Hearing Jiang Xi's voice outside, Lin hurriedly brought out a basin. Jiang Xi saw the fur clothing inside and casually put two soap pods into Lin's basin.
Lin picked it up and looked at it, then asked her what it was.
Jiang Xi explained, "This hand-rubbing and clothes-rubbing method cleans them thoroughly."
Lin had a vague understanding, and looked at her with clear eyes.
Jiang Xi sighed. Taking care of a child is a long and arduous task. She said, "I'll teach you in a bit."
Upon entering the mountain valley, a warm breeze carrying the scent of sulfur greeted us, and as we walked further in, we began to sweat.
Lin seemed very curious about the steam around him, his eyes wide open, looking here and there.
When she reached the hot spring, she was afraid to go any further because of the steam rising from it.
Perhaps because she had never seen a hot spring pool like this before, Lin was somewhat resistant and unwilling to move forward.
Jiang Xi smiled and said, "It's okay." As she spoke, she took a few steps forward and scooped up some hot spring water with her hand to demonstrate, "Look, it's not hot at all."
Seeing that she was perfectly fine, Lin tried to reach out her hand. As soon as she touched the water, her eyes widened, and she quickly splashed the water a few more times.
Excitedly, he said to Jiang Xi, "This water...this water..."
Jiang Xi thought she might not know how to express it, so she blurted out, "Hot, hot water."
Lin's face was visibly happy.
Both of their foreheads were covered in fine water droplets from the steam. Jiang Xi couldn't stand the stickiness, so she said to Lin, "Come with me."
After walking about ten meters forward and passing two half-person-high rocks, there was a smaller hot spring pool than the one before. She usually used it, while Yan Zheng and Yan Jing'an used the larger one in front.
She said to Lin, "You use this one first, I'll use the one in front."
It doesn't matter which pool you use, as both are flowing, living water.
Although we're both girls, considering Lin's feelings and to avoid making her feel embarrassed, it's better to wash separately.
Jiang Xi gave her a few more instructions to be careful before the two parted ways.
After a busy day, a hot spring bath is undoubtedly the best way to relieve fatigue. Jiang Xi lay on the stone by the pool, feeling every part of her skin and every muscle being nourished. She closed her eyes and enjoyed this rare moment of relaxation.
After a while, feeling that it was about time, she put on clean clothes and called Lin. Hearing Lin say that she was ready, she walked over to the stone.
I happened to see Lin scrubbing her clothes by the pool. She was clever; she knew that you should wash clothes downstream in the pool.
Hearing her voice, Lin turned to look at her.
Jiang Xi was somewhat surprised; without the black mud, she could finally see Lin's face clearly.
She was a very pretty girl with arched eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes like Jiang Xi's. When she smiled, she had two shallow dimples on her cheeks, and a pink scar the size of a coin on her forehead was very noticeable.
If you ignore her red eyes, she looks quite cute.
Jiang Xi praised without reservation: "Lin, you're so cute."
Lin was a little embarrassed and stammered, "Xiao Xi... is also very cute."
Jiang Xi watched her wash clothes with her bare hands, then took out a soap bar and demonstrated how to do it for her.
Seeing the foam on her clothes, Lin was very surprised. Jiang Xi taught her, "Lin, this is soapberry. You can use it to wash clothes and hair."
Speaking of washing hair, Jiang Xi subconsciously glanced at Lin's hair. Her hair was very long and tangled in many places, perhaps because she didn't know how to take care of it.
Jiang Xi took out half a soapberry and handed it to Lin: "This is for washing your hair."
Lin took it, feeling a little embarrassed. Encouraged by Jiang Xi, she knelt down beside the pool and tried to lather the soap into foam and apply it to her head. After rubbing for a while, she washed her head clean, just like Jiang Xi did when washing clothes.
Then Jiang Xi took out her wooden comb and helped Lin untangle the knots.
At first, Lin was reluctant, since it would hurt a bit.
Finally, under Jiang Xi's slightly fierce tone, Lin reluctantly gave in.
While combing her hair, Jiang Xi talked to Lin to distract her.
"Lin, how old are you?"
"I have no idea."
Jiang Xi thought that it had been too long, and she probably didn't even remember it herself.
She then asked, "So how many winters have you spent here?"
Lin began to calculate seriously: "Five... and twelve more autumns."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xi's hand paused. Twelve autumns?
"Is it autumn, when the leaves turn yellow?" she asked.
Lin was about to nod when he realized he was combing his hair, and murmured, "Yes."
Twelve autumns have passed. Lin hadn't come here when that photo was taken, which means Lin is at least twenty-two years old now.
After her initial surprise, she suddenly felt sad; no wonder Lin's language had deteriorated so much.
Twelve years—if it were me, I doubt I would have survived.
She perked up and lightened her movements.
After combing her hair, Lin no longer looked like a wild woman from the forest. She looked clean and tidy, but the fur coat she was wearing was really not suitable for her. We still need to teach her how to make clothes as soon as possible.
Seeing that the sun was almost up, Jiang Xi packed up the clothes and took Lin back.
First, they met Yan Jing'an outside the courtyard, where he was hanging clothes to dry.
Seeing the fair-skinned Lin next to Jiang Xi, he felt a little uncomfortable. He draped his clothes over himself, not looking at her, and said, "Um, I'm sorry about earlier."
Lin was somewhat surprised. Jiang Xi gave her an encouraging look. Lin took two steps forward and said to Yan Jing'an, "It's okay... I... lied to you first."
She still speaks somewhat haltingly, and her words are sometimes incoherent.
But Yan Jing'an understood. He glanced at Lin and said reluctantly, "Then let's get along well from now on, and don't do anything bad."
Lin understood what he meant and nodded solemnly.
Yan Jing'an was caught off guard by his serious expression. Without even replying, he took the basin and strode back to the main house.
Lin looked at Jiang Xi somewhat blankly, and when she saw Jiang Xi give her a thumbs up, Lin pursed her lips shyly.
Yan Zheng was cooking in the kitchen when Jiang Xi brought Lin over. Before they could even open their mouths, Yan Zheng quickly interrupted them, saying, "I know, you two go out first. The kitchen is smoky."
As he spoke, he pushed the two of them out.
Dinner consisted of the same three dishes as always: shepherd's purse, sweet cabbage, and dandelion.
Of all the people at the table, Lin was the only one eating with great relish. The two men ate a lot because they had to work, but they didn't really enjoy their food; they were just filling their stomachs.
Lin, however, tasted the meat in the dish and ate each bite with great care.
Jiang Xi asked her, "Lin, what did you used to eat?"
Lin was eating a sweet potato when he heard this, so he swallowed it forcefully and said, "Meat...raw meat."
Jiang Xi asked in disbelief: "Raw meat?"
Lin nodded and pointed to the oil lamp, saying, "I don't have this."
Jiang Xi told her that this is called fire.
Lin nodded: "I don't have fire... eating raw meat... will make my throat hurt."
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