maidservant

Chapter 143 Making Up for the Misfortunes of Childhood

Nian'er nodded somewhat dejectedly and whispered, "I can't read." She knew in her heart that these prescriptions concerned the patient's safety, and she absolutely could not touch them without permission; she could only watch over them from the side.

Besides helping the older brothers and sisters with moving and cleaning, when she has free time, she will gently pick up a small handful of medicinal herbs, bring her little head close, her nose trembling slightly, and carefully smell them.

Her focused expression made it seem as if the whole world consisted only of her and the medicinal herbs in her hands.

"This taste is in the pills we just distributed," she muttered softly.

A worker who was sorting medicinal herbs nearby saw this and couldn't help but tease, "Nian'er, your nose is even more sensitive than a dog's!"

Nian'er smiled shyly, but didn't stop what she was doing.

She picked up another herb, smelled it, and said seriously, "This one smells different from the previous one; it has a slightly bitter aroma."

The waiter raised an eyebrow in surprise and said, "Hey, you're right, this is Bupleurum chinense, it has a special bitter aroma."

Just then, Yunshan walked into the pharmacy and saw Nian'er intently smelling the herbs. Her gaze softened instantly, and her thoughts drifted back to the past.

At that time, she had just joined Yan Yu's side and was about the same age as Nian'er. Third Aunt always took these young girls to the pharmacy to teach them how to identify medicinal herbs.

"Sister Yu, this is ginseng. It tastes slightly bitter but has a sweet aftertaste. Smell it carefully." The gentle voice of the Third Aunt still seemed to echo in our ears.

At that time, I had just found a stable place to live and escaped the pursuit of death. I was filled with gratitude, curiosity and awe for everything.

Looking at the hardworking and adorable Nian'er in front of her, Yun Shan felt a pang of pity and emotion.

She walked over slowly, gently patted Nian'er's head, and said, "Nian'er, don't worry, I will teach you to read and recognize medicinal herbs in the future."

Nian'er looked up, her eyes sparkling with surprise, and nodded vigorously: "Really? Shopkeeper, that's wonderful!"

In life, there are always some strange bonds that allow us to see our childhood selves in others. This is the case with Yunshan and Nian'er. Looking at Nian'er's innocent and naive appearance, Yunshan felt not only pity, but also a strong desire to make up for her own childhood.

Yunshan, once destitute and starving, had no choice but to become a slave. It was a painful past that she couldn't bear to recall. Whenever the night was quiet, those memories would flood back like a tide, overwhelming her.

Although life as Gan Tang was not bad, during the nine days of imprisonment after her home was searched, in the small, dark cell with the stench of decay emanating from the damp floor, she huddled in a corner, surrounded by desperate cries and fearful sobs.

Every day, she teetered on the edge of life and death, unsure whether tomorrow would bring the dawn of life or the shadow of death. Her life was like a drifting duckweed, entirely out of her own hands.

That deep sense of powerlessness and fear of fate, even after time has passed, still lingers like a thorn in my side.

Looking at Nian'er now, Yun Shan secretly made up her mind that she absolutely could not let Nian'er repeat her mistakes and could not let her be enslaved.

Yunshan knew all too well that once one was registered as a slave, it was like falling into an endless abyss of darkness, bound and enslaved for life, losing freedom and dignity, and obtaining a free status would be extremely difficult. Since she had decided to keep Nian'er, Yunshan secretly planned to ensure that she would be a child with a free status.

She seemed to see what Nian'er's future life would be like, where Nian'er could run freely in the sunshine, go to school to learn to read and write, and not be burdened by her identity or manipulated by fate like she was when she was a child.

Yunshan wanted to give Nian'er a fresh start, a life full of hope and possibilities. She silently planned in her heart that after this busy period, she would inquire about the household registration matters, find a stable identity for Nian'er, and let her have a place of her own in this chaotic world, so that she could live uprightly and freely.

After a long period of gloom shrouding Kyoto, a month has quietly passed.

For the past month, every resident of Kyoto has lived in constant fear, on guard against the possibility of another outbreak of the plague.

Fortunately, under the dual protection of the antipyretic pills and the plague-avoiding pills, the rampant plague, which was as fierce as a demon, finally seemed to be tamed like a beast, gradually restraining its claws and teeth, and its momentum was effectively suppressed.

At dawn, the first rays of sunlight struggled to pierce through the thick clouds and spilled onto the streets and alleys of Kyoto.

At the entrance of Yunshan Medical Clinic, Nian'er, who had gotten up early, was struggling to hang up a sign that read "On Duty Today".

Yun Shan stood at the doorway, gazing at the street. She took a deep breath, and the nauseating stench of decay and medicine in the air seemed to have lessened considerably.

"Master, look, the streets seem more lively now," said Nian'er, the little apprentice beside him, her eyes sparkling.

Yun Shan smiled and nodded: "Yes, the plague is finally over, and Kyoto should come back to life."

However, the scene on the street evoked mixed feelings.

The once bustling and vibrant streets of Kyoto are now desolate.

Most of the shops were closed. The two or three months of closure had left many shop doors covered in dust and cobwebs, like corners forgotten by time.

Some shop signs were even teetering on the brink of collapse, creaking in the breeze as if telling the story of the hardships and vicissitudes of the past.

"What am I going to do? My shop has been closed for so long, and these ready-made clothes for early autumn are already not selling. I've almost spent all my savings on medicine, and now I have to buy so much new material. I don't know how business will be when I reopen."

Not far away, the owner of a clothing store sighed, his face full of anxiety and helplessness.

The owner of the rice shop next door chimed in, "Who says otherwise? The rice I've stockpiled is almost spoiled. If I really want to reopen, I'll need to buy new stock, but where will I get the money?"

At this moment, a strong young man couldn't help but say, "Everyone is having a hard time, but we can't just stay locked up like this forever. I think we need to find a way to reopen as soon as possible, otherwise our whole family will starve."

"Easy for you to say. Where will the money for opening come from?" the cloth shop owner replied irritably. "Besides, although the plague is under control now, people are unwilling to spend money on these material things. If no one is willing to spend money, what good will it do us to make new clothes?"

People sighed. The plague made ordinary people hold onto their money tightly. They had no interest in going out to buy things. They just wanted to protect their money and be safe, so that they wouldn't be short of money when they encountered illness.