Every night when the cold was at its peak, Shangguan Yun's feet would turn extremely cold. Fortunately, after Wu Luoluo finished washing up and got into bed, she would hold his feet tightly in her arms. Before long, his whole body would gradually warm up and stay that way until dawn.
Wu Luoluo had always slept alone since childhood. Now that there was suddenly someone sharing the bed with her, instead of feeling uncomfortable, she actually slept quite well. When she woke up in the morning and felt that the feet under the quilt were warm, Wu Luoluo would scramble up quickly to feel his pulse. Seeing that Shangguan Yun's physical condition was getting better day by day after acupuncture and medicinal baths, Wu Luoluo was overjoyed. A strong sense of accomplishment welled up in her heart, and she chopped firewood even more vigorously during the day.
For several consecutive days, Wu Luoluo cooked fish for every meal. Paired with the sweet potatoes roasted in the stove, which were charred on the outside and oily on the inside, she ate quite contentedly. Faced with such delicious food, Wu Luoluo instantly forgave her great-uncle for rummaging through her private stash every now and then over the years. She secretly thought that after spring came, she should go into the mountains more often to gather herbs. She should pick some precious ones to offer to her great-uncle and also have the nerve to learn more acupuncture techniques and prescriptions for treating the sick from him.
On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, Wu Luoluo was enjoying the fish soup when suddenly she heard a series of jingling sounds in the distance. The sound clearly came from the bell hanging around the neck of the donkey that pulled the mill in their own pharmacy.
Could it be that her teacher's wife and senior brother were coming back just in time for New Year's Eve? Wu Luoluo quickly put down her chopsticks and bowl and got up to greet them. Opening the courtyard gate, from afar she saw her tall senior brother Wang Jiu with a red face from the cold in the snowstorm. He was pulling the donkey and walking home with difficulty. The donkey was carrying a pile of packages on its back. Every step it took made the bell on its neck jingle.
"Senior brother! You must be frozen! Come inside quickly and warm yourself by the fire!" Wu Luoluo took three steps in two and went forward to help. She took the rope in Wang Jiu's hand that was around the donkey's neck and looked up, asking, "Where's teacher's wife? Why didn't she come back with you?"
Senior brother Wang Jiu had slanting eyebrows and dead-fish eyes. His originally fair face was now red from the cold. He rubbed his frozen hands and gasped for breath as he replied, "The mountain road was blocked by heavy snow. We waited at the foot of the mountain for several days but still couldn't get up. Teacher's wife decided to go back to her natal home in Jiangcheng to celebrate the New Year. This year, it's just you and me celebrating the New Year in the mountains!"
Wu Luoluo was a bit stunned. If the mountain was blocked by snow, how did her great-uncle get up here? Could the shabby great-uncle actually be a hidden master of the martial arts world? Wu Luoluo increasingly felt that she should pester her great-uncle to learn more things in the future.
Wang Jiu unloaded the rice, flour and other supplies from the donkey's back and carried them back to the kitchen. Wu Luoluo led the donkey into the shed, added enough forage and clean well water for it to rest and eat. As soon as she turned around, she heard her senior brother calling at the kitchen door, "Luoluo! Where did this fish come from?"
"The fish was given by great-uncle. Senior brother, warm yourself by the fire first. I'll go and serve you some fish soup and bake some pancakes for you!"
Wang Jiu nodded. His junior sister was always good at cooking. Wang Jiu, who had been hungry all the way, almost drooled when he smelled the fragrant fish soup. It was a wonderful thing to be able to drink hot and delicious fish soup on New Year's Eve. That old magic stick of a great-uncle finally did something decent.
Wang Jiu took a big mouthful of the delicious fish soup and showed a satisfied look on his face. He grabbed the chopsticks and ate the fish chunks with relish. After drinking three bowls of soup in a row, Wu Luoluo brought up a plate full of hot pancakes and watched her senior brother gobble them up with a smile.
Someone was setting off firecrackers at the foot of the mountain, making a crackling sound that echoed far in the mountains. The siblings looked at each other, and there was a bit of desolation in their hearts.
In previous years when their master was still alive, New Year's Eve was relatively lively. Firecrackers and fireworks were naturally indispensable. In the past two years, with teacher's wife taking care of the New Year, it wasn't so cold and cheerless.
Wang Jiu took a bite of the pancake and ordered, "Luoluo, it's New Year's Eve today. Go and warm some wine for your senior brother!"
Wu Luoluo nodded and agreed. She quickly went up to the attic to get the wine, warmed it with warm water and brought it to her senior brother. The senior brother and junior sister sat facing each other, chatting about what they had seen and heard in the market at the foot of the mountain and the purchase prices of various medicinal herbs in major pharmacies.
After a few cups of warm wine, Wang Jiu's fair face turned even redder. The fish soup on the table had been reheated several times. After they were both full, they each went back to their rooms to rest.
Wu Luoluo washed the dishes and the stove clean, fetched water to wash and soak her feet. When she returned to the wood shed to rest, it was already very late.
Wu Luoluo lit the oil lamp, bolted the door, reached into the quilt to touch Shangguan Yun's palm. Finding his palm a bit cold, she went to feel his wrist to sense his pulse carefully.
Sensing that his pulse was beating stronger and stronger, Wu Luoluo was very satisfied. She looked at Shangguan Yun's extremely handsome face and couldn't help reaching out to gently touch his face. Shangguan Yun lay there obediently, his face still pale and his eyelashes gently closed. Under the lamplight, his side profile was perfectly beautiful.
Wu Luoluo whispered softly in his ear, "You have to get better quickly! I want to cook delicious food for you!" Maybe it was because she had drunk half a cup of white wine that Wu Luoluo felt her ears were a bit hot and red. She stroked Shangguan Yun's beautiful jawline again and again with both hands, and couldn't help sighing in her heart. How could there be such a good-looking man in the world! How could he be even better-looking than a woman!
Wu Luoluo wasn't sleepy at all. She sat by the bed, rubbing Shangguan Yun's cheek back and forth, and whispered softly, "What's your name? Where's your home? Why did you fall into the ice layer of the Tianhu Lake? Do you have any family members at home? It's the New Year, but you can't go home. Your family must be very worried about you. But don't worry. I'm confident that I will gradually cure you! When you get better, you can go home and reunite with your family..."
Wu Luoluo rambled on and on. Shangguan Yun remained motionless in that position. Slowly, Wu Luoluo finally felt a bit sleepy. Her fingertips gently slid across Shangguan Yun's lips. She covered him with the quilt and whispered softly, "Let's go to sleep!" Saying that, she took off her shoes and socks, undressed and got into bed. She obediently crawled to the foot of the bed and tightly held his slightly cold feet in her arms.
He was so cold all over! Fortunately, she was in great health and always warm inside. It was just right to be close to him.
Wu Luoluo was sleeping soundly in a daze when suddenly there was a rustling sound outside the door. It seemed that someone couldn't push the door open and was trying to pick the bolt with something bit by bit.
Could it be great-uncle coming?
Wu Luoluo sat up abruptly and asked, "Who is it at this late hour?"
The drunken voice of senior brother Wang Jiu came from outside the door, "Luoluo, it's me! I have something to tell you. Open the door!"
Wu Luoluo's face stiffened. It was pitch black on New Year's Eve. Why didn't her senior brother go to bed early but come to her room?