Choco

There is a weakly crying baby and I'm cold as fuck.

Newborns have stomaches the size of about a single marble. They can't hold much but they have to be fed constantly. Thus all the waking and feeding, and crying, and feeding.

I'm the first one to stumble out, sliding the paper door to Lu Shan's main room. Wrapped in the spare comforter I brought from my own home supply closets. I barely got any sleep anyways, not yet deep and groggy in the sleep cycle. If I check my phone I can see I had a wonderful....28 minutes in my sleeping bag spot.

"Oh aunt, apologies the baby has woken you. Allow-" the pale woman in bed makes to move.

"No, do not worry about it Lu Shan. Don't get up. It is my duty to help you, here. " I hold out my hand, yawning but stopping her from getting up out the warmth of the covers.

The baby lies in a swaddle in a sort of basket near the bedside. Not a proper crib at all but it does the job, for now.

Baby care is more of an endurance thing than anything. And after this, and getting some decent sleep, I'm going to the madame to demand some legitimate working conditions. Her workers are crazy.

I pick up the infant, rocking and talking to it as is good for the child at this stage.

"Oh you're hungry now? And cold? Oh yes, I'm bringing you to your mommy now. Yes yes auntie Emily is going to set you down into your mommy's arms. Nom nom noms. " I yawns with her little cries.

They don't name a child until they have reached one month. To see if they make it.

Thus, Lu Shan's baby girl does not have a proper name. Since she's Lu Yan's little sister, the little girl has taken to calling her meimei at every instance. It might stick, at least partly, given this child was born in the season the winter plum blossoms flowered.

"It is like you speak another language Thank you aunt, you've worked hard. " Lu Shan takes the child, revealing her clothes and chest to the cold just a bit. In order to feed the child.

As a professional, it's nothing much for me to mention. Though the air is cold, it is a peaceful, albeit tired, scene for a mother and her baby.

If only reality was so peaceful.

"Do you feel any soreness and tenderness? " I ask, tying up my hair into a low ponytail.

The low lantern lights aren't much but I check to make sure the baby latches on correctly, readjusting both mother and child as needed. Keeping the baby's head supported and the both of them as comfortable as possible.

"...Aunt, I...I must admit that yes there is. But it is nothing so strange, is it?" the mother looks down, referring to her breasts.

It is not her first time, yet there's still so much unsurety to her. But access information is quite lacking in these times.

"It's perfectly normal, nothing to worry about. If the soreness does not ease in another few days, we can apply something. How are your bleeds down there? Are the 'pads' and 'underwear' causing you any discomfort?" I refer to the supplies I brought over.

A woman that just gave birth can only bleed. If they can afford it, they're confined to bed rest for that one month time period. For spotting and postnatal bleeding that can and will still occur the following few weeks after birth, they risk staining their clothes and lie on cloths and rags to protect the sheets. Underwear as we know it in modern times does not exist.

While Lu Shan certainly found them odd, she did not turn down my 'foreign' offerings.

"There's some...but it is alright. It's just very odd to remove, but very easy to wear. I do not have to worry about dirtying much anything with them on." she admits, nodding shyly.

"That's good. But if there is any skin irritation or more, do not hold back. This aunt is not much but I will help you where I can, hopefully, more than I burden you. " speaking...is....so hard here.

It's not all an act but I do take careful considerations not to spook or frighten Lu Shan as much as possible with my strangeness and culture shock. I can't risk her getting stressed and I don't know, die on me? As a 'delicate' lady, even fallen as a courtesan worker, there's a certain manner to take with her.

"Oh no, honored aunt! It is I who is the burden. The girls tell me of all you have done, from gaining the approval of the kitchen Aunt Heng to your skills in fighting. All while I can do nothing..." she trails off as the baby spits and begins to whimper.

I slowly take the child, using a spare towel to hold her steady and get her to burp.

"You have just given birth to YanYan's meimei. The most important thing you can do now is rest and recuperate properly, otherwise, you will regret it for the rest of your life. Whether you live a long and healthy one to see to your girls is up to you." I comfort her while patting the baby gently.

I need this woman to fucking live. 9 days. I have nine days to figure out the mirror mystery and stop whoever needs saving. Lu Shan is my very best bet, the prime suspect. After than my suspicions fall on either Lu Yan or the baby.

If Lu Shan is my ancestor, then one of her children will be my next great great god damn too many great grandmother. Thus it would be safest if I managed to keep them all alive through this 'danger' level times.

Why else would my late grandmother's heirloom send me here? God damn lucky me.

"...You are right, Lu Shan will take aunt's words to heart. I will focus on resting as much as I can. " the simple woman says with a look of determination, before shivering herself back under the covers.

It really is too cold in this damn place.

"Let me boil some water for you," I give the child back to her mother, allowing Lu Shan and her child to rest together.

