Selling wine
After signing our confessions and leaving the court, Huai Xu and I stepped out of the prefectural government office; it was already dusk.
Luo Erying was waiting for us with her horse. When she saw Huaixu, she immediately rushed forward and hugged him tightly. I hadn't shed a single tear in the hall, but seeing this scene before me, I couldn't help but cry.
"Godmother!"
"Aunt Qing!"
The two little girls rushed over and hugged me, crying and laughing at the same time, but I felt really happy inside.
"Aunt Qing, the master requests your presence here."
It was Shi Yu who arrived. I asked Luo Erying to stay with Huai Xu a little longer. When Shi Yu arrived at the side hall of the prefectural government, Wei Ji had already changed out of his official clothes.
"Thank you, Lord Wei."
"You're too kind, Madam Qing. It's just my duty."
"I wonder why you have summoned me here, sir?"
Wei Ji carefully said, “I am new to the Southwest and know very little about the local customs and traditions. I happened to hear an older clerk in the government office mention that the Southwestern barbarians have a custom of ‘the maternal uncle is the most important’. Just now in the court, Ni Liu also mentioned that he and his wife had been on the run for many years to avoid punishment, and they were hiding in their maternal uncle’s house.”
"Does Your Excellency want to know where Huai Xu's uncle is?"
"That's right. Huai Xu's birth mother was driven out by her husband's family. Normally, she should have sought help from her brothers, but for some reason, she ended up selling herself into servitude."
I shook my head: "I met Huai Xu's mother by chance. I only know that she married from Mahu to Nanguang, and I know nothing else. After I brought Huai Xu back to the inn, she couldn't speak for more than half a year before she slowly recovered. Therefore, I have never asked her about her childhood."
As I said goodbye to Wei Ji, I suddenly remembered that there was one more important thing I hadn't done in town today.
I told Huai Xu, "Wait for me a little longer," and then I picked up my wine gourd and ran toward the tavern. When I got to the door, the shopkeeper and his assistant were closing the door.
"Wait a minute!" I stepped forward, panting. "'Chongbichun', fill it up."
The waiter looked me over and said, "Madam, the jar has already been sealed. Please come back tomorrow."
I cupped my hands in greeting and said, "Excuse me, my home is in a remote area, it's not easy for me to come to town."
The tavern owner said, "This lady is a regular customer. Go and open the jar again."
I smiled and handed over the gourd and silver: "The shopkeeper's wine is good, and the man is even better. You're sure to make a fortune."
On the way back, it was completely dark. Fortunately, the moon was bright that night. I held Huai Xu's hand with one hand and pulled the horse's reins with the other, and rode through the woods.
Huai Xu was dressed in thin clothes, and he was a little exhausted from beating people during the day. When the wind blew in the forest, he immediately felt cold and his teeth chattered.
I took off my coat and wrapped it around her, but she still argued with me, saying, "Godmother, I'm not cold."
"Alright, alright. Your paws are as cold as ice. If you catch a cold, you'll be bedridden for days, and no one will be shoveling feed for you."
"Godmother, I will definitely take good care of you in the future."
"Nonsense, of course you should take good care of me."
"And Uncle Lin."
"Okay, from now on, the task of buying him alcohol will be yours."
Suddenly, the horse behind me let out a long neigh. I listened carefully and heard another neighing coming from ahead.
My dutiful daughter immediately let go of my hand and ran ahead, calling out, "Feng Qiao!"
"Huai Xu!" Feng Qiao and Lin Zhong, riding together, heard the call and immediately dismounted, heading towards each other.
Ah, what a perfect example of a two-way journey.
“Feng Qiao, sob sob…” Huai Xu cried and threw herself into Feng Qiao’s arms.
"It's alright, it's alright, let's go home," Feng Qiao said, gently patting her back.
I shoved the wine gourd into Lin Zhong's hand, then took the reins from him and tossed them to Feng Qiao: "Feng Qiao, you take Huai Xu and go first."
Feng Qiao hesitated for a moment: "Aunt, what about you?"
I helped him onto the horse: "Auntie is alright, and your Uncle Lin is here too."
Seeing the two of them leave, the tension in my heart finally eased.
