Chapter 70 – Fourth Brother is Fourth Sister
“Anti-inflammatory?”
Long Hao understood the pain relief part, but he didn’t know what Yan Xiaosi meant by “anti-inflammatory.” He held the medicine and looked at Yan Xiaosi with a puzzled expression.
Yan Xiaosi slapped her forehead, remembering that the term “anti-inflammatory” came from Western medicine. There was no such term in traditional Chinese medicine, which was the only medical practice in the vast Chu Dynasty.
Afraid that the vigilant Long Hao would suspect her identity, Yan Xiaosi smiled and quickly explained, “Are you wondering what ‘anti-inflammatory’ means? I saw these two words in a medical book, and it means using medicine to reduce the redness and swelling of a wound.”
Fearing that Long Hao would continue to ask questions about which medical book she found the term in, Yan Xiaosi simply didn’t give him a chance to ask, explaining rapidly, her speech as quick as spitting out loquat seeds.
“Don’t ask me which medical book I saw this term in, I’ve already forgotten. My family was poor and we didn’t have toilet paper, so I tore up that medical book to use as toilet paper.”
Long Hao hadn’t been concerned about which medical book Yan Xiaosi had seen the strange term in, but her rapid explanation, especially the last sentence, disgusted him.
His expression darkened, and he said to Yan Xiaosi, “Are you done talking, Yan Xiaosi?”
“Hehe, I’m done.”
Hearing Long Hao’s annoyed tone, Yan Xiaosi grinned mischievously.
This man was disgusted; he probably wouldn’t ask any more questions.
In the dim light, Long Hao continued to frown, “Since you’re done talking, get out.”
“Alright, I’m leaving now, Brother Long. Bye.”
Yan Xiaosi wasn’t upset at Long Hao’s tone and turned to leave.
As Long Hao applied medicine to his wound, he watched Yan Xiaosi’s petite figure leave and sighed helplessly.
He wondered what kind of strange spirit this annoying kid had reincarnated from.
In the kitchen, Ms. Zhong had already prepared bathwater, and Yan Shuqin and Yan Shuxue were carrying a bucket of water back to their room to bathe.
Yan Xiaosi came out of Long Hao’s room and entered the kitchen. Yan Shuqin stopped, looked at her, and asked, “Xiaosi, are you hot? If you’re too hot, your Second Sister and I can let you bathe first.”
“I’ll just go to the reservoir to bathe and save some water for the family.” Before dinner, Yan Xiaosi had already taken a bath in her portable space and didn’t need to bathe again. However, after spending most of the day in Daxing Town, she didn’t want to say she wasn’t hot and didn’t want to bathe, fearing it might arouse suspicion from Ms. Zhong and Yan Shuqin. So, she decided to say she would bathe in the reservoir.
She casually replied to Yan Shuqin and walked outside. Ms. Zhong said to her retreating figure, “You silly child, water doesn’t cost money, why do you need to save it?”
Yan Xiaosi waved at Ms. Zhong and replied, “Water may be free, but it takes the effort of Mom, big sister, and second sister to carry it back. Big sister and second sister are not very tall to begin with, and the added weight will make them even shorter.”
Feeling Yan Xiaosi’s deep concern, Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin, and Yan Shuxue all felt warmth in their hearts.
Yan Shuqin dropped the water bucket, chased after Yan Xiaosi for a few steps, and shouted at her retreating figure, “Xiaosi, if you really want to go to the reservoir outside the village, go with Big Brother Dazhuang, so you can look after each other.”
Upon hearing this, Ms. Zhong rushed out of the kitchen in alarm.
Yan Xiaosi was a girl; how could she bathe in the river with Tian Dazhuang?
She ran outside the kitchen, intending to tell Yan Shuqin not to say such things, but before she could open her mouth, she saw Tian Dazhuang.
Tian Dazhuang was wearing a gray coat without sleeves on his upper body, a towel draped over his shoulder, and holding a wooden bowl in his hand.
He had come to return their wooden bowl after dinner and wanted to invite Yan Xiaosi to bathe in the reservoir.
