Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 84

When Yu Jiao and Yu Fuling returned home, the food was already prepared. Madam Zhang’s daughter, Yu Gancao, had come back to her maiden home with her husband and daughter, saying she was there to help with the wheat harvest.

Lunch had already started in the main hall. After a whole morning of work, Yu Fuling was starving. She quickly washed her hands and headed in to eat.

Yu Jiao’s palms were covered in tiny red marks from the wheat, and a blister had formed at the base of her right thumb from gripping the sickle. Her whole body was drenched in sweat, and she didn’t have the appetite to eat. She fetched a basin of water and went back to her room to wash up.

Just as she finished cleaning up and stepped out of the room, Yu Fuling walked in carrying a bowl of noodles. “All clean? Good, the noodles have cooled a bit, eat up.”

Yu Jiao nodded, accepted the bowl with a quiet thanks, and sat down inside to eat.

Yu Fuling was just about to say that Qizhe had saved the noodles especially for her when Yu Mengshan walked in with slightly stiff steps.

He still hadn’t fully adjusted to walking with a prosthetic leg. Smiling at Yu Jiao, he asked, “Do you think I can manage harvesting wheat with this leg?”

Yu Jiao shook her head. “Not yet.”

Yu Mengshan looked disappointed. He knew full well that his wife and he weren’t suited for fieldwork, and with nine mu of wheat fields, it would be impossible for his wife to harvest everything on her own. He’d have to go try convincing his eldest brother and sister-in-law again.

Before long, Yu Jiao finished the noodles. She took her bowl and chopsticks to the kitchen, washed them, and looked around for something to save for Madam Song, but found nothing left.

Back in the east room, Yu Jiao asked, “Wasn’t any food saved for Aunt Song?”

Yu Fuling, who was filling two bottles with cool water, smiled. “Little brother went to bring her lunch. Do you want to rest a bit? I’ll head back to the field first.”

Yu Jiao took one of the bottles from her. “No need. I’ll go with you.”

Just as the two were about to leave the courtyard, Yu Gancao came out of the west room, smiling. “Fuling, heading to the fields? Wait for me, we’ll go together!”

She called back into the room, “Hanqiu, hurry up!”

“Coming!” a man’s voice responded from inside. A medium-built, slightly chubby man walked out. Yu Gancao tugged his arm and said, “My husband and I came back to help with the wheat harvest. Let’s all head down together.”

Yu Fuling nodded, then glanced toward the west room and asked in a low voice, “Gancao-jie, if you and your husband go to the fields, won’t Aunt Zhang be upset?”

Yu Gancao, having already heard her mother grumble about being angry over Zhizhou and the county school, just smiled. “Ah, she’s just letting off steam. The work needs to be done sooner or later anyway.”

The four of them left the courtyard and made their way toward the farmland west of the village.

Yu Gancao stole a few glances at Yu Jiao along the way and then smiled. “You must be our Wu-di’s wife? I wasn’t home when you married in, so we haven’t met before. This is your eldest brother-in-law, Li Hanqiu.”

Yu Jiao returned a polite smile and greeted them, “Hello, big sister, big brother-in-law.”

Li Hanqiu nodded with a friendly smile. Noticing Yu Jiao’s delicate and pretty features, he gave her a few more glances than necessary.

Just then, they ran into Yu Qizhe, who was on his way back after bringing food to Madam Song. His gaze was cool as he cast a brief glance at Li Hanqiu and greeted them flatly, “Big sister, big brother-in-law.”

Li Hanqiu’s expression shifted slightly when he saw Yu Qizhe. His own family were all farmers, and they held scholars in high regard, especially their own in-law, who had once passed the preliminary rounds of the imperial exams. He immediately cupped his hands in a respectful salute. “Wu-di.”

Yu Qizhe didn’t react much. He calmly stepped to Yu Jiao’s side, positioning himself to block her from Li Hanqiu’s view, then gave Li Hanqiu another subtle glance and said in a low voice, “I’ll come to the fields with you.”

Yu Jiao narrowed her eyes slightly. “You want to harvest wheat?”

Before Yu Qizhe could respond, she added, “No way. Your body can’t handle it. Just go home and rest.”

Yu Qizhe lowered his gaze slightly and didn’t argue. He simply nodded and turned to head back home.

Once his figure disappeared into the distance, Yu Gancao chuckled and teased, “What did Wu-di whisper to you just now? You two seem really close.”