Little Yin Qing

His body was exhausted, and his mind was equally drained. Ji Yuan didn't dwell on it any further and chose to return to his room to sleep.

He hadn't been able to fall asleep earlier, spending most of the night without rest and suffering a tremendous fright. Now, lying on the bed, he sank into a deep slumber in no time at all.

He slept straight through until broad daylight, until the sun had climbed high.

"Heh..."

Ji Yuan yawned and stretched, rising from the bed. He glanced toward the door and window; even through the window paper, he could see that it was already bright outside.

He dressed, moved his body, and opened the door. Slanted sunlight fell on him, warming him pleasantly.

His spirit was refreshed, and his body had no aches or pains. It seemed last night had left no lingering effects. Ji Yuan planned to test later whether his crucial special ability had been affected.

Inside the courtyard, the branches of the large jujube tree swayed gently, sunlight filtering through the leaves to dapple the ground. The eerie atmosphere of Ju'an Pavilion had completely dissipated.

As someone with the soul of a 21st-century youth, what did one do upon waking? Brush teeth and wash up, of course!

Back at the Yunlai Inn, a servant had brought fresh willow twigs and clean water every day. Now, Ji Yuan had to handle it himself.

He looked at the water well in the courtyard, recalling how the ghost creature had emerged from it the night before. In a split second, Ji Yuan dismissed any thought of drawing water from this well.

'From now on, I'll use the water outside...'

Ji Yuan figured that even if he weren't a clean freak, any friend from his past life would refuse to use this well.

He stepped into the yard, picked up a wooden board, and covered the well, then weighed it down with a few stones.

Glancing at the large jar and two buckets outside the kitchen door, he sighed. Well, he'd have to fetch water.

He hadn't seen pork, but he'd seen pigs run. Though he'd never carried water himself, could this stump this person Ji, who could subdue a tiger with his tongue and rise to banish a fierce soul?

Over a dozen minutes later, at Double Well Inlet in Tianniu Quarter, there were two large wells with windlass frames, surrounded by blue stone slabs and drainage ditches. It was a daily public spot for drawing water and washing clothes, as well as a place for gossip.

From a distance, Ji Yuan heard many people discussing the terrifying scream they'd heard the night before, and others talking about the commotion near Ju'an Pavilion, suspecting someone had moved in.

'Based on this information, the big disturbances in the latter half of last night must have been blocked by some formation. Otherwise, the common folk wouldn't be so calm. But I could hear it from outside the formation, which means my hearing isn't limited to normal bounds either!'

Ji Yuan, a stranger in wide-sleeved robes with an impressive bearing, naturally drew the attention of the Tianniu Quarter locals, especially the young women and older ladies washing clothes.

Hearing the whispers and feeling the stares, Ji Yuan wasn't embarrassed. In fact, he was rather pleased. In his past life, he'd never gotten such a high rate of turning heads.

Thick-skinned people were easier to please!

"Hey, who's that..."

"Never seen him before. Good-looking!"

"Coming here for water, he must live in Tianniu Quarter or nearby, right?"

"Don't know!"

Chatter mixed with the sounds of scrubbing clothes and slapping boards, along with neighbors discussing household matters, as passersby flowed past.

Ji Yuan rolled up his sleeves and tied the cuffs at his elbows. With a sense of novelty, he used the windlass to draw water. The small bucket inside the well was too small; it took two trips to fill one of his buckets. After four rounds, both buckets were full.

During this process, Ji Yuan patiently observed the Tianniu Quarter locals, listening to their daily talk. This ancient, everyday atmosphere was far richer than the residential complexes of his past life.

Mm, people were also much shyer. When Ji Yuan turned his head toward a sound, the younger girls would look away, not daring to meet his eyes.

With his buckets full, Ji Yuan placed the carrying pole on his shoulders and, with a practiced air, hoisted the load and started walking.

"Splash, splash..."

Water from the rear bucket splashed onto his robes. Ji Yuan instinctively tried to dodge, but the two buckets swayed even more violently. His heel even bumped into one, sending well water flying everywhere.

And with his already terrible eyesight, it was a disaster. He wobbled back and forth like a dancer in a harvest festival.

"Hey, hey, hey..."

Steady, steady!

"Clang..."

"Thud!"

Both buckets fell off, and half his clothes were soaked.

"Ha ha ha ha ha..."

"Heh heh heh heh heh..."

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha..."

The women and passersby who saw this burst into loud laughter.

"He really is a refined mister!"

"Ha ha, Mom, he can't even carry water!"

"Oh, I'm dying of laughter! Carrying water like that, no wonder it's splashing everywhere, ha ha ha ha ha..."

Damn, damn, damn! What a loss of face!

It turned out carrying water was a skill!

Even with Ji Yuan's two-life-thickened skin, his face burned now. Under the gaze of so many, this blunder was truly embarrassing!

Luckily, no one I know is around!

But the way to get past this awkwardness is actually simple—just don't feel awkward yourself. After all, my eyesight is already poor, so why bother with face?

So Ji Yuan shook his head and laughed freely.

"Hahahaha... carrying water isn't easy either!"

After laughing and saying this, Ji Yuan bent down and reached out, groping for the bucket that had rolled aside and the carrying pole on the ground. The movement was so different from a normal person's that it finally made others notice his eyes.

"Hey, that guy's eyes don't seem too good!"

"Yeah, I was just wondering why he kept his eyes half-closed..."

"This... he's fetching water himself?"

The laughter died down. It seemed most people in Ning'an were still simple and honest—they wouldn't really mock a blind man. Well, except for that damned Broker.

"Esteemed Great Mister, let me carry the water for you!"

A crisp voice sounded beside him. Ji Yuan had already heard footsteps approaching, and now, having just touched the carrying pole, he turned toward the sound. It was a boy, about eleven or twelve, dark-skinned but handsome.

Hmm? Handsome? I can actually see him clearly!

Ji Yuan couldn't help but take this proactive little boy seriously. Based on his experience over the past two days, anyone he could see clearly seemed far from ordinary.

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

The boy stared blankly at Ji Yuan's pale eyes for a moment before snapping out of it.

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

Ji Yuan smiled and nodded, then listened to the sounds around him. He didn't hear the child's family nearby, but he did catch the noise of a group of children playing not far off. It seemed Yin Qing had come out to play on his own.

"Then thank you!"

Having a child carry water was indeed embarrassing, but Ji Yuan also wanted to use this chance to observe Yin Qing.

"It's nothing, nothing!"

No sooner had Ji Yuan spoken than Yin Qing had already picked up the two buckets, grabbed the carrying pole, and jogged back to the well. He looked every bit the lively, cheerful, and helpful ordinary child.

"Great Mister, where is your home? Are we not there yet? Do we keep going?"

Walking deeper with Ji Yuan toward the east corner of Tianniu Lane, the surrounding houses began to thin out.

"Almost there, just ahead!"

Ji Yuan kept glancing at the child, feeling that he radiated a certain cleverness.

A moment later, Yin Qing stopped in front of the courtyard of Ju'an Pavilion, his face falling as he looked at Ji Yuan, who had also halted.

"Great Mister... you live here?"

The expression on his face was so cute that Ji Yuan found it both endearing and amusing.

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

Hope today brings a trial push, a good recommendation! Mami mami bi bi ba ba ji ji ru lü ling!