Chapter 25: Has Er Ya Returned?

Shu Yu sat on the ox cart with the rice and flour placed on the board of the cart, swaying as they headed towards Shishi village.

Although Da Niu was a shy and introverted person, he unexpectedly had a good business sense. Along the way, they also picked up a few villagers who were heading towards Shishi village, and each person paid a penny for the fare. After all, although the ox cart was borrowed, they still had to pay rent, which added up to ten pennies for the round trip. This rent made the old lady very distressed.

However, Da Niu earned four pennies on the way back and was quite happy about it. When they arrived at Shishi village, there were only Da Niu, Shu Yu, and another woman from Shishi village left in the cart.

Who knew that just as they entered the village, a villager ran up to them and asked, "Da Niu, have you come back? How about your grandmother and your second uncle?"

Da Niu was stunned for a moment and said, "My second uncle is getting treatment for his leg in the county town and can't come back for the time being. My grandmother is taking care of him. What's wrong, Aunt Fang?"

"Ah, your second uncle's family is in trouble," Aunt Fang said.

Before Da Niu could speak, Shu Yu frowned and asked, "What happened?"

"Aunt Ruan from the Ruan family came again, and this time she brought a girl with her, claiming that she was Er Ya who was abducted and sold by her back then. Now she has found her and they are both at your second uncle's house," Aunt Fang replied.

"What?!" Shu Yu jumped off the cart abruptly and exclaimed, "You mean Er Ya has been brought back by her?"

Aunt Fang only noticed that Shu Yu's attitude was abnormal at this point, and nodded subconsciously, "Yes, that's right."

Shu Yu immediately said to Da Niu, "You bring the things back for me. I'll go and take a look first."

Without waiting for anyone to react, she ran straight towards the Lu family's house.

They didn't react in time, and when they snapped out of it, Shu Yu had already disappeared without a trace.

He didn't have time to think too much and quickly pulled the cart towards the village.

When Shu Yu arrived at the Lu family's house, many villagers had already gathered outside.

At a glance, she saw the Lu family's third son and his wife standing in front of the gate.

Shu Yu's lips twitched, and she squeezed through the crowd to get a clear view of the scene in the courtyard.

An old woman with slightly graying hair sat on a stool, wiping her tears as she cried and wailed, "My child, it's all my fault, mother was blinded by greed back then and did such wicked things, causing you to suffer for so many years. You haven't visited us in more than a decade, and my heart has been in pain too."

Ruan Shi was a bit bewildered, with Da Hu and San Ya standing on her left and right sides. San Ya held Ruan Shi's hand tightly, obviously afraid of the old woman.

Da Hua, on the other hand, pursed his lips tightly and alternated his gaze between Ruan Shi and the old woman.

The old woman continued to cry, her voice getting louder, "I've been trying my best to make amends all these years, but I know you won't forgive me unless we find Er Ya. I don't have the face to come to your doorstep. But now, Er Ya has found you, and you can reunite with your daughter. Our mother-daughter relationship can also be reconciled."

As she spoke, the old woman pushed a thin girl next to her forward. "This is Er Ya, your daughter. Look for yourself, isn't she quite similar to you and son-in-law?"

Shu Yu squinted and glanced at the girl. She didn't resemble them in the slightest, from her eyes to her nose and mouth.

Ruan Shi also stared at the girl in a daze.

The girl suddenly rushed forward and knelt down in front of Ruan Shi with a thud, then raised her head and wailed, "Mother, your daughter has finally found you!" 

(End of chapter)

 Chapter 24: Shu Yu Goes Shopping

When the old lady heard that Shu Yu was returning to Shishi Village, she couldn't help but feel relieved.

She admitted to being a bit selfish, fearing that Shu Yu would never return after leaving, and without the diagnosis fee, they would not be able to treat the Lu Erbai leg.

The old lady quickly instructed Da Niu, "Take good care of Miss Shu, don't drive too fast, understand?"

"Yes, Grandma don't worry," Da Niu assured her.

It was already late, and after all the commotion, everyone was hungry. When the old lady came, she brought coarse cornbread as dry food, and also brought some leftover meat from yesterday as a side dish for Shu Yu, while she and Da Niu would have it with pickled vegetables.

She wanted to prepare something better for Shu Yu, but they couldn't afford it at home, so they had to make do.

Shu Yu declined the food and urged the old lady to eat the remaining meat before it spoiled. She then stood up and prepared to go out. "I have to go out and take a walk. I'll be back soon."

Shu Yu didn't go far. She ate a bowl of noodles at a street stall and then went to the rice shop. Since the Lu family should be running out of food by now, she needed to buy some food for herself since she was returning to Shishi Village.

To be honest, Shu Yu's appetite was still good, but she didn't feel comfortable eating too much at the Lu family's expense.

Shu Yu bought a bag of rice, a small bag of noodles, a small pot of oil (as the vegetables from yesterday didn't have much oil), and a piece of pork from the market.

As someone who had been hungry during childhood, Shu Yu didn't want to skimp on herself now.

Shu Yu didn't bring a basket, so she already had her hands full with these items. But when she passed by the grocery store, she couldn't help but think of the Lu family's damaged bowls. The dishes from last night were rich in variety, and San Ya ate too fast and accidentally cut her mouth on the chipped edges.

Shu Yu couldn't resist and went in to buy a few sets of bowls.

Although she didn't have much money, her shopping desire was unstoppable.

She needed to find a way to make money as soon as possible. Not only did Lu Er Bai need money for his leg treatment, but in three months, Shu Yu would be facing exile, and she would need money for her preparations.

Shu Yu surveyed the large county town, pondering how to make a quick fortune in a short amount of time.

However, the things in her hands were a bit heavy. It seemed like she would have to find another opportunity to conduct market research.

Shu Yu returned to the clinic carrying rice, noodles, oil, and meat. Lu Erbai had already woken up and was eating the food prepared by the clinic. The medical fees that Doctor Xu had mentioned included the cost of accommodation and food.

However, as an elderly companion, the cost of accommodation was saved, but she still had to pay for her meals.

The old lady was surprised to see the things in Shu Yu's hands. "Miss Shu, what is this for?"

"Oh, I just wanted to buy some snacks."

