Chapter 291: Jade Pendants

Yan Yu: …

So basically, it’s just expensive.

“We’ve got ginseng at home, we can buy the wine, and we can find honey in the forest. But can we gather the rest of the herbs?” Yan Yu thought of her aunt, the one who always got along so well with her father—cheerful, talkative, always full of surprising remarks. She always called her “Xiao Er” with warmth, invited her to meals, and had just been chopping pig feed with a loud clatter moments ago…

For an aunt like that, Yan Yu didn’t mind spending money on her treatment. She was even willing to use the family’s precious ginseng if it would help.

Li Xuemei furrowed her brows in thought for a long while before finally saying slowly, “Xiao Yu, let’s share the prescription.”

Once she got started, the rest came more easily.

“Not all of them, just this one for now. Let your uncle take a look and compare it with his own. He must’ve diagnosed her correctly, otherwise he wouldn’t have dared to prescribe anything. But different prescriptions yield different results. If he thinks ours is better, he won’t ignore it.”

“My uncle? Physician Cui?” Is his medical skill really up to par?

Yan Yu didn’t say the rest out loud, but both mother and daughter understood the implication.

“For now, let’s wait. Let your aunt keep taking what your uncle prescribed. We’ll talk more once they’re back from Gufeng.”

Even as she said this, Li Xuemei still felt uneasy. Madam Cui’s warm breath and hot hands seemed like signs of an impending fever.

“I’ll go check on your aunt.”

Dandelion tea, known for clearing heat and detoxifying, might help a little.

She wanted to go over and remind Madam Cui to take better care of herself.

“Mom, I’ll go with you. And… masks.” Yan Yu gestured with her hands.

Her mother was pregnant too, after all. She needed to be extra careful.

Li Xuemei obediently put on a mask. Just as the two of them stepped out of the house, they ran into Old Yan.

Yan Huaiwen paused for a moment when he saw both mother and daughter masked up.

Still, he kept his composure and asked in a deep voice, “Sister-in-law, are you heading out? Are you feeling unwell?”

Li Xuemei pulled down her mask, revealing her face. “Big Brother, it’s not me. It’s Madam Cui. She seems to have a bit of a fever. Physician Cui isn’t home, and I’m worried, so I wanted to check on her.”

Yan Huaiwen’s tense posture immediately relaxed.

“Doctor An from Huimin Hall will be arriving later. We can ask him to stop by the Cui residence for a consultation. You’re getting further along in your pregnancy—if anything comes up, just send Xiao Er. She’s clever and dependable.”

A smile slowly curved on Li Xuemei’s lips.

Who doesn’t like hearing their child praised? Especially when the one giving the praise is Old Yan.

That made it all the sweeter.

“Young Doctor An is coming? That’s great! Mom, you don’t need to go. I’ll head over to Aunt’s place.” Yan Yu’s eyes lit up with joy.

Talk about perfect timing—just when you’re dozing off, someone brings you a pillow.

Absolutely spot on!

At the Cui residence, Yan Yu gave her god-aunt a thousand reminders to drink the dandelion tea. Still worried she might just pretend to drink it, she waited until the water boiled and watched her take a few sips before she left.

Before leaving, she mentioned that Young Doctor An would be coming by, and told her aunt to stay home and wait for news instead of wandering around.

Madam Cui happily agreed.

As she watched Xiao Er leave, Madam Cui turned back to the steaming cup of dandelion tea and couldn’t help but chuckle.

It had nearly scalded her to death just now!

…

Back home, it was just in time for lunch.

Lamb noodle soup—how could that not be amazing?

It had the rich flavor of lamb broth and the chewy bite of handmade noodles.

But the best part? These weren’t just any noodles. They were authentic knife-cut noodles!

Granny Rong wielded the knife like an extension of her hand. With the dough in her left hand, her right hand moved in swift, practiced strokes.

With each flash of the blade, ribbons of dough about two fingers wide dropped neatly into the bubbling lamb broth.

Once the noodles were all in, they let them cook for a bit.