“Xiaosi, I was just about to invite you to bathe in the reservoir, and I didn’t expect you to be planning to invite me too. We brothers really have a telepathic connection, hahaha.”
Tian Dazhuang strode over and handed the wooden bowl to Yan Shuqin. Without waiting for Yan Shuqin to say anything, he walked over to Yan Xiaosi, put an arm around her shoulder, and started to lead her away.
“Third Aunt Yan, Shuqin, don’t worry, I’ll take good care of Xiaosi. After we finish bathing, I’ll bring him back.”
Yan Xiaosi couldn’t possibly bathe in the river with Tian Dazhuang; taking off her clothes would expose her secret. But Tian Dazhuang was as strong as the old yellow ox at his home and couldn’t be resisted as he pulled her away.
Since she had something to discuss with Tian Dazhuang anyway, she didn’t resist. When they got to the reservoir, she would refuse to go into the water even if it killed her. After all, she had already taken a bath, and it didn’t matter if she didn’t go into the water again.
Ms. Zhong watched Yan Xiaosi being dragged away by Tian Dazhuang, her heart anxious like ants on a hot pan.
Yan Shuqin looked at her, puzzled, “Mother, don’t worry. With Big Brother Dazhuang there, nothing will happen to Xiaosi.”
Ms. Zhong stomped her foot, “It’s because Tian Dazhuang is there that I’m worried.”
She wanted to chase after Yan Xiaosi and bring her back but was afraid of arousing Tian Dazhuang’s suspicion. After weighing the pros and cons, she could only stand there and sigh heavily.
“I just hope Xiaosi won’t go into the water with Dazhuang.”
The more Yan Shuqin listened, the more puzzled she became, “Mom, why are you so afraid of Xiaosi and Big Brother Dazhuang bathing together in the reservoir? They are both boys, so there’s nothing to be shy about.”
Ms. Zhong had originally planned to continue concealing Yan Xiaosi’s gender, but as her daughters grew older, she found it harder to hide. If she didn’t tell her daughters about Yan Xiaosi’s gender, something like what happened tonight might occur again.
After considering it, she said to Yan Shuqin, “Shuqin, go inside and call Shuxue and Shuyun out. Mom has something to tell you three sisters.”
Ms. Zhong looked very serious at the moment, and Yan Shuqin could see that she was about to discuss something important. She didn’t dare to waste any time and quickly called Yan Shuxue and Yan Shuyun out.
Ms. Zhong looked at her three daughters and said, “Shuqin, Shuxue, Shuyun, you three sisters come with me.”
Long Hao’s background was unknown, and Yan Xiaosi’s true identity as a girl must not be revealed to him. Ms. Zhong thought for a moment and led her three daughters away from the broken grass temple, heading in the direction of Fourth Aunt’s Mountain.
Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuxue, and Yan Shuyun followed behind her, already far away from the broken grass temple when Ms. Zhong finally stopped and turned to look at her three daughters, sighing.
Seeing their mother sigh repeatedly, the three daughters felt very uneasy.
Yan Shuqin anxiously said, “Mother, if there’s something on your mind, just tell us. My sisters, Xiaosi, and I will find a solution together.”
Ms. Zhong felt extremely guilty. Taking a deep breath to suppress her emotions, she finally spoke, “Shuqin, Shuxue, Shuyun, Xiaosi is actually your younger sister, not your younger brother.”
This revelation struck Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuyun, and Yan Shuxue like a bolt of lightning.
Yan Shuqin’s face showed utter shock, “Mother, are you saying… Xiaosi is a girl?” She finally understood why Ms. Zhong wouldn’t let Yan Xiaosi sleep on the floor in the room where Long Hao slept, why Ms. Zhong got angry when she saw Yan Xiaosi giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to Long Hao, and why she didn’t let Yan Xiaosi bathe in the river with Tian Dazhuang. It turned out that her fourth brother was actually her fourth sister. Yan Shuxue composed herself and asked Ms. Zhong, “Mom, since Xiaosi is a girl, why did you and father make her dress as a boy?”
