Maidservant (11)
Fried returned home around ten o'clock in the morning; his family had all gone to work. In the morning, someone tried to push open Fried's door. The two little girls nervously stared through the crack in the door. The morning light shone through the crack, and Fried's mother's loud voice rang out in the yard: "Don't go into that boy's room; he doesn't like people going through his things."
"What did he do so early in the morning?"
"Mind your own business, and nobody's cooking today." The noise in the yard gradually subsided, and the whole yard slowly quieted down. Neighbors greeted each other and went out, the sun rising high in the sky. Mi breathed a sigh of relief and fed the two mummies water again. The good news was that neither girl had a fever, but the bad news was that the girls' wounds were bleeding badly, and the house was filled with a strong smell of blood. If this continued, the two girls would soon be discovered by Fried's family.
Fried brought back a basket of bread, but his third sister snatched it from him and shouted, "Tell Mom I'm home!"
Mi watched as Fried climbed in through the window, then lowered the latch, opened the door, made sure no one was in the yard, closed the gate, and only then opened the room door to let in some fresh air. Mi fed the two girls the medicine Fried had brought back, told them to be quiet, and then left. Fried moved two stools to block the doorway and pretended to doze off. Before leaving, Mi told him, "I'll bring you food."
Mi arrived at Dougto's restaurant to prepare lunch. Her hands were busy, and her mind was racing, trying to figure out where to buy some clean gauze. Both girls needed to have their wounds bandaged and could only eat liquids, preferably broth.
The dough she kneaded yesterday had finally risen. Mi divided it into small portions, pressed them into small round cakes, and put them in the oven—the fastest way. In another pot, various beans were simmering with diced meat to make a savory soup. Mi was slowly pouring a bowl of cornstarch water into it, stirring until it became thick. She sliced the beef thinly, marinated it with seasonings, and planned to pan-fry it when someone ordered. She also prepared a large salad with shredded cabbage and carrots and a vinegar dressing. Looking at the prepared meal, Mi took off her apron. She planned to go out and buy some fabric and medicine. Just as she reached the door, she saw Anna, pale-faced, getting off the carriage. She went over to support her: "Why are you here?"
Anna saw a bright light in Mi's eyes, and although she opened her mouth several times, no sound came out. Mi helped her to the restaurant's backyard and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, the children are all fine."
Anna could no longer stand. She slumped back in her chair and handed the box she had been holding to her: "Thank you, thank you."
Mi opened the box; inside was excellent wound medicine. "That's wonderful! I was just about to buy some." Dougto was frying meatballs outside the restaurant, and people were starting to enter. Mi looked at Anna, who had relaxed, and said, "Go buy some clean gauze, buy a lot. I'll take you to see the children after lunch."
Lunch ended even faster today. After yesterday, everyone knew that Dougto's restaurant had changed chefs, and the dishes were fresh and delicious. Dougto smiled as he counted the coppers in the cash box. He told Philip, "Buy more vegetables tomorrow, buy more." Mi received three silver dollars and Fried received ten coppers for his errand. Today, Philip and Fried went shopping together, and Dougto cleverly split the twenty coppers in errand fees between them.
Anna waited by the roadside with the cloth in her arms, and they walked together toward Fried's house. Mi carried a basket containing Fried and the girl's lunch: steak, flatbread, and broth. Anna hadn't eaten for two meals, and Mi handed her a flatbread: "Eat something. Don't cry when you see the children."
“Mmm.” Anna nodded vigorously, chewing the wheat cake with gusto. “It’s delicious, even softer than bread.” The carriage stopped in an alley not far from the front of the Fried family’s yard. Anna stood up awkwardly, but eventually sat back down and handed the cloth and box to Mi. “Mi, Mi, I won’t go.”
"Okay." Mi also breathed a sigh of relief; the two girls were really not in good condition. She said, "You go back now. I won't go back to the hotel these days; I'll stay here and watch over them."
“Okay, I’ll go to the restaurant tomorrow,” Anna murmured. She watched Mi walk into the alley until he could no longer see anything before ordering the carriage to leave.
Fried was dozing in the yard when he saw Mi and immediately opened the gate, looking around to make sure no one was with her. "They have a slight fever, I gave them their medicine again, and they're asleep now," Fried said, describing the two girls' condition. "They've been crying the whole time."
Mi handed the basket to Fried: "I'll go change their dressings, you eat first."
The two girls' faces were flushed, their eyes slightly open. They struggled when they saw Mi enter. Mi held them down: "Don't move, don't move." Anna had prepared a more complete set of medicines, and the quality was better. Mi found some fever-reducing medicine and fed it to them, then fed them meat broth. The wheat cakes soaked in the broth were so soft that they hardly needed to be chewed. The two girls slowly ate a bowl of meat broth with wheat cakes, and finally, sweat began to appear on their foreheads, and their body temperature dropped.
"I'm going to change your dressings, bear with it." This time, Mi gave them two towels to bite on. Anna brought over gauze that was white and soft, and the medicine powder was of even better quality. The two girls had their dressings changed, and their eyes shone with the light of life. In just one day, the little girl had been given a new lease on life. The smell of blood was still there, but the stench and putrid odor had been completely removed.
