SLH | Chapter 45

Rescuing from the Sea of Fire

“Husband, cough cough cough…”

Song Tingzhu was choked by the thick smoke and couldn’t speak.

The fire in the courtyard was spreading, and most of the kitchen had already been burned down. Everyone saw the flames and rushed over to help.

“Oh my, why is the fire so big!”

“Huzi, don’t go in there. The men in the village have already gone to fetch water. Wait until the fire is out before doing anything!”

Liu Hu was about to rush in but was stopped by two aunties. He was anxious and couldn’t wait. Seeing a man carrying a wooden bucket over, he grabbed the bucket and poured the entire contents over himself.

“Hey, stop him!”

“Stop what? Don’t you see Zhu Ge’er is in there!”

“But the fire is so big. Can he even come out if he goes in?!”

“The Tian family’s kid went in too! Don’t just stand there, help put out the fire!”

Outside the courtyard, it was chaotic. At this time, Song Tingzhu could no longer tell directions, nor could he hear the calls of the crowd. He could only vaguely see a blurry figure crossing the flames in the courtyard and walking towards him.

The cotton clothes on Liu Hu’s body were soaked with water, so they wouldn’t catch fire for a while. However, passing through the wall of fire as tall as a person, he could still feel the scorching heat.

With furrowed brows and not a hint of hesitation, he headed straight for Song Tingzhu. When he got close, he took off his cotton coat and draped it over Song Tingzhu. With Tian Tian’s help, he brought the two of them out of the courtyard.

“Cough cough, cough cough cough!”

Leaning against his husband’s chest, Song Tingzhu coughed until his eyes turned bloodshot. Once he caught his breath, he grabbed his husband’s arm and hoarsely asked, “Chen, Granny Chen…”

“Don’t worry, wife. Granny Chen was taken to Doctor Liang’s by Brother Tian.” Liu Hu took the water handed over by an auntie and brought it to his wife’s lips.

Song Tingzhu’s throat was parched. After drinking a whole bowl of water, he felt a bit better.

“Huzi, quickly take your husband to Doctor Liang’s to have a look. Inhaling so much smoke, don’t let it damage the throat.”

“Yes, yes, and check if he’s hurt anywhere else.”

“Granny Chen’s house is far from the village. If we hadn’t seen the fire, we wouldn’t have known what happened!”

“That stubborn old Granny Chen! We advised her to move into the village, but she insisted on staying with her patch of bamboo. Old Master Chen isn’t coming back.”

With his ears buzzing, Song Tingzhu frowned, clutching his husband’s thin clothes, and struggled to stand up.

The cotton clothes on Liu Hu were burned with a big hole and were still dripping water. Song Tingzhu was worried if his husband was hurt. After thanking everyone who helped put out the fire, he hurried home.

Turning past the big banyan tree, he saw Liu Xiaomei rushing over with a worried look.

“Sister-in-law’s husband, are you and Second Brother okay?” Liu Xiaomei looked them over and helped them towards home.

Song Tingzhu didn’t want Xiaomei to worry and shook his head, “We’re fine. Your second brother’s clothes are soaked. Xiaomei, go home and boil some hot water.”

“Okay, I’m on it!”

With that, she ran out of the alley.

Half an incense stick later, at Liu’s house.

“That old Granny Chen, at her age, still doesn’t know how to rest. With the wind so strong today, she dared to light a fire in the yard. Even a spark could ignite in this wind. She must think she’s living too long!”

Ruan Xiulian was furious, scolding in the west room, “You two are foolish, too. Call for help instead of rushing in. Aren’t you afraid of being trapped by the fire?! You’d make your mother send you off with white hair. Would that make you happy?”

“Mom, don’t be angry. Take care not to upset yourself.” Tang Chunxing comforted her mother-in-law, “Second Brother and his husband were just anxious to save someone. Granny Chen’s house is far from the village. By the time everyone realized, it might have been too late.”

“Second Brother and Zhu Ge’er are kind-hearted and wouldn’t stand by and do nothing. They’re just like you. If you were there, you’d rush in to save people too.”

Ruan Xiulian knew the importance of the matter but was worried and needed to vent.

She looked towards the west room and said to her eldest daughter-in-law, “Go to the kitchen and make some ginger soup. In this cold weather, their cotton clothes are frozen stiff. Drinking ginger soup will ward off the cold.”

“Okay, I’ll go right away.”

“Grandma, did Little Uncle and Little Uncle’s husband fall into the river? Their clothes are wet.” Xia Ge’er tugged on Ruan Xiulian’s pants, his little face full of worry.

Ruan Xiulian picked up her little grandson, “Yes, Xia Ge’er will help Grandma make ginger soup for Little Uncle and his husband.”

“Okay, after drinking the spicy soup, Little Uncle and his husband won’t get sick!”

In the west room, Song Tingzhu checked his husband’s body and saw that he wasn’t injured, only had blisters on the back of his hand from the fire. He relaxed.

Liu Hu was also worried about his wife and stared at him, “Wife, are you hurt?”

“No, my clothes are all intact.” Song Tingzhu tested the water temperature, “It’s just right. Soak well. Don’t catch a cold in this weather.”

“I’m strong and rarely get sick, but your clothes are damp too. Change into something dry.”

“Okay, cough cough…”

Seeing his wife cough until his cheeks turned red, Liu Hu furrowed his brows anxiously.

“We should go to Doctor Liang’s.”

