The itching, the more you care about it, the worse it gets.
Mingshu felt her entire back itching, wishing she could scratch it a hundred times to relieve the discomfort. But Lu Chang mercilessly held onto her wrists, leaving her no way to relieve herself. She twisted her back, tears welling in her eyes, “Let go.”
Lu Chang ignored her, urging the horses to gallop faster. In less than half an hour, they arrived at the post station. Mingshu’s eyes were red from holding back tears, seething with anger towards Lu Chang. Finally stopping the carriage, Lu Chang still didn’t release her, prompting her to grit her teeth and curse him, “Bastard, let go!” This outburst drew curious looks from the people at the station, and even Madam Zeng hurriedly asked from inside the carriage, “What’s going on?”
“He’s bullying me!” Mingshu pointed to her neck.
Lu Chang got off the carriage and, hearing her words, simply said to her, “Get down.”
“You two were fine, what are you arguing about now?” Madam Zeng hurriedly tried to defuse the situation.
Mingshu rubbed her jaw against her shoulder—had they often argued like this before?
That fleeting thought aside, her attention was drawn back to the burning, prickling itch. Following Lu Chang, she jumped down from the carriage. Lu Chang still didn’t let go, not even stopping the carriage properly. He pulled her into the post station at the fastest speed, quickly securing a room and pushing her inside. He turned to Madam Zeng and said, “Mother, please check her back.”
Madam Zeng, puzzled, entered the room. Lu Chang closed the door behind her and stood outside, only to hear Madam Zeng exclaim through the door.
“My goodness, Mingshu, your back… it’s all scratched up! What if it scars?”
Lu Chang frowned deeply. As he suspected, the rash had spread all over her back and was aggravated by her scratching.
Mingshu had always been cherished for her fair, delicate skin. She was sheltered from the sun in summer and cold in winter, accustomed to a pampered life. He had always disliked her privileged habits, but seeing those scratch marks on her neck now made him uncomfortable. He wished those red welts were on his own back instead, leaving her skin unblemished.
Inside the room, Mingshu made a sound that seemed like a suppressed sob. Lu Chang didn’t want to eavesdrop, so he turned and left to arrange the carriage and baggage. When he returned, he had a box of ointment obtained from the station’s servant.
Madam Zeng happened to be leaving the room and pulled Lu Chang aside to speak.
“Mother, I just got this ointment from the store to treat insect bites. Do you know what caused those rashes on her back? Could there be insects in the carriage?”
Madam Zeng glanced inside the room, took the ointment, and shook her head. “It’s not from insects. It’s…” She paused and lowered her voice. “You know, Mingshu has been born into wealth. She has always had the best of everything. But since the injury, she has been wearing my coarse old clothes. The rash on her back is from the rough fabric.”
Accustomed to silk and satin since childhood, her delicate skin couldn’t endure rough fabric. Moreover, lying in bed for a long time during her unconsciousness caused her back to be constantly covered, gradually leading to the rash.
“So this ointment…”
“This ointment can only relieve itching. I’ll go see if I can find some herbs nearby for her to bathe with, but this might only treat the symptoms and not the root cause,” Madam Zeng said.
“I understand. I’ll gather the herbs. Please apply the ointment to her first.” Lu Chang nodded and quickly turned away.
—
Lu Chang quickly gathered the herbs and borrowed the kitchen from the servant to boil water. Soon, he had a steaming herbal soup ready, which he delivered to the guest room. Initially feeling a bit aggrieved by his harsh treatment, Mingshu fell silent when she saw the steaming soup.
“These are all herbs for clearing heat and detoxifying. They should help alleviate the rash on your back. Come, let me help you,” Madam Zeng rolled up her sleeves to test the water temperature. Satisfied, she turned back to assist Mingshu.
Mingshu realized suddenly that she had taken Madam Zeng’s help for granted as if this had been her life from the beginning.
“I’ll do it myself,” she said, covering her chest in embarrassment.
“You can’t reach your back. Let me help you. Otherwise, you’ll catch a chill in this cold weather,” Madam Zeng said, noticing her hesitance. She patted Mingshu’s shoulder gently. “What’s there to be shy about? I used to bathe you like this before. You’re just a little girl; I’ve seen everything.”
She was referring to the time when Madam Zeng had cared for Mingshu during her mother’s illness, bathing her herself.
Mingshu realized she had been overly sensitive. They were both women; what was there to be embarrassed about? After a moment’s thought, she said, “Then you should also bathe. There’s enough water. I’ll help you.”
Madam Zeng hesitated for a moment, then saw Mingshu scoop up some hot soup and pour it onto her shoulders. The herbal scent filled the air with steam, and she made a sound of relief as the hot soup washed over her back. However, thoughts of the calamity at the Jian family’s home flooded Madam Zeng’s mind, reminding her that this delicate girl had lost her family forever. Her heart ached, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Lu Chang had prepared enough hot water for both of them to bathe. Soon, the guest room was filled with swirling white steam, and Madam Zeng also stripped down to wash away her fatigue. The two of them exchanged water, chatting and laughing, resembling a mother and daughter.
“What kind of person is he?” Taking advantage of Madam Zeng’s help in rubbing her back, Mingshu suddenly asked.
“Who? Are you asking about Achang?” Madam Zeng replied.
“Yes. Is he always so stern? Did we used to argue a lot?” Mingshu recalled Madam Zeng’s words from earlier that day.
“Don’t let his appearance deceive you. Once you’ve been around him for a while, you’ll know he seems cold but is warm-hearted, though he can be quite hypocritical. He rarely argues with people. When pushed, at most, he’ll speak differently from what he thinks. As for you two… you’ve argued a few times when you were young.” Remembering the past, Madam Zeng smiled, reminiscing about the two children who had grown up in the blink of an eye.
