Itching is the sort of thing that gets worse the more you think about it. Ming Shu felt her entire back itching, desperately wanting to scratch it a hundred times for relief, but her wrists were mercilessly locked in Lu Chang’s grip. She had no way out and could only twist her back with a miserable expression, saying, “Let go.”
Lu Chang ignored her, only urging the horse to hurry forward. In less than half an hour, they reached the post station. Ming Shu’s eyes were already red from holding back, hating Lu Chang so much her teeth itched. When the cart finally stopped, Lu Chang still wouldn’t release her, angering her to grind her teeth and curse him, “Bastard, let go!” This drew glances from people at the post station, and even Madam Zeng hurriedly lifted the curtain from inside the cart asking, “What’s going on?”
“He’s bullying me!” Ming Shu said, twisting her neck.
Lu Chang had already dismounted and simply said to her, “Get down.”
“Why are you two arguing again?” Madam Zeng hurried to mediate.
Ming Shu rubbed her chin against her shoulder—had they often argued like this before?
The doubt flashed by as her attention was drawn back to the burning, stinging itch. She followed Lu Chang down from the cart. He still hadn’t released her hand, and without even properly stopping the cart, he pulled her into the post station, quickly requested a room, and pushed her inside, only saying to Madam Zeng, “Mother, please check what’s wrong with her back.”
Madam Zeng entered the room bewildered. He closed the door behind them, and after standing at the doorway for a moment, heard Madam Zeng’s shocked exclamation through the door.
“Heavens, Ming Shu, your back… it’s all scratched up! What if it leaves scars?”
Lu Chang’s brows furrowed deeply. As he had suspected, the rash had spread across her entire back, and she had scratched it raw.
Ming Shu’s jade-like skin had been treasured since childhood, afraid of the sun in summer and cold in winter, spoiled into many bad habits. He used to despise these aristocratic problems of hers, but now thinking of those bloody marks on her neck, he felt extremely uncomfortable, wishing he could take those rashes and blood marks onto his own back instead, returning her unblemished skin to her.
Ming Shu let out two sounds from inside that were almost like crying. Lu Chang couldn’t listen anymore and turned to leave, going to tend to the cart and luggage. When he returned, he held a box of ointment he had gotten from the post station’s servants.
Madam Zeng happened to come out and pulled him aside to talk.
“Mother, this is ointment I just got from the innkeeper for insect bites. Her rash, do you know what caused it? Could there be insects in the cart?” Lu Chang spoke first in a low voice.
Madam Zeng looked into the room, and took the ointment but shook her head, “It’s not from insects, it’s…” She paused, then lowered her voice further, “You know Ming Shu was born to wealth, everything she ate, used, and wore since childhood was of the finest quality. But since her injury, she’s been wearing my old rough hemp clothing. The rash on her back is from the coarse fabric chafing her skin.”
Having worn fine silks since childhood, her delicate skin couldn’t bear rough cloth. Moreover, she had been bedridden while unconscious, her back always pressed down, and gradually the chafing had caused the rash.
“Then this medicine…”
“This can only stop the itching. I’ll look around nearby to see if I can gather some herbs for her to bathe in, but I’m afraid these will only treat the symptoms, not the root cause,” Madam Zeng said.
“I understand. I’ll gather the herbs, please help Mother apply the medicine first.” Lu Chang nodded and quickly left.
Lu Chang gathered the herbs quickly and borrowed the kitchen from the servants to boil water. Soon he delivered the medicinal bath to the washroom. Ming Shu had initially felt somewhat wronged by his iron grip, but seeing the steaming medicinal bath, she couldn’t say anything more.
“These are all cooling and detoxifying herbs that will help soothe the rash on your back. Come, I’ll help you,” Madam Zeng rolled up her sleeves and tested the water temperature, only turning back to help her when she found it suitable.
Ming Shu let her help remove half her clothes before suddenly realizing she had taken Madam Zeng’s help for granted, as if this was how she had always lived, from before until now.
