It was snowing. White and flawless snowflakes were drifting from the sky like beautiful willow catkins. Snow fell heavier over time, and the sky was full of it as if the whole world was covered in a blanket of white snow.
Yuxi handed the prepared ointment to Caidie and said, "I've told you not to do those things, but you wouldn't stop. Aren't you the one who suffers from it now?" Caidie was suffering from chilblains, where her hands had swollen just like baozi.
Caidie shook her head and said, "Miss, I've had chilblains before. Now I think it has a relapse." Only when she entered the inner courtyard to serve Yuxi, where she did not touch cold water in winter anymore, did it go away. Now that she was in the countryside, she had to suffer the freezing winter, making her symptoms reappear.
Only then did it dawn on Yuxi that she did tell Caidie not to do much outside work, so how did she get chilblains? "Then, don't touch cold water again in the future, even after you've recovered. Otherwise, it's gonna take root." These chilblains were the most annoying. They were itchy and numb. You couldn't scratch them since they would hurt like hell if you did.
Caidie nodded. "I will try not to touch any in the future."
Yuxi entered the house and climbed back up onto the kang. Today's weather was too cold, and there was no floor dragon in here. Even if two pots of charcoal were being burned, it would still be useless. If Yuxi sat at the desk to read, her hands and feet would be cold after a while. Therefore, she now read her books on the kang. Her kang, which burned all day and all night, was really warm.
Pigeon Soup With Huaishan (Chinese Yam)
Image Credit | As stated in the picture, via 味谷的养生厨房 / Meishichina
Image Credit | As stated in the picture, via 味谷的养生厨房 / Meishichina
Yuxi complained, "I haven't moved much these days. I've been in bed all day, and I've gained a lot of flesh." Even if she increased her time playing the wuqinxi every day, she still inevitably gained flesh. She felt like she had gained a little bit of weight.
Zisu said with a smile, "Miss is not fat. Miss looks better with some meat." If Zisu had to say so, this was the right look for Miss!
Yuxi didn't want to listen to Zisu. "It seems that I still have to walk around more." But it was too cold outside. The most she could do after dinner was to walk for two turns inside the house. She did not dare to go out into the cold.
After eating, Zisu took the bowl and went out. There was nothing to do in the house, so she picked up a broom and swept the snow from the yard. After cleaning for a bit, she slipped and fell to the ground with her whole body on all fours.
Caidie was shocked when she saw this incident. She quickly ran to help Zisu and asked, "Zisu Jiejie, Zisu Jiejie, what's wrong with you?"
Zisu answered bitterly, "I've just sprained my ankle."
Yuxi was in the house when she heard Caidie's shout and hurried out. That was when she heard Zisu say that she had sprained her ankle. She saw Caidie trying to help Zisu up and immediately stopped her, "You can't help her. It will be harder for her foot to get better if you touch it." After saying this, she called out to Guo Daniang, who was outside, to come inside.
Several people carried Zisu into the house. Yuxi had prepared a medicine for bruises and handed it to Zisu. "Rub this on your injured foot yourself. It will heal quickly." If someone else rubbed it for her, that person wouldn't be able to control her strength, and if the said person put too much force on it, Zisu would feel extreme pain. [+]
Guo Daniang had some experience with this kind of injury and immediately went to turn on the hot water. She then handed a white-hot towel to Zisu and said, "The effect will be better if you apply this towel to your ankle."
Zisu was a little embarrassed. "I accidentally fell down by myself and somehow managed to move troops and stir up people."
Yuxi berated, "Who asked you to sweep the snow? If you hadn't done it, this would not have happened." Yuxi asked Steward Chen to pick two strong women from the hamlet, who would be responsible for cleaning and helping with the kitchen and other chores.
Zisu smiled and said, "I had nothing else to do. When I looked at the yard covered with all the snow, I couldn't help but want to sweep it." This place was different from their courtyard in residence. There, the yard had corridors. It didn't matter if it was snowing or raining; it wouldn't affect their walks. Here, if the path was not swept clean, it would not be easy for them to walk.
Hearing Zisu's reply, Guo Daniang advised, "For this kind of menial work, just call me, and I'll have Lai Cai's wife come over to do it."
Zisu laughed. "I didn't think I would be so unfit that I could still fall from just sweeping the snow. Don't think too much about it, Miss. I just sprained my ankle. It's not like it's broken, and it'll heal soon."
Yuxi didn't even bother to talk to her anymore.
When Steward Chen's wife heard Zisu had fallen and hurt herself, she rushed over to take a look. When she saw that it was not serious, she was relieved, but she still lectured Lai Cai's wife over the incident. [T/N]
Zisu smiled as she spoke, "Chen Dashen, don't blame Lai Cai's wife and the other girls. I was the one who wanted to do it, so I couldn't blame them for it. Besides, this time it was a mere accident." It was her own fault that she slipped and fell, so how could she blame others?
Steward Chen's wife said, "It is still Miss Zisu who is the most obliging."
In response, Zisu hurriedly urged, "Miss likes peace and quiet. She doesn't like to be disturbed. I'm fine here, Chen Dashen. You can go back first." Steward Chen's wife spoke in a loud voice. Even if she deliberately lowered her voice, her voice unconsciously amplified again after saying two sentences.
Steward Chen's wife's face flushed as she had forgotten about this. "Then, I will go back first. If there is anything wrong, Miss Zisu, just ask a maid to inform me." Steward Chen's house had now been built. It was not as big as the one Yuxi lived in, but it was still their own house. Moreover, it was only a few steps away from Yuxi's.
When Steward Chen's wife reached the entrance, she looked at Caidie, who was sending her off and suggested, "Miss Caidie, if you wipe your hand vigorously with heated radish, it will only take three days for your hands to heal." Seeing Caidie's face of disbelief, Steward Chen continued, "This recipe does work."