“The past? We knew each other when we were children. Is he my elder brother?” Mingshu wanted to ask more questions, but Madam Zeng had already wrung out the cloth and urged, “No more washing. Dry yourself quickly and get dressed, or you’ll catch a cold.”
As the hot mist gradually dissipated, the air in the room cooled. Mingshu shivered and quickly dried herself off, putting on her clothes. She helped Madam Zeng tidy up the guest room, concluding this rare winter bathing session.
Late at night, with the moon bright and stars sparse, the travelers at the post station had retired early. In the winter, insects and animals were dormant, making the surroundings even more serene. Only occasionally did the faint calls of unidentified birds break the silence. Lu Chang was tending to the carriage, preparing for the journey the next day. He was chopping hay to feed the horses when he turned and saw Mingshu standing behind him. He put down the hay and touched the horse’s neck, asking her, “Can’t sleep at this hour?”
“No, I can’t sleep,” Mingshu replied.
Lu Chang scattered the hay in the stone trough and stroked the horse’s neck. “Is your back still itching?”
“No, it’s much better,” Mingshu shook her head. After bathing, the rash on her back hadn’t gone away, but the itching had subsided considerably. She felt much more comfortable. “Are you sleeping in the carriage tonight?”
“Yes,” Lu Chang nodded.
Money was tight for him. A lot of his savings had been spent on her treatment, leaving him with enough to rent a house in the capital. He had only managed to secure a room for Madam Zeng and Mingshu, and he planned to spend the night in the carriage.
Mingshu remained silent, lowering her head. Lu Chang didn’t know what she was thinking, but he noticed the lingering rash on her neck and asked, “Has this rash been bothering you for a while? Why didn’t you say anything?”
In his memory, Jian Mingshu had always been a delicate person who would complain about being cold, hot, hungry, or in pain, resembling a flower in the snow. Although he disliked her pretensions, he would still prefer her to be as she used to be rather than seeing her upset like this.
Mingshu didn’t answer. She wasn’t blind; she could see the situation between Lu Chang and Madam Zeng on this journey. This family wasn’t well-off; they had spent a lot on her treatment, and even their daily necessities were tight. The delay caused by her had already taken up several days of their journey to the capital. How could she burden them further? She had to hold on and endure until they reached the capital.
“Don’t feel so distant. If there’s anything, just say it directly. Don’t keep it to yourself. Although I’m not capable, I’ll find a way to take care of you,” Lu Chang reassured her. Since he had taken on the role of Mingshu’s “elder brother,” he would do his best to take care of her, even if he couldn’t provide her with great wealth.
Mingshu thanked him and pointed to his right hand. Lu Chang looked at his hand, puzzled. She continued, “It’s time to change the dressing.” With that, she pulled out a small ceramic bottle and a roll of clean white cloth from her palm.
“I’ll do it myself,” Lu Chang reached out to take the medicine, but Mingshu suddenly withdrew her hand, catching him in the process.
“I’ll do it for you,” she smiled gently, cutting off his words, “Don’t be shy.”
Lu Chang was speechless and eventually relented, letting her proceed.
—
The next morning, Lu Chang and his group set off once again. They still had to cross two more mountains before reaching Bianjing, a journey that would take another seven to eight days.
Mingshu’s back rash hadn’t improved and was flaring up again, just as Madam Zeng had predicted. The herbal remedies could only provide temporary relief, not a cure. As the journey continued, the itching became unbearable. She had Madam Zeng apply ointment meant for mosquito bites to soothe the irritation. Over time, the rash would scab over and then be scratched open again, worsening the condition. Madam Zeng sighed with distress at the sight of her once flawless back now marred and painful.
Lu Chang remained silent, pushing the horses harder. By midday of the third day, they finally arrived at the next town—Pei County. Unexpectedly, Madam Zeng fell ill from days of travel: ringing in her ears, nasal congestion, and dizziness. Mingshu was also physically and mentally exhausted, her forehead injury still not healed, and the constant itching prevented her from sleeping. With three people reduced to two, Lu Chang was left to handle everything on his own, which was quite taxing.
Upon arriving at the inn they would stay in, Lu Chang helped Madam Zeng into the room. Mingshu forced herself to stay alert, fetching hot water and assisting Lu Chang in taking care of Madam Zeng before finally sitting down to catch her breath.
“Are you able to walk still? If so, come with me somewhere,” Lu Chang settled Madam Zeng, who was asleep and turned to Mingshu.
Mingshu nodded, getting up without asking where they were going, feeling groggy as she followed him out of the inn.
After a brief walk, Lu Chang finally stopped. Mingshu looked up and saw they were standing outside a shop.
Zhao’s Tailor Shop.
Before Mingshu could ask Lu Chang anything, a shop assistant came out and welcomed them into the shop.
“Does your shop have a female shopkeeper?” Lu Chang asked as soon as he entered.
The shop assistant looked at them and quickly understood, nodding, “Yes, we do.” He called someone from inside. Soon, a woman in her thirties with shiny hair and a capable demeanor emerged from the back, greeting them warmly, “What can I do for you? Just let me know.”
Lu Chang pointed to Mingshu, “Help her pick out some clothes.”
The woman smiled, “Our shop has a wide variety of ready-made clothes in different styles and colors. Miss, what do you like…”
“No, she needs…” Before the woman could finish her sentence, Lu Chang interrupted, glancing at Mingshu and biting his lip, “She needs a set of undergarments, something closer to the body, with better fabric.” He blushed deeply, turning his head away from Mingshu.
The woman understood immediately and chuckled, “Undergarments?” As she spoke, Lu Chang’s blush spread from his ears to his neck. Mingshu, meanwhile, stared in astonishment, her shock momentarily overshadowing her embarrassment.