"Look, the firecrackers have started outside. Let's go put up the spring couplets!"
"Okay!"
"Master, your handwriting is so beautiful."
"As long as you work hard, Chen'er, you will write beautifully too."
"En, I will!"
"Not bad at all."
"Master, what does it say? I only recognize 'New,' 'Heaven,' and 'People'..."
"Haha... The first line says: 'The will of Heaven in the New Year aligns with the will of man.' The second line says: 'The joy of this spring mirrors the joys of the past.'"
"Haha!" Mochen laughed happily. He was still small; he shouldn't have to carry the weight of his past trauma yet. As his master, Mo Lixia's greatest gift to him was keeping that darkness at bay until he was strong enough to face it.
"Master, stand back! I'm going to light the crackers!"
Mo Lixia covered her ears, laughing like a child herself. "Go ahead!"
With one hand over his ear and the other holding a long, lit branch, Mochen carefully touched the fuse and bolted back to her side. They watched the dancing sparks and listened to the rhythmic pop-pop-pop, their faces glowing with simple, unburdened happiness.
The following day, the attendant who had come with Liu Ruofeng returned. He handed Mo Lixia a banknote for fifty thousand taels of silver. Without a single word, he turned and left.
Time flew by. One spring faded into the next.
Mochen began attending a private school. Not to pass the imperial exams, but to gain knowledge. Whenever he was on break or whenever Mo Lixia went on a house call, she took him along. To be a doctor, theory was only half the battle; practice was essential. Often, she would lead Mochen and A'Mu into the mountains to identify various herbs. Occasionally, A'Mu would unearth rare medicinal treasures. Since they were no longer short on money, Mo Lixia dried and stored these finds for future emergencies.
Most of the young men in the village aged sixteen or seventeen had already married. Even Er Dan had wed a girl from the neighboring village. Her family knew Er Dan was a scoundrel, but for the sake of the high bride price, they had pushed their daughter into the marriage anyway.
Since the time Shen Muqing shot his hand, Er Dan hadn't dared to provoke Mo Lixia again. However, his wicked nature remained unchanged. Despite being married, he spent his time chasing other women. His wife, a gentle girl named Chunying, suffered in silence. Even while heavily pregnant, her mother-in-law forced her to wash clothes by the cold river.
Mo Lixia had run into her a few times. Chunying was a sweet, docile girl who greeted everyone with a smile. Every time Mo Lixia saw that smile, she felt a pang of pity. Such a delicate flower, ruined by such a family.
The weather was getting warmer. On Mochen's day off, Mo Lixia took him and A'Mu to the backyard to pick cherries.
"Master, there are so many! What if we can't eat them all?" Mochen had grown much taller. He climbed the tree nimbly, calling out from the branches. At the very top, A'Mu's little mouth never stopped moving.
"In a bit, we'll bring some to Aunt Shen, Uncle Liu, and Grandpa Li."
"En! Brother Shen said yesterday he'd give me a new knife!"
"You, don't always pester your Brother Shen."
Ever since Mochen saw Shen Muqing's skills with a bow, he had been obsessed. As Shen Muqing continued to bring game and firewood to their home, the two became close. Now, whenever he was free, Mochen would take A'Mu and follow Shen Muqing into the mountains.
"Brother Shen says I'm making progress! I set the trap for that wild boar he caught last time. Master... aren't I amazing?"
"En, amazing. But you aren't allowed to do such dangerous things anymore, understood?"
"Understood! Master, the basket is full. Let's go to Aunt Shen's!" Mochen leaped down from the tree. "A'Mu, let's go!"
"Aunt Shen, are you home?"
"It's Lixia! Come in, come in." Shen Lianmei put down her embroidery. "Chen'er, why aren't you at school today?"
"Aunt Shen, I'm on break today," Mochen said, letting A'Mu hop onto his shoulder.
"Look at me, I've lost track of the days."
"Aunt Shen, I brought some cherries. The tree in the backyard is overflowing." Mo Lixia placed a basket on the table.
"You're always so thoughtful, Lixia. You've helped us so much over the years... Oh! I just finished a pair of shoes for each of you. I was going to bring them over today." Aunt Shen went into the inner room. "Sit down and try them on."
Mo Lixia and Mochen shared a look and smiled. "Thank you, Aunt Shen."
"There's no need for thanks. Think of me as your elder. If you need anything, just ask. Handmade things are always better than those bought in town." Aunt Shen knelt to help Mochen with his shoes. "A perfect fit."
"Thank you, Aunt Shen. I love the little flowers you embroidered on mine," Mo Lixia said.
"Me too!" Mochen grinned.
"I'm glad. I saw those flowers near the western mountain recently. I didn't know their name, but they were pretty, so I embroidered them."
Looking closer, Mo Lixia realized they looked like Blue Flax. "Where did you see them? They're lovely."
"By the edge of the western mountain. If you like them, I'll have Qing'er move some into your yard another day."
"Aunt Shen, is Brother Shen in the mountains?"
"No, he hasn't gone lately. He met a merchant a while back who took a liking to him. Qing'er has been traveling with him these past few days."
"Congratulations, Aunt Shen! It sounds like Brother Shen has met a benefactor."
"I hope so," Aunt Shen said, her face glowing with a mother's pride.
After leaving Aunt Shen's, they visited Uncle Liu. His son, Liu Song, had married the village chief's daughter earlier that year. The childhood sweethearts now ran a small, prosperous shop in town.
As Mo Lixia walked, she realized she had been in this world for five years already. Sometimes, she still felt a strange emptiness in her heart.
Liu Song's wife was at home and greeted them warmly. Mo Lixia handed over the cherries and was just leaving when she bumped into a frantic Midwife Fang.
"Doctor Lixia! I finally found you!" The midwife grabbed her arm, her face pale.
"Madam Fang, what's the emergency?"
"It's the Liu family's second daughter-in-law! The position was fine, but the labor has stalled since this morning. The baby won't come out! I tried the incision method you taught me, but as soon as I made the cut, she fainted! I don't know what else to do!"
Mo Lixia frowned. The second daughter-in-law... that was Er Dan's wife, Chunying.
She handed her basket to Mochen. "Chen'er, take these to Grandpa Li's house, then meet me at Er Dan's place."
"Got it, Master!"
"Madam Fang, let's go."
The two hurried toward Er Dan's house. Madam Fang, now over forty, was panting heavily, but she didn't slow down. A life was on the line.
The Liu family were the village butchers, relatively wealthy and influential because of their connections in town. They were often arrogant and had offended many people. Today, hearing about the difficult labor, many villagers had gathered outside their house to watch the drama.