Chapter 21: Sheltering from the Rain

Chapter 21: Taking Shelter from the Rain

"If you don't open the door soon, my clothes will be dry!"

As Nan Xuan led Li Ci out, fierce winds were already howling outside.

He quickly said, "Young Miss, it looks like rain is coming. Please wait here a moment while I fetch an umbrella."

Xiuchun added, "This rain doesn't seem light at all. Are there any rain cloaks in Fangze Courtyard?"

Nan Xuan thought for a moment and shook his head. "I don't think there are any suitable for the Young Lady."

Xiuchun immediately grew anxious. "My Young Lady is already frail, and she fell into the water just yesterday. If the rain gets heavier, an umbrella alone might not be enough. Go get the umbrella first—I'll return to Jiahe Courtyard to bring her a raincoat."

Li Ci glanced at the sky but didn't seem worried. "It's fine, no need to rush. I'll just wait here under the eaves. You can bring the raincoat when the rain lets up."

The sky had darkened further, and the wind grew stronger, whipping bamboo leaves into spirals across the ground.

Taking advantage of the lull before the storm, Li Ci wandered around the courtyard. She touched the bamboo broom on the platform, watched fish swimming in the stream, and as she passed beneath a tree, something suddenly dropped and hit her head.

Fortunately, it was very light—only a slight sting.

Rubbing her head, she looked up and saw the trembling leaves of a loquat tree.

The loquat tree in the courtyard was likely planted for ornamentation and hadn't been specially tended, yet it still bore clusters of fruit in several places. The fruits were small, about thumb-sized, their green skins turning yellow, hanging from the branches like strings of golden beads.

They looked so tiny—she wondered how they tasted.

Li Ci looked down and saw a small "golden bead" at her feet.

It must have been blown down by the wind, she thought.

Bending down, she picked up the loquat and was about to leave when she heard a chittering sound.

She looked up again just as a strong gust shook the loquat leaves, revealing a small furry head. A pair of round black eyes stared at her, chattering urgently.

Li Ci immediately understood. Rising onto her toes, she raised the loquat in her hand as high as she could to show it.

As if sensing her friendly intent, the little creature nimbly hopped among the leaves and branches before gracefully descending the trunk and landing in front of her.

Li Ci recognized this animal—she had seen squirrels like this in the pine forest of Zhi Xing Tang, but most were gray and not nearly as adorable as this one.

It seemed to be just a baby, with a round head, short body, no wise-looking ear tufts yet, and a tail that wasn’t long but fluffy and full.

Its back was covered in beautiful rust-red fur, its belly as white as fresh curds. A brown stripe ran from its nose, around its eyes, all the way to the back of its ears. It was impossible not to fall in love with it.

Li Ci crouched before it, carefully opening her palm to reveal the small orange-yellow fruit, whispering, “Did you pick this loquat?”

Surprisingly unafraid, the squirrel hopped closer, extended its short paws to take the fruit, and began nibbling eagerly.

But after only a few bites, raindrops began to fall, landing on the squirrel’s head. It looked up, confused.

Li Ci grew anxious and stretched out her hand. “Come up quickly.”

As if understanding, the squirrel climbed onto her palm and scampered up to her shoulder, continuing to nibble the loquat.

With the little creature perched on her shoulder, Li Ci didn’t dare walk too fast. She carefully shielded it and slowly made her way back to the corridor.

After finishing the loquat, the squirrel grew restless and hopped down, darting around the corridor. But it was timid—pausing every few steps to glance back at Li Ci, as if urging her to follow.

Once it had explored the unfamiliar surroundings to its satisfaction, it finally settled, switching from hopping to a leisurely stroll. Li Ci followed closely behind, and before she knew it, they had circled back to the study door.

Just then, lightning split the gloomy sky, and a downpour began even before the thunder rumbled. Bean-sized raindrops pounded the roof, creating a misty spray before dripping “pitter-patter” from the eaves.

The wind carried distant thunder, startling the squirrel so much that it dropped to the doorstep, tail standing straight up, soft fur ruffled by the gusts.

Poor thing.

Unable to bear seeing it frightened, Li Ci sat beside it, shielding it from the wind. Tentatively, she extended a slender, pale finger, wiggling it gently in front of the squirrel, softly asking, “Can I touch your tail?”

Amid the sound of rain and thunder, the squirrel seemed not to hear, but its tail moved of its own accord, curling around to gently brush against her finger.

Encouraged, Li Ci took the chance to stroke its head as well. It was soft, warm, and deeply comforting.

She whispered to the squirrel, “The rain is so heavy now. Don’t run around. Once it stops, I’ll take you home.”

