The Golden Cane and the Wild Rose - Chapter 41.2

Chapter 41.2

The old woman looked at them. Although they looked a little disheveled, she could tell they were not ordinary people. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “If you don’t mind that my house is so old, come in.”

Jiang Musheng said, “We don’t mind. Thank you.” Jiang Musheng carried Yun Ran inside and asked, “Ma’am, do you have any hot water?”

“I have to boil it.”

“Thank you. We’d like to wash up before we rest.” Jiang Musheng reached into her pocket with one hand and found she had no cash on her, showing a hint of embarrassment. Her wallet was in her suit, which was left on the cruise ship.

“You don’t need to pay. I’ll go boil some water for you. You poor little girls, I don’t know who harmed you so badly.” The old woman had already turned to go boil the water, but Jiang Musheng’s hair stood on end. The old woman had seen in one glance that she was a woman. Did Ah Ran hear her, too?

Yun Ran had, of course, heard it. But she thought she was a ghost, so besides being shocked, she didn’t have much of an emotional reaction. She was more concerned about why she kept seeing things related to Jiang Musheng after she died. She was also curious to see if Cecilia had become a ghost like her.

Jiang Musheng waited for a while and didn’t hear Ah Ran ask if she was a woman, so she let out a small sigh of relief. Maybe Ah Ran didn’t hear her. She slowly turned her head to look. When Yun Ran saw her turn her head, she took the opportunity to ask, “Mr. Jiang, do you know how Cecilia is now? Did she get back safely, or did she drown like me?”

“Drown?” Jiang Musheng looked at her in surprise. “Ah Ran, you’re not dead.”

“What? I’m not dead?” Yun Ran was extremely shocked. She clearly remembered how her life had flashed before her eyes like a carousel before she completely lost consciousness. How could she not be dead?

“Ah Ran, you’re still alive. I jumped into the water and saved you.” Although she didn’t want to take credit in front of Ah Ran, to make Ah Ran believe she was still alive, she told her the truth.

“What about Cecilia?”

“I only saw you. I didn’t see Cecilia.”

Although everything she saw was still gray, Yun Ran was starting to believe that she was still alive. She asked doubtfully, “But didn’t you say you couldn’t swim, Mr. Jiang?”

Jiang Musheng hesitated for a moment but decided to answer truthfully. “I just said that to people.”

“Because a situation that requires swimming would expose your true gender, Mr. Jiang?” Yun Ran asked, a little nervously. Originally, she thought she was a ghost, and knowing that 

Jiang Musheng was a woman would just be a shock. After all, she was dead, and everything was irrelevant to her. But she wasn’t dead, so she couldn’t completely detach herself from this.

Jiang Musheng said, “More than that. It’s also a way to give myself a lifeline.”

Yun Ran smiled. “Mr. Jiang, you really live a difficult life. Oh, no, maybe I should change what I call you. I can’t call you Mr. Jiang anymore.”

“Just call me Jiang Musheng,” Jiang Musheng said. “You called me that in front of Cecilia before.”

Yun Ran subconsciously wanted to argue that she had only done it to challenge Cecilia, so she wouldn’t lose. But she didn’t say it. After all, what else could she call Jiang Musheng? She couldn’t call her Miss Jiang? That definitely wouldn’t work.

“Okay, Jiang Musheng,” Yun Ran said, sounding a little unnatural. “Now, please put me down. You’ve already done enough by dragging me to shore. I can’t let you get tired anymore. Your wound isn’t healed yet.”

“I’m fine.”

“Put me down. I can stand on my own.” Yun Ran said sheepishly, “If I didn’t think I was a ghost, I definitely wouldn’t have let you carry me.”

Jiang Musheng thought the word “ghost” was funny and slowly put Ah Ran down. “What are you laughing at?” Yun Ran asked, confused. This was a serious matter. “You jumped into the sea to save me without a second thought. Not only did you risk exposing your true identity, but what if you couldn’t save me and lost your own life? It wouldn’t have been worth it.”

“It would have been worth it. Ah Ran, you forgot, I’m a businesswoman. I never do a losing business.”

Yun Ran opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn’t argue with Jiang Musheng. She felt guilty and heartbroken. Jiang Musheng wasn’t a god. How could she guarantee that she would be able to save her? This time, part of it was due to Yun Ran’s luck, but the biggest reason was that Jiang Musheng had jumped into the water to save her without hesitation. All in all, Jiang Musheng had saved her many times.

