A Good Country Wife

Zhao Erhu felt that it was actually a good thing that his young wife had truly forgotten the past. With such a young wife no longer resisting him and having a more pleasing temperament, it was hard for him not to feel a bit more pity for her. Moreover, having forgotten the unsavory events from before meant she wouldn't develop any restless thoughts; she could now live a steady life with him. The only thing that worried him was whether such a condition might hinder Lin Yue's health.

Lin Yue had already come up with a reason for her amnesia, but having Doctor Zheng articulate it lent more credibility and was less likely to arouse suspicion. Despite her belief that they wouldn't accept something as far-fetched as the returning of a soul to a body, it was always best to be cautious. People of ancient times were particularly superstitious about such bizarre phenomena, and she didn't want to be burnt at the stake as a demon.

Lin Yue's mind was racing, but when she lifted her head, her eyes were brimming with tears, and she looked at Zhao Erhu with a face full of confusion and fear, appearing extremely vulnerable, "Erhu Brother, I..."

"Don't be afraid, Niuniu. What's past is past. Whether you remember it or not doesn't matter; I'm here for everything!" Zhao Erhu comforted Lin Yue and then turned to Doctor Zheng, "Doctor Zheng, what's the matter with my wife?"

"Let me take another look," Doctor Zheng said as he took Lin Yue's pulse again, asking in detail about various conditions, "Do you often have headaches, young lady?"

Lin Yue thought for a moment and shook her head. "Other than a headache when I first woke up, I haven't had any since, but occasionally I feel dizzy and my heart races, and my body feels weak," Lin Yue said, describing her actual condition without concocting or hiding anything; she wanted to be truly healthy.

"In that case, you can be at ease," Doctor Zheng reassured, "there are no serious problems with the young lady's health. These are all symptoms of physical weakness. As long as you take good care of yourself, you'll be fine. As for the memory loss, it may be due to the persistent high fever you had before—fortunately, it didn't damage the brain. I've seen cases where patients, due to prolonged fevers, later became mentally incapacitated like three-year-olds, completely unable to take care of themselves. The young lady's current state is already quite good," Doctor Zheng spoke slowly, believing that for Lin Yue to have come back from death's doorstep was already an anomaly. Anything unusual was actually to be expected.

"Doctor Zheng, will my wife ever be able to recover and remember the past?"

Doctor Zheng pondered for a moment, "That's a bit difficult. From what I've seen, those who suffer memory loss or cognitive decline due to fever rarely fully recover. However, under special circumstances, perhaps her memory could return; you never know. After all, the very fact that the young lady is alive is a miracle. She has good fortune on her side."

Hearing this from Doctor Zheng, Zhao Erhu breathed a sigh of relief. He thought it would be best if Lin Yue could never remember the past, but of course, he couldn't say that out loud. "Thank you for your auspicious words, Doctor Zheng. My wife is doing just fine as she is, but as she is weak, I will have to trouble you for a few prescriptions."

Lin Yue had also felt that she was merely weak and was now reassured by Doctor Zheng's words. She believed that eating some nourishing food would suffice. Hearing Zhao Erhu ask for more prescriptions, she was displeased and tugged at Zhao Erhu's sleeve, "Erhu Brother, didn't you hear Doctor Zheng? He said I'm just weak; eating more nourishing food will help me recover. Why bother with a prescription? There's nothing tasty about those bitter decoctions."

Doctor Zheng, noting Lin Yue's display of innocence and vivacity, couldn't help but smile indulgently. It was common for young girls to fear the bitterness of medicine. "Hehe, the young lady is not wrong; one should eat well to nourish the body and recover," he said. "However, since the young lady has been seriously ill, I still need to prescribe you a few doses of medicine for your recuperation. Remember that good medicine tastes bitter but is beneficial to health. You must not be wilful and must take your medicine properly."

Zhao Erhu, seeing Lin Yue still looking reluctant, rubbed her hair with his large hand. "Niuniu, be good. We should listen to the doctor. Later, I'll buy you more sweets. After taking your medicine, a bite of candy will take the bitterness away." Having said that, Zhao Erhu asked Doctor Zheng to prescribe the medicine.

Lin Yue was initially only concerned that it was unnecessary to waste Silver Coin on such matters. Whether in modern times or ancient days, seeing a doctor was never cheap. Hearing what Zhao Erhu had said made her even more sullen, realizing that the old man was treating her like a child. She wasn't his daughter; she was his wife, for goodness' sake, especially since he was spoiling her image in front of Doctor Zheng.

Luckily, Doctor Zheng, taking into account that they had spent a substantial amount of Silver Coin on medical treatment before, and considering that Lin Yue's illness had not been cured by his expertise, decided to waive their fees for the consultation and medicine this time as a form of compensation. This made Lin Yue feel somewhat better—although his medical skills weren't great, the old doctor was quite nice after all. If Doctor Zheng ever heard Lin Yue's thoughts, he might die of anger; he was considered the best doctor in Xin'an City, and here this girl was criticizing his skills.

After leaving the pharmacy and being assured that Lin Yue's health was no longer in jeopardy, Zhao Erhu finally felt relieved from the worries he had been suppressing these past few days. Then, he took Lin Yue to a rather large and well-decorated cloth merchant to sell some of the well-prepared animal pelts brought from home for some Silver Coin. The recent wedding had consumed most of his savings from the last two years. Coupled with the expenses from Lin Yue's medical treatment, he was left with little more than two taels of broken silver. The household had run out of grain and needed restocking, and since his wife had arrived without a dowry—not even spare clothes to change into—he needed to buy her a couple of outfits. There were many expenses where money was needed.

"Oh, Brother Erhu has arrived! Our shopkeeper was just looking for you!" This cloth merchant's owner had a good reputation and offered fair prices, and Erhu had previously sold pelts here too. Familiar with Erhu, a shop assistant greeted him warmly as soon as he spotted him.

"Does the shopkeeper want me for something?" Erhu asked.

"It's like this. A few days ago, a young lady from a prominent household was looking for some fine pelts, and by chance, we didn't have the appropriate stock. With spring upon us and the coldest days behind us, we naturally won't be acquiring more of these goods. That young lady, however, is a major customer of our cloth merchant, and the shopkeeper can't afford to offend her. He wanted to ask if you had any to sell," the assistant explained quickly and clearly.

"That's quite fortuitous indeed. I've brought a few pelts this time; all of good quality. I even have one made from fox fur. Let the shopkeeper have a look to see if they're suitable," Zhao Erhu replied, thinking that although pelt prices might be low at this time, if the shopkeeper found them to his liking, he might be able to fetch a good price.

While they were speaking, the shopkeeper emerged from the back and happened to overhear the conversation between the assistant and Zhao Erhu. He immediately asked Erhu to show him the pelts he brought, clearly very eager about this matter—if he could find the right pelts with Zhao Erhu, it would save him from having to look elsewhere.