Chapter 27

The bicycle had two baskets hanging at the back for the fish, and on the back seat of He Ting’s bicycle, there was also a bundle of medicinal herbs that Lu Baiwei had tied up in a snake skin bag.

Still groggy from sleep, Lu Baiwei asked He Ting and Tang Yuanliang, “So where should I sit?”

He Ting didn’t answer, his face stern in the darkness.

Tang Yuanliang sensed the atmosphere was off and suggested an idea to Lu Baiwei.

“Sit on the front rack of He Ting’s bicycle.”

Lu Baiwei walked to the front of He Ting’s bike, and only then did He Ting loosen his grip on the handlebars, making space for her.

Throughout the journey, He Ting didn’t engage in conversation, leaving all the talking to Lu Baiwei and Tang Yuanliang.

By the time they reached the county, after delivering the fish to the black market and settling the price, they accompanied Lu Baiwei to the hospital’s collection point. When they were behind, Tang Yuanliang quietly asked Lu Baiwei.

“Weiwei, did you have an argument with your husband?”

“Ah, no!”

She hadn’t locked the door last night.

Thinking back, when He Ting came in to wake her up in the dark, she had been startled.

It frightened her, but it was He Ting who wasn’t happy.

Her husband, that high and aloof flower, wasn’t easy to appease!

Lu Baiwei racked her brain, trying to figure out where she might have upset him.

Suddenly, she remembered. Last night, she had dreamt of things from her past life, of the entanglements with Yin Zhihe’s family. She might have even spoken in her sleep.

Oh no!

Could it be that when He Ting came to wake her up, she said something?

Did she call out Yin Zhihe’s name?

Oh no, this is bad!

She’s never going to be able to appease the young master now.

“Good brother, I had a nightmare last night that scared me to death.”

Lu Baiwei cleared her throat and spoke loudly to Tang Yuanliang as she walked, glancing at He Ting, who was silently pushing his bicycle ahead.

Tang Yuanliang responded, “You’ve been to the mountains twice in the past few days. Weiwei, are you too tired?”

“It’s pretty tiring. When I’m tired, I have nightmares.”

“You don’t know, I dreamt I married Yin Zhihe. Marrying that kind of person would have brought me nothing but bad luck. He tried to force me, but I told him to get lost. Thankfully, He Ting came in and woke me up, and I realized it was just a dream.”

“Thank goodness, thank goodness, I married He Ting.”

At this point, the sky was getting lighter.

As she walked, Lu Baiwei kept an eye on He Ting in front of her.

Seeing his stiff back seemed to relax a little, and Lu Baiwei breathed a sigh of relief.

“It’s all Lu Jiaojiao’s fault. When we were cooking the pig’s offal that day, she stood at the bridge with Yin Zhihe, and that made me have such a nightmare.”

“It’s all Lu Jiaojiao’s fault. The day we were cooking pig offal, she brought Yin Zhihe to the bridge, and that made me have such a nightmare.” 

Lu Baiwei’s sleepy tone was soft and sweet, carrying a delicate charm. 

Dreaming about another man, and not just any man but one she almost married, had left He Ting with a mix of emotions, a swirl of bitterness and unease. 

However, hearing Lu Baiwei explain the reason for calling out Yin Zhihe’s name in her dream finally eased the discomfort in his heart. 

He paused, turned back, and asked Lu Baiwei, “After we sell the medicinal herbs, what do you want to eat?” 

“Let’s go to the state-run restaurant for some big meat buns!” 

Lu Baiwei flashed him a sweet smile. “The big meat buns I ate on the day we got married were the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.” 

Still unsure if the young master was fully appeased, Lu Baiwei decided to turn up the charm and warm his heart completely. 

“Brother, what’s so special about meat buns?” 

She turned to Tang Yuanliang. “It’s strange, but as long as I eat with He Ting, everything tastes extra delicious.” 

Being with him made everything better, didn’t it? 

Even the food tasted better. 

And wasn’t marrying him just as good? 

Walking ahead, He Ting unknowingly curved his lips into a faint smile. 

Tang Yuanliang, however, found it unbearably saccharine and rolled his eyes. “Weiwei, spare a thought for your brother’s feelings.” 

“You and my sister-in-law have a great relationship. It’s not like you’ve never been married. Back when you first got married, you were even more lovey-dovey than He Ting and me.” 

“Fine, fine,” Tang Yuanliang admitted, feigning annoyance. “I’ve been so busy running up the mountain that I haven’t spent much time with my wife lately. Once this trip is done, I’m taking a break from the mountains to spend time with her.” 

“I even saved a few fish from today’s catch. Tomorrow, I’ll take her home to her family and bring along two fish as a gift.” 

