Smiling Under Lanterns

In the thirty-second year of Yongchang, Changwu County.

At dawn, the sky was dimly lit, and the long street was covered with a layer of jade white. Light snow fell from the sky, pattering down and wetting the spring couplets on the courtyard door.

As the year drew to a close, the town had no festive atmosphere to speak of; every household had their doors tightly shut.

In the pitch-black room, suddenly a few suppressed coughs were heard, and a child's tender voice rang out, "Mom, I'm going out to fetch water."

After a long while, a woman replied, "Don't go too far."

"I know."

The door creaked open, and an eight- or nine-year-old girl stepped out, wearing a sunflower-colored satin jacket and a pair of broken red cotton shoes, adjusting the felt hat on her head and carrying a bucket as she walked toward the street.

Three months earlier, Changwu County had been hit by an epidemic. The epidemic struck fiercely, with people falling ill household by household. Initially, it made people feverish; gradually, they lost their strength, became bedridden, broke out in red rashes, and after several days, their bodies would fester and they'd die. The corpses would then be wrapped up by the government office's people and taken east of the city to be burned.

Of the five members of the Lu family, only Lu Tong was still able to walk around. As a mere nine-year-old child, it was truly difficult to single-handedly take care of her parents and siblings.

The well was in front of the old temple at the east gate, but Lu Tong, carrying the wooden bucket, headed straight towards the west of the city. Her cotton shoes had a hole in them, gradually letting in the snow water, and the girl's face turned even paler from the cold.

After walking about five or six miles across the town, where the population thinned, the residences became increasingly luxurious. Turning around one alley, a three-gated vermilion gatehouse appeared in front of her. Lu Tong stopped in her tracks, sat down in front of the two stone lions by the residence.

This was the residence of the local Magistrate Li Maocai.

After the epidemic, the county's population dwindled, and one hardly saw people on the streets. Occasionally, one might see a shadow of someone hurrying past, pulling carts with corpses. The spring couplets at the entrance of the Li residence were still those from last year, with their black characters blurred by the rain and snow. Not far away, in front of a tall pillar, however, there was a brand-new carriage tied up.

The reddish-brown fine horse glanced at her and bent down to lick the snow water in the trough on the ground. Lu Tong shrank closer to the stone lions, hugging her knees and staring blankly at the vermilion gate.

Dark clouds loomed coldly overhead, mixing with large clumps of wind and snow. With a creak, the gate opened, and a person emerged from inside.

Beneath the snowy-white skirts were a pair of light blue embroidered shoes with rolling cloud motifs, studded with a round and lustrous pearl. The skirting was billowy, light as mist or cloud, and above it was snowy white silk.

This was a woman wearing a veil.

As the woman moved forward from the gate, a pair of hands grabbed the hem of her dress. She turned around, and at her feet, the girl was clutching the edge of her dress and asked timidly, "Excuse me... are you the doctor who cured Young Master Li?"

The woman paused, and after a moment she answered, her voice as clear and smooth as jade, yet with a strangely cold undertone, "Why do you ask?"

Lu Tong pursed her lips and whispered, "I've been waiting here for a month, and I haven't seen Young Master Li's body carried out. Over these days, the only stranger I've seen coming in and out of the Li residence was you." She looked up at the woman in front of her, "You're the healer who cured Young Master Li, right?"

Lu Tong had been keeping watch outside the Magistrate's residence for a month. A month ago, she went to fetch medicine from a clinic and saw the Li family's carriage enter the county's clinic, with a servant helping the coughing Young Master Li into the clinic.

Young Master Li had caught the epidemic too.

In Changwu County, countless people fell ill every day; the clinics were overwhelmed and there was no cure available. Ordinary people who caught the disease could only wait for death at home. However, as the only son in his family, Magistrate Li would surely do everything possible to save his sole offspring's life.

Lu Tong watched outside the Li residence, and saw this unfamiliar woman enter the gates. There was a vague scent of medicine wafting from above the residence. One day, two days, three days... For twenty days, there were no white banners signifying mourning hung in front of the Li residence.

The time from catching the disease to death was mostly no more than half a month, but now a whole month had passed.

Young Master Li hadn't died; he had survived.

The woman lowered her head to look at Lu Tong, her face concealed by a screen lattice, and though Lu Tong could not see her expression, she heard her voice, laced with a touch of nonchalance, "Yes, I cured him."

Lu Tong's heart leapt with joy.

The epidemic had been raging for three months; batches of doctors from the clinics had died, and no healer dared venture here anymore. The people of Changwu County were awaiting their doom, but now that this woman had managed to cure Young Master Li, there was hope for Changwu County.

"Miss, can you cure the epidemic?" Lu Tong asked cautiously.

The woman laughed, "I cannot cure an epidemic, I only know how to detoxify. An epidemic is a kind of poison, so naturally, it can be cured."

Lu Tong did not quite understand her words but softly asked, "Miss... can you save my family?"

The woman lowered her head and Lu Tong felt her gaze upon her, seemingly scrutinizing her. As unease started to set in, she heard the woman in front of her say, "Alright." Before she could rejoice, the woman continued, "However, my consultation fee is very expensive."

Lu Tong was startled, "...How much would it be?"

"Magistrate Li paid eight hundred taels of silver to save his son's life. Little girl, how many people are in your family?"

Lu Tong stared at her in shock.

Her father was just a common teacher in the academy and had resigned after contracting the epidemic. Her mother had previously taken on embroidery work from a grocery store to make ends meet; their life was modestly sufficient when untroubled, but now with no income and ceaseless expenses on medications, their situation was dire. Her elder sister and elder brother were also becoming progressively ill... Not to mention eight hundred taels of silver, even eight taels were beyond their means.

The woman chuckled lightly, walking past Lu Tong toward the carriage.

As Lu Tong watched her retreating figure, the acrid scent of medicine in their cramped house, her mother's tears, her father's sighs, her elder sister's gentle consolations, and her elder brother's forced smiles flashed through her mind... She hurriedly followed, "Miss!"

The woman paused in her steps but did not turn around.

There was a "thump" as

Lu Tong knelt down, speaking rapidly, "My family doesn't have so much silver, but I can sell myself to you. I can do a lot of work, I'm really hardworking!" As if afraid the woman wouldn't believe her, she spread her hands to show her fair, slightly childish palms, "I do all the chores at home, I can do anything! Please save my family, I'm willing to work like an ox or a horse for you for the rest of my life!"

Her felt hat fell off, and her forehead knocked against the snowy ground, growing a layer of icy chill. The sky was overcast, and the north wind made the lanterns under the eaves sway dangerously.

After a moment, someone spoke, "Sell yourself to me?"

"I know I'm not worth that much silver," Lu Tong's voice was somewhat choked, "but I can do anything... anything..."

A pair of hands helped her up from the ground.

"Being my servant is very hard, are you sure you won't regret it?"

Lu Tong murmured, "No regrets."

"Alright." The woman seemed to smile a little, bent over to pick up the dropped hat, and gently placed it back on Lu Tong's head, her tone somewhat inexplicable, "I'll save your family, and you'll come with me. How's that?"

Lu Tong looked at her and nodded.

"What a good child." She took Lu Tong's hand and said indifferently, "It's a deal."