Chapter 4

The next morning, Jia Huan was woken by a strong urge to urinate, having drunk too much thin porridge the night before.

He noticed a lacquered wooden bucket placed by the door, which he presumed to be the legendary chamber pot.

However, after a brief moment of thought, he ultimately lacked the courage to relieve himself in the bedroom...

But then Jia Huan encountered another not-so-small trouble: he didn't know how to dress himself.

Sorting through the pile of clothes on the bedside cabinet, Jia Huan's mind went completely blank.

He wanted to find a hole and simply slip it over his body, but he couldn't find any holes...

Just as he was about to give up on dressing and relieve himself in the room, the curtain at the door was lifted, and a little girl with two small buns peeked in...

"Ah! Third Young Master, you're really awake!"

The little girl, resembling a white rabbit, hopped in from behind the curtain, her round face full of joy, her big, round eyes wide open, and her mouth forming an "O."

Wearing a slightly worn red jacket, a green shirt and pants, and a pair of pink embroidered shoes, the little girl, who looked to be about five or six years old, was very endearing.

Although Jia Huan's previous life hadn't reached the age of a middle-aged man, he already had the heart of one.

Seeing such a beautiful and cute little girl, how could he not be moved?

As the saying goes, a middle-aged man's love for a young girl is an eternal truth.

"Little beauty, what's your name? Do you want to go see the goldfish with Uncle?"

Jia Huan placed one hand across his abdomen, supporting the other, and the hand being supported was even more mischievous, scratching his chin.

He presented a perfect image of a dissolute young man.

The little girl's surprise turned to a frozen smile, and she blinked her big eyes at Jia Huan, but she didn't grasp the point: "Third Young Master, you don't know who I am? Who is Uncle? Is he going to see the goldfish? There are goldfish in the pond at the back of our estate!"

"Uh..."

Jia Huan scratched his head, feigning distress: "Sigh, I can't remember. After a serious illness, I only remember my mother, nothing else. Sigh!"

The little girl, a child rich in sympathy, instantly had tears in her big eyes and said sympathetically: "Third Young Master, you really can't remember anything? Not even the Old Lady, Madam, or Master?"

Jia Huan, looking at the doll-like little girl, felt a surge of affection, but his expression became even more sorrowful as he shook his head and sighed: "Sigh! The world is unpredictable, and the past is like a cloud. I can't hold onto these memories. I remember nothing, nothing at all. Little beauty, what's your name?"

The little girl's caterpillar-like eyebrows twisted in distress, and she took two steps closer, saying sympathetically: "Third Young Master, my name is Xiao Jixiang, and I'm a little maid by Auntie's side."

Hearing this, Jia Huan smiled and reached out to pat Xiao Jixiang's head, but he awkwardly discovered that his hand was not reaching downward but slightly upward...

This was an extremely cruel fact: he was actually shorter than the little girl.

"Ha ha!"

Xiao Jixiang, who also noticed this, burst into a silver bell-like laugh.

Jia Huan, hearing her laugh, slowly closed his eyes. It wasn't that he was in pain or perverted; it was just that... he couldn't hold his urine any longer. He trembled and said, "Xiao Jixiang, quickly help Third Young Master change!"

Xiao Jixiang, who usually found Third Young Master hateful, now found him quite amusing. Her expression was strange as she giggled and picked up Jia Huan's clothes, layer by layer, putting them on him.

Jia Huan, squinting, felt a bit uncomfortable. How complicated, just putting on a vest and a pair of pants should be simple, right?

But he secretly laughed at his own fate. Having such a cute little girl help him dress, wasn't that a good thing?

After memorizing the order of dressing, Jia Huan bowed and said in a refined manner: "Xiao Jixiang, where is the bathroom in our house? Please tell me!"

Xiao Jixiang found Jia Huan's appearance amusing and smiled, saying, "What is a bathroom?"

Jia Huan blinked and said, "It's the privy."

Xiao Jixiang, clearly already aware of what shyness was, blushed and spoke in a softer voice: "Go out the door and walk south, follow the corridor, and enter the second hanging flower gate. The privy is behind it."

Jia Huan made a strange "hmm" sound, then without even thanking her, he ran off.

His steps weren't too big, as he had to hold it...

"Ha ha!"

Xiao Jixiang, watching Jia Huan's hasty retreat, laughed again. She suddenly felt that Third Young Master's illness this time might not be so bad.

His previously solitary and gloomy personality seemed to be gone...

"Phew! Refreshing!"

Jia Huan shook off the "dragon saliva" and walked out of the privy, exhaling a very disgusted breath, feeling secretly satisfied.

"Phew!"

A voice of shame and anger came from the side, startling Jia Huan. He turned to see Xiao Jixiang, her small round face red, glaring at him.

What? This little brat!

"Great! Xiao Jixiang, you actually spied on me while I was relieving myself!"

Jia Huan, who knew no shame, joked.

But Xiao Jixiang, upon hearing this, turned bright red, her eyes also red, and her lips trembling: "You... you're lying, I... I was afraid you couldn't find it, oh!"

Xiao Jixiang, being only seven years old and inexperienced, was terrified and felt extremely wronged by Jia Huan's accusation, so she couldn't help but burst into tears.

