The Slender Waist-Chapter 40 - 33: Huddling together for warmth

Feng Yun did not misjudge; Wen Hui was very efficient in handling affairs.

When the restaurant opening lacked seasonings and ingredients, she personally led a group to Shiguan County to procure them and liaise with suppliers. When they were short-staffed, she posted notices to hire workers temporarily.

Thus, Yutangchun opened its doors on the third day with the sound of gongs, and even though they only sold simple fare such as porridge, pastries, and noodles, it was quite a bustling scene.

Feng Yun specifically told her to buy two strings of firecrackers from Shiguan County for the opening celebration.

Yutangchun was the first and only restaurant to open in the city.

The reason was simple: in wartime, money was worthless; grain and cloth were the real currency. Without a doubt, Feng Yun was operating at a loss. Even if there were no taxes for five years, so what?

Especially as Yutangchun not only accepted Bath coinage but also coins minted by Jin, which were cost-saving and of inferior quality, making them unpopular with the common folk.

Moreover, it was already rumored in Andu City that across the river in Xinzhou, Qi Country had amassed an army of five hundred thousand to fight to the death with the Jin Army.

When the Qi Army reclaimed their lost territory, would they melt down those shoddy copper coins?

Countless people privately mocked Shi’er Niang as a fool, but that didn’t stop the opening of her Yutangchun.

When one person took action, others followed.

Merchants, with their acute instincts, quickly followed suit. The city’s rouge, writing brushes, ink, and paper, pawnshops, and tea houses reopened one after another. In Liuxian Street’s big market, some itinerant vendors from other places also appeared, and the townspeople and rural villagers began to leave their homes to lay out unwanted items in exchange for necessary living supplies.

With liquidity stimulated, Andu County gradually revived the airs of the worldly life...

But under the shadow of war, people had already resigned themselves to the fact that the fighting would continue for maybe three or five years; it was just a matter of who lost, who won, and who would be the Emperor...

—

Having acquired farmland, Feng Yun anxiously hoped for rain.

But as if to spite her, not only did it not rain, it became even hotter.

Feng Yun could not endure the summer heat and fanned herself desperately with a palm fan.

"Why haven’t I seen Alou today?"

Normally, Alou was always circling the ladies; whenever they needed to get something done, they had to find ways to get rid of him. His absence today made Xiaoman curious, and she hurried to inquire.

Alou followed her back and after greeting Feng Yun, he said, "Alou and Ye guard left the residence before dawn. This servant saw that their expressions were very unpleasant, but I don’t know what happened..."

Feng Yun nodded thoughtfully, "Then we should also visit Tianzhuang."

During the peak of summer heat, once the donkey cart left the city and its wheels rolled on the ground, it felt as if they would start smoking from the heat; steam rose, and the inside of the cart was suffocating.

Feng Yun lifted the curtain and hooked it above, gazing blankly at the vast stretches of barren fields when suddenly the baby Ao at her feet roared and began scratching furiously at the door... 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"What’s wrong? Did you spot prey again?" Feng Yun asked with a smile, bending down to pick up the baby Ao. Just as she touched its back and was about to smooth its fur, the baby Ao kicked her and leaped out of the window.

"Baby Ao!"

Feng Yun asked Alou to stop the cart, "Quickly, chase after it!"

Baby Ao’s form quickly disappeared into the thick grass, and Feng Yun hurriedly got off the cart with Alou and Xiaoman, following at a rapid pace. They looked for the animal in the tall grass, which was higher than a person, while calling out for Baby Ao.

"Miss!"

Xiaoman suddenly shrieked, grabbing Feng Yun’s arm.

"Look quickly, there’s a dead person!"

Turning her head, Feng Yun saw a man in black lying in the dense grass, his body covered in blood and dirt, while Baby Ao sat watchfully by his side...

"Big brother?"

Feng Yun couldn’t see the man’s face clearly, but she recognized the ring-headed saber clenched in his hand—Zhanjiao.

It belonged to Wen Xingsu’s deceased father and was treasured by him; he never left it behind.

Feng Yun’s breathing tightened, "Alou, give me a hand."

Noticing the lady’s changed demeanor, Alou realized the blood-soaked tall man on the ground was the eldest young master of Feng Residence and hurriedly stepped forward, carefully helping to turn the man over.

"Big brother!" It was indeed Wen Xingsu.

Feeling his neck pulse, Feng Yun said, "Alou, Xiaoman, quickly carry the eldest young master onto the donkey cart and go back to the city to find a doctor..."