The old lady's expression was complicated. Although that was what she said, she knew that Shu Yu would bring it back to the Lu family, and everyone would share it.

Shu Yu was a truly honest person. She was grateful not only to Lu Erbai, but also to the entire Lu family.

But the old lady had her own selfish motives. There was nothing to eat at home, and it was okay to let Ruan Shi go hungry, but it would be nice if Da Hu and San Ya could have a good meal.

Therefore, the old lady didn't say much. She saw that it was getting late and asked Da Niu to bring out the ox cart so they could hurry back to Shishi village. 

Shu Yu found Doctor Xu alone and asked him to help prepare the old lady's meals. She would settle the medical fees and the cost of food together when she came back.

After all, it was only a small amount of money. Why make the old lady work harder than necessary?

(End of chapter)

Chapter 23: Shu Yu's Plan

Doctor Xu grunted and looked at everyone before finally fixing his gaze on Shu Yu.

"If you want me to treat him, there are some things I need to say upfront. My consultation and medicine fees are not low, and I assume you've inquired about them. Not to mention the bone resetting, the follow-up care will also require continued spending. Let me estimate for you, for a complete cure, it won't be less than fifteen taels of silver."

Shu Yu hadn't spoken yet, but the old lady and Lu Erbai both took in a sharp breath.

Fifteen taels? That's an amount they couldn't possibly produce.

The old lady thought that they could barely manage with six or seven taels at most, as long as their family worked hard and scraped by.

But now, hearing what Doctor Xu meant, fifteen taels was the minimum, and they might even need to spend more later.

Treating this leg was too expensive for an ordinary household to afford.

Doctor Xu didn't care about their reactions, as he could tell that Shu Yu was the decision-maker here. He said to her, "Don't worry, although the consultation fee is high, the medicine I'll use is of good quality, and I guarantee that his leg will be completely healed."

The old lady hurriedly asked, "Can we use cheaper medicine instead?"

Shu Yu intervened and stopped the old lady, "No, we will use the good medicine. Don't worry about the consultation fee. Doctor Xu can go ahead and begin treating him now. Here are five taels of silver."

"Miss Shu..." The old lady wanted to say something else, but Shu Yu shook her head at her.

"Uncle Lu's leg cannot be delayed any longer. Only when his leg is healed, can we have a better future."

Doctor Xu nodded, "The girl is right. We need to cure the leg before we can think about the future."

He beckoned for the medicine boy to come over and, together with Da Niu, carried Lu Er Bai inside.

Shu Yu and the old lady remained outside, while Da Niu helped inside.

Just thinking about breaking bones and resetting them made it clear how painful it would be.

Plus, the anesthetic's effect was not very good nowadays. When they heard Lu Er Bai's screams from inside, the old lady's legs went weak with fright.

Shu Yu has sharp eyes and quick hands. She quickly supported the person and said, ''Let's go sit over there.''

The soundproofing here is not very good. Not only can you hear it inside the clinic, but you can also hear it from the outside on the road. Shu Yu even saw passersby trembling with suspicion, looking towards the clinic.

After a while, Da Niu came out first. He was driven out by Doctor Xu. His face was pale as if he had suffered a great shock.

The old lady poured him a glass of water. He drank it gulpingly and spoke with lingering fear, ''Grandma, it's alright. Doctor Xu said that Second Uncle's leg has been reattached, and they are currently fixing it in place. However, Doctor Xu also said that Second Uncle cannot move now. It's best for him to stay in the clinic for a few days until he stabilizes before going back.''

"Stay in the clinic?" The old lady frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "Alright, I'll stay here to take care of him today. Da Niu, you can return the ox cart to the village chief's house later and tell your Second Aunt about it."

"Okay."

The old lady then looked at Shu Yu and asked, "Miss Shu, what are your plans?"

"I'll go back to Shishi Village." She had already gone to Shishi Village late yesterday, and there were still some things she didn't quite understand. Since the old lady and Lu Erbai were staying in the county, she decided to go back and inquire further.

However, what Shu Yu didn't know was that it was precisely because of this decision that she had avoided another disaster for the Lu family.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 22: Treating the Leg

Originally, Da Ya lived with the old lady before she got married.

Now there is still a bed board in the room, piled up with some sundries.

The old lady cleaned up her own room for Shu Yu to live in. She took her bedding and went out, saying that she was going to live with the old head of the family.

Shu Yu couldn't stop her, so she had to let her go.

It seems that she can't stay at the Lu family tomorrow. It's unreasonable for her to stay for one night and not only eat up the Lu family's food, but also drive away the host.

Shu Yu originally thought that she would have a lot of things in her mind and probably couldn't sleep, but she had the most peaceful sleep since she came to her a year ago.

When she woke up the next day, everyone else had already packed up, and Ruan Shi had even come back after washing her clothes.

Shu Yu suddenly sat up, rubbing her face in disbelief.

Oh no, today, Lu Erbai will go to the county town to have his leg treated. Has she delayed the matter by sleeping until now?

Shu Yu quickly got up, dressed, opened the door, and sure enough, everyone was already waiting for her.

But the old lady said not to worry and let her take her time.

Shu Yu couldn't take her time. The kitchen had prepared breakfast for her, and she ate a few bites before setting off.

Lu Erbai and the old lady went to the county town this time, and Ruan Shi stayed at home to take care of the two children.

Although Ruan Shi also wanted to go, Lu Erbai was going to seek treatment, and the whole family going out together would be too much of a delay.

Shu Yu went with them because she wasn't sure if the rumored "bone doctor" really had the ability. If he was just someone seeking fame, Lu Erbai's leg would be in real trouble if it were to be messed up again.

The ox cart was parked outside, borrowed by the old lady the day before.

A young man was driving the cart. The old lady introduced him, saying, "This is the eldest son's son Da Niu. Since we don't know how to drive, I asked him to come and help."

The young man looked simple and honest, not daring to look at Shu Yu much. He sat on the cart, chuckled a few times, and only started driving the cart after everyone was seated.

On the road, many people were watching them. Many gazes were focused on Shu Yu, whispering and discussing something about her.

Shu Yu didn't mind and just asked about Lu Erbai's leg. Lu Erbai only said it hurt a bit, probably from yesterday's fall.