"Go to sleep. I'll stay here and watch over you. Call me if the pain gets too bad." Mi changed the cloak off the bed and spread out the new sheets Anna had brought. "Don't cry, tears will infect the wounds. And don't make a sound, okay?"
Mi stuffed the blood-stained bandages and cloak he had taken off into the tub, and Fried took them, saying, "I'll take them to the washerwoman," he glanced at the sky, "and they'll be back tomorrow."
Fried carried the bucket out of the courtyard gate, and Mi sat in Fried's small yard. It was a very ordinary house, a two-story main building. Fried's room was a small wooden hut built next to the kitchen, right next to the neighbor's house. Many houses like this existed in the western part of the city. Originally a passageway, it was later divided in two as the family grew, with a small room built against the wall between the two houses. The room was long and narrow, just big enough for a bed and two stools; there wasn't even room for a table. At the foot of the bed was a doorway-like window, where Fried would come and go. Fried had installed two small wooden planks on the roof, inside which he kept several copper coins and a silver derry—his little treasury. Fried had returned before his family got off work. The girl was still asleep. Mi asked, "Can I come and change you at ten o'clock?"
"Twelve o'clock, I suppose," Fried said, glancing at the sky. "That'll be a good time for me to go out and buy groceries."
That evening, Mi visited Beatrice again, feeding her water from her lunchbox. Beatrice slept soundly. Looking at Beatrice's rosy complexion, Mi felt a surge of comfort. This girl had pulled through; now she was filled with ambition, wanting to become someone who could change the world.
The two little girls were much better; their wounds had stopped bleeding, and they were able to sit up and eat on their own. Holding bowls of soup in their bandaged hands, the hot soup made them wince. Their faces were wrapped in gauze, but their joy shone from their eyes and their soft voices; the happiness of surviving such an ordeal had given them a new lease on life.
“Anna wanted to see you,” Mi said, looking at the two little girls. “I think it would be better if we met after you’ve recovered. Also, you can only see each other once before you have to leave.” The two little girls nodded together. Mi continued, “You can’t stay here for long either. You need to get better quickly. Don’t touch your wounds, and don’t scratch them if they itch. Just bear with it. Eat when you’re hungry and try to regain your strength as soon as possible.” Mi put down a basket of bread.
Fried has been sleeping by the door these days, which isn't a solution. Sooner or later, his family will find out. Mi is thinking about whether she should buy her own house. Houses in Sun City are all registered, not only expensive, but also requiring citizenship to purchase. And even if you buy a house, you still have to maintain it. Right now, Mi has nothing.
On the third day, Mi arrived at the palace. Beth was not in bed; she was sitting in the room waiting. As soon as Mi appeared, she immediately ran over and drew the curtains.
“Patricia, I want to discuss something with you.” Mi placed her hands on the lunchbox; Anna didn’t know what to do with her daughter. Those two little girls, left in Sun City, would spend their entire lives hiding in dark rooms, never seeing the light of day, unable to communicate with anyone. Anyone who saw them could take them to Mrs. Aldrich for a reward.
“Okay, Mom, okay.” Beatrice knelt down on Mi’s lap and nestled in Mi’s arms like a newly hatched chick, completely regarding Mi as her mother.
Mi took out the wooden sign that Di had given her: "There are two little girls. I want to send them to Lincheng No. 17. I need this. May I take it?"
“Okay, Mom, okay.” Beatrice sat down at Mi’s feet. “Are they also the daughters you saved, Mom? I have sisters now.”
"Good girl." Mi stroked Bai Cuisi's head. She didn't know why fate had led her here, but the people here were like threads, binding her tighter and tighter. She became more and more entangled with these people, making it harder and harder for her to break free, and Blue Star seemed to be getting farther and farther away.
A week later, Mi presented a long shopping list, Anna dismissed the coachman, and returned the carriage. Mi handed Fried a wooden plaque and a marigold coin: "Take them to Wheat City 17, find Kennan at this address. Then you must personally take them to Lin City 17. Give this letter to the lord of Lin City 17, her name is Qiu. If you cannot see her, go to a girl named Di. You must personally deliver this letter to Qiu, and make sure she reads it in your presence." Mi then produced another letter: "If Qiu has anything to ask you to do, read this letter before making a decision. Whatever your decision, this marigold is your reward for this trip."
At the west gate of Sun City, Anna bid farewell to her daughters. Mi felt as if the strings of the two kites she held in her hands had been cut. She wondered if the two girls would ever yearn for the prosperity of Sun City, or if one day they would feel, like Kennan, that Lin City 17 was a cage. But for now, Lin City 17 would be their paradise.
Mi sent a letter from Fried to Qiu and Yana, informing them of Beatrice's recent situation and the unfortunate events she had endured. Beatrice now aspired to be the mistress of Derek's Palace, and Mi asked Qiu if she should guide her to abandon this idea. Mi also told Qiu that Fried was a kind, alert, intelligent, and capable young boy with citizenship in Sun City. She suggested that if Lin City 17 needed a messenger or liaison, Fried would be a good choice. If thirteen-year-old Fried could safely deliver the two girls to Lin City 17, she thought he was a reliable person to be entrusted with important responsibilities.
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