Chapter 10 Wiping the hands that are clasped together.
After sending Fu Yao back to her room, Yue Yining blew out the candle and went to sleep, having no dreams all night.
Perhaps she had been thinking too much before going to sleep, because when she opened her eyes again, it was not yet fully light.
Looking out the window, the moon hangs like a white ribbon in the sky.
The trees are drenched in the thin mist before dawn. It is the coolest time of day in the height of summer. Once the sun is fully up, the heat will overwhelm the daytime.
Yue Yining realized she couldn't sleep, so she got up, put on her outer robe, picked up the teapot, and sat by the window.
The tea in the teapot was leftover from last night and had gone cold. She didn't mind and poured a full bowl.
Yue Yining's gaze, which had been wandering, settled as she looked out the window.
A figure like a cloud or mist walked into the depths of the courtyard before her eyes. The shadows of the trees swayed, and he squatted down in a corner with dense bushes, his sleeves trailing on the ground, but his back remained still.
Ayu was squatting far away, and from Yue Yining's house, it was impossible to see what he was doing.
Yue Yining stood by the window for a long time before leaning against the window frame to stand up.
"What are you doing?"
Ayu paused, turned around, somewhat surprised: "Miss, you're awake?"
"It's only dawn, why are you up so early today, Miss?"
Wearing a green robe, Yue Yining leaned against the tree trunk, standing on the uneven and tangled tree roots, looking down at Ayu who was squatting in front of her.
She ignored Ayu's question and stared motionlessly at the shovel in his hand and the dug-up soil and weeds on the ground.
Yue Yining said slowly, "I couldn't sleep, so I got up for a walk and found you here."
She looked at the huge, ugly, mud-covered, and oddly shaped hard object on the ground, pursed her lips, and said incredulously, "You dug this up, you're not... planning to eat it, are you?"
Ayu smiled and nodded, her eyes crinkling. "Yes."
This thing doesn't look edible at all!
Yue Yining stared at him for a few seconds before looking away: "...You don't need to force yourself. You're practically my servant now, I won't make you eat tree bark."
"It's been crowded and chaotic outside these past few days, but I'll try my best to help you..."
As Yue Yining spoke, her hand, which was supporting the tree trunk, suddenly touched a patch of moss. It felt smooth and cool to the touch.
Her hand, which was holding onto the tree, slipped away.
Yue Yining's mind went blank, and she lost her balance, which was suddenly disrupted. Just as she was about to fall backward, a muddy hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her back from the brink of collapse.
It was a close call. Yue Yining quickly steadied herself against the tree trunk: "Thank you—"
Standing on the tree root, she looked up and found that Ayu had suddenly stood up, looking flustered.
Panic?
Memories flashed through Yue Yining's mind.
She suddenly realized that Ayu had never seemed to show any impatience all along. Although he was a servant living under someone else's roof, he had a magnanimous demeanor and calmly faced everything that happened to him.
The moment Yue Yining paused, her hand, which was hanging by her side, was pulled up.
Ayu held the corner of her wide sleeve, carefully wiping the dirt off her hands. Each time she wiped away the dust and grime, her long eyelashes would flutter, like the wings of a startled butterfly; her expression was like that of a believer sweeping dust from a statue in an empty temple, bending over and bowing her head, carefully wiping the statue's golden hands, feet, and compassionate eyes with a soft cloth, focused and devout.
She was too shocked to break free from him.
Through the cotton cloth, his fingertips brushed against her palm; it was slightly warm and ticklish.
Yue Yining slightly bent her fingers, feeling a bit strange.
...A person who is usually calm and collected becomes so flustered because her hands are dirty.
After wiping away the dirt, Ayu's brow remained furrowed: "Let's go to the kitchen, I'll wash Miss with water."
Yue Yining responded and let him lead her to the kitchen in the backyard.
After washing his hands, he found a towel to dry them for her, but Yue Yining did not let him do it this time. Instead, she took the towel from his hand and said, "No need, I can do it myself."
"Don't just focus on me, your hands are still dirty."
Ayu seemed to realize it only then, and smiled apologetically, "Yes, I forgot, I'll go wash it right away—"
Yue Yining shook her head and opened her palm upwards: "Give me your hand."
Ayu was stunned for a moment, but Yue Yining directly pulled his hand over.
The touch of my fingers on my skin was like warm jade melting into snow.
Ayu's heart suddenly panicked. He quickly stepped aside and said, "No need, Miss, I can do it myself—"
Unexpectedly, Yue Yining gripped him exceptionally tightly, and he couldn't break free despite a slight struggle.
He dared not exert any more force and could only stand there frozen. Yue Yining lowered her eyes, her fingers covered with a handkerchief, and gently wiped his palm.
She wiped the dirt from between his fingers, looking careful and focused, but she was actually paying attention to Ayu's reaction. The man's breathing was unsteady, as if he was enduring something, and his body was stiff beyond belief.
