Changing Clothes

Before long, Shen Ge followed Han Yu to her home.

It was a rather dilapidated little wooden house. Parts of the walls had rotted away, and the roof, built from slabs of stone, was covered in weeds.

Why does it look like she's not very well-off? Is it really all right for me to take a set of clothes from her?

A sense of shame rose in Shen Ge's heart. It was like holding out his hand to beg a beggar for money.

Before Shen Ge could think any more about it, Han Yu came out carrying a folded set of linen clothes.

When she reached Shen Ge, Han Yu held the clothes out in both hands. With her head lowered and her face red, she said in a voice as faint as a mosquito's whine, "Young master, the clothes are a little worn. Please don't mind."

She hadn't called him young master at random; she had observed him. Neither Shen Ge's manner of speaking nor his appearance and bearing seemed like those of an ordinary person, so that was how she addressed him.

The corners of Shen Ge's lips lifted slightly as he took the clothes. "Fairy, don't call me young master. I'm no young master. If you don't think it's embarrassing, just call me Shen Ge."

"Brother Shen?" Han Yu said no more, her face red. The intimate form of address seemed to have startled her.

Shen Ge scratched his head, unable to understand why the young girl blushed so easily.

"Fairy, could you find me a room? I can change into the clothes while I'm at it."

Han Yu pointed at the front door and said softly, "Brother Shen, go inside and pick any room to change in. I won't go in."

Shen Ge put down the carrying basket, accidentally exposing some more private places as he moved. Han Yu happened to see them, and her face turned even redder.

If this had been a two-dimensional world, steam might already have been rising from her head.

"Sorry to trouble you to keep watch, fairy. I'll be right back."

In a field on the other side of the village, a young man came running over in a panic and shouted, "Uncle Han, hurry home and do something! Your Han Yu brought a man home, and he wasn't wearing any clothes!"

Hearing this, Han Wu, who was hoeing the field, grabbed a clod of dirt and threw it at him, shouting curses as he did so. "Boy from the Li family, what nonsense are you spouting? Keep it up and don't blame me for giving you a beating on your father's behalf!"

"That's right. Our Xiao Yu is such a good girl. How could she do something like that?" said the woman pulling weeds nearby, her expression displeased.

Li Shan dodged the clod of dirt with a sidestep and said anxiously, "Uncle Han, do you think I'd joke about Xiao Yu's reputation? Everyone in the village saw it. The man was fair and clean-looking, with nothing but some weeds and leaves wrapped around him. He had a lot of places exposed."

"And I heard he came out of the mountain forest to the south."

Li Shan didn't sound like he was making it up, and Han Wu's face darkened. "Really?"

"It's true, Uncle Han. If I'm lying to you, may I never find a wife in my life."

The moment Li Shan finished speaking, Han Wu grabbed his hoe and ran off, looking furious.

Li Shan watched Han Wu's retreating figure and called out worriedly, "Uncle Han, don't lose your temper! You know Xiao Yu has a kind heart. Don't hit her!"

With that, Li Shan went over to support Mother Han, who had some difficulty walking, and urged her, "Auntie, don't be angry either. You know what Xiao Yu is like, don't you? I only came to tell you because I was afraid she might be in danger. After all, we don't know where that man came from."

"Li Shan, say no more. Go help your Uncle Han first. He has a quick temper, so don't let him hit anyone." Mother Han gave Li Shan a push.

"Then take your time coming after us, Auntie. Whatever you do, don't run, or your foot won't be able to take it."

"I know what I'm doing. Hurry along."

Inside the house, Shen Ge heard a groan and pushed open a room's door. A pale-faced man lay on the bed, looking both weak and uncomfortable.

Hearing the door open, the man on the bed said without turning his head, "Xiao Yu, didn't you say you were taking my clothes to give to someone? Why are you back so soon?"

"Since you're back, bring your brother a bowl of medicine. It's starting to hurt a little."

Shen Ge glanced at the pot and bowl on the table. He went over and opened the pot, and when he saw that it contained medicine, he poured out a bowl.

"Brother, what happened to you?"

The man on the bed jumped at the unfamiliar male voice. When he turned and saw the figure wrapped in weeds, he was even more startled.

"Who are you? Why are you in my house? Where's Xiao Yu? What did you do to her?"

The man's scolding was loud and full of vigor.

Shen Ge smiled and held out the bowl. "Don't be nervous. I just came in to change my clothes. The Xiao Yu you're talking about is waiting outside."

"Relax. It's not like I'm a bad person."

Perhaps Shen Ge's kindly smile had rubbed off on him, for Han Lin reached out and took the bowl of medicine without thinking. "You're that poor fellow with no clothes to wear?"

Shen Ge smiled awkwardly and nodded in agreement. "So that's how the fairy described me. Still, it's accurate enough. I really don't have any clothes to wear."

Just then, Xiao Yu appeared at the door in a panic and hurriedly explained, "Brother, don't be angry. I was the one who told Brother Shen to come in and change. It's my fault..."

Han Lin glanced at his sister in the doorway, then at Shen Ge, whose body was barely covered. His brow furrowed, and he scolded her. "What did you come in for? Get out! Really, the older you get, the more shameless you become."

Han Yu broke off her explanation and said, sounding somewhat aggrieved, "Brother..."

"Get out!" Han Lin roared, his face dark. He raised the bowl of medicine in his hand, as though it might go flying at her the next moment.

Han Yu jumped in fright and hurried away. "Brother, don't be angry. I'm going out right now. Please don't be angry. The physician said you mustn't lose your temper."

Watching the brother and sister, Shen Ge smiled. "Looks like you still have your authority as her older brother, brother."

Han Lin said with a dark face, "Don't try to get friendly with me. If I could get up, I'd give you a beating today. Do you know how much gossip your showing up at my house today will bring down on my sister?"

"You even followed her all the way through the village. How did you dare come into the village looking like that? Don't you have any sense of shame?"

"You don't look like an ordinary person. Didn't you know to pay a man outside the village to bring you a set of clothes?"

Seeing Han Lin grow angrier as he spoke, and seeing his trembling hand, Shen Ge genuinely wondered when the bowl of medicine might come flying at his head. He hurriedly interrupted, "I'm sorry. I spent so long in the mountains that my head wasn't quite working for a while. All I could think about was getting a set of clothes in the village. I didn't think beyond that."

"I'm very sorry for the trouble I caused your sister."

The other man admitted his mistake at once, leaving Han Lin feeling as though he had thrown a mighty punch into cotton, so soft and powerless. After a moment of silence, Han Lin drank the medicine and handed the bowl over. "All right. Didn't you come to change? Hurry up and do it. Otherwise, if my father comes back and finds you looking like that, it won't be pretty."

Shen Ge took the bowl and put it back, then closed the door and changed. Although there was another person in the room, he was just a man, and Shen Ge wasn't about to be fussy. After all, he had been to the bathhouse plenty of times in his previous life.