There is no real fire place here. Using a charcoal burner is about as good as it can get.

"It is alright aunt...it is late." Lu Shan says.

From her obvious body language and the concern in her eyes I can tell she's worried. When she watches me fill up the brazier, working to set it alight properly I figure out her concerns.

"Winter nights are the coldest. Let me refill your kettle pot to warm your bed. If you're worried about conserving charcoal, did this aunt not tell you that she would take care of it?"

People can only rely on fuel to warm their homes. Charcoal itself is limited but oh so very necessary for most people. Lu Shan has to rely on the amount given to her by the establishment, or else buy them elsewhere. But as a pregnant woman who did not work for quite some time, as well as a 'cheap' reputation saving for Lu Yan, where would she get that money?

There are some cloth and curtains to cover the paper pasted windows, and the building looks to be pretty decently built but it's still not enough to fight the winter chill of snow and cold outside.

What surprises me is that this brothel, hell this entire town, still entertains and sees to patrons in this time and weather.

I need to research a bit on how to heat homes without gas of electricity. Though the few lit lanterns give me an idea about candles.

"...If that is what aunt says, I will listen. " Lu Shan nods, trying to lull the baby back to sleep.

Boiling water takes a ridiculous amount of time and effort. It's such a simple thing that I alwasy took for granted, having hot water. Hell having water at all.

First someone must draw water from the wells. Then someone, probably one of the Hui girls, collect it from the well and carries the water all the way to the residence. They refill a large central water pot for general use or keep it in smaller pitchers and jars.

To heat it up, not only do I have to set up a brazier and start a fire I have to wait for damn ever for the fire even to be hot enough to do its thing.

Plenty of time to zone out, unless a damn baby starts crying.

Nature calls.

Let's...let's look into ordering some modern reusable or biodegradable diapers. They're surely a lot easier than this rag tie and wash bullshit. Cloth diapers at least? With those liners? I don't care if I'm wasting money, it's a small price to pay when dealing with a baby!

At least the baby is pooping and peeing just fine. Yep. Normal development and color.

I am very sorry to whoever is on washing duty. But it will definitely not be me.

"Mama?" comes the pitter patter of a little voice from the next room.

A cute little girl in worn-out oversized underclothes quickly runs over through the cold of the night. Is if she wants to dive under the covers of her mother's bed. But she thinks better of it, having been mostly banned from there as her mother recovers. Instead, she wiggles and worms her way over to the brazier, more specifically under my own cape like comforters.

"Auntie Emily, you're back. Where did you go for dinner? Did you bring YanYan more snacks?" she asks, blinking her big sleepy eyes.

Oddly it's this little girl that can pronounce my 'foreign' name best.

"YanYan." Lu Shan makes to reprimand her eldest.

"It's alright. This poor girl is so young and is already working like a maid for this house, and her mother is so busy, she must not get spoiled much." I allow her under the covers easily, where she snuggles on my lap.

She's a little coquettish, I can't lie. But she's just so cute.

The child labor thing is also pretty sad. She's old enough to do clean and do chores. In the daytime, besides learning music, poetry, or following after her mother or any courtesan that will teach her, she has her assigned manual labor.

From what I saw so far, she already has it better than the other young girls who came here alone. At least her mother is here. Caring for her.

"YanYan hears the adults say 'business', and when they go somewhere it's to do 'business'. But that can mean anything! Auntie Emily, did you go meet a man for 'business'?" she asks with her cheeks puffed up, a slight face of displeasure.

Somehow I don't think this girl is very innocent in the head. Not for a long time now.

I suppose that's a good thing in her situation. If she hasn't realized something after growing up in a brothel, I would be more concerned for her brain.

"Ah there's none of that. I was too busy being a doctor to be meeting any men. The work the madam has me doing is very different. " I explain to her.

But this really is a smarter little cookie.

"Good! Men gives you babies and not enough of them are rich enough. Auntie, you must catch a very rich man, and hook him like a big fish! And it's okay right now with us, but you must wear your rogue and makeup. You are much prettier and younger-looking with it. " she explains to me as if she were teaching me.

Ah, don't mind my reaction. It's not like I'm getting knife stabbed through the heart or anything.

Lu Shan tries to apologize on her adorable daughter's behalf but I wave it off, trying to recover enough to operate properly again.

"Ah, YanYan. You are right on many things, many men are not rich enough. But uh, auntie Emily makes her own money. In another line of work. No need to worry, I came for you and your family. Not any man. " I comfort the girl who is maybe feeling jealousy.

She kinda lost her mother to men, and one of them got Lu Shan knocked up. A kid just knows things in their own way.

"That's good. Auntie Emily is a bigger generation and does not have to be too pretty then. There there. " she comforts me in my old age, patting me with her small already worn hands.

There it is, that strange sent of pity that rises out of me.

