that the repayment she desired was different from what he imagined. He probably thought she wanted wealth or some kind of honor and glory, but in reality, what she wanted was a child who would inherit his best qualities.
“Young Master Tang, don’t underestimate yourself. Hardships are only temporary; even the greatest storms will eventually calm. I once heard a line of poetry in an opera that I think suits our current situation, and it also reflects my heartfelt wish for you.”
“May you grow wings and soar, transforming into the great fish of the Northern Sea.”