She slowed her movements, pondering, and some guesses began to form in her mind.
Yue Yining wiped one of his hands before letting go of him, and Ayu seemed to have found an opening and took several steps back.
Yue Yining didn't show it on her face, but she found it somewhat amusing in her heart: "Why are you avoiding me?"
Ayu stubbornly shook her head, hiding her hands behind her back: "Miss, you really don't need to do this—"
Yue Yining: "You can use your sleeve to wipe my hands, why can't I help you?"
Faced with Yue Yining's approach, Ayu simply raised her clean sleeve to push her away, speaking in a clear and gentle voice: "How can that be the same? Miss and I are worlds apart."
Yue Yining stopped and narrowed her eyes slightly.
Her words and actions were all intended to shorten the distance between them, but the meaning behind this person's words was as if she were pure and otherworldly, and even touching her would be a desecration, as if he wanted to elevate her to an incomprehensible level.
That's really... annoying.
Yue Yining withdrew her hand, no longer pressing him: "Alright then."
A pool of water drips gently.
The sound of flowing water stirred a cool breeze. By the pool, two figures stood facing each other, one in blue and one in white.
"Miss."
Ayu called her softly, and Yue Yining, who was brushing the dust off herself by the pool, looked over when she heard the voice.
A strange light gleamed in his eyes as he smiled at her and said, "I just dug something out, and I'd like you to try it, Miss."
Flames ignited the pile of dry straw and firewood along the edge of the stove, emitting blue smoke from the cooking fire.
A month of dieting had made him look a bit thinner, but with his sleeves rolled up, the lines of his arm muscles remained smooth and beautiful. He bent his fingers to tuck a lock of black hair that clung to his temples behind his ear, revealing his eyes shrouded in mist.
Steam rose from the stove, and he, dressed in white, bowed slightly at the edge of the misty stove, like an immortal descended to earth.
The transparent, yellowish konjac slices are scalded in boiling water, then simply blanched and sprinkled with finely chopped Elsholtzia ciliata. The paper-thin konjac slices are surrounded by the finely scattered grass particles, resembling a flaw in topaz.
Yue Yining, who had been watching Ayu busy herself, finally noticed something unusual.
Out of caution, Yue Yining has never let Ayu take over any work in the kitchen. Every day, cooking and fetching water—tasks that are easy to tamper with—are all handled by Fu Yao. Therefore, this is the first time Yue Yining has witnessed Ayu cooking.
His handling of the knives and stove was clumsy and awkward, clearly the first time he'd ever touched these utensils or done this kind of work. But he picked it up quickly, gradually becoming more efficient and skillful after initially stumbling around.
It's clear he's meticulous, adept at learning from failures, and incredibly quick to learn new things. Even if he suffers amnesia, this type of person would still demonstrate intelligence and a sharp mind compared to the average person.
Yue Yining pondered. This seemed to further confirm the speculation that he came from a good family.
Ayu scooped up the sliced konjac and placed it on a plate. She walked briskly to her and looked at her with a smile in her eyes. "Miss, come and have a taste."
His eyes were moistened by the moisture, the bright black becoming wet, like ink that had been repeatedly ground with water.
Yue Yining paused for a moment, then lowered her hand from her chin: "Mm."
The slices, after being scalded with water, are almost transparent and taste similar to yam, but are more fragrant and crisp.
Yue Yining chewed and swallowed, somewhat surprised: "It's actually quite delicious."
"And this thing makes you feel full after eating it, so is it also a kind of grain?"
Ayu smiled and said, "Yes, this plant is called 'konjac,' and it is a similar species to yam."
“However,” Yue Yining put down her hand and looked at him, “how did you know it was edible?”
“...I don’t know either, but when I saw it, its name inexplicably popped into my head,” Ayu said. “Maybe I knew this crop before, so even with amnesia, I could still recognize it.”
Yue Yining didn't really believe that answer.
If knowledge can remain unaffected by memory, then etiquette should not be forgotten either.
But she didn't say anything, only nodded: "I see."
“I remember there were many of these plants in our yard, not only in the house, but also in the countryside and even along the roadsides. However, people thought that these plants were not edible, so no one ever planted or dug them up.”
Yue Yining stroked her chin thoughtfully: "If everyone knew this was an edible food..."
Ayu placed the plate on the table, sat down next to Yue Yining, and naturally continued her words: "If we tell the villagers, we can solve the short-term food shortage problem."
Yue Yining: "That's right."
Although they do not yet know the harvest cycle of this plant, in terms of planting conditions, since it can be seen everywhere in the village, it means that it has low requirements for the environment, is drought resistant, and is easy to plant and cultivate.
If it can be promoted and cultivated among the general public, the benefits will certainly outweigh the drawbacks.
—Perhaps this plant called "konjac" could serve as a reserve food during times of famine.
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