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墨書 Inktalez
The boy looked up seriously at Xing Ruyi and then took out a cloth bag from behind him, handing it to her. "I want to help my sister buy Rouge!"
Having run her shop for so long, it was the first time Xing Ruyi encountered someone helping their sister buy Rouge. So, she gently pushed the cloth bag back with her hand and asked softly while looking into the boy's eyes, "What kind of Rouge do you want to help your sister buy?"
The boy shook his head. "I don't know."
"Then how about letting your sister come herself? Sister Ruyi can recommend the most suitable Rouge for her."
"My sister—" The boy looked up at Xing Ruyi and immediately started crying. "My sister, she can't come anymore. Wuwuwu."
"Don't cry! Don't cry! Tell Sister Ruyi why your sister can't come."
"My sister, I caused her to die." As he spoke, the boy rubbed his eyes with his hands while sobbing continuously. Xing Ruyi had no experience comforting children. Although there was a Yin Yuan nearby, that little demon could take care of himself and only occasionally asked her to cook a chicken leg, so he rarely needed her as a mother. Therefore, when faced with the boy's tears, Xing Ruyi felt somewhat at a loss. She glanced at the blazing sun overhead and then at the passersby on the street who were watching them curiously, before leading the boy through a side door.
After the boy had cried enough, eaten something, and drunk some water, Xing Ruyi finally understood what had happened.
The boy's home was in Li Lou Village, twenty miles outside the city. His name was Li Tong, and he had an older sister named Li Mei who had just turned sixteen last month. Their in-laws had arranged a marriage with a neighboring village, which was considered a good match. Both sides had agreed that after the Mid-Autumn Festival, they would come to marry his sister.
"Getting married is a good thing for your sister. Although she's a bit young, it's still arranged by your parents and the matchmaker. Don't tell me you, as her brother, don't want your sister to get married?" Xing Ruyi said with a smile as she looked at Li Tong. To her surprise, Li Tong silently shook his head.
"I'm naturally happy that my sister is getting married, but she isn't happy."
"Why not?" Xing Ruyi asked in confusion. "Doesn't your sister like that family? Or does she have someone else in mind?"
"Neither!" Li Tong looked up and met Xing Ruyi's gaze. "That person, my sister has met him before. But because she has met him, that's why she feels unhappy. My future brother-in-law is really nice and very capable; he's well-known in ten miles and eight villages for his skills. But because he's so good, my sister is worried—worried that my future brother-in-law won't like her."
"Why? If the other party doesn't like your sister, they wouldn't have sent a matchmaker to your house!"
"My parents think so too, but my sister seems to be oblivious, just staring at herself in the mirror." Li Tong's eyes suddenly brightened as he pointed to his right cheek. "I know why my sister is worried and why she stares at the mirror. It's because she's different from other sisters; she has a pimple on her face. Although she's seen a doctor, it comes and goes. She's worried that when she gets married, that pimple will still be there, and her future brother-in-law will dislike her."
"If someone would reject another based on looks, then your future brother-in-law isn't much either. But I believe that since he sent his parents to propose, he must have seen your sister or even inquired about her secretly, so there's no need for such worries."
"But my sister cares!" Li Tong lowered his head. "My sister listens to people. In Luoyang City, there's a shop called Ruyi Rouge, and the shopkeeper is very skilled. The rouge and face powder she makes not only makes people look good but also has healing properties. So my sister wakes up early every day to fish and then brings it to the city to sell. After working hard for a long time, she saved up this much silver. Originally, she was going to buy something, but I suddenly wanted to eat the sweet cakes made by the uncle in the neighboring village, so I insisted that she help me buy them."
Li Tong's head drooped lower, and he could be heard quietly sobbing: "My sister loves me very much. Ever since I was little, whenever I wanted something to eat or have, no matter how hard it was for her, she would fulfill my wishes.
I still remember when my sister went fishing with our parents; I would stand at the village entrance waiting for her. Whenever she appeared, she would always bring back many interesting things—sometimes it was a few loaches, sometimes it was a big yellow eel. When we got home, she would turn those things into delicious dishes for our parents and me, but she never allowed herself to eat any.
