La vida perfecta en la dinastía Song

Capítulo 69

Junyu thought of Mr. Nongying, who was searching for medicinal herbs in the Kunlun Mountains, and said happily, "My relative is looking for a kind of herb. Perhaps he has already found it."

“Oh, that’s perfect. I just picked up a few simple herbs along the way by the lake. Some are to treat your wounds, and some are to stabilize your eyes so they don’t get too bad. But overall, they’re not very useful.”

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Chapter 228: Junyu, do you like it? (1)

"Thank you!" Junyu looked at this complete stranger. With so many herbs, it was clear that they couldn't have been "collected along the way." Overwhelmed with emotion, she could only manage a simple "thank you" after a long while.

The man said casually, "It was nothing, nothing to mention. I have to go out soon. The water and provisions are on the grass where you sat..."

Junyu smiled and said, "Okay, don't worry. I'm already familiar with this place, I'll find it myself."

The man gave her a deep look, placed the decocted medicine on the ground, then turned and went back into the house, seemingly to get something to take out.

Junyu stood there, then suddenly seemed to remember something and took something out of her pocket. Then, hearing the man approaching, she smiled and called out to him, handing him the things in her hand: "Please trouble you to buy me a set of clothes."

Those were two strings of gold leaves and some loose silver coins, which were the travel expenses Junyu carried.

The man didn't reach out to take it, but simply said, "A set of clothes costs this much?"

Junyu smiled and said, "I have no way to repay your great kindness. This meager item is of no use to me. Please do not be offended. Buy a few jars of good wine and we can drink until we are drunk."

Seeing her resolute tone, the man didn't refuse, but simply said, "You stay here, I'm leaving."

Junyu nodded and watched him leave.

Although it was the height of summer, the lakeside remained cool and pleasant. Junyu sat on the grass, letting the warm sunlight bathe him. When thirsty, he would drink some water; when hungry, he would nibble on some cold, hard dry rations. These things were right beside him, within reach, yet seemed so far away.

The stranger, fearing it would be inconvenient for her, arranged everything. Junyu felt completely lost, and soon that feeling turned into deep fear: would she need someone to take care of her every need from now on?

She remembered the stranger's words: there was still hope for her eyes to be cured. She gave a bitter smile. When Mr. Nongying left, he was only worried that her eyes would be ruined in a few years, but she never expected that she would go blind in just a few months.

The sunlight grew weaker and weaker; Junyu knew it was sunset. She sat quietly for a long time, then a cool breeze blew by, and she knew it was dusk again.

The sound of horses' hooves approached. She stood up and quietly "looked" in the direction of the sound. Soon, the sound stopped, and the man's hoarse voice rang out: "Are you hungry?"

Junyu shook his head and smiled, "No, I haven't finished my rations yet."

The man glanced at her several times before turning around and taking a variety of odds and ends from his horse—from large items like blankets, clothes, pots and pans to small items like combs and washcloths. Junyu couldn't see these things, but she could hear him bustling about. Finally, he picked something up, walked towards Junyu, and held out his hand, saying, "Junyu, do you like this?"

Junyu took it and smelled the aroma; it was indeed a large pear. Imagining the pear's bright orange color, she couldn't help but smile: "This is a pear, isn't it?"

Before the man could answer, Junyu suddenly felt an extremely strange sensation. The voice echoed in his ears again and again: "Junyu, do you like this thing?"

This familiar tone, though spoken from that unfamiliar and hoarse throat, seemed as if it were something I was used to hearing.

"Junyu, do you like it?"

"Junyu, what do you think?"

"Junyu..."

This was Tuosang's most familiar tone of voice. Junyu's mind went blank for a moment before she reached out her hand and exclaimed excitedly, "Tuosang, is that you? Tuosang, where are you?"

Although she couldn't see, she instinctively grabbed a hand that had already retracted. It was a completely unfamiliar hand, definitely not Tuosang's.

The only response she received was that extremely hoarse voice: "What's wrong with you? Who is Tuosang?"

She asked in bewilderment, "How do you know my name?"

The man said with great surprise, "Haven't you told me your name many times? Can't I call you 'Junyu'?"

