Just as she thought that they’d never reach the end of the tunnel, Lu Xinyi found herself in a deep underground cavern. It was the largest one she’d seen inside the cave. Could it be the tiger cub brought her into the heart of the Fox’s Den?
Unexpectedly, there wasn’t much to be seen inside. Those treasure hunters would be disappointed to know that there were no jewels or gold ornaments that could be found here. What Lu Xinyi saw was thick white fur draped on one side of the cave floor. If she wasn’t in a cave, you would think that it was a set as some sort of bed for someone.
Several meters from it, a huge circle could be found on the ground. Remnants of burnt wood and charcoal were left as evidence. There were bundles of dried twigs nearby. It was like the cave itself was inhabited and wasn’t deserted at all.
Near the pile of white furs, earthenware vessels lined on the side. Each has a wooden cover with a huge rock on top of it. An old wooden chest was also placed beside the makes.h.i.+ft bed.
Xiao Bai went to the right side of the bed, circling twice before laying down. He continued to nap while Lu Xinyi wondered why he brought her here than showing her the exit.
She mentioned that she wanted to go home; did this mean this was the cub’s home?
Lu Xinyi looked around. There was no trace of other humans or animals within. The walls were dry, unlike the damp, cold walls she’d seen outside. The air inside was surprisingly warmer and was able to stop her trembling, the woman appreciating the welcoming warmth of the place.
“Xiao Bai, what is this place?” she whispered.
The white tiger cub only opened one eye and regarded her for a few seconds before resuming his beauty sleep.
Lu Xinyi bit the inside of her cheek. She knew better than to ask help from a wild animal. She decided to leave Xiao Bai to his own devices and do whatever she could to survive. She started with making a small campfire to warm up the cavern more before proceeding to check the contents of the wooden chest.
If she was lucky, she could find clothing she could use temporarily. Indeed, she was right; but what she’d seen inside the chest was beyond her expectations. There were two outfits kept inside. One was a hanfu, the other was a qipao; both were made from silk. There was also a pair of white flat shoes to complement both attires.
As to how the h.e.l.l both outfits ended up inside the cave, Lu Xinyi couldn’t fathom. Both were white in color with red linings on it. The hanfu’s sleeve was decorated with plum blossoms that started from the collar to the shoulders, then down the sleeves. Its floor-length skirt was also pure white.
Lu Xinyi didn’t think she could use this clothing at this time. She placed back the hanfu inside the chest and picked up the qipao. It wasn’t as flashy as the hanfu, but it was elegant in its own way. The only issue she could think of was if it fits.
She knelt on the ground, wondering if she should take this from here. What if the owner came back and found it missing? She wasn’t planning to take something she didn’t own.
Lu Xinyi sighed and rubbed her temples. Her muscles were still aching, and she felt a little dizzy since she’d woken up. Her eyes then caught a glimpse of a paper at the bottom of the chest, half of it covered by the hanfu’s skirt.
Picking up the notes, Lu Xinyi could barely read the faded characters written on it. Based on the handwriting, she could only a.s.sume that it was written by a man.
‘If you reached the heart of the cave, everything is yours.’
There was no name signed on it except a date written at the right bottom of the note. Lu Xinyi’s eyes widened. It was dated exactly thirty years ago. So this place was once inhabited by a human? The writing was from a male, then why was the clothing for a female? She couldn’t understand it at all!
Everything was hers? Lu Xinyi tilted her head on the right and cupped her chin. Her eyes swept at the remaining items inside the cavern. She was curious to see what was inside the clay jars across her.
‘That could wait! I should change my clothes first!’
Lu Xinyi went out of the cavern and followed the path both she and Xiao Bai had taken earlier. She remembered seeing a small pond on their way and decided to clean herself before changing. Once she came back to the cavern, Xiao Bai was still where she left him.
Looking down at her clothes, she thought that this qipao had a looser cut than the qipao of today, with long, wider sleeves compared to the modern qipao most women donned which was body-hugging with some daring designs featuring side slits that reached up to the thigh.
