Once the stove was in place, Shu Rui lit a fire and boiled some water.
Although the season was already warm, the heavy rain and wind still made it chilly. As the fire caught, the kitchen immediately grew warmer.
Qing took a handkerchief he always carried, wrung it out in a basin, and wiped his neck.
The tile worker, having worked so hard that he was drenched in sweat, hadn’t felt cold, but as he paused, the wind blew over his damp skin, sending a chill through him. He washed his face with the hot water, feeling much more comfortable.
“Having more people really speeds things up. In just a short while, the kitchen’s cleaned out.”
Mrs. Yang poured a full basin of water into the cistern, washing away the herbal powder previously sprinkled in to repel pests. Water flowed out immediately through the drainage hole at the bottom.
“Shaoge, looks like Lu Ling almost finished the roof. It’s not too late yet. Let’s clean the living rooms as well. If we finish today, you can move in and save a day’s lodging.”
Qing nodded. “Yes! Since we’re free today, we can help. If you wait until tomorrow or the day after, I’ll be busy at the inn and won’t be able to come.”
Shu Rui had originally planned to finish the kitchen and then buy a couple of dishes to serve Mrs. Yang and Qing.
Seeing that they also wanted to help clean the two eastern rooms, he said, “No, you two have already worked fast to clean this end. I can’t make you do more after all this labor.”
“Don’t be polite. Once you get into the rhythm, the work finishes quickly,” Qing said.
Mrs. Yang added, “Besides, the sooner you move in, the livelier it’ll be here.”
After some gentle persuasion, Shu Rui relented. “Alright, you two sit and rest a bit here. I’ll go get two bowls of sweet soup to fill our stomachs.”
“It’s troublesome,” Qing protested.
Shu Rui insisted, “You’ve both worked so hard helping me. If I don’t even give you a warm bite to eat, I won’t sleep well tonight.”
Mrs. Yang and Qing stopped arguing and rested briefly. Shu Rui went to buy four bowls of eight-treasure porridge, and the three of them ate together in the kitchen.
Once Lu Ling finished repairing the roof, the three of them hurried inside to clean.
The two rooms had little remaining clutter, and Shu Rui had previously cleared out much of it, making it easy. They swept up cobwebs, dust, and fallen tiles from the roof repairs.
After sweeping, they wiped down the windows and tables with hot water, then mopped the floor twice.
The wooden floor, old and damaged by rain, had many moldy patches, giving the rooms a damp, musty smell.
Though they couldn’t renovate at the moment, at least they had tidied the place. In time, they would make proper repairs.
Even in other homes, old wooden floors often rotted from moisture. Stone floors would have been better, but more expensive—few could afford them.
By the time they finished, it was already late afternoon, and the back alley was filled with the aroma of cooking.
Looking at the freshly cleaned kitchen and eastern main room, Shu Rui felt an indescribable satisfaction. His sore shoulders and calves didn’t seem as painful.
Though the western rooms and inn hall remained in disrepair, at least he could move in. With time, he could continue organizing and renovating.
“Without Mrs. Yang and Qing today, I wouldn’t know when I’d have finished all this,” he thought.
Turning to the flushed, labor-worn faces of Qing and Mrs. Yang, he felt grateful and also guilty. “I planned to invite you two to a meal, but it’s too late to go buy and cook. I can’t expect you to wait for that.”
“I’ll shamelessly suggest this: once the place looks proper in a few days, I’ll cook a couple of my best dishes and invite you. You must come then.”
He had also secretly prepared two strings of coins, giving them to both of them. “I couldn’t offer you a warm meal today, and yet you worked tirelessly. I’ve been remiss.”
“Shaoge, your cooking’s great. If you call me over for a meal, I’ll gladly come—no fear of anyone laughing. But this… I don’t want it,” Qing said, returning the coins.
“I came to help because I wanted to, not for your pay,” Qing explained.
“Exactly. No one should pay you for helping.”
Mrs. Yang also refused the coins. “Keep them. You’ll need to fetch two mattresses from my place. The room’s empty—tables and stools aren’t urgent, but you can’t sleep without bedding. Even if it’s warm, rainy nights are cold.”
Seeing that both were adamant, Shu Rui gave up, feeling deeply grateful.
He held their hands. “I came from another town and knew nothing here, yet fate led me to meet you. I won’t say more. From now on, if you need anything, ask me.”
“As the saying goes, ‘At home, rely on parents; away, rely on friends.’ From now on, you two are my friends.”
“With time, we’ll surely find chances to trouble you,” Mrs. Yang added, smiling.
Hearing Shu Rui’s warm words, both felt their hearts settle, tightly holding his hands.
After some conversation, they realized it was getting late and prepared to leave.
Qing, being somewhat timid and without many friends, was delighted that Shu Rui, clever and kind, accepted him. He wanted to help pack, but it was too late, and he needed to go home to cook, so he let it be.
Mrs. Yang also returned to cook for her eldest son.
