Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 50

After Yu Zhixing left, Yu Jiao and Yu Fuling lowered their heads and continued searching for herbs. When Yu Jiao dug up another unfamiliar plant, Yu Fuling couldn’t help but ask, “What kind of herb is that? Are you sure it’s not just a weed?”

“This is Qinjiao,” Yu Jiao explained softly. “It’s used to treat infant jaundice.”

Yu Fuling quietly memorized the shape of the Qinjiao. From then on, she stuck close to Yu Jiao. Whenever she came across a plant she didn’t recognize, she would ask Yu Jiao about it. 

Yu Jiao didn’t hold anything back, she not only told her the names and effects of the herbs but also explained how to write prescriptions for related illnesses.

Yu Fuling took everything seriously. Truth be told, she had always wanted to study medicine. But Yu Ruhai, who favored boys over girls, never intended to pass down his medical knowledge to his granddaughter, nor had he ever taught her seriously. 

At most, he had just explained some basic herbs only so she could help collect them in the mountains.

They lingered there for quite a while. Eventually, Yu Jiao looked northward into the forest and noticed that Yu Qiaoshan and the others were nowhere in sight. 

She patted the dust off her knees, stood up, slung the herb basket over her back, and said, “Let’s go meet up with Uncle and the others.”

Yu Fuling nodded. After all the herb explanations, her hostility toward Yu Jiao had eased quite a bit. The two began walking northward through the woods.

As they walked, Yu Jiao’s eyes lit up and she suddenly stopped. She crouched down excitedly next to a plant on the ground. “Buguzhi! This herb can help replenish Yu Qizhe’s vitality. Fuling, see if you can find any more of it nearby!”

As soon as she heard that the herb could benefit her younger brother’s health, Yu Fuling immediately moved closer to memorize the plant’s appearance and started searching the area carefully.

Yu Jiao knelt down and gently dug the Buguzhi out of the soil with her small shovel. She placed it in her basket, and once she was done and stood up, she realized Yu Fuling was nowhere to be seen.

A jolt of worry struck her. Yu Jiao quickly called out Yu Fuling’s name and started scanning the woods for her.

“I’m over here! Meng Yujiao, come quick, see if this one’s Buguzhi too!”

Yu Fuling’s voice came from a distant patch of bushes. Yu Jiao sighed in relief and hurried over, her voice a bit stern as she scolded, “Looking for herbs is fine, but your safety comes first. You should know better than me how dangerous the forest can be. Why would you run off like that?”

Yu Fuling hadn’t expected to be scolded, but when she saw the lingering concern on Yu Jiao’s face, she knew she was in the wrong and didn’t argue. Instead, she tried to make up for it. “Look, is this Buguzhi?”

Yu Jiao glanced down at the plant, her expression softening a bit as she nodded.

Yu Fuling beamed. “Let’s dig it up together!”

The two of them dug up the Buguzhi and placed it in the basket. Then Yu Fuling offered, trying to be helpful, “You’ve gathered so many herbs, doesn’t it feel heavy? Want me to carry it for you?”

Yu Jiao shook her head. “We should go find Uncle and the others now.”

Yu Fuling, still scanning the ground around them, had her attention fully on finding more Buguzhi. In her mind, nothing was more important than helping her younger brother recover.

She suggested hopefully, “Let’s look for a few more Buguzhi first!”

Afraid Yu Fuling would wander off again, Yu Jiao grabbed her sleeve. “We’ve already spent quite a while gathering herbs. Uncle and the others are probably worried since we haven’t shown up. There are plenty of herbs in this forest, we don’t need to find all the Buguzhi right now.”

Yu Fuling replied, slightly dejected, “Okay…” and followed Yu Jiao northward through the woods, though her eyes remained fixed on the ground.

But they didn’t come across any more Buguzhi along the way. Suddenly, a thought struck Yu Fuling. She grabbed Yu Jiao’s hand and asked nervously, “Meng Yujiao, you said Buguzhi can help Qizhe’s body, does that mean… you can cure him?”