Chapter 3: Comforting my sister, Pingjiang Mansion is really lively
Wei Jinyun's hand holding the porcelain bowl was stunned when he met the pair of eyes filled with tears.
"My hands are weak, and I... can't do these things."
Wei Fuqiu looked at the porcelain bowl in Wei Jinyun's hand, her eyes blurred with tears, her face flushed red but she was remarkably lucid. She asked softly, "What law? What government office? Where is my sister? Where did she go?"
She was afraid that her grandmother and sister would be sad, so she didn't dare to ask too many questions.
The Wei sisters were twins, but they had very different personalities. Although both were intelligent, the elder sister, Wei Fuqiu, was more meticulous than her peers.
Wei Jinyun had already noticed her wariness towards her these days.
Faced with such careful questioning, Wei Jinyun didn't want to lie anymore. She glanced at the other two sleeping people and took Wei Fuqiu out of the cabin.
"Yes, I'm not your sister."
Wei Jinyun patted Wei Fuqiu's back gently, thought for a moment, and then said, "Qijie'er's former sister is gone. She became a fairy."
She noticed that the figure in her arms suddenly trembled and sobbed even harder.
"But Grandmother is here, and Lingjie'er is here too. No matter what happens, I really want to protect you. Just like right now, I just want Lingjie'er to get better. I just want you to eat this bowl of lotus and ginger steamed cake to sweat and reduce the fever."
To Wei Fuqiu, she was like an uninvited guest.
As an orphan herself, whose grandparents had just passed away, she knew the pain of losing a loved one.
Wei Fuqiu didn't say anything.
The rain beat against the oilcloth above their heads, making the atmosphere around them a little depressing.
Wei Jinyun picked up the spoon, scooped a small piece of warm lotus ginger steamed cake, and handed it to Wei Fuqiu, with a gentle look, "Sister Qiu, can you trust me for once? Take care of yourself first."
Children need to be coaxed.
This is how her grandmother coaxed her into taking the extremely bitter medicine her grandfather prescribed for her when she was a child.
Now the bowl in her hand is not bitter at all.
The lotus ginger steamed cake in front of her was warm and fragrant. The person who looked exactly like her sister had only concern in her eyes, without any avoidance.
Her sister was in poor health, having taken bitter medicine for over a decade and remained bedridden. She could sense her sister's pain and powerlessness during her recent cold.
The immense sadness and grievance, as well as the warmth of her "sister" in front of her, finally made her burst into tears. She curled up in Wei Jinyun's arms, "I miss my sister..."
She was fake, but her concern for her grandmother and sister was real, and her desire to drive away the bad guys was also real.
She actually knew a long time ago that her sister would never come back.
Wei Fuqiu thought in her heart that she hoped to become the sister of a fairy so that she would never feel pain in her body again.
She cried in Wei Jinyun's arms for a long time before she carefully took the bowl of lotus ginger steamed cake and put it into her mouth bit by bit.
After eating half a bowl, he looked up and said, "Sweet."
Wei Fuqiu ate little today, and even only ate half of her grandmother's red bean paste bun.
The steamed cake in the bowl is dense, soft and glutinous, so delicate that it does not require too much chewing. The lotus seeds are sweet and have a ginger taste, but not spicy at all.
She sniffed and her nose felt much better.
"Of course it's sweet."
Wei Jinyun couldn't help but pinch her face, "I'll make ginger milk for Sister Qi tomorrow, it's also sweet."
Wei Fuqiu lowered her head and continued eating, her face, which was already hot due to the fever, becoming even redder.
"Thank you."
Wei Jinyun was very satisfied to see that she was finally willing to eat.
Little kid, just coax him more.
She will be a good sister.
After finishing a whole bowl of lotus and ginger steamed cake, Wei Jinyun applied a hand towel to Wei Fuqiu's forehead, changing the water several times. Her fever gradually subsided, and she fell into a deep sleep, but his palm was clutching her sleeve.
After several days of sailing along the canal, the boat finally entered Pingjiang Prefecture. The plum rain season had been long, and even here, the drizzle was still lingering, no different from Jiangning Prefecture.
The outline of a city gradually appeared before them in the mist.
The blue-grey city walls stretched endlessly. Among the numerous merchant ships and passenger vessels, the small black-sailed boat that Wei Jinyun was riding on was inconspicuous.
The sound of waves coming from the boat was mixed with noisy shouts.
"We've arrived at Pingjiang Prefecture. Let's go through the Changmen Gate!"
The boatwoman shouted at the top of her lungs.
