Chapter 40: Crossing the Desert for Reed Flowers

Chapter 40: Crossing the Desert for Reed Flowers

The frostbite on her chapped skin swelled and became infected overnight. When Sui Yu woke up in the morning, she noticed something was wrong with her foot. Sitting on the bed, she called out, "Captain Zhao, light the oil lamp with a firebrand."

Zhao Xiping pushed the wood further into the stove and took a burning branch to protect the flame as he went outside. He opened the door and asked, "Why do you need an oil lamp when it's already daylight?"

"I need to look at my foot; it's too dark inside." Sui Yu put on four layers of pants and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. As the oil lamp lit up, she extended her foot to examine it. Her right foot had swollen, and the chapped frostbite had not scabbed over; instead, pus was oozing from it.

Sui Yu muttered and kicked the man holding the oil lamp, saying, "Get me my shoes; they're over there."

Zhao Xiping glanced at her, then walked over to fetch her shoes, also telling Sui Liang, "Wake up; the buns are almost ready."

Sui Yu took the shoes and put them on. The moment her foot touched the ground, she paused. The straw shoes were hard and rough, rubbing against her swollen foot like sandpaper. She tried taking another step but ended up limping.

Zhao Xiping had already entered the kitchen to check the fire. Hearing the commotion, he turned around and frowned, asking, "Does your foot hurt?"

"My foot is swollen, making the shoe feel tight. The rubbing against the straw hurts, and I'm afraid it will make the frostbite worse." Sui Yu motioned for him to get up and sat down herself, sighing in relief. "It's a blessing in disguise; if we were selling buns today, I'd be miserable."

Zhao Xiping remained silent. She usually took great care of her frostbitten feet, but yesterday's events had clearly upset her. He poured warm water from the stove into a basin and placed it in front of her, saying, "Wash up; call me when you're done so I can empty the basin."

He then left the kitchen and rummaged through the bedroom. By the time Sui Yu called for breakfast, he had found an old pair of straw shoes covered in dust. These shoes were made from rice straw and reed flowers, keeping his feet warm even during heavy snowfall. He cherished them deeply and only wore them during the coldest days of winter.

"Here, wear my shoes. They won't hurt your feet; they're soft." He brushed off the dust and handed the shoes to Sui Yu.

Sui Yu examined the shoes and said, "These must be very warm. Did you make them yourself?"

"No, an Uncle Niu who fought alongside me made them." Zhao Xiping washed his hands and lifted the lid of the pot to serve the buns, asking Sui Yu and Sui Liang which filling they preferred.

"Can you ask him to make a pair for me and Brother Liang? We'll pay him." Sui Yu put on the shoes, but they were too big, even with the reed flowers providing some insulation. "There are reed beds in Dunhuang, why don't you collect some reed flowers? They're better than dry grass for keeping out the wind. Oh, give me a bean sprout bun."

Zhao Xiping used chopsticks to pick one out and hand it to her, saying, "There aren't enough reed flowers for everyone. By the time I thought about it, the reed beds were already bare." He glanced at her feet and added, "Uncle Niu lost a hand during the war; he can't make shoes anymore."

"So these shoes have been with you for several years? They're quite durable."

"Three years." Zhao Xiping swallowed a mouthful of food and looked at Sui Yu and Sui Liang. "After breakfast, stay in bed to keep warm. I need to go out for a while; I'll be back by noon to heat up the buns and cook porridge."

Sui Yu wiggled her foot and smiled, saying, "Thank you, Captain Zhao. I'll wait for you to serve us three meals a day."

Serve? Zhao Xiping gave her a sidelong glance.

With their stomachs full, Sui Yu sat by the stove, chatting with him as he prepared to leave. She got up to return to bed but cried out in pain after just a few steps. "Captain Zhao, come help me."

Zhao Xiping didn't hesitate and came over to support her, puzzled. "Still hurting?"

"It hurts." Sui Yu nodded firmly. "Last year, both my feet were chapped and I wore worn-out straw shoes in the snow all day without any issues. Now that someone cares, my feet have become delicate."

Zhao Xiping gritted his teeth and stopped walking.

Sui Yu, still being held by him, had one foot inside the door and the other stuck outside. She smiled and turned to look at him, asking, "Am I wrong?"

Zhao Xiping stared at her, wondering whether he had underestimated her or if she had a short memory. Last night, she had been full of complaints, dejected like a fish out of water. After a good night's sleep, she was once again provoking him.

Sui Yu pulled away from him and said, "My foot is stuck; let's talk inside."

