The Game of Life

Wen Er was very efficient in his work and had a knack for perceiving people’s expressions; noticing that Yanzhi had difficulty moving her legs, he quickly brought two buckets of hot water in a moment. It was not just hot water; he also brought a maid along.

“Mr. Xia, seeing that you are alone and it would be difficult to take care of this young lady, I took the liberty of hiring a maid for you. She’s from a reputable family, and her services cost only 15 copper yuan per day,” Wen Er said earnestly. “I’ll go fetch the doctor now, and the clothes will be delivered shortly. Rest assured, it’s definitely one of Xingcheng’s renowned doctors.” The maid stood by, appearing honest and dependable.

Xia Mushi nodded, took out two silver dollars, and handed them to Wen Er: ‘You are responsible for paying her and purchasing a set of prettier clothes. Also, inquire whether we can purchase an additional train ticket.”

“Right away!” Wen Er’s face lit up with joy as he accepted the money, giving a knowing look to the maid beside him, signaling her to go in and take care of the patient.

Xia Mushi waited outside until Wen Er brought the clothes and the doctor over The maid inside received the clothes, helped Yanzhi put them on, and then came out to inform Xia Mushi and the others.

As the saying goes, “Clothes make the man just as a saddle makes the horse.” After bathing and changing into fresh clothes, Yanzhi looked especially beautiful; at least, Jiang Feng and Xia Mushi hadn’t seen a girl more beautiful than Yanzhi while strolling around the city for so many days.

As for whether there were girls more beautiful than Yanzhi in terms of appearance in the Hongxiuge, Jiang Feng had never been inside and therefore did not know.

In those times, beautiful girls were either born into wealthy families as daughters or were trained from a young age in high-class brothels like the Hongxiuge. Ordinary families could hardly afford enough food to eat; lacking nutrition, their looks were seldom pleasant.

“This young lady is truly beautiful!” the maid exclaimed.

Yanzhi maintained a cold expression, disliking others complimenting her beauty.

Without any support, without money, power, or influence, beauty was her original sin.

The old doctor took Yanzhi’s pulse and asked a few questions. After examining her complexion, he wrote a prescription, not waiting for Xia Mushi to reach out, Wen Er cleverly took the prescription.

“This young lady appears to have caught a cold from the rain, has a mild fever, and is quite frail. This prescription is for warming and slow nourishment; using stronger medication, I fear she wouldn’t be able to withstand it,” the doctor explained.

Xia Mushi nodded, and taking the opportunity, Wen Er said, “I will go get the medicine for you and deliver it once it’s ready.”

After the doctor and Wen Er had left, the maid also tactfully exited the room. Fifteen copper yuan a day; she’d do less work if she could, given that her pay was secured.

Where are you from?” Yanzhi asked, seeing Xia Mushi not speaking. She continued, “Since you treat me as a substitute for the girl you like, and you’re supporting me, someone useless like myself, at least tell me where the girl you’re fond of is from.”

“Beiping,” Xia Mushi said.

Yanzhi was startled and said, “That’s quite far. Beiping was once under the feet of the Emperor. Is the girl you like from an official’s household?”

Xia Mushi did not respond.

“How long do you plan to support me?” Yanzhi continued asking.

Xia Mushi remained silent.

“Ten days? One month? Half a year? Or a year?” Yanzhi spoke and then laughed, “Mrs. Chen supported me for two years, thinking I was a promising girl who could definitely become her cash cow. Even when I jumped out of a window and became paralyzed, she was reluctant to abandon me, her promising girl. She even sent me to the Western Hospital for treatment until the foreign doctor there said I was incurable, and only then did she throw me away.”

“Would you believe how lucky I am? The foreign doctor dumped me among the dead, I was lying there waiting to die, and yet someone came to save me,” Yanzhi lay on the bed, suddenly opened up, and just wanted to talk to someone. Xia Mushi sat in a chair, silently watching her, letting her speak on her own. “My brother is a fool; when I was first sold to the Hongxiuge, I refused to eat, hoping to starve to death. I would dump my meals outside the window every day, and he would pick them up from the ground. Later, Mrs. Chen found out and hung me up to beat me. At the time, I was glad, hoping to be beaten to death, but then, I was saved by a foreign doctor again.”

