The Embroider Maiden placed a peeled boiled egg in Wu Wei’s bowl and smiled. “You’re just hungry—everything tastes good. If you like noodles this much, I’ll ask Second Brother-in-law to help make a bigger kneading board and a longer rolling pin. I can make all the noodle dishes they have here.”
As she spoke, the Embroider Maiden peeled the second egg—and put that one in Wu Wei’s bowl too.
“Embroider Maiden?”
“This shop serves generous portions. I doubt I could finish this whole bowl of noodles myself. You’re hungry, so eat more.”
“If you can’t finish it, just leave the rest. You still need to get some protein!” Wu Wei pretended to pick out the boiled egg, but Embroider Maiden stopped her. “You eat it. I don’t want any egg.”
“…All right.”
Seeing Wu Wei polish off the big bowl until it was nearly empty, Embroider Maiden thought to herself: The plain noodles here are just average, but it looks like Weiwei really loves noodles. I’ll have to make more noodle dishes for her from now on.
…
After the meal, the two headed straight for the old house. They had always complained about how rundown it was, but now that they were about to move out, both Wu Wei and Embroider Maiden felt a touch of nostalgia.
Wu Wei ran her fingers over a patched crack in the wall. “Embroider Maiden, do you remember? It was so cold the day we fixed the wall. Our fingers were freezing, but you kept saying… you’d do it all yourself and that I could just tell you what to do from the side.”
Embroider Maiden smiled. “Of course I remember. Back then, you were like…”
“Like what?” Wu Wei pressed.
“Like some female bandit queen living in a coffin at the Charity Mortuary, fiddling with that dagger all day. Sometimes you’d stare off into space without a word, your eyes all intense and spooky.”
Embroider Maiden’s words made Wu Wei burst out laughing, but then Embroider Maiden pursed her lips and changed tack. “But you were also my savior. I had no hope left, just taking it one day at a time. I couldn’t live in such a decrepit house, but I knew you were a good person. Who else would work so hard in the dead of winter without asking for anything in return?”
Embroider Maiden touched the crack in the wall too. Back when they had patched it, they had put a lot of effort into it—three or four layers of oiled paper, each separated by a thick layer of yellow mud.
Wu Wei and Embroider Maiden went inside. With the weather warming up, some vegetables on the wooden racks had spoiled. Embroider Maiden felt a pang of regret and helped Wu Wei sort through them, discarding the bad ones and those about to go off. They wrapped up the preserved meats—the bacon and salted pork—that could last longer and packed them into baskets. The grain in the rice jar was still fine, untouched by bugs or rats. Wu Wei took down a bamboo basket from the rack. “Good thing we came back. How could we forget something this important?” She lifted the covering cloth, revealing the soap she had made herself.
Embroider Maiden found some new fabric scraps in the room. “These are leftovers from making clothes last time. It’d be a shame to throw them out. Shall we take them?”
Wu Wei had said before that nothing valuable in the old house mattered except the bedding.
“Am I the wasteful type? Of course we’re taking the new fabric! But not today—let’s load it onto the oxcart when we move.”
Embroider Maiden put the fabric back where it was. “We’ve tidied up most of the house. What else do we need to do? Head back?”
Wu Wei grinned mischievously and pulled a bar of soap from the bamboo basket. “Embroider Maiden~ We’re about to move into our new place. New home, new vibes. How about…?”
“What?”
“Let’s take an outdoor bath! A good long soak. We’ve got soap right here. Bring some clean clothes, wash up, change, and voilà. Sound good?”
Embroider Maiden shook her head vigorously. “No, no, no! I’m not going!”
“Come on~ It’ll be more fun together. We can scrub each other’s backs.”
“It’s only the early months yet—the water’s still cold. You’ll catch a chill!”
“What month is it now? The water’s plenty warm after all these sunny days. The lake’s not cold at all. I’ve bathed there loads of times. It’s crystal clear, and even in late autumn it wasn’t too chilly.”
Embroider Maiden’s cheeks flushed at Wu Wei’s earnest invitation. She was speechless for a long moment.
“Embroider Maiden?”
With a soft sigh, Embroider Maiden said, “You go ahead and wash. I’ll keep watch for you. It’s not safe without someone looking out.”
“No one will come. I know that spot like the back of my hand—no one’s shown up in months.” Even so, Wu Wei didn’t push. She gathered a change of clothes, the soap, and some clean cloths into the basket, locked the house, and headed toward the lake.
Swinging the bamboo basket and holding Embroider Maiden’s hand, Wu Wei couldn’t help reminiscing. Back in college on Blue Star, the dorm water pressure was so low the showerhead dribbled like an IV drip. So the four of them in the dorm often went out to bathe together. Their wash baskets back then had way more stuff than this lonely bar of soap!
Wu Wei sighed. No choice but to make do… She’d start her research with shampoo.
