Chapter 40 Intimacy

Back in the town, Shao Diandian thought about her conversation with Jing Yi. Feeling uneasy, she decided to make another trip to Spring Willow Alley.

When Matriarch Fu caught sight of her, she practically pointed her nostrils up at the sky. "Why are you here again!"

Shao Diandian curled her lips. "It's not like I'm here to buy your dried plum vegetables."

Matriarch Fu: "..." So infuriating!

Physician Fu emerged from the back. "Mother—"

Matriarch Fu asked angrily, "Did you charge her double the consultation fee like I told you to?"

Physician Fu stammered, "I... I... charged it..."

She became his apprentice.

A nominal apprentice.

He didn't dare to utter this latter part out loud.

"Hmph!" Assuming she had successfully extorted Shao Diandian, Matriarch Fu went back inside looking extremely pleased with herself!

"Elder sister, I need to go to the outhouse." Shao Erdian needed to pee.

"The outhouse is over that way," Physician Fu pointed out the direction.

After Shao Erdian left for the outhouse, Shao Diandian asked about the brocade-clad young man.

Physician Fu said, "Someone did come by, a young man carrying a sword."

Bai Ze, Jing Yi's bodyguard.

Shao Diandian pondered for a moment and asked, "Did he ask you about me?"

Physician Fu replied, "Indeed. He asked me what your relation to me was. I told him you were my apprentice. Then he asked who he was, and he left."

She had guessed that Jing Yi would investigate her. Fortunately, she had prepared in advance, otherwise her medical skills would have been impossible to explain.

Next, she expected Physician Fu to ask what was really going on, who she actually was, where she had learned her medical arts, and why someone was investigating her.

To her surprise, Physician Fu seemed completely unconcerned. Instead, he solemnly warned her, "You must not tell my mother. The Fu family's medical skills are passed down to sons and not to daughters. If she finds out I took a female apprentice—even if it's just in name only—she'll definitely hit the roof with rage."

Shao Diandian stroked her chin. "Hmm, I suddenly feel a little tempted to tell her."

Physician Fu: "..."

--

The siblings and the father-in-law and son-in-law arrived home around the same time.

Everyone had finished a day of toil, industrious and happy.

——Madam Qian was not happy.

She was practically tortured to death.

Shao Kang beamed from ear to ear. "Daughter! I'm back! And the son-in-law is back too!"

Back home, they were once again a loving, affectionate father-in-law and son-in-law duo!

The three little ones had gone off to play in the village with Meizi and Niudan, so Shao Erdian went to call them home for dinner.

Shao Diandian went into the kitchen to simmer Old Master Shao's traditional Chinese medicine. While waiting for the medicine, she took the bone-strengthening granules she had obtained from the pharmacy to Old Master Shao's room.

"What is this?" Old Master Shao asked.

Shao Diandian said, "Medicine to strengthen bones."

"It, it looks like this." Old Master Shao had never seen such strange medicine. "It must have cost quite a bit of silver, right?"

"I ran into a kind physician who sold it to me cheap," Shao Diandian said, handing him a money pouch. "I've earned a bit from doing business these past few days. Take these for now."

Old Master Shao refused. "I don't want it. You keep it to spend!"

Shao Diandian said softly, "I have some on hand, and Erdian got some too. Although it's not much, as long as we work hard at our business, things will definitely get better and better in the future."

Old Master Shao's throat swelled with emotion once more.

He gripped his daughter's hand, using every ounce of willpower to hold back the urge to shed tears, and said with a choked voice, "Don't you worry... Father will learn to farm properly too..."

Over at the Li family's house.

Madam Qian, who was holding her bowl of rice to eat, suddenly shivered for no apparent reason—

--

Shao Diandian temporarily refrained from giving Old Master Shao acupuncture; the time wasn't right yet.

She went back to her room and took out the list Shen Chuan had given her, planning to check how many had been ordered so she could decide how much dough to ferment tonight.