But on her way to the neighboring village to buy sweet cakes, she slipped and fell into the river. That river isn't deep usually; there are wooden bridges built by both villages over it. Since taking the long road would mean going far out of the way, both villages usually crossed over the bridge. However, unexpectedly, just before that time, the river swelled up and moss grew on the wooden bridge. My sister must have slipped while crossing. The villagers all said that she probably sank to the bottom of the river. My parents searched for her all night but couldn't find her. I know it's all my fault; if I hadn't insisted on my sister going to buy sweet cakes for me, she wouldn't have died!"
Li Tong sobbed repeatedly before finally uttering the word "die," clearly reluctant to mention it as if doing so would lessen his regret inside. What could Xing Ruyi do for such a child? She sighed softly and patted Li Tong's head. This time, Li Tong didn't flinch; perhaps he was still lost in his sorrow and didn't even notice when Xing Ruyi touched him.
"So you secretly took your savings without telling your parents to help your sister buy rouge and face powder, right?"
"Yes! I want to help my sister fulfill her wish." Li Tong took out a cloth bag again and held it up in front of Xing Ruyi. "Sister Ruyi, can you sell me rouge for my sister? The kind that can make her beautiful and won't cause any more pimples."
"No!" Xing Ruyi shook her head as she looked at Li Tong's disappointed eyes. "You know about Ruyi Rouge shop; you should also know the rules here—rouge is only sold to those who are suitable for its use."
"I understand." Li Tong wiped his eyes vigorously. "Because my sister is dead, no matter how much money I bring you, you won't sell it to me."
"That's not true! Oh, Li Tong—" Xing Ruyi watched as Li Tong resolutely turned away with a helpless shake of her head. "Why won't this child listen until I've finished speaking?"
Li Tong called out for his sister while tightly clutching the bag filled with silver against his chest. He then spread his legs and ran desperately towards the edge of the city. It was only when he reached the riverbank that his pace slowed down.
Li Tong thought about how lonely his sister must be at the bottom of the water.
He recalled what the village elder had told his parents: those who drowned would become water ghosts, and once they became water ghosts, they would have to stay in the water forever, enduring its coldness and sharpness. Only if someone was willing to take their place could they be reincarnated.
Li Tong wasn’t sure if what the elder said was true, but he had seen his parents crying secretly.
He thought that if he voluntarily became his sister's substitute, if he willingly stayed in the water in her place, perhaps she could come back to life. At least she could be reincarnated and wouldn’t have to remain in the water forever.
As he pondered this, his feet had already stepped into the river. Xing Ruyi quietly approached him and asked, “Li Tong, do you want to find your sister?”
“Do you know where my sister is? The village uncles, Aunt Sheng, and the elder all say she died and sank in this river. But my parents say this river is so big that even if we search, we might not find her.”
“The words of those uncles, Aunt Sheng, and the elder aren’t necessarily correct. As for your parents, they are overwhelmed with grief and naturally say some discouraging things. But Li Tong, how can you know it’s impossible to find her if you haven’t even tried?”
“But how do I search? In the water or on the shore?” Li Tong looked into Xing Ruyi's eyes, which surprisingly shimmered with a deep blue light, reminiscent of a clear night sky.
“I have a piece of jade here called the Seeking Jade. As long as you carry it and jump into the water, you will be able to find your sister.”
“Sister Ruyi, is that really true?”
“If you believe me, then it is true; if you don’t believe me, then it is false. I’ve given you the Seeking Jade; whether or not you want to find your sister is no longer my concern.” Xing Ruyi covered her eyes with her hand and glanced at the sun overhead, muttering to herself, “With such a big sun out, I don’t understand why I’m running so far! I’m really getting more nosy; could it be that I’m getting old?”
Ignoring Li Tong’s gaze, Xing Ruyi took out a mirror from her pocket and pinched her collagen-rich face in front of it. She sighed softly, “Indeed, no matter how youthful my appearance in my teens is, it can’t withstand a heart that feels like it's in its twenties.” With that, Xing Ruyi walked away on her own.
