Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

A young man hurried in, carrying the hem of his robe. He bowed, called out "Father-in-law," then turned to the old woman and called her "Mother-in-law." He then plopped down on the small stool the old woman had cleared for him and said, "The Lu family's child is awake. He only wants his mother to hold him and won't let anyone else touch him. He's shivering incessantly, clutching his mother's clothes tightly. He started having a fever at dusk, but after being given some ginger and lampwick soup, he fell asleep. How is Xiao Qi?" He took the mung bean soup the old woman handed him, gulped it down, and handed her the bowl, saying, "Give me another bowl." The old woman almost cried out, "He's awake, but he doesn't have a fever, he's not shivering, he doesn't speak, he doesn't drink water, he doesn't eat anything, his eyes are blank, it's like he doesn't even recognize people!"

"Huh? Are you paralyzed with fear?"

The old man, who had been silent all along, spoke up, "Don't talk nonsense. Xiao Qi's pulse is perfectly normal; she's not stupid at all, just overly frightened. Don't think it's just a little girl; Xue Wen, you're a grown man, a father yourself. Weren't you scared by that clap of thunder?"

"I was so scared that I dropped the teacup!" Qian Xuewen still felt lingering fear when he recalled the thunder at noon. "I didn't have time to do anything else, I just hugged Xiaohu. Xiaohu was so scared that his eyes rolled back! His mother and I screamed for a long time before we could finally cry out!"

"Yeah, you're such a big man, even from this far away, but that lightning struck right in front of Xiaoqi and killed three children. How could she not be scared!"

"Aunt Liu, please keep a close eye on Xiao Qi tonight. If you can't manage, sit next to him and watch over him all night. You'll have to work hard for two days, and when he's better, I'll make you a blue silk shirt."

"Look at what you're saying, sir. It's all thanks to your great fortune that the children are safe. Otherwise, how come three out of five children died, but our little seventh child is still alright!"

The old man was filled with doubts, but he couldn't afford to panic. His whole family was watching him, and he had to remain calm. Besides, this was nothing to him. What troubled him was Xiao Qi's pulse. It wasn't weak or thready; on the contrary, it was very calm and normal. It was precisely because of this that he was even more suspicious.

Aunt Liu carried a lantern, with Liu Ye'er's discarded clothes draped over her arm, and helped the old woman out to call back her soul. Liu Lian lay on the bed, lost in thought, vaguely hearing someone calling from afar, "Liu Ye'er's back!"... She suddenly realized this was a call to the soul of the original owner of this body, and a lump formed in her throat. She wondered if she could travel back now that she was dead, and how she had died. In the courtyard, the old man coughed, and Liu Lian's mind suddenly cleared: she had been electrocuted around two o'clock, and since there was no clock, it must have been past eight o'clock—a full six or seven hours. Her body was probably frozen in the freezer. Even if she could travel back, would her body still be usable? Would it still be usable? Even if it was, who knew how badly it had been damaged by the electrocution? Liu Lian hesitated. What if she couldn't travel back after dying? The more she thought about it, the more confused she became, and she couldn't help but burst into tears.

The people outside the door exchanged glances and breathed a sigh of relief. A young woman lifted the curtain and came in, pulling Liulian into her arms and gently comforting her, patting her back softly. The more Liulian thought about it, the sadder she became, and her sobs grew louder.

Just as dawn was breaking, a strong rooster crowed loudly. Having rarely heard a real rooster crow, it sounded quite novel. After a good night's sleep, she was no longer depressed or resentful. Many people die and are simply gone, while she was fortunate to be reborn in another world. Although she hadn't been lucky in her previous life, she believed that this second life was fate's compensation. Once she let go, she wouldn't hold grudges anymore.

Lingering at the top of the tent, he wondered whether to lift the curtain and get out himself, or wait for Liu Ma to call him. He thought to himself that this family could afford a maid, so they couldn't be very poor. And why did they call him Xiao Qi? Was he the seventh child? Never mind, he decided to stay put, observe more, play dumb to save his life, and lie down a little longer.

She'd been lying in bed since yesterday, her body stiff as a board. Liulian carefully moved her neck and arms while listening intently to the sounds outside. There was a rustling in the room; could someone else be there? She remembered seeing a kang (heated brick bed) in the room yesterday, covered with a mat and a small table, all very clean. Hearing the sound of shoes being put on, Liulian quickly closed her eyes. It was Liu Ma again. She lifted the curtain, patted Liulian's head, and softly called, "Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi." Liulian opened her eyes, feigning ignorance as she looked at Liu Ma. Liu Ma smiled and said, "Xiao Qi, the sun's already high in the sky. Get up, come and choose some clothes for yourself." She pulled Liulian up. There weren't many clothes in the closet, so Liulian picked out a light green dress and changed herself inside the bed curtains. This body hadn't fully developed yet; she was probably only twelve or thirteen at most. Though not yet fully grown, she wasn't too short either; she figured she'd grow tall once she matured. Aunt Liu opened the door, and fresh air rushed in. She took a deep breath, ready to welcome the newborn.

The first rays of morning sunlight dazzled her eyes; the willow leaves bathed in sunlight looked like tender, fresh scallions. Aunt Liu was busy in the kitchen, the smoke from the chimneys billowing merrily. She lingered, taking in her surroundings. The courtyard, with its five main rooms and three side rooms, was spacious and bright. She lived in the west wing; the door to the main room was not yet open. The east room was the kitchen, and the south room was a passageway with two rooms on each side. There was a porch at the back, and the door was in the middle. Two large pomegranate trees stood in the courtyard.

A young man, leading a small child, came from between the east and north houses, presumably living in the backyard. The child saw Liu and excitedly rushed over, hugging her tightly, saying, "Auntie, are you alright?" The man said to the child, "Don't bother your auntie, come with me to buy some fried dough sticks!" The little boy stubbornly said, "I want to play with Auntie." The man told him not to cause trouble and then went out.

Granny Liu brought out a basin of water. She told Xiao Hu and Liu Ye to wash their faces, and then took out a comb to carefully comb Liu Ye's hair. She tied it into two small buns, each adorned with an apricot-yellow velvet flower. The door to the main room opened, revealing a bruise under the old lady's eyes, clearly indicating she hadn't slept well. She said to Granny Liu, "First, grind the soybeans to make soy milk, then smiled and said to Xiao Hu, 'Xiao Hu, don't bother your aunt, let her rest a bit. Your aunt was terrified yesterday!' She then asked Liu Ye, 'Are you feeling better? What would you like to eat? Tell me, and I'll get it for you.' Liu Ye shook her head. The old lady, her eyes full of doubt, forced herself to remain calm and went to prepare breakfast."

The old man walked over. He took Liu Ye'er's hand and carefully examined it. After a long while, he said calmly, "It's nothing, your pulse is very normal. Don't be afraid, you're a good child, lightning won't strike you!" Liu Lian nodded solemnly, understanding that from now on she would be called Liu Ye'er.