Chapter 102.2
The weather had been good for several days, and Xue shi's health had indeed improved. By the time Zhao Heng woke up each day, she had already left to work at the Lin household.
Zhao Heng was not idle at home either. After breakfast, she cleaned the house and then accompanied Uncle Li and the others into the mountains. While they went hunting, she couldn't handle heavy work, so she collected herbs and caught small animals to improve their meals.
After returning from the mountains that day, she checked the herbs that were almost dry in the house and planned to sell them in the town the next day if the weather was good. The money from selling them should be enough to buy medicine for her grandmother.
She had been drowsily hearing Xue shi cough at night recently, but whenever she asked, Xue shi pretended to be asleep because she didn't want to worry her.
The next morning, the first rays of sunshine fell on Zhao Heng's face, prompting her to sit up suddenly. She looked outside at the bright sunlight, quickly got dressed, and detected a faint scent in the air.
When she went to wash her face by the water channel, she was surprised to find that the rash on her face had subsided significantly. It was indeed the lame doctor's doing; ever since she stopped taking his medicine, she had gradually improved.
Today's breakfast was cornmeal cakes. She packed two of them, filled a pot with water, and set off for the town with the herbs. The herbs were heavy in the basket, and she soon found herself gasping for breath from the exertion.
It was market day in the town, and people from all over the surrounding villages had come to the market. She stopped by the roadside, took out a cornmeal cake, and started nibbling on it while resting.
Before long, a carriage stopped in the middle of the road, and a young man in his twenties got off. He looked at the basket beside Zhao Heng and said, "Miss, I am a herbal medicine merchant from the capital. Are you selling these herbs?"
"I'm not selling."
The young man looked slightly puzzled at her curt response but quickly smiled, "Young lady, you can sell them at the market, selling them to me is also selling them."
"I use them for my own needs." Zhao Heng didn't let him finish and instead stuffed the cornmeal cake into her mouth, picked up the basket, and walked past the carriage at a brisk pace.
The young man watched her quickly disappear into the distance and scratched his head.
After wiping the sweat from his forehead, the young man approached the carriage and sighed, "Young Master, this girl...she's not easy to fool."
"In these few days, we've slipped money into her door crack and left game at her door, but she always hands the money to the village headman and looks for the owner of the game. Even when we pretended to run a free clinic stall in the village, they didn't come over." Jian Ning had never seen a girl like her.
The curtain was lifted from the inside, and Li Wenjian looked up at the slender and fragile figure running fast in the morning light, pursing his lips without saying a word. His long eyelashes concealed the bright light in his eyes; Ah Heng in this life was still so clever, still refusing to believe that good things would simply fall out of the sky.
"I understand."
Li Wenjian nonchalantly withdrew his hand from the lifted curtain.
Jian Ning was a bit puzzled, "Young Master, why do you help her indirectly instead of directly assisting her?"
Li Wenjian straightened his cloak, "She wouldn't accept it."
She never accepted gifts for no reason, knowing that everything fate bestowed had its price.
That day, she had only taken the box of pastries because he had persuaded her to.
Jian Ning listened with confusion, "Why wouldn't she accept it?"
With her family so impoverished and the young master coming from nobility, shouldnât she be happy to receive such help?
"Because not everyone likes to get things without working for them." Li Wenjian suddenly smirked, his deep eyes sparkling, "Let's go."
Zhao Heng headed straight to the town's herb shop, where the shopkeeper knew her well and knew that this girl was diligent and reliable. The herbs she sold were the driest and lacked any moisture, so the shopkeeper readily allowed his assistant to weigh them.
He poured a cup of warm water for Zhaohui and asked, "You're here so early, surely you haven't taken a break on the way."
Zhao Heng finished the water in one gulp and looked gratefully at the shopkeeper, "I encountered a swindler today. He claimed to be a herbal medicine merchant from the capital and wanted to buy my herbs."
The shopkeeper frowned upon hearing this, "Shameless, to deceive even a young girl. You didn't fall for it, did you?"
"Of course not." Zhao Heng squinted and smiled, "A herbal medicine merchant from the capital wouldn't come to our remote mountain valley to buy herbs. Did he think I was a fool?"