However, when she looked at the black ink on white paper in her hands, her expression instantly stiffened.

She couldn't read!

To be precise, she couldn't read the script of this dynasty!

Moreover, ancient writing was written vertically, from top to bottom and right to left, without any punctuation marks. It was impossible to even guess!

How rash of her!

If she had known, she should have had Shen Chuan read it out loud!

The little chubby Shao tore at her hair in frustration!

Just as she was losing her mind in exasperation, she turned her head and caught sight of Wei Ting, who was sitting leisurely by the doorway basking in the setting sun.

Shao Diandian's eyes lit up, and she strode over. "Wei Ting, can you read?"

Wei Ting sat in his chair, raising his gaze indifferently at the sound.

The afterglow of the sunset fell into his deep, pool-like eyes, refracting dazzling, jade-like ripples.

Shao Diandian swallowed hard.

Damn it, this body's weakness for handsome men was acting up again.

She hurriedly averted her gaze and said loftily, "I asked you a question."

Wei Ting looked at the back of her head and said flatly, "I can."

"Really?" Shao Diandian turned her face back, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at him. "Then help me read the words on this!"

"You can't read?" Wei Ting was quite surprised.

Anyone who understood medicine generally knew at least some characters, save for a few quacks who only knew a couple of folk remedies. But clearly, her medical skills were far more formidable than any quack's.

"What's so strange about a country girl not knowing how to read? Are you going to read it or not?" Shao Diandian shook the list in her hand.

Wei Ting asked with a half-smile, "Is this the attitude you use when asking someone for a favor?"

Shao Diandian bit her pearly whites.

Wei Ting leaned back against the chair and drawled, "It seems you aren't all that eager for me to read it after all. Never mind then."

Shao Diandian glared at him furiously, took a deep breath, and smiled sweetly. "Husband, you worked in the fields for a whole day, you must be exhausted. Are you thirsty? Are you hungry? Let me pour you a cup of water!"

She briskly poured a cup of tea.

"A bit too cool," Wei Ting said.

"Just wait!" Shao Diandian went inside and swapped it for a cup of hot water.

"Bland," Wei Ting said again.

"Coming right up!" Shao Diandian went back and added a pinch of tea leaves.

Times were hard at home, and the tea leaves they drank were old, coarse, and astringent in taste.

Wei Ting took one sip and didn't want any more.

"Husband, are you tired? Let me massage your shoulders for you!"

Shao Diandian slipped behind him, extending a pair of chubby little hands to begin massaging his shoulders and neck.

Wei Ting thoroughly enjoyed the little woman's earnest attempts to curry favor.

However—

The woman's hands had been quite proper at first, but as she massaged, they drifted toward unspeakable territory.

Wei Ting's entire body tensed up. "Hand over here!"

Shao Diandian sneered inwardly: Ha, you little punk, I've got your number!

She had discovered long ago that Wei Ting had a ticklish spot on his waist.

Wei Ting pointed at the characters on the list and read them to her one by one.

Shao Diandian listened attentively, unconsciously leaning forward slightly behind his back so she could remember the characters he was reading.

The young girl's warm breath brushed inadvertently against his ear, causing Wei Ting's voice to pause.

"Why did you stop reading?" Shao Diandian asked.

Wei Ting resumed reading.

The winter wind was cold, but he was burning hot.

-

When Shao Jinniang happened to pass by not far away, what she saw was the intimate and ambiguous scene between the two of them under the setting sun.

"Finished reading."

Wei Ting said coldly.

Shao Diandian slumped over the back of the chair, tilting her head to look at his perfect profile with a cheeky grin. "Husband, you're amazing!"

Wei Ting maintained a calm expression, his tone disdainful. "Need you say it?"

"If I say it, so what!" She had finished reading it anyway!

Shao Diandian snatched the list back with a swish and strode off toward the house.

Wei Ting said with a straight face, "The tea is cold."

Shao Diandian unleashed her full aura without looking back, "Pour it yourself!"

Wei Ting: "......!!"