The Little Fox Spoils Her Blind Husband - Chapter 3

While Doctor Chang brewed the medicine, Li Ting gave the little blind boy a few sips of warm water he had cooled earlier. He waited until the boy fell asleep before quietly heading out to find a rake behind the kitchen. He spent some time tidying the courtyard. The fallen leaves were easy to manage, and their thick covering had prevented much dust from accumulating on the ground.

The courtyard was not large, as his father, Li Dongtang, had lived there alone. It consisted of several side rooms, a kitchen, and a storage room, though it still felt spacious enough. After straightening the tilted flowerpots in the yard, Li Ting broke into a light sweat. He decided to get some hot water to wash his face and bumped into Doctor Chang as he entered the kitchen.

“The medicine is ready. Young Master Li, you may pour it out to cool,” Doctor Chang said while gesturing toward the steaming pot and holding his medical bag. “Make sure he drinks a few more bowls of this, and he should recover shortly.”

“Thank you, Doctor Chang.” Li Ting picked up a towel, dipped it in hot water, and washed his face and hands. He expected the doctor to leave immediately, but he did not hear the front gate open. Looking up, he saw Doctor Chang hesitating at the bedroom door. Li Ting blinked and asked, “Does Doctor Chang have something else on his mind? If you are concerned about him, why not go in and take a look before you leave?”

Doctor Chang waved his hands repeatedly. “No, no. I will head back now and return tomorrow.”

Li Ting did not mention that he also knew how to brew medicine. He narrowed his eyes, and his slightly elongated gaze made the doctor feel uneasy. The little fox quickly withdrew his scrutinizing look and smiled. “Then I thank you, Doctor Chang.”

As the gate creaked shut, Li Ting slowly set down the cooling towel. He remembered his guest and went to check on Xu Yanqiu. Seeing that the boy was sleeping soundly, he closed the door. After a moment of thought, he placed a small protective spell on the door. He grabbed his coin purse and tapped several corners of the courtyard before leaving. Since he would be away, he felt it was better to be safe than sorry. One could never be sure if some stray demon or ghost might wander in.

Having completed his preparations, Li Ting left the gate and followed the lingering scent of herbs. Being new to the area, he figured it was best to find someone familiar with the village to lead him to the market.

Doctor Chang had not even walked a hundred paces when a figure much taller than himself appeared at his side. Startled, he looked up and saw Li Ting. “Young Master Li, what are you doing?”

“Doctor Chang, please lead the way. I wish to buy some things,” Li Ting said with a smile. “Consider it a favor for a junior, out of respect for my father.”

Doctor Chang hesitated but could not find a way to refuse. “My shop is on the main street. You may walk with me.”

“That is wonderful.” Just as Li Ting spoke, he glanced back toward his courtyard. He caught sight of several familiar shadows darting past. Doctor Chang thought he had forgotten something and was about to ask, but Li Ting slung an arm around the doctor’s shoulders and urged him forward. “Let us go. I need to hurry back and cook dinner.”

As soon as the two disappeared around the corner, the group that had tried to drown Xu Yanqiu appeared at Li Ting’s gate. The leader was Gao Ke, the local hoodlum. One of the children pushed the door open and said, “Boss Gao Ke, the door is not locked.”

“Go on. I do not believe he can protect that disaster forever,” Gao Ke sneered as he followed them inside. “Killing him early is just doing the community a favor.”

On the other side of town, Doctor Chang made an excuse to return to his shop once they reached the street. Li Ting understood. If people saw them together and later discovered that Li Ting was living with Xu Yanqiu, they would inevitably associate the doctor with the situation.

It did not matter, however, as the doctor would return tomorrow anyway. Li Ting noted the location of the Chang family shop and saw a man walking out. It was Chang Shouye, whom he had met earlier.

“Young Master Li, what a coincidence.” Chang Shouye noticed Li Ting was not in a hurry to move, so he reluctantly stepped forward to greet him. Li Ting nodded in acknowledgment and turned toward the market. He needed to buy groceries before the good produce was gone.

The blind boy’s body could not handle greasy food yet, but Li Ting had other ways to make delicious meals. He was a lover of fine food and had learned many recipes from his parents. He saw no reason to settle for poor meals when he could provide better for himself and the boy.

Chang Shouye watched the young man walk away and frowned. He turned to his father and asked, “I thought you went to see the hunter at the east end?”

“Hunter Wang was not home. He must have gone out again,” Doctor Chang replied calmly. Chang Shouye warned him, “Do not get involved with that Li fellow. He seems like a meddler. He will eventually catch the blind boy’s bad luck, and I do not want him dragging us down with him.”

Doctor Chang nodded. Suddenly, a commotion of frantic footsteps and wailing reached them. “Doctor Chang! Help us! Oh, it hurts so much!”

The father and son rushed out to see Gao Ke and several local children. Some were clutching their stomachs while others held their arms as they collapsed before the door. Gao Ke was limping and could barely stand. “Doctor, save me, save me!”

“What happened to you all?” Chang Shouye asked as he helped them up.

Gao Ke’s face was filled with terror. “It was a ghost. A ghost!”

His words stopped abruptly when he saw Li Ting standing nearby, clutching two bundles of green vegetables and wearing a mocking smile. Why was this meddlesome guy here? Gao Ke did not dare say another word and was helped into the clinic while fuming in silence.

Li Ting’s smile deepened. He did not need to guess to know that these people had triggered every little surprise he had left in his courtyard. They were simple traps meant for pranks, but since the group was clumsy, they had managed to hurt themselves quite thoroughly.

“Young Master, here are your vegetables.”

Li Ting snapped out of his thoughts and took the fresh radishes. “How much do I owe you?”

After paying, he asked for directions to the grain shop. He bought some millet and then strolled back home.

