CROSSING OVERWhen Su Shuilian woke up from her stupor, the surrounding environment was not that of Spring 1923 Suzhou City’s Foreigner Hospital, but instead a lush and overgrown jungle.
A jungle? Su Shuilian’s blinked in confusion. She propped up her frail body and looked around in a daze, before returning her sight to her own body, “Huh?”. These clothes are not what she remembered wearing before losing consciousness. Could it be that while she was under the maidservants had changed her clothes? Then why are these clothes so extravagant? She had always requested for comfortable clothing instead of precious or luxurious garments. The two maidservants who had served her since youth knew this well. From inside to out, she always usually wore plain cotton or silk, instead of this seemingly gorgeous and expensive clothing that was uncomfortable and hot with no ventilation. This was definitely not something she owned herself.
She inadvertently swept her eyes past her two hands, causing her frown to deepen. These two similar looking hands was smaller than her own by a size, and they were covered in wounds, presumably due to thorns. However, these were definitely not her own original pair of slender white hands that excelled at embroidery.
She was definitely Su Shuilian, the “Embroidery House” five consecutive times number one seamstress and granddaughter of the Su Family Patriarch. It can’t be that it was all an illusion? For the past nineteen years, was it all a dream? Was her real body one of a weakly and useless woman incapable of even bearing a child? Wait no, it would be more correct to say that this is the body of a young girl. Basing on the body composition it would not be any older than even Shuiyan.
Thinking about her half younger sister Su Shuiyan, Shuilian cannot help but burst out a sigh. Who would have thought… really, who would have thought. Shuiyan has always behaved rationally towards everyone, she clearly respected aunty, her personality was lively, and she even had beautiful looks. However, due to jealousy of my sewing and wanting to get revenge, she and aunt had borrowed big brother’s name to fool me to the Patriarch Courtyard, stole the precious embroidered artwork “Along the River during Ching Ming Festival” that has taken me four moons to complete, and then even pushed me to the ground.
She shook her head lightly. It felt a tad heavy, but there was no other pain. Could it be that before when she was pushed onto the table corner, she has lost conciousness and right now she was currently in a hallucination?
Su Shuilian forced her weakly body to stand up, and was once again convinced that this small frail body was definitely not her own.
Her suspicious eyes did not dissipate as she picked up a branch besides her. She put her entire body weight onto it and shakily walked. Her bewildered mind slowly calmed down as she observed her surroundings.
Unfortunately, inside the bag was only a three piece underwear set made from golden silk, a once filled empty gourd, a refined looking dagger, a sandalwood comb, a palm sized bronze mirror, and a few pieces of silk-wrapped jewellery: a jade hairpin, a gold flower pin, a white jade bracelet decorated with twin phoenixes, as well as a heavy small pouch. Inside the pouch was five block of silver and several small coins.
Su Shuilian was once again confused: the jewellery, she wasn’t sure about, but isn’t the use of silver and gold coins as currency already outlawed? Years before, it’s true that silver casted coins was still in use, but since last year didn’t they switched to a full credit system? Why is there twelve ingots worth of silver and silver coins in this bag? These clothes also do not look like they belong to a mountain hermit. Regarding the mirror, it took until midday for the reflection to become clear enough to see. She could now see a face and a figure in the mirror, and it was not Su Shuilian. What’s more, over her head was a bun of rolled of up hair that flowed down past her shoulder with her smooth forehead out in display. Su Shuilian was convinced that this person was not her, or at least not the original Su Shuilian with swallow-tail bows and combed bangs hair.
Su Shuilian put down the bag and sat down on a thick tree stump depressedly, stretched out her two legs and painfully puzzled over her current situation. After thinking for awhile, she still couldn’t figure out any reason, and was reprimanded by her stomach: you are feeling weak and it is hungry.
She suddenly thought of something: could it be that this body had already died due to starvation, and after that it was possessed by her soul? Heavens! Isn’t this robbery? Is this the legendary “Taking advantage of the empty corpse to reincarnate” situation? Su Shuilian was stunned. If so, where’s the real Su Shuilian? Is she dead?
Shuilian wasn’t allowed to think much further when suddenly a beastly roar came from nearby, followed by the sound of a fierce struggle. She snapped out of her stupod and remembered that she was still inside a jungle, and there was a real chance wild animals killing and eating people. She needs to quickly go find a hideout.
She quickly picked up the bag and use all her strength to run in the opposite direction of the roar. However, after the life and death struggle sound ended, the surrounding area resumed its normal silence.
Su Shuilian stood still in place and listen intently. After determining that there was no sudden angry growl, she headed directly back to the place where the sound had came from. She hoped that she had imagined it all. Su Shuilian gripped the branch in her hand and the bag tightly, her heart beating wildly. If she guessed wrong, she will lose even this borrowed life
Looking at the b.l.o.o.d.y scene in front of her, Su Shuilian forced back her urge to throw up. Propping her falling body, her pale lips curved, revealing the happiness inside her heart. That’s right, now she could continue to survive.
