A similar scenario is coming…
On the morning of August 4, 1300…
Outside Zihao's bamboo house, I (Auburn), Veritas, Zihao, and Fermos are sitting on stones enjoying a breakfast of sticky rice, pork floss, sesame peanuts, fried shallots with pickles, and Jianbing made from eggs, wheat flour, scallions, sauce, chili sauce, and mung beans. Jianbing is a famous street food in China that Zihao often eats. It usually has a light brown color with green specks from finely chopped scallions, folded into a rectangle or square shape. The outer layer is crispy, especially around the edges, while the inner layers remain soft and chewy.
"Where are Aldo and Helzard?" Zihao looks around and asks.
"Oh, Helzard is fighting with the reptilian tribes to gain more human influence. Aldo is treating people with a rash fever in the village," Fermos replies quickly, still chewing on some pickles.
"Aldo treating diseases? I've never heard of that before," Zihao asks.
"Well, he's never done this before. Suddenly, there's a man infected with rash fever, and the villagers are isolating him. Aldo has been using some non-Western medicine methods since dawn," Veritas responds.
"I see. So that's why he urged me to make more biological detergent and soap?" Zihao stands up and walks into another house.
"What about the Coalition to protect each other and the village?" I say.
"We all agree on that. Just tell Aldo, and I'm sure he'll agree," Zihao says and closes the door.
"I also have to go to the factory…" Fermos replies and runs off.
"You guys go ahead. I'm not going west today, so I have plenty of free time…" Veritas collects the bowls, chopsticks, and plates, then goes to a corner and starts washing them with water from a bamboo pipe and Zihao's biological dishwashing liquid (which Aldo also requested).
"Okay," I reply and head back to the village.
Inside the house, Zihao takes out ten dark green soap bars that he had prepared earlier. He places a bamboo grater on the table and starts grating the soap bars into small pieces. He continues with the second, third, and fourth bars until he finishes all ten bars. He collects the small soap pieces into a large wooden bowl. He takes another large wooden bowl and adds ten cups each of Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate), Washing Soda (Sodium Carbonate), and Borax (Sodium Borate), mixing these white powders evenly with a small wooden stick. After mixing the dry ingredients, he adds the soap pieces and mixes them thoroughly again. Using a small dropper, he adds drops of tea tree oil, lavender oil, and eucalyptus oil, mixing everything once more, not forgetting to add Protease Enzyme powder to increase antibacterial properties. After making the detergent, Zihao prepares a large cup of white vinegar and a large cup of lemon juice. He takes out some brown leather pieces, cleans them, and makes rectangular shapes. Zihao stitches two bags with similar capacities using black thread, embroidering "White Vinegar" and "Lemon Juice" on each bag and fills them with the respective liquids, leaving one side open for easy use. He makes a larger bag for the detergent, embroidering "Detergent" on it, fills it with the detergent, and attaches the other two bags on the outside. Being responsible, Zihao also includes additional notes:
- **Additional Tips**
- **White vinegar and lemon juice:** Add 1/2 cup of white vinegar or lemon juice to the rinse cycle. They act as natural disinfectants and can help remove soap residues.
- **Warm water:** Enzymes work best in warm water, so for heavily soiled clothes, use warm or hot water if the fabric allows.
- **Notes**
- **Storage:** Store detergent in a dry, cool place to avoid clumping.
- **Safety:** Always label your homemade cleaning products and keep them out of reach of children.
- **Testing:** Test a small amount of detergent on an inconspicuous area of fabric to ensure it does not cause damage or discoloration.
"Done…" Zihao smiles.
He repeats this process four more times, completing five detergent packages with two additional bags included in each. After a hard day's work, Zihao rests.
Somewhere else, I am walking around the village, passing the time with Veritas, my companion for the day. He doesn't say anything, just watches the colorful dragonflies skimming over the water with curiosity. Another scene unfolds, as Fermos told me, where three girls are telling their parents they want to leave home forever. I approach the water's edge, then a muddy patch. In the distance, I see a woman kneeling not too far away. She's covering her face with her hands and seems to be... crying!?
Veritas notices this and immediately changes his expression to serious, quietly moving closer to assess the situation. I'm surprised and follow him. The woman is crying and calling out for her child.