Man what was I doing when I was nine? Going to school, rolling around at home with homework and the television on, just being a kid. Yeah sure it wasn't perfect and school is rough, but it's a privilege. So much so compared to what this girl has.

Free from being sold.

Okay yeah, I feel bad again.

"Stay right there and watch over the water. I'll be right back." I instruct her, setting her down.

"Are you getting YanYan's snack?! Is it choco?" her thin but adorable little face sparkles.

"....No, it's late and you shouldn't eat before you sleep. It's bad for your teeth. But you'll see." I excuse myself.

The storage I stay in is even colder than the main room, but it's small and if I could somehow heat it, it would be easier to do so.

From the items I hazardly hide and store around I do indeed grab a protein shake from its pack, chocolate flavor. More importantly, I pick up the impulse gift I brought over from my own room.

A teddy bear.

It's a very generic but classic cute toy. With soft shades of fuzzy brown fur and timeless ribbon. It's a pretty decently large thing, I forgot where I got it. Maybe at a fair somewhere, won from near the top. At most, it just served as a cute piece of sweetly childish decor in my room.

I hope YanYan likes it.

Or at least isn't too scared of by it? Man, what is considered a cute toy in these times?

"YanYan, close your eyes and keep them closed." I call out.

"Okay!" her little voice replies, lisping in her excitement.

A kid like her probably doesn't see much outside the confines of this compound, this town. I wonder if it's too much, or too strange. But I suppose iI could ease it with a bit of chocolate.

When I come out, I hide the toy and go straight to pouring the herbal tea and refilling the kettle used as a hot water bottle in Lu Shan's bed. She gives me a confused and curious look, but stays quiet when I make a finger to my lip.

"Can Yanyan look now?" she complains.

"It's a test, if YanYan fails and cheats then she won't get everything." I giggle.

"With a dramatic sigh, the little girl agrees having slammed her head down.

Stirring up a cute colorful mug that I brought over, I fill it half with the hot tea and splash in some of the rich chocolate-flavored milk. That way it's served warm and watered down. Not too much for her at this time of night.

"I'm going to count down when I finish you can take a look. If you dare?! It could be very scary so don't be too surprised. 3 -2-1..." I set up the teddy bear at the table, sitting it across from her with the steaming chocolate milk tea.

Big dark brown eyes reveal themselves as she sits up. But not a sound leaves her little lips. Barely a breath in her silent gasp.

Half a minute passes and I'm left feeling awkward at the lack of a reaction. Not anything? She's just staring at it, frozen.

"Ah it really was too weird? Sorry YanYan, auntie will try harder next time. " I laugh the awkwardness away, apologizing.

"...for...me?" the little girl finally says, slowly turning to look up at me. Her still face feeling a little too wrong.

"Mmm yep, that was the point. I brought it over for you. But you don't have to accept if you don't like it, I just thought it was cute."

Slowly the little girl blinks, from me to the sight in front of her. Then back to her mother, as if getting permission with her teary eyes.

When she gets it, Yanyan goes running over to the other side of the little table. Hugging the plush almost as tall as herself. Her little face rubbing and screaming something muffled into its soft fur and fluff.

I'm guessing she at least kinda likes it?

"Ah and there's a 'chocolate' milk drink for you too. A treat, just for tonight. Since it's so cold. Have some and warm up." I remind her of the mug still on the table, pouring myself and Lu Shan a cup of plain tea.

"...Cute..." Yanyan gasps again when she turns her head.

She holds the bear carefully, trying to sit up and grasp the mug. She stares at in with a very indescribable expression. At least it's cute.

When she sips at it, her face lights up as if electrified, before a rosy pink blush appears on her cheeks. She sticks her face in as if to slurp it all up if it weren't for the heat.

"Oh my," Lu Shan laughs, watching the show.

"Choco~" Yanyan sighs in contented glee, still slurping along.

"You really shouldn't have, aunt." Lu Shan accepts the tea with modesty, but her happy expression says she's glad.

Watching her daughter like that. Cute and happy. It's a little like watching kids at Christmas or their birthdays. After all, who doesn't like gifts?

"Lu Yan, what do you say?" her mother scolds her in a soft doting tone, a little exasperated how the girl went off in her own world. Ignoring us for the chocolate and the bear.

"Oh! Oh oh oh! Thank you auntie Emily!" she attacks me with the bear, chocolate milk stain on her lip.

"As long as YanYan likes it." I sigh in relief.

Alright, teddy bear accepted. Let's also get her nutrition up a bit. Every bit helps right? Keeping this kid alive is also part of the plan.

"Choco. Cute. Choco bear and choco," the kid giggles in glee to herself, nuzzling the teddy bear.

Guess it's named Chocolate now? Yeah okay.

The night is still pretty cold. But right here, the warmth is growing. It's enough for now.

Until the baby wakes up again, crying. Oh well, nature callls.