The scene was mysteriously silent; no one responded. The physician patted his wooden medicine box, puffed his cheeks, and glared as he said, “This is a matter of life and death, take me there quickly!”
“Physician Liu, she’s right here, please examine her,” the surrounding women said, pointing at Shen Ziying.
Someone brought out a table and a bench, letting the physician sit down to take Shen Ziying’s pulse.
But Shen Ziying refused. She wanted to curse this old, immortal physician under her breath, but, mindful of her pride in front of the man she liked, she clenched her face, turning pale.
She lingered, unwilling to step forward.
“I think this family just wants to extort money. Now they won’t even let the physician examine her,” one villager whispered.
“Exactly! If we hadn’t come so quickly, maybe the injury would’ve healed already,” another muttered.
Hearing the villagers’ words, Shen Ziying’s pale face flushed with anger. She looked to Gu Yun for help, only to find that he was staring straight ahead, not sparing her a single glance.
Biting her lip, she took three quick steps to the table, sat down, and extended her hand.
Physician Liu was the most reputable physician in town, not only highly skilled, but also extremely kind-hearted, and his fees were reasonable. Any household in Shenjia Village with an urgent illness would call him.
Still, being watched by so many people while taking a pulse was truly a first in his medical career.
Physician Liu held her pulse, frowning at times, sighing at others, causing Shen Ziying’s heart to tighten and relax repeatedly.
Could it be… that she really has some hidden illness?!
Liu Fenfang tensed all over as she watched Physician Liu’s expression.
Shen Fugui saw the physician’s behavior and assumed that his younger brother had somehow coordinated with him, so he finally relaxed.
“sigh,” Physician Liu exhaled.
“How am I?” Shen Ziying immediately asked. Ever since her rebirth, she had been very careful about taking care of herself, avoiding hard labor whenever possible, so surely she must be fine by now.
The onlookers were curious as well.
Physician Liu shook his head, took a bottle of medicinal wine from his kit, and said irritably, “You call this a serious problem? Just rub some of this on, drink a little tea to clear your heat, and in time you’ll fully recover.”
“This is the ‘urgent case’ you all were talking about?” Physician Liu’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Zhou Lang.
Zhou Lang felt unfairly accused. He pointed at Shen Fugui and said, “He said his sister couldn’t even get up because of her injuries.”
“Hmph! I still have a bunch of work at my clinic, hurry up and take me back!” Physician Liu lifted his medicine kit and tried to leave.
“Physician, please examine my daughter again!” Liu Fenfang grabbed his sleeve to stop him. If Physician Liu declared her daughter’s injuries were minor, that would mean paying Shen Ruo four taels of silver!
That was her husband’s earnings over more than a year, how could she bear to give it away?
Just thinking about handing her silver to that shameless Shen Ruo made her heart ache.
“What are you still looking at?” Physician Liu snapped, shaking her hand off and heading for the door.
He had barely taken a couple of steps before stroking his beard and holding out his hand to Shen Ziying. “The consultation fee still has to be paid. Otherwise, for every little problem, an old man like me would have to run back and forth, that’s not fair.”
Shen Ziying gritted her silver teeth, forcing her expression into calm, and said softly, “It’s all my brother’s fault for being overprotective. I couldn’t bear the pain, so he misunderstood. I truly apologize.”
Liu Fenfang wanted to stop her, but Shen Ziying quickly pushed over a dozen copper coins.
Physician Liu took the money and left, riding in Zhou Lang’s cart.
“This matter has witnesses. Shen Fugui will compensate Shen Ruo with four taels of silver, and that will settle it,” the village head announced.
“No!” Liu Fenfang’s eyes widened, glaring at Shen Ruo as if he were her enemy. “Why should my family’s money go to him? You all saw how he scared my daughter, did you see that?!”
Shen Ziying’s face was also full of indignation, but having been reborn, she could at least maintain some dignity.
“He is cursing our Ruo’er, even setting… and he just gave birth today, yet your men, big and small, harassed him! Do you have no sense of decency?” Shen Feng angrily rolled up his sleeves, ready to step forward, but Shen Ruo caught his arm.
Shen Ruo shook his head slightly, signaling Shen Feng to stop. They were just trying to cheat, they wouldn’t reason.
No matter how much you argued, they wouldn’t see their own fault. Instead, they’d just think what happened was deserved.
“Having an illegitimate child, what’s there to talk about! If it were me, I’d have hanged myself on a crooked tree long ago, utterly shameless!” Liu Fenfang shouted, pointing at Shen Ruo.