Jia Huan, who had intended to play a joke and tease the little girl, forgot that this era was different from his previous one.

In the era he had come from, a seven-year-old girl might already have a boyfriend, and there were even photos of girls of that age playing with birds on the internet...

But in this era, judging by Xiao Jixiang's reaction, she was as pure as a little duck.

Jia Huan couldn't stand to see girls cry. Seeing Xiao Jixiang sobbing, he immediately panicked and rushed forward to wipe her tears.

But before his hand reached her face, Xiao Jixiang took two frightened steps back, looking at Jia Huan with fear and said, "Third Young Master, what are you doing?"

Although Xiao Jixiang was very cute and adorable, she was still too young. Even with tears on her face, she didn't look like a lily with dew, but more like a little cat.

Jia Huan laughed and said, "What do you think I'm doing? Of course, I'm wiping your tears! You're such a big person, and you cry over a joke, how embarrassing."

Xiao Jixiang didn't relax, staring nervously at Jia Huan's hand and said, "I'm only seven, not much older, and I'm still a child like Third Young Master. Besides, Third Young Master hasn't washed your hands after using the privy!"

Jia Huan, feeling a bit embarrassed, extended his left hand, sniffed it, and looked at Xiao Jixiang innocently, "It doesn't smell!"

"Ugh!"

Xiao Jixiang was successfully disgusted by Jia Huan and forgot to cry, but she was about to vomit.

Jia Huan laughed and said, "Don't worry, I use my right hand, not my left."

Xiao Jixiang looked at Jia Huan with confusion, not understanding what he meant.

Jia Huan, despite his thick skin, didn't feel comfortable explaining to a little girl which hand was responsible for the "important work" during urination.

So he changed the topic: "Xiao Jixiang, who gave you such a nice name?"

Xiao Jixiang, not flattered, wrinkled her small nose and said, "What's so nice about it? When Third Young Master wasn't sick, he said my name and I were both stupid and clumsy!"

Jia Huan laughed and said, "You must have misunderstood. I meant you were cute and clumsy!"

Xiao Jixiang was confused: "What's cute and clumsy? It must still be an insult!"

Jia Huan shook his head and said, "Absolutely not. It means you're... cute, very cute, and adorable! Actually, in the Jia household, I like Xiao Jixiang the most, why would I insult you?"

Jia Huan pretended to look at Xiao Jixiang seriously and affirmed it.

Xiao Jixiang first pouted and frowned, but then she smiled with a bit of pride.

Jia Huan secretly laughed and then teased her: "Hey, did I faint this time because I insulted you, and you secretly did something to me?"

Xiao Jixiang, not frightened, turned pale and said fearfully, "No, no, it wasn't me..."

Jia Huan, seeing that he had really scared her, felt a bit guilty and quickly comforted her: "Don't be nervous, I was just joking, not trying to scare you."

Xiao Jixiang, relieved, gave Jia Huan a reproachful look and said, "Third Young Master, you can't say things like that. Your sudden illness almost scared Auntie to death. She felt very guilty about it."

Jia Huan was puzzled: "My mother? What was she guilty about?"

Xiao Jixiang, wise beyond her years, sighed and said, "It's all because of that Ma Daopo! She's Second Young Master's godmother. One day, she found Auntie and persuaded her to make an offering to the Medicine King to bless Third Young Master and ensure his safety.

But Auntie didn't believe in such things before, and since Ma Daopo was Second Young Master's godmother, Auntie didn't want to make the offering at her temple even if she did.

But when Ma Daopo saw that Auntie wouldn't give her money, she said some nasty things, implying that Auntie would be punished for not respecting the Buddha.

Since Ma Daopo was Second Young Master's godmother, Auntie couldn't do anything to her, so she could only be secretly angry and curse her a few times.

The next day, Third Young Master suddenly fell into a coma. Several doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. Later, someone said that Third Young Master had been affected by something unclean, and Auntie remembered Ma Daopo.

Auntie took thirty taels of silver to find Ma Daopo, but Ma Daopo said it wasn't enough and demanded at least three hundred taels.

Auntie came back and begged Madam and the Old Lady for money, but they couldn't provide it and even scolded her for being crazy.

With no other choice, Auntie gathered all her personal savings, which amounted to less than two hundred taels, and sent it to the temple.

Ma Daopo took the money and said to wait for news.

But after two days, Third Young Master woke up, and no news came from Ma Daopo.

However, Auntie thought Third Young Master's recovery was due to Ma Daopo's power. She got up early, borrowed some money from Third Miss, and went to the temple to thank Ma Daopo.

Third Young Master, were you really saved by Ma Daopo? How did you suddenly faint?"

Looking at the frightened Xiao Jixiang, Jia Huan didn't know what to say.

He suddenly remembered that although the world of *Dream of the Red Mansions* wasn't a world of immortals and ghosts, it was still full of strange and supernatural events.

But Ma Daopo and Auntie Zhao were a team, and they almost killed Jia Baoyu and Wang Xifeng. Why was it different now...

Could it be that they became acquainted through this incident?

But in the world of *Dream of the Red Mansions*, Jia Huan didn't die!