Su WuLi and Li BaoGui woke up hugging each other in bed the next day. They woke up in silence, not saying a word to each other all day.
Su Jian didn't know if Li Yan could remember anything, nor was he confident enough to ask. In the end he went to work quietly.
Li Yan had a headache, but he could remember much of the night; he didn't know if Su Jian could remember anything, and he wasn't quite sure if he should ask.
They both had doubts as to whether that was a product of the liquor, or if they were sincere feelings.
Li Huan didn't know about it so went to take his lessons with his mother's family. On the other hand, BaiBai felt the tension, but was only interested in teasing Su WuLi.
It took three days before Su WuLi and Li BaoGui could look each other in the face, and a couple more for them to speak to each other.
Li BaoGui's body was showing rapid improvements after two years of illness, so Li Yan began to stroll around the county from time to time, while Su Jian took care of the farm chores.
One particular day Su Jian woke up in the morning and decided to take the day off, as his legs were aching from work. He remembered that, in the past, his grandfather used to put oils on his legs and massage them when he felt pain.
He did not know if the oil had any particular name, but he thought that any apothecary would sell it.
Li BaoGui had gone to visit the Lu residence, so Su WuLi had to go alone. He came out of the Li residence to find the maid Hua Zhang sweeping outside. He decided to ask her.
"Hua Zhang."
"Master Su." She greeted.
"I have a question for you."
"If I know the answer, I will gladly tell Master Su."
"Tell me, which of the county clinics sells oil?" Su Jian thought there was nothing wrong with his question.
However, Hua Zhang's hands shook without letting go of the broom. Her boyish face flushed and her eyes wandered all over the street, checking to see if anyone was nearby.
"M-Master Su." she answered between whispers. "HuiChun Clinic sells oil, you only need to ask Master Qu. Please, Master Su, don't ask this humble woman why she knows. "
Su WuLi did not understand why the secrecy, though he did not attach great importance to it. He thanked her and left.
The HuiChun Clinic was where medicine was bought for Li BaoGui, and the original Su WuLi got along well with Master Qu, who ran the place. It was enough to place one foot inside for that burly man to greet him from the counter.
"Young master, we meet once more. Have you come for more medicine for your wife, or for the extra ingredient?"
Su WuLi walked up to the counter, looking at every part of that ancient clinic. It was definitely strange to call that simple wooden building 'clinic'.
He still didn't know what that extra ingredient was, and he really didn't need more at the moment. He looked at Master Qu and said:
"It's not that, Master Qu, but I'll surely come for medicine in a couple of days."
There were other people inside the clinic, some were clients and others worked there. Su WuLi did not notice those people much, he was unable to notice a familiar face.
"Oh, what does Young master want then?"
"I came today to buy oil."
"Excuse me?" Master Qu was so surprised that his eyes widened.
"Oil. I came to buy oil."
"Young master is sure?"
Su WuLi nodded. Lord Qu looked incredulous and dismayed, even took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead and mustache. He discreetly searched through the wooden cupboards until he found a vial, which he hid between his sleeves.
He returned to Su WuLi and whispered the price, Su WuLi paid without much question. Master Qu tried to hand him the jar discreetly, but Su WuLi simply took it as if it was nothing and even held it up in front of his own face.
"Young master, that's a secret specialty of the clinic." Nervously, Lord Qu persuaded Su WuLi to lower his hand. "Young master, I trust you know what you are doing."
"I know what I'm doing. I just need to put a little and massage it carefully, don't I?"
Lord Qu coughed and wiped away the beads of cold sweat that were trickling down again, why was he the one who should end up touching on such matters? It was too improper. He leaned over the counter and spoke softly.
"Young master, the right thing to do would be to put a generous amount and massage carefully, otherwise..." The old man found it difficult to say such words.... "It's not going to loosen and it might, you know, hurt and hurt. "
"Then can't I use force?" Su WuLi hesitated, even with the oil in plain sight in his hand. "I think there would be a better result that way."
Lord Qu thought, [This is not a man, this is a beast devoid of remorse!]
"No, Young Master, please be considerate. I don't think you want to cause something scandalous, it would spoil your plan. If you're going to do it, be careful and moderate, okay? Once and carefully, and both of you will be satisfied for now."
Su WuLi didn't understand, but appreciated the advice. Lord Qu was about to say something else, but someone cleared his throat beside them both. The old man's face fell at the sight of Mo Zhan.
"Young Master Mo... I, I'm done with this Young Master, don't be afraid to ask. Elder Mo has back pain again?"
"Mo JunQiao." Su WuLi waved and moved in retreat.
Mo Zhan snorted and let him go, anyway, he had already seen the vial of oil in his hands. He smiled for no apparent reason, dazzling Lord Qu with his beauty.
"My yeye has back pain once again."
"Allow me to bring you the ointment."
"Master Qu, make it quick." His tone was demanding and haughty, rather rude.
But, what man could be angry with a beauty?
"As the Young Master wishes." Lord Qu smiled and ran to fetch the medicine.
Mo Zhan leaned against the counter and kept smiling. He had to tell his dear didi about what his pretty eyes had seen.
