Shen Hui had been confined to bed for three days. During this time, Aunt Zhang came over to take care of her. At Shen Hui's request, Aunt Zhang prepared some traditional Chinese medicine formula, following a prescription Shen Hui had written herself, to help replenish her energy and restore her blood. After three days of rest and treatment, Shen Hui's complexion looked less pale and she began to regain her strength.
So, that morning, she finally managed to get out of bed. With her arm in a sling and supporting herself against the wall, she slowly made her way out of the bedroom. It was the first time she have a chance to take a good look at the apartment. Aside from the bedroom and bathroom, there was a kitchen and a spacious living room, furnished with a sofa set, a desk, a wine cabinet and other pieces of furniture. She carefully lowered herself into a single-seat sofa and her legs still slight trembling from the effort. Just then, the door opened and John walked in carrying breakfast. He said:
"You're up. I just bought some breakfast."
Then he put the breakfast on the coffee table. Shen Hui replied:
"Thank you!"
After that, neither of them spoke further for a moment and an awkward silence settled over them. In fact, over the past few days, John had checked in on her every evening, but the two of them didn't have exchanged many words. Now Shen Hui, eager to break this tension, offered a casual comment:
"It seems that you have gotten used to Peking's breakfast."
"It's delicious. Don't you like it?"
Shen Hui replied with a slight smile:
"I don't like this soy milk very much."
John admitted:
"I didn't either at first. But after drinking it for a while, I grew to enjoy it."
Changing the subject, Shen Hui asked:
"How many years do you have been in China? Your Chinese is so fluent."
"I came here right after the end of WWII." John replied, "I thought the war in China was over too but then you all started fighting amongst yourselves. As for my Chinese, well, it's probably because I have a quarter of Chinese blood. My grandfather came to China when he was young and married a Chinese girl, my grandmother. So, in our family, we all picked up some Chinese because my grandmother wasn't very fluent in English."
"How did she communicate with you all if her English wasn't very good?"
John smiled and said:
"She managed well enough. In fact, she insisted that we speak Chinese with her. First she really missed China a lot. Second, she wanted to remind us that we also have Chinese blood flowing through our veins. Since she couldn't return to China, she hoped that we could come to China on her behalf. So, everyone in my parents' generation spent some time in China at different times. My father, who was also a doctor, stayed in Shanghai for two years. My eldest uncle also lived in Shanghai for a year but he really couldn't adapt to the lifestyle there so he returned back earlier after a year. My youngest uncle stayed the longest. He was a journalist who reported extensively on how the Chinese people resisted against the Japanese during WWII. He didn't leave China until the United States declared war on Japan. Now it's my turn to be here. If it weren't for the ongoing war in your country, some of my siblings would probably have visited China as well."
Shen Hui was intrigued by John's family history but she was still puzzled about why he had stayed in China during such a turbulent time. So she asked him directly. John replied:
"That's good question. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. I think the main reason is that I have always been fascinated by your Chinese culture. When I was a child, I loved listening to my grandmother's stories about Chinese traditions, customs and ancient history. Her father seemed to be a juren and everyone in her family was well-educated. Even girls were required to read books like 'Sishu', Confucius' texts, classical poetry and so on. I don't remember all their titles clearly but I was deeply influenced by these stories. Since Peking was once the capital and had an imperial palace, I decided to come here to explore and learn more about your culture. Even now, there is still so much I don't understand. That's probably why I have stayed here so long." At this point, he seemed to remember something so he added, "I know that Chinese people like using Chinese traditional medicine. Are you a doctor of Chinese medicine? Aunt Zhang mentioned you wrote your own prescription."
Shen Hui explained:
"My father is a Chinese medicine doctor. I learned a lot from him when I was a child. Later, when the Japanese invaded, some girls in my town were captured by the Japanese and never came back. So my parents didn't let me leave our house after that. Instead, my father had me study Chinese medicine, learn to identify herbs, memorize prescriptions and recite Tang and Song dynasty poetry until the WWII finally ended."
John leaned forward and asked urgently:
"Then could you teach me? I have always found that Chinese medicine is quite magical. All Chinese medicinal materials are from natural animals and plants but they can be boiled together into decoctions to cure diseases, or use techniques like acupuncture and cupping. Acupuncture, for instance, involves using just a needle to treat diseases. I still can't figure out what the theory behind it is. All of them are mysteries to me. I'd love to learn more. Since you know so much, could you explain it to me?"
Shen Hui smiled shyly and gave a small nod. Suddenly she thought of something and asked:
"Don't you have to go to work? Isn't it getting late?"
John replied:
"Oh, I'm off today and Aunt Zhang isn't coming. You still can't go out yet so let's order takeout for lunch today."
Shen Hui said:
"There is no need. I can cook, but I'll just need a little help from you. Could you go buy some vegetables, meat and other ingredients? Do you have rice at home?"
"I'm not sure. I never cook at home. Aunt Zhang usually prepares some food for me or I eat outside."
"Can I take a look in the kitchen?"
John made a gesture of inviting her to go ahead. Shen Hui stood up slowly and walked into the kitchen. After a while, she came back with her arm in a sling and said:
"We'll need some soju and eggs."
John interruped:
"Wait. It is better for you to write it down. I can't remember them."
He walked over to the desk, grabbed some paper and a pen, and handed them to her. She sat down and jotted down the list. After writing, she took out some money from the pocket of her pajamas and said:
"I have been staying here, eating and drinking these past few days. Please take these money for my living expenses."
