The boat reached the other shore and Xue Dongting took the child and left the cabin. Song Yuming noticed her thin clothing and frowned. He took off his cotton-padded robe and draped it over her. Xue Dongting saw he only wore thin cotton underneath and tried to take the robe off and hand it back, but he shook his head. "Your hair's a mess."
The padded robe was big and long, coming down to Xue Dongting's ankles. She felt all fuzzy inside wearing a man's robe. It had a fresh scent about it and she couldn't help but blush. She didn't even hear him tell her her hair was a mess.
When she didn't respond, Song Yuming gathered her hair up for her, then took the child and went ashore.
It was not light out yet, and it was winter so the streets were cold and deserted, the shops were all closed up. They arrived at the doctor's office and Song Yuming pounded on the door forever before the doctor finally dawdled over and opened up, looking drowsy.
Song Yuming greeted the doctor with a hand cupped over his fist. "Dr. Li, sorry to bother you. This village boy has asthma. Can we trouble you to take a look at him?"
This Dr. Li seemed to know Song Yuming because the impatient look on his face softened up considerably. He looked at the child He Xu held and said to Song Yuming, "I've seen this child before. It's a chronic ailment. Come right on in."
The doctor examined the boy and determined he would not recover immediately and would have to stay over several days. So Song Yuming bid farewell to He Xu and took Xue Dongting back toward the riverbank.
Song Yuming led the way, Xue Dongting following. The red wheel of the sun rose up over the surface of the river, its red glow stretching the man's shadow long behind him. She walked in his shadow, head down all the way, silent.
Song Yuming suddenly stopped and turned. Xue Dongting bumped into his chest. She looked up apologetically. "…What's wrong?"
He smiled. "Are you hungry?" A peddler selling plum blossom cakes will be along the bank in a little while."
Xue Dongting looked over at the bank. It was deserted. She was worried about his think clothes so she shook her head. "I'm not hungry. Let's hurry back home."
Song Yuming gently pulled her into his arms and said soflty, "Hurry back and do what?" His hot steamy breath blew in her ear when he spoke. In his embrace, she felt his body was hot and she couldn't help think back to last night. Her heart skipped and she blushed and eyed him. "What are you thinking about?" she pouted. "I was just worried you'd catch cold, that's all."
Song Yuming smiled frankly. He spotted an old man shouldering a pole with a bamboo basket and he ran over and bought piping hot, delicately fragrant plum blossom cakes. On the boat, Song Yuming told Dongting to eat first while he punted the boat. She held the two cakes wrapped in oiled paper and she could see winterflower petals pressed inside. She could already taste them.
They reached the middle of the river and Song Yuming set aside the scull and went inside the cabin. He saw Xue Dongting still holding the cakes and said, "Why haven't you eaten?"
"I'm waiting for you so we can eat together," she said softly.
Song Yuming smiled, resigned. "I never eat sweet cakes. Hurry up and eat. They're not tasty once they get cold."
Xue Dongting pursed her lips. "How do you know they're good if you never eat them?"
His throat caught. He probably never imagined she was so quick-tongued. She picked up a sweet cake and took a nibble. It melted in her mouth, soft and sticky and sweetly fragrant. It was wonderful. Song Yuming watched her. He felt his eyes burning into her and didn't dare look at him, just kept her head down. He suddenly got closer and whispered, "Is it good?"