Chapter 9

After grinding out the ash, I still had to wipe down with a cake of saponin, washing it several times back and forth. It took two large buckets of water to clean it thoroughly, all thanks to Mo Yuanle simmering medicine in the kitchen and keeping water warm behind the stove.

After washing her hair, her neck began to ache from bending it down. After washing, she moved a stool outside to bask in the sun and her hair dried in no time. Grandma Sun tidied things up, and then went to the kitchen to bring out porridge for Lan Tian to drink.

Lan Tian was perceptive. Seeing grandma leave, she ran under the camphor tree, carried a stool over, placed it in front of the other stool, and sat down obediently to wait. Bowls in the countryside were not as delicate as those in the city; they were large sea bowls, as big as a child's head, and Lan Tian was full after drinking just two bowls of porridge.

After eating and drinking her fill and with her hair dry, the soup medicine Mo Yuanle had been simmering was also ready. Grandma Sun did not dare to let Lan Tian bask in the sun for too long, fearing she might experience bilious attacks again. So, she had Lan Tian sit in the cool shade under the camphor tree.

That camphor tree had some age, with branches laden and leaves abundant, covering more than half of the courtyard, an excellent spot to cool off in summer. Mo Yuanle liked to sit beneath it. Grandma Sun was washing dishes on one side while the pair sat in silence on the other.

Adopting a child was a matter of great importance. Grandma Sun pondered she couldn't solely agree on her side; the child's opinion was equally important. On the day of paying respects to ancestors, it would be a vain joy if the child disagreed, and as for offending the village chief, that was not a worry for the elderly lady.

After washing the dishes, she walked over to the child, "Child, grandma wants to discuss something with you."

"Grandma, what is it?" Lan Tian looked up at her, puzzled.

"Well, Grandma wants to take you as my granddaughter. Do you agree? Do you have any family left?"

Lan Tian was startled; it was not like this in her past life. In her previous life, she had clung on shamelessly for several months before Grandma adopted her. This time it was proposed so much earlier.

Regardless, this was good news! Lan Tian nodded vigorously. No wonder she had heard the cry of magpies last night (Miss, you were unconscious last night, where could the magpies' calls come from), it turned out to be an omen of great fortune!

"I agree, I agree, there's no one left at home." In the past, an old beggar had taken her in for a while. When the old beggar was near death, he drove her away. Lan Tian didn't go far, staying near the decrepit temple until his death, then buried him in a pit behind the temple. After burying him, she stayed in the temple for a few days before leaving. Then, she wandered for a year until she arrived here.

"Alright, then it's settled. Grandma will choose a good day to pay respects to the ancestors. It's just grandma at home; from now on, we as grandparents and grandchild will live a good life together. By the way, this is your Uncle, and your Fifth Aunt has gone to the fields. Last night, your Fifth Aunt wiped down your body and scraped away the sickness while your Uncle both treated you and prepared medicine for you to drink, fussing over you all night. When you grow up, be sure to treat them well."

"Uncle," Lan Tian smiled sweetly, patting her small chest, promising, "When I grow up, I will certainly treat Grandma, Uncle, and Fifth Aunt well."

"Eh." Mo Yuanle answered loudly, the stocky, burly man laughing foolishly at Lan Tian. When he was a soldier, a scar had been slashed across his face by an enemy, extending from the corner of his left eye to below his earlobe, resembling an ugly centipede. It looked terrifying on ordinary days, but now, his laughter was even more frightening than a ghastly spirit. When Lan Tian was smaller, she had been afraid of him, but only in dreams.

Now, however she looked at Uncle, he seemed endearing.

Grandma Sun, on the other hand, couldn't bear to see his silly demeanor, fearing it would scare Lan Tian. She slapped him lightly, berating him. "Is the medicine ready?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you mix the water; are you waiting for me, an old woman, to do it?" Lan Tian saw him gazing eagerly at her and sent another big smile his way, mesmerizing him into a dazed shuffle towards the kitchen. Grandma Sun shook her head, finally having a child in the house, and see how it delighted him.

"Aren't you afraid of your Uncle?"

Lan Tian shook her head, pouting her lips, "I'm not afraid. Uncle might not look very nice, but he has a good heart. I'm not scared of him."

"How do you know he's good? The rascals in the village are afraid of him; they avoid him from a distance. But our girl has insight. Your Uncle is just a paper tiger. He may seem fierce, but upon poking, it collapses, not scary at all."

"Uh-huh." The grandparents and grandchild chatted away. Mo Yuanle called from inside that the water was ready, and Grandma Sun took Lan Tian to take a medicinal bath. Mo Yuanle did not leave, staying nearby to watch for any adverse reactions.

Lan Tian was just six years old, a tiny thing with a skinny figure, not much to look at. Moreover, in Mo Yuanle's eyes, Lan Tian was his daughter, so there were no reservations.

Taking off her clothes, she clambered up the side of the barrel.

The medicine barrel was one meter in size, as tall as an adult's waist, whereas Lan Tian's height barely reached halfway up the barrel. With her petite build, she couldn't climb over, hanging off the barrel like a falling scale weight. She tried climbing several times, all with the same result. The scene was so funny that Grandma Sun and Mo Yuanle nearly burst into laughter. When Lan Tian turned her pitiful eyes towards them, Mo Yuanle finally picked her up by her ribs and placed her in the barrel.

Sitting in the barrel, the medicinal water reached just below her chin. The barrel was large enough that she could extend her legs quite far; the medicinal smell was a bit unpleasant.

Leaning back against the wooden barrel, she relaxed her entire body; this was the best way to enjoy a medicinal bath, feeling just the right water temperature, comfortable enough to close her eyes. Grandma Sun picked up Lan Tian's clothes and went out to wash them.