CH 9

To celebrate my freedom from isolation, I will be updating five chapters today. Enjoy! 4/5

Yu Dameng said he wanted to invite a doctor, but Qiao Yuan refused. If they invited another doctor, who knows what rumors would spread in the village. “Can’t I feel it myself? It just hurts from the impact, my bones are fine, I’ll be fine after lying down for two days. You’re not allowed to go!”  

Qiao Yuan lay on the bed. After the shock wore off, he only felt that the old sow was very hateful. He had even cooked food for it, and this was how it repaid him! Qiao Yuan punched the bed and angrily said, “I will turn that pig into a dish as revenge sooner or later.”  

At this moment, Yu Dameng didn’t have the mood to listen to his jokes. He was anxious and kept pacing around him, constantly asking him how he felt.  

Feeling pampered, Qiao Yuan wanted to act coquettishly, but was afraid that the pig might run out and hurt someone, so he urged Yu Dameng to go out and fix the pigsty first.  

Yu Dameng looked back at Qiao Yuan several times and wished he could be in two places at once. 

Old Man Yu and Lin Cuifen heard the news and rushed home. When they found out that Qiao Yuan didn’t have any broken bones, they were relieved. 

Lin Cuifen no longer thought that the sow is a treasure. “If the piglets had been weaned, I would have killed it to make up for your health.”  

Qiao Yuan laughed and said, “The pig just gave birth to piglets. It hasn’t even finished its task yet. We can’t do that.” 

Lin Cuifen looked at him sweating in pain and felt very sorry for him. “Tomorrow, let Dameng stay at home and keep you company. Tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll make it for you. ”  

Qiao Yuan acted coy and said, “Thank you, Mom.” 

“We are family. What’s there to thank for?” Lin Cuifen chatted with Qiao Yuan for a while, mainly to tell him to rest and not move around too much. 

Yu Dameng came back. Lin Cuifen didn’t want to disturb the couple’s time together, so she took Xiao Liu and left.  

Yu Dameng closed the door and walked quickly to the bedside, anxiously asking, “Yuan Ge’er, how are you feeling?”  

Qiao Yuan saw Yu Dameng, and immediately felt aggrieved. He pitifully said, “I’m in so much pain.”  

Yu Dameng blamed himself, “It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t made you angry, you wouldn’t have gone to the backyard. If you hadn’t gone to the backyard, you wouldn’t have been hit by the pig.” 

Qiao Yuan was almost amused by his twisted logic, “Then why don’t you blame me for marrying you!”  

Yu Dameng choked and fell silent for a while, unable to come up with a rebuttal. 

Qiao Yuan remembered the scar removal ointment that Yu Dameng had bought for him before. It was worth the two taels of silver since it not only removed scars but also relieved pain. So he asked Yu Dameng to find it for him, and Yu Dameng naturally complied without hesitation.  

“Ah, just as my neck injury was about to heal and I could finally go out, I injured my waist again and have to lie down again.” Qiao Yuan reached out to pull at his clothes, but his waist hurt a bit from the sudden movement, making it inconvenient. So he waved his hand towards Yu Dameng and said, “Can you help me take off my clothes?”  

!!! 

Yu Dameng suddenly stopped in his tracks, “This…”  

It didn’t make sense.  

Qiao Yuan choked up, remembering that he was a ger, but the words had already been spoken, how could he back down?  

“We are both men! What are you afraid of?”  

Anyway, the structure of a man and a ger was the same!  

Yu Dameng dared not argue and carefully helped Qiao Yuan take off his outer clothes. He lifted the hem of his coat and revealed Qiao Yuan’s slender waist, which already had some red marks. Yu Dameng felt that he could completely hold it with both hands, but he dared not look too much. He quickly helped Qiao Yuan apply the medicine and slipped out of the room.  

“Coward.” Qiao Yuan looked at Yu Dameng’s fleeing back in anger.  

The next day, when Qiao Yuan woke up, he felt even more pain in his waist. He lay on the bed with a helpless expression. He thought to himself that his life was full of misfortunes – his father didn’t care for him, his mother didn’t love him, and at such a young age he was forced to be independent. Just when he was about to start his career, God played a joke on him and made him travel through time, and now he was even being chased by pigs!  

