Chapter 22: Chapter 22

To be honest, Ye Qiuniang never expected that thirteen-year-old Ming Rou would have such insights into the flood disasters and the livelihood of the people along the river in Pingle County. After listening, she couldn’t help but admire the Old Patriarch’s long-term vision.

From the same bloodline, Ming Yulan had not been able to unleash that kind of drive. Raised in the inner chambers since childhood, she had no desire to explore or expand outward. Old Patriarch Ming had long known his daughter’s temperament and thus hadn’t wasted energy on her.

But this little one, despite her poor health, had a temperament vastly different from her mother’s. Ming Yulan was selfish, and Ming Rou was also selfish, even a bit stubborn. But Ming Yulan loved Du Xian and lost herself, while Ming Rou, in loving Ye Qiuniang, could grow better together with her. One could only say she met the wrong person; after all, Du Xian was no Ye Qiuniang.

Ming Yulan, born a young lady of a wealthy family, remained bound by the feudal codes of conduct. She was clearly a tall tree herself, yet still wanted to twist herself into a vine to cling to another crooked, twisted branch.

Ming Rou was exactly the opposite. From the time she could remember, she was convinced she was a tree, someone that others could lean on. Even if the sapling was small, as long as she was given enough nutrients, she would madly absorb nourishment and grow toward the sun.

Ye Qiuniang was also a tree, but outsiders misjudged her, mistakenly thinking she, too, was a vine clinging to others for support. They couldn’t have imagined that for the sake of this tender, yellowing sapling beside her, she would rather plunge herself into the mud, yet still puff out her chest and unfurl her branches and leaves to withstand the wind and rain alone, just to prop up a sky over this little sapling so it could grow sturdy and strong.

Now, seeing this little sapling sprouting new buds, Ye Qiuniang felt great comfort deep within.

Now, with herself here, and Paulownia Village and other secretly transferred assets in hand, Ming Rou’s situation was far from the dire straits she thought she saw. Ye Qiuniang’s inner anxiety also gradually eased. There was plenty of time; these family assets would remain there. What should be taken back would ultimately not escape.

By the time they went to bed that night, the house had been cleaned spotlessly, making it comfortable to live in. The bamboo mat they had washed that afternoon had dried and been brought inside to spread on the bed. They also took out the two thin blankets A Tao had brought. The nights were now slightly chilly, so one blanket went under them and one covered them.

Because Ming Rou had been sick the night before and walked a very long way, she was utterly exhausted. Once the bed was made, she nodded drowsily like a chick pecking at rice.

Seeing her return to her docile, adorable state when sleepy, Ye Qiuniang no longer delayed. She let her climb into bed, then slipped under the covers herself and lay on the outer side.

Although it was an unfamiliar place, Ming Rou was so drowsy she didn’t have time to feel any sense of rejection. Moreover, the familiar scent of Ye Qiuniang filled her nostrils, making her feel especially at ease.

Even though the upheaval at home had her deeply dejected when awake, now, relaxing her mind and body in bed, she hummed fussily twice as usual and quickly fell asleep.

In contrast, Ye Qiuniang didn’t even pull the blanket over herself. Late autumn nights were cool but still carried lingering heat. At her young, vigorous age, Ye Qiuniang felt hot all over. After making sure Ming Rou was well covered with the blanket, she lay down close to her.

Outside, the moon was bright and stars few. Moonlight streamed in through the window, casting faint outlines on the bed. Ye Qiuniang gazed at the sleeping face of the young girl beside her, remaining motionless. But her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, pondering the past, the future, the things that had already happened and those yet to come. Everything, all of it, was intimately connected to this little girl beside her…

————————————-

Ming Rou lay in bed and felt a good night’s sleep had left her body completely refreshed. If it weren’t for the crowing of roosters and barking of dogs outside, and the speckles of sunlight filtering through the dilapidated house onto the blanket, she felt she could have slept for another half an hour.

Before Ye Qiuniang entered the residence, Ming Rou often cried at night due to bodily discomfort, so she would only wake up late, looking listless and ill. After Ye Qiuniang arrived, her health gradually improved, and her life became more regular. The Old Patriarch had the wet nurse supervise her to wake early to read and study, forbidding excessive sleep.

To sleep until she woke up naturally, like now, was extremely rare.

Moreover, the new house was at the foot of a mountain, with the mountain behind and fields ahead. The air was fresh, and she could even hear birds chirping as they flew past outside.

Ming Rou lay on her back in bed, gazing at several broken tiles above, the sunlight streaming in through the gaps. A sense of brightness filled her heart for no reason.

