“San-lang is such a good boy; he actually wanted to wash your clothes for you.” Shen Li carried San-lang to the bedside so Er-lang could see him.
Er-lang gave a bitter, pained smile, his eyes reddening once more. If he weren’t paralyzed and bedridden, how could he have allowed his tiny brother to endure the indignity of cleaning his filthy trousers?
He really carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, Shen Li sighed internally. “From now on, San-lang is my younger brother too. I won’t let him suffer any more grievances,” she promised softly.
She set San-lang on the floor and told him to wait patiently.
From now on? San-lang is her brother too? Er-lang stared at her. Did she truly intend to build a life here? Otherwise, why would she speak of a future? Didn’t she say he was just like the other patients she had cared for? Perhaps she only meant for the duration of his treatment—that she would treat San-lang like a brother only until he was healed?
With the washing finished, Shen Li dried Er-lang’s body and cleared away the oil-paper and the damp cotton cloth. She selected a small porcelain jar from her medicinal bundle and began applying ointment to the various wounds scattered across his body. Next, she pulled a set of inner garments from a different large bundle.
She helped him into the trousers first, then supported his frame to slowly dress his upper body. Er-lang looked down at the pants covering his legs; they were made of fine cotton—soft, breathable, and gentle against his skin. Material this fine must have cost a fortune.
Noticing his gaze, Shen Li explained, “Wearing soft fabrics will help your wounds heal faster. Once San-lang is asleep, I’ll take care of the sores on your back.”
Once he was dressed, she helped him lie down, propping him slightly on his side with a quilt to ensure no pressure was put on the bedsores. Er-lang withdrew his gaze and nodded, his thick eyelashes fluttering.
Shen Li clutched her chest internally. He’s a literal heart-throb! How can he be this handsome? As a husband? How am I, a twenty-year veteran of the ‘single dog’ life, supposed to handle this?
She realized she couldn’t keep staring. Stumbling slightly, she hurried out of the room to the kitchen to steam the buns. While the food heated, she prepared a large vat of hot water and poured it into the wooden tub in the side room.
“Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law! What is all this water for?” San-lang asked, blinking his large eyes as he swirled his hand in the tub.
“It’s for washing a little San-lang, of course!” A gentle smile graced Shen Li’s face. “San-lang must be a good boy and listen to me—don’t be stubborn like your brother!” As she spoke, she playfully tossed a mock-glaring look toward Er-lang.
Er-lang could only manage a helpless, bitter smile in return.
Hearing this, San-lang stripped off his rags and dove into the tub like a little black loach, happily splashing around. After teaching the little fellow how to use the soap-nut powder, Shen Li told Er-lang to keep an eye on him while she went back to check on the buns.
Left alone, Er-lang watched his younger brother soak in the tub, scrubbing himself with delighted focus. His own mood couldn’t help but brighten alongside the child’s joy.
Shen Li returned with a plate of steaming buns, placing them on the table near the bed before helping the little one wash his hair. As his soft, fine black hair slipped through her fingers, she was struck by a sudden sense of déjà vu—it felt exactly like giving her old puppy a bath. A small smile tugged at her lips.
Er-lang didn’t know why she was smiling, but he was deeply moved by the scene. In the flickering glow of the oil lamp, San-lang sat obediently in the tub while Shen Li smiled warmly, gently massaging the boy’s small head.
After the bath, she dried him off and pulled out another set of soft cotton undergarments for him. Once dressed, the clean San-lang sat cross-legged on the bed, looking down and tugging at his new clothes. With his long, damp hair draped over his shoulders, he looked almost like a little girl.
“Sister-in-law, the clothes are so soft and comfy!” San-lang crawled over and leaned his head against her.
Shen Li pulled him into a hug and gave him a loud, smacking kiss on the cheek. “As long as you like them! Now, it’s time for dinner. Go sit down.”
San-lang scrambled to the table and sat up straight, touching the spot she had kissed with a look of pure intoxication.
Watching his brother’s happiness, Er-lang felt a pang of guilt. Their mother had passed away shortly after San-lang was born; in all the years he had been alive, no one had ever kissed him the way Shen Li just had. Even their father—and Er-lang himself—had never realized that little San-lang, like any other child, simply wanted to be kissed and held.
As the hot buns were placed on the table, San-lang’s eyes lit up. But just as he reached out to grab one, Shen Li caught his wrist.
San-lang’s heart skipped a beat. He looked at her fearfully, wondering if he had done something wrong. Is Sister-in-law not going to let me eat?