Although the ox driver didn't say anything, the speed slowed down. Shu Yu was surprised. This person seemed quiet, but was actually attentive.

When the group arrived at the county town, it was already midday and the whole town was bustling.

Following the address they had asked about, they arrived at the clinic of Doctor Xu.

It was called a clinic, but it was actually a very small shop. Inside were only Doctor Xu and his apprentice, and a whole row of medicine cabinets on the wall, which looked quite spectacular.

Perhaps because Doctor Xu's fees were too high, there were two customers picking up medicine in the shop, but not a single patient.

Shu Yu and the others entered, and Doctor Xu glanced up and without much small talk, had Lu Erbai sit aside and immediately took his pulse and checked his injury.

Shu Yu had been watching his expression all the while. In a moment, Doctor Xu stood up and said, "The bone is dislocated and needs to be reset."

He described some symptoms that were even more detailed than what Shu Yu had said.

Shu Yu felt relieved, and the old lady was even more angry. "That Yan Langzhong has indeed harmed people."

Doctor Xu was not interested in listening to her scolding and asked directly, "Will you treat him?"

The old lady looked at Shu Yu. After all, it was her money.

"Of course we'll treat him!" Shu Yu nodded without hesitation.

(End of chapter)

 Chapter 21: The Lu Family Runs Out of Food

The old lady said, "I know you are the young miss from a big family, and must be more capable than us country folks. I was thinking, if you really appreciate the life-saving favor of our second son, please help us inquire about the whereabouts of Er Ya. As for the money for curing the leg, we will pay you back in the future."

Shu Yu didn't know what to say. Inquire about Er Ya's whereabouts? She is Er Ya, how could she inquire about herself?

Facing the old lady's earnest gaze, Shu Yu felt a little overwhelmed and could only nod and say, "Okay."

The old lady became happy, and at that moment, San Ya's voice came from outside, "Grandma, Sister Shu, mother said it's time for dinner."

Shu Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly got up and left the main room.

The Lu family's kitchen was very small, with only two stoves, a square table, a cupboard, a water bucket, and a few pickling jars.

Now there were four dishes and a soup on the table, besides the meat she brought, there was stir-fried cabbage, scrambled eggs with chives, leftover winter melon with oil residue, and a soup made with luffa.

Da Hu and San Ya's eyes widened and they couldn't help but salivate.

"So many dishes, with eggs and meat..."

They never had such good food, even during Chinese New Year. Especially the meat, during New Year's, there was only a tiny bit of minced meat, now there were big chunks, and the portion was generous.

They really wished they could have so much meat every day.

Ruan Shi served Shu Yu a bowl of rice, and everyone else had only congee without even a single grain of rice visible.

Her bowl of rice was so heavily packed that it felt heavy to lift.

Perhaps afraid that she would feel uncomfortable, Lu Er Bai explained, "It's hot weather, we've been working outside all day and don't have much of an appetite. Congee is more appetizing."

Shu Yu didn't believe it at all, it seems that the Lu family probably didn't have much food left.

She picked up the bowl of porridge in front of San Ya and pushed the bowl of rice to the center. "You must be hungry after working all day. I ate something in the county before coming here, so I'm not very hungry now. Drinking porridge is enough."

"Miss Shu, you..." Ruan Shi wanted to persuade her, but Shu Yu had already started drinking the porridge.

The members of the Lu family looked at each other. Lu Er Bai hadn't taken a close look at Shu Yu before, after all, he was a man and it was a bit inappropriate.

But when he heard Ruan Shi's earlier speculation in the kitchen and looked again now, he realized that she really looked more and more like Da Ya. Especially when she smiled at San Ya, it was as if Da Ya was still at home.

Lu Er Bai quickly shook off the messy thoughts in his mind. He didn't try to persuade Shu Yu again and hesitated for a moment before dividing the bowl of rice.

At first, San Ya and Da Hu didn't dare to pick up the dishes, and even the other members of the Lu family were a bit restrained and only ate a few vegetarian dishes.

But as a guest, Shu Yu couldn't bear to see this and picked up a few pieces of meat for the twins.

Shu Yu ate quickly and didn't eat much meat. She quickly left the table.

She thought that if she didn't eat, everyone else would finish the dishes. However, when the old lady saw Shu Yu leave, she only picked up a small piece of meat for herself and put the rest in the cabinet. "Let's eat it tomorrow."

Shu Yu looked up at the sky. With this weather, will it spoil if left until tomorrow? 

It was already late, and the members of the Lu family finished their meal and began to tidy up before going to bed.

The Lu family had only two rooms, a larger one for Lu Er Bai and his wife with the twins, and a smaller one for the old lady to live in.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 20: Sold by Grandmother

The voices in the main room had stopped at some point, so Shu Yu heard everything the two children said.

For some reason, her eyes became slightly swollen.

San Ya didn't have many candies to begin with, so she couldn't have any after giving some away.

The old lady naturally heard this too. She turned her face away and looked a little gloomy.

Shu Yu couldn't help but ask, "Grandmother Lu, although it may seem impolite, I still want to ask, how did Er Ya get lost in the first place?"

The old lady was stunned for a moment, and after a moment, she sighed and said, "What's impolite about it? It's not a secret, everyone knows. Our family brought disaster upon ourselves by finding a money-grubbing and shameless in-law!!"

Speaking of this, the old lady became angry, gritting her teeth, "That old lady from the Ruan family is no good. I heard that someone wanted to buy a newborn baby, and Er Ya had just been born. She took advantage of the fact that my second daughter-in-law was in confinement and came to our house to say she would take care of them. She was the child's grandmother, how could we know she had such intentions? When we weren't paying attention, she took the child away."

"That damned woman, not only did she sell the child, she didn't even know who the buyer was. We wanted to find Er Ya, but the other party wasn't from here and had already left. I was really blind back then to find such a daughter-in-law for my second son. If it weren't for..."

If it weren't for the fact that Da Ya was still young at the time, the old lady really wanted her second son to divorce that broomstick Ruan.

Fortunately, Ruan's relationship with her family was not good, and they have been out of contact for these years. Otherwise, she would have driven Ruan out long ago.

Shu Yu was stunned. It turned out that this was done by her maternal grandmother's family?

