Moved Heaven, Rouge Traded for a Life

"Uncle Wang, are you all right?"

Li Xian helped Wang Yonghou to his feet and brushed the snow off him. Wang Yonghou clutched his waist and howled in pain, his face bruised purple and blue.

When he noticed the huge tear in his homespun clothes, his heart bled even more. He would rather take a few more punches than have such a big hole torn in his clothes.

"I'm fine, Li... Li Xian. Thanks."

"I always said you had potential. The martial arts you just used were really impressive."

"You helped me get that anger out. Th... thanks."

As he spoke, Wang Yonghou suddenly realized something and hurriedly said, "Th... that is, I still haven't chopped any firewood. C... could you let Uncle Wang off this time?"

"I'm not going to hit you. Otherwise, Auntie Liu would scold me to death." Li Xian smiled.

Only then did Wang Yonghou relax. The two headed back to Qingning County together, naturally keeping each other company along the way.

"Your greatest virtue, boy, is that you never forget your roots."

Wang Yonghou said with a sigh. Seeing him hobble along with great difficulty, Li Xian bent down and helped set his ankle bone back into place. It still hurt after it was set, but he could walk without trouble.

"Those bastards really did beat the hell out of me."

"If you hadn't come, I might really have kicked the bucket here."

Wang Yonghou sucked in a sharp breath.

Li Xian asked, "Uncle Wang, why were you stealing firewood? Don't you know how dangerous that is?"

"Alas..." Wang Yonghou sighed. "What choice did I have?"

"A few days ago, Auntie Liu fell ill. She had a high fever that wouldn't go down for days. The doctor said that if we couldn't afford medicine, we at least had to make sure she didn't catch a chill."

"That way, she might have a chance to get better."

"That doctor was talking a load of crap. It's the dead of winter—who can avoid catching a chill? Let his own wife freeze to death, the bastard."

"I'm done caring. I'm done."

As he spoke, he began to sob. He wiped his tears with his sleeve, but when he saw the footprints on his clothes, he felt even more at a loss for words.

He swallowed all his bitterness.

Only a soft sigh escaped him.

"Auntie Liu's sick?" Li Xian furrowed his brow.

At a time like this, ordinary people couldn't afford to fall ill. If they were young and strong, they might be able to tough it out.

But if they were a little older, their illness could easily worsen until it claimed their life.

"That demon wind blew through a few days ago. Is it any wonder someone got sick?" Wang Yonghou cursed. "That old woman had to get sick now, of all times. Why couldn't she have gotten sick earlier or later?"

"Made me take a beating for nothing."

But Li Xian could see that the couple truly loved each other. Wang Yonghou cursed and grumbled, yet he had still run more than ten li to steal firewood for Auntie Liu.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side, and he'd been caught.

Li Xian told Wang Yonghou that he was headed the same way and would go with him to see Auntie Liu. Wang Yonghou agreed.

Inside Leaking Bottle Alley.

"Old woman, I'm back. Don't you go dying on me!" Wang Yonghou shouted several times.

A series of weak coughs came from the room. "You bastard, you'll curse me to death!" Auntie Liu scolded feebly.

Wang Yonghou carefully opened the door a crack and practically "squeezed" into the room, doing his best to keep the cold wind out. But the house was already freezing. What good would that do?

Li Xian also "squeezed" into the room.

"Oh, Xiao Xian's here?" Auntie Liu was startled, then hurriedly added, "Don't come too close. It wouldn't be good if I infected you."

"Your Xiao Fan went to take the Winter Examination a while back. Who knows, maybe he'll come back a promising young man."

Auntie Liu smiled warmly.

Li Xian felt a pang in his heart. After their father ran up gambling debts and took his own life, the two brothers had depended on each other to get by. They had managed only because Auntie Liu had helped them out here and there.

There was no need to mention anything else; even letting them use her stove was a kindness.

Whenever the two brothers came to borrow the stove, Wang Yonghou would invariably grumble and curse, while Auntie Liu would make the decision herself and agree to let them use it.

"Auntie Liu, are you feeling any better?" Li Xian moved closer.

