Chapter 4
The cotton fabric had become wrinkled beneath her grip. Wei Yunxi released it, bit her lip, and gently drew back.
Seeing the embarrassment on her face, Lin Ji picked up the handkerchief resting beside the bed and gently placed it in her hand. “Being able to cry is a good thing. You don’t need to feel embarrassed.”
If she couldn’t cry and kept all those emotions bottled up inside, that would be when things truly became troublesome.
Wei Yunxi raised her eyes toward Lin Ji. She wanted to say “thank you,” but the words remained trapped in her throat, impossible to utter. After thinking for a moment, she raised her hand and tentatively took Lin Ji’s right hand.
The woman’s palm was warm, like a piece of heated jade resting against the back of her hand.
Lin Ji allowed her to hold her hand, opening her palm in response to the gentle pressure.
Lowering her eyes, Wei Yunxi used her finger as a brush and carefully traced the two characters for “many thanks” across the woman’s palm, stroke by stroke.
This woman had saved her life. A simple thank-you seemed woefully inadequate, yet it was all she could offer.
The sensation against Lin Ji’s palm was like the brush of a feather, leaving a faint tickle behind.
Her fingertips twitched slightly. Once Wei Yunxi finished writing and released her hand, Lin Ji curled her five fingers together, closing her palm to suppress the lingering sensation.
Lin Ji crouched down, took the handkerchief from Wei Yunxi’s hand, and gently wiped the tearstains from her face. “It’s already a blessing that you’ve managed to wake up. If you truly feel grateful to me for saving your life, then do your best to stay alive. That way, my efforts to save you won’t have been in vain.”
The woman had regained consciousness, but her body was still terribly weak. If she continued harboring thoughts of giving up on life, no amount of money would be enough to save her.
Hearing this, the moisture in Wei Yunxi’s eyes trembled faintly.
Lin Ji stood up. “I’ll fetch a basin of warm water so you can wash your face.”
Wei Yunxi raised her eyes and watched Lin Ji’s departing figure. She vaguely remembered hearing someone speaking beside her ear while she was unconscious.
At the time, her consciousness had been clouded. It had felt as though her entire body were submerged in deep water, without even the strength to struggle, leaving her to sink helplessly into the depths.
Yet at that very moment, a voice had pierced through the dark surface of the water and sounded clearly beside her ear. “Do your best to stay alive, for your own sake and for the people who love you.”
Wei Yunxi tightened her grip on the quilt beneath her fingers and bit her lip hard, refusing to let herself cry again.
Yueling had died protecting her. How could she so casually throw her own life away? And what about her mother and elder sister? How heartbroken would they be if they learned that she had fallen from a cliff and died?
She had lost everything. All she had left was her life.
Even if not for herself, she ought to do her best to survive for the sake of those who had protected and loved her.
Lin Ji entered the kitchen.
Lin Nian was standing in front of the stove, holding a spatula and stirring the rice porridge in the large pot.
The rice had already cooked down into a soft, thick porridge, filling the entire kitchen with its rich aroma.
Seeing Lin Ji enter, Lin Nian tilted her little head up to look at her. “Big Sister, the porridge is almost ready. Should we add the vegetables now?”
“Mm.” Lin Ji walked over and took the spatula from her. She poured the shepherd’s purse and bok choy waiting nearby into the pot and stirred. “We don’t need to cook it any longer. The residual heat from the porridge will be enough to cook the vegetables.”
Hearing this, Lin Nian climbed down from the little stool and went behind the stove. She picked up the fire tongs and skillfully spread apart the burning firewood inside the firebox, then covered it with stove ash to extinguish the flames.
Lin Ji turned around and picked up the kettle of hot water warming on the stove. As she poured it into a wooden basin, she asked, “Nian Nian, did Physician Cui mention how much her consultation fee was before she left?”
Lin Nian emerged from behind the stove. Seeing her pouring hot water, she reminded her softly, “Big Sister, you should use cold water.”
“Hmm?” Lin Ji stopped pouring and looked at Lin Nian in confusion.
Lin Nian explained, “If you’re going to wash that big sister’s face, you should use cold water. She cried for a long time, and if you use hot water now, her eyes will hurt even more.”
