The courtyard fell silent, leaving only Shen Li and the two Xiao brothers.
Er-lang endured the throbbing pain, his eyes fixed intently on Shen Li. Her face remained mostly expressionless when she spoke, but he noticed that whenever her eyes met his, the corners of her mouth would quirk upward ever so slightly.
San-lang was right—she really did seem to smile at him more often now. But… why?
Shen Li lifted Er-lang gently, shifting him further onto the bed. she spread the oil-paper across the edge of the mattress and layered a piece of incredibly soft, comfortable cotton cloth over it. Then, she eased Er-lang down onto the fabric.
Er-lang stared at the cotton, his brow furrowing. To wash him, she could have simply laid him on the oil-paper. This high-quality fabric cost several times more than coarse hemp; he didn’t even need to touch it to know how luxurious it would feel against his skin. Any family in the village would be overjoyed to own even a small scrap of such material.
“Did I hurt you?” Shen Li asked, pausing her movements.
Er-lang shook his head and glanced at San-lang. Taking the cue, the younger boy reached out to touch the cloth. It felt wonderful.
He looked up, speaking with cautious hesitation. “Brother wants to know… did this cloth cost a lot of silver?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, San-lang grew fearful. He curled into a tiny ball, his eyes darting to Shen Li with a look of pure dread. Back when they lived in the Cao family’s courtyard, he had constantly heard Aunt Cao complaining about how much it cost to feed two “useless mouths.” Those complaints were always followed by a brutal beating. He was terrified that Shen Li, having spent money on them, would now explode in a fit of rage.
Shen Li glanced at Er-lang and reached out to pat San-lang’s head. The boy flinched violently, squeezing his eyes shut and shrinking back. It was only when he felt the softness of her hand gently smoothing his hair that he dared to peek one eye open.
Seeing that she didn’t look angry, he relaxed, leaning into the rare tenderness.
“Yes, it cost a good deal of silver,” Shen Li said, her voice calm.
San-lang tensed up again instantly.
But then he heard her continue: “But this money was spent for your brother, and I was happy to do it.”
She was happy to spend money on him? Was she truly… going to treat him well now? Shen Li’s words echoed in Er-lang’s ears. He didn’t want her to see his eyes turning red, so he quickly averted his gaze.
When Shen Li reached out to unfasten his tunic, Er-lang snapped his head back toward her, shaking it vigorously in protest. Noting the faint flush in his eyes and his panicked resistance, Shen Li’s eyelid gave a sympathetic twitch. He’s acting like I’m trying to do something untoward!
“How am I supposed to wash you if you don’t take your clothes off?” she said, trying to be reasonable. “With your injuries, you can’t exactly take a proper bath.”
Er-lang refused to meet her eyes, keeping his head lowered and continuing to shake it stubbornly.
Shen Li let out a long sigh. “Look, if you were healthy enough for a bath, I’d have already stripped you bare and tossed you in a tub!”
Er-lang froze. He looked up at her in utter shock. How could a woman say such a thing with such a straight face and a steady heart? Seeing her deadpan expression and hearing her flat tone, he assumed she was losing her patience. He relaxed his body in a gesture of grim resignation.
This woman! he thought, a spark of indignation flickering in his chest. She actually threatened me!
Beside them, San-lang swallowed hard, not daring to make a sound. Sister-in-law is really scary when she’s annoyed!
As Shen Li saw Er-lang finally submitting to her care, the corners of her mouth lifted. Er-lang caught the tiny expression; he dazed for a moment, and—almost against his will—the corners of his own mouth mirrored hers.
As the clothes came away, Shen Li discovered something hidden inside the grime-stained layers of coarse cloth: a beautiful jade pendant had been sewn into the lining with messy, uneven stitches.
“What’s this?” She unpicked the jade and held it up for Er-lang to see.
San-lang stared at the pendant, his body tensing as if he wanted to grab it but didn’t quite dare. Seeing how much he wanted it, Shen Li handed it directly to him.
San-lang clutched the jade tightly, pressing it against his chest. “It’s Brother’s! Father said Brother has worn this since he was a baby!”
He shielded the pendant with his small hands, watching Shen Li warily as if afraid she would snatch it back. He had been terrified that Xiao Huai-ren would steal it to trade for silver, so he had secretly asked Auntie Li for a needle and thread and sewn it into his brother’s clothes, stitch by crooked stitch. Xiao Huai-ren thought Er-lang was “filthy” and never touched him, let alone undressed him. And before Sister-in-law had changed her ways, she wouldn’t touch him either, so the jade had remained safe.
He gripped the jade until his knuckles turned white, looking at Shen Li with a conflicted expression. This is Brother’s. Even if Sister-in-law is nice now, I can’t let her have this!
Shen Li looked at Er-lang, who nodded softly, confirming the boy’s story.
“Since it’s your brother’s jade, you must keep it safe, San-lang. Why don’t we put it under his pillow?” she suggested in a gentle, coaxing tone.
San-lang’s eyes widened, and he nodded vigorously. He wanted to protect his brother! And he would protect the jade too! Shen Li watched as the little boy scrambled to the head of the bed to tuck the treasure safely away. Only then did she turn back to help Er-lang remove the rest of his clothing.
But as the fabric fell away, Shen Li froze.
She stared at the map of injuries covering Er-lang’s body. There were bruises in shades of mottled blue and purple; some wounds had scabbed over, while others were still raw and weeping.
Her gaze turned icy. She looked up and asked sharply, “Who did this to you?”
The moment the question left her lips, she realized both brothers were looking at her as if she were a complete idiot.
It hit her like a physical blow. These wounds—all of them—had been inflicted by the “original” Shen Li during her sessions of relentless abuse.