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The dust and sweat accumulated during a long march would swiftly combine upon the skin, forming a solid substance of yellowish or blackish hue. Then, under the action of fresh sweat and fresh dust, it would spread to every exposed corner of the skin, creating a strange, nameless layer, like an exoskeleton. Before it could even be properly cleaned off, it would relentlessly thicken again, eventually becoming an entire patch of highly adhesive, viscous, glue-like matter—adding an extra layer of protection to the skin.
It was very much like the armor of dried mud upon a wild boar.
Of course, the filth currently coating Fei Qian's body was not quite as grotesque as that of a wild boar, but it was by no means insubstantial. Sitting within the large bathing tub, he could clearly see a layer of unidentifiable floating matter upon the surface of the water...
And this was already the second tub of water.
In the Han Dynasty, the matter of personal hygiene had been elevated to the level of state concern. To ensure the dignity of its officials, Han law even stipulated that every five days, a full day was to be granted to officials for rest and bathing.
Of course, though the term used was "washing the hair," it absolutely did not mean washing the hair alone. It encompassed the concepts of "cleansing," "bathing," and "washing the body." But washing the hair was, indeed, the most important part. The Duke of Zhou had once "grasped his hair three times during a single bath." Because the ancients kept their hair long, if it went unwashed for an extended period, not only would dandruff appear, but all manner of parasites would breed as well. For the people of the Han Dynasty, washing one's hair was thus an incomparably tedious and laborious undertaking.
The first tub of water had already been carried out and dumped. That first tub had been rice-washing water, known as "Pan Broth," primarily intended to remove the thicker layers of grime from the body's surface and to expel vermin.
The second tub Fei Qian now soaked in was called "White Broth." The water itself was nothing special—just ordinary water—but it was accompanied by soap pods and a gourd-fiber scrubber, mainly used to deal with more stubborn, caked-on filth.
And beside this wooden tub stood a third, called "Flower Broth." Naturally, as the name implied, this water contained all sorts of flower petals.
This was the bathing standard of the gentry.
Naturally, one also had to count the serving maids, who stood by carrying buckets of hot water, ready at any moment to add more. But now, here inside the bath chamber, the ones busying themselves with blushing faces yet utterly earnest dedication were Huang Yueying and her young maid, Modou.
Huang Yueying felt as though her head were buzzing and ringing. The blood seemed to have all rushed to her crown. Even against her somewhat dusky complexion, that thick, unmelting flush of crimson was clearly visible.
Fei Qian's original thought had been that he could manage perfectly well on his own, but Huang Yueying had been exceptionally insistent, with an expression that plainly said if he refused, she would burst into tears right then and there.
But now, with her incessantly scrubbing the exact same spot on his back with that gourd-fiber scrubber, well...
"Yueying, this... let me do it myself..." Fei Qian took the scrubber from Huang Yueying's hand, for her gaze had grown somewhat unfocused. Any more scrubbing like that, and his skin would surely break.
As for baring his body, Fei Qian no longer felt any particular self-consciousness about it. In places like Pingyang and Beiqu, where the facilities were far from complete, if one wanted to bathe, one had to seek out the river.
A dozen or two dozen men, in separate groups, bathing along the riverbank—what privacy could there possibly be? It was much like the great public bathhouses of later eras, all stark naked with hair exposed. Who would pay any attention to whom?
But for Huang Yueying, the stimulating effect of this scene before her was simply too intense.
During this period, Fei Qian had been racing about, east and west, and was just in his early twenties. Under high-intensity physical exertion, his musculature had taken on a form of powerful, corded strips and defined blocks. Though not as exaggerated as that of a later-era bodybuilder, the taut, springy tension beneath his skin when touched made Huang Yueying feel utterly lightheaded.
And then there was the contrast between the skin darkened by sun exposure and the lighter parts of his body normally kept covered. Every glance sent Huang Yueying's heart thumping several times in rapid succession. Yet, the next moment, she could not help but stealthily shift her gaze back, and her eyes began to slowly slip downwards...