Just before serving, a handful of chopped scallions was tossed on top.

The aroma was irresistible.

Yan Huaiwen took a sip of the broth first. The rich, savory flavor lingered on his palate.

He closed his eyes slightly and swallowed slowly.

Then he picked up a wide noodle, lifted his sleeve to cover his mouth, and elegantly brought it to his lips.

Before he could even chew, a loud slurping noise broke the moment.

He looked up—who else could it be but Xiao Er?

He had just praised her for being clever and well-mannered, and now he wanted to take it all back.

Yan Yu’s whole face was practically buried in her bowl.

A few dewdrops clung to the tip of her nose, and her chopsticks danced nimbly through the bowl.

One moment she was fishing for noodles, the next for lamb, and in between, she sipped the broth. She was so busy it looked like one mouth wasn’t nearly enough.

Yan Huaiwen calmly picked up a piece of lamb and took another small sip of soup.

From time to time, he glanced at Xiao Er.

A faint smile flickered in his eyes.

Since his sister-in-law became pregnant, her appetite had been unpredictable—sometimes too much, sometimes too little.

But now, after not seeing her for a while, she looked noticeably rounder. Clearly, Madam Rong had been the right choice. Her cooking was excellent.

Even Daya had started eating more. He’d noticed earlier—she seemed to have grown a bit taller.

After eating her fill, Yan Yu sat in a daze for a moment.

The kind of daze commonly known as… food coma.

Yan Huaiwen set down his chopsticks and sat for a while longer. Once everyone had finished eating, he finally stood up.

Daya followed him into the room, her little sister trailing behind.

Inside, Yan Huaiwen took out a pair of jade pendants and handed one to his daughter and one to his niece.

The pendants were both made of white jade, carved with swirling cloud patterns that wrapped around the surface.

The jade was slightly dull in color—not particularly expensive.

There was a slight difference in size. Daya’s was a bit larger, while Yan Yu’s was a touch smaller.

Each could be worn on its own, but when placed side by side, it was clear they were a matching pair.

Daya couldn’t put hers down.

She kept rubbing it between her fingers, her face glowing with joy.

“Thank you, Dad!”

“Thank you, Uncle!” Yan Yu chimed in right after.

She held the round pendant up to herself, then turned to look for a string to hang it around her neck. She was already imagining how good it would look.

Yan Huaiwen seemed to see right through her thoughts and said gently, “It’s meant to be fastened to the hem of your skirt.” He paused for a moment, then added, “Or worn at the waist.”

Yan Yu instantly understood what her uncle meant.

She also recalled the proper way to use this kind of pendant.

The books often mentioned the soft chime of jade pendants and how they weighed down the skirt hem—that was exactly what this was for.

It kept a woman’s skirt from being lifted by the wind. When worn, it was both elegant and practical.

The part about wearing it at the waist was meant specifically for her.

This jade ring could be used by both men and women.

A gentleman wears jade—it doesn’t have to be a specific shape.

If she were dressed as a man, she could simply attach it to her belt.

Her uncle himself wore a piece of jade. It wasn’t white, but a greenish hue, and the quality was inferior to the matching pair she and her eldest sister had.

Even Uncle Liang, who hadn’t had one back when they were fleeing from disaster, had a jade pendant on him when they were in Crouching Tiger City.

Master Tian of Crouching Tiger City wore one as well.

It likely had to do with the scholarly customs of the region.

They revered the virtues symbolized by jade and wore it as a constant reminder to uphold them.

“I’ve been away from home for several days. Have the two of you been slacking off in your studies?”

Yan Yu: Here it comes!

Uncle’s inspection had begun!

She immediately snapped to attention, ready to face the coming test.

“Father, I’m ashamed. I haven’t spent much time with my books these past few days,” Daya said, blushing deeply.

Compared to the quick-witted Yan Yu, Daya was far more straightforward. She had been so happy to see her father return that she hadn’t even thought to prepare for a pop quiz.

The soft chime of jade pendants… just hearing it sounds so beautiful~ (*▽*)~

(End of Chapter)