No wonder when the old lady scolded Ruan, she hung her head low, allowing her to curse at her, speaking softly.

But obviously, Ruan must have been under tremendous psychological pressure, worrying about Er Ya who was sold, while also enduring the torture of self-blame in her heart.

The old lady said, "We reported this matter to the officials at the time, but our county's official... didn't care. He said that these were all family affairs, and if we caused trouble, everyone would be taken out and beaten."

Shu Yu furrowed her brows, but it was not unexpected.

Lord Shu was the magistrate of Dong'an Prefecture, and the entire Shu family was cold and ruthless. Lord Shu was not a good official and had handled countless dirty affairs. As the saying goes, "The fish rots from the head down", so it was easy to imagine that the county officials under his jurisdiction would be negligent in their duties.

"Afterwards, I called the men in my family and the people in the village to settle accounts with the Ruan family and we had a fight. The old lady of the Ruan family was bedridden for almost half a year before getting up. Ever since then, my second son has been looking for Er Ya, and he doesn't miss any bit of news. Whenever he hears that there's a clue, he rushes over to investigate. He's gone to many places."

As she spoke, the old lady looked at the house. "Our family has become poorer and poorer. Sometimes I think, why don't we just give up? Maybe Er Ya is living a good life and enjoying herself. But my second son said, what if things aren't good? What if Er Ya is suffering, and waiting for us to rescue her? If we give up, then Er Ya is truly lost."

Shu Yu lowered her head, and her hand, which was placed on the table, clenched into a fist, tightly gripping it.

The old lady wiped her eyes. "Miss Shu, to be honest, I have my own reasons for telling you all this."

Shu Yu looked up.

(End of Chapter)

 Chapter 19: Eat More candies and You Won't Be Bitter

Shu Yu remembered that the old man who drove the cart was called... Lu Lao san.

So the woman in the county who took advantage of him and got Lu Lao San to carry her basket for free was Lu Sanjie, who was from the Lu family?

So the chubby boy's parents were them, and it really was quite a coincidence.

Lu Lao San grumbled a few words at the door, probably because the old lady's threat had frightened him, and he didn't dare to come in. He stayed outside for a moment before returning.

The old lady snorted coldly. "You're becoming more and more out of touch."

She approached and immediately put on a smiley face, saying to Shu Yu, "Miss Shu, why are you standing here? Go inside and rest in the hall. I've borrowed a cart from the village chief and we'll leave early tomorrow morning."

As she spoke, she handed the basket of vegetables she was carrying to Ruan Shi.

Ruan Shi visibly breathed a sigh of relief. She had been worrying about what dish to make for dinner tonight. There was a small vegetable patch in the yard, but only a few beans and cabbage were planted. They had just picked the beans yesterday, and it would be two more days before they could pick the next batch.

If they didn't have any guests, they could just drink some porridge and eat some pickles to get by.

Now she didn't know where her mother-in-law  she got the vegetables from, and with the meat that Miss Shu had brought over, they could finally make a few decent dishes.

Ruan Shi was left to take care of the kitchen, while the old lady brought Shu Yu back to the hall.

She found that although the old lady spoke harshly at times, the elderly woman also had her own wisdom. When Shu Yu chatted with her, she didn't feel awkward at all. Listening to her talk about the interesting things in the village was actually quite entertaining.

She also learned that San Ya and Da Hu were twin siblings, the only dragon and phoenix twins in the village. She had an older sister above her who was three years older than her Da Ya and already married, living in the neighboring Da Yan village.

Lu Erbai had four siblings: the eldest, Lu Dasong; the second, Lu Erbai; the third, Lu Sanshu, who had just been scolded outside; and a younger sister, Lu Sihang.

As for why the old lady would live with her second son, she didn't say.

But Shu Yu guessed that perhaps the old lady saw that the Lu family was living a difficult life and wanted to help out.

As they were talking, Shu Yu saw San Ya and Da Hu secretly observing them outside.

Shu Yu looked over and the two quickly withdrew their heads.

Shu Yu smiled, and San Ya pulled Da Hu to sit on the steps in the courtyard. She took out a candy from her pocket and put it in Da Hu's mouth, whispering, "This is from Sister Shu, it's so sweet."

The first candy Sister Shu gave her was so sweet that she couldn't even eat half of it before putting it away, thinking she would give the other half to Da Hu when he returned.

But later, Shu Yu gave her all the remaining candies, and San Ya suddenly had a lot of candies in her hand.

When she came back just now, she gave one to her mother, one to her father, and now one to Da Hu, so everyone had one. She wanted to keep the rest for herself and give some to her older sister when she saw her in the future.

That way, her older sister's days would be sweet too.

San Ya told Da Hu her thoughts, and Da Hu nodded repeatedly. He added, "Let's keep one more for when we find Second Sister in the future."

"Okay." San Ya nodded vigorously. She thought for a moment and said, "I'll save two for Second Sister. Mom said Second Sister is alone outside and might have suffered a lot, so if she eats more candy, she won't feel so bitter." 

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 18: Little Brother Da Hu 

Shu Yu unconsciously touched her eyes and nose. She had never met Da Ya  before, so she didn't know how much they resembled each other. However, Shu Yu as a child was quite similar to San Ya now.

No wonder Ruan Shi had looked at her with such a fiery and excited gaze earlier. Her intuition was really accurate.

In the kitchen, Lu Er bai and Ruan Shi were still talking. Lu Er bai hesitated for a moment before saying, "Miss Shu... she has parents and a family, and it looks like she's living well. Even if, I mean even if she really is Er Ya, she must be living better than she would have in our family."

Ruan Shi was stunned, and the couple fell silent at the same time.

After a while, Ruan Shi sobbed softly, "When you say that, I... I hope she really is Er Ya. At least it means she's doing well and hasn't suffered too much. That way, I can feel more at ease."

Lu Er bai patted her shoulder and said, "Alright, don't think too much. Go wash your face and start cooking. Mother will be back soon."

Ruan Shi sniffled and replied with an "Mm-hmm" before turning around to get busy.

Shu Yu breathed a sigh of relief and stood up to walk into the courtyard.

Suddenly, the courtyard door creaked open, and Shu Yu looked up to see a small figure with a pale and skinny face struggling to drag a bundle of firewood inside.