The space beside her on the bed had long since gone cold. Ming Rou sat up, dangling her feet over the edge of the bed as she gathered her wits for a good while. She called out “Jiujiu” a couple of times but heard no response. Only then did she slip on her wooden clogs and get out of bed.

Leaving the bedroom, the courtyard was empty. She turned and went into the kitchen. The fire beneath the stove hadn’t gone out, and the pot on the stove was emitting white steam, carrying the rich aroma of rice.

Ming Rou took in the faint scent of humble, everyday life in this crude house, and a deep satisfaction filled her heart.

She returned to her room, changed her clothes, went out to the courtyard to wash up, and felt refreshed all over.

Standing on the steps outside the courtyard, she looked around. The five or six houses scattered at the foot of the mountain were spaced not too far and not too close apart. Wisps of smoke curled from their kitchen chimneys. From afar, she could hear the barking of dogs from the neighbors’ yards, and in the fields, roosters and hens chased each other, clucking away. Ming Rou’s heart couldn’t help but sprout all sorts of whimsical ideas.

I should raise a dog too. Or a cat. Maybe a few chicks. In the morning, they’d surround me, chirping eagerly for rice.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt such simple living was so wonderfully beautiful.

Nestled here in Paulownia Village, embraced by a valley, with green mountains and clear waters, it gave off the tranquil and reassuring feeling of a hidden paradise. It was simply too lovely.

Just as she was immersed in her own world, a clear voice interrupted her.

“Miss Ming, did you sleep well last night?”

Startled out of her pleasant reverie by this sudden voice, Ming Rou felt a flash of irritation. But when she turned around and saw it was Fan Tao, the one who had delivered rice and bedding the day before, she remembered the words Jiujiu had corrected her on yesterday. The small flicker of temper instantly subsided.

Still, she felt a tiny bit of displeasure. Why did Jiujiu have to defend that fool so much?

“Thanks to you, the blanket was very soft, and I slept so well I didn’t want to get up.”

A Tao couldn’t detect the slight discontent in Ming Rou’s words. He only took it as praise from the Eldest Miss. Scratching his head a little sheepishly, he grinned and said, “I’m glad you slept well.”

Only then did he remember his purpose. He pulled a small sack from behind his back and eagerly presented it to Ming Rou. “Here, this is for you to eat. Just picked this morning. Very fresh.”

Ming Rou took it and opened it to find several fresh jujubes. A few were green with a hint of white, looking perfectly ripe. Even before eating, she could smell a fresh, crisp fragrance that made her mouth water.

Seeing the expectation on A Tao’s face, she picked one up and took a bite. Instantly, a sweet, refreshing juice filled her mouth and tongue.

“Is it good?”

Ming Rou nodded. It was indeed delicious. The sweet taste, along with the good mood from waking up early, lifted her entire spirit, making even A Tao seem much more agreeable.

“Delicious. Where did you pick them?”

A Tao pointed toward the low hill behind the house. “Up on the hill. Qiuniang is still up there right now.”

“Jiujiu is on the hill too?” Ming Rou looked puzzled.

This person cooked a pot of porridge and then went up the mountain. Why would she go up so early in the morning? Could it be to gather firewood?

Ming Rou knew little about firewood. Usually, she never went near the kitchen, and the firewood at home was chopped by woodcutters on the mountain and delivered to their door. Servants in the house never had to go out to gather firewood.

As soon as they arrived, Jiujiu had to go up the mountain to cut firewood, while she herself was sleeping like a dead pig. It was truly unforgivable.

Just as Ming Rou was reproaching herself, she heard A Tao’s bright voice ring out again, “Look—Qiuniang is back.”

Ming Rou raised her eyes. Ye Qiuniang, carrying a small bundle of firewood over her shoulder, had already reached the foot of the mountain and was heading toward home.

As soon as he finished speaking, A Tao ran off toward Ye Qiuniang. The lad ran fast, and in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of her. Ming Rou saw him say something, and Ye Qiuniang then put down the firewood for him to carry back.

Even carrying the load, A Tao seemed to have boundless energy. Clomp, clomp, he quickly ran back and stacked the firewood under the eaves, neatly arranging it alongside the remaining old firewood from before.

Seeing this series of actions, Ming Rou’s goodwill toward him also rose. In an instant, she forgot about the matter of calling him a fool yesterday.

Not seeing Ye Qiuniang early in the morning and still unfamiliar with everything around her, Ming Rou couldn’t help but run out of breath to greet her, clinging to Ye Qiuniang’s arm. “Jiujiu, how come you got up so early to cut firewood without even waking me?”