“Thank you, Jiang Musheng,” Yun Ran said sincerely.

“Mm.”

“Jiang Musheng, what I said to you before, about liking you…”

“I know. You didn’t know I wasn’t a man then, but a woman. I won’t take it to heart. You can rest assured.”

“Jiang Musheng…”

“Mm?” Jiang Musheng asked with a smile.

Yun Ran was pained by her smile. She didn’t understand how Jiang Musheng could predict the rude request she was about to make. She also didn’t understand how she could agree so easily, so accommodating to her selfish and unreasonable request. It made her seem even more like a bad woman who only knew how to take and not take any responsibility. Yun Ran felt sad and angry. She wanted to let out her emotions. There were so many things she wanted to say to Jiang Musheng. She wanted her to get angry at her, to not be so good to her, to not let her off so easily. If she really liked her, how could she so easily let her take back her affection and go back on her word?

Yun Ran had so many things she wanted to say, but she didn’t know where to start.

The old woman came back, her back hunched over, carrying a bucket of hot water. She said the water was ready, enough for both of them to wash. With that, she led them to a simple bathroom made with a curtain.

“Ma’am, let me carry that,” Jiang Musheng said.

The old woman didn’t refuse and gave the bucket to Jiang Musheng. “The bathing area is right over there. You see it?”

“I see it.”

The old woman went to get another bucket of water. Yun Ran also tried to help, but Jiang Musheng beat her to it.

The old woman smiled and asked, “You two sisters have a good relationship. The older sister takes care of the younger one.”

Yun Ran was suddenly very nervous. She grabbed the old woman’s arm and said, “Ma’am, he’s a man, not a woman. Please don’t spread rumors.”

“Okay, okay. What would an old woman like me be gossiping about? I’d rather spend my time catching more fish.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I’ll go get some clean clothes for you. You can wash together. It’s dark, so you can’t see anything anyway. You’re both girls, so there’s no need to be shy.”

“This…” Yun Ran couldn’t imagine taking a bath with Jiang Musheng in this kind of environment.

Jiang Musheng didn’t say anything. Soon, the old woman brought them some clean clothes. “My daughter’s old ones. Don’t mind them. I don’t have any new ones.”

Jiang Musheng said, “Thank you.”

Yun Ran also thanked her. The old woman waved her hand and pointed to a room on the right side of the house. “That one with the kerosene lamp on. Can you see it? You’ll sleep there tonight.” After saying this, the old woman went back to sleep, no longer bothering with them.

Jiang Musheng said, “Ah Ran, you go first. I’ll wait outside for you.”

“…Okay.”

Yun Ran didn’t refuse. The old woman’s house seemed to be very poor. They didn’t even have electric lights. She used the moonlight to scoop a few ladles of cold water from the water tank into a plastic bucket. When she looked up, she realized that this simple bathroom did have a light, but it was too dim to be useful. Still, it was better than nothing.

Yun Ran quickly washed herself, dried off, and put on the floral dress the old woman had given her. It was loose, and the fabric was a little rough, but in their current situation, she couldn’t be picky.

“I’m done. Jiang Musheng, you can go now.”

When Jiang Musheng went in to wash, Yun Ran took the bucket and washed the clothes she had taken off outside. She found a small iron box with laundry powder in it, poured some into the bucket, and carefully scrubbed the clothes. There was a water pump in the yard. After she washed the clothes, she pumped out clean water to rinse them. When she was done, she wrung them out and hung them on the wire in the yard to dry. She was a little worried about rust stains, but she had no other choice.

She was even more worried about Jiang Musheng. She had lived through hard times before, but Jiang Musheng hadn’t. She wondered if she would be able to get through a night in this kind of environment. She stared at the curtain, listening to the sound of the water. When the sound stopped, she turned her back and looked up at the moon.

“Ah Ran,” Jiang Musheng said as she came out, calling her name awkwardly.

She turned around and saw Jiang Musheng dressed in the same country-girl style as her, and she couldn’t help but laugh. Jiang Musheng had on a red polka-dot, short-sleeved shirt and shorts of an unclear color. She was slightly hunched over, purposely making herself look timid, helpless, and awkward. She looked a little like a pitiful lost girl.

Yun Ran’s heart ached for her. She walked over and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Musheng said, “I don’t have my binder on. I’m not used to it.”

Yun Ran was stunned, and her eyes uncontrollably moved down.

“Ah Ran!” Jiang Musheng called out to her quickly.

