As dusk approached, Lu Yu could no longer persist.
She had spoken until her throat was dry, expending much effort and energy on those who were not ill but insisted on her treatment.
"I'm going back. You can send these people away. I'm truly exhausted today," Lu Yu said weakly, greeting Gu Yitong and picking up her needle bag, ready to leave.
"Why are you leaving? We've been waiting in line for so long!"
"Yes, all our waiting was for nothing."
Seeing Lu Yu about to depart, those who hadn't yet been seen became agitated, clamoring outside, shouting about how long they had waited without being attended to.
Gu Yitong was helpless and announced, "Since many of you haven't had a chance, we will continue to provide free treatment and medicinal herbs tomorrow. Tomorrow is the last day. Doctor Lu will be leaving at Shenshi, so if you are interested, please come earlier tomorrow."
She had truly not expected such enthusiasm from the people.
Upon hearing the promise, the crowd finally quieted down and dispersed.
"You must have worked hard these past two days," Gu Yitong said apologetically, patting Lu Yu's shoulder.
"Not hard, not hard. With double the pay, I don't feel overworked."
"Have you also become greedy for money like me?" Thinking about the double pay, she suddenly felt less sympathetic towards Lu Yu and more concerned about her own finances.
"Near vermilion, one becomes red; near ink, one becomes black."
Although Lu Yu spoke with a smile, the fatigue in her eyes and the weakness in her voice were undeniable.
"Are you walking all the way back like this? Your home is quite far from town." Recalling the road she had walked yesterday, her legs still felt a bit weak; that journey was no joke.
"What else can I do? I'm saving money now, and I'll move to town in a while," Lu Yu replied casually, showing no hint of worry about this matter, as if saving money were an easy feat.
In reality, it was relatively easy for Lu Yu. She had earned thirty taels of silver by selling her written stories to Hanmo Pavilion a few days prior.
A three-courtyard house in town cost just over six hundred taels. Her writing was just beginning, and if her stories sold well, she could earn even more.
This endeavor had minimal costs. By reimagining modern novels like "The Tyrannical President Falls in Love with Me" with reversed genders, she could create many more.
By the time she returned home, it was already dark.
With a creak, she pushed open the door. Shen Xuan and Afu turned their heads at the sound, their four eyes falling upon her.
Lu Yu was momentarily taken aback. The dishes on the table remained untouched, and there was still warmth from the stove. All these indicated to Lu Yu that the two of them had been waiting for her to eat together.
"Wife, the food has just been warmed. Please come and eat," Shen Xuan said, standing by the table as if waiting for her to sit down.
"Didn't I tell you that day? You don't need to wait for me to eat. You eat first." Although she said this, there was no blame in her tone, only a hint of indulgence.
"It's not a big difference in time, and besides, Afu and I aren't hungry."
Shen Xuan lowered his head and smiled secretly. At some point, his emotions had gradually become dictated by Lu Yu.
This silly husband was endearingly foolish.
After washing up, the two sat on the bed. Shen Xuan listened to Lu Yu recount the events at the medical clinic, feeling a sense of longing. He also wanted to witness the bustling scenes he had never seen before.
Lu Yu narrated like telling a story, with rising and falling intonation and full emotion. When she reached the part where Zisu brought her seriously ill father to the clinic for help, she paused, wanting to pique his curiosity.
Shen Xuan, hearing the climax, was anxiously worried for Zisu. When she suddenly stopped speaking, he became impatient, his eyes shining as he grabbed her arm, eager for her to continue.
Seeing this, Lu Yu remained silent, adopting an air of profound mystery. It was rare to see her little husband so proactively affectionate, so why would she yield so easily?
Shen Xuan's heart was held in suspense, both worried for the old man and for his own wife. If his wife couldn't save him, and the old man had an accident at their clinic, Lu Yu's reputation would plummet even further.
Shen Xuan had not yet realized that he had, unknowingly, tied his entire heart to Lu Yu. When something happened, Lu Yu was his first concern.
Seeing Lu Yu's intention to continue the story, he urgently shook her arm.
Finally, Lu Yu relented. She couldn't bear Shen Xuan's pleading expression, his clear, bright eyes devoid of any impurities.
Although she hadn't received a kiss from her husband today, she was determined to make him compensate in the future.
Upon hearing that the old man was alright, Shen Xuan let out a sigh of relief, his body relaxing from the tension of anxiety.
Shen Xuan's changing expressions, as if he had witnessed the scene firsthand, were so vivid that they made Lu Yu chuckle softly.
Hearing Lu Yu's suppressed laughter, Shen Xuan felt a flicker of annoyance for the first time. He glared at her in embarrassment and quickly burrowed under the covers, closing his eyes and pretending to sleep, refusing to look at her.
Shen Xuan's behavior today had truly surprised Lu Yu. Such rich expressions and actions appearing on him! She hadn't expected that being apart for just one day could bring about such significant changes in her little husband.
In the past, he was always timid and nervous in her presence, afraid to meet her gaze, as if she were a terrifying beast. But now, he dared to sulk with her? His progress was truly remarkable.
After a long silence, Shen Xuan began to regret his actions.
He shouldn't have sulked with her just now. She must be angry. Should he apologize now? But if he apologized, it would be too embarrassing.
Oh dear! What should he do? Shen Xuan wished he could spank himself and never dare to sulk with his wife again.
Shen Xuan's eyeballs rolled beneath his eyelids, quickly attracting Lu Yu's attention. She couldn't help but reach out and gently touch his fluttering eyelashes.
The sudden touch startled Shen Xuan, who was still lost in his thoughts. He lay there, holding his breath, his eyes tightly shut, afraid to open them.
"Breathe quickly, you'll be fine in a moment," Lu Yu nudged Shen Xuan's arm beside him, finding it both amusing and exasperating.
Shen Xuan secretly opened one eye. Upon confirming it was safe, he slowly opened the other, sat up slowly, his head bowed, his hands incessantly fiddling with the quilt.
"Wife, you're not angry anymore?"
Seeing his cautious demeanor, Lu Yu felt a pang of concern. He was sensitive to such an extent.
"Why would I be angry? Since you think I'm angry, tell me why I'm angry?"
"Because I, I..."
Shen Xuan found it impossible to utter words about his own childish behavior. He trailed off halfway, lowering his head again, like a child who had made a mistake and was awaiting adult reprimand.
Indeed, he was only sixteen. In modern society, he would be in high school, at an age of carefree play, yet he was already married and managing a household.
She stepped forward, took his restless hand, and gently drew him into her embrace. Seeing that he did not resist, Lu Yu slowly said, "In your heart, is your wife such a petty person?"
"No, no," Shen Xuan quickly retorted, struggling to break free from Lu Yu's embrace.
Lu Yu tightened her arms, allowing him to lean completely into her arms.
"Don't move, listen to me finish. You can be childish and get angry, that is the real you, and that is what I want to see. Don't confine yourself to a closed space. Try to accept me with your heart, okay?"
"Okay."
After a long pause, a voice as faint as a mosquito's hum emerged from Lu Yu's embrace, a mixture of breath and tears.