Junyu regained her senses, took two steps back dejectedly, and whispered, "I'm sorry, please don't mind."

She witnessed Tuosang's cremation; how could she possibly come back to life? In her despair, she hallucinated, mistaking a stranger's most ordinary greeting for Tuosang's. And if it really was Tuosang, why wouldn't he immediately recognize her?!

At that moment, she desperately wanted to open her eyes and see the person before her, but her wide-open eyes remained completely black. She whispered, "Oh, I'm blind, I can't see anything, I'm sorry..."

She silently turned around and walked to the edge of the grass, where she sat down alone.

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Chapter 229: Junyu, do you like it? (2)

It seemed that it had completely darkened. Junyu sat quietly on the grass, a multitude of emotions surging in her mind, yet she couldn't make sense of any of them.

After sitting quietly for a while, I suddenly heard a voice say, "Sit here..."

She turned her head and sensed that the person had placed something on the grass. She reached out and touched it; it seemed to be a wooden stake, shaped into a rough little stool. She smiled and sat down, and then silence fell over her again; the person seemed to have left.

Junyu ignored him. After spending the last two days with him, she noticed that besides being taciturn, he was also gentle and very considerate. She guessed that he was busy and that she couldn't help him anyway, so she didn't bother him.

After a while, she sensed a fire in the distance, and it seemed that the person had started a fire and was cooking something. Then, the person busied himself for a while, rustling and scurrying, until she smelled a burning odor. Only then did Junyu stand up and slowly walk over.

The man hurriedly took a clay pot off the fire; the porridge inside had turned into a black, gooey mess.

Junyu smelled the burnt aroma of rice and couldn't help but ask, "Are you cooking rice?"

The man smiled sheepishly, thankful that Junyu couldn't see the soot covering his head and face, and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, I can't do this little thing well either."

Junyu knew that many people on the border of this desert didn't know how to cook, and guessed that he probably had never cooked before, so he said, "Why did you think of cooking? Couldn't you just buy some dry food?"

"You're injured, how can you get by on just dry rations?"

Junyu smiled and said, "That's not how you cook rice..."

She said a few words casually, and the man moved quickly. Almost as soon as she finished speaking, he completed a step. By the time she finished giving her brief instructions, the earthenware pot was already steadily placed on the fire and the porridge was cooking again.

After doing all this, the man said, "It's already quite remarkable that you have such skills, but to be able to cook is even more unexpected."

“I learned it from my mother when I was a child, but I haven’t done it for more than ten years.”

"Does your mother cook well?"

Junyu laughed: "My mother's cooking is terrible. Neither my father nor I can eat it, so we don't ask her to cook anymore. However, my father's cooking skills are excellent."

The man listened with great interest and then chimed in, "I bet your cooking is terrible too."

Junyu laughed loudly: "That's exactly right."

The moonlight illuminated the calm, still lake, making it appear like a mirror.

The not-so-delicious meal was finished. Although the food wasn't particularly tasty, it made Junyu feel as if she had returned to her childhood hometown. Her owner also seemed quite satisfied with the meal, smiling and saying, "I've finally learned something. I'll definitely do better in the future."

Junyu heard the childlike joy in his hoarse voice, and she was also very happy.

The man was still tidying up some odds and ends. Junyu sat alone on the grass, looking up and imagining the moonlight. She had changed into a soft, brand-new robe, and a soft sheepskin was spread on the grass beside her. Although she couldn't see anything, her heart slowly became very peaceful.

Perhaps, when one can no longer see, it is easier to calm down and contemplate?

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Chapter 230: Junyu, do you like it? (3)

After some time, the man sat down not far from her, picked up a leaf, and casually began to play a local folk tune. The tune was very cheerful and short, and he played it repeatedly, making the listener feel cheerful as well.

A wave of weariness washed over Junyu. She looked up at the sky. During these days of blindness, she could only recall the moonlight through her imagination. What did the moonlight look like now? Would the colors in her memories fade away and become unfamiliar forever?

The man said, "Are you sleepy? Go and rest."

Junyu nodded and said, "So, this kind of ordinary life, rising with the sun and resting at dusk, is quite nice too." After saying that, he slowly walked towards the cottage.

