When Hu Yufen finished cooking, Shen Yuan and Sun Fuchun, carrying a medicine box, also walked into the house.
"Uncle Sun."
Hu Yufen, coming out from the kitchen, hurriedly saluted, then looked reproachfully at Shen Yuan: "There's really nothing wrong, yet you had to trouble Uncle Sun to make a trip."
Shen Yuan chuckled: "It's better to confirm."
"Please sit down, Uncle Sun." After inviting Sun Fuchun to sit, he also helped his wife sit opposite him.
After a simple pulse check, a smile appeared on Sun Fuchun's face. Stroking his beard, he said: "It is indeed a pregnancy pulse, there's nothing else of concern."
Hearing this confirmation, Shen Yuan felt relieved instantly, then quickly asked: "Uncle Sun, during Yufen's previous pregnancy with Ah Nu, there was a flood, and it hurt her Primordial Qi. Do you think we should prescribe some medication to help her recover?"
In this era, childbirth for women is akin to walking through the gateway of death; any mishap could result in both lives being lost.
Over the years, many women in the village have lost their lives this way, and he did not want anything to happen to his wife.
Sun Fuchun nodded: "Indeed, she needs proper care. I have some remedies here, but..."
"Yufen, you and Shi Tou have your meal first. I'll have a word with Uncle Sun outside," interrupting Sun Fuchun, Shen Yuan said.
Hu Yufen nodded slightly, watching them leave the yard.
Outside the yard, Shen Yuan quickly explained: "Please forgive me, Uncle Sun, Yufen is quite frugal."
Sun Fuchun nodded with a smile: "I understand, the prescription for adjustment is indeed valuable."
"For postpartum women, the greatest threat is insufficient blood and Qi. After childbirth, significant loss of Primordial Qi can cause fatal bleeding."
"The key is to strengthen the foundation and replenish blood and Qi."
Hearing this, Shen Yuan was slightly taken aback and said: "I remember Uncle Sun once said that practicing martial arts also requires strengthening the foundation and keeping the Qi and blood abundant, could it be..."
Sun Fuchun smiled and nodded: "Yes, that's true. The medicinal diet at the Martial Arts Hall in town is actually a good adjustment remedy."
"However, it includes herbs that pregnant women should avoid, so it can't be used as it is."
"The prescription I've prepared is much milder."
Without any hesitation, Shen Yuan promptly said: "Then I'll trouble you, Uncle Sun."
Sun Fuchun waved his hand: "I'll go back and prepare the medicine. You can come by and pick it up when you have time."
"This medicine consists of ten doses in total, one dose per month, and each dose is priced at two taels of silver."
"It's a top-notch adjustment remedy, but if it's too expensive..."
"It's not expensive, not at all." Shen Yuan clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Uncle Sun. I'll come to get it in the evening."
Medicines that protect lives, whether it costs twenty taels of silver, or even two hundred, he has to find a way.
"Then, I'll head back now," Sun Fuchun said.
"I'll see you off."
"No need, go back and have your meal."
...
When Shen Yuan returned to the yard, Hu Yufen immediately came up and said: "There's nothing wrong with my health, don't waste money!"
Shen Yuan gently took her hand and said earnestly: "It's just some ordinary health-boosting medicine, not expensive."
"Don't worry, I'm here for everything."
Hu Yufen blushed and said nothing.
She knew Shen Yuan cared for her, but every expense at home was a burden, and these burdens ultimately fell on her husband's shoulders.
"Let's eat."
Shen Yuan sat down at the table, looking at Shen Wenxing beside him gobbling down white rice, a hint of a smile appeared on his face.
After finishing the meal, he took Shen Wenxing and drove the ox cart to town to sell grain.
Just as Fu Gui predicted, the Shen Family's grain was plump and superior, priced thirty percent higher than usual grain.
The father and son each pulled a full cart of grain, selling a total of thirty taels of silver.
"Ah Die, I want to eat roast chicken!"