"Alas, this illness..." Auntie Liu said. "Whether I'll get better is anyone's guess."

"Stop talking nonsense, you old woman. Shut your mouth." Wang Yonghou cursed.

"Auntie Liu, what did the doctor say?" Li Xian felt her forehead and found it burning hot. Her fever was severe.

"The doctor said it's a cold-related illness. If I had the money, a few doses of decoction would make me better. But where would I get the money?"

"And those doctors are heartless. They say herbs are expensive because they're hard to gather in winter."

As Auntie Liu spoke, she noticed the bruises on Wang Yonghou's face. She immediately sat upright. "You old bastard, did someone beat you?"

"N... no..." Wang Yonghou shrank his neck.

"Did you go steal firewood?" Auntie Liu furrowed her brow. Though ill, she still had an air of authority that made people uneasy.

"I did..." Wang Yonghou was very honest this time.

"Your clothes are torn, too." Auntie Liu said with a pained look. "Come over here. I'll patch them for you."

The couple were both past fifty and had no children, yet they treated each other with respect and affection. Seeing the injured husband and sick wife leaning on and relying on each other moved Li Xian.

"However chaotic the world gets, genuine affection still spills forth in some unknown corner."

Li Xian watched quietly, not wanting to disturb them.

He had no money on him, but he did have a box of rouge—the one he'd bought last time and hadn't given to his wife.

His wife naturally wouldn't have thought much of that box of rouge.

But now, it could save a life.

Li Xian turned and made his way to Dream Immortal Pavilion in Water Gauze Alley, where he saw the same alluring, middle-aged woman.

"Well, young master, you're still alive?"

The woman smiled warmly.

"I'm here to pawn this rouge. It's unopened." Li Xian got straight to the point and explained why he'd come.

After some haggling, the woman smiled. "All right. You bought this rouge for three taels of silver. I'll only offer seven hundred wen for it."

"Don't complain that it's too little. Seven hundred wen could be enough to save a life. Maybe even two."

"You, when you sold yourself back then, only got a few hundred wen, didn't you? If you agree, we have a deal. If you think it's too little, go somewhere else."

"There are people who pawn jewelry, paintings, and bronze vessels, but rouge... No one else would even give you the time of day. Only because your old mother here has a kind heart."

Li Xian readily nodded. "Deal!"

The woman smiled and brought out a cloth pouch containing seven hundred wen. Not one coin more, not one coin less.

"Shopkeeper, you're not usually this easy to deal with."

After Li Xian left, one of the attendants at Dream Immortal Pavilion couldn't help saying.

"Go on, get lost."

"Your old mother here likes the look of him. If you were as handsome as he is-"

"Forget pawning rouge. I might even consider taking you for myself."

Hearing this, the attendant hurriedly said, "No, no, spare me."

The words had barely left his mouth when two sharp slaps landed on his face.

After slapping the attendant's cheeks until they swelled, the woman sneered. "You? You think you can look down on me? Have you forgotten your place?"

Meanwhile.

"All done."

Auntie Liu put away her needle and thread. Wang Yonghou's clothes now had several patches.

"You really shouldn't steal firewood again."

"Truth is, we both know I probably won't make it. How many of our children and our brothers at home have gone the same way?"

"Try to take it in stride. It's nothing much."

Auntie Liu gently patted her husband's back.

"Old woman, if you're gone, what reason would I have to keep living?"

"You know, whether we were hungry, suffering, or tired, we counted the days and got through them one by one. Wasn't there a certain sweetness to it?"

"But this... this..."

Wang Yonghou turned his head away, and the couple wept in silence.

Suddenly.

Auntie Liu spotted a conspicuous brocade pouch. She nudged her husband, signaling him to take a look.

He opened the pouch and saw seven hundred wen. Wang Yonghou was overjoyed. This windfall from heaven was as good as saving both their lives.

"Old woman, you don't have to die now. We have money, so we can buy medicine. Once you take it, you'll get better."

"We must have moved Heaven, hahaha!"

Wang Yonghou said happily.

"Bah, bah, bah."

"What do you mean, moved Heaven? I'm afraid this money..."

"Was... left here by Xiao Xian."

"It could only have been him."