The shopkeeper chuckled at her, handed her the money and herbs he had prepared early, "Indeed, little A Heng, you're so clever, who could ever deceive you?"
After coming out of the pharmacy, Zhao Heng went to the rice shop to buy two catties of white rice. She counted the money in her purse, calculating that it wasn't far from Lin Yuan's house, so she bought a pastry and went to Lin Yuan's house to find her grandmother.
In just a quarter of an hour, she arrived at the outer gate of Lin Yuan's house. When she asked the gatekeeper to announce her arrival, she wandered around the front of the house for a while.
She used to think that the Lin family was very imposing, worthy of being the wealthiest family in town, and even the stone lions at the front gate were very majestic.
Since she had seen An Family's Mansion, she felt that Lin Yuan's house wasn't as big as she had thought. An family's mansion had no lion statues at the front, only a few tall stone pillars, and the entrance was wider than her own courtyard, more solemn and majestic than the gate of the White Horse Temple.
"Ah Heng, your grandmother hasn't been to the house recently." The gatekeeper came out quickly.
"How can that be?!" Zhao Heng exclaimed in shock, as her grandmother had been leaving early in the morning these days.
The gatekeeper explained, "A few days ago, she fainted while washing clothes, and Mr. Lin settled her wages, telling her not to come anymore."
Zhao Heng's vision whitened for a moment. If her grandmother hadn't been to Lin Yuan's house, then where had she gone?
She turned and ran back home.
*
At home, Xue shi shut the door and went to the village head's house.
Being of poor health, she walked very slowly. It took her about two quarters of an hour to cover the short distance of less than a mile.
Upon seeing her, the village head's wife hurriedly greeted her, "Aunt, why have you come?"
Xue shi, weakly, seated herself and immediately got to the point, "Last time, I asked the village head to find a couple to adopt Zhao Heng. Is there any progress?"
The village head's wife wiped her hands on her apron and hesitated before replying, "We found a couple. There's a family in the neighboring village, both are kind-hearted people, but in their late twenties and have no children. They wish to adopt a daughter to raise, hoping to change their luck. They heard that Zhao Heng's parents died while trying to save others and are willing to adopt her. However..."
She glanced at Xue shi, finding it difficult to continue. The main concern was that at Zhao Heng's age, if she were an orphan, she might adapt well to a new family. But with an elderly grandmother still here, they were concerned she might still have attachments to their current home.
The village head's wife sighed, "Aunt, this matter is not urgent. I'll keep looking. Girls are different from boys, so we need to be meticulous in finding the right family. And besides, Zhao Heng is stubborn and filial, and may not want to leave."
Xue shi knew she had been a burden to Zhao Heng all along. She could only muster a smile and ask, "Have you met the adopting family?"
"I have. They are silk farmers from my sister's village, a couple known for their kindness. They are well-liked for their charitable activities in the village, especially during these tough times," the village head's wife explained.
Lost in thought, Xue shi said, "Don't worry. If it's a suitable family, I'll persuade her to go. She's still young and shouldn't spend her whole life taking care of me because of my old age."
Seeing Xue shi trembling and weak, the village head's wife couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She thought about how much Zhao Heng must have endured, losing her parents at such a young age and relying on her grandmother for everything.
Regardless of the circumstances of her parents' death, she couldn't bear to see her suffer so much.
With the matter settled, Xue shi bid farewell to the village head's wife and headed back.
Feeling weak, she found herself resting by the riverbank. As she looked at the rushing river, her eyes became misty.
She had prepared two long ropes in the house, intending to give them to whoever agreed to adopt Zhao Heng so she could set out on her own journey. But now, as she watched the steady flow of the river, she changed her mind.
If she were to die at home, Zhao Heng would be traumatized to see her, and it would be an unnecessary burden on her to deal with her body.
During the spring flood, jumping into the river would carry her away to a distant place. Zhao Heng wouldn't have to go through the trouble of handling her funeral arrangements, relieving her of many difficulties.
She didn't want to burden her poor granddaughter any longer.
It was only when she heard Zhao Heng's voice calling out, "Grandmother!" from afar that she turned around and saw Zhao Heng running towards her, panting heavily.
