MBSB C4

Chapter 4 — Brace Up

The lamp in the room was out. Du Siqing waited and waited. His eyes were about to stare a hole in the bed-canopy. At last the door stirred. A blade of north wind leaked in and was shut out at once.

Someone slipped into the bathing room. Soft rustling, then one or two splashes, as if washing a backside or washing feet. At that thought Du Siqing’s cheeks burned. He pulled the quilt over his face so he would not think wild thoughts.

Suddenly a slap, as if something had fallen. Then a deathly hush.

“What is it, what is it?!” He could not pretend anymore. He was so anxious he wanted to crawl up. This ruined body would not take his strength. He struggled twice and rolled onto the floor.

The noise startled Lu Li. He ran out in a hurry, lit a candle, and dragged Du Siqing back onto the bed by main force. He sat on the edge gasping.

“What’s wrong with you? What was that sound?” Du Siqing looked him up and down, worried.

Lu Li lifted a bare, still-wet foot and pointed at a red place: he had slipped, but he had caught the cabinet and had not fallen all the way.

“I thought you’d fallen. You frightened me to death. Why did you run? That was… that was a normal reaction for a man. I said I would not touch you. A gentleman’s word is a team of four horses—it cannot be chased back. And in this state I couldn’t do anything anyway. Next time you mustn’t hide outside so long.” Du Siqing seldom said so much. He had been angered back to life.

Lu Li shook his head, pointed outside, and made a digging gesture. Afraid it was not clear, he ran back barefoot.

“Shoes, shoes, ancestor!” Du Siqing’s eyes went round. He slapped his own thigh in a panic.

Lu Li came back with both hands full of green leaves, cold all over. The breath he panted made fog. He was truly frozen. He tucked his little feet into the quilt to warm them, careful not to touch Du Siqing’s skin.

Du Siqing did not know all the leaves. He knew gotu kola—the herb Lu Li had smeared on him not long ago. The rest were more or less cooling, toxin-clearing herbs.

He had thought the boy was foolish in a cute way. He had not thought he was truly foolish.

“You… you idiot. It’s so cold out. This body of mine has gone back and forth for years. It isn’t worth you doing this.” Du Siqing’s voice shook in spite of him.

I am not an idiot. This is for tomorrow morning’s change. Treating bedsores is a long process. You cannot be the least careless. And I only dug in the corner of the wall. I did not go far.

Hands and feet flying—who knew what he was signing. Du Siqing only ached for him. He hooked Lu Li’s fingers and held them in his palm to warm them.

Lu Li’s cheeks went faintly red.

Before dawn Lu Li rose, felt for Du Siqing’s breath as usual, and began the day’s work: washing clothes, sweeping the room.

Mo Qi was up early too, decocting medicine. This round had to be drunk three times a day. He had to rise early to boil it so as not to miss the hour. Yawning, he saw a small huddle of a figure at the door from far off. He looked hard and ran over. “Young Master-husband, how can you do this yourself?”

The servants of the court had all been changed. The new ones had not arrived. Even so, this was not work for a master.

Lu Li clutched the clothes and shook his head, then pointed at the medicine in Mo Qi’s hands. I’ll wash. I’ll be quick. You go decoct for the Young Master. You mustn’t be late.

Lu Li looked slight, but his strength was not small. He held the wet clothes and would not let go. Mo Qi was afraid that if he used force he would hurt him, so he let him be and hurried off to boil the medicine first.

Half a watch later Du Siqing woke. Out of habit he felt the bed. Empty, as always. Then Mo Qi’s face pushed in. “Young Master, the medicine is ready. Drink it hot.”

Du Siqing pressed his brow. What was more bitter than nauseating decoction at dawn? Not seeing his wife’s pretty face first thing. He endured the bitterness and drained it. “Why is my husband not here again?”

“He’s outside washing clothes.”

“What?!” Du Siqing nearly flung the bowl. “Go. Go call him in.”

Lu Li stood bewildered at the bedside. Swollen, damp little hands rubbed on his clothes. Face and nose frozen red. A pair of bright apricot eyes fixed on him. What’s wrong? Does something hurt?

Du Siqing had him come closer and took the small hands. Ice. His heart trembled. Calluses large and small—years of bitter work. “You needn’t do these things. Leave them. Servants will come today.”

He had said he would treat the boy well. Two days, and the hands were frozen like this. He deserved to die.

Lu Li shook his head. I did this often at home. I’ll finish quickly.

“A-Li. My waist hurts badly. I’m afraid the wound has worsened. Look at it for me.” Pain sat on Du Siqing’s face. He even cried “aiyo, aiyo.”

Tissue fluid had seeped and soaked the cloth. Lu Li undid it with care. The wound had not improved, but it had not worsened. The gotu kola might have done a little. The skin around the sore was less red.

He ran out for hot water and repeated yesterday’s steps: washed with salt water, crushed last night’s herbs, packed them on, wrapped the wound again. I’ll go to the market for medicine. Gotu kola will barely help. You need coptis and phellodendron, things that move blood and grow flesh.

