A piece of Japanese incense

Xiaohan opened the door, holding herbs in his hands, and walked out of San Sheng Tang.

During this period, a subtle emotion quietly grew in my heart, a kind of hesitation about extending a helping hand.

I often think that everyone's life is like a river flowing alone, so why should I insist on getting involved in other people's whirlpools?

The streets were crowded with people, and Xiaohan was like a stream that drifted away from the mainstream, quietly moving through. Her steps were heavy and firm, and each step was in the gap where people's eyes met.

The sunlight was shining overhead, but it seemed to be deliberately avoiding her, casting only mottled shadows on the shoulders of others.

Looking at Xiaohan's back, Du Fu's poem came to my mind: I wish I had thousands of spacious houses, to shelter all the poor people in the world and make them happy.

The ideas that the nine years of compulsory education instilled in me suddenly dawned on me at this moment. In that shabby thatched cottage, in that poet's eyes that contained thousands of sufferings, he suffered from his own powerlessness, he was in the cold but was concerned about more people struggling in suffering.

Just like the stars adorning the night sky, my existence should not only shine for myself, but also illuminate the way forward for others. My heartstrings were gently plucked, it was a call from deep in my heart, urging me to reach out and become a beam of light in their lives.

"Yutuan, please call Xiaohan back quickly. I have something else to tell you."

Xiaohan followed Yutuan and stepped into Sanshengtang again.

"This is red powder. I forgot to give it to you. Take a little and put it in your nose. Inhale and spit it out. You can also apply it all over your body to resist the evil spirits. This one medicine has multiple uses. Come in and I will show you how to apply it to the affected area."

I pulled her into the room again and whispered to her, "I will try my best to save your family. If I succeed, I will set off colorful fireworks outside the mansion at the first watch as a signal. If I fail, I will also set off fireworks at the first watch, but only red ones."

The corners of her mouth rose slightly, as if she was smiling, but that smile was mixed with an imperceptible bitterness, like a flower that was about to wither, with its final splendor but also revealing a helpless sorrow.

"Miss Zhi... I, you don't have to go this far. I... I promised you that I wouldn't tell anyone, so..."

I laughed happily: "I just can't bear to part with my hairpin, please return it to me as soon as possible!"

Xiaohan hurriedly took out a hairpin from his sleeve and handed it to me. His breathing was sometimes rapid and sometimes slow. Between his brows, there was a hint of melancholy, like an insurmountable mountain.

"Xiao Han, you and I have been through hardships together, and we are friends. To be my friend, you must share the happiness with me~"

Xiaohan hesitated for a moment, but soon she bent down with a sneer. I anticipated her prediction and took the lead to put my arm around her shoulders: "Hey~ Don't kneel down all the time! And don't call me Miss, just call me Ah He!"

Xiaohan's fingers unconsciously stroked the wrinkles on the corners of his clothes: "Ah... Ah He? Why are you helping me..."

I said passionately: "Every time you help, it is an affirmation of the kindness of human nature and a contribution to social harmony. Be compassionate, don't care about gains and losses, and practice the belief of 'helping others for pleasure' with practical actions. Helping others is not a burden, but a spiritual sublimation. It makes me feel the value and meaning of life, and also makes me gain inner peace and joy in the process of giving. Every good deed may become a force to change the fate of others, and it is also an important way to shape your own character."

Yutuan and Yuyi looked at me like I was an idiot. Xiaohan hesitated for a moment and said with a half-smile, "Why can't I understand what you are saying..."

(Oh my god, why did I say the college entrance examination reading comprehension question… wipe your sweat.)

"Ahem! Well, just think of it as me being unable to tolerate people taking advantage of their power to bully others!"

Xiaohan's eyes flashed with a gentle light: "Zhi... Ah He, thank you, thank you all!"

I calmly changed the subject and explained to her how to take a medicinal bath: "Use medicine to reduce sweating. After taking a medicinal bath, you don't need to rinse again. Just dry yourself and get dressed. But you must dry yourself immediately after bathing to prevent your pores from opening and being easily exposed to cold wind."

Xiaohan nodded slightly unconsciously, and the corners of his mouth rose involuntarily.

"You don't have to be so happy. I'll do my best. Don't get your hopes up."

Xiaohan's laughter was like a string of pearls breaking off a string, rolling crisply and continuously in the quiet air.

"Girl, she is too happy." Yutuan took my arm and looked at Xiaohan in disbelief.

"I just remembered Fang Juexia, hahaha, she, she went to trouble my sister two days ago, I was in a bad mood, so I didn't give her medicine, and the food was not too greasy, so she didn't have acne in those two days. She thought it was because she took two more baths after returning home, so it worked. She bathed, changed clothes and basked in the sun every day, hahaha."

"No wonder her face looked a lot darker. I thought it was caused by acne. Hahaha." Yutuan laughed wildly.

"Xiao Han, don't drug yourself, or you will get a scar." Yu Yi said with concern.

Xiaohan nodded with a smile: "Yes! You don't have to call me Xiaohan anymore. My family calls me Tiantian, which is as sweet as honey."

"Sweetie! If we want to convey information in the future, can we still use fireworks as a signal?"

"Girl! If it's really an emergency, why set off fireworks in the daytime?" Yuyi interrupted me.

"Yeah..." I was worried for a moment. It was so troublesome to contact him without a mobile phone.

I looked at the medicinal herbs in Tiantian's hand and suddenly had an idea.

I took a copy of the Neijing from the bookshelf and handed it to her: "In addition to using fireworks as a token to save your family, we will use this book as the basis for future communications."

"What do you mean?" The three of them asked at the same time in confusion.

"Xiao Han, no, Tiantian, do you have anyone you know in your house who can go out?"

"You borrowed the medical book under the pretext of curing Fang Juexia's illness. If you have any message to convey, smear the pages with white vinegar. We will lend you the medical book again. If you burn it with fire, the words will gradually appear."

"Ah? Is this possible..."

"Once or twice, there shouldn't be any problem." I was immersed in my own cleverness.

Watching Tiantian leave San Sheng Tang with peace of mind.

Her figure gradually blurred, like a brushstroke gently erased by a painter. First the edges began to fade, and then the outline became hazy.

The noise of the crowd faded away in my ears, as if I were stepping into another parallel world where only the echo of my own footsteps could be heard.

I watched as Tiantian’s presence waned, like a drop of water falling into the sea, quickly blending in without leaving a trace.

My mood also relaxed a lot. Next, I thought about how to save her family. I went back to the back hall and lay on the hospital bed in a daze.