Lin Ji froze for a moment. She genuinely hadn’t known that. “Then we’ll use cold water.”
Lin Ji poured out the hot water. She had barely set down the wooden basin when Lin Nian picked up the water ladle, scooped some cold water from the water vat, and poured it into the basin. “Sister Cui said the consultation fee is still ten wen. When Big Sister goes into town tomorrow to get the medicine, you can pay her the fee then.”
After pouring the cold water, the little girl stretched out both her short arms, preparing to lift the wooden basin.
“I’ll carry it.” Lin Ji beat her to it. “Hurry and drink your fish soup. It won’t taste as good once it gets cold.”
The little girl knew so much about such things. She had probably cried until her own eyes ached after Mother Lin passed away.
Lin Nian shook her head and followed Lin Ji on her short little legs. “I’ll go with Big Sister.”
She had only started eating earlier because she couldn’t resist the delicious food. It wasn’t good to eat by herself without waiting for the others.
“All right, then.” Lin Ji smiled.
She carried the wooden basin into the eastern room, soaked a cotton cloth in the cold water, wrung out the excess moisture, and handed it to Wei Yunxi so she could wipe her face.
Wei Yunxi’s eyes were red from crying.
After she finished washing her face, Lin Ji dipped the cloth into the cold water again, wrung it out, and folded it neatly into a square before handing it back. “Place this over your eyes for a while. It’ll help you feel better.”
Wei Yunxi accepted the cool, damp cloth and gently laid it over her eyes.
She knew she must look rather miserable at the moment, but perhaps because she had already cried her heart out in front of Lin Ji, she no longer felt particularly embarrassed.
“Everything happened so suddenly earlier that I forgot to introduce myself,” Lin Ji said as she sat down. “My name is Lin Ji. Lin as in the word for forest, and Ji as in the clearing skies after rain.”
After introducing herself, Lin Ji looked toward Lin Nian.
The little girl stepped forward and introduced herself with an earnest imitation of an adult. “Big Sister, my name is Lin Nian. I’m six years old this year. Nian is the character for longing.”
She didn’t know many characters, but she could write both her own name and her big sister’s.
After the older and younger sisters finished introducing themselves, they turned toward Wei Yunxi.
Holding the cloth, Wei Yunxi was momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Lin Ji simply extended her right hand, palm facing upward. “You can write your name on my palm. That way, I’ll know what to call you from now on.”
As she spoke, Lin Ji took the cloth from her hand.
Wei Yunxi hesitated for a moment. Then she held the back of Lin Ji’s hand with her left hand and lowered the tip of her right index finger onto Lin Ji’s palm.
Feeling the movement of the fingertip tracing across her skin, Lin Ji mentally pieced together the two characters Wei Yunxi had written. “Xu Yun. Yun as in the saying about harboring pearls and jade. What a lovely name.”
It sounded like the name of a daughter who had been dearly cherished by her family.
Hearing the compliment, Wei Yunxi pressed her lips together and lowered her eyes.
Lin Ji glanced at her and easily noticed the guilt concealed in her expression.
So it was a false name.
She probably had her reasons. If she didn’t want to tell her, then so be it.
Pretending not to notice, Lin Ji stood up, washed the cloth, and hung it on a wooden rack to dry. “I’ll go get you some porridge. Have a bowl to fill your stomach. You’ll need to take another dose of medicine later.”
A timekeeping incense stick was burning on the long, narrow table in the middle of the main hall. One such stick took twelve double-hours to burn completely, and this one had nearly burned a third of the way down.
Aunt Cui had instructed her to administer the second dose of medicine four hours after the first. Fortunately, these timekeeping incense sticks were inexpensive, and the Lin household had several in reserve.
Lin Ji entered the kitchen, transferred the prepared vegetable porridge into a clay pot, and carried it into the main hall.
The freshly cooked porridge was still far too hot. Lin Ji first served a bowl, placed it inside a larger soup bowl filled with cold water, and stirred it to help the porridge cool more quickly.
Seeing what she was doing, Lin Nian followed her example. She served two bowls of porridge, held a spoon in each hand, and began stirring one clockwise and the other counterclockwise, diligently trying to cool the porridge.
