Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 115

Seeing how uneasy he looked, Yu Ruhai began to feel that Jin Yan’s suspicions had some merit. If Meng Yujiao truly had cured Old Master He, it would change everything. He forced a smile and said, “Since Huichun Hall still has patients waiting, why doesn’t Doctor Jiang return for now? Meng Yujiao is, after all, my fifth grandson’s wife. I can’t make this decision alone, I’ll need to discuss it with the family. Why don’t you come back tomorrow?”

Jiang Qinghe’s expression shifted slightly. As he watched Yu Jin Yan walk out, his brow furrowed. Clearly, that younger family member had said something to change Yu Ruhai’s mind.

“Elder Yu, you’ve already taken the silver, what is this supposed to mean now?” Jiang Qinghe feigned displeasure. “Surely you’re not planning to raise the price?”

Yu Ruhai hurriedly plastered on a smile. “Don’t misunderstand, Doctor Jiang. Meng Yujiao is my fifth grandson’s wife. He’s a stubborn one, and he’s not even home right now. If I make this decision on my own, he may not be pleased.”

“But Elder Yu, aren’t you the head of this household? How could you not be able to make such a decision? Or is the Yu family now ruled by a youngster?” Jiang Qinghe tried to provoke him with his words.

Yu Ruhai, who cared deeply about saving face, couldn’t stand being accused of lacking authority. He was just about to speak when a loud voice rang out from outside the courtyard.

“Grandfather! Grandfather! The He family is here!” Yu Jinshu rushed in, looking panicked and out of breath.

He and Yu Jinyan had barely left the village when they saw two carriages approaching on the path, flanked by several burly servants, all exuding an air of urgency.

Yu Jinyan, sharp-eyed as ever, spotted the character “He” embroidered on the carriage curtain and immediately guessed the visitors were from the He family. He quickly told Jinshu to return and alert the household.

Upon hearing Jinshu’s shout, Yu Ruhai’s face changed drastically. He instinctively wanted to hide, clearly fearing the He family’s arrival meant trouble.

But Jiang Qinghe, knowing full well He Dongsheng had come to express gratitude to Meng Yujiao, realized that if Yu Ruhai learned the truth, he’d never hand over Meng Yujiao’s contract. Not wanting to risk losing out, Jiang Qinghe quickly said, “Elder Yu, no need to be afraid. Just hand me that contract. I’ll handle Master He myself and make sure nothing happens to you.”

Yu Ruhai, visibly flustered, hastily shoved the contract into Jiang Qinghe’s hands. “Doctor Jiang, your word better be good. I’ve given you the contract, so if Master He gives us any trouble, it’s on you to handle it.”

“Don’t worry,” Jiang Qinghe replied with a grin. He carefully examined the contract, confirmed it was indeed Meng Yujiao’s, and tucked it into his pouch.

He couldn’t help but grin wider, anticipating just how much Yu Ruhai would regret this once he realized why He Dongsheng was really here.

Outside the gate, the He family’s carriage had arrived. He Dongsheng, assisted by a servant, got down and instructed his men to unload items from the second carriage.

In the distance, Meng Yujiao and Yu Qizhe were returning down a small mountain path. Seeing the crowd gathered at the Yu residence gate, they exchanged a glance and quickened their pace.

Just as He Dongsheng was about to step into the Yu courtyard, he turned his head and spotted Meng Yujiao. His face lit up with joy. “Miss Meng, you went up the mountain to gather herbs?”

Meng Yujiao nodded. Seeing how grandly He Dongsheng had come, she asked calmly, “Is there something you need, Master He?”

He Dongsheng laughed heartily. “Doctor Jiang came by this morning to check my father’s pulse. The old man has completely recovered all thanks to you, Miss Meng. I came especially to deliver your consultation fee.”

The onlookers from the village were thoroughly confused. Last time the He family had come to the Yu household, it was a huge commotion, they were furious and had even dragged Meng Yujiao away, demanding compensation for their old master’s life. Now they were here to deliver money?

Zhou Huai and his wife were also in the crowd. Seeing that the He family wasn’t here to cause trouble, they finally relaxed.

As the villagers all turned to look at her, Meng Yujiao smiled lightly and said to He Dongsheng, “Master He, let’s talk inside.”

He Dongsheng followed her into the courtyard, and she said, “Please have a seat in the main hall for a moment. I’ll just put these herbs away and be right with you.”

He Dongsheng smiled kindly. “Of course, take your time.”

Meng Yujiao and Yu Qizhe returned to the east wing. Behind the bamboo curtain, Madam Song and her husband peered out and saw He Dongsheng in the yard. Nervously, they asked, “Meng girl, that Master He is here again, he’s not here to cause more trouble, is he?”

“No,” Meng Yujiao smiled and shook her head. “He’s here to deliver a consultation fee.”

Hearing that, the couple finally relaxed. Their eyes shifted to Yu Qizhe. Last night during dinner, they noticed he hadn’t returned to his room. Under his blanket, they’d found only a pillow.

It was clever little Fuling who guessed he had gone to the mountains with Yu Jiao. The couple had worried all night. Now, seeing the dried mud on both their clothes and their muddy shoes, it was clear they had indeed gone up the mountain together.

Not wanting to scold Yu Qizhe in front of Yu Jiao, the couple kept silent.

“I left some food on the stove. You two go clean up, and I’ll bring it over,” Madam Song said, worried they hadn’t eaten properly in the mountains.

Meng Yujiao returned to her room. Yu Fuling was sewing shoe soles and looked up with a grin. “Little brother spent the night with you in the mountains?”

Meng Yujiao, seeing the teasing look on her face, tugged at her lips in a half-smile. She set down the jar of herbs in a cool corner and changed into clean clothes. “If you’re not busy, go brew some medicine for Yu Qizhe.”

“Is he sick?” Yu Duling immediately dropped her sewing basket, concern written all over her face.

“He caught a chill from the rain yesterday and had a slight fever. It’s gone now. I’ll give you some herbs for the cold, and brew them into a decoction for him.”

Hearing that, Yu Fuling visibly relaxed. “Alright, I’ll go make it.”

Meng Yujiao selected herbs for treating colds, prepared a formula, and handed it to her.

When Madam Song returned with the food, Meng Yujiao didn’t sit down to eat. She had her mother take it to Yu Qizhe’s room and then went to the main hall.

In the hall, Yu Ruhai’s face was a kaleidoscope of expressions. Ever since learning that He Dongsheng had come to thank Meng Yujiao, and that the He family’s old master had indeed been cured by her, he’d felt like he’d swallowed a fly stuck in his throat, unable to spit it out or swallow it down.

Though He Dongsheng had come to express gratitude to Meng Yujiao, he had no intention of being kind to Yu Ruhai. As soon as he sat down, his first words were, “Who would’ve thought that a quack doctor like Elder Yu, whose treatments nearly cost lives, would have such a skilled granddaughter-in-law? It’s honestly hard to believe.”

Yu Ruhai’s face twitched. He forced out an awkward, stiff smile but said nothing in return. He felt utterly humiliated, with no place to hide.