"Aunt Shen... please, I can wash them myself. You should sit down."
"Child, why are you being so polite with me? Sit down and soak your feet properly."
Though she obeyed, Mo Lixia felt a bit bashful. Aunt Shen had watched her grow up over the past few years. Mo Lixia had always felt that Aunt Shen possessed an elegant temperament, quite different from the other villagers. Moreover, she never pried. She didn't ask why Mo Lixia had brought home a child or why she had been soaking wet. Mo Lixia appreciated that deeply.
"Is your illness better, Aunt Shen?"
"I'm fine. It's just an old ailment... as one gets older, the body starts to fail." Aunt Shen washed the clothes, a faint shadow of sadness in her eyes.
"You are still young, Aunt Shen. Don't think like that."
"Haha, everyone in the village says you have a cold personality and don't like to talk. I think they are wrong. Look... you know exactly how to make people happy."
Mo Lixia smiled. "I'm only telling the truth."
"The water is getting cold. Dry your feet and get some rest."
That evening, after Aunt Shen prepared dinner and left, A'Mu returned, covered in mud. This time, it had brought back a Blood Ginseng!
The creature squeaked proudly in front of her. Mo Lixia stroked its fur. "Since you performed so well today, I'll give you a proper bath later."
She squinted at the Blood Ginseng with joy. It was at least a hundred years old and would fetch a high price. Thinking of money, she took out her earnings from the day. "Adding what Master left me, I must have nearly ten thousand taels. I won't have to worry about money for the rest of my life."
As she was reveling in her small fortune, the little one on the bed woke up. Seeing Mo Lixia, he began to cry loudly—letting out all the suppressed grievances from his long ordeal. Mo Lixia held him tight, patiently comforting him until he cried himself to sleep again in her arms.
That night, Mo Lixia kept the kang and the charcoal brazier burning hot. It was incredibly cozy. She bathed A'Mu and, unable to stand the scent of river water on herself, washed her hair and wiped her body down.
One adult, one child, and one creature slept together. It was exceptionally heartwarming.
The winter night was long. When Mo Lixia woke up, the sun was already high. Beside her, the child and the creature were staring at each other motionlessly.
"You're awake? Do you like him? His name is A'Mu. He's a chinchilla," Mo Lixia said, patting the boy's head.
"Big Sister, can Chen'er touch him?"
"You may."
A'Mu didn't resist. Having sensed the boy's presence the night before, the two hit it off immediately.
"You two play. I'll make breakfast."
"En!" Chen'er climbed off the bed obediently and followed A'Mu into the courtyard.
Looking at his oversized clothes, Mo Lixia realized she needed to make him some new outfits immediately.
Breakfast was simple: eight-treasure porridge and stir-fried cabbage with shredded pork. Chen'er ate ravenously.
"Big Sister's food is so good. I haven't had such a good meal in a long time. The nannies in the manor were so mean... they always gave Mommy and me leftovers..." Chen'er's eyes welled up again. "Big Sister, those nannies killed Mommy, didn't they? Waaaah..."
Mo Lixia frowned but didn't know how to answer. She patted his back gently. At his age, he already understood too much.
"I still don't know your full name," she said softly.
The boy pouted. "My name is Chen'er... Liu Yanchen. But Big Sister, I hate the name Liu."
"Do you know your mother's name?"
"Yes. Her surname was Su. Her maiden name was Xueying. Isn't it beautiful?"
"It is. If you like, you can take your mother's surname. From now on, you'll be Su Yanchen."
"Big Sister, what is your name?"
"Me? I am Mo Lixia."
"Your name is pretty too... Big Sister, can I be called Su Mochen?"
Mo Lixia paused, then nodded. "You may."
"Yay! A'Mu, I have a new name! I hate the name 'Yan' that old hag gave me. I am Su Mochen now. When I grow up, I will kill them all, one by one."
"Chen'er?" Mo Lixia's heart skipped a beat. How much trauma must a five-year-old endure to harbor such intense hatred? "Chen'er... does your father know about any of this?"
"Hmph. I hate him too. He was never home. When he did return, he barely saw us. He only went to Concubine Chen's courtyard. She said he hated me. So I hate him too."
As the Spring Festival approached, the house felt lively with the addition of the "little one." Since that morning, he hadn't mentioned the Liu family again. But Mo Lixia knew he had simply buried the hatred deep in his heart.
"Is Miss Lixia home?"
One day, while Mo Lixia was sewing a cotton coat for Mochen, she heard urgent footsteps outside.
Mochen immediately picked up A'Mu and hid behind Mo Lixia, watching the newcomers warily. It was a young couple from the village, the Yangs. They were honest farmers, and the man was carrying a child.
"What's wrong with the child?" Mo Lixia asked.
"Miss Lixia, our Fu'an has had a fever since last night. It won't break, and he keeps saying he's cold... Waaaah... He can barely eat because his throat hurts so much. We heard you were sick, so we found a doctor from the neighboring village. But he said it's 'Rotten Throat Fever' (Scarlet Fever) and told us to prepare for a funeral! My son is only seven... Waaaah..."
"Stop crying!" the husband barked, though he was also trembling with fear. "Lixia, please, try to save him. Even if you can't, we had to try."
"Yes, please! We know you inherited Doctor Qian's skills. Please save our Fu'an!"