Watching the little girl’s serious expression, Lin Ji inexplicably felt like laughing.
The little girl was remarkably observant and proactive. She simply wouldn’t allow herself to remain idle.
The two of them, one big and one small, stirred their porridge together. Once it had cooled to a comfortable eating temperature, Lin Ji carried a bowl into the eastern room.
Wei Yunxi made to sit up.
Lin Ji hurried forward, set the bowl beside the bed, and gently pressed a hand against her shoulder. “Don’t move. Be careful not to pull at the wounds on your back.”
Wei Yunxi stopped moving.
Lin Ji picked up the bowl and placed it, along with the spoon, into her hands. “I’ve cooled the porridge with cold water, so it’s just the right temperature to eat. It’s a little plain, though. I’m not sure whether it’ll suit your taste.”
Wei Yunxi held the bowl in her hands. She took the spoon, scooped up a mouthful of porridge, and brought it to her lips.
The rich, unadorned fragrance of rice mingled with the fresh aroma of shepherd’s purse as the porridge slipped down her throat, soothing her empty stomach.
Warmth gradually spread through her, inch by inch. For a fleeting moment, Wei Yunxi felt that nothing in the world could compare to the bowl of warm rice porridge in her hands.
She wanted to live. She wanted to live well.
Lin Ji had originally worried that she might have no appetite and be unable to eat. But seeing Wei Yunxi eating her porridge one spoonful at a time, she finally felt reassured.
As long as she could eat, that was good. Being willing to eat meant she still wanted to live, and that was the best outcome she could hope for.
Lin Ji left the eastern room. When she didn’t see Lin Nian, she went to the kitchen to look for her. The little girl was sitting beside the stove, keeping watch over a clay pot filled with milky-white crucian carp soup, which was slowly warming over the fire.
The delicious aroma of fish soup had already filled the kitchen, yet the little girl remained patient and didn’t sneak even a single taste.
How had the original owner ever managed to call such a sensible, well-behaved younger sister “stupid”?
Lin Ji shook her head inwardly. She walked over, grabbed a dishcloth to protect her hands, and lifted the clay pot by its two handles. “Come on. Let’s go eat.”
Although the reheated fish soup wasn’t quite as delicious as it had been fresh from the pot, it still tasted excellent.
Lin Ji had been busy all afternoon and was starving. As soon as she sat down in the main hall, she began eating heartily, drinking large mouthfuls of porridge and digging into the fish.
Food was the foundation of life. No matter how great the difficulties ahead, she had to fill her stomach before she could tackle them.
The two of them, one big and one small, ate with gusto. Halfway through the meal, Lin Ji didn’t forget to bring Wei Yunxi another bowl of porridge. By the end, every last bit of porridge and fish soup had been finished, with nothing left over.
Wei Yunxi had also eaten two bowls of porridge, and Lin Ji thought her complexion looked considerably better after having some food.
“I’m going to prepare your medicine. You can lie down and rest for a while. There’s no need to force yourself to stay sitting up.” As Lin Ji left, she gently closed the eastern room’s door behind her.
Outside, everything had fallen silent. Not even a single dog could be heard barking in the village.
Lin Ji placed the medicine pot on the stove, then picked up Lin Nian and carried her toward the western room. “Children shouldn’t stay up late. Otherwise, they won’t grow tall.”
“I can help Big Sister…” Lin Nian rubbed her eyes, struggling to keep them open.
Lin Ji carried her into the western room and tucked her into bed without allowing any argument. “Preparing medicine isn’t difficult. Go to sleep first and warm up the bed. Big Sister will come and hold you while we sleep in a little while.”
Hearing this, Lin Nian immediately stopped protesting and obediently settled beneath the covers to warm the bed.
Before long, the little girl’s eyelids began drooping, fluttering up and down until they finally closed.
Lin Ji tucked the quilt around her, extinguished the candle, closed the door, and returned to the kitchen to continue watching the medicine stove.
By the time she carried the medicine into the eastern room, Wei Yunxi had already fallen into a light sleep while sitting sideways against the pillow. The sound of the door opening startled her awake, and she looked toward Lin Ji with misty eyes, a hint of confusion in her gaze.
