Chapter 16: Chapter 16: Loyal Uncle
She turned around again, then carefully climbed onto a little stool and got into bed to sleep. But soon, she opened her eyes again, climbed down, opened the wardrobe, and took out that new dress. She held the dress as if it were a doll.
The dress had a fresh smell of cotton and was patterned with small red checks. Although the colour was somewhat vulgar and the style was old-fashioned, it had its own simplicity and purity, unique to this era. She liked this era, but time passed and the era changed, until one day, the whole world had to face drastic changes. If one didn't live through those times, they would never know that such a world once existed.
Technology advanced, but human feelings grew colder.
"Daddy will take you to old man Chen, let him look after you,"
Tang Zhinian picked up Tang Yuxin. The 'Old man Chen' he referred to was an outsider in the village. No one knew where he came from. When he arrived, he looked desperate and didn't even have a decent set of clothes. Now living alone, childless, he kept to himself most of the time. He collected herbs from the big mountain behind the village to sell. He was a man of few words and had a very serious look, which made children frightened of him. They believed him to be a man-eating monster.
Among them was the young Tang Yuxin who used to be scared even at the mere mention of 'Old man Chen'. Though she had only vague memories, she did remember that she would burst into tears whenever she saw him. It was only after she was taken away by Sang Zhilan that she never returned to the village and never heard about Old man Chen again.
As for what happened to old man Chen afterward, he followed the laws of the world like everyone else — birth, ageing, sickness, and death.
After all, he was already quite old at that time.
"Zhong Uncle, are you in?" Tang Zhinian knocked on the door of a semi-old clay house. Most villagers still lived in clay houses, with only a few in newly built brick houses due to poverty.
"I'm here, come in," A faint, deep voice responded from inside the house, and it was this kind of voice that scared children. Children liked those who smiled and sounded cheerful, not those who frowned all the time and spoke like ghosts.
Only then did Tang Zhinian take Tang Yuxin inside.
The house was not big. There were no rooms, nor a hall – just a courtyard filled with drying herbs, which led to the living quarters. As soon as one entered, they would be hit with the scent of herbs - the room was full of their fragrance.
Although the ground was packed mud, it was quite clean, and even a thin layer of water had been delicately swept across it. An old, lean man stood there, his hair almost white, but his back was surprisingly straight. He was taking care of a medicinal plant, holding a watering can in one hand, while the other behind his back.
There was a hint of a sage about him.
Only that he didn't smile much.
However, the present Tang Yuxin really didn't know what she was thinking when she was a child, not understanding where old man Chen resembled a ghost at all. She felt he was more of a fairy. There was a faint aroma of herbs on him, possibly due to his long-term contact with these plants.
Without thinking, she sniffed, finding it strange that the scent of these herbs brought a sense of tranquillity and clarity to her. She sniffed several times, confirming her feeling.
Being a doctor herself, although a western medicine practitioner, she knew that some herbs had mutual enhancing or counteracting effects. And some herbs, beneath their complex aroma, produced a scent that could make one feel more alert and clear-headed.
Chapter 17: Chapter 17: The Strange Grandfather
So this is it.
Chen Zhong put down the watering can and turned to see the child Tang Zhinian was cradling in his arms. Unlike her usual crying and fussing, she seemed to be sniffing something. Had she smelled something?
"Uncle Zhong, could you take a look at my little girl?"
Tang Zhinian set Tang Yuxin down, took her tiny hand, and walked her into a room.
Tang Yuxin obediently allowed her father to lead her by the hand. Her eyes curiously scanned the various plants Chen Zhong was raising indoors. It was really just some plain grass, without flowers or branches. Was it any different from the wild grass covering the mountains?
But it had a simple and pure scent. The grass swayed faintly with the breeze that came from the window, giving off a tantalizing, womanly grace.
How strange.
She looked up and gave Chen Zhong a smile, her eyes curving into adorable crescents.
"Hello, grandpa."
She politely addressed him without needing any prompt from adults.
Tang Zhinian lovingly stroked her petite head. He had no idea when the child became so well-behaved and intelligent.
Chen Zhong had a straight face, not one for unnecessary smiles or laughter, but there was a hint of kindness in his eyes. It was as if a ray or two of light had seeped into a perpetually dark corner, enabling one to see the dust particles dancing in that light.
He reached out and placed his hand on Tang Yuxin's forehead.
"How did you hurt yourself?" He asked. With gentle pressure, Tang Yuxin began to feel a slight ache in her head. It wasn't exactly comfortable, yet she didn't shy away.
"She fell." Tang Zhinian's expression briefly darkened before deciding not to mention that Yuxin's own mother had pushed her. Of course, by pushed, it was Yuxin herself who had said it, but it was a fact that Sang Zhilan had accidentally pushed her.
"Does it hurt here?" Chen Zhong asked Yuxin after pressing a spot.
"No," Tang Yuxin bit her lower lip, "it's sore."
"Sore?" Chen Zhong raised an eyebrow and pressed another spot.
"Numb."
He moved his hand slightly upwards and pressed again.
"Sore, numb."
Yuxin frowned, but withstood the discomfort. If it were any other three-year-old, they might have cried their eyes out by now.
After checking the locations, Chen Zhong removed his hand and held it behind his back, "Don't worry, it's nothing serious."
"Thank you, Uncle Zhong," Tang Zhinian touched his daughter's small head, and was relieved now knowing his daughter wasn't seriously injured. He feared any possible brain injury which the village doctors wouldn't have been equipped to detect. He was told she needed to go to a big hospital for a check-up, but the village hospital was too far and required expensive fees which he could not afford. Hence, he sought help from Uncle Zhong.
Tang Yuxin kept stealing glances at that graceful little plant. Somehow, she had come to like it, and the faint chilly aroma she had sniffed earlier.
Yes, what she smelled was a cool, refreshing aroma. Standing there, she felt as if all her senses had been heightened.
Tang Zhinian then picked her up, preparing to take her home. Tang Yuxin kept looking at that non-grassy grass, non-orchatid-like plant until they left.
The scent had faded by the time they reached the door, but there was still a hint of unidentifiable aroma lingering in her nostrils.
Inside, Chen Zhong continued tenderly taking care of the plant, delicately watering it without spilling a single drop.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
17 Power
stone You may also Like
Paragraph comment