Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

chapter 36

Chapter 36: Getting a Good Husband for Nothing

“Well, it was actually more of a coincidence that we caught that elk yesterday. A creature that weighs over 200 catties is rarely seen. The wild boar we ate at our wedding was hunted down with the combined effort of three of us, not to mention it took us several days to find it.”

Di Yelei said helplessly, how could one be in luck every day?

“So generally, we mainly sell game like pheasants and wild rabbit roe. The Chief Cook pays a little less than others, but not by much.”

Liu Sisi nodded in understanding: “No matter how much he skims off the top, it’s still skimming. The next time we have a lot of game, we should go to the county to sell it. If there’s not much, we can just sell it at the local market.”

While they were talking, the couple arrived at a clinic and strolled in through the main entrance.

There were quite a few patients in the clinic, with waiters darting between them. In front of the doctor, two patients were queuing up for consultation.

Di Yelei led Liu Sisi to the counter where the accountant was. It was only then he took out the deer antler to sell.

“Old gentleman, we would like to sell this deer antler. Could you take a look for us please?”

The old accountant, who was busy with his abacus on the counter, looked up without much interest, “We don’t buy medicinal materials from outside. You might want to try somewhere else… Wait! Let me see that deer antler.”

Without hesitation, Di Yelei handed over the deer antler.

The pair of antlers had just been cut off from the elk, originally they planned to sell the whole elk together, but hadn’t anticipated having to sell it separately.

After examining the deer antler for a while, the old accountant looked up and said, “We’ll take this pair of deer antlers. I offer you three taels of silver, how does that sound to both of you?”

Neither of them had any idea how much the deer antler was worth, Liu Sisi and Di Yelei were clueless.

However, as an orphan in her previous life, Liu Sisi had long learned how to read people. She didn’t find it hard to see the delight hidden in the old accountant’s eyes. She lightly chuckled and said: “Old gentleman, this deer antler is large and old, with excellent quality, it’s rare to find such a premium product. Offering three taels of silver, don’t you think that’s a bit low?”

The old accountant looked at the couple. The man was tall and strong, clearly very capable. By contrast, Liu Sisi beside him was willowy and beautiful. If not for her simple dress, she could easily be mistaken for the daughter of a wealthy family.

Who would have thought such a pretty woman would be married to such a coarse man? An elegant flower stuck in cow manure!

“So, young lady, how much do you think it’s worth?”

Liu Sisi offered a gentle smile and extended an index finger.

“Ten taels? That’s too much! No!” The old accountant frantically waved his hands.

While it’s true that deer antler is a precious ingredient in medicine, it is not exactly a rare commodity. The clinic had a regular supplier. He only considered buying it because the quality of this pair was exceptional and they were offered directly to him. Nonetheless, if the price was close to what his supplier offered, he’d rather not buy it.

“Well, there’s no way it’s worth only three taels of silver.” Considering the number of deer available in ancient times, deer antlers should not be as valuable as they are today, right?

Liu Sisi was not angered, still smiling beautifully. Her captivating smile naturally drew admiration. The old accountant, despite being old, was not immune to her charm.

“Three taels might be a bit low, but these deer antlers certainly aren’t worth ten taels either. Here is my offer—five taels of silver. If that’s too expensive, then I’m afraid I’ll have to bid you farewell.”

“Ah! Seems like we’ve really made an unnecessary trip.”

Liu Sisi merely sighed and lifted her hand to wrap the pair of deer antlers back with a piece of cloth, talking to herself as she did so: “Yesterday a merchant offered seven taels for these, but someone else said they could be worth ten. Have they been tricking us?” Seeing the old accountant getting interested, Liu Sisi was certain he would want to buy them.

Upon hearing these words, with the excellent quality of the antlers in mind and seeing Liu Sisi about to leave the clinic with her companions, the old accountant couldn’t help but raise his price: “Six taels of silver it is then! This is as high as I can go! If you two still aren’t satisfied, maybe it’s time for you to leave!”

Liu Sisi held back a smile. In just a moment, they had made an extra tael of silver. Pretty good!

“Husband, it’s just one tael of silver, and we no longer need to take them to the county. Maybe we should just take a little loss and sell them?”

“Whatever you think is best, Sisi.”

Di Yelei, standing aside, had nothing else to add. He found the conversation between Liu Sisi and the old accountant quite interesting, as he had never been in a situation to negotiate like this.

An extra six taels of silver! That meant they’re getting closer to paying off the old debt of twenty taels. Liu Sisi couldn’t help but feel elated.

As Liu Sisi was about to leave, having stored away the money, Di Yelei pulled her towards a doctor who just finished seeing a patient: “Doctor, please take a look at my wife. She’s unwell.”

“Husband, I’m quite alright now.” Liu Sisi did not expect Di Yelei to arrange a medical consultation for her.

Having lost her memories from Liu Sisi, going to a doctor would simply be a waste of silver. But Liu Sisi couldn’t bring herself to voice these thoughts, instead turning her big watery eyes to look at Di Yelei.

“No way! Illness must be treated! Lives are more important than money. Be obedient and show your wrist to the doctor.”

“But…”

Liu Sisi was left speechless! His words, saying she was more important than money, filled Liu Sisi with a sweet sentiment. For the first time, she felt fortunate for transmigrating into this world and landing herself a good husband.

“Where does this young woman feel unwell?”

The doctor carefully placed a cotton cloth over Liu Sisi’s wrist before feeling her pulse.

“She had a fever a few days ago, and she even forgot who her own parents were after that. Is there any way for her to regain her memories?” Di Yelei asked anxiously.

His growing concerns about Liu Sisi even surprised himself.

The doctor conducted a thorough examination on Liu Sisi, then removed the cloth from her wrist: “The young woman’s brain was probably damaged due to the high fever. She might regain her memory in a few days, or maybe she’ll never remember again. As long as this doesn’t impact her daily life, losing some memories won’t harm her health. Here, I will give you a prescription. You can take it home and try this medicine.”

It wasn’t until the doctor reassured them that there won’t be any impact on her health, Di Yelei finally relaxed. He thanked the doctor with a smile, paid for the medicine and left the clinic with everyone.

“See, I told you I’m alright.” Liu Sisi quickly said since she didn’t want to waste money on something like this ever again.

“That’s good. Besides, it’s better to seek treatment now than to wait until things get severe.”

Di Yelei said seriously. When he saw a food stand nearby offering noodles, he quickly pulled Liu Sisi and two others along: “We should fill up our stomachs before it gets late. Let’s go home after that.”