When the figure saw her, he paused and turned his head around to look around.

After confirming that this was indeed his home, he asked in confusion, "Who are you? What are you doing in my house?"

"Are you... Da Hu ?" The name didn't match his size at all.

"Do you know me?"

Shu Yu nodded and went over to pick up the bundle of firewood he was dragging behind him. As she passed him, she noticed that the rope tying the firewood together had worn away his palms.

This little guy was young and small, but he had a big heart. He insisted on dragging back such a big bundle of firewood before he would be satisfied.

Da Hu  was taken aback for a moment, then quickly followed her into the house.

Shu Yu placed the firewood at the corner of the wall, clapped her hands, and turned around to see Da Hu  following behind her curiously.

Shu Yu smiled and asked, "What's wrong? Do I look like a bad person?"

Da Hu  stared at her and quickly shook his head, "No, no, I... " He inexplicably became nervous and took a small step back.

Ruan Shi, who was cooking in the kitchen next to them, and Lu Er Bai, who was helping with the fire, heard the commotion outside and hurriedly came out. "Da Hu  why are you coming back so late?"

"I saw a lot of firewood at the foot of the mountain and wanted to pick up more, so I came back late," Da Hu  said while secretly glancing at Shu Yu. When he saw her looking over, he quickly lowered his head and blushed slightly.

Ruan Shi noticed this and said, "This is Miss Shu, our guest."

Guest? Da Hu  was shocked and widened his eyes. Does their family have such distinguished guests?

Just as he was thinking about this, he heard the old lady's voice outside, grumbling, "...Lao San, you go home now.  Er Bai has guests today. If you dare to come and cause trouble, I'll come and lie down in your house, and you can take care of me from now on."

As she spoke, she opened the courtyard door and led San Ya inside, then turned around and closed the door with a bang, blocking the man outside.

Shu Yu had sharp eyes and saw the man outside with a look of anger. Wasn't he the same person she saw when she first entered the village?

(End of Chapter)

 Chapter 17: Very Similar to Er Ya

You should know that in recent years, Lu Er Bai has been looking for the missing Er Ya and had a broken leg. Even those who could lend him money have already done so, and now even his own brothers won't lend him anything.

The old lady had some worries lifted from her mind and her steps became lighter. She left the house not long after.

San Ya also went out, and Da Hu has yet to return. She needed to go out and look for him.

Shu Yu smiled, looked away, and saw that Ruan Shi was still looking at her with the same intense gaze as before.

Lu Er Bai also sensed it and couldn't help but reach out and pull Ruan Shi's arm, whispering, "wife, why don't you go make some food?"

But Ruan Shi took a deep breath and ignored Lu Er Bai, only asking Shu Yu, "Miss Shu, are there any family members at your home? Who are your parents? You're so young and came to Shangshi Village alone, is there no one with you?"

Lu Er Bai couldn't help but widen his eyes and his voice became heavier. "why are you asking about this? This is all Miss Shu's personal business. How can you ask so casually?"

However, Ruan Shi still paid no attention to him and continued to ask Shu Yu, "Miss Shu, may I ask if there are two moles on your left arm?" 

Lu Er Bai took a cold breath and scolded her, "please stop asking."

But Ruan Shi suddenly covered her face and burst into tears, leaving Lu Er Bai feeling somewhat unsure of what to do.

He looked at Shu Yu in embarrassment and said, "Sorry, Miss Shu. As you know, I have a daughter who went missing years ago, and I've been looking for her all this time. It's also been a source of pain for my wife. You and Er Ya are about the same age, so she might have thought of her when she saw you and got a little emotional. I apologize."

He stood up with his cane and reached out to pull Ruan Shi's arm. "Miss Shu, please wait here for a while. We'll go to the kitchen and see what dishes we can make."

Shu Yu silently nodded and watched the couple support each other as they stumbled out of the hall.

Until their figures disappeared, Shu Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

If it wasn't for Lu Er bai's interruption, she really didn't know how to answer just now.

Shu Yu rolled up the sleeve on her left side and indeed, there were two small black moles on her wrist.

She still hasn't decided whether or not to acknowledge the Lu family. Although she knows that the Lu family didn't intentionally abandon her and has been looking for her all these years, even to the point of impoverishing themselves.

But she has to consider the powerful plot in the book. Although she has no relationship with the Shu family now, who knows if the ending in the book will pull her back when they are exiled.

She can handle it herself, but what if it also affects the Lu family?

The Lu family didn't appear in the book, so no one knows what the ending will be like.

As Shu Yu was thinking, she suddenly heard Ruan Shi's cries.

She was startled. The kitchen was on her left, and she could faintly hear their conversation.

Lu Er bai seemed to be comforting Ruan Shi, but Ruan Shi, who was usually timid and soft-spoken, became excited. "I'm not crazy. Brother Bai, you don't know. Just now, when Miss Shu turned around while holding San Ya's hand and was talking and laughing with her, I seemed to see Da Ya talking to San Ya."

"Brother Bai, haven't you noticed that Miss Shu looks a bit like Da Ya? Although Da Ya is thinner and darker, and seems a bit older. But if you think about it carefully, isn't Miss Shu's nose and eyes very similar to Da Ya's?" 

(End of this chapter)

Note:

In Chinese culture, it is common to use "Da," "Er," and "San" as informal ways to refer to someone based on their birth order or age within a group. These terms are often used among friends, siblings, or acquaintances to address or refer to each other.

"Da" (大) is used to refer to the eldest or the person with higher seniority.

"Er" (二) is used to refer to the second oldest or the person with the next level of seniority.

"San" (三) is used to refer to the third oldest or the person with the third level of seniority.

Chapter 16: I'll Pay for It

San Ya leaned against Ruan Shi and whispered, "While I was waiting for my brother outside, Da Bao came out and said that Third Aunt had bought him candy in the county today. I ignored him, but he came up to me and I couldn't resist saying that I had eaten candy today too."

Then, as Shu Yu saw, the chubby boy boasted while scolding San Ya, and finally cried loudly.

After all, the chubby boy was the old lady's grandson, so Shu Yu explained a few words.

