In the spring of the first year of Jinghe, Deng Ying brought me home from the inner court.
I was full of energy and immediately started planning renovations as soon as we got to Deng Ying’s house.
I was born in the late 90s and was among the first generation of internet users. When I was young, I loved playing with room decoration in the QQ Show, dreaming of one day having my own house where I could decide the style, choose elements I liked, and participate in designing every detail. Unfortunately, before I could save enough money to buy a house, I arrived in Deng Ying’s Great Ming Dynasty. Though material civilization had gone back six hundred years, I wasn’t worried—I had Deng Ying, which was like having my construction team.
But well…
My excitement only lasted a day.
Sometimes, I have to admit that fortunes can change dramatically over time.
I had once confined Deng Ying to bed for over half a month, and now he was doing the same to me. I had to suppress my urge to go shopping for building materials and temporarily become a homebody.
According to Doctor Li who was treating me, my illness came from mental and physical exhaustion, and recovery was crucial—it couldn’t rely on medicine alone.
This Doctor Li was recommended by Yang Lun. He was an especially good person, very patient, though a bit chatty. Deng Ying originally didn’t talk much, but after spending time with him, he gradually became influenced.
“You need to take medicine, and follow dietary therapy too.”
“I’ll write it down.”
After speaking, Deng Ying went to get paper and brush, rolled up his sleeves, dipped the brush in ink, and looked at Doctor Li: “Please proceed, Doctor.”
Doctor Li smiled: “Sir, you cook as well? Why not wait for the young lady who used to serve your wife to return, and I can tell her instead?”
Deng Ying held the brush and smiled shyly, “That young lady is the manager of Qingbo House, not someone I can order around. In my household… I’m the only one doing the work, please tell me directly.”
Doctor Li smiled: “Alright then, listen carefully. Codonopsis pilosula and Solomon’s seal duck soup. Ah, this is an excellent dish, very beneficial for your wife’s lung condition. Remember, it must be an old duck. Remove the feathers and internal organs, clean it thoroughly, then simmer it with Solomon’s seal and codonopsis pilosula over a low flame.”
“Old duck, remove feathers… clean organs… Solomon’s seal, codonopsis… low flame…”
While Deng Ying was bent over taking notes, I sat on the bed hugging my knees, imagining the taste of the stewed duck.
That day it was drizzling outside, but because of some festival, there were many people coming and going beyond the walls, creating quite a lively atmosphere.
Deng Ying saw Doctor Li out, returned to the room to take off his old clothes, and stood in front of the wardrobe to change his robe.
“Are you going out?”
“Yes, I’ll see if I can buy a duck.”
“I want to go too.”
Deng Ying looked out the window and shook his head at me, “Be good, Wan-wan, don’t get out of bed.”
“Oh.”
I said, my face falling.
Deng Ying looked somewhat helpless, and had to walk over to me while tying his sash, “Besides duck, what else would you like to eat? I’ll buy it for you.”
“The grilled flatbread from the front of Yingtian Prefecture!”
“Too greasy. You’re taking medicine, you can’t eat too much of that.”
“Then the roast goose from behind Qingbo House.”
“We’re going to stew duck for you, as for goose…”
I interrupted him: “Then tell me what I can eat.”
I was looking at Deng Ying when I said this, and I don’t know if my expression wasn’t well-managed, but he hesitated, and his half-tied sash came loose.
Then we both deliberately cleared our throats and said in unison: “You haven’t fully recovered yet.”
This weird synchronization was deadly enough, but somehow the next line also mysteriously matched: “That’s not what I meant.”
What did we mean anyway?
At any rate, I watched him leave with a stiff neck, and when he returned carrying a duck, his neck was still stiff.
This person living with me in the Great Ming was much better at taking care of people than I was.
I had been recovering since I returned, and most of the time I couldn’t help much.
But whenever he rolled up his sleeves to do housework, he would call out to me from time to time.
“Wan-wan.”
“Yes?”
“What are you doing?”
“Sitting here eating sunflower seeds… what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, carry on eating.”
“Wan-wan.”
“What is it?”
“Are you thirsty from the seeds? Do you want some water?”
“You poured me a cup before you left, don’t you remember?”
“Oh, right. Well, drink it, and tell me when it’s empty.”
“Wan-wan.”