Lu Xinyi liked it since it didn’t limit her movements, and she felt comfortable. It fitted her like a glove. It was like the clothing was made for her. The one she was wearing was white, designed with red plum blossoms that reached past her knees.
Those slender, tight-fitting, and high-cut qipaos might look gorgeous, accentuating the figures of women; and as such was a popular dress for high society. However, Lu Xinyi didn’t like its restrictive nature so a Qipao like this suited her taste. Even the pair of shoes that came with it was her size.
Lu Xinyi added more wood on the campfire before settling down beside Xiao Bai who was still sleeping. She rummaged through her bag for food but found nothing aside from her almost empty first aid kit and her spices. Her reusable food containers were empty. Most items and food she found earlier were given to the Su family, and the others were already consumed by her and Li Yuren.
Her stomach growled in despair. She’d already lost track of time and didn’t know where she was. Her attention went back to the clay jars waiting for her. Each clay pot was as high as her knees. Removing a huge rock on the first jar took most of her strength. It fell on the ground with a loud thud. Thankfully, Lu Xinyi stepped back on time, or else her foot would be dead meat.
A distinct and strong pungent scent of fermented vegetables permeated the air. Lu Xinyi’s nose twitched as it reached her nose. She hadn’t thought someone would keep fermented and preserved vegetables in a place like this.
Once she removed the wooden cover, a layer of leaves was revealed; but the scent became stronger. Lu Xinyi carefully removed the leaves and was surprised to see pitch-black flesh inside the jar. If one wasn’t familiar, this one would think that it was kind of rotten meat kept in an earthenware vessel. However, Lu Xinyi knew better.
This jar was filled with preserved radish.
‘Radish?’ She quirked a brow. She clearly remembered she’d seen the people from Weeping Willow Village harvesting tons of huge radishes when she first arrived. The neighboring villages were situated between plains and mountains where the soil was suitable to grow radish. It made perfect sense why someone would ferment it.
The villages didn’t have the appropriate equipment to store their food. The local still uses the traditional approach to preserve their food to save it from spoilage. Preserving foods had been a tradition and in practice within the country for thousands of years. The older the fermentation, the bolder the taste it would yield.
The letter was dated thirty years ago; did it mean that this jar filled with preserved radish was also three decades old?
Since there was a huge public demand for different kinds of preserved vegetables, most of them were ma.s.s-produced. Unlike the traditional method, it was less in salt and had a distinct mild sweet flavor.
Lu Xinyi took her refilled water bottle and washed her hands thoroughly before taking out a piece of fermented vegetable from the jar. Because of its long oxidation and fermentation, the original white flesh of the radish turned black. Its appearance was dried and wrinkled in time.
It was a little crispy on the outside, but once she pulled two ends far from each other, the inner part was soft and tender. She placed a small piece on her mouth and was suddenly washed away by the powerful but delicate flavor that invaded her senses.
This preserved radish was saltier than what she had back on the city. Even its soft, velvety feel on her mouth contradicted the crispiness of the ma.s.s-produced ones.
She could already imagine what it would taste like if she added it to her favorite fried pork ribs. It would surely enhance and elevate the flavor of the dishes. Also, this one could be paired with plain congee. There were many varieties of dishes it would compliment.
“Fried Pork Ribs… Fried Pork Ribs…” Lu Xinyi mumbled to herself with her eyes closed.
Xiao Bai woke up and found her sitting beside a jar talking about food. His movement took the woman’s attention. Lu Xinyi mentally scolded herself by thinking about food at this time. However, who could blame her? She hadn’t had a decent meal for hours, and who knew when she could get out of this cave? Also known as Cheongsam. The main difference between the two words is their linguistic origin. Cheongsam is the English version of the Cantonese cheuhngsaam (which means long dress). The Cantonese cheuhngsaam is used in the southern part of China while the qipao is used in the northern part of the country. Eventually, the Cantonese cheuhngsaam came to Shanghai and evolved into the English cheongsam.