In the kitchen, Li Ting started a pot of green vegetable porridge. The herbal medicine had finally cooled to the right temperature. The little fox tilted his head and lowered the fire before carrying the bowl into the bedroom. The blind boy was still asleep. The earlier commotion in the courtyard had not woken him, showing just how exhausted he was.

“Wake up. You need to take your medicine before you go back to sleep.” Li Ting patted Xu Yanqiu on the arm. Realizing the boy’s arm was so thin it might break, he wondered how to wake him more gently. Xu Yanqiu started awake and his first reaction was not to hide, but to grab Li Ting’s hand before he could withdraw it.

Compared to Li Ting’s hand, the boy’s hand was tiny. Li Ting felt as though he could enclose both of the boy’s hands within his own.

Xu Yanqiu’s eyes remained unfocused. His fingers gripped Li Ting’s hand, loosening and tightening as if trying to confirm something. After a long moment, he whispered, “Big Brother Li, is that you?”

“It is me,” Li Ting replied, not wanting to tease him. “I have brought your medicine.”

Xu Yanqiu breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared that everything was a dream and that he would wake up floating in the icy river. He was so lost in thought that he forgot to let go of Li Ting’s hand. Li Ting looked down at their joined hands and decided to use his other hand to hold the bowl to the boy’s lips. “Open your mouth and drink.”

The blind boy did not realize anything was unusual. He drank more than half of the bitter medicine in that position, his brow furrowing from the taste.

As he finished, Li Ting set the bowl on the table. Hearing the sound of the bowl hitting the wood, Xu Yanqiu realized he was still holding Li Ting’s hand and quickly let go.

“Do you have room for food?” Li Ting asked. He suspected the boy’s stomach was full of medicine, but Xu Yanqiu caught the scent of food from the courtyard and swallowed. He shook his head and said, “I cannot eat any more.”

He clearly wanted to eat.

Li Ting did not expose the lie. He took the bowl outside. Remembering the boy’s face scrunched up from the bitterness, he looked at the small amount of medicine left in the bowl and took a sip himself.

The little fox’s expression froze. He rushed into the kitchen to rinse his mouth three times. It was incredibly bitter.

While wiping his mouth, Li Ting decided he must buy some honey tomorrow. The boy had not even complained about the bitterness. Then again, the boy had not made a sound when he was nearly drowning yesterday. He was far too enduring.

The porridge was ready. He served a small bowl for the boy and sliced the radishes as a side dish. Once the porridge was cool enough to eat, Li Ting extinguished the fire and set his own bowl aside to cool. He then carried the small bowl into the bedroom.

Xu Yanqiu seemed unable to sleep. He was lying flat on the bed while clutching the quilt. Hearing footsteps, he turned his head toward the sound. “Big Brother Li?”

“Time to eat.” Li Ting pulled a stool to the bedside. This time, the boy did not need a reminder. He felt around and sat up, reaching out tentatively to take the bowl. “I will eat by myself.”

He did not want to keep bothering Li Ting by having him feed him.

Li Ting was surprised. “You can feed yourself?”

“My father was not always home,” Xu Yanqiu said sadly. “Actually, I know how to cook too. Someone taught me long ago.”

Li Ting remained silent. He could guess what had happened. Before the accident with the boy’s father, the villagers likely saw him only as a pitiful child who had lost his mother. Before his father went out, he must have asked neighbors to look after him. Someone, worried the blind boy would not be able to survive alone, must have taught him how to cook. If the subsequent tragedies had not occurred, that life might have continued.

The blind boy carefully took the bowl from Li Ting. His hands shook slightly, but he managed not to spill the porridge. Li Ting handed him a spoon. He watched Xu Yanqiu eat the porridge bite by bite. Only then did Li Ting remember his own portion was probably getting cold. “Give me the bowl,” he said.

Xu Yanqiu heard the man leave and heard the sound of the fire being relit. He looked confused for a moment before realizing what had happened. Big Brother Li had been so busy feeding him that his own meal had gone cold, so he had to reheat it.

The boy blinked, and large tears began to fall. He caught them with his hand. Even though he was crying, he did not want to dirty Li Ting’s quilt.

He wondered if he was too much of a burden. Li Ting had taken him in out of pity, but the boy did not know if he could ever repay such kindness. As he had said, he was just a blind boy who was useless. He had no idea how to return the favor.

“Are you busy crying?” Li Ting’s voice suddenly came from the doorway. Xu Yanqiu had not expected him to move so quietly. His hand shook, but he managed to keep the tears from hitting the bed. “Big Brother Li.”

“There is a table to your left with a clean towel. Wipe your hands,” Li Ting said. He had intended to help, but he decided to respect the boy’s dignity by letting him do it himself.

The boy reached out cautiously toward the table. When he found the towel, a look of relief crossed his face. Li Ting bit into a radish slice. The crisp sound startled Xu Yanqiu, but he held onto the towel, wiped his hands and his face, and set the towel back.

For a while, the only sound in the room was Li Ting eating and the occasional crunch of a radish. Finally, the blind boy spoke up. “Big Brother Li, am I causing you too much trouble by staying? Perhaps I should leave.”

“A man should be as good as his word,” Li Ting said as he finished his porridge. “Scoot over a bit later.”

The boy was stunned. This was a reminder to be true to his word about staying, and a suggestion that they would sleep together. It made sense, as this was Big Brother Li’s house and his bed.

“Make it warm,” Li Ting added. He took the bowl and left the room. Xu Yanqiu stared blankly for a long time. Was he supposed to share the same quilt?

He seemed to make a significant decision. He curled his small body into the quilt and rubbed his hands together, trying his best to get warm.

If warming the bed was a way to repay a debt, then he would do it.