But the old lady waved her hand, "It's okay, it's okay. If his father dares to come, I'll deal with it. " She obviously cared more about Lu Er Bai's leg and asked urgently, "Miss Shu, is there any other way to treat our second son's leg? Is the plaster really useless?"

Shu Yu shook her head, "Not only is it useless, it will also aggravate the injury. He fell on his leg again today. It's best to see a doctor tomorrow. Delaying it is not good."

The old lady was worried and sad, "Well, then, I'll think of something else."

Shu Yu knew that the Lu family was in dire straits, and even five taels of silver might not be available, let alone five qian.

Lu Er Bai's leg couldn't be delayed any longer.

She knew that wealth should not be displayed, but after the interaction just now, Shu Yu had a better understanding of several people's characters.

She took out two broken silver coins and put them on the table, "Uncle Lu's medical expenses, I'll pay for it."

The people in the hall all widened their eyes, and Lu Er Bai reacted the most, quickly pushing it back, "No, this won't do. How can I take your money?"

The old lady wanted to say something, but seeing her son's appearance, she finally sighed and turned her head to look elsewhere with red eyes.

Shu Yu's tone was particularly firm, "Uncle Lu, as you know, if you don't accept it, I won't feel at ease and won't be able to face you."

Lu Er Bai was stunned. He wanted to say that his leg was not her responsibility. He hadn't paid attention and left with the injury untreated. But he couldn't say such a thing in front of his mother. Otherwise, with his mother's personality, she would definitely make Shu Yu responsible to the end.

So he finally clenched his fists and asked in a low voice, "Then let's consider it a loan. When my leg is better, I'll work hard and pay you back."

The old lady nodded quickly, "Yes, yes, the most important thing now is to cure your leg. We'll get through this difficult time as a family and figure out how to make money later."

Ruan Shi nodded on the side, even San Ya said softly, "I, I can also work in the fields and pick lots of vegetables."

Shu Yu didn't refuse, he'd worry about paying back the money later. The priority now was to cure Lu Erbo's leg.

Feeling relieved, the old lady got up and said, "Since we're going to the county tomorrow, I'll go to the village head's house and borrow a cow cart."

Then she instructed Ruan Shi, "Second daughter-in-law, start cooking and cook the pork. Miss Shu must be hungry too. It's getting late and she probably can't leave today. Why not rest here for the night? Our house is very run-down, I'm afraid you won't be comfortable."

"It's okay, I'm just afraid of bothering you."

The old lady smiled so much her eyes were squinting, "It's no bother at all."

She had originally been reluctant to cook the pork, planning to slowly eat it over time. But Miss Shu was so generous, even lending money to help cure Lu Erbo's leg. How magnanimous! 

(End of chapter)

 Chapter 15: Make Him Cry

Little Fatty stared in disbelief. Before he could ask anything, he heard Shu Yu say to San Ya, "Let's eat some candy first. We still have some snacks at home. We'll have them later."

San Ya blinked, feeling a bit light-headed from the sweetness in her mouth.

Shu Yu handed the rest of the candy to her.

Across from them, Little Fatty's eyes lit up when he heard the word "snacks." When he saw the candy in San Ya's hand, he lost his cool and charged over, shouting, "Give it to me! What right do you have to eat candy, you ugly thing? Give it all to me!"

San Ya was startled, and Shu Yu narrowed her eyes. When Little Fatty ran over to them, she grabbed his collar and spun him around, then pushed him back.

Shu Yu wasn't too rough, but Little Fatty stumbled and took a few steps forward before stopping.

He was a little confused, but the next moment he looked down and saw that the candy in his hand had fallen to the ground. Instantly overwhelmed with grief, he sat down and kicked his legs, crying loudly, "My candy! My candy fell! Ugly freak, you owe me! Waaah! If you don't give me candy, I'll beat you to death! I want candy! I want snacks!"

San Ya looked up at Shu Yu worriedly and said, "Big sister."

Shu Yu squatted down, patted the little girl's head, and said to her, "It's okay. We're not his parents. We won't indulge him. If he has the guts, let him cry all night, cry until the end of time."

Although Little Fatty was crying, he clearly heard what Shu Yu said. He stood up angrily, dusted off his pants, and glared at them, pointing his finger at them, "You wait for me! I'll go tell my dad, and when he's done with his business, he'll come and teach you a lesson."

With that, he ran back to his house.

When he's done with his business? 

Shu Yu felt disgusted and shuddered. She shook her head, took San Ya by the hand, and turned to go back into the courtyard, closing the gate behind them.

Then she looked down and saw San Ya suddenly laughing.

Shu Yu raised an eyebrow. "What's so funny? Did you think of something amusing?"

San Ya was startled and quickly shook her head. "No, no, the candy was just really sweet." Actually, she wanted to say that she and her brother were always the ones who were made to cry by Da Bao, but today was the first time they had made him cry.

But that was a bad thought, and she didn't want her sister to know she was a bad girl.

She just wanted to enjoy this moment and not think about it anymore.

Shu Yu couldn't help but laugh, "You like it, I'll buy it for you next time."

San Ya blinked, "Oh, there will be a next time?"

The little girl didn't dare to ask, afraid that her sister was just trying to appease her, but she held onto Shu Yu's hand tighter.

Shu Yu smiled and finally looked up, only to come face to face with Ruan Shi who was standing nearby. Ruan Shi's eyes were burning with a hint of intensity as she looked at them.

For some unknown reason, her eyes became slightly red and her lips trembled.

Shu Yu wondered, "..." Did she do anything strange just now? She only teased the little troublemaker on purpose.

But Ruan Shi quickly wiped her face and forced a smile, "Come in first."

Her voice was also very soft, as if she was speaking in a whisper.

San Ya had already run to Ruan Shi's side and was curiously looking up at her, "Mom, what's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine," Ruan Shi said and couldn't help but glance at Shu Yu a few more times.

The group then returned to the main room, and the old lady asked what had happened.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 14: Third Uncle's Son

Shu Yu wasn't a professional doctor, and the only things she could discern were these.

But she was certain that Lu Erbai's leg injury was definitely not as easy as that quack doctor had claimed.

She frowned, "So, it was that Yan Langzhong who treated Uncle Lu's leg?"

"Yes, it was him," the old lady said with disgust, "I knew someone with the surname Yan couldn't be trusted. This leg has been treated for a year and it still hasn't healed properly. He's truly a useless doctor who can't do anything right."