The squirrel’s tail twitched again, nestling against her finger as if responding.

But the rain showed no sign of easing—it grew even heavier. The fierce wind wove the downpour into a dense net, and even the tiles under the corridor gradually dampened. Fortunately, the wind wasn’t blowing toward them, so they stayed dry.

The squirrel seemed curious, peering out at the rain. Just as Li Ci reached to pull it back, the door behind her creaked open.

Li Ci and the squirrel turned in unison, both with wide, round eyes—the innocent look of small, vulnerable creatures.

That she could get along so harmoniously with this little creature came as no surprise to Xie Zhenchuan.

Before Li Ci could speak, he spoke first.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

Xie Zhenchuan stepped back, pulling the door wider. His voice was as clear as rain dripping on glazed tiles, yet tinged with a husky undertone.

“Do you need me to join you in getting drenched outside?”

Li Ci hesitated. What if Xie Zheng’s illness spread to the little squirrel? Could it drink brown sugar ginger soup too?

The squirrel, however, had no such concerns. Seeing the study as a safer place, it nimbly hopped over the threshold—taller than itself—and scurried inside with a chirp.

Seeing that Li Ci still hadn’t moved, Xie Zhenchuan softened his tone unconsciously. “If Ah Ci gets wet, I’ll have the kitchen prepare ginger soup.”

He paused, then added, “With brown sugar.”

Li Ci immediately stepped inside, her voice sweet as honey. “Thank you, Xie Zhengge!”

She eagerly closed the door for him, then turned and brushed off a few raindrops on her clothes, insisting earnestly, “The rain outside is so heavy! Even standing under the eaves, I got wet. Luckily, Xie Zheng opened the door for us in time.”

Xie Zhenchuan glanced at the damp hem of her skirt and responded with a faint, sarcastic smile.

Indeed. If he hadn’t opened the door soon, her clothes would have dried.

-

Li Ci sat on the bamboo armchair, subtly swinging her legs, watching Xie Zhenchuan give instructions to Nan Xuan, alongside the little squirrel perched on the desk. Her gaze was so earnest it could pierce through autumn waters.

“Brown sugar ginger soup, candied snow lotus root, and a plate of sugar-glazed melon seeds.”

He was always thoughtful, even considering what the little squirrel might eat, but still turned to consult Li Ci. “Anything else you’d like?”

“I also want jade bean cakes, steamed sweet curds, hawthorn milk, and hibiscus nectar pastries…”

Li Ci’s voice grew increasingly uncertain and soft, knowing these requests were a bit much for the Xie household. Yet, these demands were even more excessive for her personally; once outside Fangze Courtyard, no one would let her eat them.

“Forget it, having candied snow lotus root is quite good too.”

She quickly let go of her extravagant hopes and cleverly covered for Brother Xie Zheng, "But I can't eat that much; just the three things Brother Xie Zheng mentioned will do."

Xie Zhenchuan nodded and said to Nan Xuan, "Start by making the ginger soup first. If there are other pastries in the kitchen, you can bring them along as well."

Nan Xuan nodded, accepted the order, and left.

The wait wasn't too long, and Li Ci could still sit patiently, but the little squirrel wasn't so easily settled.

It first tentatively gnawed at the teacup on the desk, and finding it too hard to chew, it scrambled down the table leg.

Li Ci couldn't help but feel nervous—after all, this was the study. Would it end up eating some ancient texts or rare editions?

She turned to look at Xie Zhenchuan, "Brother Xie Zheng, what should we do?"

"You're the one who brought it back," Xie Zhenchuan glanced at the little squirrel, which was nearly scurrying up the roof beam, showing no surprise at all. "If anything gets damaged, you'll pay for the damages."

Perhaps because she was the one who picked it up, the little squirrel had no appreciation for literature and showed no interest in the splendid collection of books. After rummaging around, it scrambled onto a nearby curio cabinet and knocked over a vase.

Li Ci let out a slight sigh of relief, "Brother Xie Zheng, how much does this vase cost?"

Xie Zhenchuan glanced at the red shards on the floor and recognized it as the cowpea-red glazed willow-leaf vase, fired in the Southern Song Longquan kiln—it was priceless.

He casually replied, "I bought it a few days ago at the western market. The seller asked for two taels; I bargained it down to eight qian. Pay what you think is fair."

"Then it's two taels," Li Ci, without suspecting anything, noted down the amount. She walked over to pick up the little squirrel and was about to stand up when she suddenly noticed a piece of paper among the broken shards.

Curious, she picked it up and looked, finding it to be a fortune slip with words that seemed familiar.

"A pearl's virtue commands respect, returning to a noble match that fills the hall with honor."