One glance was enough for Lin Ji to tell that she was still groggy from sleep. She walked to the bedside, sat down, and held up the bowl to feed her. “It’s time for your medicine. You might sweat after drinking it. Once you’ve finished sweating and your fever has completely subsided, you’ll feel much better.”
As she spoke, Lin Ji had already brought the medicine to Wei Yunxi’s lips.
Still not fully awake, Wei Yunxi instinctively opened her mouth and swallowed.
The moment the medicine touched her tongue, its bitterness made tears tremble in her eyes, instantly jolting her awake.
With tears clinging to the beautiful woman’s lashes, even the slightest furrow of her brows was enough to make one’s heart ache.
But the medicine had to be taken. As Lin Ji continued feeding her, she promised, “I’ll bring back some candied fruit tomorrow to give you something sweet afterward.”
Wei Yunxi had originally intended to take the bowl and drink the medicine herself, but the other woman was feeding her with such concentration, and she was genuinely exhausted, with hardly any strength left.
Lin Ji found the medicine bitter just from smelling it, yet the person drinking it was exceptionally obedient. At most, she would furrow her brows slightly, but she never resisted a single spoonful.
After feeding her the entire bowl, Lin Ji helped her lie down.
She remained beside the bed, never leaving her side.
Wei Yunxi was already overwhelmingly sleepy, but as the medicine began to take effect, waves of cold sweat broke out across her body.
Before she could even furrow her brows, Lin Ji had already taken a cloth and begun wiping her forehead and neck, absorbing the beads of sweat as they appeared.
“If you’re sleepy, go ahead and sleep. I’ll stay here and watch over you,” Lin Ji said softly.
Wei Yunxi wanted to shake her head, but she was simply too tired and sleepy. Her body was so utterly exhausted that she couldn’t force herself to stay awake.
When she woke again, she found herself leaning entirely against Lin Ji’s chest.
Seeing Wei Yunxi raise her eyes toward her, Lin Ji inexplicably felt her hand tremble as she fastened the sash around the woman’s waist.
Don’t feel guilty. Don’t feel guilty. She was only helping someone change clothes. What was there to feel guilty about?
Lin Ji steadied her expression and deftly finished tying the sash. “Your clothes were soaked with sweat, so I changed you into a fresh set. It’s all done now.”
With that, Lin Ji helped Wei Yunxi lie down. “Go to sleep. Your fever has completely subsided. You should feel much better when you wake up tomorrow.”
Lin Ji stepped away from the bed and tucked the quilt securely around her. Just as she turned to leave, someone suddenly gave her sleeve a gentle tug.
Lin Ji turned around. “What’s wrong?”
Wei Yunxi slowly shifted farther toward the inner side of the bed and pointed to the space beside her.
Lin Ji suppressed the twitch of her brow and asked uncertainly, “You want me to sleep with you?”
Wei Yunxi nodded slightly. She could tell that this was probably Lin Ji’s room. Taking Lin Ji’s hand, she gently traced three characters across her palm: “It’s too late.”
Wei Yunxi didn’t elaborate, but Lin Ji understood. “You’re afraid we’ll wake Nian Nian?”
Wei Yunxi nodded again.
Lin Ji glanced out the window. Although it was too dark to tell the time, it was probably quite late.
Going over there now really might wake Nian Nian.
Lin Ji hesitated. “But your back is injured. I’m afraid I might accidentally touch your wounds…”
Wei Yunxi shook her head slightly, indicating that it would be fine.
Lin Ji thought it over. If anything happened to Wei Yunxi during the second half of the night, it would indeed be easier to look after her if they were sleeping beside each other.
With that thought, Lin Ji stopped hesitating. She had already washed up in the kitchen earlier, so she simply removed her outer garments and lay down on the outer side of the bed.
She deliberately maintained a little distance between herself and Wei Yunxi. However, the bed really wasn’t very large, and that tiny gap was nowhere near enough to keep the other woman’s fragrance from drifting toward her.
Lin Ji had changed Wei Yunxi’s clothes three times already, so she was certain that the faint fragrance she could smell now was the woman’s natural scent. Delicate and subtle, like the fragrance of orchids, it drifted toward her in wisps, filling her nose.1
It made falling asleep rather… difficult.
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