Chapter 91: Chapter 55: Ugly Face, Meager Fortune

After Juhua set the stew pot in place, she had her brother help her position the wooden bathtub.

She had asked her brother to have Li the carpenter build a drainage system into the bottom of the tub. It was a small hole with a stopper. To fill the tub, one would wrap the wooden stopper in cloth and plug the hole. When the bath was finished, pulling out the stopper would let the water drain on its own, eliminating the need to tip the heavy tub over.

This required a drain to be installed where the tub would be placed. Qingmu had already prepared one in a corner of the kitchen. The drainpipe ran from under the base of the wall out into the gutter. All they had to do now was move the tub into position.

After positioning the tub, filling it with hot water infused with wild chrysanthemums, and grabbing her clothes, Juhua stripped naked and sat down in the fragrant, steaming wooden tub. Mrs. Yang stayed in the kitchen with her, washing dishes and remarking with admiration, “This tub is wonderful. It’s not cold at all sitting in it like this. Juhua, don’t drain the water when you’re done. I’ll take a turn, too.”

Soaking in the hot water and scrubbing her small body left Juhua feeling exceptionally languid. She said listlessly, “Mom, I haven’t bathed in days. This water is filthy. You should heat another pot for yourself. It’s not like we’re short on firewood.”

Mrs. Yang laughed. “Why be so particular? I’ll just use your leftover water for a quick wash tonight. Tomorrow night, I’ll heat a fresh pot for a proper bath. Your father and brother need to wash tomorrow night too. It’s too late today.”

Juhua felt herself growing drowsy as her body slid down into the water. She couldn’t even muster the energy to reply. A sense of dread washed over her. ’My constitution is just too weak. If I soak any longer, I’m going to faint. Thank goodness Mom is here, or this could have been a disaster.’

She quickly called out, her voice faint, “Mom, quick, get me out! I’m so dizzy, and my body’s too weak to move.” ’If I don’t call out now, I’m going to pass out in this tub. I’ll be the first person in history to drown while taking a bath.’

Mrs. Yang jumped in alarm and rushed over. “What’s wrong?” she asked nervously. “How could you get dizzy after just a few minutes?”

Juhua felt completely drained and whispered, “I can’t… hurry, help me up.”

Mrs. Yang quickly scooped her out of the tub. Her daughter’s thin, small body was as limp as a sack of rice, completely unable to stand.

Holding her in her arms, she hastily wiped her down with a cotton towel, wrapped her in a jacket, and piled all her clothes on top of her. She then half-ran into the main house’s bedroom, quickly covered her with a cotton quilt, and only then breathed a sigh of relief.

Zheng Changhe and Qingmu also noticed something was wrong. They followed her in, holding an oil lamp, and asked, “What’s wrong with Juhua?”

Mrs. Yang looked at the drowsy Juhua lying on the bed, her heart still pounding with fear. “Sigh! This child’s health is just terrible—she fainted just from taking a bath. It’s a good thing I was in the kitchen with her, otherwise something terrible would have happened tonight.”

Zheng Changhe said, “The water was too hot. People with weak constitutions can’t bathe in water that’s too hot. My mother used to be the same way. Qingmu, quickly, pour some water for her to drink.”

Qingmu hurried to pour some water. Mrs. Yang took it and said to the father and son, “You two should step out for a moment.” After all, Juhua still wasn’t dressed.

After the two left, Mrs. Yang lifted Juhua’s head and called softly, “Hua’er, come drink some water, okay?”

Juhua heard her mother’s voice as if it were coming from far away. She weakly opened her mouth, and a warm liquid flowed in. After two swallows, she felt a little better. She opened her eyes and said to Mrs. Yang, “Mom, I’m fine. I’m just going to sleep.”

Mrs. Yang heard her voice, so faint it was almost inaudible, and knew she hadn’t recovered yet. She nodded and said, “Go to sleep. I’ll come sleep with you tonight.” She gently laid Juhua’s head back on the pillow, tucked the corners of the quilt in tightly, and then called Qingmu back in to watch her, telling him she would take over after she’d had her bath.

Qingmu looked at Juhua, his heart aching. ’My little sister has never had it easy. Forget about her scarred face… now that our lives are finally getting a little better, it’s as if she’s fated not to enjoy it. There are so many good things we cook that she can’t eat, and now, after we spent so much money on this tub, she faints just from taking a bath!’

He thought back to what Zhang Huai had said to him earlier today and the way he’d handled the millstone. He felt more and more that marrying Juhua to him was the safest option. ’Huai Zi would definitely treat her well. I could never rest easy if a sister as fragile as Juhua married some stranger whose character we don’t know.’

He used a cotton cloth to wipe the fine beads of sweat from Juhua’s forehead. Seeing that her breathing was even, he felt relieved. He then picked up a book and began to read carefully by the lamplight.

That night, Mrs. Yang slept with Juhua. Feeling uneasy, she woke up several times during the night to check on her. Seeing that Juhua was sleeping soundly and peacefully, she was finally able to relax and doze until dawn.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep