My Taoist nun girlfriend is from the Republic of China era, 1942.

Chapter 62 Sisters
As morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, Lu Yuan groggily reached out and grabbed only a soft, thin blanket.

The lingering scent on the pillow mingled with the warm fragrance of sunshine, yet my arms felt empty.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. Lu Yuan got out of bed, yawning, and walked over. Chen Xiaomiao was brushing her teeth.

The girl in the mirror had messy hair and a little white foam on the corner of her mouth, looking like a little fox who had just stolen some cream.

"morning……"

Lu Yuan stepped forward to wash up, his chest almost pressed against Chen Xiaomiao's back.

What do you want to eat this morning?

Chen Xiaomiao's mouth was full of foam, and her voice was muffled.

Lu Yuan lowered his head and rubbed his chin against the whorl of hair on the top of her head.

"It doesn't matter what I eat, but you should eat more good food."

"What?"

Chen Xiaomiao rinsed her mouth clean, then turned and glared at him.

"You're so skinny," Lu Yuan said, squeezing her delicate wrist. "It's uncomfortable to hold you at night."

“You…”

Chen Xiaomiao elbowed Lu Yuan backward, bumping him lightly but firmly in the ribs. Her face flushed, she turned and rushed out, muttering to herself.

"Tonight... don't even think about hugging me again tonight..."

On the breakfast table were golden fried dough sticks and steaming hot tofu pudding. Sun Yao just stared at the bowl and didn't touch her chopsticks.

Thinking that Yao Yao was being reserved, Chen Xiaomiao quickly pushed the small jar of sugar over to her: "Yao Yao, don't be shy, make yourself at home, eat as much as you want!"

Lu Yuan tossed the peeled tea egg into Chen Xiaomiao's bowl: "She has a follow-up appointment today, so she needs to fast."

Chen Xiaomiao didn't understand why, so she just said "Oh" and awkwardly withdrew her hand.

Sun Yao was clutching the hem of her clothes, her fingertips turning white. She couldn't help but ramble on, "What's there to be afraid of? If you're sick, just get treatment. Back then, there weren't even any doctors to help us! We couldn't afford to hide our illnesses and avoid seeking medical help..."

Sun Yao forced a smile and replied, "Sister-in-law, one of the follow-up tests is a bone marrow biopsy. Although it's not my first time doing it, I'm still a little nervous."

"Bone marrow aspiration?"

Chen Xiaomiao blinked blankly, a half-eaten fried dough stick dangling from her mouth.

"It's about using a drill..."

Lu Yuan slowly sipped his tofu pudding, made a rotating gesture, and deliberately scared him, saying, "I'll make a hole in your spine, insert a tube, and 'slurp'—suck out the bone marrow."

"what……"

Chen Xiaomiao felt her hair stand on end and completely lost her appetite.

But not wanting to waste it, she dumped the rest of her food into Lu Yuan's bowl, then turned and went back to her room to change her clothes...

The smell of disinfectant in the hospital always made people feel uneasy. Lu Yuan went to pay the fee and get a number, while Chen Xiaomiao stayed by Sun Yao's side.

The various examinations proceeded smoothly: blood tests, ultrasound, electrocardiogram... The last one was the bone marrow aspiration that Sun Yao feared the most.

After the surgery, Lu Yuan went to get the blood test report, while Chen Xiaomiao accompanied her to rest in the observation room next door.

Lying on the hospital bed, Sun Yao's face was even paler than before, and her forehead was covered with a fine layer of cold sweat.

Chen Xiaomiao asked with concern, "Yaoyao, are you alright?"

Sun Yao gave a muffled "hmm".

"So... what does it feel like to have bone marrow extracted?" Chen Xiaomiao couldn't help but ask, both curious and anxious.

"Actually, they didn't extract bone marrow."

Sun Yao turned her head to the side, her voice weak and feeble: "I was given anesthesia, so it didn't hurt. But I could clearly feel something pushing against my bones, drilling into them, and my whole lower back felt sore and swollen."

Chen Xiaomiao got goosebumps from listening and secretly clicked her tongue in amazement.

These days, getting medical treatment is so scary!
As they chatted, Sun Yao suddenly asked, "Sister-in-law, do you have an older sister or a younger sister?"

Chen Xiaomiao was stunned for a moment, and a beautiful and dignified face appeared in her mind.

"I have an older sister named Chen Xiaozhi, but we're not related by blood..."

"So how does your sister treat you? Is she mean to you?"

"fierce!"

Chen Xiaomiao nodded without hesitation: "She's really fierce! When I was little, I was disobedient and lazy, which made her angry, and she would spank me hard!"

Sun Yao listened intently: "Are you afraid of her?"

"I wouldn't say I'm afraid."

Chen Xiaomiao tilted her head, lost in memories.

"My elder sister is like a mother... My master saved my life. It was Sister Xiaozhi who raised me from a little girl, mended my clothes, did my laundry and cooked for me."

If the temple was short of food, she would save her own rations for me. In the cold winter, she would give me all the best cotton fabric to make clothes, while she herself wore only thin clothes…”

Sun Yao lowered her eyes thoughtfully and sighed softly, "My sister seems to be similar to yours, but why... why am I always afraid of her?"

"That's because you're too timid!" Chen Xiaomiao said with the air of someone who'd been there before: "You need to reason with your sister!"

"Reasonable?"

"Correct!"

Chen Xiaomiao nodded emphatically. "Not only do you have to reason with her, but you also have to tell her what's on your mind!"

Sister Xiaozhi isn't always right. If she wrongs me, I'll argue with her and debate with her. Even if she beats me up, I won't accept it.

I even swore to myself that I would never be with her in this lifetime...hehe!

As Chen Xiaomiao was talking, she started laughing at herself.

"But when Sister Xiaozhi realized she was wrong, she came to apologize to me and gave me a hot roasted sweet potato. My heart softened, and I got back together with her."

Ultimately, they're all family; there's no such thing as holding a grudge overnight.

Sun Yao listened quietly, a glint of light flashing in her eyes.

.........

An hour later, after confirming that Sun Yao had no adverse reactions, the three left the hospital.

Lu Yuan had just finished showering that evening and was drying his hair in his pajamas when he came out of the master bedroom when he heard faint sobbing coming from the guest bedroom.

He paused, then quickly went over and pushed open the door.

Chen Xiaomiao was sitting on the edge of the bed, gently patting Sun Yao's back, looking completely at a loss.

Sun Yao buried her head in the blanket, her shoulders heaving as she sobbed uncontrollably.

"What's wrong?" Lu Yuan asked in a low voice.

Sun Yao didn't answer, she just cried.

Chen Xiaomiao glanced back at Lu Yuan, hesitated, and finally sighed helplessly.

Lu Yuan's gaze fell on the bedside table, where Sun Yao's phone screen was still lit up, showing the end of a call.

The caller's contact name was "older sister," and the call lasted one hour and seven minutes.

"Xiao Miao, you stay with Yao Yao for now."

Lu Yuan turned and left the room.

Back in the master bedroom, Lu Yuan found Sun Yu's number and dialed it.

A burst of deafening music and laughter came through the receiver, and after about ten seconds, the background noise suddenly quieted down, as if someone had retreated into a small, confined space.

"cousin?"

Sun Yu's voice betrayed her deep exhaustion, but she still forced herself to stay awake: "Is Yao Yao asleep yet...?"

Lu Yuan sighed: "I've been crying ever since I finished talking to you on the phone."

There was a sudden silence on the other end of the phone, with only suppressed breathing sounds.

After a long pause, Sun Yu finally spoke, her voice hoarse, each word seemingly squeezed out from between her teeth: "She told me... she doesn't want to study anymore. Cousin, you know me... I'm working two jobs right now just to pay for her medical bills and next semester's tuition! Her saying 'I don't want to study' really..."

She took a deep breath, her voice trembling with a sob.

"Did I... push Yao Yao too hard?"

“She’s afraid of you,” Lu Yuan said honestly. “The more afraid she is, the less she can learn.”

Sun Yu seemed to have all her strength drained away, and murmured, "Then... what should I do?"

"Give her some fresh air." Lu Yuan looked out at the dark night: "A string stretched too tight will break."

After hanging up the phone, Lu Yuan sat by the bed for a long time until the door was gently pushed open.

Chen Xiaomiao took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. She sat down in front of Lu Yuan with a "plop" on her back, head down and silent, like a primary school student who had done something wrong and was waiting to be scolded.

"What's wrong?"

"Should I not have said those things to Yao Yao today?"

Chen Xiaomiao muttered to herself, "If I hadn't given them that bad advice, the two sisters wouldn't have been arguing."

Lu Yuan reached out and ruffled her hair: "You just finished comforting one, and now another one comes along for me to comfort?"

Chen Xiaomiao remained silent, her cheeks puffing out slightly.

"Little Miao, every family has its own troubles."

Lu Yuan withdrew his hand and said in a gentle tone, "Many things can't be solved by reasoning. You and your sister Xiaozhi are one thing, but Yaoyao and her sister are another."

"Then...what should we do?"

Chen Xiaomiao looked up, her eyes filled with worry.

"Don't worry, at least you're right about one thing."

"What are you talking about?"

"They're all brothers and sisters, there's no need for grudges to last overnight..."

Chen Xiaomiao stared blankly at Lu Yuan, her eyes suddenly feeling a little hot.

The next second, she lunged forward and crashed into Lu Yuan's arms.

Lu Yuan took the opportunity to put his arm around Chen Xiaomiao and chuckled in her ear, "Didn't you say you wouldn't let me hug you tonight?"

The person in his arms seemed not to hear him, but buried their face deeply in his warm chest, and after a long while, finally let out a mutter.

"Lu Yuan, I miss Sister Xiaozhi..."

(End of this chapter)