Chapter 9 has tons of skills

Chapter 9 has tons of skills

Xie Wanniang noticed Jiang Yuan's confusion and smiled slightly. "Daughters of the Xie family not only need to learn poetry, literature, music, chess, calligraphy and painting, but also etiquette, managing household affairs, and needlework and cooking skills."

"If the girls have other hobbies, such as riding and archery, martial arts, divination, medicine, tea ceremony, flower cultivation, or winemaking, my father will find a corresponding teacher to teach them carefully."

When she spoke of "father," Xie Wanniang's tone and expression were noticeably gentler than before.

She looked up and smiled at Jiang Yuan, whose gaze was deep and whose eyes seemed to be filled with starlight. "So, there are many things I can do. Even if I don't go back to the Xie family, I can still support myself with what I learned before."

Jiang Yuan hummed in agreement and quickly began washing the pots and dishes. "Once you're better, you can do whatever you want."

The implication is that you should just stay home and rest, and stop worrying about things like steaming buns or making pastries.

Xie Wanniang understood, and while feeling helpless, she was also somewhat touched.

Just as she was about to say that she was much better and could do some simple things, Jiang Yuan had already taken the basket and was showing it off to Xie Wanniang as if it were a treasure, pointing out the pile of fruit inside.

There are many varieties of fruit. At the top are purplish-black mulberries, below which are light pink small cherries, and below the cherries are unripe white apricots and fuzzy peaches.

The basket was crammed full of fruit, and no one knew where Jiang Yuan had gotten it from. He washed his hands and carefully picked out all the fruit. He then washed some of the mulberries and cherries with clean water, put them on a plate, and handed them to Xie Wanniang.

Xie Wanniang was somewhat flattered, "Aren't you going to eat?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head, "Take this after you finish your medicine."

Xie Wanniang had mixed feelings. She did indeed have a slightly exaggerated expression after each dose of medicine, but she never expected that Jiang Yuan would specially find these fruits for her because of this.

She asked Jiang Yuan, "They're so pretty, these can't be wild fruits, right?"

Jiang Yuan nodded, "I swapped them with someone else."

Mingfu Village is nestled against the mountains and beside the water. In addition to farming, the villagers often go into the mountains and rivers to collect, fish, or hunt, or simply cultivate small ponds or orchards to supplement their income.

The half-basket of fruit that Jiang Yuan brought back, as well as the other basket of fruit that he temporarily left on someone else's fruit tree, were obtained by exchanging pheasants with one of the families who grew fruit trees.

He told Xie Wanniang, "Many families in the village grow fruit trees, so eat as much as you want, don't be stingy."

Fruits are not as popular as meat or grains, and the more you have, the lower the price becomes. If Xie Wanniang likes to eat them, Jiang Yuan doesn't mind bringing her a bunch every few days.

"Then you eat too." Xie Wanniang didn't like eating alone, especially since Jiang Yuan had traded something for her.

She ran to the kitchen, grabbed a large bowl, and picked out half a bowl of the ripest mulberries and cherries, which she estimated should be the sweetest, leaving it for Jiang Yuan, who was still working.

Jiang Yuan noticed her selection criteria, and his gaze softened.

After Xie Wanniang had made her selection, she picked up the medicine bowl and gulped it down in one go. Jiang Yuan quickly took away the plate and empty bowl, leaving the better-looking fruit in the large bowl for Xie Wanniang to eat, saying, "I don't like sweets."

Xie Wanniang: ? ? ? These days, even the ripest fruit isn't that sweet, is it?

A slight smile played on her lips as she picked up a purplish-red mulberry from the top of the bowl and popped it into her mouth. The sweet and sour taste filled her mouth, masking the bitterness of the herbal medicine.

When Wang Xiaozhi finished dealing with her in-laws' affairs and hurried over, she saw her younger brother and Xie Wanniang sitting in the courtyard, enjoying the evening breeze while eating fruit.

Seeing the two sitting side by side, with only about three feet (1 meter) between them, Wang Xiaozhi immediately smiled and her almond-shaped eyes narrowed.

That night, Xie Wanniang did not have a fever again, just as she had said. Relieved, Wang Xiaozhi decided not to come and watch over Xie Wanniang the next day.

She realized that even if her brother tried to avoid suspicion while she was away, he would still have to interact with Xie Wanniang in the end. This would actually bring him closer to Xie Wanniang than if her brother always ordered her around.

The next morning, when everyone was having breakfast together, she told Jiang Yuan about her decision not to come over that night. Jiang Yuan didn't say anything, but silently took out the pheasant that he had left for her.

Wang Xiaozhi didn't stand on ceremony with him. She had been staying over for the past two days to take care of Xie Wanniang. Her mother-in-law was helping to look after the two children in the family. She was taking a chicken back to show her respect to her mother-in-law, so that her sisters-in-law wouldn't gossip about her mother-in-law being biased.

After she left, Xie Wanniang finished the last mouthful of dumpling soup in her bowl, and Jiang Yuan took the three people's bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen and quickly washed them.

He still plans to go out today. In the morning, he intends to go to the nearby mountains to hunt some more game. In the afternoon, he plans to go to town to buy some things.

Xie Wanniang didn't want to stay at home alone, so she tentatively asked Jiang Yuan, "Can I come up the mountain with you?"

Yesterday, when she was eating fruit with Jiang Yuan in the evening breeze, he told her that he wouldn't be going into the deep mountains and forests lately, but would only wander around the small hills near the village, where there weren't many medium or large wild animals.

Although Xie Wanniang is still taking medicine, she feels that her physical condition has improved a lot, and going out for a walk will not hinder her recovery.

Her only concern now is whether her presence will interfere with Jiang Yuan's hunting.

Jiang Yuan glanced at Xie Wanniang, who was both eager and hesitant, and his heart softened, so he subconsciously nodded.

Xie Wanniang's eyes widened, and she cheered with a mixture of surprise and joy.

Her joy made the sudden pang of regret in Jiang Yuan's heart vanish instantly.

Fine, at worst, when she can't walk anymore, he'll find a place for her to sit and get some fresh air. As long as she stays within his sight, she might be safer with him than if she were left alone at home.

Jiang Yuan, who had easily convinced himself, took out four strips of cloth and carefully tied Xie Wan Niang's cuffs and trouser legs.

He didn't explain, but Xie Wanniang knew it was to prevent snakes and insects from crawling into her clothes through the gaps and biting her.

Xie Wanniang was wearing a spare dress given to her by an aunt from Mingfu Village; it was her own daughter's new clothes.

Unlike Xie Wanniang's own wide-skirted, ankle-length dress, what she was wearing now consisted of loose trousers and a loose top that only reached above her knees—a neat, practical, and easy-to-move "short outfit."

"Hang this around your waist." Jiang Yuan quickly helped Xie Wanniang tie the cloth strip, and then handed her a small cloth bag containing a lot of medicinal herbs.

Xie Wanniang brought the cloth bag to her mouth and nose and sniffed it. "It's medicine to repel snakes and insects. Did Doctor Chen prescribe it?"

A hint of surprise appeared on Jiang Yuan's young face. "You understand pharmacology?"