Yu Dameng came in holding breakfast, his eyes full of concern.  

Qiao Yuan looked at him and thought, “Fortunately, the man I married is not bad.” 

“Yuan Ge’er, are you still in pain?” Yu Dameng said as he placed breakfast on the table, helped Qiao Yuan sit up, and then placed a soft pillow behind his waist. He then set up a small wooden table on the bed and brought the breakfast to him.  

Being cared for so carefully, people inevitably become delicate. Qiao Yuan even said with a grievance, “It hurts even more.”  

Yu Dameng slapped his head and suddenly began rummaging through boxes and cabinets to find something.  

I don’t know how to comfort him!  

Qiao Yuan felt angry in his heart and even the food didn’t taste good anymore. He put down his bowl and asked, “What are you looking for?”  

“Miracle oil1万金油 (wàn jīn yóu) literally means “ten thousand gold oils” and is a colloquial term for a universal balm or ointment that can be used for various purposes, such as relieving pain, reducing inflammation, or healing wounds. It’s a popular product in Chinese medicine and folklore, and is often associated with miraculous healing powers. !” Yu Dameng happily ran over holding a small ceramic bottle, “This was given to me by the general when I was in the army. He said it’s very effective for promoting blood circulation and reducing swelling, and it was prepared by the imperial medical office!”  

Qiao Yuan naturally knew what this thing was, so he picked up the bowl again and said, “Then you quickly help me apply it later, I’m in so much pain!” 

In an instant, Yu Dameng remembered the slender waist he had seen while applying medicine last night. His face felt a little hot, but he still nodded in agreement. After all, besides him, there really wasn’t anyone else suitable in this family to help Qiao Yuan.  

His palm was large and powerful, and the calluses on his hand brought a slight rubbing sensation mixed with the warmth of the medicated oil, making him comfortably hum in satisfaction.  

“I didn’t expect your massage technique to be good!” 

Yu Dameng said, “We all learned from our mother. She watched our father work as a blacksmith all day, causing him to suffer from back pain and fatigue. So she spent money to learn at Baohe Hall2保和堂 (bǎo hé táng) – Baohetang (a traditional Chinese medicine store).”  

Qiao Yuan immediately said, “Then I’ll learn from mother later, and massage you too!”  

Yu Dameng forced a bitter smile. He was not very smart and couldn’t figure out what Yuan Ge’er meant. He didn’t dare to ask, so he replied in a low voice, “I don’t need it.”  

His kindness is just taken for granted! 3“好心当成驴肝肺” (hǎo xīn dāng chéng lǘ gān fèi), which is a Chinese idiom that literally translates to “treating a kind heart as a donkey’s liver and lungs.” It means that someone’s good intentions are misunderstood or unappreciated, and they are treated as if they were doing something harmful or annoying. The idiom is based on the idea that in traditional Chinese medicine, the liver and lungs of a donkey are considered to be useless and even harmful to human health. Therefore, when someone’s good intentions are treated as if they were harmful, it is like mistaking something useless for something valuable.

Qiao Yuan got angry and kicked him. 

Yu Dameng didn’t hide, but instead held onto Qiao Yuan’s troublesome little leg, “Don’t move around, you’ll hurt your waist even more.”  

Qiao Yuan sniffed his nose and felt a little unbearable with himself.  

What’s going on? He seems to be getting more and more delicate after getting hurt.  

He quickly changed the subject, “Mother said that after the village chief’s family celebration is over, we will split up. Did you know that?”  

“I know, my mother told me before we got married.” 

“Where are we going to move to?” Qiao Yuan asked.  

“At the west end of the village, our parents built a small courtyard for us there.”  

The houses in the village were all clustered together, and the newly separated families could only expand outward from the edge. Qiao Yuan felt that the location was quite good and secluded. 

The two of them were chatting leisurely, but there was suddenly a commotion outside. 

