Ya ling sat beside Zhu Yin's legs, and patiently watched them till the late hours of the morning.
" Aoovghh…! Aoovghh! …Aoghskjsj..!" A violent coughing jolted Zhu Yin awake.
Her bleary eyes slowly began to focus, as she looked around. Her small dainty hands rubbed her face, as she yawned.
" My back!" Zhu Yin shouted as she tried to stand up. The acute pain was due to the fact that her sleeping position wasn't right. And now she was facing the consequences.
" Aoghskjsj..!"
[ Stop acting like a maiden. ] Ya ling nudged her forward with her head.
" Why me..?! " Zhu Yin cried, as she slowly made her way to the bed.
" Aunt Su…Aunt Su…" Zhu Yin called out, as she tried waking her caregiver up. Aunt Su didn't wake up, but stopped coughing.
Zhu Yin placed her hand on Aunt Su's forehead, which was burning hot " She has a fever. "
[ Ohh….] Ya ling brought another clean rag.
Zhu Yin had already prepared for something like this, so she had kept a bowl of water by her side.
She dipped the rag in it, squeezed out the excess water, and cleaned Aunt Su's entire body, making sure not to get her bandages wet.
By the time the fever had subsided, Zhu Yin couldn't feel her hands.
She bonelessly dropped the upper half of her body on the bed, and sighed. " I am so hungry! I haven't had a meal since two days ago. "
Ya ling just stared at her , and shook her head helplessly [ I am also hungry. I would go hunt. Wait for me to come back.]
Without further delay, Ya ling had already reached the door, and was about to go out.
" Wait! " Zhu Yin called out.
Ya ling stopped in her tracks, and turned to face Zhu Yin who was coming towards her.
" Umm…if you don't mind, can you get me chicken?"
Ya ling was dumbfounded. What sort of request was this?! But seeing Zhu Yin's adorable look, [ Ok.]
Zhu Yin burst into a wide smile, which brightened her face more. Whether it was due to the intensity of her smile, Ya ling quickly exited before she became blinded.
Zhu Yin sighed, and stepped out of the room. The morning sun shone warmly on her.
' How long did I sleep?' Zhu Yin thought as she made her way to her room.
Zhu Yin could now see the manor better in the daytime. The garden had been meticulously maintained. Although the manor walls were old and the roof tiles were weathered, its elegance was maintained.
Aunt Su had done everything well. She wasn't in any way a bad person. She had taken care of Zhu Yin to the best of her ability, but no one is perfect.
Living alone with a psychopath can drive one crazy. And Aunt Su had done that for five years, without complaining. It's the sixth year that she started depriving Zhu Yin of food, and beating her up.
' What really happened to her ?' Zhu Yin wondered.
Aunt Su was the one her mother left to take care of her. After they were sent away to this town, she never complained.
" Anyways! What's done is done. I will know in due time. "
Zhu Yin entered her room which was still dusty. The room had never been cleaned in the last five years.
" I was really deranged. " Zhu Yin had never allowed Aunt Su in . She did listen to her mother. She didn't allow anyone near her things. Anyone…including Aunt Su.
Zhu Yin opened the lattice windows, which had not opened in years, allowing the sunrays in, which brightened the room.
She picked up a duster, and cleaned the room until not even a speck of dust could be seen.
" Ah! Okay! This looks much better. " Zhu Yin stated hands on her hips, as she looked around the room in delight. With the windows open , the initial stale air had completely diffused.
*GRRRRRR….!!!*
A loud rumbling sound echoed in the room.
" Aiya! I have forgotten about you. " Zhu Yin rubbed her stomach, which was rumbling.
Alas! She had been starving.
Zhu Yin quickly had her bath, and donned a clean green robe.
She exited her room, closing the door behind her.
[ I am back.]
Zhu Yin turned around to see Ya ling, holding a fat chicken by the neck in between its jaws.
Ya Ling's white fur shimmered in the sunlight, its piercing pink eyes with vertical pupils stared at Zhu Yin.
Despite its current appearance, it exudes a regal demeanor.
" You are back!" Zhu Yin ran towards Ya Ling, her face lit up and eyes wide with enthusiasm.
She collected the chicken with her two hands, which sagged down a little due to the weight. " It's such a big chicken!"
" Come on! Let's make brunch!I will treat you to a hearty meal! Haha..!" Zhu smiled widely as she walked towards the kitchen with the chicken in her arms, and Ya ling in tow.
The kitchen wasn't anything out of ordinary. It was simple and clean.
A large brick wok station dominated the center of the kitchen, as sunrays that fluttered through the windows casted shadows on the walls.
Bamboo utensils and chopsticks hanging from the hooks. By the side was carefully placed chopped woods.
Steaming baskets made of bamboo sit atop wooden steames. Iron woks sits on shelves. A row of wooden containers line the shelves which stored rice, grains, and spices.
Zhu Yin dropped the chicken on the brick wok, and got everything she needed beside it.
Then she placed the chopped woods Ya Ling had brought and lighted it.
The ingredients in the kitchen were minimal, so Zhu Yin had to settle for a simple meal.
She carefully dissected the Chicken, and separated the parts she needed.
She placed a clay pot on fire, and cooked rice and chicken with soy sauce and sesame oil. And also fried chicken as a side dish.
Ya Ling watched her, and helped whenever she was needed.
Soon the strong aroma of the food wafted out, and they couldn't control their saliva.
The food was dished, and brought out of the kitchen into the courtyard where a round table stood.
The legs of the round table was simple yet sturdy and the stools surrounding it match in style and material.
" Ok! Let's dig in!" Zhu Yin's quickly wolfed down the food in large bites. She had truly been starving.
Ya Ling was hesitating initially, but immediately it had a taste, it couldn't stop eating.
Before long, they both had finished the whole pot. Their stomachs bulged, in satisfaction.
" Ahh….~ I am satisfied. " Zhu Yin's hands couldn't stop caressing her stomach with a silly smile on her face.
[ Stop that. It's creepy.] Ya Ling said disrupting her day dream.
" It has been a while since I last ate something like this. Of course, I would be happy. "
" Ya Ling…now that you have eaten this, you wouldn't settle for less.".
Zhu Yin chuckled as she cleared the table, leaving Ya Ling to her thoughts.
By the time Ya Ling cleared her thoughts, Zhu Yin was already done cleaning the kitchen, and was coming out with something in her hands.
" Are you going to continue staring into nothing?" Zhu Yin's voice seems to have some kind of switch.
Ya Ling snapped out of it and followed her.
' She should already be up by now. ' Zhu Yin continued walking down the hallway, and stopped in front of a door. Aunt Su's room .
Since Zhu Yin's hands were occupied, Ya Ling had to do it.
A large paw gently pushed the door, yet the door opened widely as if a large force pushed it. If it had applied more force, would the door have come out of its hinges…?
' What level is she? We haven't even spoken seriously. I should do it soon. Just because she doesn't pose a threat doesn't mean she isn't one. ' Zhu Yin watched as Ya Ling slowly retracted her paw with an embarrassed look.
[ If I say I didn't mean to do that… would you believe me?]
Zhu Yin sighed heavily " Hmpmnn! This manor can't bear it a second time. We only have money for food. "
Without waiting for a reply, she walked in only to see Aunt Su trying to sit up.
" I spent hours healing that wound. "