Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 125

Little Madam Qin still held some resentment. Seeing her daughter sobbing like a weeping mess, she muttered, “All Ying girl did was gossip a little. How could that possibly reach the ears of the He family? She’s about to be betrothed, and now she’s been forced to kneel to a girl who sold herself into a poor family, how humiliating.”

Chen Genfu scolded her quietly, “That’s enough out of you. Big Brother treats Ying girl and Ah Rou the same, he loves them both. But Ah Ying’s careless words were out of line. It’s better she learns her lesson now, from us, than offend the wrong people and suffer worse later.”

Chen Ying’s eyes were red and swollen from crying. Madam Qin tried to ease the tension, “Ah Rou, take your sister inside to rest. Your uncle might’ve been a bit rough just now, but he was just worried Miss Meng wouldn’t let it go and might bring those words to Old Master He’s attention. You should try to understand his intentions.”

Chen Rou gently took Chen Ying’s hand and led her back to the house, speaking softly, “A few days ago, the Li family sent over two bolts of pink silk gauze, light and beautiful, perfect for summer clothes. You’ll look lovely in them.”

Chen Ying was at the age where she loved pretty things. Hearing Chen Rou suggest giving her that gauze cloth lifted her spirits, and she smiled through her tears. But in her heart, her hatred for Yu Jiao only deepened.

Madam Qin also heard what Chen Rou said, and her dissatisfaction with Chen Gensheng eased significantly. Her expression softened. She consoled him quietly, “Your brother was only pushed into a hard spot by Yu Qizhe. That’s all. We’re family, let’s not let this cause any grudges.”

Little Madam Qin gave a small smile. “Of course not. You and Big Brother have always treated Ying girl like your own. I was just upset at the moment and said a few things.”

As they spoke, they entered the old matriarch’s room.

The old Madam of the Chen family had trouble moving around. Earlier, when she heard the commotion in the courtyard, she tried shouting a few times, only to end up coughing so violently it nearly took her breath away. Seeing her two daughters-in-law enter, she frowned and asked, “I heard the eldest son raise his voice quite a bit. Why did he go as far as hitting Ying girl?”

Little Madam Qin exaggerated the story, “It was all because of that so-called stand-in bride of Yu Wulang. She really thinks she’s something special. All Ying girl did was say a couple of casual words, and Yu Wulang stormed in to defend her, even forcing our Ying girl to kneel and apologize.”

The old matriarch was so furious she pounded the bed. “That daughter-in-law sold into a fallen household dares to bully our Chen family’s girl? Where does the Yu family get off thinking they have this kind of prestige—”

Before she could finish, she was overtaken by a fit of coughing. Madam Qin hurried to bring over the spittoon. The old woman coughed until she was gasping for breath, her thin body curled up like a shrimp, before finally spitting out a thick wad of phlegm.

At a glance, Madam Qin’s face changed drastically. There was a streak of blood in the yellowish phlegm. She rushed to call for Chen Gensheng.

The Chen family patriarch had passed early, and the old matriarch had raised her two sons alone through hardship. She had scraped and saved to put Chen Gensheng through school, and thanks to his education, he’d become the village head of Qingyu Village. Because of this, Chen Gensheng had always been filial.

The moment he heard that his mother had coughed up blood, he immediately wanted to fetch Yu Jiao to come treat her. But the old matriarch stubbornly refused.

“I know my own body. If that girl who sold herself into a fallen family really had such great medical skills, wouldn’t Yu Wulang be cured by now? Don’t humiliate yourself by begging her. Ah Rou isn’t married yet, and Ah Ying hasn’t been betrothed either. I still have days to live!” Her voice was hoarse and cracking from the coughing, but she remained adamant.

Left with no choice, Chen Gensheng gave up and urged Madam Qin to brew medicine using the old prescription.

Back at the Yu house, none of the three said a word about what had happened at the Chen family. Yu Ruhai, however, was still concerned about the consultation fee and asked about it. Yu Jiao only said that the Chen family didn’t want a female doctor and hadn’t let her treat the old matriarch.

Yu Ruhai smiled obsequiously. “The county exams are just over a month away. Second and Fourth Brother will need paper, ink, and clothes. Your grandfather isn’t exactly wealthy, Meng girl, why don’t you contribute a little silver?”

He had the nerve to try angling for the consultation money Yu Jiao had earned.

Yu Jiao fixed him with a cold stare and said with a mocking smile, “Only unruly families rely on their daughters to support the household. Second and Fourth Brother are both studying for the civil service exams. If word got out that they were living off their younger sister, wouldn’t that be a joke? If you really recognize me as your granddaughter, what grandfather asks his granddaughter for her private money?”

Yu Ruhai flushed with embarrassment. He couldn’t find a flaw in her argument. Only truly fallen households would be shameless enough to squeeze their daughter for money. Now that Yu Jiao was officially part of the Yu family, and the youngest daughter at that, there was no justification for her to support her older brothers. 

It was a classic case of lifting a rock only to drop it on his own foot. Not daring to press her any further, he backed off.

Yu Jiao then turned and gave Madam Song two taels of silver, telling her to go into town more often to buy meat and improve the family’s meals. While the Yu family lived better than most in the village, meat was still a rare luxury. Yu Jiao was still growing and didn’t want to shortchange herself.

Yu Qizhe might’ve grown tall, but he was far too thin. She planned to take care of his health herself, not just to treat his illness, but to nourish his body properly. A man should be strong and sturdy.

Madam Song accepted the money without pocketing it for herself. Every few days, she’d head into town to buy meat or bones. Before long, the Yu family’s table regularly featured rich, meaty dishes. Though Old Madam Yu and Madam Zhao grumbled a bit about Song Chun being too extravagant, they still enjoyed every greasy bite.

Meanwhile, the Yaocao herb was being carefully kept in a small clay jar with fresh water by Yu Jiao. It was thriving. Every five days, she would pick a leaf to brew medicinal soup for Yu Qizhe. Life had settled into a peaceful rhythm. 

Occasionally, villagers would come to her for treatment, but none had serious illnesses, and Yu Jiao’s prescriptions always brought quick relief. Bit by bit, the villagers began calling her Doctor Meng.

Several heavy rains later, mid-July arrived. The air began to cool slightly, and the villagers were busy preparing to plant a new crop of millet.

One day, Yu Fuling came to Yu Jiao, her expression troubled. “The old Madam at the Chen house is in bad shape, she’s been coughing up blood for days. Chen Rou came to me crying, begging you to come take a look.”