"Hehe, Master, you're pretty open-minded."
The little bird cheered up, fluttering its tender little wings and gliding across the water's surface. The basket quickly drifted towards a nearby village.
**********
Woniu Village, nestled at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, was a quiet little village with only a dozen households.
Most of the village residents made their living by hunting and chopping wood on the mountains. Men who were good swimmers would also cast nets, catch fish, dig for loaches, and catch river crabs in shallow water on sunny days to improve their livelihoods.
At dawn, the brilliant glow of the sun painted the sky red. By the shallow river, industrious women prepared breakfast, chatted and laughed in pairs and threes, carrying buckets of water to wash dishes and laundry.
"Wu wawa, wu wawa."
The delicate cry of a baby carried on the wind. Li Xiu'e, who was alone on a rock by the river washing clothes, shuddered at the sound. Following the cry, she saw a bamboo basket drifting down the river with a small figure wrapped in cotton.
"Husband, quick, there's a child in the water. Hurry and fetch the basket."
Li Xiu'e instinctively called out to her husband, her heart tightening as she worried about the child who had drifted from who knows where.
"Splish!"
In response, her husband Su Hu, leaped into the water without hesitation from the riverbank's nearest wall.
The deep autumn river water was icy cold and piercing, but Su Hu ignored the chill and stroked the water forcefully with his limbs, striving to swim towards the basket.
There are still good people!.
The little bird's nimble black eyes flashed with gratitude, fluttering its tender little wings and guiding the basket swiftly towards Su Hu.
"Gurgle..."
Su Hu emerged from the water, spitting out a few mouthfuls of icy water, and pushed the basket with his right hand as he swam back.
The little bird glided across the water, sneakily giving a little help.
Su Hu sensed the cold wind, and the frequency of his strokes sped up considerably.
"Achoo!"
Su Hu shivered due to the cold wind, and couldn't help but sneeze.
Fortunately, with the help of the cold wind, the frequency of his strokes got faster and faster. In no time, he returned to the shore, picked up the basket from the shallow water, and ran towards the bank dripping wet.
"Husband, the river water is cold. Go back home and change your clothes quickly."
Seeing her husband return safely, Li Xiu'e was overjoyed. Seeing his soaking wet body, she worried he might catch a cold and get sick. She quickly gathered up the uneased clothes and pulled her husband towards their courtyard.
"Poor thing, it's a little girl."
As Su Hu allowed his wife to lead him, he looked at the basket containing the pink little baby girl and couldn't help but pity her, producing a grudge against her abandoning parents.
"Which family is so heartless and inhuman, just tossing a newborn child into the river, leaving her to fend for herself?"
"Judging by her clothes, she might be from a wealthy family."
Women are more sensitive to external clothes and appearances. Li Xiu'e glanced at the brocade quilt wrapped around the baby girl and roughly guessed her origins.
***
Returning to their small courtyard built with adobe, Su Hu carried the basket into the room to change clothes. At the moment he crossed the threshold, a shiver went down his spine due to the cold air. Turning back, he instructed his wife.
"The room is so cold, and the baby just born is vulnerable to cold. Go get some charcoal from the kitchen and put it in the room to warm the bed. Don't let the baby freeze."
"I know. You change your clothes first, and I'll come after I've lit the fire."
Li Xiu'e readily agreed, spinning around and walking towards the kitchen. In no time, billows of blue smoke emerged from the chimney.
After Su Hu changed his clothes, Li Xiu'e walked into the room carrying a basin of burning firewood and placed it at his feet.