Without waiting for Alou to respond, she shook her head, "No, that won’t do. Xiaoman and I will take big brother to the estate. Alou, go into the city and discreetly find a doctor. Remember, don’t say too much..."

With medical shops in the city already closed and doctors hard to find, it was indeed a situation requiring discretion.

Wen Xingsu was the defender of Xinzhou, and it was not good news that he had appeared in Andu County, seriously injured. If he fell into the hands of the Beiyong Army, they would surely flay him alive.

Feng Yun didn’t want Wen Xingsu to suffer such a fate.

This older brother had always been kind to her.

Wen Xingsu shared her affliction of being born to the Chen Family and her deceased husband. After their mother remarried into the Feng Residence, he endured hardships from both sides and had a difficult time. In those dark years of their youth, they would often huddle together for warmth...

Later, Wen Xingsu joined the military, saying he’d earn a future and protect her thoroughly. Once he left, many years passed by.

Meanwhile, Feng Yun followed Feng Jingteng to Andu for his post, which separated her from Wen Xingsu.

Putting their past lives aside, they also hadn’t seen each other for three or four years in this life.

Wen Xingsu was no longer the youth he used to be; he had grown taller, his body more developed, becoming the adult he desired to be. But his cheeks were too gaunt, and his body bore large bruises and wounds.

Feng Yun opened the small medicine chest in the donkey cart and urged Xiaoman, who was driving, impatiently.

"Faster, drive faster."

Xiaoman called out from outside, "My lady, we can’t go any faster, the cart’s going to take off."

"Then keep it steady."

"Right."

Before the Beiyong Army breached the city, Feng Yun had prepared for all sorts of emergencies, including fleeing and injury, which is why her cart was stocked with food as well as emergency medical supplies.

But Feng Yun was no doctor; all she could do was simply apply antiseptic medicine and bandage up wounds...

She checked Wen Xingsu over carefully and came to a conclusion.

There were several wounds, all deep, but fortunately none were fatal. The worst wound was at the root of his thigh, and it was very likely the heavy blood loss from there that caused his fainting...

Feng Yun unbuttoned his shirt to treat the wounds on his body, but hesitated when it came to the one on his leg.

The wound was in a private area for a man, and as a woman, it wasn’t very convenient for her...

Yet as the donkey cart jolted along, the wound continued to bleed, and she couldn’t just watch and do nothing...

"Elder brother, I apologize in advance."

Feng Yun took a deep breath and pulled open Wen Xingsu’s belt...

"Hiss!" The cloth stuck to the wound, and in some places had already clotted. The pain of pulling it away wasn’t on her own body, but Feng Yun still involuntarily shuddered.

She was very careful, yet still managed to wake Wen Xingsu with the pain.

"Yao Yao?" Wen Xingsu’s voice was hoarse, his eyes somewhat disoriented.

"It’s me, elder brother." Feng Yun watched as the torn wound quickly wept fresh blood and immediately pressed her hand against it.

Blood seeped between the lady’s pale fingers, a shocking sight.

Feng Yun’s eyes reddened slightly.

"Elder brother, hang in there, I’ve sent Alou to fetch a doctor."

Wen Xingsu’s lips tightened slightly, his eyebrows furrowed with the pain.

He knew what calling for a doctor meant but didn’t object, just dreamily looked at Feng Yun, his arm trembling as he reached out, as if trying to touch her to make sure she was real.

But his hand fell halfway, dropping weakly.

"Yao Yao, have you been wronged?"

Feng Yun’s heart, tough as if clad in armor, ached sharply at his words. Her eyes seemed to be water sacks slit open, instantly filled with moisture, her vision blurring.

"I’m fine, I’m very well." Feng Yun said with a smile.

Worried that Wen Xingsu might not believe her, she carefully added, "After Feng Jingteng left, I went to the Beiyong Army’s camp. They aren’t that cruel or bad. Pei Jue, he... was very kind to me. He granted me protection, let me manage the General Residence, and even rewarded me with the servants from the Feng Family. The Feng Family’s lands and estates in Andu are all mine now..."

She intended to comfort someone else, but as she spoke, she began to choke up.

She had too many emotions bottled up inside, with no chance to vent, and Wen Xingsu was the only one who, between her and Feng Ying, had chosen her without hesitation, the one she trusted completely.

If only...

Wen Xingsu in her past life died too early, perishing in her wishful thinking. For Xiao Cheng’s empire and ambitions, for her position as Empress, Wen Xingsu fell on the battlefield where Qi Country attacked Jin, and later, captured in defeat, he refused to surrender and was ordered by Pei Jue to be dismembered by five horses...