Wei Fuling was lying on the edge of the boat, supported by Wang Qiulan, with her little mouth wide open. Wei Fuqiu was also shocked by the scene before her and looked around curiously.
Wei Jinyun stared at the city in front of her, her heart beating like a drum. This was what her hometown looked like a thousand years ago.
The boatwoman pointed out, "This is the Changmen Gate, the throat of the waterway. It's designed to connect to the energy of the Changhe Gate. It's so lively!"
Wei Jinyun looked around and saw a long line of ships heading towards Changmen, being inspected by soldiers.
Also visible from here is the Baoen Temple Pagoda, a symbolic landmark of Suzhou. My grandmother used to love going to the temple for the Buddha's Birthday Festival, and occasionally, she would accompany her there for a stroll and a rest.
She only regretted not having a camera.
There was a hustle and bustle on the side, with various shops crowded together.
Next to a grain boat unloading, a straw rope shop stood with its door open, its young clerk busily selling newly arrived bundles of straw rope to boatmen desperate to repair their vessels. Numerous foot shops offered rental services for mules and horses, as well as fodder for passing merchants.
There were a lot of people selling live fish, and the fresh fish and shrimps in the wooden basins were jumping and rolling.
"What a big fish! Bigger than Sister Ling."
Wei Fuling stared at the river fish that was being carried by two vendors but was still struggling, and couldn't help but sigh.
People in Wu mostly eat rice. There are piles of sacks in front of the rice shop, and shop assistants are carrying rice bags in and out.
Walking a little further in, there are many snack shops that supply porters and boatmen. The business is so booming that even tables and chairs are set up on the street. People are eating soup and noodles in big bowls and drinking thick wine, and the noise is endless.
Taking advantage of the rainy season, vendors set up small stalls selling straw sandals, bamboo hats, and raincoats to squeeze in, and the shouts of hawkers can be heard one after another.
"Reach out your hand."
As Wei Jinyun was admiring the prosperity of Pingjiang Prefecture, Wei Fuqiu clutched her sleeve and whispered, "For you."
A few candied lotus seeds were placed in her palm.
“Sweet.”
Wei Fuqiu ate one herself, then seemed to choke. She coughed lightly and turned her face away.
Was she, recognized? After more than a month in Song Dynasty, she finally conquered her aloof sister.
Wei Jinyun smiled and stuffed all the candied lotus seeds into his mouth, chewing them whole.
The sugared lotus seeds have no lotus seeds and are coated with layers of powdered sugar.
What my sister gives me is sweet.
Very sweet.
There was a long queue in front, and Wei Jinyun was dazzled. Finally, it was their boat's turn to dock.
After sitting on the boat for so many days, the passengers' buttocks were already sore from sitting, and they had been staring at her with longing eyes like her since they entered the Changmen Gate.
Now that the boat has stopped, everyone is pushing forward.
"Get out of the way, you blind bastard!"
A strong porter was rushing around carrying a heavy sack.
"Oh, my bag, don't squeeze me, don't squeeze me!"
The people at the back were squeezed so hard that they staggered and screamed.
Wei Jinyun's attention was entirely focused on protecting her two younger sisters and stabilizing her grandmother, and she was squeezed so hard that she could hardly breathe.
She was pushed back and forth, and she stumbled and stepped on the slippery moss on the deck. Her foot slipped and her body fell backwards uncontrollably.
Among a group of people, she is the chosen one among the moss!
Fortunately, she did not fall into the water. Instead, her back touched something cold, which pushed her back onto the deck with precise and decisive force.
She subconsciously turned around, but in the hazy mist she could only catch a glimpse of a tall and slender figure in a tight-fitting red outfit with a neat high ponytail.
The man moved without stopping, not even turning back to check if she was safe. His agile figure instantly locked onto a nearby, shabby figure attempting to pickpocket a passerby's wallet.
"Inspector General, stop!"
A clear and cold shout rang out, carrying a hint of chill, instantly drowning out the surrounding noise.
Wherever the dazzling red light passed, the chaotic crowd subconsciously opened up a gap.
Wei Jinyun probably knew what was being entrusted to her.
The broadsword was in the figure's hand.
Her back began to feel cold and she broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, the knife was not pulled out and was in the sheath.
Otherwise, rather than being broken into two pieces, she would choose to go into the water.
"My God, I'm scared to death!"
A woman who was nearly bumped into by Wei Jinyun patted her chest, her face pale, "Thanks to Lord Lu, otherwise this young lady would have fallen in and become a drowned chicken."
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