Little Yin Qing

Ji Yuan was exhausted in body and mind. He did not think any further and chose to return to his room to sleep.

He had been unable to sleep before, had gone half the night without rest, and had suffered a tremendous fright. The moment he lay down on the bed, he fell into a deep sleep within moments.

He slept until broad daylight, until the sun had risen high.

"Heh..."

Ji Yuan yawned and stretched as he got out of bed. Looking toward the doors and windows, he could see that it was already bright outside even through the window paper.

After getting dressed, he moved his body a little and opened the door. Slanting sunlight shone onto him, leaving Ji Yuan pleasantly warm.

His mind was clear, and his body neither ached nor itched. It seemed last night had left no aftereffects. Ji Yuan planned to test later whether his all-important special ability had been affected.

The branches of the large jujube tree in the courtyard swayed gently, and sunlight filtered through the leaves to scatter mottled patches across the ground. The gloominess of Ju'an Pavilion had vanished completely.

As someone with the soul of a 21st Century youth, what should he do after getting up? Naturally, brush his teeth and wash up!

Back at Yunlai Inn, an inn servant had brought fresh willow twigs and clean water every day. Now, Ji Yuan had to do it himself.

He looked at the water well in the courtyard and recalled the sight of that ghost creature emerging from it last night. Within a tenth of a second, Ji Yuan rejected the idea of drawing water from this well.

I'd better use water from outside in the future...

Ji Yuan felt that even someone without a cleanliness obsession would refuse to use this well if any of his friends from his previous life were brought here.

Stepping out into the courtyard, Ji Yuan picked up a wooden board and covered the well directly, then weighed it down with several stones.

He looked toward the large jar and the two water buckets outside the kitchen door. Well then, he still had to go carry water.

Even if he had never eaten pork, he had seen pigs run. Though he had never carried water himself, could that possibly stump this person Ji, whose mouth-dharma had subdued tigers, whose refined essence had stood upright, and who had repelled Fierce Souls?

More than ten minutes later, at Double Well Inlet in Tianniu Quarter, there stood two large wells fitted with Windlass Frames. Many Blue Stone Slabs and Drainage Ditches surrounded them. It was where the people of Tianniu Quarter fetched water and washed clothes every day, and also an excellent place for chatting and gossiping.

From far away, Ji Yuan heard quite a few people discussing the terrifying scream they had heard last night. There were also people saying that there had been considerable commotion yesterday in the direction of Ju'an Pavilion, suspecting that someone else was moving in.

Judging from this information, the huge commotion during the latter half of last night must have been blocked by some kind of formation. Otherwise, how could the common folk be so calm? But I was outside the formation last night and could still hear it. Looks like my hearing isn't confined to ordinary limits either!

As a stranger in a broad-sleeved long robe, carrying himself with exceptional bearing, Ji Yuan naturally drew the attention of the people of Tianniu Quarter when he came to fetch water, especially some of the young women and Women washing clothes.

Hearing those whispers and sensing those gazes, Ji Yuan did not feel embarrassed at all. Instead, he was rather pleased. His former self had never enjoyed such a high rate of turning heads.

People with thick skin found it easier to be happy!

"Hey, who is that..."

"Never seen him before. He's really handsome!"

"If he came here to fetch water, he should live in Tianniu Quarter or nearby, right?"

"Don't know!"

The sounds of conversation mingled with clothes being scrubbed and wooden boards slapping against fabric. Others chatted about domestic matters, while passersby flowed endlessly past.

Ji Yuan rolled up his sleeves and tied the Sleeve Cuffs at his elbows. With a great sense of novelty, he used the windlass to draw water. The bucket in the well was rather small, and it took two draws to fill one of Ji Yuan's buckets. After four trips, the two buckets he had brought were full.

Throughout the process, Ji Yuan patiently observed the people of Tianniu Quarter and listened to their family chatter. This atmosphere of ancient daily life was far richer than that of the residential compounds from his previous life.

Mm, and people were much more shy too. Whenever Ji Yuan turned his head toward a sound, the younger girls would turn away and not dare meet his eyes.

