Cherishing You As Always - Chapter 22

It was nighttime again. After dinner, Zihui accompanied me to the study hall to light the lamps and write Dizigui (Standards for Being a Good Student and Child). I had forgotten to do it in the afternoon and only remembered when I saw Master Zhou during dinner. The look he gave me reminded me I hadn’t done my homework yet.

I wrote for nearly an hour and a half before I finally put down my brush, panting. “Writing really is an exhausting task,” I said, out of breath.

Zihui had her shoulder resting on the table, half-asleep with the lid of the inkstone still in her hand. The wind passing through the study hall flickered the candlelight onto Zihui’s face. Her closed eyes cast shadows under the lamp. I slid the Dizigui under my books and got up to walk around to her side, gently patting her. “Zihui, don’t fall asleep here. Go back to your room if you want to sleep.”

I gave her a push, but she still didn’t wake up and slumped over onto the desk. I couldn’t help but laugh. Poor thing. She had gone down the mountain to shop today, then carried everything back up. She must be exhausted. Yet she insisted on coming with me to write, saying she had to supervise me. Well, now she’s the one who fell asleep on the job.

Since she wouldn’t wake, I had no choice but to carry her on my back. I couldn’t just leave her here to catch cold. It gets really chilly in the mountains at night. I’d feel guilty if I left her here. Since she wouldn’t wake, I might as well carry her back. It wasn’t that far anyway.

To my surprise, she wasn’t heavy at all. Carrying her was a bit tiring, but still manageable.

As I walked across the empty courtyard of the study hall, everything was quiet. The arms around my neck tightened slightly. I could feel her body heat through my thin clothes. I said knowingly, “Zihui, how long are you planning to keep pretending to sleep? Come on, I’m getting tired. Can you walk on your own now?”

I had known she was pretending ever since we left the study hall. I even heard her laugh softly. But she had had a long, tiring day, so carrying her a bit wasn’t a big deal. She tugged at my ear before finally jumping off my back. “I thought you’d leave me in the study hall and go back alone.”

She grabbed my hand, laughing playfully. I rolled my eyes at her. “I’d like to. But I’m afraid you’d storm into my room in the middle of the night and disturb my dreams. Thinking about it, it’s not worth it. So I figured I’d carry you back.”

Just as I said that, she suddenly jumped on my back again, making me stagger a little. She laughed and said, “Then carry me back. You said you would, and you should keep your promise.”

I quickly begged for mercy. “Dear sister, please let me go. I really have no strength left.”

For some reason, that sentence suddenly made Zihui go quiet. She jumped off my back without a word. I found it strange how suddenly she changed. I quickly grabbed her hand and asked softly, “Are you upset? Don’t be mad. I’ll rest up tomorrow and carry you back again. Writing today really wore me out.”

She pulled her hand away and sighed. “No, I just thought of something else. Let’s go back. I don’t need you to carry me.”

She gave a strange little smile and urged me to walk ahead. I was indeed tired, so I picked up the pace.

I thought I heard her say something behind me, but I didn’t catch it clearly. Sometimes, not hearing certain things might actually be a good thing.

I walked Zihui to her door, then immediately turned to head back to my own room. By now, that person should have returned.

I had promised to return later than her, so now should be just the right time.

As I stepped into the corridor, the dappled shadows of the trees gave me an uneasy feeling. Sometimes I think the girls’ dorms have a flaw. Though the corridor makes it look nice, each courtyard is isolated.

In other words, each garden is occupied by just one person. What if a man sneaks in during the night? There are so few girls out and about after dark, and once someone enters a courtyard, even if they make noise, the high walls would block the sound. Were these dorms built for secret lovers to meet? That can’t be it… What a ridiculous thought.

It seemed like it might rain again. I could hear the occasional rumble of thunder and flashes of lightning above. When I reached the gate of the courtyard, I tried pushing it, but it didn’t budge.

I stood there in surprise. “It’s so late, and she’s not back yet? Where has she gone now?”

If it starts raining and she doesn’t come back, I’ll be stuck out here in the rain!

I leaned against the door and waited for a while, and finally saw her hurrying toward me with a book in her arms. I crossed my arms and put on an annoyed expression, ready to hear her excuse.

“Well, my lady, do you know what time it is? Are you planning to make me wait outside like this every night?”

She was slightly out of breath, clearly having run over. She nodded toward me apologetically. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I had something to do.”

She opened the door, and I followed her in. At least I kept my promise to return after her.

I walked behind her and said grumpily, “What are you so busy with, coming back this late? Do I have to wait outside like this every night for a month?”

There was only one key to the lock on the door. Since she was the one who lived here, of course she had it. But making me wait like this every day was too much.

Seeing that I seemed a little angry, she finally apologized with a guilty tone. “I’m sorry. I help out in the dining hall, so I stay late. I know you don’t like waiting, but I’m really not used to having someone else in my room. Please bear with it for this one month. I’ll try to get used to having someone else here.”

She helps in the dining hall? Oh right, how could I forget? She was the one serving food today too. But as a student, why was she doing that kind of work?

I asked her, confused, “Are you here to study or to work like a servant?”

She set her books on the table. The dim yellow lamp cast a warm glow on our young faces. I looked at her delicate features, waiting for an answer.

“I’m not from a wealthy family,” she said. “Just enrolling in the academy already cost a lot. I really wanted to study here, but I didn’t have money, so I have to work in the dining hall in my spare time.”

She was being honest, and I finally understood why she always came back so late. But still, the academy was being too harsh. It’s just money. Why make a girl work so hard for a little bit of silver?

I sat down in a chair and asked again, “What about the academy master? Didn’t they help you at all? Like waiving your tuition or giving you a stipend?”