“He is not an illegitimate child. He is my child, born after ten months in my womb. He will carry the Shen surname and be entered into the Shen family genealogy!” Shen Ruo hated it when others spoke this way, but he maintained his composure. Although he spoke to Liu Fenfang, the surrounding onlookers, mostly women, felt their hearts tighten at his words.
Some of the women around, having seen Shen Ruo’s crazed state with the kitchen knife before, silently clamped their mouths shut and took a small step back.
Shen Ruo wore the plainest coarse linen clothes, yet his presence was powerful. His posture was straight, like a poplar tree that would rather break than bend.
His gaze swept over everyone present. “If anyone dares to call my child an illegitimate one again, don’t blame me for going all out!”
Gu Yun would never forget that scene: the young father had long since washed off the white makeup he usually wore, and now, protecting his child from insult and provocation, he was asserting authority over everyone.
Under the moonlight, his bare, unadorned face looked far more natural and striking than the version of him Gu Yun had once chased after.
For a moment, no one dared speak. Even Liu Fenfang, most skilled at shouting and cursing, was intimidated by the killing intent in Shen Ruo’s eyes.
“All right. Regarding what happened before… Shen Ruo was also a victim. The child is innocent. Let this matter rest and no further discussion is needed,” the village head said fairly, then looked at Liu Fenfang.
“Shen Hong’s family, though your households are separate now, you are still blood relatives. In the future, watch your words. Otherwise, if it spreads that people in Shenjia Village treat their own family like this, it won’t look good, right?”
The village head had spoken, and no matter how much Liu Fenfang wanted to curse, she forced herself to hold it in, rolling her eyes as far back as she could when the head wasn’t looking.
Still, she muttered, “Yes, yes, yes.”
The head continued, “It’s getting late. Shen Hong’s family, hand over the four taels of silver to Shen Ruo, and everyone can go home.”
“Why should I pay? It wasn’t my agreement!” Liu Fenfang spun around to head inside, clearly trying to dodge responsibility.
At this moment, everyone instinctively looked at Shen Fugui, the one who had made the agreement.
Shen Fugui hardly had any money on him; he was the type to get coins in hand and immediately spend them gallivanting through the entertainment districts.
“I don’t have any money! Go ask my father,” Shen Fugui said, trying to leave.
Shen Ziying just wailed “oh, oh,” hoping to stir a bit of pity from Gu Yun, her eyes practically fixed on him.
Even before her rebirth, she knew Gu Yun was an extraordinary scholar, destined to become a xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial exams)!
Besides, he was so handsome. If she could marry him before he officially passed the exams, wouldn’t she become the future wife of a rising scholar?
Gu Yun had never encountered such a shameless family. He said firmly, “Even if it was only a verbal agreement, the contract has already been established and must be honored. Are you trying to get into legal trouble?”
Shen Ziying rose delicately, walking slowly to Gu Yun. “Brother Gu, our family isn’t well-off. We can’t come up with four taels of silver all at once. Could you give us a few more days?”
A strong scent of perfume hit Gu Yun again. His sharp brows furrowed as he subtly took a step back.
“Don’t ask me. The person responsible for paying the silver in your family isn’t me,” Gu Yun said.
Shen Ziying’s fingertips pressed into her palms, but to leave a good impression on Gu Yun, she turned toward Shen Ruo.
“Brother Ruo, we’re all family now, so let’s not speak as two separate households. I will pay the silver, could you allow us a few extra days?” Shen Ziying’s voice was all contrived sweetness.
Shen Ruo’s face remained cold. Just moments ago, he had wished they would die, and now, they were “family.” Truly a Schrödinger’s “family.”
The people around also thought Shen Ziying was acting a bit strange, if the one who was supposed to pay was Shen Ruo, why was she going to talk to Gu Yun?
Besides, no one believed that Shen Fugui’s family could actually come up with four taels of silver.
In the village, apart from the village head’s household, Shen Hong’s family was the wealthiest. They had a brick-and-tile house, Shen Hong still worked in town earning two taels of silver a month, and no one knew how much extra profit he made helping villagers with errands.
Moreover, today, people could even smell the aroma of meat wafting from his house!
Everyone looked at Shen Ruo, wanting to hear what he would say.
Shen Ruo could guess, this “few extra days” was just an excuse. Who knew how many days that really meant?
Shen Ruo said calmly, “Fine.”
