Mo Lixia quickly silenced him. Ancient men are so innocent, she thought. They blush like little girls.
She looked down at the child in her arms. His clothes were soaked through. Even wrapped in the borrowed coats, he was still freezing.
"Good boy, we'll be home soon. Just hold on a little longer."
Once they were out of the city gates, Shen Muqing asked worriedly, "Lixia, about this child..."
"Brothers, Grandpa Li," Mo Lixia addressed the group solemnly. "You all saw what happened. I hope you can keep this a secret for me. From now on, this child is an orphan I picked up."
"Miss Lixia, don't worry. We won't leak half a word," the men promised in unison.
"Thank you."
"Miss Lixia, these boys are honest. You can trust them," Grandpa Li assured her from the front of the cart.
"Yes, yes! Our lips are sealed!" the young men echoed.
It was close to the New Year, and they had gone to town to sell some game meat. They hadn't expected to run into the village beauty, Miss Lixia, let alone witness her doing something so bold.
"If we had met you earlier, we would have helped you save both the mother and the son," one of them said regretfully.
"That poor mother..." Grandpa Li glanced at the child in Mo Lixia's arms and sighed. "It's a sin, truly. But it's fate. Miss Lixia, do you intend to adopt him?"
Mo Lixia nodded. "He has no family now, and he's so young... Master is gone, and I'm lonely by myself. Having a child to keep me company will be nice."
"You must think this through," Grandpa Li warned kindly. "You are an unmarried girl. Taking in a child might affect your chances of marriage in the future."
Mo Lixia smiled at the old man. "I'm sure I'll meet someone who doesn't mind."
Her smile dazzled the young men.
"I don't mind!" Da Qin, a simple and sturdy fellow, scratched his head and grinned foolishly.
"You idiot, Da Qin! What are you saying?" Ah Song immediately punched him in the arm.
"I... I didn't say anything!" Da Qin covered his mouth, his face turning beet red.
Mo Lixia glanced at him and smiled politely, pretending she hadn't heard. Beside her, Shen Muqing lowered his head, lost in thought.
As they approached the village entrance, Mo Lixia felt a dull ache in her lower abdomen. She ignored it at first, focusing on the child.
"Grandpa Li, the child has a fever."
"Sit tight, we're almost there. I'll have Ah Song and Ah Qing help you up the mountain. I'll go to Ah Qing's house and ask his mother to come help you."
"Thank you." Mo Lixia nodded gratefully. She really needed help. The pain in her belly was getting severe. Calculating the dates, her monthly cycle was due.
Grandpa Li whipped the ox to go faster. At the foot of the stone stairs, Ah Song carried the child, and Shen Muqing supported Mo Lixia as they hurried up to her house. Da Qin and Liuzi stayed below, anxious but unable to help.
"What are you two staring at? Go see who has spare children's clothes and borrow a set!" Grandpa Li barked at them.
"Oh! Right, right!" The two young men slapped their foreheads and ran off.
"Brother Shen, Brother Liu, thank you so much."
"You're welcome, Miss Lixia. We'll go heat up the kang for you..."
Shen Muqing and Liu Song helped her into the house, then quickly retreated to the kitchen to light the fire, respecting her privacy.
Mo Lixia didn't waste time. She stripped the wet clothes off the boy and tucked him into the warm bedding. Just as she was about to go to the pharmacy, the boy grabbed her hand, murmuring in his delirium.
"Mommy... Mommy..."
Mo Lixia patted his hand gently. "Shh, good boy. Mommy is here."
Once he settled down, she went to the pharmacy, fetched a fever-reducing pill, and fed it to him.
Glancing out the window, she saw that Shen Muqing and Liu Song had left. Only then did she relax enough to change her own clothes.
As she suspected, her period had arrived.
Soaking in freezing water right before her cycle had taken its toll. The cold had invaded her body, causing intense cramping in her lower abdomen.
Outside the gate.
"Brother Shen, what are you worried about? Miss Lixia is home safe. She just caught a chill," Liu Song said, slapping the brooding Shen Muqing on the back.
Shen Muqing looked embarrassed and lowered his head. His earlobes were turning a distinct shade of crimson.
Liu Song teased, "Ah Qing, have you taken a fancy to Miss Lixia?"
"Don't talk nonsense! Do not ruin Miss Lixia's reputation," Shen Muqing snapped, though his face betrayed him.
"Hah! Ah Qing, this is a poor village, we don't have that many strict rules. If you like her, you better act fast. I know your family fell on hard times and moved here, so you're different from us mud-legged farmers."
Shen Muqing's eyes flickered at Liu Song's words.
"Let me tell you," Liu Song continued, "Every guy our age in the village likes Miss Lixia. They just don't have the guts. But you're different. You're the most handsome and the best hunter. Miss Lixia will likely stay here forever. It would be a pity if she married someone else. Besides... I heard Er Dan's mother is already plotting to get her."
"Er Dan? Him?" Shen Muqing's expression darkened instantly. Fury bubbled in his chest.
"Yeah. Er Dan is a good-for-nothing. Just the other day, I saw him sneaking around Widow Bai's house. Tsk tsk..."
"Hmph. If Er Dan dares to touch a hair on Lixia's head, I won't forgive him!" Shen Muqing growled, his fists clenching.
"And you said you were afraid of ruining her reputation? Look at you now!" Liu Song laughed at his friend's intense reaction.
Shen Muqing turned red with embarrassment and anger. "Ah Song..."
Inside the house, Mo Lixia had changed into dry clothes and lit a charcoal brazier. Her stomach hurt so much she collapsed by the fire.
When Aunt Shen arrived with the borrowed clothes, she found Mo Lixia covered in cold sweat.
"Is it your monthly cycle?" Aunt Shen asked, immediately understanding.
"En."
"Bear with it. The cold has entered your body." Aunt Shen quickly dressed the boy in the dry clothes. "Let him sweat it out."
She tucked them both in. "I'll go boil some prickly ash water for you to soak your feet in. It drives out the cold."
Mo Lixia lay there, unable to move, waiting for the pain to pass. She would need to nurse her health carefully after this.
She glanced at the boy. He was sleeping peacefully now.
Looking at the ceiling, she smiled bitterly. I worked so hard to save him, and I don't even know his name yet. Today feels like a dream. Suddenly, there's another person in the house... wait.
Where is A'Mu?
A while later, Aunt Shen returned with a basin of hot water infused with prickly ash and a bowl of ginger soup.
"Here, drink this ginger soup quickly. It will help."
"Thank you, Aunt Shen."
As the hot liquid flowed down her throat, Mo Lixia finally felt a bit of warmth return to her frozen limbs.
She reached out and touched the boy's forehead.
She smiled. The fever was gone.
Aunt Shen brought in a laundry tub and sat opposite Mo Lixia. "His fever broke? He should wake up soon."