Plain And Simple

Shu Shu did not transmigrate, she was sure of it.

She was born outside of this village. The villagers only knew that she was already a few months old when her mother settled in the village. Her mother did not have money on her, but she did have a few precious things she could sell to provide for them.

Her mother only knew how to cook good food. She didn't know anything about farming or needlework. Thus it was hard to raise money, especially since the city where she could work as a cook was quite a distance.

When her mother fell ill from overwork and stress, all she could do was pick some wild vegetables from the forests edge to boil and hoped that was enough to cure her mother.

It wasn't enough, obviously.

Her mother died when she was four, and since then Shu Shu was forced to mature or die.

The villagers never knew her mother's surname, let alone her father's. Her mother insisted she be called Ah Lian.

The first four years of her life, Shu Shu also didn't mingle with the villagers. Her mother kept her inside at all times and when Shu Shu had to go outside, she warned her not to talk no matter what.

Apparently, her mother also avoided talking about her with anyone.

Thus, when her mother died, no one knew her name. She herself didn't know as her mother would only call her 'girl'. When she asked why she didn't have a name, her mother's answer was always the same.

"Names have power, my child. It can bring fortune, but it can also bring bad luck." Then she would gaze at her fondly, smoothing her hair or patting her head. "You look so much like him," she would whisper.

After her mother's death, she was given the name 'Shu Shu' by the villagers.

Plain and simple, the name meant. Good and charming, just like her mother they said.

Zhang Niu's dislocated shoulder was the incident that jolted her memories.

She was reincarnated. To the past. Or wherever it was.

Shu Shu was still musing on this while washing the wild vegetables she got from the forest when the guests came.

It was the village chief, Elder Zhang, and his eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Zhang.

"What can I do to help, Elder?" she greeted them outside of her small hut.

Unexpectedly, Elder Zhang and Madam Zhang bowed deeply towards the surprised Shu Shu. Madam Zhang then extended her hand and gave the bundle she brought. Stunned, Shu Shu could only accept the gift without a word.

She looked down. It was a set of clothes.

"To replace yours," Madam Zhang said simply with a smile.

"Shu Shu," Elder Zhang called with his gravelly yet warm voice. "You have done our family a service. We are in your debt."

"Thank you for helping my son," Madam Zhang said sincerely. "You fixed his shoulder and sacrificed your clothing to bind his arm."

All the villagers knew Shu Shu only owned these two old set of clothes. For her to rip apart one of them was a great sacrifice, especially with her living condition.

The six years old girl was a bit dumbstruck. She didn't think she deserved it. She had simply set a shoulder, nothing extraordinary. Surely, even Old Lu could do that? He was an apprentice of an Imperial Physician after all.

Shu Shu murmured her thanks, rubbing the fabric -- still hemp, still a dull brown color, but new -- between her fingers, aware that she was being uncouth.

Madam Zhang waved away her thanks and clasped her hands warmly.

"These two days, we are aware you must not be able to work. We've rushed the seamstress, but this clothes were only finished this morning. So, this evening, come to our house for dinner, understand?" Madam Zhang said with a sincere smile.

"But... "

"I insist."

"Just come, girl. It'll be fine. We'd like to thank you properly," Elder Zhang chuckled, watching his daughter-in-law waged a staring match with a little girl.

Shu Shu nodded resignedly.

Satisfied, the Zhangs bid their farewell and left.

As soon as their figures disappeared in the distance, Shu Shu sighed and went inside her hut to put the clothes somewhere safe. This hut where she lived with her mother for four years and then alone for two years had only two rooms.

The front was used as a place to sit down and do any needlework her mother could do, little as it was. It also sometimes used as her mother's sleeping place when she got flu and didn't want to infect little Shu Shu.

The back room was used as a bedroom and store room. Even so, the room only had a modest straw pile bed and a sturdy box to keep things, along with some assortments of bowls. After putting the clothes safely inside the box, Shu Shu then went out to do her daily activities.

Soon enough, the time to go to Zhang family's house for dinner came.

Out of the three choices she had -- the torn dress which was still functional but also indecent; the old but quite decent one; and the new one -- Shu Shu could only pick the new ones so as not to embarrass herself and her hosts.

She managed to arrive just in time, greeting Madam Zhang who went out to receive her. "Thank you for the invitation, Madam," she said sincerely.

Madam Zhang waved her thanks away and invited her in cheerfully. "I knew the clothes would look good on you!" she complimented. Indeed, the clothes was a perfect fit for Shu Shu.

"Come, come. The men has arrived, so take a seat while I go fetch the food," Madam Zhang ushered her to the dining table before walking away to get the food.

Shu Shu swiped her eyes around the table. As expected, the whole family was there. There was Elder Zhang at the head of the table and his two sons at his sides. There were two seats empty next to the sons, must be where their wives sit, and after that it was occupied by the youngest generation, Zhang Niu and his cousin sister, Zhang Lei.

Shu Shu was seated next to Zhang Lei, a girl around three years older than her. However, what surprised her was the presence of the old man next to Zhang Niu.

It was the only doctor in their village, Lu Tai Hu, also known as Old Lu. He was stroking his beard while looking at her inquisitively.

She wasn't surprised, actually, at his presence in the table. He was the one who treated Zhang Niu's hand, of course he would be invited. However, why would someone of great importance to the host seated the farthest from the seat of honor?

Even the two Zhang sons kept sending a worried and bewildered look from where they were uncomfortably seated while Elder Zhang merely had an amused and resigned face on.

Madam Zhang and Second Madam Zhang came in bearing food and the dinner proceeded cheerfully.

However, throughout the dinner, Shu Shu could feel Old Lu's gaze on her whenever Madam Zhang didn't engage him in talks.

It felt weird, and also a bit scary. Was he wondering how she knew how to treat Zhang Niu's arm? She's wondering how to answer that too, it's not like Shu Shu had any prior knowledge of medicine. She just hoped he would not ask about it.

When the food was nearly finished, Old Lu leaned forward slightly and gazed hard at Shu Shu, making her shrink away instinctively.

Somehow, she felt her plain and simple life was going to end here.