Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

Days passed uneventfully. Grandma Huo seized every opportunity to teach Liu Ye'er social skills and various essential life skills. Occasionally, when Dr. Huo wasn't busy, he would teach her about common medicinal herbs and simple prescriptions. Liu Ye'er found this very engaging; the teacher was dedicated, and the student was diligent. Liu Ye'er even practiced calligraphy by copying prescriptions. The two would sit under a tree, fanning themselves and chatting animatedly, thoroughly enjoying themselves. Grandma Huo could only sigh inwardly: she felt she had taught Liu Ye'er very well, and everything else was fine, but her needlework was the only thing she couldn't do well, which she regretted. Grandma Huo had gone through menopause a few years ago, and for some reason, she had been experiencing frequent spotting lately, giving her an ominous feeling—she had learned quite a bit of medical knowledge from following doctors for decades. These past few days, perhaps from the cool breeze, her back ached terribly. Coupled with the damp and hot weather, it was stifling and hard to breathe. She lay on the kang, watching Liulian embroider, eager to pass on all the ways of a wife to her, teaching her how to deal with her in-laws, how to manage her husband, how to raise her children, how to manage the servants, and how to handle affairs. The more she talked, the more flustered she became, afraid that she wouldn't have enough time to teach this child—she would have no face to see Changsheng if she didn't teach this child well.

Liu Lian noticed the old woman's unusual behavior and even began to worry about her health. Thinking about how the old man had been listless these days, often lost in thought when alone, and how he forced a smile and seemed restless when teaching her, she guessed he had already diagnosed his wife's illness. Therefore, she adopted a more serious attitude, humbly learning various needlework techniques, and in her spare time, she would try to make some delicious soups to coax the old woman to drink. After drinking the soup, the old woman would often sigh: "When your mother was alive, she was a skilled needleworker. My skills aren't bad either, but I just couldn't teach you to be like her. It turns out all my cleverness was used up here. Silly child, no matter how good the food is, it goes into your stomach; who can see it? But good needlework is worn on the body; everyone can see it!"

Liu Lian argued, "Godmother, if the food is good, I can eat it myself and benefit from it. But if the clothes are good, it's for others to see. It's not worth it for me to put in so much effort just to look good!"

The old lady was amused by her antics, and even Sixth Sister, who was fanning herself, was doubled over with laughter. Eldest Brother, oblivious to the situation, joined in the silly giggles. After a pause, the old lady finally spoke seriously: "Having many skills is never a burden. Even if you don't cook yourself, you should understand the ins and outs and not be bullied by the servants. As for the food, do you really want to be in the kitchen every day, surrounded by smoke and fire? Why would you give up being a mistress to become a kitchen maid?" Having already tacitly approved of Liu Ye'er's marriage to Constable Gong, the old lady slightly changed her plans for Liu Ye'er, adding the task of dealing with servants to her curriculum.

Liu Lian understood the old lady's good intentions and felt very warm inside. She said seriously, "Godmother, needlework requires a lot of practice. This can't be rushed. I will practice diligently!" The old lady nodded with satisfaction. "Your father entrusted you to me. Your upbringing, character, manners, and actions are all acceptable. If you can learn needlework, even if I die right now, I can give your father a satisfactory answer!"

"Pah, pah, pah, Mother, you're so clumsy! What nonsense are you spouting! Little Seven, go boil some perilla water for me. Eldest Brother, go out for a walk with your aunt. See what your brother-in-law is doing up ahead, tell him to buy more vegetables and meat. Judging by the weather, it looks like a downpour is brewing." Liu Ye'er pulled Eldest Brother away, while Sixth Sister began to complain about her mother. Old Madam Huo kept her eyes closed, humming and hawing in response.

Making perilla water is very easy: simply dry the perilla leaves on a tile, store them away, and when needed, just pour boiling water over them. Liu Lian lit a small charcoal stove, boiled some water, and poured it into a teapot to cool. Chang Ge'er always looked for something to eat when he went into the kitchen, so Liu Lian cracked an egg, added a pinch of flour, and finely chopped a scallion to make an omelet. Chang Ge'er then happily followed Liu Lian to the front yard with the omelet.

Liu Lian used the remaining hot water to make tea for Old Man Huo, and then conveyed the Empress's decree to Xue Wen. Old Man Huo urged him to go and return early to avoid getting wet on the way, so Xue Wen took out one hundred coins from the counter and went to buy groceries. Old Man Huo, with his eyes closed, leaned back in his recliner and chatted with her for a while, then said, "If you want to go out, go for a walk, but don't go too far."

After thinking for a moment, he said, "There's no cool breeze outside, so let's not go out!"

Old Man Huo smiled approvingly. "If you don't want to go, then don't go. Tomorrow, I'll have your brother-in-law catch the bus so we can all go to the big locust tree to cool off. It's too stuffy today!" The lobby was unusually quiet, so the shop assistants leaned over the counter to play with Chang Ge'er. A car pulled up outside, and two men carried in a person whose face was flushed, clearly suffering from heatstroke. Old Man Huo jumped up, lingered for a moment, and then quietly withdrew. Chang Ge'er refused to go back to the inner courtyard and stayed in the pharmacy with the shop assistants.

Since it wasn't a serious illness, the patient woke up after the acupuncture, was given a bowl of medicine, and was fine. Dr. Huo instructed the patient to drink some sugar-salt mung bean soup. The three thanked him profusely and left, and the lobby returned to silence. Old Man Huo then asked his waiter to take the eldest son to a shady spot for a walk, but in this weather, even the shady spot wasn't cool.

The dog panted heavily, its tongue lolling out, while the cicadas' cacophony was irritating. The sun seemed to be everywhere, its location unknown, yet also omnipresent. The clouds, far from blocking the sunlight, acted like a thick quilt, completely sealing it off. There wasn't a breath of air in the doorway. Lingering there, she couldn't help but deeply miss the air conditioning of her past life. She fanned herself vigorously with a palm leaf fan, but to no avail; the air she produced was hot, leaving her hand aching for nothing. A shower was no use; she was already drenched in sweat before she could even dry herself. Her pores were wide open, water seeping in as she drank, her clothes sticking to her skin—it was maddening. The elderly couple, Mr. and Mrs. Huo, forbade her from wearing shorts and a t-shirt anymore, showing no leniency. In this kind of weather, she felt like her skin was being peeled off, yet she had to be dressed so neatly, inside and out—it was pure torture.

Others also suffered from the heat, but not like her. It seems modern people have central heating in winter and air conditioning in summer, sheltered from wind and rain, spoiling their bodies so much that they can't tolerate even a little heat. She sighed, unsure whether to respect or pity the ancients. Thinking about it, she realized that even in this state, she still had the energy to worry about such things; she truly knew how to find joy in hardship.

A carriage stopped outside the door, someone greeted them, and two strong men carried in a large piece of ice. Liu Lian hurriedly ran to lift the bamboo curtain of the main room, staring intently at the ice. It must be the most beautiful thing in the world.