After seeing Xu Yinzhu off, Ye Jiu returned to her room to get some candied fruit and took it to Yun Jia.
Yun Jia is sensitive to cold and doesn't like to sweat in the summer. His room is the only place without ice. As soon as you enter, a wave of heat hits you, and Ye Jiu fanns himself with a hand fan.
"Yun Jia, don't you feel hot here?"
Yun Jia was standing in front of her desk writing calligraphy when she heard Ye Jiu's voice and put down her brush. "A calm mind brings coolness. What's wrong?"
"Ta-da! Of course, it's the candied fruit I bought for you that's back." Ye Jiu presented the candied fruit wrapped in oil paper with both hands like a treasure.
Yun Jia smiled broadly, a smile that seemed to melt away ice and snow. The composure she had displayed while writing was completely gone, replaced by a childlike quality.
That's more like a teenager.
"Eat quickly, food spoils quickly in the summer, don't waste it."
Yun Jia unwrapped the oil paper, ate a piece of candied fruit, and casually asked, "Did you go and apologize to Liu Yuanshuang? Did she forgive you?"
“She apologized, but she said she wouldn’t forgive me. I don’t care. It’s just bad luck. Nothing good ever happens when I run into her. A woman who loves to tattle so much has no sense of responsibility. Tch, a daddy’s daughter.”
"Then how are you going to explain this to your teacher's wife? Her father speaks rudely, and she can't argue with him."
"I bought some wine, hehe, my teacher's wife will definitely be able to cover for me, she's the best at fooling people." Ye Jiu grinned foolishly, she was sure her teacher's wife wouldn't let her suffer a loss. "Hey, let's not talk about that, I have something to tell you."
Ye Jiu told Yun Jia in detail about how she invested money in Xu Yinzhu. She didn't dare to tell her teacher's wife, but she could tell Yun Jia.
Yao Yishui was not from the Central Plains, so he didn't have the idea that a man's virtue lies in his lack of talent. Back then, Ye Jiu refused to study, so Yun Jia went instead. Yun Jia lived up to expectations and was in no way inferior to women.
He is smart and decisive, and Yun Jia can give Ye Jiu advice on this kind of thing.
Yun Jia laughed after hearing this, "You've already given all the money and then you come to ask me? Isn't it too late?"
“I’m a bit conflicted. On the one hand, I’m afraid of losing money, but on the other hand, I’m thinking of making money. So I wanted to talk to someone, and you are the most suitable candidate.”
"It's only human nature. Don't you know Xu Yinzhu's personality? She's willing to throw her entire fortune into it, so there's definitely nothing wrong with her. Don't worry."
Ye Jiu clapped her hands. "Yes, that's what I thought too, which is why I gave her the money. Now that you say so, I'm completely relieved. You can continue writing. I won't bother you anymore. I'm going to take some wine to my teacher's wife."
Yun Jia licked the remaining honey from the corner of her mouth, looking very energetic.
However, he liked her just the way she was—sincere and passionate, far more vibrant than he was. She was like a little sun, radiating her light and warmth to everyone.
He touched the oiled paper and picked up a piece of candied fruit, but only he could win her favor.
Yun Jia smiled gently; the candied fruit was too sweet.
——
Ye Jiu offered the wine to Yao Yishui, who was delighted by it and waved his hand, saying, "I'll definitely take care of this for you."
In the afternoon, the Liu family came over again. Yao Yishui couldn't fool anyone if she wanted to. She started to play dumb after a few words, which made Liu's husband jump up and down, scolding her for bullying men.
Ye Jiu hid behind the door and chuckled as she listened. She knew her master's wife would definitely be able to handle this matter; the wine she bought was worthwhile.
——
Three years have passed in the cycle of seasons, with the changing seasons.
Yao Yishui passed away at the beginning of this year. A cold wind and a relapse of her old illness left this cheerful woman behind in the winter.
After the funeral was held and all the guests had left, Ye Jiu and Yun Jia sat blankly in the courtyard. White lanterns were still hanging under the eaves, and white paper scattered on the ground was blown up by the wind, twirling in the air before falling back to the ground.
With one person missing from the courtyard, the house was quieter than ever.
Yun Jia rested his head on Ye Jiu's shoulder, and with no one else around, he could no longer hold back his tears. "Ye Jiu, I was taken in by my teacher's wife. In my heart, she is like a mother to me. She didn't mind my poor health and raised me..."
Tears soaked Ye Jiu's shoulder. She reached out and patted Yun Jia's back, wanting to comfort him, but when she opened her mouth, she found that her voice was hoarse.
She licked her chapped lips. "It's okay, you still have me... I'll stay by your side."
Yun Jia has always been too precocious. Unlike most men in the capital, he is literate, can do accounting, and has read a lot of books. He is also not like them who cry and whine. When faced with problems, he will only grit his teeth and find a solution on his own.
Ye Jiu had rarely heard him cry since he grew up; this was the first time.
The person who had been with them for so long was gone just like that. It had been less than a month since she fell ill and stopped breathing. She had promised them that they would go on a spring outing outside the city in the spring... and she hadn't even finished the wine she bought for them.
Aunt Zhao and the innkeeper moved away last summer. They said business was bad in the capital and they were going south to look for opportunities. They haven't been heard from since.
It took Ye Jiu a long time to accept the fact that she might never see them again, but Yao Yishui was different from them. She thought she would be with her for life, and at least she and Yun Jia could take good care of her in her old age. She was only forty... She clearly had many more years to live.
After crying his fill, Yun Jia gripped Ye Jiu's sleeve tightly and stared at her stubbornly. "Promise me you'll never leave me." His eyes were swollen and red as he stared straight at her. "Okay? You're all I have left."
Ye Jiu felt a pang of heartache and nodded, "Yes, I will always be with you." She reached out and touched his head. After the funeral, Yun Jia seemed to have lost even more weight.
He collapsed into Ye Jiu's arms, utterly exhausted. "If... if you were gone too, I really don't know what the point of me living would be..."
Ye Jiu couldn't offer any words of comfort, because Yun Jia was all she had left. They were like little animals huddled together for warmth in the freezing cold.
Some people will stay this winter, while the rest will have to keep going.
After a few days of adjustment, she composed herself. Early in the morning, she opened the door, picked up a broom, and swept away the unmelted ice and white paper on the ground. She swept with all her might, as if she wanted to sweep away all the bad luck in the entire yard.
The sound of "swish, swish" filled the courtyard.
She tidied up the yard and then went to the kitchen to cook.
Yun Jia was woken up by the noise. He put on a coat and opened the door to see her. Smoke was billowing out of the kitchen window, and the aroma of food wafted into his nostrils.
Hearing the noise, Ye Jiu poked her head out from the kitchen. "Why did you come out without getting dressed? Go back quickly, get dressed and get ready for dinner!"
Yun Jia smiled and said, "Okay."
The somber atmosphere that had permeated the house was thus easily broken.
They picked up their lives again, laughing and joking as if nothing had ever happened, with only the white lanterns under the eaves swaying gently in the wind.
"This is the wine that your teacher's wife didn't finish. Let's share it, otherwise it will be a waste."
"Um."
"She also said she would teach me about Gu worms, but she died before I learned anything."
"It's alright, we don't need to learn those things."
"I'll protect you from now on. My kung fu is already very good."
"Okay, you protect me."
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