Seeing that she was still able to maintain such a positive attitude despite her initial blindness, the man couldn't help but nod in approval.

Junyu entered the small house and smelled a faint floral fragrance. It was a small pink flower that grew by the lake and had the effect of repelling mosquitoes. There were quite a few mosquitoes flying around by the lake at night, and the person was obviously worried that the mosquitoes would disturb her sleep, so she collected these flowers and put them in the house.

She gently picked up a small flower, amazed by the stranger's thoughtfulness; he had thought of and arranged almost everything for her. A sudden warmth and happiness filled her heart, and even the pitch-black world didn't seem so unbearable anymore. She lay down gently on the wooden plank, and that night, she slept exceptionally soundly and peacefully. Since Tosang's death, she had never slept so easily and comfortably for a whole night.

The sun rises in the eastern sky.

A person stopped a short distance away, watching the blue-robed youth practicing swordsmanship by the lake. The lake breeze carried the scent of grass, the rising sun shone on her face, the sky above was so red, and her unfocused gaze was so spirited, as if she could leap up and grab a beautiful cloud.

The unpredictability and misfortune of fate, those bleak and merciless past events, all seemed to slowly end and dissipate in the light of her dancing sword on such a morning, leaving behind only hope and fragrance like clouds overhead.

He couldn't help but smile and walk over: "You're really diligent."

"It's just a habit!" Junyu sheathed his sword, vaguely sensing the bright red light from the east, but it was also a fleeting feeling.

Junyu laughed: "I want to go for a walk by the lake."

"Okay, I'll go with you."

Junyu stood there, gazing at him.

The person opposite suddenly had a strange feeling: this young man in the brand-new blue robe had such bright eyes that he seemed to see into the depths of one's heart, as if he had never been blind.

His heart was pounding, and he felt flustered, like a child whose secret had been discovered. He longed to share this secret, which he had worked so hard to hide, with others, especially her. For a moment, he couldn't even tell whether he was trying to escape or feeling joy.

"No need, I'll just wander around the neighborhood, you go about your business."

As if a bucket of water had been poured over his head, he suddenly calmed down and watched her slowly walk forward. Only after she had taken several steps did he silently follow.

The meadow by the lake was quite wide, and Junyu walked slowly forward, her steps never faltering. Sometimes, she would stop to listen to the sounds of fish leaping in the lake, the low chirping of water birds flying by, and the gentle rustling of wildflowers in the breeze.

A red fish swam playfully in the water, splashing water everywhere. Junyu walked closer and closer to the water's edge, almost feeling the water droplets splashing on her. She bent down, stretched out her long arm, and her fingers almost touched a lively fish, which quickly swam away. Junyu smiled, brushed away the splashes, and her blue figure was reflected in the shimmering water.

Those who walked silently beside her watched the shimmering reflection, and saw more and more fish swimming in schools into that reflection. The clear lake water, like a rippling mirror, shimmered with a smile more radiant than the morning glow, and a graceful beauty more elegant than a hundred flowers. This once ordinary little lake had suddenly become so beautiful and moving.

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Chapter 231: In this way, we can avoid betraying each other (1)

Ahead, a field of colorful wildflowers swayed in the breeze; behind, the sunlight cast long, long shadows of the white clouds. He marveled and gave thanks for the wonders of creation—how could a blind man still radiate such inextinguishable vitality and breathtaking harmony with nature?!

He watched her take two more steps forward, her shoes almost touching the water. Even though he knew she wouldn't fall into the lake, he couldn't help but worry. He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and handed her the stick he was holding: "Take this."

"Is this a walking stick?" Junyu laughed, weighing the rough stick in his hand; the bark was still damp. He had gone out before dawn, presumably not only to gather herbs but also to find this "walking stick."

She took the stick, stood still, pulled a short knife from her pocket, and casually began to whittle the stick, quickly sharpening one end. Then, she stood up, turned sideways, and listened very carefully. Suddenly, with lightning speed, she plunged the sharp stick into the water, and with a flick of her wrist, a very plump fish was speared onto the stick.

She smiled and handed me the spear: "Here you go, you can make fish soup."

The man took the stick, stared at her blankly, as if seeing her for the first time, and after a long while sighed, "I really can't imagine what you can't do."