He followed her into the room, helped her to the bed, and then left.

Sui Yu laughed, hearing his footsteps head towards the camel pen. She raised her voice and called, "Lock the door from the outside; I won't leave until you come back."

No response, but she heard the lock click.

Sui Yu removed her dirty outer pants and sat on the bed, moving the wooden chest containing their money onto the bed. Over the past two months, she had only a rough idea of how much they had earned. Today, she decided to count it all and teach Sui Liang how to count as well.

Meanwhile, Zhao Xiping rode his camel out of the city. At the West City Gate, he encountered Huang Ancheng on duty and dismounted to greet him.

"On such a cold day, where are you going?" Huang Ancheng poured him a bowl of hot water from the stove.

"I'm going out for a bit." Zhao Xiping spoke vaguely.

"You're not selling buns today? No one is out on the streets."

Zhao Xiping shook his head, not hiding the truth. "Slaves are not allowed to engage in business. Someone reported us to Lord Hu, so we've stopped selling buns."

Huang Ancheng looked conflicted and asked, "Do you know who reported you?"

"How could we know? We don't dare to ask. If it gets too serious, it would be bad for Sui Yu." Zhao Xiping handed him the bowl and said, "You're busy; I'll be back soon."

He led his camel through the gate. Outside the city, the landscape was covered in yellow sand, with snow settling on the dunes, forming white arcs. Zhao Xiping rode westward, unsure how long he had traveled. Sand and snow accumulated on his clothes, and the camel's fur became wet and icy. The wind howled, and there was no sign of human habitation.

Finally, he heard the sound of water. Zhao Xiping guided his camel along the riverbank, dismounting when he saw the sand mountain. He struggled to climb the dune, relying on the camel to pull him when his feet sank into the sand. It took considerable effort to reach the summit. In the center of the sand mountain was a lake surrounded by reed beds. This place was far from the city, known to few, and the reed flowers had not been harvested.

Zhao Xiping slid down the dune, using his feet to slow down and stop. Without bothering to brush off the sand in his clothes and shoes, he walked into the reed beds and collected the reed flowers.

"We've earned fourteen strings of coins. Five strings were spent on cloth, leaving nine strings... Let me calculate. One pound of pork costs five coins, so a piglet should weigh ten pounds, right? Live pigs are more expensive, so I need at least seventy coins." Sui Yu put seven strings of coins back in the wooden chest, looking at the remaining two strings. "Let's save it all. Next year, I'll buy more chicks. Once they grow, we can stew one every month. This year, we'll have to make do with less."

Sui Liang nodded, agreeing with whatever Sui Yu said or did.

Sui Yu patted the bed, lifted the quilt, and lay down. "Take a nap; we'll get up when your brother-in-law returns."

Zhao Xiping was on his way back to the city, carrying a bundle of reed flowers on one camel and a half-person-tall bundle on the other. With these, they could survive the winter comfortably.

By the time he reached the West City Gate, it was past noon. The guards were surprised to see him with two large bundles of reed flowers and asked where he had gotten them and if there were more.

"There are more. Go west until you hear water, then follow the river north. Climb a sand mountain, and you'll find a lake in the center." Zhao Xiping explained honestly, having discovered this lake while trapping camels in the desert.

"Were you out just to collect reed flowers? I have some at home; I could have given you a bundle." Huang Ancheng said.

Zhao Xiping had feared this response and replied ambiguously, "We use a lot, so it's worth the effort to get them myself. Have you eaten? If not, come to our house."

Huang Ancheng waved his hand, signaling him to go back quickly.

Zhao Xiping first went to the government office, exchanging half a bundle of reed flowers for a bundle of rice straw. When he returned home and heard no sound inside, he put the camel in the pen and then went out to find Uncle Old Niu in Shiqi Village. Finding that he wasn't home, he returned.

Sui Yu and Sui Liang had also woken up. Hearing the commotion, she opened the door and immediately saw the reed flowers and rice straw placed under the eaves.

"I'll ask Uncle Old Niu to come over tomorrow to teach me how to make straw shoes. He'll be eating at our place these few days," Zhao Xiping said.

"No problem. With buns and flatbreads, I can just cook a soup and stir-fry a dish. Should we buy some meat?" Sui Yu asked.

"No need. His teeth aren't good; just cook the vegetables soft."

The next morning, Zhao Xiping went to Shiqi Village again. This time, he didn't miss him, and Sui Yu also met the Uncle Old Niu he had mentioned. Uncle Old Niu was short, with a weathered face, dark bags under his eyes, and clothes patched with coarse stitches that could let mosquitoes through. When he opened his mouth, only his tongue was visible, not his teeth.

