When ordinary people live in the sa circumstances for a long ti, they can't tell whether their current life is good or bad.
But they fear comparison most of all.
Who lives better than whom, who lives worse than whom, this often affects one's mood greatly.
Now, it was comparison that caused the trouble.
Second Sister-in-law Ye was distraught, but Ye Bao couldn't see her distress.
Ye Bao was young, a half-grown child who understood nothing. Though he usually fought over words and food, most of it was due to Second Sister-in-law Ye spoiling him. He didn't really have much malice in him.
He didn't like seeing Ye Jiao co to his house to compete with him for egg custard, but now seeing Ye Jiao on the street, even a small child like Ye Bao knew she was soone he had lived with day and night. Seeing Ye Jiao dressed so beautifully, Ye Bao also smiled and clapped his hands: "Aunt looks so beautiful, beautiful like a fairy."
This wasn't nonsense. Today's Ye Jiao was indeed very different from before.
Even though her makeup was only light, she was naturally well-proportioned. Plus, eating well and sleeping well at the Qi family, her complexion no longer showed the sallow thinness from going hungry every day at the Ye family. Her clothes were also newly made, with bright fabric and well-fitted tailoring. Just that robe alone wasn't sothing ordinary families could afford.
The hand warr in her hands was carved with flowers, the hairpin in her hair was inlaid with jade. Though it couldn't be called overwhelmingly wealthy, anyone could tell at a glance she was a wealthy family's wife.
But this truthful statent sohow hit Second Sister-in-law Ye's sore spot, making her angrily pinch Ye Bao's buttock flesh hard.
Ye Bao cried out in pain imdiately. Not knowing what he had said wrong, he felt especially wronged and cried particularly loudly.
Second Sister-in-law Ye felt embarrassed, covered his mouth and walked away, but Ye Bao wouldn't cooperate, causing Second Sister-in-law Ye to trip and fall.
Though she wasn't injured, her good clothes were covered in dust and her elbow had a hole torn in it. This made Second Sister-in-law Ye's ears ring with anger.
Turning to look again at Ye Jiao who looked like a fairy, Second Sister-in-law Ye felt as if her whole body was soaked in vinegar, unspeakably uncomfortable.
Ye Bao was still crying, but Second Sister-in-law Ye had no mind to scold him. She just wanted to leave quickly, get far away, as if staying even a mont longer would be humiliating.
Ye Jiao didn't know soone had co and gone. She just sat in the ox cart and went to Lady Dong's dicine shop.
Lady Dong's husband was nad Yan Li, the dicine shop's manager. Today he happened to be going to his dicine garden to get supplies and wasn't at the shop. Only a physician on duty was watching the place.
Coincidentally, this physician on duty was Doctor Li, who usually treated Qi Yun. Ye Jiao greeted Doctor Li, then went to the back with Lady Dong's company to look at the dicinal materials.
Since it was a dicine shop, various dicinal materials were well-organized by category. A large shelf held many drawers of different sizes, each drawer labeled with the dicine na. Pulling one out would reveal the corresponding dicinal material.
Ye Jiao looked very carefully, unlike her casual manner at the wine shop earlier. Now Ye Jiao was exceptionally serious.
Looking at dicines, asking about their properties, and asking about each one in great detail. So things even Lady Dong couldn't answer, fortunately Doctor Li was there to help, finally satisfying the master's wife.
When Ye Jiao sat contentedly at the table, Lady Dong breathed a sigh of relief. While pouring tea for Ye Jiao, she said: "Jiao Niang, you really do love dicinal materials. That's good. When you have nothing to do, you can co look around. If there are any rare dicines, we can look at them together."
Ye Jiao agreed. This suited her perfectly, and her face showed an especially bright smile.
At this mont, soone brought up a bowl of dicine for Lady Dong. Lady Dong took it, tested the temperature, frowned and poured it down her throat.
Ye Jiao watched and asked: "Spring Orchid, are you ill?"
Lady Dong gave the bowl to the assistant. After he went downstairs, Lady Dong said softly: "I wouldn't really call it an illness. Two years ago I was pregnant, but I fell and lost the baby. I haven't gotten pregnant since, so I've been taking dicine every day. But I've drunk quite a lot of dicine, yet still have no fortune with children."
These words were said simply, but whenever Lady Dong ntioned it she felt sad. Even now she couldn't hide her loneliness.
Ye Jiao reached out and gently grasped Lady Dong's wrist, closing her eyes slightly. She felt that Lady Dong had indeed injured her foundation, but recovering this foundation wasn't sothing that could be done overnight. Even after drinking dicine for two years, Lady Dong hadn't fully recovered.
