Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

On the way home, the sun was already setting. Zhao Nuanyue held Little Red Carp in her arms, silent and lost in thought.

”Sister, are you unhappy?” Little Red Carp asked. ”We had a reunion today. Shouldn’t you be happy?”

”I am happy,” Zhao Nuanyue nodded. She had helped others, and they had repaid her kindness. At the same time, by helping others, she had also changed her own life.

This was a good thing.

’It’s so good that everything is moving in the right direction!’

At this very moment, Zhao Nuanyue missed Hua Yusen terribly. She hoped he would come back soon; she wanted to be reunited with him too.

Seeing the melancholy look on her sister’s face, Little Red Carp wrinkled her nose and said, ”Sister, you must be missing your man.”

”You little rascal, what nonsense are you spouting!” Zhao Nuanyue feigned anger and started tickling Little Red Carp.

”See? I knew it,” Little Red Carp giggled. ’If she didn’t get annoyed, it would mean she wasn’t thinking about him, and I was wrong. But since I was right, she pretends to be angry, blushes, and denies it.’

”You’re still talking!” Zhao Nuanyue glared. ’This little girl... saying things like that in front of other people is so embarrassing.’

Zhang Hong, who was in the front, overheard the conversation between Zhao Nuanyue and Little Red Carp, but he only suppressed a laugh, not daring to actually let it out.

When they got home, Zhao Nuanyang hadn’t returned yet, and Zhao Nuanyue felt restless.

Even after dinner, Zhao Nuanyang still wasn’t back. Fortunately, his senior, Liu Wenqiang, was with him, which put Zhao Nuanyue a little more at ease.

It wasn’t until ten o’clock at night that Zhao Nuanyang finally came home.

”Nuanyang, what happened?” Zhao Nuanyue asked anxiously. ’Please don’t let anything have gone wrong.’

Zhao Nuanyang took a drink of water, let out a long sigh, and said, ”It’s more or less over now. Sigh...”

”Quick, drink some more water and tell me everything at once. Stop sighing,” Zhao Nuanyue urged, finding her brother’s dawdling a bit frustrating.

”Sis, don’t worry. No one died,” Zhao Nuanyang said slowly. ”I took my senior directly to Master’s place. Master told him about Yang Sumei remarrying and advised him to try and accept it. He said that although Yang Sumei had fallen for someone else, you couldn’t really blame her. Life isn’t easy for a woman on her own, and at least she did a great job raising He Qiang’s son, He Bin. When my senior heard this, he was completely stunned. It took him a long while to snap out of it, and then he just broke down crying. But after a good cry, he calmed down. Then he wanted to go home for a look. I was afraid he might do something rash, so I stuck with him. When we got there, Yang Sumei, her husband, and He Bin were in the middle of dinner. The situation was pretty awkward. Fortunately, Senior He Qiang didn’t blame Yang Sumei. Instead, he thanked her for working hard to raise their son. Yang Sumei tried to give back the money he had sent over the years, but he refused to take it. He Bin recognized his father and wasn’t distant, despite not seeing him for several years. Yang Sumei did a great job on that front. My senior gave the money he’d brought to He Bin and said he’d come for him once he was settled.”

Hearing this long account, Zhao Nuanyue understood the whole story and finally felt relieved.

”For it to be handled like that is actually quite good,” Zhao Nuanyue said with emotion. ”The bond from a marriage doesn’t just disappear overnight. Even if they’re not in love anymore, they still have a child between them. Handling it this way will have the least impact on the boy.”

”Yeah, I was surprised they could resolve it so peacefully, but it really is the best possible outcome,” Zhao Nuanyang said. ”If fate brings you together, be together. If it pulls you apart, then part ways. It’s best to wish each other well and live in peace.”

Seeing her brother and sister looking so wistful as they spoke, Little Red Carp said, ”It’s good that it was resolved this way. You two don’t have to worry anymore.”

”Mm, so where is Uncle He staying?” Zhao Nuanyue asked. ”It wouldn’t be quite right for him to stay with us. If he doesn’t have a place, I’ll figure something out.”

”No need, no need!” Zhao Nuanyang waved his hands. ”My senior is staying at Master’s place. I already took his luggage there, too.”

”That’s perfect. Master Hu has a big place, so it’s good for Uncle He to stay there. Plus, he can keep Master Hu company,” Zhao Nuanyue said, relieved, and nodded. ”With Master Hu’s guidance, I’m sure Uncle He will bounce back quickly.”

”Mmm, yes, I think so too.” Zhao Nuanyang nodded. The matter was finally over.

He Qiang was in a lot of pain and deeply saddened, but his wife—no, his ex-wife—was already married to someone else and pregnant. There was no going back. Seeing that Yang Sumei had raised their child well and that his son’s stepfather was a decent man, he was able to let it go.

「Three days later.」

He Qiang brought his son, He Bin, to Zhao Nuanyue’s home in person to thank her and Zhao Nuanyang for their help.

”Nuanyue, Nuanyang, thank you for being so considerate of me. I truly appreciate it,” He Qiang said, his gratitude coming from the bottom of his heart.

”Uncle He, we found out about this when we came back but didn’t tell you. Please forgive us,” Zhao Nuanyue apologized. He Qiang might not have brought it up, but she felt she had to apologize.

He Qiang shook his head and gave a wry smile. ”It was right not to tell me. If I had known back then, I would have rushed over immediately, and things definitely wouldn’t have been as peaceful as they are now. Even though I’m very sad, I can face this calmly. Sumei has the right to choose her own happiness; I have no right to condemn her. I also have to thank her for raising He Bin and helping him grow up to be a healthy young man.”

Zhao Nuanyue glanced at He Bin, a boy of about thirteen or fourteen who was playing with Little Red Carp, and smiled. ”Yes. Understanding and tolerance, being able to treat each other calmly even if you can’t be husband and wife... Look, He Bin has a great personality. It’s clear he hasn’t been negatively affected.”

”Mmm, yes.” He Qiang nodded. ”To be honest, I had a feeling beforehand. Every time I received a letter from Sumei, it read like a ledger, not like a letter between a husband and wife. I just didn’t dare to think too deeply about it. I chose to avoid it, wanting to hold on to the idea of what we had.”

Zhao Nuanyang consoled him, ”Senior, let’s look on the bright side. Hua has already arranged a job for you, and you can start in a couple of days. Also, when Master saw your paintings, he praised you on the spot. He said that without this difficult experience, you wouldn’t have been able to make your recent progress. Life is full of ups and downs, joys and sorrows. It’s all part of the human experience. If you can’t change it, then as Master says, you have to face it with composure to elevate your spirit.”

”I’ve made Master worry. I’ve been an unfilial apprentice,” He Qiang said with a bitter smile, though there was a hint of comfort on his face. ”Master said my paintings have more emotion in them now, which is probably related to my experiences. I will work even harder from now on so I don’t disappoint him.”

Just as they were speaking, Old Sir Qian and Old Madam Qian arrived. Seeing that He Qiang seemed to be doing alright, they didn’t bring up Yang Sumei. Instead, they started reminiscing in the courtyard about the old days in Nianqiao Village.