Lin Zhong took off his coat and draped it over my shoulders, asking, "Why are you so late?"
The spot where Huai Xu bumped into me during the day suddenly throbbed with pain. I rubbed my back and gave a wry smile: "Would you believe me if I said I was late because I was buying wine?"
Lin Zhong lowered his eyes: "What the boss said is all correct."
I walked to a tree, slid down against the trunk, and said, "I'll rest for a while. Go and cut me a walking stick."
Back at the inn, Feng Qiao had already prepared ginger tea and was waiting for me. Upon seeing me, she quickly brought it over, saying, "Auntie, drink it while it's hot."
I downed the drink in one gulp: "Is Huai Xu alright?"
"She's already asleep."
"Today's court session was too agonizing; I'm worried she might be hungry. You'll keep watch during the second half of the night."
"Don't worry, Auntie, I will."
After walking a long way up the mountain road, my ribs and abdomen were in excruciating pain. I waved to Feng Qiao and said, "Alright, go help your Uncle Lin unload the goods."
Feng Qiao took two steps, then turned back and said, "Aunt, Huai Xu said that when you pulled her today, she lifted you up. Are you alright?"
"It's alright, I'll be fine after a night's rest. Don't tell your Uncle Lin."
Not long after I rested, there was a soft knocking on the door. I covered my face and didn't answer.
The door wasn't latched, so Lin Zhong pushed it open and went inside: "Master, apply the medicinal wine before you sleep."
I hummed in agreement: "Just leave it there."
Lin Zhong put down the oil lamp, placed the medicinal wine on my bedside table, and left.
I was in so much pain that I couldn't sleep, but I also didn't feel like moving.
After a while, Lin Zhong's voice rang out from outside the door again: "If you don't apply it, you'll be in so much pain that you won't be able to sleep."
I blurted out, "How did you know?"
Lin Zhong sighed, pushed the door open, and came in again: "Where are you hurt?"
I pulled back the covers and pointed to my right side: "See for yourself."
Lin Zhong held an oil lamp in one hand and lifted a corner of my short coat with the other, shining his light on it, and said, "Huai Xu was quite ruthless."
I turned my head to the side: "Isn't it all because you taught me?"
Lin Zhong put the oil lamp aside and squeezed his left wrist a few times with his right hand: "Don't move. Let me feel your ribs to see if they are broken. Tell me if it hurts when you press them."
I cried out in pain three times during the process, thinking that I was doomed and that my old bones had been broken by that dutiful daughter. But Lin Zhong said, "Fortunately, it's the tendons that hurt, not the ribs."
I breathed a sigh of relief, grabbed the medicated wine from the bedside table, and threw it at him: "Please apply this."
Lin Zhong's gestures were gentle and soothing. As he massaged me, drowsiness surged like a tide. I closed my eyes, and I could almost hear a suppressed sigh in my ear.
The next day, as soon as I opened my eyes, I found Huai Xu kneeling in front of my bed, crying and trying to feed me porridge: "Godmother, your daughter is unfilial. I shouldn't have hit you so hard."
"Put it aside, I can still move." I sat up, supporting my lower back. The pain in my ribs was much less than last night. I pulled out the medicinal wine from beside my pillow, unbuttoned my clothes, and gestured for Huai Xu to come and help.
"Godmother, does it hurt here? How about here?" Huai Xu asked as she rubbed the area.
I breathed a sigh of relief: "I feel much better, thanks to the prayers I offered to Erlang Shen before I left yesterday."
"Hiss—" A sharp pain shot through my ribs. "Couldn't you have applied it more gently?"
"It's already very light."
"Hiss—" Another sharp pain shot through him. "What's wrong with you?!"
Huai Xu exclaimed in alarm, "It hasn't been applied yet!"
“I can do it myself!” I snatched the medicinal wine from her hand. “Help me carry some of my clothes.”
"Hiss—" It still hurts...
"Godmother, does it hurt when you inhale deeply?"
I tried it briefly: "It seems to work."
Huai Xu suddenly realized, "Godmother! You must have gotten a stitch in your side from rushing to buy wine yesterday!"
"Don't talk nonsense, I didn't run at all, I just walked quickly!"
"Okay, okay, hurry up. Take it easy and you won't feel so much pain."
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