Little ginseng didn't have many friends. Lady Dong suited her temperant and, like her, loved dicinal materials, so naturally she felt more fondness for her.
This made little ginseng willing to think more for her sake. Several prescriptions flashed through her mind, but they all contained so dicinal materials she had seen before becoming human but hadn't seen since.
At this mont, Lady Dong seed to rember sothing. She stood up and brought back a basket from outside.
Setting it on the table and lifting the cloth on top, one could see it was filled with flower petals.
These petals didn't look like they were from the sa type of flower, but from many different kinds. So were from dicinal flowers, others were from ordinary ornantal flowers.
Lady Dong studied dicine, so naturally she knew these couldn't be mixed together. She had put cross-shaped dividers in the basket to separate the different petals, smiling at Ye Jiao: "Jiao Niang, take these ho with you."
Ye Jiao peered in, her bright eyes showing so confusion: "Can flower petals be eaten too?"
"They're not for eating, they're for putting in the bath tub when bathing." Lady Dong smiled and pointed for her: "All the flowers here have fragrance. Putting so in when bathing can make your body sll sweet. Try it and see."
This was actually a gift Lady Dong had specially prepared for Ye Jiao, but her family's dicine shop didn't have as much inco as the wine shop. What she could offer besides dicinal materials was still dicinal materials.
If she gave dicinal materials directly, Lady Dong felt it wasn't appropriate. After all, this shop was managed by Qi Yun. If she gave dicinal materials, wouldn't that be giving the master sothing with the master's own things?
After thinking it over, Lady Dong rembered how Ye Jiao had liked the dicinal flowers she gave last ti. This ti Lady Dong simply decided to give flower petals, beautiful and fragrant. It couldn't go wrong.
Ye Jiao smiled and thanked her, pulling the basket to herself and playing with the petals inside while thinking that there were so many ways to bathe. Being human was indeed a profound science.
Just then, her fingertips stopped, and she picked up a bright red flower.
This petal had a sowhat unusual shape, pointed on both sides and slightly thick in the middle, soft to the touch and pleasant to handle.
Ye Jiao had seen this unique type of petal before. It was called Wind Source Flower, mostly growing in places with abundant water plants. It needed to be soaked in water to survive, and was specifically for... situations like Lady Dong's, it seed.
This was still sothing the little fox had tried. To have a scholar's offspring, the fox had secretly used many thods, and this flower was surprisingly effective.
Was this getting what she wished for?
Little ginseng suddenly felt vaguely that her luck had been particularly good since becoming human.
Ye Jiao held the petal and looked at it again, confirming it was indeed the right one, then said to Lady Dong: "Spring Orchid, can you give so of this flower? I'll return it to you after I grow it successfully."
Ye Jiao had never ntioned returning any of the previous dicinal flowers, but this ti she was determined to send them back to Lady Dong's side.
Moreover, this flower had very good nourishing effects for won. If she could keep it alive and plant it in the courtyard, it would be very beneficial.
Lady Dong was slightly startled and leaned over to identify it: "This is an Auspicious Flower petal. It's very hard to grow. If you want it, I have several more pots. I'll have them all brought back for you."
Ye Jiao nodded with a smile.
The na was well chosen, it was indeed auspicious.
Seeing it was getting late, Ye Jiao carried the basket while Nanny Liu held two flower pots. After saying goodbye to Lady Dong, they left the dicine shop.
Sitting in the ox cart, Ye Jiao played with the Auspicious Flowers, feeling they looked wilted and lifeless.
Ye Jiao stopped touching them, afraid of making the petals fall off, planning to get a jar to raise them in when she returned.
Turning to look at the flower basket again, Ye Jiao took out a few petals and slled them, finding they all had pleasant fragrances.
At least they slled better than the rouge she had used before.
Little ginseng put the petals back, thinking that when she returned ho, she could take a bath and try to see if they could really make her fragrant.
Leaning against the cushion, Ye Jiao lifted the curtain to look outside.
The town was indeed livelier than the village countryside. There were more pedestrians on the road, and the vendors on both sides sold all kinds of things.
However, Ye Jiao's gaze focused more on the shop signs on both sides.
Like every person who had just learned to read, Ye Jiao was now particularly interested in reading characters.
This one was "East Monkey Lane Stead Cakes," that one was "Granny Wang's Tofu Shop," and there was a clothing shop...
Ye Jiao suddenly seed to rember sothing and called to the cart driver ahead: "Stop for a mont."
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