As for Modou, this lass was two years younger than Huang Yueying. Her large eyes wide, she attended to the hot water at the side, then turned her head to look at Fei Qian, then looked again at the deeply blushing Huang Yueying, seeming to half-understand yet not quite grasp the situation.
Fei Qian, in a few brisk, efficient strokes, used the gourd-fiber scrubber to cleanse his body once over. Then, turning his head, he announced, "I'm going to stand up now..."
"..." Huang Yueying, who had been cupping her face with both hands, hurriedly dropped them when she saw Fei Qian turn his head. But then she had no idea where to put her hands. For a moment, her eyes were wide open, and she looked utterly at a loss.
"I said, I'm going to stand up now..." Fei Qian repeated, slightly exasperated.
"Oh... Oh! Oh!" Huang Yueying hastily spun around.
At least she turned around more smoothly this time than when Fei Qian had switched tubs earlier. At least she didn't nearly trip herself into a flat fall...
But you, Modou—if you're going to cover your eyes, just cover them. What exactly are you trying to do with your fingers splayed that wide apart?
Fei Qian stood up, grabbed a length of coarse hemp cloth nearby, wrapped it around his waist, and took two steps before smoothly settling into the third tub of water.
Huang Yueying heard the splash of water. By the time she turned back around, Fei Qian had already completely submerged himself into the third wooden tub. All that was visible on the surface of the water were the floating flower petals and his drifting hair. Nothing else could be seen...
Huang Yueying caught sight of Modou's fingers spread wide in a fork. She shifted two steps closer, leaned right up to Modou, and nibbled at Modou's ear as she whispered, "...Did you... see... anything?"
Modou lowered her hands and, in turn, turned her head and nibbled at Huang Yueying's ear: "...Too fast... just blur... didn't see anything... Aiya! Young Mistress, your ear is burning hot!"
Unable to bear her embarrassment, Huang Yueying reached out and flicked Modou's forehead with her finger. This Modou—did she not understand the concept of controlling her volume?
"Aiya!" Modou clutched her forehead, her eyes brimming with aggrieved tears. "Young Mistress, if you keep flicking my head like that, you'll flick me stupid..."
"I'll flick you all I want, being stupid is even better..." Huang Yueying was utterly unfazed by this act. Always undermining her at the critical moment, this silly girl.
Modou rolled her eyes, then quickly tugged at Huang Yueying's sleeve. "Young Mistress, you can't flick my head next time, it really hurts too much... How about next time you want to flick, you flick my bottom instead? That doesn't hurt nearly as much..."
When Fei Qian surfaced from the water, he saw Huang Yueying and little Modou entangled in their little squabble off to the side. He shook his head, smiling, and climbed out of the tub. Grabbing a length of fine hemp cloth from nearby, he wiped himself down casually, then fetched his undergarment and put it on.
"Ah... the Young Master has finished bathing..." Modou turned her head and saw that Fei Qian had already gotten out of the tub. In an instant, she abandoned Huang Yueying's sleeve, trotted over ingratiatingly, fetched a dry cloth from a side, and went around behind Fei Qian to help dry the water from his hair.
In the Han Dynasty, there was no such thing as an electric hairdryer. Therefore, after bathing, one's hair could only be left loose and hanging down. It was impossible to pin it up or tie it immediately. One could only use a dry cloth to carefully absorb the water first, then wait for it to slowly dry naturally in the air. Only then could a comb be used to smooth it out, and finally it could be coiled up and arranged into a topknot, or a headdress could be put on.
Huang Yueying also wanted to go behind Fei Qian to help, but Fei Qian took hold of her hand. Instantly, she stood frozen before him like a stunned goose, utterly stiff, not knowing what to do with her hands and feet.
Fei Qian gently rubbed Huang Yueying's hand. He felt the fine, smooth skin on the back of her hand and, by contrast, the slightly rough calluses on her finger pads. He could not help but ask, "Hmm, have you been making something new again recently?"
Huang Yueying nodded. Suddenly, as if recalling something important, her face lit up with excitement. "Yes, right! Husband, wait a moment, I'll go fetch something..."
And with those words, she flung off Fei Qian's hand and went bounding away.
She just... ran off...