Chapter 4 True feelings in the world

A thin figure who wore a long gray gown ran in the downpour of rain.

“Stop! Why are you running like a stray dog! Zhen Jing, I’m talking to you!” A loud voice sounded in the night.

Zhen Jing was soaking wet with some locks of hair sticking to her cheeks like applique. She hunched, gasped, and exclaimed in surprise, “That’s great! I finally found you, Younger Master Tai Chen!”

“Why are you yelling? Are you bewitched at midnight, or have you lost your mind for keeping vigil beside the coffin for too long?” Tai Chen cursed with her hands putting on her waist.

“Younger Master Tai Chen, it was my Master who asked me to take care of Miss He.” Zhen Jing muttered, “Miss He is not herself today. She cannot remember her name. Please come with me and have a look. I found there was a bruise on her forehead. She must have hit her head. Since you have bone-setting medicated liquor and velvet antler cream…”

“Nonsense! Take good care of her now that your Master had ordered you. Do not make trouble for me!” Tai Chen was a woman with tall and strong build, which was equivalent to three or even four Zhen Jing. Accordingly, she had a loud voice too. “Doctors like me could only treat the average people like you. How can I treat the person who is delicate in the East Wing-room?”

“But Younger Master, I know nothing. I don’t know how to take care of a patient. Everyone said that you are a warmhearted doctor with excellent medical skills.” Zhen Jing folded her hands in a gesture of worship and begged, “Please come with me and treat her. If Miss He would get better after the treatment, it’s your merit. If not, she won’t blame you, either…”

Tai Chen interrupted her words, “Go! Go! Go! I’m so sleepy and wooden now. Get back to the place wherever you belong. If I see you running everywhere again, I’ll punish you. You hear me?”

Feeling upset, Zhen Jing turned around. But as she had just taken two steps, Tai Chen stopped her, “Hold on!” Zhen Jing turned around in surprise and looked at Tai Chen’s face eagerly. Tai Chen had very few eyebrows, which almost looked invisible in the dark. However, her eyes were very bright. She stared at Zhen Jing with a tight smile and whispered, “Little nun, how do you know I have velvet antler cream?”

At this point, a chill wind made Zhen Jing sneeze. Then she stammered, “It seems… I forgot… I heard that you…”

“Zhen Jing, why are you standing here? Didn’t Master ask you go to the East Wing-room just now?” A voice sounded. The speaker was a Taoist woman of about 30 years old. Her face was delicate and pretty and her long hair reached to her ankles.

The long-haired nun came slowly from a distance, raised her hand to put a gown on Zhen Jing’s head, and reproached bitterly, “Stupid girl! Why don’t you take an umbrella when you go out? How many times have I told you that?”

“Sister Zhen Zhu, where did you go? I’ve been looking for you.” Zhen Jing pouted sadly, “You have no idea. The East Wing-room is dark and cold. So, I want to go to the warehouse to get some bedclothes and candles. But the nuns worked there refused. They said they can’t give me the materials without Master’s orders. So, I went to the kitchen to get a stove, but the nuns worked there didn’t give it to me because it’s getting colder and colder, so they don’t have enough stoves for themselves. Then I went to…”

“Oh, Younger Master Tai Chen! You’re here!” The long-haired nun shouted as if she didn’t see her until now. Then she smiled again, “Younger Master Tai Chen, it’s windy and rainy. What are you doing here? Be careful not to catch cold.” Master Tai Chen glanced at the two of them indifferently and then turned away without saying a word.

The long-haired nun turned around and continued to blame Zhen Jing, “Zhen Jing, what should I say? Don’t you know everyone has been tired all day and now they are resting? Do you want to wake them up with your noise? This is a Taoist temple. So, having Taoist rites and conducting religious rites are our special skills, but we are not good at treating people with their illnesses. If anyone who thought we cold-shoulder her, she should leave and go home early…” Speaking of this, she suddenly giggled, making Zhen Jing confused for a moment.

After looking around, the nun put a key into Zhen Jing’s cold hand when no one was around and whispered, “This is the key to open the cellar of the East Wing-room. Although the quilt inside is worn, it’s clean. It’s not a good time to find any warm soup. But when you pass the mourning hall, take some sweets and water for Miss He quietly. Miss He has just woken up, so she shouldn’t eat much.”

Zhen Jing’s face crumpled up. She cried with motion, “Oh… Sister Zhen Zhu, I…I know that you are the nicest!”

