Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 31

Madam Song looked completely confused. After Old Madam Yu left, she quickly finished ladling the soup and brought it to the main hall before returning to the eastern room.

After calling Yu Fuling and Yu Qizhe to come eat, she stepped into the side room and asked Yu Jiao, “Meng girl, did you really ask your grandfather for consultation fees?”

Yu Jiao nodded calmly and without haste.

Madam Song sat on the edge of the bed. “Silly girl, how could you ask the old master for money? Being allowed to learn medicine at his side is already an honor. You mustn’t have thoughts of taking fees.” 

“Just now, your grandmother said your grandfather was furious. He even said you’re not allowed to eat dinner tonight. Come with me, apologize to him and admit you were wrong.”

“I’m not allowed to eat?” Yu Jiao’s expression remained calm. “Aunt Song, go have your dinner. I won’t apologize, and I won’t back down on the matter of the consultation fee.”

She needed money, something of her own. The Yu family was never meant to be her long-term shelter. Asking for payment was inevitable. The sooner she asked, the sooner Yu Ruhai would understand where she stood, and the sooner she could fight for her own interests.

“Why are you so stubborn?” Madam Song sighed helplessly. She lingered for a while longer, but seeing Yu Jiao unmoved, she finally left for the main hall to eat.

After she left, Yu Mengshan, who was lying in the outer room, called out, “Meng girl, come here.”

Yu Jiao stepped out of the side room. Yu Mengshan handed her a piece of mo (steamed flatbread). “Go get a pair of chopsticks from the kitchen. Let’s eat together.”

A warm feeling stirred in Yu Jiao’s chest. She shook her head. “You eat. I’m not hungry.”

She placed the mo back in his bowl and turned to go outside. The main hall was brightly lit, and the whole Yu family was gathered at the table eating. Yu Jiao gave the scene a glance, then walked out the gate.

Behind Qingyu Village stretched a chain of mountains. On a May night like this, the moon was bright and the stars scattered. The dark silhouette of the distant mountains was just visible. 

Yu Jiao circled once around the Yu family’s house. She wasn’t familiar with the village and worried she might get lost if she wandered too far, so after a short walk, she sat down on a large stone by the gate.

The cool evening breeze carried the faint scent of wild grass and flowers. It felt pleasant on the skin. Yu Jiao rested her chin in her hand and looked up at the stars, idly picking up a stick to scratch a few odd fortune-telling symbols into the dirt.

Her lips moved slightly, the words finally escaping in a soft sigh. “Easy to stay, hard to leave.” She turned to glance back at the Yu family courtyard. Her almond shaped eyes narrowed slightly. It seemed she would have to stay here a while longer.

With a quick swipe of the stick, she erased the symbols in the dirt. Just then, the courtyard gate creaked open behind her. Yu Jiao turned her head and saw the lean, clean figure of Yu Qizhe stepping out from the gate.

“What? Worried I might run away?” Yu Jiao teased with a smile.

Yu Qizhe shook his head and stopped about three paces away from her. “You want to leave?”

Yu Jiao met his gaze. “At first, I didn’t, then I did… but for now, I can’t.”

Yu Qizhe moved his sleeve slightly and pulled out a piece of mo, holding it out to her.

Yu Jiao looked at the mo in his palm and smiled as she reached for it, stuffing it into her mouth. “You’re all right. Don’t worry, I will leave the Yu family one day. I won’t get in the way of your future marriage to the Chen family girl.”

Hearing her words, Yu Qizhe had no desire to explain anything about Chen Rou. He only asked, “You asked for consultation fees so you could leave the Yu family?”

Yu Jiao swallowed the dry bite in her mouth and took another. “Yes and no. But having silver in hand is never a bad thing. In this world, nothing is reliable, only money is.”

Yu Qizhe looked at the calm expression on her face and fell silent. This version of Meng Yujiao felt completely unfamiliar to him, her demeanor, her tone, none of it resembled the girl she used to be.

He suddenly remembered a line he once read in a book. After a long pause, he called out sharply, “Meng Yujiao!”

“Hmm?” Yu Jiao turned back to look at him.

But Yu Qizhe said nothing more.

According to that book, if someone had been possessed by a ghost, they would not respond when their name was suddenly called.