Shen Jianglin listened with his eyes closed, and in his mind he had already sorted out the situation and everyone's attitudes more or less clearly. It was just that this body was not sturdy, and falling into the water in the dead of winter was even more deadly. Before long, his whole body was burning with fever, and Shen Jianglin's thoughts also became blurred.
When Concubine Xu saw that Shen Jianglin's small face was flushed red with fever, she hurriedly touched his forehead. The moment she felt it, it was scalding hot. She then held her hand over the stove to warm it for a while, and only after her hand had gained some warmth did she reach into the bedcovers to feel Shen Jianglin's body. Sure enough, his body was also burning hot.
"What is to be done? Why is it that after taking the medicine, it still does not work?" In a daze, Shen Jianglin heard the worried voice of this body's own mother.
Nanny Wang still had a bit of composure. "Concubine, if you trust me, then take a dry towel and dip it in the strongest liquor, and wipe it over the boy's armpits, chest and back, as well as his palms and both sides of his neck. I guarantee it will work."
Hearing these words, Concubine Xu felt as if she had grasped hold of a pillar of support. In a flurry, she sent a servant to ask Madam Wei for some liquor. The little maid Cuiliu, upon receiving the message, hurriedly ran out, and nearly collided with Shen Chuxia and Shen Mingdong, the two sisters who were about to enter the room from under the eaves of the corridor.
"Greetings to Second Young Miss and Third Young Miss." After bowing, Cuiliu continued running out in a panic.
Concubine Xu heard the commotion inside the room and quickly called her two daughters in.
As soon as they entered the warm chamber, the two sisters first looked at their younger brother. Seeing that Shen Jianglin's cheeks were burning red, and hearing that Cuiliu had been sent to Madam Wei's side to ask for liquor, Shen Mingdong immediately raised her delicate eyebrows and angrily complained, "Concubine, you truly are the most muddled person under heaven!"
The two sisters had hurried over all the way against the cold wind. Upon hearing the news that Shen Jianglin had jumped into the water, they had been so frightened that their cheeks turned pale. Now that they saw their younger brother's little life had been saved, Shen Mingdong began to fret over the muddled things the concubine and her younger brother had done.
Shen Mingdong was sharp-tongued and unforgiving. Being spoken to like this by her, Concubine Xu immediately became displeased. "What kind of talk is this from the young lady? How am I muddled?"
Shen Mingdong was filled with disappointment at her failure to meet expectations. "Mother had just flown into a great rage over this matter. If you foolishly moved him back, then so be it, but now that you want liquor, would it not be better for you to go yourself? Where apologies are due, make apologies; where amends are due, make amends. Say a whole basket of good words to Mother and let her know that you only misspoke earlier out of anxiety. Once Brother Lin is a little better, send him over quickly, and this matter will be settled, will it not?"
To send that little girl who cannot even speak clearly? When the time came, what would Madam think?
She had already offended her, and now she still wanted her to bring things over. If you have the ability, then do not open your mouth at all and do not go begging others!
Second Sister Shen Chuxia sat by the bedside, using a wet towel to cool Shen Jianglin's forehead. She lowered her head, touched her little brother's burning cheeks, and could only weep anxiously.
Having been pointed at and scolded by her own daughter, Concubine Xu could not save face either. "Third Young Miss, I did at least give birth to you and raise you. Today, Brother Lin was even driven to jump into the water. Instead of helping me, you speak up for someone else! If you want to hurry and acknowledge someone else as your mother, I do not even know whether she would be willing or not!"
Concubine Xu's face was beyond reproach—a true Jiangnan beauty. Though she was already showing signs of beauty fading with age, she could still withstand close scrutiny. But now, her pair of captivating peach-blossom eyes were wide open in anger, her hands on her hips, pointing at the sky and cursing the earth. Of her ten parts of beauty, only three remained.
Yet even though Concubine Xu did not know a single character, when it came to speaking, she was most skilled at picking the very things people cared about most. Moreover, she knew her own third daughter best of all—whatever she did not want to hear, Concubine Xu insisted on saying.
Shen Mingdong could not catch her breath. Her small face, eight parts resembling Concubine Xu's, flushed bright red as she panted heavily. Seeing that her third sister was about to quarrel with their concubine mother again, Shen Chuxia hurried over to pull Shen Mingdong back: "Third Sister, why must you do this? Even Little Brother has come to this state—what use is anger now? You might as well sit down…"
Before Shen Chuxia could finish, Shen Mingdong flung her sleeve and said coldly: "Yes, why should I waste my anger on a blockhead? Just don't come crying to me when you regret it!"
With that, Shen Mingdong lifted the felt curtain and stormed out, flinging it shut behind her.
…….
Concubine Xu grabbed the second young lady, Shen Chuxia, and began to pour out her grievances, chattering on and on without end.
It was fortunate that Shen Chuxia had a good temperament. Whatever her concubine mother said, she did not argue, only responding softly in agreement.
Shen Jianglin felt as though he had been cast into a sea of fire. Worse still, voices of different women clamored in his ears without a moment's rest. He was like Sun Wukong with a tightening band around his head, the incantation recited over and over until he had nowhere to turn, his head aching as though it might split open.
Time dragged on so painfully.
Suddenly, Shen Jianglin found a spring of clear water in the scorching desert. After drinking, his whole body felt relieved, his heavy breathing began to ease, and he settled into calm.
Seeing that her son's fever had indeed broken, Concubine Xu pressed her palms together and recited two Buddhist chants. Then she rubbed her arms and waist, which felt about to fall apart, and urged Shen Chuxia to rest: "Eldest Girl, go and rest now. Nanny Wang and I will watch over things here."