“Come on. You’d better calm down and be quiet. If you keep being pushy like this, others will hate her more. Just go!”

Zhen Jing blinked strangely, “Everyone didn’t know Miss He before. Why do they look like they have a grudge against Miss He?”

Zhen Zhu sighed and whispered, “Most people flatter the upper class and bully the underclass. Hearing that Miss He was unpopular in Luo’s Mansion and nobody wanted to hold funeral for her at home, those vile ones despise her for sure. What’s more, it was originally scheduled for holding a graceful funeral after 20 days, and I heard that the people of Luo’s Mansion gave 150 liang to our Taoist temple. Everyone was supposed to get a reward by then…”

Zhen Jing widened her eyes in disbelief, “What? Do they just wish Miss He dead for several strings of money as a reward?”

The rain grew heavier and heavier. The raindrops fell on the soil, and the soil began to suck greedily.

“Human beings die in pursuit of wealth, and birds die in pursuit of food. Don’t make a fuss about it. No matter what they think, they don’t have a heart of gold. So, be prudent these days. Don’t ask for too much. Didn’t you know what Master means? If you still don’t understand her meaning and fight against her, you’ll pay for it. Go and take care of Miss He. I’ll go to see her tomorrow if I have time.”

Zhen Jing nodded and ran towards the Mourning hall immediately.

※※※

The rain had stopped just before the sun rose. The sky was clear and the air was fresh after the rain. The moon and the sun appeared in the sky simultaneously.

After crying all night, He Danggui had calmed down. She looked at the skyline and smiled. How could she waste this opportunity since she rose from the dead?

How interesting! Those who slandered me, bullied me, humiliated me, sneered at me, despised me, debased me, hit me and killed me would know the ability I’m capable of in a few years!

Lying on the bed, He Danggui took a deep breath. Then she found that not only her feet were sprained, but also her arms and back were very sore, and even her lower abdomen was sore when she slightly did some exercise. She felt her pulse with one hand and showed a forced smile, “It really hurts my vitality since I died once.”

Now, she was weak, exhausted and thirsty. She began to drop tears, got tinnitus, had aches in the limbs, experienced night sweats and easily roused from sleep…Fortunately, she was alive. Although there was neither medicine nor silver needles at the moment, it was feasible to press acupoints and massage meridians to recuperate, but it would take 6 or even 7 days to recuperate…

Holding a terrine in her arms, Zhen Jing trotted into the room and showed He Danggui the terrine as if it was a gift. Then she smiled, “Look! Here is the boiled water. Come on, eat some desserts while drink the boiled water!”

He Danggui frowned, took the terrine and put it on the bedside. She pulled Zhen Jing’s hands, lifted up her sleeves and found that she scalded herself. Feeling distressed, He Danggui sighed, “Silly girl, remember to protect your hands from the hot water. Use a cloth next time.”

Zhen Jing made a face, unrolled her handkerchief, and showed He Danggui Osmanthus cakes and peach kernel cakes. She smiled and said, “Miss He, you are younger than me, but you talk like an adult!”

He Danggui took a piece of cake, took a bite and said slowly, “Well, these cakes were made just three days ago. Although the peach kernel was made of the best materials, the craft was the second best. Look, the pastry here is burnt. Even the sugar is used wrong. Peach kernel cake should be baked with black sugar and a few drops of vegetable oil.”

Zhen Jing didn’t close her eyes all night. She was already starving since she had run back and forth many times for He Danggui. She stared at the piece of peach kernel cake, swallowed her saliva, and sighed, “How dainty you people from wealthy and influential families are when you eat the cake!”

He Danggui smiled, pushed the cakes in Zhen Jing’s direction and said, “Come here. Let’s eat together!”

Zhen Jing waved her hands repeatedly and said, “No! No! No! These are your foods for a whole day. I can’t steal food until evening…” She realized that she said something wrong, then she covered her mouth with her hands instantly.

He Danggui seemed to have heard nothing. She put a piece of osmanthus cake into Zhen Jing’s hand and said, “This dough of osmanthus cake was not leaven well. It is an osmanthus biscuit rather than an osmanthus cake. Let’s eat together!” Then she held Zhen Jing’s hand and put it into her mouth. Zhen Jing had to take a bite, and the sweet and glutinous taste made her forget everything immediately. She ate the cake in two or three bites, and smiled happily.

