Chapter 30: Two Hundred Silver Taels a Month
Watching Old Madam Chen drag her injured leg and crawl to Yu Hui’s side, her clothes disheveled as she threw herself over him and wailed, Yu Luo couldn’t help but twitch the corners of her mouth!
In truth, superficial wounds would never be severe enough to make walking impossible, especially since Old Madam Chen’s injury was on her calf—the part with the most flesh.
A few days had passed, so even if it hurt, she should have been able to walk a short distance.
But Old Madam Chen, that selfish old hag, was so afraid that her leg wound wouldn’t heal properly that she made Yu Zhengqing carry her for two days over mountains and rivers, only to end up in such a humiliating situation.
What’s the point of crying now? If they manage to survive and reach the wilderness, they’d be considered lucky. And Yu Hui was just sick, not dead!
At this point, Wu Dahai and the other soldiers, exhausted from the journey, ignored the chaos unfolding before them and simply sat down to rest.
The fact that Wu Dahai didn’t immediately have Yu Zhengqing tied up again was already the greatest convenience he could offer. To ask him to escort Yu Hui to seek medical treatment was simply out of the question.
However, if the temptation was big enough, anything was possible.
Yu Zhengqing walked over to Wu Dahai, who was resting, cupped his hands, and bowed.
In the past, as the heir to a marquis, Yu Zhengqing would never have even spared Wu Dahai a glance, but times had changed.
“Commander Wu, may I have a word in private?”
Seeing Yu Zhengqing’s demeanor, Wu Dahai knew it was another chance to line his pockets.
His heart was secretly delighted, but outwardly, he kept a stern face, scanning the surroundings coldly.
“The imperial decree is clear: no delays are allowed. If we arrive late, it’s a hundred lashes as punishment. The Heir of Rong’an should think carefully.”
Once they were a short distance away, Wu Dahai’s tone was icy, leaving no room for negotiation.
“I understand, but I beg Commander Wu for mercy—to allow me to take my father for treatment. If Commander Wu can grant this favor, I will surely reward you handsomely.”
“Handsomely rewarded? I reckon the Heir of Rong’an has at most a few thousand silver taels on him—hardly worth the risk for me.”
Hearing this, Yu Zhengqing’s heart leaped with joy. He knew there was room for negotiation.
“Two hundred li to the north, I have a manor where my concubine resides. There’s a chest of gold and silver jewelry there. If Commander Wu agrees to this request, I can provide the exact location.”
It wasn’t unusual for exiled nobles to hide their wealth. No wealthy family would put all their assets in one place—that would be far too risky.
Serving a ruler was like accompanying a tiger, and the Yu family had long been prepared for such an eventuality. So Wu Dahai wasn’t the least bit surprised.
After all, he had taken on this arduous task hoping to make a fortune along the way. A chest of gold and silver was naturally more tempting than mere silver taels.
“If you dare deceive me, we still have thousands of li to travel before reaching Pingyang. Even if you can fight, I don’t believe you’d abandon your wife and children.”
Fortune favors the bold. Though Wu Dahai was inclined to believe him, he still had to issue a threat.
After a brief rest, Yu Zhengqing miserably hoisted Yu Hui onto his back and continued with the group.
With Yu Zhengqing occupied, Old Madam Chen could only limp forward, supported by her two daughters-in-law, no longer daring to make a fuss.
After another five or six li, Old Madam Chen, unable to bear the pain any longer, started crying out in agony, hoping to arouse sympathy so her daughters-in-law would carry her.
In truth, her wound wasn’t that painful—it was just that she had lived in luxury for decades and had never walked such long distances. Exhausted, she was at her wit’s end.
With a crisp “crack!”, a whip lashed across Old Madam Chen’s back. Already weak, she screamed in agony and jumped to her feet!
Moments ago, she was whining pitifully as if on the verge of death, but now, after a single lash, she seemed full of energy—exposing her act for what it was!
“Quit whining! If you don’t want to walk, just bash your head against a rock and die quietly! Quit making such a racket!”
The soldier spat on the ground after lashing her, and Old Madam Chen, terrified of another blow, promptly shut her mouth.
Supporting her, Lady Lan and Chang Huilan hung their heads in silence, secretly overjoyed.
They knew that if the soldiers hadn’t intervened, Old Madam Chen would have forced them to carry her.
By midday, the group reached a small river. Wu Dahai ordered a few men to deal with the wild boar, and everyone rested nearby.
Taking advantage of the break, Yu Luo’s family noticed Yu Zhengqing secretly carrying Yu Hui away.
“Mom, Dad, it really seems like money can make the world go round. I wonder how much Yu Zhengqing must have paid Wu Dahai to get him to allow Yu Hui to seek treatment.”
It was obvious that the wild boar meat wouldn’t be shared with the prisoners. Sitting on the ground, the three of them dug a small pit, cooked some porridge, and ate it with steamed buns.
“Never mind them. Let’s just mind our own business.”
“Son, don’t scare your mother!”
As they were eating, Wang Ying from the third branch rushed over, holding her five-year-old son, Yu Xiaoqing, and sobbing in panic.
Seeing the child’s flushed face and half-asleep state, Ye Jiamai immediately stood up.
“I’ll go take a look…”
After a while, Ye Jiamai returned and sat down with a sigh.
“What’s the matter? Is the child sick?”
“Yes, he has a fever. I secretly gave them some fever-reducing medicine. He must have caught a chill last night on the mountain. Honestly, looking at the third branch’s family, they really have it rough. Their cotton-padded jackets are hard and full of patches—barely warm at all. I don’t even know if they can survive the journey to the wilderness.”
Ye Jiamai shook her head, took a sip of porridge, and sighed.
“Life is truly hard in these times. I heard that back when Yu Hui was the Marquis, the estate would pay out a hundred taels of silver each month to his two brothers. So how are they still so poor?”
Hearing this, Yu Haojie also sighed, his face full of helplessness.
“Mom, Dad, do you think it’s possible that the two hundred taels each month never actually reached the second and third branches? Otherwise, why would they be living in such poverty? Even if they were exiled, they should at least have had thick clothes to ward off the cold. But look at them—their clothes are patched up, and they eat nothing but wild vegetables and coarse grains.”