John was aware that the money Shen Hui offered was part of what Mr. Lin had left behind for her. He was about to refuse, but seeing the determinded look on her face, he reluctantly accepted it and said:
"Okay, I'll hold onto it for now."
They shared a pleasent breakfast, chatting happily. After that, John went out to purchase the items Shen Hui had asked for, firmly insisting that she must rest in bed while he was gone. When he returned with the groceries, Shen Hui was utterly embarrassed. Along with the vegetables, he had also brought back two sets of clothes, including underwear. Holding up the packages, John said:
"You'll need time to heal and I figured you'd need something clean to wear so I bought you two sets of clothes for changing. These are from a ready-made shop but I'm not sure if they fit you or not. When Aunt Zhang is here next time, let her help you try them on."
Shen Hui hesitated before saying:
"I'm planning to go back home soon, maybe in a day or two. I have already stayed here longer than I should."
John looked at her with concern and said:
"Of course. I understand you are enger to go home but your wound will need at least 20 days before the stitches can be removed. During this period, you'll need to change the bandage regularly and must keep the wound clean. If you leave now, I would have to keep coming over to your place frequently, so..."
Before he could finish, Shen Hui interrupted:
"Oh, no, I can find someone else to help me change the bandage or I can use some traditional Chinese medicine to treat the wound myself. I can't keep troubling you like this."
John frowned slightly:
"I don't know much about how your Chinese medicine works for wounds. But as I said, your wound doesn't have full healed yet and the stitches are still in. Are you sure Chinese medicine are safe at this stage?"
"Well..."
Shen Hui was speechless for a moment. As far as she knew, traditional Chinese medicine typically involved applying herbal poultices or remedies directly on the wound. However, since her wound had already been stitched, the only remaining treatment was to take herbal decoctions to ward off infection. However, she didn't know much about the western medical care so she spoke with a hint of unease in her voice:
"I just don't want to inconvenience you. You have even been sleeping on the sofa every night because of me. I feel so guilty. I also don't know what is going on with the students right now. I heard from Aunt Zhang that many students were killed or injured. The government needs to give us an explanation. I want to go back and hear what we all have decided. As for my wound, could you just tell me how to take care of it?"
John nodded thoughtfully:
"Oh, I heard about this. It seems that the government has already issued an apology to the students and is preparing compensation for those who were killed or injured. You can also claim some of it. But I still hope you will think about it again. After all, your health should be your top priority."
They didn't pursue the topic further. Instead, Shen Hui started preparing lunch and John, without hesitation, took on the role of her assistant. Whatever Shen Hui couldn't manage, he stepped in for her. Although he worked quite slowly, they soon had a delicious meal ready. John was pleasantly surprised by her cooking skills. Her food was completely different from what Aunt Zhang usually prepared. Although a bit lighter in flavor, it was incredibly delicious. He couldn't help but have an extra bowl of rice. Shen Hui, still with a small appetite, felt full after just half a bowl. Only after John's gentle encouragement did she manage to eat a few more bites. Together, they shared the meal with a sense of warmth and happiness.
In the following days, John would stop by to buy groceries after work and help Shen Hui prepare dinner. After dinner, they had endless topics to talk. She told him about Chinese medicine and Chinese ancient stories while John shared his knowledge of the Western medicine, American history and the Western culture. Gradually, their relationship began to change subtly. Regarding the question about whether she should go home, John finally said with a teasing smile:
"If you feel uncomfortable living here, you can cook for me. Your food is so delicious. I think I will miss it if you leave. Let's talk about this again after the stitches are removed."
Seeing the playful glint in his eyes and his clear enthusiasm for her cooking, Shen Hui laughed and nodded. John was quietly thrilled. He knew that he was beginning to develop the different feelings for this young girl. The first inkling had come when he changed her bandage for the second time. He had noticed Shen Hui blushing shyly as he exposed her shoulder. To him, this was a routine care but he knew that Chinese girls were often more reserved than their Western counterparts. Moreover, the unintentional touch of her soft skin left him with an inexplicable longing to touch her more, a desire he struggled to suppress. Though he sometimes scolded himself: how could he feel this ambiguous about a girl more than ten years younger than him?, he couldn't deny that their daily interactions brought him comfort.
For Shen Hui, though living at John's apartment was not very convenient and she felt guilty for troubling him, she couldn't deny the joy their time together brought her. She loved listening to John's stories about the foreign customs and cultural history. His explanations of the Western medicine were also simply and clear, giving her a new understanding of the Western medicine. She also cherished their after-dinner onversations, which made the small apartment feel warm and alive.
One evening, their conversation turned to marriage customs in China and the West, including the old Chinese practice of child marriage. John, half-jokingly, asked:
"Did your parents arrange a marriage for you before you were even born?"
Shen Hui chuckled softly:
"I don't have an arranged marriage but it was almost the same. I..."
Before she could finish, John interrupted, sounding more startled than he intended:
"What? You're engaged?"
Tilting her head, she smiled and replied:
"Yes, the reason that I came to Peking to study was to look for my fiance, my Brother Tao."
Then she told John the story about her family with You Tao. By the end, her voice tinged with disappointment, she added:
"I have been here for over a year but still don't have any news about him. Some people said they saw someone who matched the description, but it was not him. I only have a photo of him from when he was a child. He has been gone for six or seven years. I don't even know what he looks like anymore."