“Although the craft is not good, fortunately, the osmanthus flowers scattered above the cake are freshly picked and the smell is refreshing. Also, in traditional Chinese medicine, osmanthus flowers have a warm property, and it can dispel the cold and unchoke the obstructed blood, which is useful for alleviating your dysmenorrhea.” He Danggui handed her two more osmanthus cakes, “Hurry up. Let’s finish all these desserts. Next meal would be a later issue for us to worry about.”

Zhen Jing was embarrassed. Her face turned pale and then red. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened big in surprise. Holding tightly the hand of He Danggui, she asked hesitantly, “Miss…Miss He, how did you know that I have a period now? No one here knows except Sister Zhen Zhu…”

He Danggui smiled, “Don’t make a fuss. I felt your pulse just now, and I found that you look pale. There are also faint green marks under your eyes. However, I found faint flushes in your cheeks. That’s a sign of blood loss and obstruction of the blood circulation. So, I got the answer. You can rest assured that I will never tell anyone.”

“You…You are amazing!” Zhen Jing was surprised and shy, “You can learn this through a slight feel of my pulse. That’s marvelous!”

Zhen Jing dared not let others know that she had menarche last month. She only told Zhen Zhu, asked her how to handle this problem, and begged her to keep it a secret.

In Zhen Jing’s memory, when Zhen Gong had her menarche when she was 15, she hid her dirty underwear under the bed. Later, Master Tai Chen found it. She slapped Zhen Gong hard and cursed her loudly, “Shame on you, little bitch!” After that, Zhen Gong became a laughingstock of everyone in Shui Shang Temple, and it was still mentioned occasionally until now. However, Zhen Jing had menarche before twelve years old. She was afraid that everyone would laugh at her if others knew her secret.

He Danggui knew exactly what she was thinking and softly explained, “Zhen Jing, the time of menarche differs from person to person and it’s not bad to come early. Although you are thin, your constitution is relatively hot. So, it’s not weird for you to have menarche at this age. Don’t treat menstruation carelessly just because of bashfulness. Once you get sick, you will regret it. During your period, the most important thing you need to do is to keep clean and warm. You’d better wash your feet with hot water before sleep to promote blood circulation. Also, I appreciate what you did for me, but remember, don’t run in the cold wind and rain anymore.”

Zhen Jing looked at He Danggui in surprise and asked, “Wow, why do you know everything? Who taught you these? You are more knowledgeable than Sister Zhen Zhu. Are you really just ten years old?”

He Danggui smiled quietly and murmured, “Yes, how strange.”

“Ah, don’t move! Look! Your expression now looks like an adult too!”

“…”

They talked and ate, and before they knew it, they had finished a pot of boiled water and a packet of cakes.

As soon as Zhen Jing finished, she began to pull a long face and sighed, “Oh! No! I’m so piggish! I can’t believe that I’ve eaten all your food for a whole day! It’s all my fault! I’m so sorry!”

Looking at Zhen Jing, He Danggui leaned on her pillow with a smile.

In her previous life, she liked this little girl with true disposition. It was Zhen Jing’s aid and comfort that carried her through those dark days. In the past, Master Tai Shan and Master Tai Chen both regarded He Danggui as the most low-down maidservant. They often scolded her and beat her with the tools at hand. She had never suffered these as she worked on the farm outside the town before when she was younger.

Once she carried buckets of water again and again for a whole day. Her legs trembled, and her shoulders were skinned with blood, but she hadn’t eaten any food. In the evening, she was so starving that she covered her head with a quilt and cried secretly. Later, she felt someone poked her, so she wiped away her tears quickly and uncovered the quilt.

Then she saw Zhen Jing sitting next to her and smiling at her. Her smile was as bright as the stars in the dark.

Zhen Jing raised her right hand and said, “Here you are! I got two big white buns from the kitchen!” Then she smiled mysteriously and suddenly showed her left hand, “And this!”

“…Meat!” He Danggui wiped away her tears and exclaimed in a low voice, “Where did you get the meat?”

Zhen Jing smirked, “When I passed the backyard, I saw Master Tai Chen cooking meat secretly. While she was going to the kitchen to fetch some salt, I grabbed a handful of meat and ran away!”