Zhao Heng ran with sweat dripping down her back, threw herself into Xue's arms, and looked up at her pale face with a gasp, asking, "The physician said you shouldn't overexert yourself. Why did you come all the way here?"
Xue shi wiped the sweat from Zhao Heng's face with her sleeve and replied, "I had something to discuss with your Aunt Chun."
Unaware of Xue's distress, Zhao Heng asked, "I went to Lin Yuan's house to find you, but they said you weren't working there anymore. Where have you been these past few days?"
As she spoke, she linked arms with Xue shi and started walking back.
Xue shi explained, "I've been working at the Xue Mei family in the east village. They are building a new house."
"You didn't even tell me, and I went to Lin Yuan's house to find you," Zhao Heng grumbled unhappily, taking out a pastry from her pocket and handing it to Xue. "I sold herbs in town today, and Mr. Chen gave me a good price. I bought medicine and rice and still have plenty left over, so I bought you a pastry."
"I'm not hungry, Zhao Heng, you eat," Xue shi said, pushing the pastry back.
Shaking her head, Zhao Heng replied, "Grandmother, I bought two. I've already eaten mine, so this one is for you. Please eat it quickly."
Xue shi held the pastry in her hand, feeling a mix of emotions.
Back inside the house, Zhao Heng first went to the stove room to brew medicine for Xue shi.
Xue shi watched Zhao Heng, busy as ever, and didn't know what to say. She was only eight, yet she had to take care of the household. It was all her fault as the elder, not only failing to raise Zhao Heng properly but also causing her so much suffering.
Sitting on a small stool, Zhao Heng watched Xue shi drink the medicine and said with a smile, "I've been learning hunting from Uncle Li and others recently. Once I've learned, I can hunt and make money. The price of herbs is good these days too. I'll go into the mountains a few more times, and you won't have to worry about medicine expenses next month."
She emptied the money from her purse and said to Xue shi, "This is what's left from today. I'll put it back in your purse." She walked into Xue's room as she spoke.
Xue shi thought of the things inside the room and hurried to get up to stop Zhao Heng, but she had already stepped in.
A long rope hung from the ceiling beam, swaying in front of Zhao Heng, cutting through the light beams entering the window.
Zhao Heng's lips quivered, tears streaming down her face.
Silently, she stood on the bed, tiptoed to untie the rope, coiled it up, and walked to the stove room, stuffing the rope into the blazing stove, then squatted in front of the stove, sobbing loudly.
Xue shi felt a pang of heartache, standing behind her. After a moment, she reached out to pat her back and called her name softly, "Ah Heng."
Unable to restrain herself, Zhao Heng grabbed her hand, pressed her face against her, and choked out, "Grandma, are you giving up on me?"
Seeing her tear-streaked face, Xue shi couldn't bear to say harsh words. She cradled her head in her arms, also choking up, "Grandma cherishes Ah Heng too much to ever give up on you."
"But you can't abandon me," Zhao Heng sniffled, feeling wronged. "I can collect herbs now, I can hunt, and I can embroider handkerchiefs. I'll definitely earn a lot of money, and things will get better and better for us. If you're not here, I'll be an orphan, and I don't want to be an orphan."
Xue shi hugged Zhao Heng, tears streaming down her face.
"No, Zhao Heng will never be an orphan."
*
After finishing lunch, Zhao Heng helped Xue shi to bed to rest.
Not long after, Gu Yu from the Li family came to invite her to go herb picking in the mountains. As she looked at her grandmother in bed, she feared that if she left, her grandmother might seek death again.
She wasn't willing to take even a step away.
But if she didn't find a way to earn money, she wouldn't be able to survive.
Zhao Heng looked at the mist-covered green mountains outside the window, her delicate brows furrowing gently. Suddenly, she remembered something and hurried back to her room, pulling out a small pamphlet from under the bed.
Before she left, the strange man had given her a box of snacks and this pamphlet, telling her that if she had any trouble in the future, she could take the pamphlet to the An Mansion on Vermilion Street to find him.
She hadn't thought she would need to find him again, so she had put the pamphlet and snacks under the bed.
