After Divine Doctor Pu took away the vermilion fruits, he made three frost dewdrops pills and sent them to the Marquis manor. Few days later, he sent over a small grey tree which he said needed Yu Xiang to take care of for two days.
Yu Xiang extorted a great deal of miraculous drugs from him before agreeing to take care of the grey tree. She trimmed a twig of the tree to be planted into the flower nursery, watering it everyday as well as deinsectized. After seven to eight days, the original ashen tree started turning red from the root and bloomed into a fiery tree after one night, that also emitted a faint stench.
When Divine Doctor Pu came over to pick up the tree, he was extremely ecstatic that he laughed and jumped around the flower nursery, frightening all the maidservants.
This was actually a blood-drenched keelwood that only grew in a high temperature volcanic cave. It could be used to make the top-graded medicinal treatment for incised wounds and even for the critical traumatic injury where a full recovery could be seen in a fortnight after applying the medicine onto broken bones. However, once this blood-drenched keelwood left the volcanic cave, it would turn into unremarkable grey and its medicinal properties would also disappear. Its preciousness and medicinal value was not less than the frost dewdrops.
Both of these two plants were known to be the king of fire and ice element in the Chinese medicinal herbs list and now Divine Doctor Pu had gotten both, thus his excitement could not be described in words. He would send over all kinds of valuable medicinal pills free of charge and at the same time also delivered over a lot of uniquely strange plants with the request for Yu Xiang to look after for two days where he would come fetching them bouncing with joy.
He would have shelled out a huge sum to hire Yu Xiang to look after his medicinal garden if it werenât for her noble background after he discerned Yu Xiang had a pair of âmidas touchâ hands that could deftly grow anything.
Owing to this, Old Madamâs courtyard would occasionally receive lots of valuable tonic, exotic flowers and rare herbs. Her chronic diseases which were due to stress over the years gradually healed and the grey hairs on her temples were once again sprouted black while her vitality was increasingly robust day after day. Whenever there was any joyous occasion that needed a gift, Old Madam would just go to Yu Xiangâs courtyard to select any of those potted flowers, such as the precious peonies, twin lotus flowers, lotus petal orchidâŠ.which were all more presentable than any antiques or jadewares.
Old Madam was getting fonder of this granddaughter that she entrusted someone to find her a highly renowned lady teacher to guide her meticulously.
Yu Xiang would read books, practice writing and learn qin in the morning. In the afternoon, she would not go anywhere but stayed in the flower nursery. She had always loved gardening but now she was totally absorbed with it.
She would sometimes ponder secretly that Heaven might have felt sorry for her and granted her this gold finger (a cheat) which she could use to support herself when the female lead returned in the future. Just by selling two pots of this twin lotus flowers every day would be enough for her to live comfortably without restraints for a few years as she didnât know if she could depend on this original bodyâs family. Human is an emotional being that even if there is no blood relationship, one would still be closer compared to the biological after getting along for more than a decade. When the time comes for the switch, she would be nothing more than an outsider to that family.
This situation would undoubtedly not apply to the female lead, as she was the female lead crowned with a halo and the universalâs destiny was within her grasp, thus she would naturally have everyone surrounding and revolving around her. Yu Pin Yan and Old Madam were very good to her now but all these goodness would all belong to the female lead when she returns and what was left for her would only be envious, jealousy and resentment.
Truly the same person but different lives!* Yu Xiang hid a bag of seeds that she bought at a high price inside a secret compartment and took a deep sigh. If the Yu family turned hostile someday and disallowed her to take away the money, she could still take these seeds with her and perhaps she could rely on selling flowers for livelihood.
Recalling her previous lifetime under her elder brotherâs protection where her livelihood had been comfortable and carefree compared to now, Yu Xiang felt a tingling in her nose and she inwardly cried out for the tenth thousand times, Where are you, elder brother? Xiangâer canât endure this alone.
âWhatâs the matter? You could even cry looking at a mirror. When has my Xiangâer become so fragile?â Yu Pin Yan appeared quietly behind her with a playful smile around the corner of his mouth yet his heart felt ruthlessly stabbed.
He wasnât aware when he had started to frown whenever he saw Yu Xiang revealing such perplexedness or helplessness. His heart would surge with feelings of remorse which seemed to suffocate him.
Yu Xiang wiped her face unmindfully and sternly retorted, âWhich of your eyes saw me cry? I didnât even cry at all!â
âAlright, itâs elder brotherâs mistake.â Yu Pin Yan helplessly smiled. He carried her out of the wheelchair, gently put her down on the divan besides the window and then pushed open the window enabling her to enjoy the scenery outside of the courtyard.
Summer was about to pass yet the sunlight was still scorchingly hot. Several hibiscus trees were just blossoming in the courtyard where large pink flowers covered the treesâ branches which attracted countless bees and butterflies fluttering around. This vibrant scene somewhat improved Yu Xiangâs mood. She turned her body to lean on the windowsill and her eyes followed the movement of those fluttering butterflies.
Yu Pin Yan loved to look at the pair of her eyes that seemed able to talk. He took his boots off then sat on the divan and hugged half of her body in his arms. Both siblings were absolutely comfortable accompanying each other as one was enjoying the view outside and the other was admiring the person next to him.
Though a basin of ice was placed in the room, the passing warm breeze still brought along some heat. Tiny beads of sweat covered the tip of Yu Xiangâs nose and the air was filled with a gush of the refreshing lotus scent.
Yu Pin Yan thought the scent was from his younger sisterâs body thus he couldnât help but get a little closer, knocking his chin on the hollow of her neck and then reluctant to move away.
