Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

Liu Lian finally managed to squeeze through the crowd and met Feng Xian, whose flower crown was askew and who was panting heavily. Feng Xian didn't care about appearances anymore and shoved Liu Lian aside. "You're so lazy! You even brought a cushion, afraid your bottom would get cold? Go get me a bowl of hot tea! I'm dying of thirst!"

"Eldest sister, there isn't even a tea stall here, where can we call one for you? Let's rest for a bit, catch our breath, and then we'll find a place to eat!"

"Alright, alright, let me rest for a bit. You know what, having big feet has its advantages!"

After resting for a while, Fengxian helped Liulian walk westward. They drank two bowls of papaya juice along the way before entering a small restaurant. The waiter diligently brought a pot of chrysanthemum tea and four small dishes: candied plums, knotweed flowers, pickled cucumber, and bamboo shoots with beans. Fengxian asked Liulian what she wanted to eat. Liulian dared not speak carelessly, as she didn't know which dishes were available in this era, how they were cooked, or what they were called. She vaguely replied, "I've never been here before. I don't know what they have. Just order, elder sister!" Fengxian smiled and ordered two bowls of tofu soup, a basket of mutton buns, a basket of crab buns, and two bowls of gourd soup.

The tofu soup was light and refreshing, and the steamed buns were small, about six inches in size, and very delicious. The so-called "gourd soup" was basically mutton stew with gourd, and it was even better. It must be said, Fengxian knew how to order; the total cost was just over thirty copper coins—cheap, delicious, and filling. After resting for a while, the two decided not to squeeze in any more and hailed a horse-drawn carriage to go home.

Over the next few days, Liulian, too lazy to go through the crowds, followed Old Man Huo back to Shiqiao Town. Shiqiao Town was much quieter now, as many people had gone to the fair. Seeing them return, Sixth Sister was overjoyed, leaving the children with Liuye and going to the fair with Xuewen. The two children were very upset, so Liulian tried various ways to amuse them.

At noon, after the two exhausted children had fallen asleep, Old Man Huo called Liu Ye'er out to sit at the stone table in the courtyard. On the table was a plate of crisp dates, bright red and glistening with dew. Old Man Huo picked one up and played with it, not putting it in his mouth, but urging Liu Ye'er to eat it quickly.

Liu Lian could already tell that Old Man Huo was nearing the end of his life, and she sighed inwardly, feeling extremely reluctant to part with him. In her previous life, no one had ever played the role of a father, and she was used to solving problems independently. However, deep down, she still longed for a father's love. Old Man Huo perfectly filled this void—he was an extremely competent father, even though Liu Ye'er was not related to her by blood! She was extremely reluctant to part with this old man, but the high-intensity work and the guilt towards his eldest daughter from his previous marriage had destroyed his health. The only solace was that his eldest daughter had forgiven him, acknowledged him, and even invited him to stay for a couple of days.

"Little Seven, your godfather might be dying. Don't say anything, don't try to comfort me! Listen to me, I might not have time to find you a marriage partner, but I've asked Master Liu for help—he's a businessman, but he's someone you can rely on. I've talked to him, and after I'm gone, you'll go with your eldest sister. Remember, you must be self-reliant. All your food and shelter will be your own responsibility. You're only drinking water from their house, do you understand?"

"I understand, I'm beholden to them because they're paying for my food!"

"Good! Good child, you are a reasonable person." Old Man Huo breathed a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on his face. "After I'm gone, it's not appropriate for you to live in the main courtyard by yourself. Secondly, the servants live in the outer courtyard, which is not safe. It's also not very convenient for you to follow your sixth sister. Do you understand?" Liu Lian nodded. There was nothing difficult to understand.

"Don't rush into marriage. Getting pregnant and having children at a young age is extremely harmful to your health. After marriage, you must protect your money and not let anyone swindle it away with a few kind words. After marriage, don't be a submissive doormat. The more agreeable you are, the less others will take you seriously! If your mother-in-law bullies you in the future, you must learn to complain to your husband and express your grievances. Be affectionate when you need to be, and squeeze out a few tears when you need to cry. There's no shame in that; men are susceptible to it."

Liu Lian found it funny and almost burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at? Don't you believe me?"

"No, godfather, everyone says you should be filial to your parents-in-law and respect your husband after marriage. Why are you doing the opposite?"

“That kind of nonsense is for outsiders. We don’t talk about such useless things. Fengxian will give you some pointers on these matters later. Don’t be like the second young mistress of the Liu family, so foolish that she can’t even handle things in her own courtyard! Her husband and maid can have a child right under her nose! She’s so useless! You’re not even as good as her. At least she has her family backing her up. You…you eat it. We’re saving it for Xiaohu’er! A patient gave it to us to cover the cost of his medicine. It was just picked this morning. It’s delicious!”

Liu Lian picked up a jujube and put it in her mouth. It wasn't as crisp and tender as a winter jujube, but the jujube flavor was richer. Chewing on the crisp jujube, a wave of sadness washed over her—the old man was already at the point of giving his last words, yet he still couldn't let go of her. These days, Liu Lian and the old man were practically inseparable. The old man was only outwardly easygoing; inwardly, he possessed great integrity. Liu Lian didn't understand medicine and didn't know the old man's skill level, but she greatly admired his meticulous work ethic. In any case, a conscientious person deserves respect. In the end, Liu Lian was actually very similar to the old man. On the surface, they seemed easygoing, open-minded, and even a little muddle-headed, but they were extremely serious about their work. Both of them were top performers in their respective fields, and even if they moved to a bigger platform, they would strive to be even bigger top performers. Liu Lian would stay up all night trying to improve a dish; the old man would rack his brains to study a rare case.

"Godfather, you've left so many debts uncollected, yet you don't collect them, while you expect me to be a miser!"

“Silly child, when my family was in trouble, the clan expelled us and cleaned the family of us. If it weren’t for your grandfather’s kindness… On the one hand, the villagers had been kind to me, and on the other hand, I was willing to give up a little money to avoid others being jealous. Besides, those who don’t pay back debts are either scoundrels or destitute. We can’t afford to offend thugs, and we don’t really have any destitute people, so even helping them out is only right. So… you’re different. You’ve moved to a new family. Even if you can’t have a better life, they can’t expect their whole family to depend on you. Besides, what good is your little bit of money? If something really happened to your family, how could they not even consider this little bit of money? They’re clearly trying to take advantage of you! This little bit of money is what your father left you to save your life. Don’t be a fool and throw it away!”

Liu Lian nodded, stopping teasing the old man. "Godfather, I remember this. This money was left to me by my father. Nobody can mess with it!"

"That's right! A decent man wouldn't covet a woman's dowry! It's for your safety and protection!"

Liu Lian nodded repeatedly. Seeing that Old Master Huo looked tired, he advised him to go back to his room and rest. The old man nodded and they went back to their rooms.