Caidie was half convinced. She went back to the house and told Yuxi about it. Yuxi smilingly said, "Sometimes folk remedies are better than the medicine prescribed by the physician." Just as she saw Kufu come in, Yuxi instructed, "Kufu, go to Guo Daniang's side and bring over a radish." It was just as well that there was a charcoal fire in the house, so they could just try it now.
Kufu didn't know what Yuxi wanted the radish for, but she didn't ask much. She just turned around and went to the kitchen. But there were no more radishes in there.
Guo Daniang proposed, "Miss Kufu, there are no more radishes here. Why don't you go to the backyard and pluck a radish for Miss?" Guo Daniang had to prepare lunch, so she had no time to get away from the kitchen.
Caidie had gotten chilblains from picking vegetables in the field. Kufu didn't want to get one herself; thus, she looked at Lai Cai's wife, who was tending the kitchen fire and said, "Lai Cai's wife, go and pluck one for me. I'll wait here."
Guo Daniang frowned a little but didn't say anything against it. She just turned towards Lai Cai's wife and said, "You can go." It wasn't far anyway. It was just in the backyard.
Lai Cai's wife washed the recently plucked radish and handed it to Kufu. Kufu didn't want to get in contact with it as she said, "Dry the radish first!" If the radish wasn't wiped dry, its coldness would seep into her hands.
Guo Daniang's face turned very ugly. She spoke out, "You don't have to dirty Miss Kufu's hands, Lai Chai's wife. Just send the radish directly into the house!" Miss Zisu and Miss Caidie were easy to get along with. When they came to the hamlet, they would do whatever they could. While Kufu was unwilling to do many things and was particularly fussy. Even their Miss was not as troublesome as her.
Among the few people who followed Yuxi here, Guo Daniang was the one who had to work the hardest. Most of the ingredients were prepared by the main kitchen and sent straight over to her in the past. So she could use them directly without bothering with them. Now she has to handle all the ingredients, and her workload has more than doubled. But she never complained and did her best to ensure that Yuxi ate well for her three meals. [+]
Kufu's face was looking a little unpleasant, but she didn't dare to speak harshly to Guo Daniang as she said, "I won't bother Lai Cai's wife then." After saying that, she took the radish and left the kitchen.
Lai Cai's wife was somewhat at a loss with the situation.
Guo Daniang said, "Don't take it into your heart. She's a spoiled one." She used to think that Kufu was a good girl, but now, she could see clearly that this girl was untrustworthy at all. She had only been at the farm for a short time and already had a disloyal disposition.
As Kufu watched Caidie wipe the heated radish to her hands, she felt her pain. At that moment, she gloomily asked, "Miss, when will this kind of life end? When can we go back to the residence?"
Yuxi replied indifferently, "If you can't stand it, you can go back tomorrow."
When Kufu heard this, she hastily explained, "Where Miss is, this handmaiden will be there. This handmaiden just worried that Miss won't be able to bear it." She wanted to go back, but she knew very well that if she left her Miss early, there would be no more place for her in residence. So, even though she was terrified for her future, she did not dare to go back by herself. [T/N]
Yuxi glanced at her and ordered, "You can withdraw!" She did not dare to use such a maid again, for this maid could only share the wealth with her but not her hardship. When they returned to the residence, she would have to put this maid out.
Kufu withdrew with a grievance.
The days went by slowly. On the twentieth day of the twelfth lunar month, Han Jianye brought more than ten retainers to the hamlet. In the past few months, he would come over to see Yuxi whenever he had a holiday. Every time he came over, he would bring a bunch of things with him, fearing that Yuxi would suffer in the hamlet. This time, he had too many things to do before he came to pick up Yuxi.
When he saw Yuxi, Han Jianye said with a smile, "You girl, you look the same every day. It's only been a month or so since I last saw you, and you've grown taller again." Yuxi had not compromised herself on the hamlet. Her food and clothes were similar to when she was in the residence. However, the cost of food and clothing on the hamlet was twice as much as there.
Yuxi responded with a smile, "I'm still in my growing up phase!"
Han Jianye looked Yuxi up and down and stated, "At the rate you're growing, you'll definitely be a lot taller in the future."
Yuxi laughed. "If I'm going to be taller, then let me be. It's much better than being short anyway." In her previous life, she had been of medium height, but in this life, nine times out of ten, she would be taller than that. It was because her height now was similar to the one she had been in her previous life when she reached her marriageable age.
Han Jianye smiled a little and said, "Have someone pack up your things and go back to the residence tomorrow. Mother has been thinking of you all these days. If it weren't for the fact that she couldn't leave, she would have come over to pick you up herself." It wasn't that Qiu Shi couldn't leave. It was because the Old Lady had forbidden her from coming.
Yuxi ushered, "Er Ge, you should rest for a while. I'll have some people come in and help me pack up." She had many things, so she could not finish packing them all in one night with just a few of her maids.
When Kufu heard that they were going back, she was shocked and delighted. "Zisu Jiejie, is the Second Master really here to take Miss back?" It couldn't be a dream, could it? Kufu thought that Yuxi would have to stay in the hamlet for two to three years!
Zisu just smiled and said, "Naturally, it's true. Go and pack!" She could see Kufu's impatience during this period. She had persuaded her several times, but unfortunately to no avail. After that, Zisu also stopped convincing her. Zisu knew Yuxi well enough to know that if Yuxi had reprimanded Kufu, there would still be hope for her to stay with them. But now, there was no hope at all.
Noob Translator's Musing
Kufu's days are numbered. With that kind of attitude, she won't have the privilege to stay beside Yuxi's any longer.
Tags:
The Rebirth of Han Yuxi