Against the Current - Chapter 28

Chapter 28 - Drawing Water

Because Qin Shi ordered Cao Lihuan to move out, and Hui'er was beaten to the point of being bedridden and unable to rise, Cao Lihuan had no choice but to pack her own valuables and soft goods. She originally intended to pocket a few valuable items from Luoxue Lodge on the side, but she never expected Mammy Han to personally lead a team over, holding an inventory ledger to check off all the various ornaments and furniture in Luoxue Lodge. Inwardly, Cao Lihuan burned with resentment, yet she put on an upright and magnanimous front, telling Xiulan, "That foul-mouthed, rotten-hearted old hag surnamed Qin is utterly vile! What kind of person do you take me for? I have a spine of absolute integrity, and I wouldn't deign to stoop to such cat-and-dog tricks. Even if I were to starve to death out on the open street, I wouldn't take so much as a single thread of hair from their family!"

Xiulan lowered her head with a cold sneer and walked out. Old Woman Liu tugged at Xiulan's sleeve and said, "Now that she's moving out of Luoxue Lodge, I can finally enjoy some peace and quiet. My duty is to look after the Luoxue Lodge courtyard anyway, so where she goes is none of my business—it's you I feel for, still having to put up with her temper."

Xiulan smiled and replied, "I won't have to endure it for much longer either; in half a year at most, she'll be married off."

Cao Lihuan had frequently complained that Luoxue Lodge was cramped, but compared to this newly moved-in dwelling, Luoxue Lodge was a veritable palace of splendor. The courtyard on the western side of the estate was extremely small, and the rooms were half-old. Although the gauze windows had been repapered and repairs had been made, it still lacked any sense of freshness. The furniture inside was also of an outdated style, and if not for the burning of incense, one could easily catch the faint scent of mildew drifting through the air.

Cao Lihuan's face was as gloomy as the bottom of a cooking pot. Xiulan and Huairui simply kept their heads down and busied themselves with packing, not uttering a single extra word. Just at that moment, Siqiao was supported over to pay her respects to Cao Lihuan. When Cao Lihuan looked at Siqiao and saw that her features were unremarkable and she did not look particularly clever, she felt rather displeased. Upon inquiring further, she learned that Siqiao had been bought from outside the estate and that her family members were nearly all dead. Gritting her teeth in secret resentment, Cao Lihuan thought to herself, "I originally figured that when the time came for me to leave the boudoir in marriage, I wouldn't have enough maids by my side, so I intended to ask the Lin family for one—preferably Huairui, whose grandfather and father manage the shops and have plenty of grease to squeeze, or at the very least Xiulan would do, since she has good craftsmanship, works without a single complaint, and is easy to manipulate. Who would have thought they'd dump a useless little hussy on me who can't be counted on for anything. Hui'er said she doesn't have a single practical skill that works, and on top of that, she's thick as a post. How thoroughly frustrating!" Without even lifting her eyelids, she dismissed Siqiao back to her room with a flick of her hand.

Xiulan finished tidying up the bedroom where Cao Lihuan was to stay, then returned to her own small cabin. Pushing open the door, she saw Siqiao lying facedown on the bed, softly groaning. Stepping forward in two or three strides to take a look, she saw that Siqiao's complexion was deathly pale, a dense layer of fine sweat coated her forehead, and her lips were so dry they were peeling. Xiulan sighed inwardly, turned around to pour a cup of water, and coming back, said softly, "Drink some water. We've just moved over, so there's no hot water yet; after a while, when I boil a pot, I'll brew some hot tea for you."

Siqiao whispered, "Water is fine." Struggling upright, she gulped down the entire large cup.

Xiulan light-footedly lowered Siqiao's trousers to take a look, and saw that her buttocks were bruised a deep blue and purple, stained with streaks of blood, and swollen high in a massive welt. She couldn't help letting out an "aigee" of dismay, thinking that this time a truly heavy hand had been used—any heavier, and it might have broken bones, and there was a good chance she would end up walking with a limp for the rest of her life.

With a tearful choke in her voice, Siqiao asked, "H-how are my injuries?"

Xiulan comforted her, saying, "It's nothing, just surface wounds. Once you apply the medicine and rest properly for a few days, you'll be fine. Wait here, I'll go get some medicine for you." Slipping into Cao Lihuan's room, she secretly took half a bottle of the medicinal oil Hui'er had left behind and gently applied it to Siqiao's wounds.

Siqiao groaned continuously, her hands gripping the pillow so tightly that her knuckles turned white, her lips drained of color as beads of sweat rolled down in a continuous stream. Xiulan had always been soft-hearted, and seeing this, her pity grew even deeper. "Bear with it a little longer; once the medicinal properties sink in, the pain will pass."

Siqiao remained silent for a long while. As Xiulan finished applying the ointment and turned to leave, she realized Siqiao was already weeping silently, tear-droplets falling onto the pillow and soaking a large patch of it, yet she simply bit her lip and refused to cry out. Xiulan sighed, sat back down, and said, "You... you should be more vigilant in the future. Young Miss Huan is a shrewd person; from now on, if you are careful in your speech and actions, keep your head down and do your work, you won't fare too badly."

Siqiao cried with muffled sobs, "It's all my fault! If I hadn't been greedy for that pair of silver bracelets, thinking it was just a matter of thoughtlessly echoing a few careless remarks, who could have known it would lead to this dreadful pass..."