She controlled her eyes and comforted Jiang Musheng. “Don’t be afraid. I’m not wearing anything either. No one else will see us here.”

Jiang Musheng calmed down. The two of them looked at each other, their faces flushing, and they both turned away in a silent understanding.

Yun Ran picked up the clothes Jiang Musheng had taken off and said, without giving her a chance to refuse, “You saved my life. I’ll wash your clothes to repay you.”

“…Okay.”

It was a very unfair deal, but Jiang Musheng agreed without hesitation. Yun Ran began to doubt what Jiang Musheng had said earlier: that she was a businesswoman who never did a losing business. Exposing her identity and risking her own life in exchange for having her clothes washed once—wasn’t that a losing deal? Thinking about it from her perspective, Yun Ran felt that Jiang Musheng had lost terribly. Every businesswoman in Hong Kong, no, every businesswoman in the world, would laugh and call Jiang Musheng an idiot. But this person was being foolish because of her. Thinking about it that way, she couldn’t blame her for being foolish.

Her mind was a tangled mess of thoughts. As she scrubbed the clothes, Jiang Musheng didn’t leave to rest. She stood nearby, watching and waiting for her. The laundry powder dissolved in the cool well water, but her hands grew warmer and warmer as she rubbed Jiang Musheng’s clothes. She touched Jiang Musheng’s undergarments the binder that gave her security when she was without it. Jiang Musheng was also enduring a lot just by watching.

Finally, Yun Ran asked for her help. “Jiang Musheng, can you pump some water for me?”

“Okay.” Jiang Musheng knew exactly what to do.

When the clothes were done, they returned to the room to sleep. The small, dark room had a thick smell of dust. It had probably been a long time since anyone had lived in it. There was a kerosene lamp on a chair beside the bed. The little flickering flame in the lamp was the only light in the dark room. Yun Ran leaned in closer and found that the smell of the burning oil was actually quite pleasant.

Jiang Musheng suddenly pulled her back from behind. “Ah Ran, be careful you don’t burn your hair.”

“I just washed it. It’s not completely dry yet,” Yun Ran said, unafraid.

Jiang Musheng held her tightly, not letting her get any closer. Yun Ran turned to look at her. “Jiang Musheng, what’s wrong? Is there something you want to say to me?”

Jiang Musheng looked into her eyes. The little flame of the kerosene lamp flickered in their eyes, the light illuminating their faces. Jiang Musheng didn’t say anything. She just swallowed. For some reason, Yun Ran swallowed too. In the glow of the firelight, they moved closer to each other. Yun Ran’s heart beat faster. She suddenly wanted to kiss Jiang Musheng. She felt like Jiang Musheng was seducing her. Not the Jiang Musheng who had been a man before, but the Jiang Musheng who was a woman. Tonight, for the first time, she had seen Jiang Musheng’s vulnerable and soft side, and it felt as if she also had a chance to protect her.

Their lips came closer and closer. The flame reflecting on their faces seemed about to merge, becoming one. Suddenly, Jiang Musheng turned her head slightly. Their necks met, and Yun Ran only kissed the air, but their necks were hot against each other.

“Why?” Yun Ran asked, her voice a little breathless.

Jiang Musheng asked her in return, “Ah Ran, do you know who you’re trying to kiss right now?”

Yun Ran put her hand on Jiang Musheng’s left shoulder and pushed her down onto the bed. “Of course, I do. I want to kiss Jiang Musheng as a woman.”

As soon as she spoke, she felt a hand suddenly grab the back of her neck and press it down. A tiny mosquito with fluttering wings stopped mid-air to watch the excitement, but it flew too close to the kerosene lamp, and its wings caught fire. The flame made a popping sound, and the light flickered, going from bright to dim.

On the bed, Yun Ran and Jiang Musheng were kissing intensely. They kissed so fiercely it was like they were fighting. It was also like wild beasts tearing at each other with a primitive instinct. Yun Ran’s physical strength was no match for Jiang Musheng’s, and she was quickly defeated. Jiang Musheng flipped her over and pinned her underneath her. Yun Ran wasn’t angry. She just accepted her defeat. In this room filled with dust and the smell of kerosene, she reached out and tightly wrapped her arms around Jiang Musheng’s neck, holding on to this person who was no longer as strong and invulnerable as a god, but who made her heart flutter even more.

She had only one thought at that moment: deepen the kiss. Deepen it, and deepen it again. To give herself completely to her, too.

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