"Ahem, mother," Lu Erbai quickly coughed twice.

The old lady silenced herself immediately, realizing she couldn't speak so crudely anymore. She changed the subject and asked, "Miss Shu, can you heal my son's leg?"

Shu Yu shook her head, "If it was right after the leg was reattached, I would have been confident in knocking it off and reattaching it again. But now, it's been so long, it's better to find a specialist in bone-setting. Do you know if there's anyone around here who's skilled in this area?"

"A specialist in bone-setting?" The old lady frowned. It was Ruan shi, who had been silent all this time, who whispered, "There's a doctor surnamed Xu in our county town who is skilled in bone-setting."

The old lady glared at her, "That Dr. Xu may be good, but the fee he charges for his diagnosis is something ordinary people can't afford. Just look at our family, we can't even sell you to afford the medicine."

Ruan shi shrank her neck and fell silent immediately.

"How much is the fee?" Shu Yu asked.

"For just the diagnosis and bone-setting, without counting the cost of medicine, I heard it's this much," the old lady gestured with her hand, "How can ordinary people afford it?"

"Five taels of silver?" Shu Yu still had money on her, and Lu Erbai had injured his leg while saving her, so it was only fair that she paid for his medical fees.

The old lady nodded.

Just as Shu Yu was about to speak, they suddenly heard San Ya's scream from outside the door.

The scream only lasted for a moment before it stopped.

But everyone in the room heard it, and Shu Yu immediately ran out. Ruan shi followed closely behind, and the old lady also wanted to go out to see, but Lu Erbai struggled to get up and sat down again, feeling weak.

Shu Yu had not even run to the courtyard gate when she heard a haughty child's voice ringing out, "Hahaha, you ugly freak, you still dare to lie. Have you even looked at what your house looks like? With your poor and shabby appearance, can you even afford candy? You can only dream of drinking a sip of sweet syrup."

The words were truly deserving of a beating. As she approached, Shu Yu realized that the speaker was a chubby child who was teasing San Ya with his head shaking and hand waving, holding a piece of candy in his hand. "See, this is candy. My mother brought it back from the county for me today. It's so sweet. You've never even seen it before, have you? Not only are you an ugly freak, but you're also a liar."

San Ya sat on the ground, tears swirling in her eyes, but she kept holding back from crying out loud.

She stood up skillfully, her voice tense, although her volume was still very low, but she was very firm, "I didn't lie, I'm not a liar."

"You are, and if you say another big lie, I'll hit you."

The chubby child glared at her, twisting his big fat face and waving his hand to threaten her.

San Ya was very afraid of him and couldn't help but take a small step back.

Then she bumped into Shu Yu who was standing behind her, and she looked up in surprise.

The chubby child also noticed her, his face full of surprise, "Who are you? How did you get to my uncle's house?"

Uncle? So, this is the son of the third uncle who lives across from them?

Suddenly, Shu Yu laughed evilly at him, took out a candy, and stuffed it into San Ya's mouth right in front of the chubby child.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 13: Lu Erbai's Leg

Lu Erbai couldn't help but look at San Ya. Even if the little girl had self-control, she was still young and had not eaten good food before. Lu Erbai immediately said, "San Ya, the adults are discussing things, you go outside and see if your brother has come back."

"Okay." The little girl obediently nodded, but she took a few steps and turned back to look at Shu Yu before running away.

Shu Yu noticed something strange. Lu Erbai seemed to have not told his family the reason for his injured leg. Otherwise, with the old lady's temperament, she would not have been so calm about it.

However, he didn't say anything, and Shu Yu felt more and more uneasy.

She couldn't help but look at his left leg and asked, "How's Lu Uncle's leg? I heard you guys talking earlier, it seems like he fell again. Did he see a doctor?"

"The village doctor happened to be away, but I think there's no big deal. It'll be fine after a couple of days of rest," Lu Erbai said hurriedly. Although he said so, his expression didn't match his words.

In fact, he had looked restrained since they were in the courtyard earlier.

Shu Yu naturally noticed this, "Otherwise, let me take a look at Uncle Lu's leg."

Before Lu Erbai could speak, the old lady asked in surprise, "Does Miss Shu know medicine?"

"A little bit." In fact, she knew more about nursing knowledge. In her previous life, the reason why the top boss retreated was that he had some health problems. As his confidante, Shu Yu needed to understand and learn about this aspect for emergencies.

But the old lady saw Shu Yu's calm demeanor and felt that she was very capable. She quickly got up and made way, "Then please help me take a look at my second son's leg. It was smashed by a stone a year ago, and it was fixed at that time, but it was not healed properly and was broken again. As you can see, the situation in our family is not good, we can only rely on the village doctor to help us reconnect it, but it hasn't healed for such a long time."

Lu Erbai blushed and felt very embarrassed, and he shrunk back, "Mom, this is not appropriate. Miss Shu is a young lady, and she is also a noble lady. How can she see the leg of such a rough person like me?"

"Lu Erbai saved my life, so I'll take a look. It won't hurt. Besides, I'm not really a noble lady. For now, you can treat me as a female physician," Shu Yu said, already squatting down.

Lu Erbai hesitated, but Shu Yu had already grabbed his leg.

He immediately dared not move, and Shu Yu felt around a little before frowning, "Your bone is misaligned and hasn't been fixed."

"What?" The old lady quickly asked, "What should we do?"

Lu Erbai still wanted to refuse, but Shu Yu had already taken action.

"Knock it off and reconnect."

The three members of the Lu family stared in shock and took a deep breath, "Knock it off?!"

Shu Yu looked up at Lu Erbo with a serious expression, "If we don't reconnect it, it will only get worse in the future. Especially since you fell today and there is water accumulation in your legs, if it's not treated, it's highly likely that your blood vessels will be blocked, and your leg will become completely useless."

The Lu family was scared and their faces turned pale, "How could it be so serious? The doctor in our village said it was just a bruise and that a few more patches would make it better."

 Chapter 12: Long Time No See

Lu Erbai was a bit dazed, squinting his eyes for a while before recognizing the person in front of him.

In surprise, he asked, "You are... Miss Shu?"

