My Fulang is a Delicate Flower Chapter 42 Part 4

Ji Taoyu suddenly remembered something, his face flushing. He had nearly forgotten the main reason for their trip to town today.  

He hesitated, suddenly feeling shy. "Let’s… let’s just get it from another medical hall."  

A few days ago, his cousin from his seventh uncle’s family had returned for a visit. This cousin had always been kind to him, and they were the closest among all their siblings.  

When Ji Taoyu and Huo Shu got married, his cousin hadn’t been able to attend. Now that he was back for the New Year, he had brought Ji Taoyu many wedding gifts, and the two of them had gone over for a meal.  

This cousin was a year older than Ji Taoyu and had married half a year earlier.  

His husband was from a county under Tongzhou, serving as a clerk in the local works department, overseeing waterways and construction.

[The Works Department (工房 gōngfáng): a county-level administrative office responsible for water conservancy, government construction, and infrastructure maintenance,  

Ji Taoyu had only seen him once, during the betrothal gifts exchange, he was a tall man, but very dark-skinned.  

The works department managed water conservancy, and the workload was immense. For someone to hold that position in his twenties, he must have been diligent. It was no surprise he looked weathered from years of exposure.  

His cousin, Ji Xingshe, had initially disliked the man for his dark complexion and hadn’t been too willing. But with his father’s insistence, he had no choice but to marry him.  

After the engagement was settled, he had cried for days. Ji Taoyu had been called over to console him.  

Though reluctant, Ji Xingshe hadn’t resigned himself to misery. At night, he had cried while flipping through an illustrated booklet, teaching Ji Taoyu about marital intimacy—lest his husband grow dissatisfied after marriage, making life even harder.  

Seeing his cousin again, Taoyu noticed Ji Xingshe's cheerful demeanor - clear proof his husband treated him well.  

Though both were now married and had been apart for over half a year, they had even more to talk about than before.  

For Ji Taoyu, who'd been too embarrassed to discuss marital matters with others, this reunion became a rare chance to share secrets

From Ji Xingshe, he had learned that ointments and regular practice were essential.  

Ji Taoyu had thought he could make the ointment himself, but his cousin hadn’t brought any along, leaving him without a reference.  

So he had told Huo Shu about it and asked him to obtain what they needed.  

It had been a while since their wedding. Apart from their wedding night, they had tried once more, but it had ended in pain and bleeding.  

The pain was one thing, but the scare had been worse.  

Ji Taoyu calculated that if Huo Shu’s business plans succeeded, they would surely set out early next year. If they still hadn’t consummated their marriage by then, wouldn’t the wedding have been for nothing?  

Narrowing his eyes, he resolved to conquer Huo Shu before departure!  

Otherwise, what if some beauty lured him away on the road? The thought terrified him. He needed to claim Huo Shu completely—first through intimacy, then by bearing his child. Only then would his husband be truly bound to him.

When they reached the medical hall, Ji Taoyu’s face burned at the thought of asking for such things in public.  

He pushed Huo Shu’s back. "You go ask the attendant. I’ll… I’ll wait here."  

Huo Shu raised a brow. "You’re the physician. You’d know better than me. If you don’t go, how will it work?"  

Ji Taoyu whispered, "Have you ever seen a young ger asking for this kind of thing?"  

"It’s for your use. Why wouldn’t you?"  

"Well… don’t you benefit too? Why must I go?"  

"Are you embarrassed?"  

Ji Taoyu pinched his fingers. "Isn’t it normal for a ger to be shy?"  

"You weren’t shy when you peeked at me in the mornings or groped me under the guise of applying ointment at night."  

Ji Taoyu’s eyes widened, and he pinched Huo Shu’s hand. "As if you didn’t grope me too!"  

"I never said I was shy."  

"Huo Shu!"  

Ji Taoyu gritted his teeth, but before Huo Shu could respond, a timid voice came from behind: "What medicine would you like to buy? Perhaps you could discuss it inside the shop?"  

Ji Taoyu suddenly realized the medical hall attendant had come out at some point. His face instantly boiled with embarrassment.  

Had they overheard? Judging by the attendant’s odd expression, they probably had.  

At this thought, Ji Taoyu wished he could vanish into the ground. He buried his face in Huo Shu’s chest to hide.  

"Is this young master unwell?"  

The physician inside looked up as Huo Shu guided Ji Taoyu in.  

"He just has a slight headache. Nothing serious."  

The physician said, "Then let’s take his pulse first and prescribe something for headaches or fever."  

Ji Taoyu lifted his head and waved apologetically. "We’re not here for cold medicine. It’s my husband, he… he wants some medicine."  

With that, Ji Taoyu quickly slipped away to a corner.  

The physician studied Huo Shu, thinking that a man so robust like him could probably kick an ox to death. He ventured, "You’re unwell?"  

Huo Shu replied calmly, "I recently married. My fulang and I have difficulties in bed. I need ointment."  

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm and matter-of-fact, drawing glances from everyone in the medical hall.  

The men took in Huo Shu’s towering frame and the delicate young master waiting nearby, then silently turned away, lowering their heads.  

Ji Taoyu covered his face completely with his sleeve. If he’d known Huo Shu would be this blunt, he’d have asked himself.  

The physician also paused, then coughed dryly. "Come with me."  

Ji Taoyu wondered if he should follow, but after the covert stares, he hesitated, then fled outside to wait.  

Huo Shu stayed in the back room for a long time before emerging with a small box.