Wild fritillaria was a rare treasure. 

Even with a lot of digging in the mountains, it was hard to gather more than a few pounds. 

Lu Baiwei’s 10-plus pounds of dried fritillaria were of excellent quality, and the county hospital’s procurement center offered 5 yuan per pound. 

The fritillaria sold for a total of 54 yuan. 

The century-old He Shou Wu (fleeceflower root) sold for 15 yuan each, with four in total, amounting to 60 yuan. Additionally, the several-hundred-year-old He Shou Wu fetched 45 yuan. 

The He Shou Wu sold for 105 yuan, and combined with the 54 yuan from the fritillaria, the total from the medicinal herbs came to 159 yuan. 

As for the fish caught in the lake and mountain streams, a few larger ones were set aside, while the rest—around 200 pounds—sold for 50 cents per pound, bringing in about 100 yuan. 

After returning to Xiangyang Village with supplies from the county, Lu Baiwei invited her cousins and Tang Yunling over for a meal of boiled fish and distributed the money earned from the medicinal herbs. 

Tang Yunling and her cousins adamantly refused to accept the money. 

Lu Baiwei, however, insisted on sharing it. 

Finally, Tang Yunling suggested that Lu Baiwei keep half of the earnings from the medicinal herbs, and the remaining half be divided among everyone else. 

Out of the 159 yuan, Lu Baiwei and He Ting kept 79.5 yuan, while the rest was shared. The fish sold for 100 yuan, making the trip to the mountains and lake a profitable venture. 

Out of the 159 yuan, Lu Baiwei and He Ting took half, which was 79.5 yuan. The fish, approximately 200 pounds caught from the mountain lake, sold for 50 cents a pound, totaling around 100 yuan. 

Since the bulk of the money came from the medicinal herbs, Lu Baiwei declined her share of the fish earnings. 

The fish money was divided into six portions, and Tang Yuanliang handed He Ting his share of 16 yuan. 

Including the 30 yuan earned from the wild boar meat, Lu Baiwei and He Ting accumulated a total of 125.5 yuan from their two trips up the mountain. 

Adding to this was nearly 400 yuan that He Ting had entrusted to her for safekeeping, leaving Lu Baiwei holding a whopping 500 yuan in cash. 

Due to the presence of wolves in the mountain valley, Tang Yuanliang decided it would be safer to take a break from the mountains for a while. Eager to continue their ventures, He Ting and Zhou Yanfen had no choice but to agree. 

Coincidentally, during their recent trip to the county, Lu Baiwei obtained a book to prepare for the barefoot doctor certification exam. Tang Jinghe had sent word through Tang Yuanliang, recommending her for the exam, and her name had already been submitted to the commune. 

—

One month later, Lu Baiwei was due to take the exam. In the meantime, taking a break from mountain trips gave her the opportunity to focus on studying. 

While Lu Baiwei spent the next month preparing for her exam, the household of Lu Jiaojiao and Yin Zhihe, freshly married, became a whirlwind of activity. 

Lu Jiaojiao, eager to show off, couldn’t resist and made her way to the brigade’s health clinic without an invitation. 

“Big sister, you’re home!” 

The day after Lu Jiaojiao and Yin Zhihe obtained their marriage certificate, Lu Baiwei had been out collecting medicinal herbs in the mountains. 

Lu Jiaojiao’s initial visit found the clinic door locked, much to her disappointment. 

The next day, Lu Baiwei had gone to the county again with He Ting and Tang Yuanliang. 

Finally, on the third day, after scoping out the house a few times and confirming Lu Baiwei was home, Lu Jiaojiao confidently came knocking. 

“Big sister, what book are you reading?” 

Lu Jiaojiao barged in without waiting for an invitation. 

Lu Baiwei barely acknowledged her presence, but Lu Jiaojiao grabbed the barefoot doctor’s manual and started chatting away aimlessly. 

“Big sister, you only went to middle school. Can you even understand this?” 

“Yes,” Lu Baiwei replied, snatching the book back. “Don’t get it dirty. You didn’t even make it to middle school—you only finished elementary school, so of course, you wouldn’t understand.” 

“Big sister…” 

Why was Lu Baiwei so irritating now? 

Lu Jiaojiao felt a surge of frustration. 

Her confidence wavered at first, but her shameless nature quickly came to her rescue. Taking a deep breath and remembering her triumph of marrying Yin Zhihe, she regained her sense of superiority. 

“Big sister, I came here today to let you know that two days ago, I married Brother Zhihe.” 

With a smug expression, Lu Jiaojiao added, “Tomorrow, Brother Zhihe and I will be hosting our wedding banquet. You’ll come to my house for the celebration, won’t you?”