Chương 13: Washing Clothes

"Big brother, I'm so sorry that you had to go through all of that and I apologize for forcing you to talk about it. Still, thank you for sharing this with me." Mei Li was full of sympathy.

"Big brother, you have to believe me, things will get better from now on."

"Will it?" Mingyu asked in a quiet voice.

Mei Li suddenly remembered the poem "Written on the Wall at West Forest Temple" that many people in her time had memorized. It seemed apt at this moment so she recited it out loud to the guy beside her.

"It's a range viewed upfront and peaks viewed from the side.

Assuming different shapes viewed from far and wide.

Of Mountain Lu we cannot make out the true face.

For we are lost in the heart of the very place."

Mingyu was surprised that Mei Li recited a poem all of a sudden. He felt that the verse was really beautiful, seemingly describing the scenery at first but has underlying meanings that invite people to delve deeper and contemplate. It was thought-provoking and left a lasting impression.

Unknown to him, his appreciation for the woman lying by his side grew.

"Do you mean that we should look at a different perspective and not be limited by our current situation and point of view?" Mingyu asked her.

Mei Li had to praise this man in her heart. He was really smart and had a deep mind. No wonder he was one of the top scorers in the imperial exams.

"Yes, big brother. Things may look very bleak at the moment but perhaps this is only because we are not looking at other things that can be good for us. They say that when people have reached such a low point in life, the only place left to go is up."

"We just have to believe in a better future, see things from different angles to find good opportunities, and do our best to work hard for our goals." Mei Li added.

Mingyu's heart that has been cold and numb for a long time now suddenly welcomed a burst of warmth. He didn't really like talking about their family matters but, for some reason, talking to this woman and hearing her words just now felt liberating. It felt like a heavy load was unburdened from his shoulders.

Mei Li didn't see because of the darkness, but Mingyu's smile at that moment was beautiful and it was all for her.

"En. Tomorrow will be better." Mingyu murmured to Mei Li.

The night deepened and the spring wind brought the scent of new beginnings. The two people on the bed soon fell asleep with thoughts of a brighter future.

----

The next day, Fu Mei Li woke up earlier than usual. Mingyu was already gone and his side of the bed was cold, so she figured he had woken up a long time ago.

Mei Li decided to tour around Shenghou village today and get to know her environment better.

She planned to visit the nearest town as soon as possible as well and check out current market conditions.

Knowledge is power, after all. Only by carefully studying her circumstances will she figure out ways to improve her life here.

A few days prior, she made time to carefully study the previous Mei Li's memories regarding her life in the capital.

Unfortunately, she wasn't able to obtain comprehensive information of the current dynasty and its territories since the previous owner of her body lived a sheltered life growing up. In the past three years, she was even bullied and had even fewer reasons to leave the Fu estate.

Still, Mei Li figured out that right now is the year 718 and the reigning monarch was called Emperor Xuanzong.

If this was the same Emperor Xuanzong she knew of in her modern history, then she had transmigrated into the early years of the Tang dynasty's seventh emperor's reign. He was known for being the longest reigning monarch in this dynasty and was credited for leading the kingdom into the pinnacle of power and culture.

She didn't make hasty conclusions though because the old Mei Li's memories also showed fragments that didn't seem to fit in with the history she knew. Even the current kingdom's topography and existing borders was familiar yet also unfamiliar to her.

Were the historians mistaken in some things? Or perhaps this was an alternate reality? Maybe some historical trajectories converged and diverged in different ways, so she has to be careful moving forward and find more helpful information.

Even so, Fu Mei Li was once again stupefied upon realizing the timeline she was in. There was a gap of over a thousand years from her 21st century ah!

After breakfast, she picked up the small mountain of clothes piled at one corner of her room, ready to do laundry. She only brought a few changes of clothing from the capital so she had to wash her clothes every so often.

Aunt Li offered to wash her clothes at one time, but she was reluctant to add more to the aging woman's workload.

Mei Li grabbed a basin from the kitchen and a small chunk of crude soap and then carried her laundry towards the well in the inner courtyard.

Before she could go forward a few more steps, a pair of big hands took the basin filled with dirty clothes from her grasp.

She had to look up to see who this person was. Her gaze collided with Jin Haoran's deep, dark eyes.

Mei Li, who wasn't prepared to suddenly stand so close to this man bursting with testosterone, was momentarily dazed. Damn it, this guy's sexy aura is even more powerful up close!

Weimin's booming voice startled her out of her thoughts. "Wife, are you washing clothes? Let me and second brother help!"

Upon saying that, Weimin exited the kitchen with another basin.

These brothers had always gone out in the past few days she was here and she didn't know where they went. How come these two were around today?

"No, you don't have to help me. I can do it myself!" Fu Mei Li hastily tried to retrieve her basin. Have two grown men wash her dirty laundry? What a joke!

Unfortunately, Mei Li's scrawny arms weren't a match for Haoran's strength. This towering second husband of hers just looked at her without saying anything.

Weimin arrived next to her and said, "Don't worry, wife. Second brother and I are used to doing the heavy odd jobs around here. We are also used to washing our brothers' clothes. Your health just got better recently. You shouldn't tire yourself out. Let us help you."

Mei Li had gotten used to Weimin's familiar attitude towards her and him calling her "wife" all the time. Her impression of this third husband was that he was simple, honest, cheerful, and helpful. Weimin seemed to be the type who can easily befriend people. He can be tactless sometimes though.

Normally, Mei Li wouldn't mind receiving help from Weimin or even the other Jin brothers. But this was her dirty laundry and it was so embarrassing to have them wash it for her.

Before she could make her protests clear, Weimin had already poured water from the well into her basin.

The two, Haoran and Weimin, then crouched down on the ground and began scrubbing her clothing articles.

Not long after, what Mei Li feared would happen did happen.

Haoran pulled a tiny pink fabric from the laundry pile. Maybe he was confused about what it was at first so he unfolded it. A delicate halter-top chest wrap came into view.

Mei Li's dudou, also known as the ancient women's bra, was on full display!

The two brothers were rooted to the spot. They quickly realized what the fabric was and not knowing what to do next, a red flush slowly creeped up their necks.

This situation would be nothing in modern times as men were exposed to the constant barrage of underwear advertisements on TV and billboards. Unfortunately, Haoran and Weimin were men with extremely traditional life views.

Mei Li internally gave herself a facepalm.