"Ruixue..." Yang Ruiling looked at Yang Ruixue, her expression dazed. "How did I end up in bed?"
Li Xiu had always made her sleep on the floor. What was different this time?
"Sister, you had a fever, and husband carried you to the bed..." Yang Ruixue explained in a hurry.
"Husband?" Yang Ruiling looked blankly at Li Xiu, who was busy nearby, finding it hard to believe.
This man did nothing but eat, drink, and gamble—how could he suddenly have a kind heart?
"Sister, you don't know, husband he..." Yang Ruixue recounted everything: how Li Xiu had carried her into the house and onto the bed, how he had gone into the mountains to gather herbs, and how he had treated her illness.
The more Yang Ruiling heard, the more astonished she became. It felt utterly surreal.
Was this really the husband she knew? Why had he suddenly changed for the better?
"Li Xiu, can you really heal the sick?" one villager asked, surprised to see that Yang Ruiling had recovered.
"Do you see any fakes here?" Li Xiu smiled.
"What kind of illnesses can you treat?"
"Men's ailments, women's issues, infertility, venereal diseases... I can treat anything!"
"Damn, you're that good?"
A villager stuck out a leg. "My leg has been aching lately. I've seen many doctors and taken plenty of medicine, but nothing works."
Li Xiu inspected it, felt the leg, and suddenly grabbed the villager's waist. A sharp *crack* sounded. The villager let out a howl.
"Try walking a few steps," Li Xiu said.
"Damn, that's insane!" The villager took a few steps; the pain was gone.
Li the Scoundrel had been watching with wide, fixed eyes. He sidled up to Li Xiu and said with a fawning face, "Brother Li Xiu, look... my missus can't conceive. Do you have any tricks for that?"
"Eat medicine!" Li Xiu replied.
"Does medicine work? I've already invited many famous doctors and tried many expensive remedies, but none of them did anything." Li the Scoundrel leaned in. "Brother Li Xiu, my missus is beautiful as a flower. This infertility treatment of yours, does it involve anything in bed...?"
"Get lost!" Li Xiu snapped without hesitation.
Li the Scoundrel’s face flushed blue and white, but he didn't dare to flare up. He could only slink away to the side.
Seeing that Yang Ruiling was fine, Li Xiu told her to stay in bed and rest, as her body was still very weak.
Soon after, the villagers began clamoring to make offers, all wanting to buy the wild codonopsis and the lingzhi mushroom.
"I’ll take this wild codonopsis. How about I trade it for a thousand catties of white rice?"
The old clan elder was a minor landlord; his home was full of grain. Since the elder had spoken, no one dared to argue, and the offer was generous.
"It's a deal!" Li Xiu agreed. The elder immediately had the white rice delivered.
"Brother Li Xiu, we don't have that much cash or grain at home. Would you accept meat in exchange for the lingzhi?" the hunter Li Mingda asked, pushing his way through the crowd.
Meat?
Li Xiu’s eyes lit up. This was perfect! His family was short on food, and some meat would improve their diet and help nourish Yang Ruixue and Yang Ruiling. Besides, a hunter would surely have weapons, and in this chaotic ancient world, he needed a weapon for self-defense.
"Alright, Brother Mingda, it's a deal!" Li Xiu agreed instantly.
Li Mingda was overjoyed. "I have forty catties of wild mutton at home, thirty catties of corn, and I'll add three taels of silver. Does that work?"
"Good, good, good!" Li Xiu nodded firmly. This amount exceeded his expectations.
Li Mingda was a generous man and immediately sent over the meat and grain, promising to bring the three taels of silver tomorrow. Li Xiu didn't mind; he trusted Li Mingda’s character.
Li Xiu took a small piece of the lingzhi, intending to use it to restore his two wives' health. Li Mingda took the rest of the lingzhi.
After everyone had left, the dilapidated thatched cottage was piled high with grain and meat. Yang Ruixue looked at the scene, feeling as if she were in a dream.
"Is... is this real?"
"So much food?"
"The grain and meat are right here," Li Xiu said with a beaming smile. "Our family won't have to go hungry anymore!"
Li Xiu stepped forward, pulled Yang Ruixue into his arms, and whispered, "Ruixue, don't worry. Big brother will make sure you and your sister live well from now on!"
Yang Ruixue leaned into Li Xiu’s chest, feeling the warmth of his body, and her eyes welled up with tears again.
"Husband, I believe you!"
"Alright, don't cry." Li Xiu wiped the tears from her eyes. "Go boil the lingzhi soup for your sister to have some nourishment. I’ll cook the meal."
"Mm!" Yang Ruixue nodded obediently.
One boiled the soup, the other cooked. Li Xiu washed the rice, started a fire, and set the pot to boil. Then, he sliced the wild mutton and set it to stew. Before long, the aroma of rice and meat filled the room.
"It smells so good!"
A weak voice drifted over. Li Xiu and Yang Ruixue turned at the same time to see Yang Ruiling, her beautiful eyes wide, staring intensely at them.
*Gurgle!*
*Gurgle!*
Both Yang Ruixue and Yang Ruiling’s stomachs let out a rumble. The thick scent of meat in the air was unbearable. For nearly a year, they had barely tasted meat, surviving mostly on wild greens and bran cakes—it was a miracle they had managed to fill their bellies at all.
"Time to eat." Li Xiu carried a large clay basin filled with steaming white rice and chunks of meat.
Seeing Yang Ruiling with her eyes open, he smiled slightly. "You woke up at the right time. Let’s have dinner together."
The three of them sat around the old wooden table. On it sat a large basin of white rice, roasted meat, and a small clay pot filled with delicious chicken soup. Seeing the feast, the two sisters couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Husband, so many delicacies..." Yang Ruixue felt like she was dreaming.
"From now on, our family will eat well every day!" Li Xiu smiled. He believed their life would only get better.
Yang Ruiling carefully reached for a baked cake—her favorite.
"Don't eat that!" Li Xiu said suddenly.
Yang Ruiling started, nearly dropping the cake. She assumed he didn't want her to have it, and her eyes filled with fear and grievance.
"Eat this instead," Li Xiu said as he ladled a bowl of lingzhi chicken soup for her. "Your body is weak; you need to build up your strength."
Yang Ruiling froze, staring blankly at the steaming soup. She didn't know what to do. This was lingzhi chicken soup! She hadn't even seen such a thing before, let alone tasted it. She stole a glance at Li Xiu and saw him looking at her with genuine concern.
A warm feeling spread through her heart. She carefully took a spoonful of soup and brought it to her lips.
"It's so good..." Her eyes sparkled. The soup was delicious; it felt as if it were melting on her tongue, leaving her body feeling warm and revitalized.
"If you like it, have some more," Li Xiu said with a satisfied smile. "Ruixue, you have some of this." He picked up a chicken leg and placed it before her.
Yang Ruixue took a bite, and her eyes went wide. "It really is delicious..."
"Then eat more!" Li Xiu smiled. "From now on, I will make sure you both live a happy life. I will never let you suffer any more grievances!"
As he spoke, he added another piece of meat to Yang Ruiling’s bowl. Watching his two young wives eat hungrily, he thought of how his predecessor had failed to cherish such beautiful women, constantly beating and scolding them—what a waste!
In his heart, Li Xiu cursed his predecessor ten thousand times over.