At the Lu residence, Li BaoGui looked up from his embroidery and asked Lu Zhi:
"How long could it take?"
"Give us a week, we don't need more." Lu Zhi replied without stopping his needle.
"I'm sorry to place an order without advise. It must be a busy time."
"In our families there are many working hands, there won't be any problem."
The two continued embroidering in relative silence, as the family's children could be heard playing in the distance. In Lu Zhi's courtyard things were quiet until little Lu Tao arrived, playing with a wooden flute.
Smiling, the little girl stopped in front of the two men and played the flute with care. She had no technique or talent, not enough strength in her childish lungs, and the sound was not very good, yet Lu Zhi listened to her and looked at her as if she were a prodigy.
The girl's musical demonstration ended when she ran out of breath, so she took the flute away from her mouth and ran into the arms of Lu Zhi, who put the embroidery elements aside.
"Does Tao'er like music very much? If so, I'll get a teacher so I can polish your talent even more."
The little girl looked at Li BaoGui and then hid her face between her mother's robes, hiding from him. When it came to speaking, Lu Tao was a little shy. Lu Zhi stroked his daughter's back, smiling.
Mo Zhan entered the courtyard a few minutes later, almost running, and sat down next to them. He didn't even say hello, he was about to start narrating a story until he saw Lu Tao.
"She shouldn't listen to it." he said.
"Tao'er, where is your father?" Lu Zhi looked at his daughter. She did not answer.
"Your husband is with your father, I saw them a couple of minutes ago, while I was coming. Apparently, Lu Ran knocked a couple of tiles off the roof of the kitchen."
"How did he do that?" Lu Zhi wasn't even surprised.
"You're his big brother, don't you know that yourself?" Mo Zhan shrugged his shoulders. He looked at Li BaoGui and took the wooden frame from his hands. "You only know how to embroider flowers?"
"I like to embroider orchids." Li BaoGui retrieved his embroidery quickly, and picked up the needle again to continue. "And you're always embroidering birds, how can you complain about me?"
"I can also embroider flowers if I want to. Orchids, peonies." He paused for a second, shaking his sleeves indignantly. "Not chrysanthemums, I forgot how to embroider chrysanthemums."
Lu Zhi took advantage of his companions' short conversation to send his little daughter away, sending her off to find her father. He smiled sympathetically at Mo Zhan's words.
"Soon six autumns will have passed, but you keep thinking about it as if it were this morning. He was only thirteen years old, how will a child keep his promise?" Lu Zhi took the embroidery elements, and sighed.
Mo Zhan was a man who had been spoiled by his whole family, few were those who dared to lecture him in such a way. He was annoyed, of course he was, however, it was no lie what had been said.
"Why were you in such a hurry?" Li BaoGui didn't want everything to remain in an atmosphere of annoyance, so he decided to ask that question.
"I went for medicine for my yeye, and now I know some things. Master Qu sells very sweet-smelling oil."
"He does. There's still a bottle in my bedroom." Lu Zhi commented matter-of-factly.
"This didi didn't want to know that." Li Yan tried not to imagine his cheap friend in dishonorable situations.
"Another thing these ears heard." Mo Zhan continued. "Is that Master Qu might take a concubine by the end of this year. I heard that his wife almost spat blood. The girl in question is still young."
"Master Qu's wife should not be taken lightly, it will be better for him to forget his wish." Lu Zhi was calm, but Mo Zhan seemed to be unhappy about the concubine affair.
"His wife bore him so many children, and yet he will have a concubine? What a detestable man. I hope his wife whips him with a stick day and night. "
While listening to them talk about it, Li Yan actually remembered the story of the Honorable Madam Zhang. Would Lord Qu's wife be so audacious? If she was, then there would be a big commotion for the county in no time. His thoughts were interrupted when Mo Zhan looked at him, and patted him on the shoulder.
"Didi, when you return home you must take a bath and wash well. The advice of these brothers of yours paid off."
"Huh?" Li Yan didn't understand at first.
"Tu Su WuLi was with Master Qu this morning, he bought the oil. Perhaps didi can't sleep tonight."
As those words repeated in his head, Li BaoGui's face reddened more. Li Yan couldn't believe it, how had it come to that so quickly? They had barely kissed and hugged, they still needed to walk holding hands and kiss more intensely.
"He said he would put a generous amount on you and massage you gently. Besides, he wants to use force." Mo Zhan added.
"Say no more, say no more." Li BaoGui covered his ears.
Li Yan did not think about the possibility that Su Jian, who did not know much about history in particular, might not know the use of what he had bought.
• • • • • • • • • • •
1. Mo JunQiao.
Courtesy name of Mo Zhan.
2. Yeye.
Father's father. Paternal grandfather.
3. Honorable Lady Zhang.
She was a concubine of Emperor XiaoWu of the Jin dynasty. In the late autumn of 396, when she was nearly 30 years old, the Emperor 'joked' at a party saying, 'According to your age, you must give up your position. I want someone younger'.
That night, after Emperor Xiaowu got drunk, he ordered his maidservants to choke Emperor Xiaowu. He bribed the attendants and claimed that the emperor died suddenly in his sleep, and got away with it.