Xiao Yunying touched the bridge of her nose: "Mother, don't go around saying things to everyone you meet. It makes me sound like I'm really like what people say about someone who would rather die than part with their money."
Mu Lianrong came over carrying her cotton-padded clothes: "Then why don't you let go?"
Xiao Yunying didn't want others to know about the two strange men, nor did she want the children to think she was a money-grubbing person, so she slightly altered the facts and said:
"My hands were cold on the way, so I tied the sheep rope around my waist. When we were almost at the village, a black dog jumped out of the grass. The sheep must have been frightened, because it turned around and charged straight away. I didn't have time to untie the rope, so I was pulled down."
Mu Lianrong: ...
Children:……
Luo Yang: "...Why didn't you come back by carriage today?"
Xiao Yunying stretched her arms: "On the way, I met Duan Yingying and her mother, who were carrying the sick Duan Xiaoxiao towards the city. The little girl had a high fever and was delirious, so I gave them the carriage and they walked back by themselves."
Mu Lianrong was furious but couldn't vent her anger. Her daughter had done a good thing, and no one expected this to happen. She said with a long face, "You all go out and let your mother change her clothes first."
"I'm not in a hurry to change, I want to take a shower."
Mu Lianrong said, "You can't wash. If you have any injuries, you can't soak in hot water, or it will cause swelling."
Xiao Yunying said pitifully, "Then, Mother, could you make me some warm water to wash my hair? I definitely need to wash it; it's all covered in dirt."
Mu Lianrong put the cotton-padded coat on the kang (a heated brick bed): "Look at the state you're in, you're still so clean. Wait, there's hot water boiling in the kitchen, I'll go pour it for you."
"Thank you, Mother."
After her mother left, Xiao Yunying took out a clean set of undergarments from the cupboard, and along with the cotton-padded clothes on the kang (a heated brick bed), she grabbed the edge with one hand and left the room.
The children waited outside. Luo Chen came over and asked, "Mother, are you going to the washroom?"
"Yes, you can't wash your hair indoors, or you'll make a mess."
Luo Yang said, "I'll help Mother carry the cotton-padded coat."
“Okay, it’s quite heavy to carry with one hand, and I can’t hug it because I’m covered in dirt.”
Xiao Yunying gave him the cotton coat. When they arrived at the washroom that she and Xin'er used, Luo Chen stopped and blocked her nephews.
Luo Li said, "This is my mother's and Xin'er's private washroom. You can't go in."
Xiao Chunlei asked, "What is a washroom?"
Luo Li said, "It's the place for washing your face, rinsing your mouth, and taking a bath."
Xiao Chunlei understood: "Oh, I see."
His younger brother asked, "Brother, what does that mean?"
Xiao Chunlei explained to his younger brothers, "Bathing is the same as taking a bath. In that case, the washroom is similar to the outhouse, and it's a place you can't just go into."
You forgot what Grandma said: little girls are different from us boys; their bodies can't be seen by just anyone. Even our second uncle's little sister is off-limits to us. So, we can't just go into the place where Auntie and Xin'er are bathing either.”
"I remember now, Grandma did say that."
Upon hearing this conversation, Xiao Yunying turned around and glanced at the group of children.
Xiao Yunying hadn't expected her mother to teach her this.
Luo Yang put the cotton coat on the rack and went out, keeping his head down the whole time and not daring to look up. He almost bumped into the door frame when he came out.
Xiao Yunying smiled and said, "There's no need to be so cautious. No one is bathing right now."
Luo Yang kept his head down and didn't reply, but his reddened ear tips answered for him.
Okay, the child is shy, she'd better stop teasing him, or she'll just annoy him.
Mu Lianrong took a wooden basin and brought over several buckets of diluted warm water: "Come on, let me wash your hair."
Why?
Xiao Yunying hurriedly said, "Mother, you don't need to. I can wash myself."
"Can you bend down? Can you raise your right arm?"
Xiao Yunying replied decisively, "Yes."
"What can you do? Don't be stubborn, come over here quickly."
"Mom, let me wash myself. I've been walking all the way and I'm sweating a lot. I want to wipe myself off."
Mu Lianrong draped the towel over the wooden basin: "You're still shy with your mother? Then I'll go out. You can wash yourself slowly. Call me if you need anything."
"No need, I can manage. Mother, you go ahead and get busy. My father and the others can't do the accounting."
"Okay, show me what you're capable of, I'm going to get busy."
After shooing her mother away, Xiao Yunying locked the door and went into the supermarket restroom.
I adjusted the water temperature to a slightly more comfortable level, cooler than usual, took a quick shower, and then turned the temperature up a bit to wash my hair.
I dried my hair with a towel until it wasn't dripping wet, took a set of underwear from the clothesline in the dormitory, put it on, put on a sanitary napkin, and then put on a sleeveless thermal top. After that, I put on an undershirt and a cotton coat.
Luckily, her period was almost over, and the pain made her forget about it; otherwise, not changing her sanitary pads for so long would have definitely caused her to get... well, you know.
Xiao Yunying collected the water from the wooden bucket into the supermarket's bins so it could be saved for the next time she did laundry. She then opened the door while drying her hair with a towel.
Mu Lianrong was holding Luo Xin by the wall outside the door, talking to her. Hearing the noise, she put the child down and said, "I'm done washing."
"Mother, didn't I tell you not to watch over me? I checked my body, and I'm not injured. At most, I have some bruises."
"Stop talking nonsense, just tell me if it hurts or not."
"……pain."
"Your hair isn't dry yet, go back inside first, don't let the wind blow on it."
Mu Lianrong helped her back to the front yard, and Xiao Yunying said, "Mother, should I cook a few dishes?"
"You think you're a good cook? You can barely walk properly. We don't need you. Go back inside and stop making a mess."
Xiao Yunying pouted and dared not speak.
Back in her room, she sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) against the wall. Several of her nephews ran over, and Xiao Chunlei asked from the doorway, "Grandma, Auntie, can we come in?"
Xiao Yunying put her arm around Luo Xin, who had climbed up, and said, "Come in."
Xiao Chunlei came in and gave Mu Lianrong a bottle. Xiao Yunying recognized the bottle; it contained a blood-activating and stasis-removing ointment.
She remembered how painful it was to rub bruises. This time, the injuries on her body were more serious than when she rode a tiger and crashed into a tree, so it must hurt a lot to rub them.
She subtly moved further inside: "Mother, I don't think I need to apply the medicine."
Mu Lianrong dismissed the boys and closed the door, saying, "No need for anything, come here, let me see your injury."
Xiao Yunying had a sudden inspiration: "Mother, my period isn't over yet, so I can't use ointments that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis."
Mu Lianrong remembered this: "This unlucky child, everything's piled up together. I'll leave the medicine for you. Rub it on yourself after your period is over, understand?"
Xiao Yunying obediently replied, "I heard you."
"Even if you hear it, you might not know how to use it. I'll come and massage it for you in a couple of days."
Xiao Yunying: ...If you already know, why are you asking?
Mu Lianrong continued, "You can't sleep on a heated kang because of the bruises on your body. I'll put out the charcoal fire in the kang hole outside and heat the stove for you. If you're cold, cover yourself with an extra quilt."
"Thank you, Mother. You're so good to me."
Mu Lianrong put the medicine bottle on the table: "Don't joke around with me. This happened at the end of the year. Isn't it upsetting? I'll have your dad and brother find a way to kill all the stray dogs in the neighborhood, so they won't be biting this one and scaring that one all day long."
Xiao Yunying silently lit candles for the stray dogs around the village.
Amitabha Buddha, the stray dog is taking the blame.
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