However at glance, it won’t be that easy.
A large white tiger the size of four people and two big wolves.
She shakily approached the three beast figures who had fought each other to death. She took out the impractical dagger, but did know where to begin.
Skinning, cutting the meat and then barbequing them. These are the things she have read about in her spare time but never thought should be doing it herself one day.
Being the direct descendant of the Su Family as well the five times chief seamstress of the “Embroidery House”, her day to day life was nothing less than exquisite. Furthermore, Su Family was famous in Suzhou City, and she did not need to use her own hands to do the ch.o.r.es. Her hands was dedicated to sewing.
But right now, she could no longer sit idle by and wait for food to be fed to her. Only her can save herself in this place. Even though this body was not Su Shuilian, this soul was. From now on, it is Su Shuilian, and Su Shuilian was it.
Thinking for a while, the sun has begun to set. Su Shuilian still did not dared to get closer to the three corpses. She tightens her fist, breathe in deeply and decided to begin the training exercise. That’s right, training. Using the excuse of training herself, she did not believe that she would not be able to surpa.s.s her inner fear and anxiety.
Just as she was about to step forward, strange “shroosh shroosh” sound came from behind her. Suddenly, there appeared two small puppies. Watching as they took turns licking the two big dead wolf corpses on the ground, Su Shuilian realised that these two puppies were wolf pups. They have ventured out to search for their parents.
Su Shuilian eyes became misty and felt guilty for wanting to skin and eat these two wolves just before. Coming forward to pick up the two newly born puppies, she quietly whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll help you bury them.” The two pups did not try to avoid Su Shuilian even though she has gotten close to them. “Woof woof” was their reply. Looking at their moist, bright eyes, Su Shuilian felt that they were able to understand the meaning behind her words.
Putting the puppies gently down onto the gra.s.s, she held the dagger and dug a pit. It took half a day before she successfully made a small hole, and Su Shuilian grew ancious. It was getting dark, and she did not know when more ferocious beast would appear at night to hunt, and she was alone by herself along with two small wolves, where could she go?
She turned around and looked at the two clever little wolves who was patiently sitting behind her and smiled knowingly. Who would have thought she would meet these two little brats before running into humans.
The little wolves also looked at Su Shuilian’s eyes and saw that she was staring at them intently, they puzzledly barked “Woof woof” twice, then tumbled to her side and licked her. They then began to follow her example and tried to dig. Seeing their adorable action, she also stopped dwelling in her own thoughts and continued the unfinished business at hand. She continued to dig until the hole was big enough to bury both the large wolves.
…
“All done.” Su Shuilian left a small circle of rocks next to the large wolves’s graves so later on she and the puppies would be able to return and find this place again. Even though right now she was not sure she would be able to get out of this situation alive, and neither was she sure we would be able to return here, but it was always her habit to leave behind a mark on whatever she had made.
Kicking up some dust, she struggled to drag the body of the white tiger. She looks toward the two small pups, “Where do you live? Can you bring me there?”
The two small pups circled the grave several times before replying to her with several “woof woof”. They bit down on the white tiger’s legs and helped her drag the body, as well as indicate to her where they should go.
About fifty metres later, she followed the little wolves through the bushes, and in front of her appeared a two metre wide hole. Su Shuilian suddenly understood that it was the wolf cave, or else the little wolves would not be so familiar to it.
Leaving the white tiger at the front of the cave, she followed the pups inside.
Inside the cave, aside from strange scent, there was no real dirtiness. The ground was cus.h.i.+oned with foliage, and each of her steps produced sc.r.a.ping noises that echoed in the cave. The cave was not large, and it was also long and narrow. It was around ten metres before she reach the end of the cave. There lied a puddle.
Wait, no, this isn’t a puddle. This was a natural formation of stalact.i.tes. Along the long and sharp stalact.i.te was drips of stone milk. At the centre of the stalact.i.te lied a recessed area that contained a few scoops worth of a transparent green crystal like liquid.
What is this? Su Shuillian dipped a small finger in and tasted it. The flavour was delicious and refres.h.i.+ng, causing her mind to grow clear and her spirit to rise, losing all of its previous weariness and hunger.
What exactly could this be? It seems to have dripped down from above and stored up in here. Looking up, there was a slightly damp area that seemed out of the ordinary. However, for a drop to condense from there, how long would it take? Ah, no wonder this recess of crystal green liquid did not show any sign of overflowing. This must have been gathered in this reserve for a long time.
Su Shuilian thought back and forth for half a day. In the end, even when she used all her mind power she could not figure out what the green liquid was.