Zhao Heng dusted off the pamphlet, gazing at the densely packed characters in the sunlight.
She didn't recognize a single one.
No matter, not being able to read wasn't a big deal.
She tucked the pamphlet into her coat pocket and went to find Gu Yu, asking her to look after her grandmother while she went to the city. Gu Yu was surprised, "Are you going alone?"
Looking at the impending rain outside, Zhao Heng said as she put on a cloak, "Yes, I'll be back soon."
"But going to the city is very far..." Gu Yu looked worried, "And it's about to rain."
"It's okay, Gu Yu, I'll run there. I'll definitely be back tonight." She promised, "I'll bring you back a headscarf from the capital."
Hesitating for a moment, Gu Yu finally nodded.
With Gu Yu looking after her, Zhao Heng left with the pamphlet secure in her pocket.
Zhao Heng had been to the city a few times with Uncle Li before, and she made her way to the capital following her memory.
Halfway there, it started to rain, and the mountains near and far were shrouded in the spring rain mist. The azaleas scattered all over the mountains were battered by the rain, their fiery blooms crushed on the road by Zhao Heng's hurried steps.
*
Raindrops fell on the roof tiles, cascading down like shattered jade beads, and the wind entering through the half-open window brought the damp scent of spring.
Mu Gui returned to Yanshanju with a lantern just in time to see Li Wenjian's shadow reflected on the gauze curtains in the study.
"Young Master," Mu Gui stopped and hurriedly called out.
Li Wenjian's hand paused in turning the book and asked, "What's the matter?"
Mu Gui said, "The little rascal is here."
Li Wenjian looked up, almost without hesitation, "Where?"
"In the flower hall."
As the words fell, Li Wenjian quickly got up, took the umbrella from the door, and walked into the rain.
Yanshanju was a long way from the flower hall, and by the time he arrived, Zhao Heng had already had several cups of tea.
Having run all the way from home to the capital, she was soaked through with rain, cold, thirsty, and hungry.
The people at the An Mansion were kind, not looking down on her despite her muddy appearance. They politely served her tea and food.
This gave her some comfort.
Just as she finished a piece of pastry, she heard footsteps outside and quickly jumped off the stool to the door.
Before long, a figure dressed in sky-blue brocade appeared around the corner. This was the second time she had seen this person, his deep black eyes, straight nose, and slightly pursed lips unconsciously exuding an elegance and nobility.
Zhao Heng looked down at her shoes and trousers covered in mud and water, suddenly feeling a wave of awkward unease.
"You're here?" Li Wenjian just stepped in and smiled at her.
Zhao Heng looked up and saw his eyes, like the morning sun illuminating the darkness, dispelling her feelings of unease.
She nodded, raising her face to ask him, "Do your words from last time still hold true?"
Li Wenjian replied, "They do."
Zhao Heng gazed at the man in front of her, taller than her by a lot. She pursed her lips and said, "I haven't said anything yet."
Li Wenjian smiled warmly, "Every word I say to you holds."
Zhao Heng hadn't expected him to be so straightforward, and her initial apprehension gradually subsided. She lowered her voice and said, "Can you hire me to work at the mansion? I don't like reading, but I can stay and do odd jobs."
"Okay." Li Wenjian's lips curled up even further.
Zhao Heng continued, "I don't need a lot of money, just give me and my grandmother a meal and take care of her medical expenses."
After speaking, she looked into his eyes with her own clean and clear gaze.
The sound of drizzling rain outside continued, Li Wenjian bent his lips silently.
"Alright, I promise you."
Zhao Heng's eyes held a light smile, her lips slightly curved as she cheerfully said to him, "Thank you, uncle."
Li Wenjian's smile froze on his lips for a moment.
"What?" he asked.
Zhao Heng blinked. He was so tall, spoke and acted with such maturity and stability, he seemed more stable than the village elder.
Was it wrong to call him uncle?
Just as she was puzzled, she heard Li Wenjian's voice, "My name is Li Wenjian, nickname Shulang. Remember it well."
Zhao Heng nodded thoughtfully, saying, "I'll remember, Uncle Li!"
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TNote: Mwuahahahaahaaa!!!!