Seeing that Ming Rou’s complexion looked much better than yesterday after waking up, and her little face was now flushed from the short run, Ye Qiuniang felt greatly relieved. When she heard her question, she smiled and said, “Sleeping like a little pig, I couldn’t wake you up even if I tried.”

Being called a little pig by Ye Qiuniang, Ming Rou only sensed the doting affection in her words and couldn’t help but act spoiled again. “Not true at all. It’s Jiujiu who couldn’t bear to wake me.”

Ye Qiuniang smiled and didn’t continue debating her words. In her hand, she also held a small bundle of green branches and leaves.

Ming Rou had sharp eyes and quickly noticed that these leaves looked very similar to the ones she usually kept under her pillow at home, except the ones at home were dried, while these were fresh.

“Jiujiu, you went up the mountain for this, right?”

“Mhm. Just arriving in a strange place, I was afraid you wouldn’t adapt. So before the sun came out, I went to pick some spirit herb to dry. I’ll put it under your pillow later so you can sleep more soundly. It also repels mosquitoes and insects. Since winter hasn’t arrived yet, there are still some mosquitoes at night. With this in the house, you won’t get bitten.”

Ming Rou felt joy well up inside her at these words. This spirit herb was the scent that had accompanied her as she grew up, and it was Jiujiu’s scent. Whenever they were in a new place, smelling this fragrance made her feel incredibly secure.

As soon as they arrived at their new home, Jiujiu went looking for spirit herb. She was so good.

But she couldn’t help asking, “Are there mosquitoes at home? I didn’t feel any bites last night.”

A Tao, standing nearby, grinned. “The mosquitoes on this estate are fierce! Look, I got bitten last night and got a huge lump.” He rolled up his sleeve to show Ming Rou a large, red, swollen bump on his arm.

Ming Rou was startled and shook her head. “The mosquitoes at your house are fierce. Maybe we don’t have any at ours.”

A Tao shook his head vigorously. “How could there not be? It’s dark and stuffy, so there should be even more mosquitoes! Could it be Qiuniang spent the whole night chasing mosquitoes away for you?”

At A Tao’s words, Ming Rou instinctively looked toward Ye Qiuniang’s face and indeed saw slight redness and swelling under her eyes, as if she hadn’t gotten enough sleep.

Instantly, her heart ached. Tugging at Ye Qiuniang’s arm, she said, “Jiujiu, I made you worry again. It’s all my fault for sleeping so deeply. Otherwise, I would have helped chase the mosquitoes away too.”

Ye Qiuniang lightly tapped A Tao’s head. “Coming to visit so early in the morning. Is there nothing to do on the estate?”

Only then did A Tao give a silly laugh and quickly run off in the direction of the main courtyard.

When Ye Qiuniang turned back, she saw Ming Rou looking very displeased.

The young girl’s moods always came mysteriously, but Ye Qiuniang was long familiar with these emotional shifts.

“What’s wrong?”

“Why are you so close to that fool? You’ve only been here three years.” As expected, Ming Rou was very unhappy with the intimate manner Ye Qiuniang had just shown toward A Tao.

Ye Qiuniang bit her lip lightly, then let out a soft sigh.

“I picked up A Tao on the road three years ago, right after I came to the estate. He was even younger than you are now, skinny and small like a monkey. Later, I brought him to Manager Tong. The Old Master happened to be there, felt sorry for the child, and kept him on. I just didn’t expect him to shoot up so fast these past few years. He’s grateful for me saving his life, so he’s always been very good to me. I just see him as a younger brother.”

Who would have thought that Ming Rou became even more upset upon hearing the words “younger brother”?

“I don’t like him.”

“Why don’t you like him? A Tao treats you pretty well too, getting up so early to pick jujubes for you. You have to know, this jujube tree is on the most dangerous cliff edge on the mountain. None of the local children dare to pick from it, which is why the fruit stayed on until now, so ripe and sweet.”

Hearing this, Ming Rou blinked awkwardly. With Jiujiu saying so, it seemed A Tao was actually quite nice. She felt she might have been a bit willful.

“But… but…”

” ‘But’ all this time. Come on, let’s go home. The porridge is going to be overcooked.” Ye Qiuniang swiftly changed the subject and, taking her hand, led her toward the courtyard.

Thus pulled along, Ming Rou instantly forgot what she had been angry about just moments ago. Rubbing her stomach, she said, “Alright, let’s go back and eat. I’m hungry.”