"It's me, Uncle Lu. Long time no see," Shu Yu stood in front of the group and greeted them with a smile.

The three people in front of her, like San Ya, were all thin and weak, their clothes patched and empty. Lu Erbai was even more haggard and weathered than he was when she saw him a year ago. He didn't even look like a man in his thirties.

Lu Erbai felt a bit awkward and forced a smile as he nodded, "Uh, yeah, long time no see. So, Miss Shu, how come you're here? Do you need something from me?"

Shu Yu glanced at his raised left leg and said, "There's something I need to discuss with you. It's not convenient to talk here. Let's go inside first."

Lu Erbo eagerly agreed, "Yes, yes, let's go inside."

The old lady opened her mouth, wondering why this girl didn't seem to regard herself as a stranger. This was their home, but she spoke as if she were the hostess.

She and Lu Erbai's wife, Ruan Shi, supported Lu Erbo into the main hall. San Ya followed closely behind, and when everyone was seated, she ran to the kitchen to pour water and placed a bowl in front of each person.

Shu Yu looked at her bowl, which was the only one without a crack, feeling a bit embarrassed to drink water.

Noticing her gaze, Lu Erbai became even more flustered and whispered, "Our house is simple and we don't have any tea or anything like that. Miss Shu, please don't mind."

"Uncle Lu is too polite. The spring water here is very sweet. I like it more than tea," Shu Yu replied with a smile.

Lu Erbai visibly relaxed and rubbed his hands together, "That's good, that's good."

He lowered his head, and then realized that the old lady kept hitting his arm and gesturing with her eyes, whispering, "Why don't you introduce us? Who is this girl, and how do you know her? I've never heard you mention her before."

Luo Erbai reacted, but before he could speak, Shu Yu said, "My name is Shu Yu. A year ago, when I fell off a cliff, Uncle Lu saved me. I was seriously injured and couldn't fully regain consciousness. Later, when I was able to get out of bed, Uncle Lu had already left, and I didn't know where he lived. I couldn't thank him in person, and I felt really guilty."

Now Shu Yu was glad that she had taken a couple of seconds to think in the county town and bought some meat and snacks. Otherwise, if she had come empty-handed and found out that Luo Erbai was not only her biological father but also her lifesaver, she would have been really embarrassed.

She pushed the meat and snacks in front of them and said, "I came in a hurry and it's getting late, so I only bought a few things. I'll..."

Before Shu Yu could finish her sentence, Luo Erbai waved his hand and said, "No, no, no need. You gave me money back then, which was enough. Why bother buying these things? Really, it's not necessary."

As soon as he finished speaking, he was glared at by the old lady.

The old lady pushed the meat and snacks to her side and scolded Luo Erbai, "Are you stupid, Second Son? This is her heartfelt gift. If you don't accept it, Miss Shu will feel uneasy. Besides, you can't return the meat and snacks. The doctor said you need to eat more to recuperate. How long has it been since you've had meat? And Da Hua and Sanya haven't had any decent snacks either."

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 11: The Truth About the Debt

"Is it you?"

At the moment when Shu Yu saw the appearance of Lu Erbai, she finally understood the meaning of the sentence that the master of Dongqing Temple wrote in the letter to her.

She really owed a debt.

It wasn't the debt of the original owner's life, but the debt of gratitude that she owed.

A year ago, the reason why she crossed over to this world was because of the original owner falling off a cliff.

When she woke up at that time, she was hanging on the half-slope of the cliff, covered in injuries and unable to move. Lu Erbai happened to pass by and saw her appearance. He quickly climbed up and rescued her.

As a result, when they were coming down the mountain, a big stone rolled down from above, and Lu Erbai couldn't escape with her. When the stone fell, he pushed her away but was hit by the stone himself.

His leg was broken at that moment.

Shu Yu had just crossed over and hadn't figured out the situation yet. But Lu Erbai's actions were very shocking to her.

She didn't understand why he would do that. He could have saved himself if he had just left her there.

Lu Erbai himself didn't know why he did it, he only said it was an instinctive action.

Now thinking back, it may be because they had a close father-daughter relationship, and the blood ties were too strong.

Later, both of them passed out and were brought back by the people from the temple who came to look for her.

When Shu Yu woke up, she immediately asked about Lu Erbai's condition. The master of the temple said that they were lucky because there happened to be a skilled wandering doctor in the temple, and both of them had no life-threatening injuries.

Even Lu Erbai's leg was reconnected, but he needed to rest for a while.

Shu Yu's injuries were more severe, and she was in a daze most of the time. Although she wanted to go see Lu Erbai, she couldn't get up and could only wait until she was well before going to thank and repay him.

At that time, the Shu family members who came to offer incense had all left, leaving only Shu Yu with a lazy servant girl who didn't work hard to keep her company during her recovery.

Shu Yu was not valued by the Shu family. Before they left, they didn't even send anyone to check on Lu Erbai, nor did they care about the fact that he had saved Miss Shu from their family. For the Shu family, he was just an ordinary civilian without any threat to his life, not worth even a glance from them.

Shu Yu didn't care either. This was her fate, and she would thank him herself. When she was conscious, she gave all the silver she had to the abbot and asked her to send it to him. As for everything else, she would wait until she could leave her bed.

Who knew that after only two days, the abbot came to tell her that Lu Erbai had left. It was said that Lu Erbai had a missing daughter whom he had been searching for all these years. He had come to the Dongqing Temple area to search for her because he had heard that she might be there.

He saved Shu Yu, but had delayed himself for a few days. He was afraid of missing any clues about his daughter and couldn't wait to leave the temple and head down the mountain.

At that time, Shu Yu only knew that his surname was Lu, but didn't know his full name, and that he didn't live in the capital.

She had no clue how to find him.

The abbot of the Dongqing Temple didn't know much about him either, only that his leg bones were set and, if properly cared for, there shouldn't be any major problems.

But now, looking at Lu Erbai again, it was clear that his leg had not only failed to heal, but had become more serious.

The abbot of the Dongqing Temple was good at face reading. Perhaps, after looking at their faces, he became suspicious and investigated, so he knew who her biological parents were?

With many of her doubts answered, Shu Yu took a deep breath and walked towards the group of people in the courtyard.

(End of this chapter)