Li Tong looked at Xing Ruyi's back, then at the dark green jade in his hand. Without hesitation, he jumped into the water with a splash.
The water was cold, colder than he could have imagined, and it was dark, darker than any night he had ever seen. Li Tong felt himself sinking deeper, and then his head began to ache; he felt very tired. Gradually, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
When he woke up again, the cold sensation was gone, and the darkness had disappeared. He found himself lying in his sister's arms as she looked at him gently. "Why did you sneak out again? Do Mom and Dad know? They'll be angry if they find out!"
"Sorry, sister!" Li Tong looked at his sister's familiar face and began to sob. "It's my fault; I'm so willful. I always make you go buy things for me. Whether it's just dawn or late when it's hard to see the road, I've never considered your feelings or worried about whether it would be dangerous for you to go out at that time."
"It's okay because you're my little brother, and I'm your sister. Isn't it the duty of a sister to try to fulfill her brother's wishes?" She gently helped him sit up and smiled at him. "It's just a pity that from now on, I won't be able to help you with those things anymore. Tong, you're a boy; you must be strong and grow up quickly."
"Sister, I miss you! I really really miss you!" As he saw his sister about to turn away, Li Tong quickly grabbed her hand. "No matter where you go, let me stay with you, okay? Or you can come home with me! I've grown up now; from now on, I'll help you with your things!"
"Tong!"
"Tong!"
"Sister!"
"Sister, come home with me!"
"Sister!?" Li Tong opened his eyes and found that he and his sister were lying together in the grass by the shore, their hands tightly clasped together. In her hand was the jade pendant.
"Look! Look! The Li siblings actually came back to life!"
"Thank goodness! They were underwater for an entire night and still managed to survive; it's truly a blessing! Thank you for your protection!" The villagers on the shore began to discuss among themselves.
"Li, sister is fine! Sister is really fine!" Li Mei tightly hugged her brother.
She vaguely remembered falling into the water and becoming a lonely spirit at the bottom. It was Li Tong who found her and forcibly pulled her up from the depths. Before losing consciousness, she had seen a flash of green light. Thinking of this, she looked down at their hands; Li Tong was holding a piece of dark green jade, but it shattered with a flicker. In her hand, she held a round box with the words "Sun Immortal Young Girl Ointment" written on it.
"It's Rouge Ointment, from Ruyi's shop, meant for sister," Li Tong pointed at the fox demon design on the round box. "But how did this come about? Sister Ruyi clearly didn't take my money."
Li Tong pulled out a damp cloth bag; the silver was still there, not a single coin missing, and there was an extra letter written on satin. The letter detailed how to use the Sun Immortal Young Girl Ointment and stated that it had effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, promoting blood circulation and reducing swelling, and moisturizing the skin. As long as Li Mei consistently followed the instructions, she could get rid of the blemishes on her face and become a beautiful new bride. The letter also mentioned that this ointment was requested by Li Tong for her, given as a congratulatory gift without charge.
After reading it, Li Mei's eyes glistened as she said to Li Tong, "Tong, thank you!"
From afar, Xing Ruyi bit into a sweet cake while leaning against the fox's embrace, looking at the group with deep resentment. She said, "What a loss this time; it's truly a big loss. Not only did I earn not a single coin, but I also ended up with a plaque from the King of Hell and a box of Sun Immortal Young Girl Ointment. But this sweet cake is quite delicious. Yin Chensi, will you help me buy it every time in the future?"
"Sure!" The fox replied, taking a bite of the sweet cake, its warm tongue brushing against Xing Ruyi's lips. Indeed, it was very sweet.
"Yin Chensi, this is the last bite! The last bite!" Xing Ruyi fiercely tugged at the fox's clothing and commanded angrily, "Spit it out!"
The fox smiled wickedly and pointed to its mouth, saying in ventriloquism, "If you want to eat it, kiss me!"
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