Chapter 31: The Second Branch’s Plan
“With Old Madam Chen’s nature, how could she possibly hand out two hundred taels of silver every month for nothing? Even for us, the thirty taels per month that the three of us were supposed to get—did we ever actually receive them?”
Ye Jiamai’s voice rang out with a faint mocking tone, filled with disdain for the injustice done to the original trio.
While it was true that as the elder brother, Yu Hui had no obligation to give silver to his two brothers each month, since he had offered and Old Madam Chen had agreed, her embezzling the funds was truly despicable.
“To be honest, that old hag Old Madam Chen really has some tricks. Dad, do you remember anything about your mother? Generally, women who could become concubines were supposed to be quite beautiful. When Yu Hui was promoted and ennobled, Old Madam Chen was just a rural woman—how did she manage to get your mother killed?”
“I don’t think my mother is dead.”
Yu Luo casually asked, a bit puzzled as to why, for so many years, there hadn’t been any other concubines by Yu Hui’s side.
After all, the title of Marquis of Guo An was a second-rank position. Even if Yu Hui wasn’t a womanizer, the emperor would have tried to plant a few women by his side.
Not to mention, as the saying goes, “Constant exposure to the river, and your feet will get wet.”
Yu Hui had been promoted at a young age, and all his colleagues had multiple wives and concubines, yet he remained spotless. It was truly baffling.
Moreover, ever since the original owner’s grandmother was said to have passed away, the Marquis’s estate had no other concubines.
Otherwise, Yu Luo wouldn’t have been so surprised!
“What? Are you sure?”
Ye Jiamai’s voice involuntarily rose a few pitches, filled with disbelief.
In the ten-plus years she had been in the estate, all she had heard was that the original owner’s real mother-in-law had passed away. Now Yu Haojie was telling her she might not be dead.
“I’m not sure either. The original owner’s memories are a bit jumbled, but we can’t worry about others right now. Let’s focus on ourselves first.”
“I think the third branch is really pitiful. Xiao Luo, you’ve stored plenty of cotton-padded clothes and quilts. Maybe give them one or two pieces as an act of kindness?”
Yu Haojie, compassionate by nature in both his past and present lives, naturally felt pity for the weak. Besides, they did have the means to help.
However, Yu Luo felt that directly handing out clothes from their own basket might be too conspicuous.
“I’ll think of a way. We can’t just give them directly. Who knows if Wu Dahai will give us another chance to stockpile supplies before we reach Pingyang. Anyway, I have plenty of gold and silver treasures stored. If I discreetly let the third branch find a hundred or so taels of silver to buy supplies, they might actually make it to the wilderness.”
By now, they had finished their meal, but Yu Zhengqing, who had taken Yu Hui to seek treatment, had not returned for a long time.
Wu Dahai’s face was growing darker by the minute.
Taking advantage of this break, everyone else was happy to rest for a bit longer, secretly hoping Yu Zhengqing would take his time coming back.
“Second Sister-in-law, the child is fine now. Thank you so much. Without your medicine, our little Qing would have been doomed.”
The family of three had just opened their quilt, planning to get some rest after a long and exhausting trek since dawn, when Wang Ying, Yu Yongcai, and Yu Qiao’er approached them with Yu Xiaoqing in their arms.
Wang Ying’s words grew increasingly emotional, and before she knew it, she was kneeling in front of Ye Jiamai, tears streaming down her face.
Ye Jiamai, who couldn’t stand such formalities, was so startled that she quickly helped them up.
“It’s fine as long as he’s okay. After the fever subsides, he might start coughing. Here are some cough suppressant pills. If the child starts coughing, give them to him.”
Wang Ying and her husband had not expected Ye Jiamai to be so kind-hearted. They gratefully took the medicine and quickly hid it in the pockets of their tattered, patched-up prison garments.
“Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, although we’ve only just met and I don’t know why you’re not on good terms with the first branch, we owe you a great debt. If you ever need anything from me, Yu Yongcai, I won’t hesitate to risk my life!”
Not only had Ye Jiamai saved their son, but also their daughter. These two lives were enough for Yu Yongcai to repay for a lifetime.
“No need to say such things. We’re all in the same boat now. Let’s just look out for each other along the way.”
It wasn’t until late in the afternoon that Yu Zhengqing finally returned with Yu Hui on his back.
Along with him came a large bag of medicine. Yu Hui, slumped on Yu Zhengqing’s back, had his eyes open, but the drooping corner of his mouth had become even more pronounced.
As Yu Zhengqing put Yu Hui down and he wobbled unsteadily, the first branch burst into wails once more!
The loudest cries naturally came from Old Madam Chen.
Ye Jiamai looked at Yu Hui’s condition and sighed.
“This is really adding insult to injury. Even though Yu Hui managed to keep his life, with half his body paralyzed, how could he possibly make it to the wilderness?”
Thinking about how Yu Hui was once the powerful Marquis of Guo An, and seeing him now, drooling uncontrollably with half of his body paralyzed, Yu Haojie couldn’t help but sigh about the unpredictability of life.
They didn’t pity Yu Hui—only lamented how uncertain life could be.
Exhausted from a day’s trek, Yu Zhengqing had barely set down Yu Hui when Wu Dahai immediately ordered the group to move forward.
Now, with Old Madam Chen’s arrow wound still unhealed, Yu Zhengqing’s two sons suffering from internal injuries, and Yu Hui’s half-dead state, Yu Zhengqing seemed to have aged decades overnight.
“You two, be smart about this. Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. Now’s the time to cozy up to the first branch. Later, you two go help Yu Zhengqing carry your uncle.”
Looking at the long faces of his sons, Yu Shanhe and Yu Shanhai, Yu Liang scolded them in a hushed voice.
But before they could react, Mu Chunfang sneered in disdain.
“If it weren’t for them, would we be exiled in the first place? It’s already good enough that we’re not cursing them out loud, and now you want my sons to carry their load? Why don’t you go carry him yourself, you old fool?”
Seeing Mu Chunfang’s lack of tact, Yu Liang was frustrated beyond words.
“You foolish old woman, do you have any idea what’s going on? If it weren’t for the first branch bribing the guards, do you think they’d let Yu Zhengqing take our brother for treatment? Look at us, with so many mouths to feed, surviving on wild vegetables and the black biscuits given by the guards. Do you really think we’ll make it to the wilderness like this?”
Realizing the truth of Yu Liang’s words, Mu Chunfang quickly changed her tune, nodding repeatedly.
“You’re right! I saw they even had white buns to eat—much better than us. And their basket must be full of food! You two better listen to your father. If it gets too hard, get Chunmu to help too!”
The journey of exile continued, and Wu Dahai wasn’t joking around. Because they had delayed the journey for Yu Zhengqing’s sake, even when night fell, they gritted their teeth and finished the fifty li for the day before finding a spot to rest.