Staring blankly at the uncooked meat in Zhen Jing’s palm, she burst into tears, “You’ve got blisters on your hands…”

“It’s okay. It doesn’t hurt. It really doesn’t hurt! Eat it quickly and go to sleep!” Zhen Jing wiped He Danggui’s tears and comforted her, “Don’t cry. Your mother will come to pick you up. Eat more, and she’ll be happier if you are chubby…You just need to wait for a few more days. She’ll be here soon!

He Danggui nodded, eating while crying. The pieces of meat, which were neither cooked nor delicious, were the best food she had ever eaten.

Later, her mother really sent Biddy Song to pick her up. She wanted to take Zhen Jing with her, but Master Tai Chen didn’t let her go because Zhen Jing’s parents had owed Shui Shang Temple a lease on the farm. So, Zhen Jing worked for Shui Shang Temple to offset the debt. He Danggui asked how much money her parents owed. Master Tai Chen forced a smile and said, “She owed 30 liang including interest.”

At that time, He Danggui was penniless, and even her most cherished longevity gold lock was stolen in the Taoist temple. Therefore, she had to ask Biddy Song for paying the money first, then she could ask her mother to return the money to her. However, Biddy Song told her coldly that she had no spare money to lend her. In addition, there were so many maidservants in Luo’s Mansion. She had never heard of paying 30 liang for a maidservant. After all, 8 strings of qian (which equals to 8 liang in ancient China) could pay for 3 or 4 maidservants throughout the whole Yangzhou City. So, He Danggui couldn’t take Zhen Jing away.

Before leaving, she took Zhen Jing’s hand and whispered, “Wait for me, I’ll take you away as soon as I have enough money.” Zhen Jing smiled and nodded, “I’m fine here. You don’t have to miss me. Go home and meet your mother!”

When He Danggui got home, she begged her mother again. However, her mother’s statement was exactly the same as that of Biddy Song. Without saying a few words, her mother excused that she was tired and went to the back hall to recite the scriptures.

After that, she started saving money. Second Madam Luo who was in charge of the household affairs reduced her monthly expense to as much as the first-class maidservants in Luo’s Mansion. She could only get 1.2 liang silver a month. After over a year, she pawned some clothes and jewelries, got 24 silver ingots lucky money from Madam Luo, and saved money every month. Finally, she saved 30 liang. During this time, He Danggui’s maidservants had expressed and implied that the masters of other rooms were generous and their maidservants often got a variety of rewards. But He Danggui pretended that she didn’t understand the meaning of their words. Later, her maidservants didn’t treat her as their master anymore.

Taking the opportunity of praying in Shui Shang Temple, He Danggui found Master Tai Shan with her silver happily and recommended to redeem Zhen Jing. Taking the money and feeling the weight of 30 liang, Master Tai Shan told her coldly that 30 liang was the old price. Till now, the money and interest had risen to 42 liang. In addition, Master Wei, who stayed overnight at the Taoist temple had bought Zhen Jing as his concubine half a month ago.

In the end, Tai Shan took a scornful look at her and left, leaving her alone in a daze. How did this happen? Zhen Jing was only twelve years old…

Since then, she had never seen Zhen Jing anymore.

Now, looking at the cheerful and accommodating young girl in front of her, He Danggui smiled. She was lost in thoughts. This time, she would not leave Zhen Jing here. On the contrary, she would let the people of Luo’s Mansion pick them up with a large sedan chair carried by eight people!

Squatting at the door, Zhen Jing wanted to light the brazier with hay in it by a fire-stone. After a long time, the glints were still too weak to produce a spark. Suddenly she felt cold and turned around subconsciously, that’s when she saw the strange expression on He Danggui’s face. She screamed, “Wow! Why do you look at me like this? You make me scared.”

He Danggui smiled and said softly, “Zhen Jing, thank you. I appreciate it.”

Zhen Jing made a face, “Miss, come on! Are you grateful to me for lighting a brazier?”

“Get out of here with me, will you?”

“What! Do you want to go for a walk? No, it’s windy outside. It’ll blow you down!”

“…My style name is ‘Qingyi’. You can call me Xiaoyi in the future.”

“Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi, Xiaoyi, ha-ha. It’s a nice name, but it’s like a boy’s name.”

“Then let’s get out of here together, shall we?”

“What! Do you really want to go for a walk? Wait a minute, I’ll get you a thicker clothing.”

“…”

“Hey, why are your eyes red and swollen? Did you cry last night?”

“…”

“Ha-ha. See? I also know the four diagnostic methods of TCM including inspection, listening and smelling, inquiry and palpation. Am I also amazing?”

“…”