“I only threw away a few days’ worth of meals, and he thought I was being kind to him. He dug me out of the pile of corpses and took care of me, a paralytic. He fought with others, stole, and robbed, doing whatever he could, and even if others broke his leg, he would still not forget to fetch water for me, a useless person.”

“Isn’t he a fool? I only threw meals out for a few days, and he thought I was kind to him. I had long forgotten who I threw my meals to, but he always remembered,” Yanzhi said.

But he still left you,” Xia Mushi suddenly spoke.

Yanzhi turned her head to look at Xia Mushi and smiled.

Not left, rather he finally smartened up, got wise. Taking care of a paralytic like me would only drag him down to death. He’s about twelve or thirteen now; without me, he can live well,” she said.

“How old are you?” Xia Mushi asked.

“Fourteen,” Yanzhi replied. “And you?”

Twenty-two,” Xia Mushi answered.

“Then it’s too late for you, the young lady from that wealthy family you fancy is sure to have married by now,” Yanzhi looked at the window frame. “I should be getting married too.”

111 have Wen Er make you a bowl of porridge,” Xia Mushi said, then left.

After that, Yanzhi hardly ever spoke to him again.

At first, she may not have wanted to, but later on, she couldn’t. She had seemed fine the day before, but after taking the medicine, Yanzhi’s illness suddenly worsened; it might also have been a culmination of all her previous symptoms, resulting in a relentless high fever.

Wen Er had the same doctor come and take another look. With no other options available, the old doctor prescribed a strong medicine for Yanzhi.

Before leaving, he said to Xia Mushi at the door, “Mr. Xia, Miss Yanzhi’s body might not hold up against this strong medicine. If she survives these next few days, she will live; if not, we can only leave it to fate. I have no other solutions. If it really comes to it, take her to the Western Hospital. Perhaps the Western doctor might have a way.”

Xia Mushi had intended to follow the doctor’s advice and take Yanzhi to the hospital, but during these past few days, Yanzhi, in a delirious fever, hardly lucid, still vehemently opposed going to the hospital and refused to even take her medicine.

Jiang Feng couldn’t remember how long he had been in this memory until Wen Er came to remind Xia Mushi that the train would depart the next morning, asking if Yanzhi’s current condition would allow her to board the train, and whether he should rebook the tickets. It was then that Jiang Feng realized he had also stayed in this memory for over a week.

Yanzhi’s condition improved a bit this morning, and she seemed a little more spirited. It looked like she might even be able to take the train.

Yanzhi, in her room, heard what Wen Er told Xia Mushi. As soon as Xia Mushi entered, she said weakly, “If I get so sick on the train that I’m going to die, just throw me off the train.”

Xia Mushi ignored her.

“Xia Mushi, I’m serious. The money you’ve spent on me these past few days is enough for you to buy a few good-looking maids from a human trafficker. I’m just a short-lived foreign article, destined not to live long. It’s not worth it to spend any more money or effort on me,” Yanzhi said.

“You’re not from Xingcheng,” Xia Mushi said. “Do you know where I’m taking you?”     ⁵

“Where to? Magic City? Or Mountain City?” Yanzhi asked.

“Beiping,” XiaMushi answered.

Yanzhi was startled.

“Do you want to go?” Xia Mushi asked.

Yanzhi looked at him and after a long time, she said, “I do.”

“I dream of going back.”

“Xia Mushi, do you know me?”

“I know you,” Xia Mushi replied.

“But I don’t know you. Who exactly are you?” Yanzhi looked at him with an unprecedented sadness in her eyes.

Xia Mushi did not speak.

“I’m hungry.”

“I’ll go get your porridge,” Xia Mushi said as he turned to leave.

“I don’t want porridge, I want chicken with vegetable buns,” Yanzhi replied.

Xia Mushi paused and then said, “Alright, I’ll go make it for you.”