"She is the mother of the first girl I saw who said she was leaving. It's been several days, and she still hasn't returned," Fermos, hiding behind a bamboo bush near us, replies.
"This is... really strange," Veritas frowns, staring intently at the woman.
"It must be the Sapphic cult!" I respond.
"Sapphic cult?" they both look at me.
"Basically, it's a religion with good points like promoting knowledge, freedom, and equality for women—the gender considered oppressed in this world," I say.
"If it's such a good religion, why are they involved in this?" Fermos raises an eyebrow, puzzled.
"But they reject men, male-female love, and the traditional family structure, and they are fanatical about romantic love between women. This makes them appear as a cult, often luring young girls and unhappy women into their fold. This is the most evident consequence," I continue.
"And Nemele, the woman who destroyed a village, is also part of that cult..." I blink, looking at the crying woman in front of me, feeling moved and sympathetic.
"So when she was crying and saying her plan was almost successful but failed at the last moment..." Fermos blinks continuously, frowning.
"The love between the librarian and his lover was just a part; destroying the traditional family structure in the village and recruiting new followers was the main goal," Veritas's lips form a thin line.
"Sigh, we haven't had peace for long!" Fermos frowns.
The story about the man with the rash is also an important clue. Aldo, again in his black outfit covering his entire body, helps the man up from the bed, applying a gel made from aloe vera to his back, chest, and face, and giving him a cup of peppermint tea. Then he provides the man with a set of clean, fresh clothes.
"I've eliminated all the lice in the house, bathed you with herbal water and aloe vera. Now I'll cook porridge for you. Just follow my instructions and care, and you'll recover soon," Aldo, in his black outfit, says with an even tone, showing no emotion.
"Thank you. I've troubled you, but my family is poor, so I can't repay you with anything valuable," the man sighs, his eyes dull and his body thin.
"No need, I volunteered," Aldo replies evenly.
"Thank you very much. I need to recover soon to find my daughter. My wife has been crying over her disappearance, and I don't want to see her so negative," the man continues.
"Don't worry about it affecting your health. I've notified the authorities and dispatched a company of my mercenaries to search thoroughly. I'll cover all the costs for you," Aldo replies.
The man sighs and looks at Aldo, who is wearing a mask that covers his face, making the man feel slightly uncomfortable because he can't see any emotions, not even the eyes. A strange coldness yet warmth.
"Your daughter is already missing..." Aldo says in a whisper.
"I know..." the man, with an empty face, tightens his lips, his eyes full of despair, emptiness, and lack of life.
"I also lost contact with my parents. I cried, I despaired, I felt empty, but then I had to get through it on my own. I'm not sure what happened to my parents, but I still have hope that one day I will reunite with them," Aldo says, but his tone remains even.
The man's clear eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, blink rapidly to hold back the tears, his lips trembling. Then the tears roll down his cheeks. At that moment, two hearts from two different worlds beat as one...
Aldo sits silently, his eyes following each tear falling on the man's gaunt face. He understands the feeling of loss, the hopelessness when loved ones mysteriously disappear. That's why he feels deep empathy and is determined to help this man in any way he can.
After a moment of silence, Aldo stands up, quietly goes into the kitchen, and starts cooking porridge. The aroma of herbs and rice spreads throughout the room, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere. The man sits on the bed, his eyes red but filled with gratitude. Aldo doesn't say anything, just focuses on his task, each movement meticulous and gentle.
When the porridge is ready, Aldo brings the steaming bowl to the bed and helps the man eat one spoonful at a time. "You need to eat to regain your strength," Aldo says softly, his tone steady but filled with genuine concern. The man nods, eating each spoonful slowly.
After finishing the meal, the man feels a bit better, both physically and mentally. He lies down, feeling the warmth of the blanket and the soothing scent of herbs. Aldo sits beside him, continuing to care for and monitor his condition.
"You are a good person," the man says, his voice warm and full of gratitude. "I don't know how to thank you."
"Please…don't say that…I…am not…a good person," Aldo responds, his voice even and slower.
The man then falls asleep. Aldo sits quietly beside him and reads a book.