Sui Yu greeted him and lit the stove, making the kitchen warm. Sitting in the kitchen was warmer than lying on the bed.

"Xiping, you and Uncle Old Niu stay in the kitchen. It's warm and bright in here," Sui Yu said.

Zhao Xiping glanced at her. When there were no outsiders, she called him Captain Zhao, but when someone came to their house, she pretended to be affectionate, calling him by his name.

"Is this your niece-in-law? Why didn't you invite me to your wedding?" Uncle Old Niu asked, somewhat upset.

"The wedding banquet was held back in our hometown. We didn't have one here," Zhao Xiping said as he moved the reed flowers and rice straw inside, casually asking, "Where were you yesterday? I went to your place in the afternoon, but your door was locked from the outside."

Uncle Old Niu chuckled, looking around to see if Sui Yu had left, then whispered, "I went to the brothel. Since I don't have a wife to warm my bed, I had to spend money for some fun."

The person about to open the door paused. Sui Yu withdrew her hand, patted her chest, and turned back to the bedroom.

Zhao Xiping glanced outside, wishing he hadn't asked.

For the next three days, Sui Yu stayed out of the kitchen except to cook and prepare soup. Zhao Xiping noticed her displeasure and quickly learned how to make straw shoes. He then packed two trays of buns and sent Uncle Old Niu away.

"There's still plenty of flour left. I'll mix half a basin more and make a basket of pancakes tomorrow. I see you like egg and leek filling, so buy some leeks from the market tomorrow," Sui Yu said.

Zhao Xiping was too busy to respond. He sat in front of the stove, biting the rice straw rope with his mouth to tighten it. After tying the knot, he spat and said, "Sure, after dinner, I'll mix the flour."

Sui Yu looked at her hands. In recent days, without touching cold water or being exposed to the cold wind, and applying camel oil, the redness and swelling of her chilblains had subsided and stopped worsening.

With a "snap," Zhao Xiping threw the finished straw shoe on the ground. "Try it on and see if it fits."

Sui Yu took off her old shoes. The new ones were a bit tight, but with the reed flowers providing cushioning, her feet fit comfortably without pain.

"It fits perfectly," she said, walking around a bit. "Not too big, not too small."

"I'll make a pair for Sui Liang and another pair for you to alternate wearing," Zhao Xiping said, tossing the cut ropes into the stove.

"Make a pair for yourself. I can use the old ones to switch between."

"There's plenty of reed flowers. I'll make a few more pairs this year. It's such a hassle," Zhao Xiping said, patting his hands and getting up to wash them before dinner. His hands had suffered, rubbing ropes during the day and his feet at night, never resting. By making a few more pairs, he hoped she would wear them when it got cold next year, preventing her feet from freezing and developing chilblains again.

After dinner, he skillfully mixed the flour. Just as he placed the bowl on the stove, the person soaking his feet called out that he had forgotten the towel. Without washing his hands, he went out to find the towel.

"Where did you put it?"

"On the wooden box."

A moment later, a figure emerged from the darkness into the light. Zhao Xiping handed over the towel.

"I thought you were going to throw it in my face, Captain Zhao. Your temper has been unusually good lately," Sui Yu remarked, examining his expression.

Zhao Xiping ignored her, squatting down to rub his hands with the foot-washing water. With one foot resting on his knee, he remained unperturbed.

Sui Yu exclaimed in surprise.

Zhao Xiping still ignored her, pouring the water and refilling half a basin for soaking his feet.

That night, after Sui Liang fell asleep, Sui Yu ran to the foot of the bed and lay beside him, whispering, "Why have you been so nice to me lately? I'm a bit scared."

"Scare you to death."

Sui Yu nodded. "That's more like it."

Zhao Xiping rolled over, facing away from her. When she stretched her foot towards him, he grabbed her flesh and twisted it.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch—" Sui Yu slapped him.

"Feeling better now?" Zhao Xiping released her leg and said, "Go back to your side and sleep."

Sui Yu grunted, got up, and returned to the head of the bed. Before leaving, she quickly pinched him, fearing retaliation. She lay down, tucking her legs close. Eventually, she fell asleep, and her legs naturally found their way back into his embrace.

Zhao Xiping held her feet to prevent her from moving. Whenever she stirred, he tickled her. Halfway through the night, remembering her words about his improved temper, he realized it was because seeing her confined at home due to her slave status made him uncomfortable. Although he didn't want to risk everything to free her, treating her better made him feel more at ease.