Shen Ziying’s face lit up with joy. She had always thought Shen Ruo was simple-minded, but before she could continue, Shen Ruo went on:
“Let Scholar Gu help write an IOU. I will grant at most seven days. After all, with an extra mouth to feed in the house, there are many places where silver is needed.”
Gu Yun nodded and had someone nearby fetch paper and pen.
The people around realized that as long as his child wasn’t insulted, Shen Ruo was actually quite reasonable, if he said he would grant extra days, then he would.
“Seven days is too short!” Shen Ziying thought to herself. She had planned to delay as long as possible, and once the IOU was written, those four taels of silver would truly be gone without return.
“I remember your younger uncle’s family keeps two sheep and a bunch of chickens and ducks, right? How about this, let these animals cover the four taels of silver, using the town market prices to convert them?” Shen Ruo said.
As long as she didn’t have to pay silver herself, Shen Ziying agreed immediately.
Shen Ruo really was simple-minded, exchanging these smelly, useless animals for shiny silver was the only thing he could think of. Truly just a country bumpkin.
Four taels of silver equals four thousand copper coins, and one string of coins is a hundred. Nowadays, any living thing you could eat wasn’t cheap.
“My ewe is pregnant, so it’s worth a bit more, one and a half taels!” Shen Ziying said.
The village head frowned. “That’s not how it works. In town, a pregnant ewe is only worth one tael of silver. And you’re asking for one and a half?”
“I want one and a half!” Shen Ziying shouted.
A cold smile tugged at Shen Ruo’s lips. He said calmly, “Fine, forget it, just give the silver then.”
“No way!” Shen Ziying was exasperated.
“You can’t do this, you can’t do that… what exactly do you want?” Shen Feng, hot-tempered, blurted out.
The people around also chimed in, “Yeah, so many of us are watching, do you plan to compensate with goods or with money?”
Shen Ziying was so angry she stomped her foot. Why were these nosy women still hanging around? If you’re done, then leave!
“Fine!” Shen Ziying gritted her teeth. “One tael it is!”
“A ram is worth one tael of silver, a hen one string of coins, a rooster half a string, and a domestic duck half a string.” The village head, somehow producing an abacus, began calculating.
“Your family will compensate Shen Ruo with one ram, one ewe, ten hens, ten roosters, and ten ducks.”
Shen Ziying immediately agreed: “Fine!”
By now, the person who went to fetch paper and pen returned. Gu Yun took it and, standing at the table, placed his left hand behind his back, leaned slightly forward, and began writing the notarized document.
“Today there is an agreement… The Shen Hong family will compensate Shen Ruo with four taels of silver, to be replaced with livestock: one ram, one ewe, ten hens, ten roosters, and ten ducks. This is hereby certified.” Gu Yun quickly finished writing three copies of the document and read it aloud.
At this time, literacy was rare. He was the only scholar present, so he had to write it.
The village head took the paper, blew on the ink to dry it a little, checked it himself, then had the surrounding elders examine it. He then said, “We confirm there is no problem. Shen Ruo, Shen Ziying, press your handprints.”
He laid the paper flat on the table.
Shen Ziying was the first to step forward, leaned over, and pressed her handprint. Afterward, she shyly stole a glance at Gu Yun.
Gu Yun didn’t react. Back then, she and Shen Ruo had always chased after him. He had experience with such things, if he could ignore it, he did; if he could avoid it, he did. And if he couldn’t, he gave no signal, treating people as if they were air.
Before even responding, they were already relentless in pursuit. He couldn’t imagine what would happen if he actually responded.
Besides… he already had a dream girl.
Shen Ruo went forward and pressed his handprint, took his own copy, while Shen Ziying kept another, and the last one was held by the village head.
And just like that, the matter was settled.
Shen Feng turned and went to Shen Hong’s chicken pen to catch chickens, and the onlooking women came to help.
Shen Ziying followed, worried someone might sneak off a few more chickens.
The large crowd, carrying chickens and ducks, made their way to Shen Dashan’s house.
Shen Ruo walked at the back, holding a bamboo stick, driving two sheep ahead, tapping the muddy ground to keep them moving.
Shen Feng grabbed two domestic ducks, one in each hand, still grumbling: “I saw that scene… really unlucky. Tomorrow I’ll go pick some pomelo leaves to get rid of the bad luck.”
“Alright.” Shen Ruo’s lips curved in a slight smile as he replied.
His eyes sparkled as he looked at the heavily pregnant ewe ahead. He was in a very good mood.
That big belly meant she’d give birth in just a couple of days, and then his Xiao Yuntun would have milk to drink!