Once his buckets were full, Ji Yuan set the Carrying Pole in place and hoisted it onto his shoulders with an impressive pose as he walked forward.

"Splash, splash..."

The water in the buckets behind him immediately spilled onto his clothes and long robe. Ji Yuan instinctively tried to dodge, only for the two buckets to sway even more violently. His heel struck a bucket as well, and well water flew everywhere.

At that moment, his already terrible eyesight caused even greater trouble. His whole body swayed forward and backward like he was dancing a twisting rice-planting dance.

"Hey, hey, hey..."

Steady, steady!

"Clang..."

"Bang!"

Both buckets fell, and half of Ji Yuan's clothes were splashed with water.

"Ahahahahaha..."

"Hehehehe..."

"Erhahahahaha..."

The Women and passersby around him who saw this scene burst into laughter.

"He really is a refined gentleman!"

"Hahaha, Mother, he can't even carry water!"

"Oh my, I'm dying of laughter! If he carries water like that, won't it sway him to death? Ahahahahaha..."

Damn, damn, damn! I've lost so much face!

The facts proved that carrying water was a technical skill too!

Even with the thick skin Ji Yuan had cultivated across two lifetimes, his face was burning now. Making such a low-level fool of himself before all those eyes was truly disgraceful!

Thankfully, there was no one he knew here!

But the way to shake off this awkward situation was actually simple: as long as he was not awkward, it was fine. Besides, his eyes did not work well to begin with. What face did he need?

So Ji Yuan shook his head and laughed casually as well.

"Hahahahaha... Carrying water really isn't easy!"

After saying that with a smile, Ji Yuan bent down and reached out to feel around for the buckets that had rolled aside and the Carrying Pole on the ground. This movement was vastly different from that of an ordinary person, finally making those around him notice his eyes.

"Hey, that man's eyes don't seem very good!"

"Yeah, I was wondering just now why he always looked like he couldn't open his eyes..."

"This... he still came to carry water by himself?"

The laughter disappeared. It seemed most people in Ning'an were still simple and honest; they would not truly mock a blind man. Well, aside from that damned broker.

"Great Mister, let me help you carry the water!"

A clear voice rang out beside him. Ji Yuan had in fact heard footsteps approaching. Having just found the Carrying Pole, he looked toward the voice and saw a boy around eleven or twelve years old, dark-skinned yet delicate-looking.

Hm? Delicate-looking? He could actually clearly see him!

Ji Yuan could not help but properly regard this little boy who had offered help. From his experiences over the past two days, anyone he could clearly see seemed unlikely to be ordinary.

"Little one, what is your name? How old are you?"

When the little boy saw Ji Yuan's pale eyes, he was briefly stunned. Only after a short while did he come back to himself.

"My name is Yin Qing. I'm already twelve, and I often help my family carry water. I'm very strong!"

Ji Yuan smiled and nodded, then listened to the surrounding sounds. He did not find the child's family nearby, but he did hear a group of children playing in the distance. It seemed Yin Qing had come out to play on his own.

"Then thank you!"

It was indeed awkward to let a child carry water, but Ji Yuan also wanted to take this chance to observe Yin Qing.

"It's nothing, nothing!"

No sooner had Ji Yuan finished speaking than Yin Qing had already picked up both buckets, taken the Carrying Pole, and jogged back to the well. He looked entirely like a lively, cheerful, helpful ordinary child.

"Great Mister, where is your home? Haven't we arrived yet? Do we need to keep going?"

As he and Ji Yuan went deeper toward the eastern corner of Tianniu Lane, the surrounding homes began to grow sparse.

"We're almost there, just ahead!"

Ji Yuan looked at the child from time to time, feeling only that he possessed a remarkable spiritual air.

After a little while longer, Yin Qing stopped short outside the courtyard of Ju'an Pavilion. With a mournful face, he looked at Ji Yuan, who had also stopped there.

"Great Mister... You live here?"

That expression was both adorable and amusing to Ji Yuan.

"Yes, I live here. I only moved in yesterday. What, little Yin, won't you help this person Ji carry the water inside?"

I hope today brings a trial promotion recommendation, a good recommendation! Mami mami bibi baba, urgent as the law commands!