It was Qiao Yuan’s wicked aunt Xu Xiuhua. A few days ago, she heard that the Yu family was selling cakes and that Qiao Yuan was the one in charge of it. At first, she didn’t pay much attention to it, as she didn’t know how capable that little brat was. But as the news spread, she couldn’t help but become curious. Today, she happened to see the second son of the Yu family carrying two large boxes of cakes out of their house, and couldn’t resist the urge to go and investigate.  

“What’s going on? Does Yuan Ge’er know how to greet his aunt when she visits?”  

Lin Cuifen never liked her and wasn’t very friendly to her. She replied, “Yuan Ge’er is feeling unwell today and is resting in bed. When he’s feeling better, I’ll have Dameng accompany him to greet you.” 

Xu Xiuhua glanced at the tightly closed door of the east wing and said lightly, “How sick can he be? He can’t even come out to see me?”  

Are you still an important person? You’re just a heartless person. If you’re worried about the child, why don’t you go in and check on him yourself? Why do you have to make the child uncomfortable? Lin Cuifen thought this, but couldn’t say it directly, so she could only say in a restrained manner, “Yuan Ge’er can’t get out of bed now. Please understand and I’ll take you to his room.”  

Xu Xiuhua wasn’t really interested in seeing Qiao Yuan anyway. Her mind was focused on the steamed cakes from the Yu family. She could smell the fragrance of the cakes! With no shame, she immediately changed her expression and smiled, asking, “What are you making?” with the intention of mooching some of the buns. 

As she spoke, she kept looking up towards the kitchen.  

Lin Cuifen signaled Yu Shanwen with her eyes, who used his body to block Xu Xiuhua’s line of sight and closed the door to the kitchen.  

Xu Xiuhua didn’t expect anything and looked embarrassed. Lin Cuifen pretended not to understand what she was saying and didn’t even offer her two pieces of cake to eat. Xu Xiuhua blamed everything on Qiao Yuan, thinking that he was not favored by the Yu family, and as a result, she was also not liked by Lin Cuifen.  

But when she thought about it, she felt very happy. If it weren’t for the high betrothal gift from the Yu family, she wouldn’t have wanted to marry Qiao Yuan into a prestigious family like the Yu family in this village!  

That little sl*t should be like her mother, not destined for a life of luxury! The Yu family is about to become wealthy, and if Yu Dameng doesn’t like Qiao Yuan, he will surely take a concubine. With Qiao Yuan’s weak personality, how could she compete with a favored concubine?  

Xu Xiuhua’s mood improved, and she didn’t feel upset because of Lin Cuifen’s cold attitude towards her. She looked contemptuously towards the direction of Yu Dameng and Qiao Yuan’s bedroom and muttered, “Little sl*t.”  

After speaking, she turned around to leave.  

But he was grabbed by the impulsive Yu Shanwu. Although he was only ten years old, he had the tendency to grow as big as Yu Dameng. He was already as tall as Xu Xiuhua, and his imposing manner was frightening. “Who are you cursing?” 

Xu Xiuhua secretly panicked. She was used to scolding people at home but didn’t expect to be so careless here. She turned her head to look and saw Yu Shanwen, who was as strong as Yu Shanwu, staring at her fiercely. Lin Cuifen’s face was even darker, and even Liu Ge’er was glaring at her with his hands on his hips. 

She suddenly felt short of breath and began to smile apologetically. “You…you must have heard it wrong.” 

Yu Shanwu argued, “It’s impossible! I heard it very clearly! You called my brother Yuan a sl*t.” 

Xu Xiuhua got even angrier upon hearing this. “So what if I called him that? I’m his aunt. He eats and drinks what’s mine. What’s wrong with me calling him a little sl*t?” 

Lin Cuifen was used to managing her husband and several sons, so she wasn’t someone to be trifled with. She rolled up her sleeves and called to Yu Shanwen. “Bring the broom.” 

Xu Xiuhua instinctively shrank back, and her voice trembled. “What? You… still want to hit someone?”  

“It’s you I’m hitting!” Lin Cuifen took the broom handed to her by Yu Shanwen and started hitting Xu Xiuhua with it.  

