After the Sweet Little Husband Got Remarried - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

After several days of continuous rain, the skies finally cleared. Tomorrow would be the day Shen Ying headed into the mountains, and Lu Lu was in their room helping him pack his bundle.

The weather had just begun to warm, but it was still colder in the mountains than in the village below. Nights there could be bitterly chilly, so Lu Lu added an extra padded jacket to the pack for him.

Shen Ying sat at the doorway polishing his bow and arrows, glancing into the room every now and then. In the past, he had always packed alone before each hunting trip. But now, with a husband by his side, he didn’t even have to ask—Lu Lu had already begun neatly folding his clothes.

No wonder so many men longed to marry, he thought with a faint smile. Life truly felt different once you had someone waiting for you at home.

He finished wiping down the bow, placed the arrows carefully into the quiver, and called into the house, “I’m going to Qingwan Village to see the old physician. It happens to be market day—do you want to come along?”

When hunting deep in the mountains, it was not uncommon to encounter large game. Regular arrows alone were sometimes insufficient, so he needed to coat the arrowheads with aconite poison.

The only person who made that concoction was the old physician in Qingwan Village, so Shen Ying always visited him before heading out.

Lu Lu nodded from inside. “All right.”

Shiqiao Village was quite far from the market, and he had only been once, years ago. Though it couldn’t compare to the bustling county fair, the market days there were still lively, especially when crowds came from nearby villages.

He remembered Jiang Huai mentioning it once and had wanted to go with him someday. Now that the weather had cleared and they had the time, he thought it was a good chance to see it for himself.

Qingwan Village lay between Shuitang and Zhao Villages, also nestled against the mountains. The market was set up on the stone embankment beside the lotus pond.

When they reached the village entrance, they went straight to find the old physician.

His house stood at the far end of the village—a few thatched cottages surrounded by bamboo fencing. As they arrived, a man was just coming out, holding his husband’s hand, both smiling brightly.

The old physician followed them to the door, saying, “His body is weak, and the pregnancy is still unstable. He shouldn’t be doing any heavy work; make sure he rests well.”

The man beamed from ear to ear. “Got it, got it! I’ll go home and catch an old hen to make soup for him right away.”

As the two passed by, the man carefully guided his husband over the threshold, hand never loosening its grip.

Shen Ying and Lu Lu stepped aside to let them pass, then entered the cottage.

The old physician was seated behind his desk, writing in his medical register. When he saw who had arrived, he lifted his gaze briefly. “Heading into the mountains again?”

“Yes,” Shen Ying replied. “I’ll leave tomorrow, so I came today while I still have time.”

Setting down his brush, the physician’s eyes fell on Lu Lu beside him. “And this is your new spouse?”

Shen Ying nodded with a small smile. “Yes. Since it’s market day, I brought him along. When you have a moment, could you also take a look at him? He fell into the water before, and he’s still too thin. I was hoping you might prescribe something to strengthen him.”

Lu Lu immediately shook his head, about to say it wasn’t necessary, but before he could speak, the physician waved a hand and said, “Wait a moment.”

He rose, hands clasped behind his back, and disappeared into the rear courtyard through the bamboo curtain.

They waited quietly for a short while before he returned with a small earthen jar, no bigger than a palm.

“I figured you’d be coming soon, so I prepared this ahead of time,” the physician said. “It’s thicker than usual this time. Be careful when applying it—make sure it doesn’t touch your hands.”

Shen Ying accepted the jar and thanked him sincerely. The physician nodded, then motioned for Lu Lu to come closer.

Lu Lu hesitated, glancing toward Shen Ying. When he saw Shen Ying give him an encouraging nod, he moved forward and gently placed his wrist on the cushion.

The old physician pressed three fingers lightly against the pulse, listening intently for a moment before saying slowly, “Your pulse is thin as thread, weak and sunken. You’re suffering from blood and qi deficiency—you do need nourishment.”

He shifted to the other wrist, continuing, then looked toward Shen Ying. “Ge’ers (male spouses) are naturally delicate and rarely conceive easily. He’s been overworked and is in poor health. You mustn’t rush things.”

Shen Ying blinked, caught off guard. When the meaning of the words sank in, his ears reddened faintly. He cleared his throat and gave a brief nod, not bothering to explain that he wasn’t in any hurry at all.

Clearly, the physician had assumed they were like the couple from earlier.

Lu Lu, too, lowered his head, his ears glowing pink. Even someone as slow to react as he was understood what the physician meant.

When the checkup ended, the physician packed away his tools and walked to the medicine shelves. “I’ll prepare a few herbs for him. Take them home and stew them with a chicken. Feed him eggs and meat regularly—let him recover properly.”

Muttering the names of herbs—astragalus, angelica…—he wrapped the bundle and handed it to Shen Ying. As they were leaving, he patted Shen Ying’s shoulder and said with a knowing grin, “Don’t rush. Take your time.”

Shen Ying only replied with a quiet “Mm,” while Lu Lu’s ears turned an even deeper shade of red.

Once they were outside, Shen Ying said, “When we get back, I’ll buy a chicken from Auntie.”

