Chapter 39

Despite the sea snail meat not being soaked in the sauce long enough to fully absorb the flavors, it still tasted great just by dipping it in the sauce. The whole family agreed that it was delicious, and Jiang Wan felt a surge of confidence.

She and her mother were from the modern world, so they were used to this kind of flavor. But simply liking it wasn’t enough—local people had to say it was good for it to truly be considered good.

Seeing her uncle and aunt still eating with satisfaction, Jiang Wan scooped out a little more to serve them, while the rest was sealed in jars to be taken to the city to sell.

“Aunt, after Mother and I take these spicy snails to the city to sell, could you please clean up the kitchen? Also, the vegetable patch at the back was ruined by the rain, and many of the plants were overturned. We need to replant the seeds.”

She then looked toward her eager cousin.

“Cousin, why don’t you come along this time? It’ll be a good chance to check out the embroidery workshop and see if they have any work for you.”

Yin Ning’s eyes immediately brightened, and she nodded enthusiastically like a chick pecking at grain. “Yes, yes! I really want to do something!”

She wasn’t good at things like fishing, cooking, or collecting herbs, always feeling useless. But if she could embroider and earn money, that would be perfect.

The whole family listened to Jiang Wan’s plan without feeling that anything was amiss. After the three of them left, Yin Huaishan only then started to feel something was off.

“When did Wanwan become so decisive…” he murmured.

Song Wenhui thought her husband was slow to catch on. “It’s only been half a month since we arrived. You didn’t realize it before now?”

“This isn’t a bad thing,” she continued, sighing. “So much has happened in just two or three months—your mother was sent away, and my parents both passed. It’s not just Wanwan, have you noticed that our daughter has become more sensible too?”

If possible, she would have preferred for the two children to remain innocent and carefree. The price of this kind of growth was just too high.

Yin Huaishan fell silent, and the heavy grief he felt welled up in his heart. In fact, it wasn’t just the two children who had changed. His little sister had changed even more.

From a delicate, pampered girl to someone who could work hard, climb mountains, and handle tough jobs. His wife had changed too. She used to avoid manual work, but now she was in the kitchen every day, busy with house chores.

If she hadn’t married him, she would still be a noblewoman, living a life of luxury.

“Hui Niang…”

“Stop right there.” Song Wenhui immediately cut him off, sensing where he was going. “Don’t say things I don’t want to hear. Let’s just focus on making the best of our current life. You stay home, I’m going to visit the village chief.”

The house needed urgent repairs, but she wasn’t sure who could do the work, so she decided to ask the village chief for help.

The old village chief didn’t hesitate and immediately sent his son to call some villagers for the job. They agreed on a price and headed to Yin’s house.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wan and the others were still on the boat, never expecting that their first sale of the marinated snails would happen right there.

“Little miss, is there food in your basket?” asked a middle-aged woman who was also on the boat, sitting next to a young woman who looked a little unwell. Both of them were eyeing the basket eagerly.

Yin Huaixi noticed the young woman and replied honestly, “Yes, it’s food. We’re planning to sell it at the dock.”

When the woman heard they were selling it, she hesitated for a moment but was persuaded by her daughter, who was pulling at her sleeve.

“Little miss, could I take a look at what’s in the jar?”

“Of course.”

Noticing that the woman might buy, Yin Huaixi eagerly opened the lid. As soon as the lid was lifted, a strong, tangy aroma wafted out, making the young woman unable to resist swallowing.

“Mom, I want to eat it…” she murmured.

Upon hearing this, the woman’s face lit up. Her daughter had been suffering from severe morning sickness since becoming pregnant, unable to eat anything without throwing it up. The mother had been deeply concerned about her, but now hearing that her daughter wanted to eat, she couldn’t help but feel relieved and almost wanted to buy both jars. However, the lack of money made her pause.

“Little miss, what is this? How much does it cost?”

“These are cooked sea snail meats, soaked in a family recipe sauce. It’s tangy and appetizing, and it’s only two copper coins for a portion.”

When she heard the price, the woman relaxed a little, feeling it wasn’t too expensive. But then, she suddenly recalled the sea snails and raised her voice, looking at the jars warily.

“Isn’t that the sea snail that makes people dizzy and vomit? Is it safe?”

Yin Huaixi, a bit helpless, replied, “Actually, the sea snail meat isn’t poisonous. The reactions you’re talking about happen because of personal sensitivity or improper handling. Aunty, I’m a doctor—I wouldn’t joke about this. You see, I’ve prepared so much to sell. If they were really poisonous, I’d be in serious trouble.”

Although her explanation made some sense, the older generation had always believed the old myths. The woman still wasn’t sure and didn’t want to risk her daughter’s health.

“Mom…”

The young woman was looking hungrily at the snails, her eyes filled with longing. The woman was at a loss but decided to double-check.

“You say you’re a doctor? Can you take a look at my daughter and see what’s wrong with her?”

Yin Huaixi had no objections. It was a good opportunity to check her pulse since she was bored on the boat anyway.

The young woman eagerly stretched out her hand and opened her mouth, cooperating fully. The mother and daughter both stared intently at Yin Huaixi, hoping to see if she would diagnose the pregnancy.

Quickly, the woman decided that this self-proclaimed “doctor” was a fraud. Typically, when someone diagnoses pregnancy, they would smile and congratulate, but this woman furrowed her brows, as if she believed the daughter had some serious illness.

It was almost laughable.

“Aunt, your daughter’s pulse shows signs of pregnancy. She’s about four months along, isn’t she?”

“You!”

The woman was stunned, but then she recalled the serious expression on the doctor’s face just a moment ago. Her heart tightened with concern.

“Little miss, my daughter is indeed pregnant. But what did you find from the pulse?”

“It’s not looking good.”

Yin Huaixi gently pressed her hand over the young woman’s belly through her clothes, furrowing her brow again.

“She’s carrying twins. Normally, by now, her belly would have shown, but there’s no sign of that. The fetus isn’t developing as it should. Also, her tongue is red, dry, and lacks moisture, with a thin coating and weak pulse. She’s suffering from severe morning sickness, isn’t she?”

The mother and daughter both nodded solemnly, no longer dismissive. They had become serious.

“The severe morning sickness hasn’t eased, which is preventing her from eating or drinking. Over time, the stomach acid will deplete her body’s energy, making it harder for her to eat anything. She’s already showing signs of stomach deficiency.”

Yin Huaixi didn’t mention the more serious implications, but if the young woman didn’t replenish her nutrients soon, she would likely lose the child.