At the lake’s edge, sunlight danced on the rippling water. The surrounding trees burst with new life, and all was quiet.
The water was so clear you could count the pebbles at the bottom. In the distance, fish darted freely. Wu Wei dipped her hand in—it matched her expectations. After days of intense sun, the lake had warmed up nicely.
“Embroider Maiden, you sure you don’t want to join? The temperature’s perfect! Look how clear it is. No one around. I kept watch by this lake for days on end and never saw a soul. Don’t worry.”
“No, you go on. I’ll keep watch here.”
“Fine.” Wu Wei stopped persuading her. Right in front of Embroider Maiden, she casually stripped off her outer garments, draping them over a rock by the lake. She folded her undergarment neatly and tucked it into the bamboo basket.
Embroider Maiden averted her eyes, catching only a glimpse of slender legs—pale yet toned with subtle muscle—and bare feet on the pebbles…
Wu Wei untied her hair ribbon, and the long tresses pinned atop her head fell loose. They had been up too long to cascade like a waterfall; instead, they unfolded slowly and silently, draping over her shoulders.
With splashes here and there, ripples spread across the lake as Wu Wei’s lithe form submerged beneath the surface.
She waded deeper, cupping water to splash her face and letting out a contented hum. She had missed this feeling so much!
It had been nearly a year since Wu Wei arrived in this era. She no longer craved Blue Star’s gourmet foods—the fresh, unpolluted eats here were great. She didn’t miss gadgets either; lifting her head to admire the scenery was its own reward.
The one thing she still yearned for desperately was the rush of hot shower water enveloping her!
She was done with wiping down using damp cloths. She needed true bathing freedom—urgently!
Wu Wei took a deep breath, flipped underwater, and swam a dozen meters before surfacing again.
Embroider Maiden sat on a lakeside rock, watching Wu Wei frolic in the water with a hint of envy. Splashing around like that was a boys’ game. Apart from seaside fisherfolk, hardly any women in the Liang Dynasty swam—and none with Wu Wei’s boldness.
Wu Wei waved from the water. “Embroider Maiden~”
“What’s wrong?” Embroider Maiden stood, concern in her eyes.
“Embroider Maiden, can you toss me the soap~?”
“Oh, sure.”
Embroider Maiden grabbed the soap from the basket, hesitating. “Just toss it like this? Can you catch it?”
“Go ahead—put some muscle into it. No problem!”
Embroider Maiden wound up and hurled it. It plopped into the water beside Wu Wei with a splash. Wu Wei dove under, then resurfaced moments later, waving the soap.
…
Wu Wei enjoyed her bath thoroughly. This dive confirmed it once more: the lake couldn’t send her back—at least not now.
No chastity archway had appeared here. This was Qinglu County, not the Yuhong County inscribed on it.
Having checked personally, Wu Wei wasn’t sure if she felt more disappointed or relieved.
She climbed ashore and dressed. Embroider Maiden had her sit on the rock, wrung out a clean cloth, wrapped Wu Wei’s hair, and gently dried it.
Embroider Maiden said, “The weather’s been nice these past days, but it’s still early in the season. It cools off after noon—be careful not to catch a chill.”
“I saw some spare planks in the yard. Once the beams are up, we can build a woodshed there and put in a bathing tub. As the weather heats up, we can soak every day—clean and cooling.”
“Sounds good. Whatever you say.”
“When we move, I’ll head to the mountains and pick some mugwort. Treat winter ailments in summer. Come the hot months, I’ll give you moxibustion every day through the three hottest periods. As long as you don’t overdo the cold stuff afterward, no more stomachaches.”
“Great~”
Wu Wei suddenly remembered something. “Oh, one more thing. When we get back, tell Second Sister about it.”
“What is it?”
“Has Second Sister only seen a doctor once since getting pregnant? Her pregnancy is already quite advanced. It’s best if Second Brother-in-law takes her to the apothecary for a proper check-up. The doctor can take her pulse, prescribe some tonics to stabilize the pregnancy and replenish her qi, and offer advice on what to watch out for during delivery. This is her first child, after all—extra caution never hurts. I just have a feeling… for how far along she is, her belly seems a bit large.”
Embroider Maiden nodded. “I’ll bring it up as soon as I get back.” Even someone like Embroider Maiden, who hadn’t yet married, knew that childbirth was like walking through the gates of hell.
Her movements slowed as she dried Wu Wei’s hair, and she couldn’t help asking, “Weiwei, you know medicine. Did you notice something? Second Sister will be okay, won’t she?”
“Second Sister has only seen a doctor once since getting pregnant. The due date might be miscalculated, or labor could come early. The best approach is still for Second Brother-in-law to take her to the apothecary. Ideally, on delivery day, hire an experienced midwife and a physician. Hygiene is crucial, and timely medical care is essential.”