Yu Xiang didnât think he was too heavy, so she merely slanted her head and squinted her eyes at him. Both siblings just looked and smiled at each other. A butterfly was hovering around the top of their heads and ultimately landed on the tip of Yu Xiangâs nose that tricked her dark limpid eyes into cross-eyes.
Yu Xiang stretched out her hand but the butterfly flew away before she could swat it. Many wing-scales fell off causing Yu Xiang to sneeze several times. Yu Pin Yan heartily laughed while wiping the nose of his younger sister and asked at the same time, âWant to go out and swoop the butterfly? Elder brother will push you.â
The wheelchair in this period was made of wood, no tyre and was extremely heavy. Yu Xiang alone was unable to move it. She needed two very strong pozi to push hard together to move the wheelchair therefore she seldom went very far and would just mostly stay around her little courtyard. Yu Pin Yan however learned martial arts from an early age. Now at the age of sixteen, he was already seven-foot tall with broad shoulders, narrow waist and a well-built physique. The weight of the wheelchair was really counted as nothing to him that even with Yu Xiang seated in it, he could have just easily lifted it.
Yu Xiang batted off his out-stretched arm bending under her thighs, âYou are letting me swooping butterflies in the courtyard under such a hot day. You are trying to toast me to death! Iâm not going!â Her eyes then shifted towards the side room and shouted out, âCui Ping, Cui Xi, swoop some butterflies for me!â
Yu Pin Yan laughed obsequiously, pinched her nose and uttered the word, naughty. As long as Xiangâer was happy, he didnât care if others would be toasted to death.
Cui Ping and Cui Xi had been thinking of some excuses to come over to serve when they knew that the Young Marquis would be next door. Young Miss had rarely ordered them to serve her lately as she had started using both Tao Hong and Liu Lu. They were only too glad to be so relaxed and carefree getting monthly payment without having to do any work, thus they would hide in the side-room playing cards.
They had thought they would wait for the Young Marquisâ arrival before going over, but didnât expect the Young Marquis to show up quietly. Both at this moment hurriedly scurried over looking somewhat unsightly. When they heard the call, they had to hold themselves back and hastily responded with beaming smiles. Daubing on a little lip rouge, putting on a beaded flower, straightened their skirts and taking elegant graceful small steps they responded to the summon.
âFill this little jar up.â Yu Xiang raised her eyes to Tao Hong.
Tao Hong handed a glazed translucent jar and two string bags over.
Cui Ping and Cui Xi softly agreed then secretly took a glance at the peerlessly handsome Young Marquis and went out with a blush. Both tried their utmost effort displaying their beautiful face, slender body and graceful posture that didnât look as if they were swooping butterflies but rather like dancing and from time to time would let out some pretense of delicate laughs.
Yu Xiang liked watching these two seducing and enticing Yu Pin Yan, thus at this moment she leaned on the windowsill and was chuckling nonstop looking at their antics. She could only find some entertainment for herself as there was no internet here.
The moment Yu Pin Yan understood procreation when he was about twelve, his uncles had sent over many alluring maidservants to his courtyard. He had seen many kinds of high-handed enticement, thus he naturally felt extremely disgusted in his heart yet when he saw how happily Yu Xiang was laughing, he couldnât help but laugh along and let Yu Xiang play as she pleases.
Cui Ping and Cui Xi were only concerned with showing off their posture, completely not in the mood to catch any butterflies and even if they caught one, they would deliberately release it as they were only hoping for the Young Marquis to look at them more. However, one would not be able to stand after a long period under the sinister golden sunlight, profuse dripping sweat dampened the hairs which glued to their cheeks and their makeups were long melted off that no sign of loveliness could be seen.
When they wiped off the sweat, they were startled by the red and white dirt tainted on their palms. They actively grabbed some butterflies and stuffed them into the glazed jar. They placed the jar on the windowsill with their heads hung low and were dying for the Young Miss to dismiss them immediately.
Yu Xiang immediately opened the lid of the jar letting the butterflies free and smiling odiously she said, âGo and swoop more, itâs so fun.â
You damn grandmother purposely made a fool of us! Cui Ping and Cui Xi were burning with anger yet they dare not show it on their faces. A few drops of tears were squeezed out from the corner of their eyes as they glanced pitiably at the Young Marquis.
Yu Pin Yan placed one hand on Yu Xiangâs waist to stabilize her body that was convulsing with laughter while on the other hand, he was holding a travel note which he was deeply absorbed in without paying attention to them.
âWhat? I canât order both of you, am I?â The smile on Yu Xiangâs face instantly faded.
âWe wouldnât dare. We will go now.â They replied with a cry and unwilling to give up, they took another glance at the Young Marquis but happened to collide with his cold piercing eyes which startledly terrified them.
Yu Xiang was about to reprimand them again when a sweet melodious voice was heard from the doorway, âOne might suffer heat stroke basking under such a sinisterly hot day again. Younger sister please do me a favor and let these two maids go.â
Yu Xiang stretched her neck to look over and saw it was actually Yu Si Yu making a comeback. She was glowing with the radiance of a goddess on her graceful face. She waved her hand sluggishly and sneered, âI have a partiality of building my happiness on the suffering of others. Is it your business? If you canât stand by and watch, you can get their deeds from grandmother.â
Building her happiness on the suffering of others â these words were indeed unreasonable but the suffering that Xiangâer acquired as a disabled was far greater than happiness. Though she did her utmost to cover up, Yu Pin Yan still found her smiling brightly in front of others but oftentimes crying behind thus the desire to protect and preserve her laughter forever was getting stronger everyday.
If through this way it would make her happy, what was the big deal if her temperament was to become more surly and overbearing? Yu Pin Yan would not have stopped her as he would even try his best to satisfy all her wishes.
The youth gently smiled while tucking the little girlâs messy hair behind her ear.