She sat around idly for a while. When she figured enough time had passed, the medicine he drank earlier should've cooled down. She went to the kitchen, picked it up, and carried it to his room.
When she walked in, he had already finished his breakfast. She handed him the medicine and gently said, "Sir, please drink your medicine."
After he finished drinking it, she gave him a piece of brown sugar, then cleaned up the bowl and dishes from the bed.
She said, "Sir, get some rest. I have to go out again this morning. I'll probably be back around the same time as yesterday." After speaking, she turned to leave.
"My name is Alaric Yun."
Just as Pearl Su was about to step out, the man spoke. His eyes looked deep and calm.
Hmm? Hearing him speak suddenly made Pearl Su pause in surprise. She had been thinking about how to ask for his name, but he ended up saying it first.
"May I ask for your name, miss?" Seeing her surprised expression, Alaric Yun asked again.
"Pearl Su." She looked at him and answered calmly.
"Pearl… glowing like light. What a beautiful and poetic name, Miss Su."
His gaze seemed to burn slightly, making Pearl Su feel her face get warm.
No one had ever praised her name before. Though she also thought her name was pretty nice, hearing it spoken in such a charming voice by a good-looking man had an oddly seductive effect.
"Oh, thank you for the compliment. Your name is also quite good!" Pearl Su tried to keep her cool as she replied.
Alaric Yun smiled. "Miss, I will definitely repay your life-saving kindness."
"Good." She had already thought of what kind of reward she wanted.
Alaric Yun raised his eyebrows slightly. "May I ask what kind of reward Miss Su wants?"
"One thousand taels of gold." Pearl Su said it straight out.
Alaric Yun raised his eyebrows again. "I don't have that much silver on me now. How about I repay you once I return home?"
"That works." She already knew he didn't have money on him. She had checked before.
"Then thank you, Miss."
"Mm." Pearl Su walked out with the bowls and dishes.
In the kitchen, she cleaned everything up and laid the herbs out to dry. Then she put on her basket and got her tools ready to head out.
But then she remembered something. She put the basket down and went back to the room to get a small bottle.
She knocked on Alaric Yun's door. When she heard his response, she opened it and said, "Sir, this is medicine for your wounds. Use it first."
She handed him the medicine and quickly left the room, put the basket on her back again, and headed out.
Today she had brought some rice with her. She wondered if she could catch some wild animals.
The morning sun wasn't too harsh yet, but the temperature was still very hot. She really missed the coolness of the house.
Following the small path, she crossed two hills. She had seen wild animals there before.
Actually, if she wanted to eat meat, she didn't have to work so hard. She could just buy some from the villagers.
But the last two times she showed up, those villagers looked at her like hungry wolves staring at meat. Some of them even clung to her, asking if she wanted to take a husband.
Some even offered dowries, begging her to marry them. It scared her so much that she didn't dare show her face again.
Marriage customs here were really strange. Women could marry several men, and the men were proud to be chosen.
If she didn't know for sure that women gave birth here, she would've thought this was some kind of matriarchal country.
When she arrived at the spot, Pearl Su first set up traps, scattered some rice as bait, and sat nearby to rest.
After a short rest, she started exploring the area. She found a few valuable herbs, caught several forest frogs, picked over a dozen bird eggs, and caught three birds.
Back at the spot, the trap she had set earlier was now covered up. Looks like it caught something.
Pearl Su was happy. She carefully opened the trap and found three birds inside. It was a bit disappointing. She had hoped for something bigger.
She guessed these birds were probably from the same nest as the ones she had just taken earlier.
Well, birds were small, but at least they were still meat. She couldn't be picky.
She tied the birds together and got ready to go back. On the way, she picked a patch of good-looking wild greens. At least the vegetables were taken care of now.
When she returned to the mountain closest to her house, the one she planned to collect firewood from today, she chopped a lot of branches. The green ones she left to dry, and the dry ones, along with those already on the ground, she picked up and brought back.
By the time she got the firewood home, Pearl Su was so tired she didn't want to move anymore.
She drank some cool boiled water to rehydrate, then went back to her room and lay on the bed like a corpse.
A long time passed, and then came a "gurgle… gurgle…" sound. Her stomach was growling.
She touched her complaining stomach and snapped out of her daze. Time to think about what to eat and how to make it.
After making lunch, she also started boiling medicine for Alaric Yun. Once she finished eating and filled her stomach, she poured the boiled medicine into a bowl and left it to cool.
She picked up Alaric Yun's lunch and walked to his room, feeling in a pretty good mood.
This handsome man was her golden ticket. She had to treat him well. A thousand taels of gold could make her a rich woman anywhere.
She knocked on the door and said, "Sir, I brought your lunch."
"Please come in, Miss Su," came a calm and gentle voice from inside.
"Sorry, I'm a bit late today," Pearl Su said as she entered.
"No problem. You've been busy and still take care of me. I'm more than grateful, how could I complain?" Alaric Yun smiled gently.
Pearl Su felt a little guilty as she placed the food down. She softened her tone, "Do you feel unwell today?"
Right after she asked, she almost bit her own tongue. She had forgotten to check his pulse that morning. Why did she keep forgetting things lately?
"No discomfort. Thank you for asking, Miss Su. There's no water jug in your room. Could you bring me a cup of water?" Alaric Yun looked at her as he spoke.
"Oh, alright." Pearl Su snapped back to attention. She realized there really wasn't a water jug in his room. She would need to buy one next time she went to town. It was fine when she was alone, but now with someone else, it was inconvenient.
She went to the kitchen and brought him a bowl of water.
"Thank you, Miss Su." Alaric Yun took the bowl and drank it down in a few gulps.
He must have been thirsty all morning. Seeing how quickly he drank, Pearl Su thought for a moment and asked carefully, "Would you like another bowl?"
"No need, thank you, Miss Su."
"Alright then. Take your time eating."
Pearl Su left the room, thinking about what else he might need. Had she prepared everything? She didn't want to forget again.
Back in the kitchen, she searched around, but after a long time, she still didn't find another water jug.
Usually, she just drank water in the kitchen. If she gave him the only jug, what would she do? She didn't want to make things hard on herself.
Maybe it was better to just bring him water whenever he asked.
Or maybe… she could keep a bowl of water in his room for him to drink whenever he wanted.
But wait, he couldn't get out of bed yet. How would he drink it? There wasn't even a table or cabinet in the room. Where would she put it?
Getting a table or cabinet was easier said than done. Big items like that were hard to come by. This place lacked everything. She was just making do herself and had no plans to stay long.