Shu Rui didn’t fuss over the temporary debts of kindness, knowing life was long and there would be chances to repay them.
He hurried to pack his belongings at the inn with Lu Ling, settled the account, and transported everything in a donkey cart.
As night fell, lanterns lit the streets and alleys, pedestrians became scarce, and the bustling city gradually quieted.
The inn remained dark, save for the faint glow of the fire in the kitchen hearth, the rest of the shop shrouded in gray rain.
Raindrops pattered on the roof and gutters, their sound accentuating the surrounding silence, especially at dusk.
Shu Rui returned and selected two mattresses from Mrs. Yang’s shop. Carrying them through the back door, he paused at the dim, desolate courtyard.
Lu Ling had gone somewhere, leaving the lights off.
Shu Rui took a deep breath, telling himself that this was now his home, and stepped forward.
“Plop.”
Just as he lifted his foot, something fell onto the floor beside him from above—like a rope, dark and indistinct.
He bent down to inspect it, but his wrist brushed something slippery.
Shu Rui’s hair stood on end. Dropping the mattress, he realized what it was and screamed.
“What happened?!”
Almost immediately, a shadow fell in front of him.
“Snake! There’s a snake!”
Covering his aching arm, Shu Rui had no time to think. Seeing a familiar figure, he grabbed its clothing and tried to hide behind him.
Lu Ling gently steadied Shu Rui by the shoulders, listening intently. In a sudden, sharp movement, guided only by the faint rustling sounds, he pinched a small creature—the snake that had been flicking its tail and slithering into the courtyard—between two fingers.
With a crisp crack, Lu Ling twisted its neck in anger, killing it instantly.
He returned to Shu Rui’s side and spoke calmly, “It’s all right now.”
Shu Rui’s chest was still pounding, cold sweat clinging to his body. His voice trembled as he said, “My arm… it feels like it’s been bitten.”
Lu Ling’s eyes tightened. He shoved the dead snake aside, quickly drew a fire stick, and focused its light on Shu Rui’s arm.
Two small puncture wounds were visible on the fair, delicate forearm, already bleeding.
Shu Rui saw the snake’s teeth marks and realized the pain was secondary to the fear rising in his chest. His nostrils flared; with the light now, he desperately wanted to see what kind of snake had bitten him—but it was venomous.
Turning his head, he couldn’t locate the dead snake on the ground, when suddenly his wound was enveloped in a warm, gentle sensation. Looking up, he saw Lu Ling holding his arm, leaning down to suck the venom from the bite.
Shu Rui flailed, trying to pull his arm away, but his strength was no match for Lu Ling.
“What if it’s poisonous! Don’t—”
Lu Ling spat out the blood, quickly took Shu Rui’s handkerchief, and tied it tightly three finger-widths above the bite on his long, slender arm.
“Don’t be afraid.”
He said no more, bending at the waist to lift Shu Rui up in his arms.
By the time Shu Rui realized what was happening, they were already moving swiftly through the alley.
He knew Lu Ling was taking him to a doctor, but still, with a flushed face, he quietly reminded him, “I said it’s my arm that was bitten, not my leg…”
“You’re walking too slowly,” Lu Ling’s words cut through the rushing wind. Shu Rui initially wondered how he could be slow, but catching glimpses of lanterns flashing past like streaks of falling stars, he conceded.
His head spun—he couldn’t tell if it was from the snake’s venom or from being carried so quickly. Thoughts raced: if the snake were deadly and he died, it would at least be straightforward. But if he survived and lost an arm or leg… what then?
If death were inevitable, he’d want to live a little longer. The inn had only just started renovations; his life hadn’t yet experienced a full, peaceful day… and there was Lu Ling—surely, he’d think Shu Rui had become a widower.
In the chaos of his thoughts, they arrived at the medical hall.
“Our clinic already…”
A small apprentice at De Xin Clinic was perched on a stool, preparing to take down the lantern outside the eaves.
Before he could finish, Lu Ling interrupted urgently, “He’s been bitten by a snake!”
The apprentice jumped down and shouted into the hall, “Senior brother! Quick, someone’s been bitten by a snake!”
Hearing the commotion, Dr. Zhou, who had earlier examined Lu Ling’s head, rushed out.
Lu Ling carefully set Shu Rui on a chair.
Dr. Zhou saw the arm tightly bandaged and relaxed slightly. “The wound was well handled; the blood has been expelled. Tightening it like this slows the flow of venom from a snakebite.”
“What kind of snake bit him?”
Shu Rui, still dazed, paused. On the way, he had felt he’d forgotten something important—it was that he never saw what kind of snake it had been!
Lu Ling’s movements had been too fast for him to get a proper look. Even if he recognized the species, he could not name it or describe it.
Seeing Shu Rui’s troubled expression, Dr. Zhou frowned. “It’s not….”
“Here it is,” Lu Ling cut in, drawing a soft, wriggling snake from his belt.