Xu Xiuhua was hit once and ran out while shouting, “Murder! Murder!” 

“Puff!” Qiao Yuan couldn’t help but laugh at her exaggeration. “Why is she so dramatic?” 

In fact, he and Yu Dameng had heard when Xu Xiuhua first came into the courtyard. But since Lin Cuifen had already found an excuse for him, he couldn’t rashly go out again. Besides, he also didn’t want to see Xu Xiuhua. He despised her for being so harsh on the original owner and would rather not deal with such a bad person. 

Yu Dameng clenched his fists in anger. “She cursed you.”  

If it weren’t for Qiao Yuan pulling him back, he would have rushed out to settle accounts with Xu Xiuhua. 

In Qiao Yuan’s eyes, Xu Xiuhua was completely irrelevant, and he didn’t care about her at all. Instead, he found it amusing to see the angry expression on Yu Dameng’s face and teased him, “Do you care about me that much?”  

Yu Dameng gave him an angry look, thinking that it was only natural for him to care, “You are my husband.”  

Qiao Yuan climbed out of bed and poked Yu Dameng’s arm with his finger, “Husband, husband, all you know is being a husband! Do you treat anyone you marry this well?”  

Yu Dameng nodded without any hesitation and added, “Mother said that couples should care for each other and be considerate, so they can live a beautiful life together.”  

“Shut up!” Although Qiao Yuan had had an inkling before, he knew that the only reason Yu Dameng was treating him so well was because he was now Yu Dameng’s husband. Also, Yu Dameng was a simple and honest person with a good heart. No matter who he married, he would treat them well with sincerity. Whether he liked them or not was not even something he considered. This one-track-minded wooden block was completely clueless when it came to emotions. 

However, listening to him explain it in detail, Qiao Yuan still felt very angry. Why should he be the one to fall in love first? Why should Yu Dameng like him later? Qiao Yuan hated himself for being weak, because no one had ever been so good to him before, and he was moved by Yu Dameng in a short time. Qiao Yuan felt suffocated and thought angrily in his heart that he would not confess his feelings and see who would give in first, and who could hold on until the end.  

At this moment, Yu Dameng, despite being slow, also noticed that Qiao Yuan was unhappy. He didn’t know why Yuan Ge’er suddenly got angry again. He clumsily placed his big hand on Qiao Yuan’s waist and gently rubbed it, pursing his lips and asking, “Are you feeling better?”  

Qiao Yuan was angry and pushed his hand away, saying “Don’t touch me!”  

If you don’t like me, then don’t touch me. 

Qiao Yuan angrily ordered him, “Bring me some clothes.” 

“Oh.” Yu Dameng obediently fetched Qiao Yuan’s clothes, wondering why Yuan Ge’er was angry again and what had happened. 

Xu Xiuhua ran out of the Yu family’s gate and saw villagers who had heard the commotion peeking over. She immediately sat down on the ground and wailed, “Oh, I can’t go on living!” 

“Qiao’s wife, what are you doing?” Although many people in the village did not like Xu Xiuhua’s usual style, they still belonged to the same village and couldn’t ignore her crying and making a fuss, so they couldn’t help but ask.  

Xu Xiuhua lied as soon as she opened her mouth, “Yuan Ge’er has been married for several days, but he hasn’t come back home. I’m really worried. Today, I went to the Yu family’s house to check on him, but that Lin Cuifen actually chased me out with a broom!”  

The onlookers were all shocked. They had heard about Yuan Ge’er hanging himself shortly after marrying into the Yu family. But in the past few days, children in the village and some women who had bought cakes from the Yu family had all said that the cakes were made by Yuan Ge’er himself. They thought that the suicide was just a rumor and didn’t take it to heart. 

Who hanged themselves but then quickly regained their spirits to come up with ways to earn money? 

But listening to what Xu Xiuhua said, there must be something going on here.  

Everyone’s eyes lit up, and they became more and more excited as they watched the spectacle.  

“You’re talking nonsense!” Lin Cuifen shouted angrily.  

When everyone saw her holding a broom and looking fierce, they automatically made way for her. 

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