As they came out from the grain store, Shen Wenxing spoke with a hopeful look on his face.
This was the true reason he wanted to follow to town.
Weighing the heavy silver in his hand, Shen Yuan playfully scolded: "You glutton!"
"Ah Die..."
"Alright, alright! But we need to buy some fruit for your mother first."
Hu Yufen just became pregnant, experiencing nausea and vomiting, plus the hot weather; she needed some light fruit to supplement her nutrition.
The father and son drove the ox cart to a fruit store in town and casually picked some fruits.
When paying, they found it cost nearly a tael of silver!
In these times, being able to eat one's fill was a blessing, and fruits were naturally a luxury. He guessed it would be expensive, but didn't expect it to be this much!
A tael of silver could buy nearly two stone of grain, and these few fruits cost as much as two or three hundred pounds of grain!?
Though Shen Yuan's heart ached, he bit the bullet and paid the money.
At the end of the hour, Hu Yufen took Shi Tou to Master Lu's house to pick up Ah Nu, and Shen Yuan discreetly went to Sun Fuchun's house to retrieve the medicine with the money.
After the evening meal with the family of four, they coaxed the two brothers to sleep.
"How much did the grain sell for today?" Hu Yufen asked casually as she tidied up the bed.
Scratching his head, Shen Yuan mumbled and didn't reply.
Hu Yufen had a clear grasp of the family's finances, and it was impossible to hide the spending on medicinal diets from her.
Seeing him not respond, Hu Yufen immediately pulled out a small wooden box from under the bed.
After counting, she found only one hundred and sixty-eight taels remaining.
"This year's grain only sold for eight taels!?"
She was not a clueless woman; she had a good idea of how much the family's grain should fetch.
"Husband, how much did those medicines cost in total?"
Seeing her man fumble with dishonesty, Hu Yufen felt a complicated mix of emotions.
"Twen... Twenty taels."
"A total of ten doses, each only costing two taels of silver!"
Shen Yuan hastily explained, hoping to downplay the "steep" notion of twenty taels of silver.
Hu Yufen pursed her lips, sighed softly, and calmly closed the box, pushed it back under the bed, then sat beside Shen Yuan.
Shen Yuan slowly extended his hand to wrap around her shoulders, comforting her:
"Money is just a thing; if it's gone, we'll earn more."
"You and the children are the most important. The future is long, everything will get better."
Hearing this, Hu Yufen felt her nose tingle, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"I just don't want you to be so tired."
Husband and wife leaned on each other.
"Yufen, I have an idea."
After a long while, Shen Yuan suddenly said: "Today in town, the fruits cost a tael of silver."
"I want to clear out five acres of our ten-acre forest to sell the timber, and plant fruit trees next spring."
"That way, we should significantly increase our income each year."
Forest land is unsuitable for crops; their ten acres were mostly firewood, kept for personal use or sold for minimal profit.
If they cut the trees and planted fruit trees, the income would likely rise substantially.
"This..." Hu Yufen hesitated after hearing this.
"I heard planting fruit trees is quite troublesome, and without experience, isn't this a risky move?"
Shen Yuan nodded, then laughed: "Perhaps it was before, but now..."
He gently stroked Hu Yufen's hair and said: "Have you noticed the two peach trees at Master Lu's entrance?"
Hu Yufen was slightly taken aback, recalling the two peach trees laden with large, red fruits outside Lu Zhiyuan's house when picking up Ah Nu. They were even better than those sold in the market.
"You're not considering Master Lu's peach trees, are you?"
Shen Yuan shook his head slightly: "Of course not, but those peach trees were planted by Master Lu and Uncle Ya, they must be skilled in this area, so tomorrow I'll ask for their guidance."
"If they agree to help, I'll then hire someone to sell part of the mountain's timber."
After hearing this, Hu Yufen felt slightly more assured.
Then she playfully chided her husband: "Husband never misses a chance, does he?"
Shen Yuan sighed slightly, thinking, isn't this just because life is pressing hard?