I Will Remember Your Kindness

After Lingdang finished speaking, she hugged the jar and turned to leave, but heard Zhang Zhaocai chasing after her with a few quick steps.

"Hmm?" Lingdang stopped in her tracks and turned to look at the little rascal who was half a head shorter than her.

Zhang Zhaocai's dirty face was bright red; his fingers twisted his clothes nervously. He lowered his head and whispered, "Lingdang, I-I asked you to help me find out about my mother. Have you heard any news?"

Lingdang looked at Zhang Zhaocai, sighed, and shook her head, "I haven't heard anything."

Zhang Zhaocai looked up, disappointment showing in his eyes. He bit his lip and nodded, his voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "Hmm, well, thank you, Lingdang. I-I'm going home now..."

With that, Zhang Zhaocai turned and bolted as if ghosts were chasing him, running like a rabbit. Along the way, he even lost a shoe, hopped on one leg to pick it up, quickly put it back on, glanced back at Lingdang who was still watching him, feeling even more embarrassed, then ran home and slipped into the woodshed, clutching the medicinal wine bottle Lingdang had given him, his heart pounding.

That night, after Qin Sanniang and Zhang Zhuzi had fallen asleep, Zhang Zhaocai finally dared to sneak out and wash up, leaning against the haystack in the woodshed to rub the medicinal wine on himself.

The herbal-scented medicinal wine poured into his palm, warmed by rubbing, was applied to the bruises. Zhang Zhaocai grimaced in pain but kept rubbing hard, knowing that enduring the pain and working the blood clots would help him heal faster.

After applying the medicine, Zhang Zhaocai was sweating profusely from the pain. Wrapped in a tattered quilt, he lay down and took out the two little dolls he had hidden in his arms, holding them along with the medicinal wine bottle.

Zhang Zhaocai gently touched the doll representing Lingdang with his fingers and softly said, "Lingdang, thank you. I will remember your kindness."

Then he looked at the doll symbolizing Mrs. Tang, tears unconsciously welling up in his eyes as he murmured, "Mom, why is there still no news? When will you come home? I miss you so much..."

Drowsily, Zhang Zhaocai drifted into dreams and fell into a deep sleep, unaware that on the roof of the woodshed, under the bright moonlight, stood a delicate young girl with a complex expression, sighing as she looked at the sleeping Zhang Zhaocai.

After returning from Zhang Zhaocai's house, Lingdang inexplicably felt downhearted. She sat alone on the corridor, gazing at the moon. Hearing footsteps behind her, she didn't turn around and said, "Why is the Young Master out here at night instead of sleeping?"

"Hehehe!" Li Yanhao jumped over cheerfully and sat beside Lingdang. His face suddenly stretched close to hers with a mischievous grin, "Little Lingdang, got something on your mind? Feeling down?"

Lingdang rolled her eyes and slapped Li Yanhao on the forehead, pushing his big face away: "Tudane, come quickly and take your man away."

"Pah! Who's his man!" Li Yanhao rolled his eyes exaggeratedly and spat twice, "Tudane, that damned 'broken sleeve', hmph!"

"Huh, where's Xiao Yun?" Lingdang suddenly realized Xiao Yun hadn't appeared all day.

"Yeah, he left early this morning. I guess it's another secret mission from your master. Anyway, he won't tell me." Li Yanhao suddenly pulled something from his pocket and held it in front of Lingdang's eyes, saying, "Here, a gift for you."

In Li Yanhao's hand was an exquisitely beautiful wooden box. Lingdang looked at it with disdain and said to Li Yanhao, "Young Master, there's no chance this box contains mice, snakes, or bugs, right? You might scare ordinary girls with this, but scaring me? Forget it!"