“I can do it myself,” she said shyly, covering her chest.
“You can’t reach your back, and I can help you faster, otherwise you’ll catch a cold in this weather,” Madam Zeng said, and seeing her still hesitant, simply patted her shoulder firmly and said, “What are you shy about? I used to bathe you like this before. You’re just a young girl, there’s nothing I haven’t seen.”
She was referring to when Ming Shu’s mother was seriously ill, and Madam Zeng had cared for her for a while, including bathing her personally.
Ming Shu also felt she was being too prudish—they were both women, what was there to be shy about? So after thinking, she said, “Then you should bathe too, there’s enough water, I’ll help you.”
Madam Zeng was stunned for a moment, then saw Ming Shu had already picked up the dipper and was pouring hot water over her shoulders. The scent of herbs spread with the rising steam. She hissed, feeling the pleasure of hot water on her back, but Madam Zeng thought of the tragedy that had befallen the Jian family, thinking how this delicate young lady now had no home, and felt heartache, her eyes immediately reddening.
Lu Chang had heated enough water for both to bathe. The washroom was filled with white mist as Madam Zeng also removed her clothes to bathe and relieve her fatigue. The two helped pour water for each other, laughing and talking, truly looking like mother and daughter.
“What kind of person is he?” During a pause while Madam Zeng was washing her back, Ming Shu suddenly asked.
“Who? You mean Lu Chang?”
“Yes. Is he always this fierce? Did we often argue before?” Ming Shu remembered what Madam Zeng had said during the day.
“Don’t be fooled by his exterior. Once you get to know him, you’ll understand he has a cold face but a warm heart, and often says the opposite of what he means. But he doesn’t argue with people, at most he’ll stop talking to them when pushed too far. When he was little, he only… exchanged words with you a few times.” Thinking of the past, Madam Zeng smiled, remembering how those two tiny children had grown up in the blink of an eye.
The past? Arguments? They knew each other as children? Was he her brother?
Ming Shu wanted to ask more, but Madam Zeng had already wrung out the cloth and urged, “No more bathing, quickly dry off and get dressed, or you’ll catch a cold.”
The hot mist gradually dispersed and the air in the room grew cold. Ming Shu shivered, quickly dried herself, and hurriedly put on her clothes, helping Madam Zeng clean up the washroom, and ending this rare winter bath.
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. The travelers at the post station had retired early, and winter’s hibernating creatures made it seem especially quiet, with only occasional unknown bird calls breaking the silence. Lu Chang was maintaining the cart in preparation for tomorrow’s journey, just about to feed chopped grass to the horse when he turned to see Ming Shu standing behind him. While gathering up the grass, he asked, “It’s late, why aren’t you sleeping?”
“Can’t sleep,” Ming Shu said.
Lu Chang scattered the grass in the stone trough and, stroking the horse’s neck, asked her, “Is your back still itching?”
“No, it’s much better,” Ming Shu shook her head. Though the rash hadn’t gone away after the bath, the itching had lessened considerably and she felt more comfortable. “Do you sleep in the cart at night?”
“Yes,” Lu Chang said.
He was short on money, having spent much of his savings on treating her injuries, and what remained needed to be saved for renting a house in the capital. Naturally, he economized where possible, so he had only requested one room for Madam Zeng and Ming Shu, while he made do in the cart.
Ming Shu fell silent, lowering her head. Lu Chang didn’t know what she was thinking, only seeing the unhealed rash on her neck, and said, “This rash has been bothering you for some time, hasn’t it? Why didn’t you say anything?”
In his memory, Jian Ming Shu had been a delicate person, crying out at the slightest cold, heat, hunger, or pain, like a flower made of snow. Though he had disapproved of her behavior, he would rather she be like before than suffer in silence as she was now.
Ming Shu didn’t answer. She wasn’t blind—she could see clearly how things stood with Lu Chang and Madam Zeng throughout their journey. This family was not well-off, had spent much on treating her injuries, prioritized her in food and lodging, and had delayed their journey to the capital for many days because of her. How could she trouble them further? She could only endure until they reached the capital.