“Wait. Wait.” Du Siqing caught Lu Li’s sleeve. “First go to the second layer of the cabinet and bring the white fox-fur collar.”

Lu Li did as told and put it in Du Siqing’s hands. Du Siqing half-braced himself and settled it around Lu Li’s neck.

The snow-white fur made him still more delicate and pretty.

Du Siqing nodded, satisfied. “Wear it. It’s cold out.”

Lu Li stroked the sleek fur. A warm current ran into his heart.

Another half-watch later Wang Yingmei arrived with a crowd of servants, a commotion that must have startled the whole residence. Lu Li had only just come back from buying medicine and finished dressing the wound.

The market was not far from the Du house, but Lu Li could not speak. He gestured a long time before the clerk understood what he wanted, so he was late.

“Siqing, it is Mother’s fault that those wicked servants did such things.” Wang Yingmei put on a kind mother’s face. “I meant to send new people yesterday, but one must pick the good ones. Clumsy hands will not do.”

“Second Mother need not blame herself. It is the servants’ fault. How could it be yours?” Du Siqing spoke to people as people and to ghosts as ghosts, a mild smile always on his face.

“These are the best I picked. Quick hands, clean work. And these cooks have served the house a long time. They will surely look after Siqing’s body.” Wang Yingmei had Nanny Lai introduce them one by one.

Ten servants in all: two maids, two serving-boys, two cooks, two laundry-women, two errand pages. Changle Court would be lively from now on.

“Mother is thoughtful. They all look good to me. Mother doesn’t know that this morning my husband rose early to wash clothes until his hands were red and swollen. It truly pained my heart.”

“Aiya, let Mother see.” Wang Yingmei pulled Lu Li’s hands over and stroked them gently. “Heaven have pity. How could this work fall to you? From now on you will wait on the Young Master and his husband with care. If I find any slackness, watch your hides!”

“Yes.”

Lu Li stared at Wang Yingmei’s kind brows and good-mother face, dazed. A few words had set Father to driving him from the house. A few words now lifted him high.

Wang Yingmei let go and looked at Du Siqing. “Siqing does dote on his husband.”

“Yes. It is my first marriage. I am glad. This morning I even ate two extra bowls. Tomorrow is the third-day return. I want to go with my husband back to the Lus.”

Wang Yingmei’s brow jumped. “How can that be? Your body is weak, and it is heavy snow and bitter wind. How can you bear it?”

“Yesterday the physician said this child needs more movement. Perhaps yesterday’s medicine has taken effect. Today I already have more spirit. If Second Mother is uneasy, I will go and ask Father.”

“At ease, at ease. I will send some people with you. Safer that way.” Wang Yingmei agreed at once.

Because of the servants bullying their master, His Lordship had been angry with her yesterday, saying her household was slack and that was why such needless trouble had arisen. She had soothed him a long time before he settled. At this juncture she could not go bother him again.

“Second Mother thinks of everything.” Du Siqing smiled, full and easy, and went on. “Only one should not go empty-handed to one’s father-in-law. That would be too rude. Others would think the Du family does not know courtesy.”

“Siqing is right. Mother will have people go out and buy. We will make your face complete.”

“No need for so much trouble. Don’t we have ready things in the storehouse? Mother’s dowry is still in there. Pick two items at random. Only it would tire Second Mother too much just now. Mo Qi knows the kinds and the amounts. Let him choose. How does Second Mother see it?”

“No trouble, no trouble.” Wang Yingmei ground her back teeth. On her face the smile was still spring wind. Not a crack showed.

Once out of Changle Court she dropped the face. “That eldest’s tongue grows sharper by the day.”

“Madam, I heard that this morning the little mute went to the medicine shop for herbs.” Nanny Lai said it low.

“What?” Wang Yingmei’s brows drew tight.

“Only cooling, toxin-clearing, swelling-reducing herbs. But the Lus keep a clinic. He may know something. A person like that at the eldest young master’s side is not reassuring.”

“In the Lu house the little mute lived worse than a cat or a dog. They never let him touch the pharmacy. What can he know? We picked that family only because His Lordship believed Lu Guo had good fate. I had to go along. Spoken outside, it is a mother thinking of her son. Who would have thought the Lus would do such a thing?” Wang Yingmei lifted her brows. There was not a trace of regret. “This is Du Siqing’s luck. Heaven saved him once. I want to see whether it can save him for a lifetime.”

“Yes, yes. Look at that little mute, timid and cowardly. He is not one who knows how to manage. When the day comes, won’t he be left for Madam to knead as she likes?” Nanny Lai’s face was fierce, as if Lu Li were her own daughter-in-law and she would take him in hand to grind at once.

Wang Yingmei smiled, pleased, then dropped her face again. “A pity about the things in my storehouse. Given to them for nothing.”

“Madam, cool your anger. The late madam’s dowry is still in our hands. Soothe His Lordship a little more and he surely will not let the Young Master run wild.”