Chapter 4: The Humble Abode Does Not Diminish the Spirit of Books and Swords

"Heaven's way is to repay kindness, and retribution is never mistaken. You can throw stones into a well, but don't cry foul when someone stabs you in the back later..." This was what a senior of He Fang had said to him after a drink, after they had attended a colleague's memorial service. The colleague lying in the transparent coffin at the funeral home, with a face that could not be repaired no matter how much makeup was applied, a face that was cut to pieces, greatly shocked He Fang. After that day, He Fang gave up his high-paying job and found a proper and decent job. In his subsequent dealings with people, he always held back, never doing anything to the extreme.

He Fang remembered the senior's words very well, and they were very fitting for the present situation: "Heaven's way is to repay kindness. Since you dare to take advantage of the fire, don't blame me for giving you retribution." He Fang was a person who clearly distinguished between kindness and enmity and held grudges. He made a vow in his heart that this retribution should be carried out by himself.

However, the scene a thousand years ago was not entirely disappointing. On the other side of the bed, a slender young girl was dozing, half-lying on the edge of the bed. From He Fang's angle, he could not see the girl's face, only her hair, which was dyed with a soft glow by the lamplight, and her gentle, fine breathing that made He Fang's ears itch. Judging from the girl's slender figure, she looked to be around eleven or twelve years old, and in fact, she was just twelve. When He Fang first woke up, the words "Third Brother" came from the girl's mouth.

Although she called Han Gang "Third Brother," the girl was not a daughter of the Han family. According to Han Gang's memories, the girl's name was Yun Niang, and she was a foster daughter of the Han family, of non-Han origin. Four years ago, the Western Xia ruler Weiming Liangzuo personally led a large army to attack Qin Prefecture, and many of the pro-Song familiar non-Han tribes along the border were either destroyed or driven away. At that time, the roads of Qin Prefecture were in chaos, and the young Yun Niang was kidnapped by human traffickers and sold to the Han family, taking the Han surname.

The term "foster daughter" was understood by He Fang to mean an adopted daughter, but in the Song Dynasty, it was another term for a maid. It was not unusual for Yun Niang to call Han Gang "Third Brother." In ancient times, if the master of a household did not have an official position, it was common for the maids to call the master and mistress "father" and "mother" and the young master "brother." He Fang had read "The Golden Lotus" and was not very surprised by this.

During the days when Han Gang was half-conscious on the sickbed, he was mainly cared for by Yun Niang. The twelve-year-old girl took care of the patient so well that not a single bed sore developed, something that even large hospitals in the future found hard to completely avoid. Han Gang was used to it, but He Fang, who had taken over his body, knew how rare this was. Feeling grateful, He Fang struggled to raise his hand to tidy Yun Niang's hair, which was spread out on the bed. The slight movement startled the girl from her sleep.

"Third Brother?"

The girl was still half-asleep, her eyes blurry, and her voice soft and muffled, with a childish lisp. But when she lifted her head, He Fang suddenly felt a bright light in front of him. In Han Gang's memories, when he left home to study two years ago, Yun Niang was just a young girl who had not yet grown up. But now, in He Fang's eyes, the twelve-year-old girl was truly stunning.

Perhaps because she had been lying on the bed for too long, one side of her hair buns, which symbolized her status as a young girl, had come loose, and half of her hair cascaded down like a waterfall, reflecting the yellowish lamplight, shining like the finest silk. Her delicate face was half-covered by her hair, adding a touch of charm to her youthful, oval face.

Her rosy lips were slightly open, her small nose was straight, her eyebrows were curved like the moon, and her eyes were slightly sunken. She might have a bit of Western Region blood, as Uyghur merchant caravans frequently came to Qin Prefecture, and the non-Han people were less strict about chastity than the Han people, so there were not few non-Han people with Western Region blood in Qin Prefecture. Her deep and clear features did not conform to the aesthetic standards of the time, but if Yun Niang were to walk on the streets a thousand years later, she would surely attract many admiring glances.

Waking up from her sleep, Yun Niang rubbed her eyes drowsily. When she put down her hand, she met He Fang's gaze, full of amazement and admiration.

"Third Brother!" The little girl's wide-eyed, mouth-covered surprise was endearing. The day before, she had seen her Third Brother show signs of waking up after a long coma, and in the past few days, she had taken turns with Han's mother to watch over him, hoping for his recovery.

In the past half-month, every doctor from Qin Prefecture who had been hired with a large sum of money to diagnose her Third Brother had shaken their heads and sighed, saying there was no hope. Several doctors had said that no one had ever recovered from being bedridden with a serious illness for four months and then in a coma for more than half a month. But Yun Niang, with her young heart, still held a sliver of hope and did not give up, diligently changing Han Gang's clothes and washing him, and praying to the gods whenever she had a chance.

The little girl's thoughts were simple. Since she was a foster daughter of the Han family, she naturally had to do her best. Moreover, in the Han family, the one who treated her the best was Han Gang. Heaven had mercy, and after so many days of hard work, it had not been in vain. Thinking of this, Yun Niang's nose tingled, and crystal tears rolled down her cheeks.

Leaning on the bed, Yun Niang sobbed uncontrollably, the fatigue and anxiety of the past few months pouring out with her tears. She clutched the edge of the quilt tightly, "Third Brother, you're finally awake..."

The tears sparkled in the lamplight, like crystal beads falling from the little girl's cheeks. He Fang felt a pang of pain and reached out to wipe away her tears. The little girl was startled by He Fang's movement but did not avoid it, allowing He Fang to clumsily wipe away her tears. She stopped crying and, pulling out a handkerchief from somewhere, wiped her eyes. Then she stood up, "Right, I'll go wake Father and Mother."

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End of Chapter 4