Xiulan shook her head repeatedly, lowering her voice to say, "The private affairs of the masters are never something to gossip about."

With tears welling in her eyes, Siqiao said, "I know it now, but it's too late..."

After offering a few words of comfort and seeing that Siqiao was still weeping, Xiulan had no choice but to pick up her wooden bucket and go fetch water. Turning two corners past the courtyard brought her to a well. Exerting her strength, Xiulan hauled the bucket up from the well, but suddenly felt the weight on her hands lighten. Turning her head to look, she saw Song Ke standing right behind her, reaching out to help her draw the water and offering her a faint smile that made his features radiant, carrying an innate gentleness and grace. Taken aback, Xiulan instinctively let go and stepped back two steps; Song Ke likewise released his hold, and with a clattering crash, the bucket of water plunged straight back down into the well with a heavy splash.

Xiulan took another two steps back. Although Song Ke frequently smiled, the smile just now was completely different—it felt as though, as though... her husband from her past life, Xiao Hang... Xiao Hang used to smile just like that, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly upward, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He had originally been a rather stern man, only ever displaying that kind of smile within the intimacy of their private chambers, his entire expression softening with warmth—she had always loved watching Xiao Hang smile the most. On their wedding night, when he lifted her red bridal veil and she raised her head, that was the very smile she had collided into her eyes with.

Though he was a different person now, that smile was intensely familiar, as if her deceased husband had come back to life and was standing right before her.

From the very first moment Song Ke had laid eyes on Xiulan, he felt an inexpressible sense of familiarity about her that made him yearn to draw closer. Xiulan's eyes were exceptionally beautiful, resembling two polished agates, but what was most captivating was the soul and spirit harbored within them—like two deep pools of water that could easily swallow a person's very soul if gazed into for too long. Song Ke still remembered that when he was on his deathbed in his past life, his wife, the Shen woman, had possessed those exact same eyes, looking at him with resolute determination as she repeated over and over again, "Your illness will surely be cured. Just endure a little longer; once we cross this mountain, I'll find you the finest physician!"

The two of them simply stood by the well, gazing at each other. Song Ke felt his heart begin to thump erratically against his ribs; knowing he shouldn't stare so blatantly at someone, he forced his gaze away, turned around, and silently pulled on the rope to hoist the water back up for Xiulan.

Xiulan steadied her mind, inwardly spitting at herself in disgust: "Chen Xiulan, wake up from your daydreams! Xiao Hang... he has long since turned into a patch of yellow dust. The person standing before you is your cousin, Young Master Song Ke—you must not lose your footing and forget your station!" With that, she composed herself, smoothed down her skirt, and curtsied slightly. "Thank you, Young Master." With those words, she reached out to take the bucket.

Song Ke blocked her path, saying, "The bucket is too heavy, let me carry it for you."

Xiulan anxiously moved to grab it, protesting, "How could I possibly let you do that!"

Insisting on carrying the load, Song Ke hoisted the bucket and said to Xiulan, "Let's go, I'll carry it for a stretch of the way." Taking a few brisk steps forward, he turned his head back to flash her a smile. "I told you before—if you feel uneasy about it in your heart, just sew a pouch for my scholar's four treasures to repay me."

Watching his smile, a wave of warmth surged through Xiulan's heart. This young man's every gesture was far too reminiscent of Xiao Hang, reminding her of the purest, sweetest, and most tranquil years of her past life when she and Xiao Hang were newlyweds deeply in love, composing poetry together, collecting flower specimens, and remaining inseparable even when exiled and banished, relying on each other for survival through life and death. Yet her life after reincarnation had long since buried the noble, elegant, and refined young lady Shen Jialana of the past; she was now crushed into the dust, struggling desperately to survive, and the abrasive passage of time had left her utterly exhausted. Song Ke bore a shadow of the person she yearned for, yet he was a young master high above, while she was nothing more than a humble little maid.

With her head lowered, Xiulan followed behind Song Ke. As they rounded a bend, Xiulan spoke softly, "You can leave it here. Thank you, Eldest Young Master Song."

Song Ke frowned slightly at her distant and formal tone, but realizing it wouldn't be proper to escort her any further, he set the bucket down. His lips parted as if to speak, but unsure of what else to say, he could only watch as Xiulan laboriously dragged the water bucket away step by arduous step.

When Xiulan returned to the small courtyard, Cao Lihuan was impatiently calling out for water to wash up. Xiulan placed the hot water pot on the stove, feeling rather distracted. Once the water boiled, she first brought a basin of hot water to Cao Lihuan, then brewed a pot of hot tea and delivered it to Cao Lihuan's bedroom. After that, she carried the remaining water back to her own room, wrung out a hot towel to wipe Siqiao's face, and fetched some medicinal pills for her to swallow. Siqiao continued to chatter on about her regrets, and after Xiulan offered a few words of consolation and provided some guidance on how to serve Cao Lihuan properly, Siqiao instantly began to view Xiulan as a kindred spirit, addressing her affectionately as "Younger Sister" at every turn. After partaking in the midday meal, Siqiao fell into a deep sleep. Xiulan fished the green jade frog that Song Ke had given her out from her bundle, cradled it in her palm for a long while, and then silently placed it back inside.