Song Tingzhu drank some tea. Once his throat felt better, he said, “It’s nothing, just inhaled too much smoke and got choked. I’ll be fine after a while.”

“I’ll go change and get some Taiyi ointment.”

The man nodded.

A moment later, Song Tingzhu changed clothes and brought the ointment out from behind the screen.

The burn on Liu Hu’s hand wasn’t serious. Applying Taiyi ointment would have it scab over and heal in a few days. But Song Tingzhu, the next day, his throat became even more dry and painful, to the point where he couldn’t speak.

“Wife, I made you some saltwater. Gargle and rinse your mouth.” Liu Hu helped him sit up. Seeing Song Tingzhu frown in discomfort, he frowned too.

“I’ve got boiling water on the stove. I’ll wring a cloth for you to cover your face with a few times. It’ll make your throat feel better. It’s an old village remedy, even better than medicine.”

Song Tingzhu couldn’t speak, but he nodded to show he understood.

The family was still worried. Liu Hu didn’t even have breakfast before going to the village entrance to bring Doctor Liang home.

“Nothing serious. Zhu Ge’er’s body is delicate, so even a minor illness is worse for him. I’ll write a prescription. Use the hot steam method with it for two days, and he’ll be able to speak again.”

The family finally relaxed.

“Car…”

Song Tingzhu wanted to ask about Granny Chen but couldn’t make a sound, so he looked at his husband for help.

Liu Hu saw and asked, “Doctor Liang, my wife wants to know how Granny Chen is doing?”

“Granny Chen is older, so her condition is more serious than Zhu Ge’er’s, but there’s no need to worry too much. With some good rest, she’ll be able to get up and move around.”

Song Tingzhu was relieved to hear this.

Granny Chen’s children were all in town, and there was no one to take care of her in the village. Ruan Xiulian had Liu Hu bring Granny Chen back home when he went to drop off Doctor Liang.

With the Chen family courtyard burned like that, it was impossible to live there. Though their house wasn’t big, they could make room. The kitchen could be partitioned with a curtain and a bed board, warmer than inside, though it couldn’t be used during the day when cooking.

“Eldest daughter-in-law, clean up the kitchen and make some space. I’ll borrow some bricks from Aunt Tian to prop up the bed.”

“Okay.” Tang Chunxing agreed, “Mom, you’re all talk. You were just saying bad things about Granny Chen.”

Ruan Xiulian patted her pants, “What else can we do? We can’t just leave her at Doctor Liang’s.”

“I wonder how the Chen family courtyard is. I’ll go take a look. Huzi, carry her back and settle her in my and your dad’s room.”

“Got it, Mom.”

In the west room, Song Tingzhu was having a staring contest with Liu Xiaomei and Xia Ge’er.

He wanted to tell them they didn’t need to stay and could go play, but his throat was so dry and painful he couldn’t make a sound. He could only look towards the door to signal them.

Unfortunately, no one understood. Xia Ge’er even kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed, saying, “Xia Ge’er will stay with Uncle’s husband so he won’t be bored. Do you want to play string games? Xia Ge’er will play with you.”

Song Tingzhu smiled and covered the little guy’s feet, pointing at the paper and pen by the window to signal Xiaomei to bring them.

Liu Xiaomei’s eyes lit up, “Oh right, Brother-in-law can write it down. I can read simple words.”

Once the little girl brought the paper and pen, Song Tingzhu wrote a few words. Liu Xiaomei squinted to read, “Go, play, no need to stay!”

Song Tingzhu nodded with a smile.

Liu Xiaomei said, “Xiaoman went to town, and Sister Shuang’er is being watched by her mom and can’t come out. I have no one to play with. I’ll bring my sewing basket and do some embroidery at the door. If you need anything, just knock on the bed.”

Song Tingzhu was helpless but nodded seeing Xiaomei’s insistence.

“Xia Ge’er will stay with Uncle’s husband.” The little guy, fearing he’d be taken away by his aunt, clung to Song Tingzhu’s arm and pressed his face against it.

Liu Xiaomei sternly said, “Don’t pester Brother-in-law to play with you, or you won’t be allowed to stay in the room.”

The little guy squinted, “Xia Ge’er knows. Xia Ge’er will sleep with Uncle’s husband~”

Song Tingzhu was indeed tired. Not long after Xiaomei left, he fell asleep holding Xia Ge’er.

Tang Chunxing, worried Xia Ge’er might disturb him, came in to take him away without him knowing.

“Mom, where did you get that quilt?” An incense stick later, seeing her mother-in-law enter the yard with a quilt, she asked curiously.

Ruan Xiulian said, “From Granny Chen’s. Most of the things in her house were destroyed, but this quilt is barely usable. We don’t have enough quilts at home, so we don’t have to spend money buying more.”

She glanced at the main room, “Is she back?”

Tang Chunxing lowered her voice, “She’s back, her face is grim, but she didn’t refuse help.”

Ruan Xiulian didn’t say anything, “When Brother Tian comes to deliver bricks, help make a bed. Don’t let him go back tonight. Cook a couple of dishes and keep him for dinner.”

“I’ll go pick a cabbage from the cellar. We have a small handful of wood ear mushrooms left. I’ll soak them and stir-fry with carrots.”

“And add some cured meat.”

“Okay.”

———————–

Author’s Note: I remember playing with fire as a child. My brother almost set the kitchen on fire by copying me… I wish I could go back and give myself a good scolding [crying face].