The next morning, when Xie Shuhuai got up and walked into the kitchen, he was surprised to find Lin Yuhe busy at work instead of Mrs. Cui.
Noticing that he was still wearing his usual coarse cotton robe, Yuhe found herself wondering why he hadn’t put on any of the new summer clothes Li Yunluo had brought him.
A look of mild surprise crossed Shuhuai’s face. “Where is Mother?”
“Mother said she wasn’t feeling well,” Yuhe replied without looking up.
Ever the dutiful son, Shuhuai went straight to Mrs. Cui’s door to check on her. Only after confirming that her condition was minor did he return to the kitchen for breakfast.
Yuhe had prepared a pot of broomcorn millet porridge and a plate of fried flatbreads—the same ones Lady Wu had brought over, which had been kept fresh in the well water.
Shuhuai drank a bowl of porridge, ate a flatbread, and immediately got up to take his leave.
“We’ll bring you your lunch,” Yuhe called out, halting him in his tracks. “Now that you’ve enrolled at the academy, focus your mind and devote yourself to your studies.”
Without waiting for him to object, she turned and slipped back into the west room.
By the time Mrs. Cui and Little Yun got out of bed, breakfast was already set out and covered on the kitchen counter.
A wave of warmth filled Mrs. Cui’s heart, though she could not help but worry about Yuhe’s health. “Yuhe, I’ll be fine once I drink my medicine today. From tomorrow on, I’ll get up to make Shuhuai’s breakfast. You need to rest properly.”
“Mother, I’m perfectly fine,” Yuhe reassured her gently. “Doctor Ji said I’ll be fine as long as I avoid any bumps or falls. Once your cough settles a bit, could you help me knock down some apricots from the trees? I’ll take Little Yun to gather wild berries—I want to make some fruit cordial. While we’re delivering lunch to my husband, I can set up a small stand outside the academy to sell it.”
They still had plenty of bamboo bowls left over from selling iced herbal tea, so containers wouldn’t be an issue.
“Whatever silver we earn can go toward buying extra meat to nourish my husband’s body,” she added with a smile.
Mrs. Cui beamed from ear to ear, though a shadow of hesitation crept into her mind. “Do you think the academy guards will chase you away?”
Yuhe wasn’t overly concerned. “We’ll only know if we try. If we can’t sell outside the academy, I’ll just head over to the market.”
Hearing that she could go back up the mountain to pick wild berries, Little Yun bounced with joy. She loved running around the woods, and these past few cooped-up days had bored her to tears. Gobbling down her flatbread in two quick bites, she snatched up a basket and made for the door.
Remembering how Shuhuai had still been clad in his old clothes that morning, Yuhe asked curiously, “Mother, didn’t Miss Li bring summer garments for everyone yesterday? Why is my husband still wearing his old robe?”
At the mention of this, Mrs. Cui’s face flushed with irritation. “Shuhuai refused to accept any of them—he only kept that one new dress for Little Yun! Goodness knows what goes on in that head of his. After all, she’ll be family sooner or later…”
Realizing Yuhe was standing right beside her, Mrs. Cui snapped her mouth shut mid-sentence.
Setting to work, the three divided their tasks smoothly.
Yuhe and Little Yun picked a brimming basket of sweet, fragrant wild berries, while Mrs. Cui knocked down most of the ripe apricots behind the house.
Making fruit cordial was a simple affair: the washed fruits were thoroughly crushed, the pulp strained through a clean white cloth, and the remaining juice brought to a rolling boil over the stove.
While Yuhe prepped the ingredients, Mrs. Cui got busy cooking lunch, stir-frying a large dish of cucumber with cured pork and simmering a pot of shepherd’s purse soup. Once Shuhuai’s meal was packed neatly into a clay pot and the stove was wiped clean, Yuhe began simmering the cordial.
Opening her wooden storage chest to fetch the bamboo bowls, Yuhe accidentally brushed against a small packet of glutinous rice flour. There wasn’t enough to make a full batch of sweet dumplings, which would require fresh grinding, so she simply rolled the small amount into tiny rice pearls and dropped them directly into the simmering cordial. To finish it off, she added a pinch of rock sugar.
Refusing to let the leftover fruit pulp go to waste, Yuhe emptied it into the chicken trough. Just a few days ago, she had purchased two more laying hens, ensuring that all four members of the household could enjoy fresh eggs every day.
After lunch, the three let the hot cordial cool down before pouring it into a sturdy wooden bucket and securing the lid. Little Yun gleefully downed two bowls on the spot.
Unwilling to let Yuhe carry heavy loads, Mrs. Cui insisted on carrying the bucket all the way to the academy gates. Yunxiang Academy was not far from Hongye Village, a mere fifteen minutes’ walk away.
A steady stream of scholars moved in and out through the academy’s side gate. Setting down the wooden bucket, Yuhe set up her modest fruit cordial stall right by the entrance.
At first, she harbored a quiet fear that no one would buy or that they might be driven away, but the steady flow of students soon drew near.
To Yuhe’s surprise, before Mrs. Cui could even step back outside after delivering the lunch, a cluster of young boys from the elementary class swarmed around the stall.
Seeing how inviting and refreshing the drink looked, they reached into their pouches, eagerly handing over copper coins to buy a bowl.
Before long, lured by the fragrant aroma, several older scholars joined the crowd. They gathered around Yuhe’s wooden bucket, clamoring, “Give me a bowl, too!”
By the time Mrs. Cui emerged from the main gates, more than half the bucket was already empty.
Not wanting anyone to recognize Mrs. Cui and whisper behind her back, Yuhe urged her to head back first. Mrs. Cui hesitated for a brief second before leaving Little Yun behind to help.
Meanwhile, at the Li Family Textile Shop…
Business was as booming as ever. The seamstresses showered Li Yunluo with praise, admiring her clever mind and skillful hands. Yet Yunluo looked utterly preoccupied, her spirits damp. Giving a few brief instructions, she turned and took her leave.
Inside the carriage, Dongyue sat in tense, quiet caution, not daring to make a sound.
Ever since their young mistress had recovered from that severe illness, she had grown remarkably clever and adept at everything she touched. Yet her temperament had altered just as drastically. To outsiders, she appeared gentle, kind, and cultured, but only Dongyue and the maids in Yuerong Court knew how difficult she was to serve—and how easily her temper flared.
Yunluo’s foul mood stemmed entirely from the fact that Xie Shuhuai had repeatedly turned down her gifts, dealing a harsh blow to her brimming self-confidence.
Only when the coachman asked where they were heading did she finally speak. “Back to the Li Estate.”
Remembering the jade crown her mistress had custom-ordered for Shuhuai at Yulou Pavilion, Dongyue offered a timid reminder. “Mistress, the shopkeeper from Yulou Pavilion sent word yesterday that the jade crown is ready.”
“What’s the point of collecting it?” Yunluo snapped bitterly. “Xie Shuhuai doesn’t even want my gifts! Just leave it there for now.”
Seeing her mistress’s anger, the maid knew she had to handle the situation carefully. Mindful not to utter useless chatter, Dongyue racked her brains to ease Yunluo’s mind. “Mistress, I don’t think you need to keep showering him with gifts. Instead, you should simply visit him more often and let him see you. That way, you will gradually find a place in Young Master Xie’s heart.”
She added soothingly, “You excel in every possible way—there is hardly a man in all of Xuyang County who wouldn’t fall for you. Scholars are proud and mind their reputation. If you send gifts too frequently, it only makes him feel reluctant to accept them.”
Yunluo considered the words, finding a grain of truth in them. Every time she went to see him, she brought either gourmet delicacies or fine everyday goods. Moreover, presenting a personal token like an embroidered sachet right in front of a crowd had been a misstep. At the time, she had only wanted to provoke Lin Yuhe, never expecting Shuhuai to decline and leave her in such a humiliating bind.
The shadow on Yunluo’s face lightened considerably, her mood brightening. “Your advice is quite sound. You shall be rewarded when we get back.”
Dongyue was thrilled. “Thank you, Mistress!”
Seeing her mistress pleased, Dongyue pushed further. “Besides an exceptionally pretty face, that Lin Yuhe pales in comparison to you in every aspect. Young Master Xie is destined for greatness—how could he possibly care for the likes of her?”
Yunluo asked offhandedly, “Do you happen to know why the two of them were married in the first place?”
“I heard it was because Lin’s mother once showed great kindness to Young Master Xie’s family,” Dongyue replied instantly. “That was the only reason he agreed to the betrothal.”
When it came to physical beauty, Yunluo still felt a quiet pang of jealousy. Everyone praised her own looks as dignified, elegant, and born to be the matriarch of a noble household. Deep down, however, she knew that men were naturally drawn to women like Yuhe—strikingly gorgeous, vibrant, and graceful.
Still, when it came to winning Shuhuai’s heart, Yunluo felt immensely confident. After all, she surpassed Yuhe in every single way.
Back outside the academy, Yuhe sold out her entire bucket of fruit cordial in less than an hour.
The scholars, their appetites unsatisfied, eagerly urged her to return the next day.
Before leaving, Yuhe set aside two fresh bowls and offered them to the guards stationed at the side gate.
Surprised by the gesture, one of the guards smiled warmly. “You are very thoughtful, young lady.”
Yuhe replied with a bright smile, “I was able to sell out so quickly today all thanks to you two keeping order.”
Appreciating her tact and proper manners, the guards offered a bit of friendly advice. “You don’t need to worry about selling snacks here—even the Headmaster won’t stop you. Many of the scholars come from impoverished backgrounds and drain their family savings just to enter the academy. Those who can’t afford the dining hall meals often have to get by on dry flatbreads.”
The guard added, “Your cordial isn’t expensive, and it gives them something warm to enjoy. It’s a wonderful thing.”
The other guard, a slightly shorter man, chimed in agreement. “Others have brought snacks to sell in the past, but either the food tasted awful or the prices were far too steep, so no one bought from them.”
Only then did Yuhe truly understand why a few scholars had suggested earlier that she sell hot, filling snacks.
A sharp spark of inspiration struck her mind, and an idea immediately began to take shape.