Their own hens had just begun laying, and he knew Lu Lu wouldn’t want to kill one. The Jiang family, however, raised plenty, and he’d bought from them before during the wedding banquet.

Lu Lu opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Shen Ying took his hand. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s walk around the market before everyone leaves.”

Lu Lu stiffened slightly at the touch but didn’t pull away. He still wasn’t entirely used to such gestures, though thankfully there were no people nearby to see.

The market was still lively when they arrived, the stone embankment lined with vendors and villagers carrying baskets, bartering for goods.

Stalls were set up along both sides—selling vegetables, handmade insoles, embroidered handkerchiefs, straw sandals, tofu, and grain husks.

It was smaller than a city marketplace, but no less bustling.

By the stone bridge, a butcher’s stall displayed cuts of pork. Shen Ying bought two pieces, planning to give one to the Jiang family later.

He might be gone for half a month or more, and with Lu Lu alone at home, he wanted the Jiang family to help keep an eye on him.

The butcher, Zhao from Zhao Village, chose two slabs of belly pork with the perfect balance of fat and lean, threading them on a straw rope before handing them over.

Carrying both the herbs and the meat, Shen Ying turned to Lu Lu. “See if there’s anything else you want to buy.”

Just as he said it, he noticed Lu Lu staring intently at a vegetable stall nearby. The basket behind the stall was filled with wild greens—mustard leaves, wild scallions, and celery from the hills.

He hadn’t expected people to sell wild vegetables, and an idea flickered through Lu Lu’s mind.

The stall keeper, an older woman, noticed his gaze and lifted a bunch of wild mustard with a smile. “Have a look, young ge’er. Just picked them this morning—still fresh with dew!”

Startled, Lu Lu shook his head. “N-no, thank you,” he stammered, stepping back—only to bump right into Shen Ying.

Shen Ying steadied him with one hand, and once he’d regained his balance, they continued walking.

A moment later, Shen Ying asked casually, “You were thinking of selling wild vegetables?”

Lu Lu blinked, caught off guard. “How did you know?”

Ever since they’d arrived, Lu Lu had been looking around curiously, but not like someone planning to buy much.

“There are only two kinds of people at a market,” Shen Ying said. “Those who buy, and those who sell.”

Lu Lu pressed his lips together, then nodded slightly.

Shen Ying had been spending money on him nonstop—buying balm, cloth for new clothes, and now medicine and even a chicken for soup. Almost everything they had went toward his well-being.

They were married now; life was something they should build together. He wanted to contribute too.

“If you really want to sell wild vegetables,” Shen Ying said, “I’ll ask Huai to help you. He’s good at calling customers over. Just promise me you won’t overwork yourself picking them.”

Lu Lu’s eyes brightened with delight. “All right,” he said softly.

Most families didn’t like their newlywed spouses being seen working outside—it gave the impression they were mistreated. That was why Lu Lu hadn’t brought it up. He hadn’t expected Shen Ying to read his thoughts so easily.

“Once I’m back from hunting,” Shen Ying continued, “I’ll buy some ducklings. We can dig a pond behind the shed for them. That way, you won’t have to go out to the fields to graze them.”

The plan lit Lu Lu’s face with quiet excitement. “That sounds wonderful,” he said.

They lingered in the market a bit longer before heading home with the meat and a sack of grain husks for the chickens and ducks.

Back in Shuitang Village, the first thing they did was stop by the Jiang household to deliver one of the pork slabs.

Jiang Dashan and Jiang Song were out working the fields, and Jiang Huai had gone to cut grass by the paddies. Only Lin Chunlan and Du Qinghe were home, sitting together under the eaves—Lin Chunlan shelling peas while Du Qinghe played with little Jiang Qiu beside her.

The family dogs, Huangdou and Heidou, wagged their tails and ran over as soon as Shen Ying entered the courtyard.

He reached down to pat their heads before handing the wrapped meat to Lin Chunlan. “We bought this at the market,” he said. “You can stew it with the peas.”

Lin Chunlan set down her basket of peas and took the meat with a smile. “What’s this for? You should’ve kept it for yourselves.”

Then, glancing at Lu Lu, she asked, “You took Lu Lu to the market with you?”

Shen Ying nodded. “I also had the physician check on him. He said Lu Lu’s still too weak and should be nourished properly, so I came to buy a chicken for soup.”

“Buy one? Nonsense,” Lin Chunlan said cheerfully. “Go catch one from the yard. Any you like—don’t be polite with me.”

Shen Ying laughed. “Then I’ll take you up on that.”

Lin Chunlan stood, brushing stray pea pods off her lap. “Come on, I’ll help you catch one.”

As the two headed toward the backyard, Du Qinghe looked up at Lu Lu and smiled. “You came at just the right time. The crimson tunic I was making for you is finished. Come, try it on.”

Setting aside her work, she lifted little Jiang Qiu and led Lu Lu inside.

While Lu Lu tried on the new clothes, Shen Ying followed Lin Chunlan to the back to catch a chicken. Before long, Jiang Huai returned from the fields, carrying a bundle of fresh grass on his shoulder.