Seeing the bridge, Mo Lixia quickened her pace, practically running until she reached the underside of the arch.
She threw down her bag and unclasped her cloak, ready to dive.
"Young lady!"
Suddenly, an old man on the bridge called out. "The snow just melted, it's slippery down there. Be careful! You should come up."
Mo Lixia's heart was pounding with urgency, but she forced herself to appear calm. She bent down, pretending to pick up her bag.
"I just dropped something... I'll be up in a moment."
"It's dangerous. Do you need a hand?" the old man offered kindly.
"No, no, thank you, Grandpa!" Mo Lixia waved her hand and pretended to start walking up the bank.
Seeing her safe, the old man walked away.
As soon as he was gone, Mo Lixia glanced at the river. The cage had fully submerged.
Without hesitation, she slipped into the water.
The winter river was bone-chillingly cold. It felt like thousands of needles piercing her skin. But Mo Lixia ignored the pain, praying silently: Please, hold on.
She swam to the bamboo cage.
The mother and son had already swallowed a lot of water. Seeing Mo Lixia, the mother's desperate eyes lit up with infinite gratitude.
Mo Lixia realized she had forgotten a knife to cut the ropes.
But the mother, fueled by adrenaline and maternal instinct, somehow snapped the bamboo slats with her bound hands. She pushed her son toward Mo Lixia.
Mo Lixia grabbed the child. His face was purple, his body shaking violently. She quickly breathed air into his mouth.
She reached out to pull the mother, but the woman pushed her away.
Her eyes were filled with finality. Her lips moved, begging silently. Mo Lixia couldn't hear her, but she understood.
Take him. Save him. Don't worry about me.
The woman pressed a piece of jade into Mo Lixia's hand, then shoved them away hard.
Mo Lixia frowned, tucking the jade into her clothes. She looked at the child, who was fading fast, and then back at the mother who was tied down by heavy ropes.
Mo Lixia knew her limits. She couldn't save two people, especially when one was weighed down and had lost the will to live.
Through the murky water, Mo Lixia looked back one last time.
The mother was smiling at her.
Mo Lixia nodded firmly in her direction—a silent promise. I will protect him.
Dragging a five-year-old child through freezing water was agonizing for a thirteen-year-old girl.
With her last ounce of strength, Mo Lixia dragged the boy onto the riverbank under the bridge, hidden from view.
The child was shivering uncontrollably, his clothes stiffening with ice. His eyes were full of tears, but he held back his sobs, biting his lip until it bled.
Mo Lixia quickly wrapped him in her dry cloak and hugged him tight to share body heat.
She carried him up to the bridge. The crowd had dispersed, leaving only the Liu family servants lounging by the river, laughing.
"Take one last look," Mo Lixia whispered to the boy, pointing at the spot where his mother had sunk. "You won't have another chance."
The boy stared at the water with bloodshot eyes, etching the scene into his memory. Mo Lixia could feel the hatred radiating from his small body.
"Did she leave me?" he asked, his voice trembling.
"No," Mo Lixia comforted him. "She just went to a beautiful place to rest. She was too tired."
"Will she have enough to eat there?" the boy asked, choking back sobs. "Will she have to wash clothes all day? Will anyone beat her?"
Mo Lixia fell silent for a long time. Her throat tightened.
"No," she said hoarsely. "There is plenty of delicious food. No one washes clothes. And no one will ever beat her again. She is in the sky, watching over you right now."
"Big Sister... I know you. You saved my mother before. You are a good person."
"En." Mo Lixia managed a weak smile.
She turned to leave. The boy peeked out from the cloak one last time, staring at the rat-faced steward with a look of pure, unadulterated hatred.
Mo Lixia rushed toward the city gate, knowing Grandpa Li's ox cart would be waiting.
The wind grew stronger. Her wet hair had turned into icicles. Her clothes were frozen solid, like a suit of armor that trapped the cold against her skin.
She was numb. Her face felt like it would crack if she moved a muscle. Her arms holding the child had lost all feeling.
Cold. Cold. Cold.
The world narrowed down to that single sensation.
Just as she thought she would collapse, a familiar voice shouted.
"Isn't that Miss Lixia?"
Near the ox cart, Liu Song spotted her.
Shen Muqing, who had been waiting anxiously, bolted toward her. "Lixia! What happened?"
"Did she fall in the river?" another villager gasped.
"Quick! Get her on the cart!" Grandpa Li ordered.
Mo Lixia shivered violently. "Brother Liu... please, keep your voice down."
Grandpa Li, wise with age, saw the child in her arms and understood immediately. "Get in. Don't ask questions. Let's go home."
The young men realized who the child was—the boy from the pig cage.
Saving an adulteress's child was a scandal that could offend the powerful Liu family. But none of them backed away.
Once in the cart, Shen Muqing immediately stripped off his cotton coat and covered Mo Lixia.
"Brother Shen..."
"Hush. Don't talk. Cover the child."
"Yes! We have thick skin, we can handle the cold!" Liu Song took off his coat too and draped it over her.
The other two young men hesitated, thinking about the impropriety of giving a woman their clothes.
Grandpa Li glared at them. "Why are you acting like shy maidens at a time like this? Take them off!"
"Haha..."
"Da Qin, hurry up!"
Wrapped in the warmth of the villagers' coats, Mo Lixia finally felt a spark of life return. She let out a weak, grateful laugh.