By the third watch, Shen Chuxia's eyelids were nearly stuck together. Seeing that her little brother was now sleeping peacefully, she bowed and, leaning on her little maid Yuan'er, headed toward her own courtyard.
Shen Chuxia's courtyard was on the west side, in a rather remote spot. Yuan'er carried a horn lantern and reminded Shen Chuxia to walk slowly.
The mistress and servant carefully watched their steps. Since it was already deep into the night and all the courtyards had gone to sleep, Shen Chuxia feared disturbing her father and the principal wife, so she took the narrow passage used by servants. The winter wind howled, pouring straight into her collar and sleeves. Even though she tightened her thick fur cloak, she still could not keep out the chill.
"Yuan'er, tomorrow still wake me at the first quarter of the mao hour. Do not miss the time."
Shen Chuxia instructed.
Yuan'er had been at Shen Chuxia's side for so many years that she knew her young lady was always the most rule-abiding person. Even though she had stayed up until midnight today, tomorrow morning she still would not miss the slightest moment for paying respects to Madam Wei.
She quickly nodded in agreement.
…….
After several days of recuperation, Shen Jianglin finally gathered his soul and consciousness back together. At the same time, he discovered that this time it was not merely a simple transmigration. In the more popular phrasing of the times, he had transmigrated into a book.
In the memories of a ten-year-old child, there weren't many outside events—only the few acres of family land—but that didn't stop Shen Jianglin from unraveling and sorting everything out clearly.
He and the original body were both named Shen Jianglin. Coincidentally, in modern times, Shen Jianglin's life also underwent a massive upheaval at the age of ten.
When modern Shen Jianglin was ten, his parents died in a traffic accident, leaving him a vast inheritance.
A young child bearing enormous wealth is like a toddler clutching gold bricks in a bustling market. Relatives who had once been kind instantly changed their faces, transforming into jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards—everyone wanted a share of the inheritance.
Though Shen Jianglin was only ten at the time, he was exceptionally gifted. Under his parents' guidance by example and instruction, he possessed far more intelligence and insight than an ordinary ten-year-old.
In the end, among all the relatives, he chose his young aunt as his guardian. With an annual childcare fee of five hundred thousand, he signed an eight-year contract with her. Once the eight-year term expired, all remaining assets would revert to him. With a written and signed agreement, notarized with witnesses and lawyers all present—even though his aunt didn't want his money at all—he persuaded her with reason and emotion, handling the matter swiftly and efficiently.
Once the contract was signed, Shen Jianglin successfully preserved the vast majority of his parents' estate. His judgment was also keen; the eight years spent with his aunt's family could be considered pleasant.
His aunt was a career woman, a strong woman whose own schedule was packed tight every day. Naturally, she couldn't devote too much energy to raising Shen Jianglin. But his aunt gave him absolute respect and personal space. Even if there was more respect than warmth, Shen Jianglin felt it was just right.
Only his aunt's little daughter, his young cousin, was somewhat clingy. From childhood, she had stuck to him, wanting to share everything with him. He had watched the little girl grow up—she watched dramas, chased celebrities, read novels—and whenever he came back, she had a cartload of things to tell him, often sending him novels she liked.
Shen Jianglin read a few and found some interest in them. That day, before the plane crash, he happened to be on airplane mode, having downloaded offline a novel his little cousin had sent him, Rebirth: My Husband Is the Zhuangyuan. He was reading it to pass the time.
Shen Jianglin was extraordinarily gifted. Even when casually and absentmindedly reading light entertainment, he could clearly remember the main plotlines and the names of some supporting characters.
So very quickly, Shen Jianglin discovered that in another stream of memories in his mind, everyone he knew around him matched the people in this book.
Shen Jianglin pinched the bridge of his nose with a headache. Although he hadn't finished reading this novel, the story was already past its midpoint, and the fate of the original Shen family was already determined—property confiscated, exiled, relocated three thousand li.
The female lead, Zhao Anning, had in her previous life married the original body's elder brother, Shen Jiangyun. But Shen Jiangyun was a philandering playboy who fell in love with every woman he saw. The female lead loved him but could not obtain his loyalty, causing Zhao Anning to ultimately die of depression in the back courtyard.
Upon rebirth, Zhao Anning hated the entire Shen family. She swore to overturn her fate and to nail the Shen family—especially Shen Jiangyun—to the pillar of shame!
Now he had transmigrated into this absurd novel world. How should he conduct himself? He had just begun living a leisurely, carefree life—was it really about to be gone forever?
Shen Jianglin let out a long sigh. His mentor had once said of him that he had seven apertures in his heart, yet possessed an indolent disposition—so long as trouble had not arrived at his doorstep and could not be avoided, he was the type to coast along one day at a time.
A person like this found matters of romantic entanglements and scheming plots most tiresome. Especially in the original text, where the original body's elder brother was certainly no good man, but much of what the female lead Zhao Anning thought and felt also made Shen Jianglin uncomfortable. It was merely an unfaithful husband—there were so many splendid things in this world, so why fixate on this one matter, fixate to the point of losing one's own life?
If this were the modern world, should he encounter such people, he would stay as far away as possible and absolutely not get involved.
Alas, now he himself had become one of the supporting roles in the chain, and could not help but suppress his impatience and scheme a little in his heart.
He did not know whether in the original book this "Shen Jianglin" had died from this jump into the water, or died later during exile—in any case, there was no good ending.
He had to break free from this death trap that the original body was destined for.