“Don’t be so distant. In the future, just say what’s wrong, don’t hold it in. Though I’m not capable of much, I will find ways to take care of you properly.” Since he had taken on the role of Jian Ming Shu’s “brother,” he would fulfill his responsibilities wholeheartedly. Though he couldn’t give her great wealth, he would certainly do his utmost.
“I understand, thank you.” Ming Shu expressed her thanks, then pointed at his right hand.
Lu Chang looked at his right hand, not understanding. She then said, “Time to change your bandage,” producing a small clay bottle and clean white cloth from her palm.
“I can do it myself,” Lu Chang reached for the medicine, but Ming Shu pulled her hand back, not letting him take it, instead catching his hand.
“I’ll help you,” she said with a smile, using his own words against him, “Don’t be distant.”
Lu Chang had no reply and simply let her proceed.
The faint scent of herbs after the bath was soul-soothing, making Lu Chang feel slightly dazed.
Early the next morning, Lu Chang’s group set out again. They still had to cross two mountains before reaching Bianjing, which would take about seven or eight more days.
The rash on Ming Shu’s back hadn’t improved and began acting up again. As Madam Zeng had said, the herbs could only provide temporary relief, not cure the problem. When the itching became unbearable on the road, she would have Madam Zeng apply the insect bite ointment to get through the spell. Over time, as the rash broke open, scabbed over, and was scratched open again repeatedly, it grew increasingly severe. Seeing this, Madam Zeng’s heart ached, and she sighed deeply.
What had been a perfectly fine back was now pitiful to behold.
Lu Chang said nothing, only urging the horse to go faster. By noon on the third day, they finally reached the next town—Pei County. Unexpectedly, Madam Zeng fell ill from the many days of travel, suffering from ringing ears, congested nose, and dizziness. Ming Shu was also listless—her head injury hadn’t fully healed, and the long jolting journey inevitably made her dizzy. Unable to sleep well due to the itching, she was exhausted after so many days. Of the three, only Lu Chang remained too busy with everything, struggling tremendously.
After reaching the inn, Lu Chang helped Madam Zeng to their room. Ming Shu mustered her energy to request hot water, helping Lu Chang attend to Madam Zeng until she lay down, before finally sitting in a chair to catch her breath.
“Can you still walk? If so, come with me somewhere,” Lu Chang said to Ming Shu after settling Madam Zeng and seeing her fall into a deep sleep.
Ming Shu nodded and stood up, not asking where they were going, just following him dizzily out of the inn.
After walking for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Lu Chang finally stopped. Ming Shu looked up to see they were standing outside a shop.
Zhao’s Ready-Made Clothing Shop.
Before Ming Shu could ask Lu Chang anything, a shop assistant came out to welcome them inside.
“Do you have a female manager?” Lu Chang asked as soon as they entered.
The assistant looked at the two of them, quickly understood, and nodded saying they did, then called toward the back. Soon, a woman in her thirties emerged from the inner room, her hair in a glossy bun, efficiently greeting them, “Please tell me what you need.”
Lu Chang pointed at Ming Shu and said, “Help her choose some clothes.”
The woman smiled, “Our shop has many styles and colors of ready-made clothes. Young lady, tell me what kind you like…”
“No, she needs…” Before the woman could finish, Lu Chang interrupted. He looked at Ming Shu, bit his lip, and said, “She needs undergarments, and… intimate… ones made of better fabric.” He couldn’t quite get the last words out, his ears already red as he turned his face away from Ming Shu.
The woman understood and chuckled, “Underclothes?”
At these words, Lu Chang’s blush spread from his ears to his neck, while Ming Shu stared in shock, the surprise overwhelming her embarrassment.
[Author’s Note: Ming Shu!!!! Lu Chang is taking me to buy underwear???? Mental shock. Can’t recover.
Smart readers have guessed it was an allergic reaction, haha.]