"Miss, here is your lunch. We have limited greens here, it was that gentleman who told me to spare no expense to find them."
The young servant was about eleven or twelve, and as soon as he set the meal down, he started scratching his ear, while making a "hissing" sound with his mouth.
"Your ear is red and swollen."
Chun Nuan couldn’t help but ask, "Have you seen a doctor?"
"Ah, a wretch like me, how could I afford a doctor," the young servant grinned, "As long as I don’t die, it’s fine."
Chun Nuan saw he was young and quick-witted, and couldn’t help but advise him.
"An ear ailment is still an ailment, it can be serious or trivial. If it worsens and you lose your hearing, it could affect you for life."
"Huh?"
The young servant was taken aback, clearly not expecting that redness, swelling, and itching could lead to deafness. Losing one’s hearing is indeed a serious matter.
"But I can’t afford medicine either," he scratched his head, "My parents died young, and an uncle from the neighborhood brought me here out of pity to do odd jobs and fill my belly. I eat alone, so the whole family isn’t hungry, but I don’t have money for medicine."
If it leads to deafness or death, well, there’s no helping it.
At such a young age, he had already accepted his fate.
"You live at the inn?"
"Yes, in the woodshed of the kitchen."
Chun Nuan... yes, when she thought walking was hard, some people had no legs and couldn’t walk at all.
"Do you have any ginger in the kitchen?"
"Ginger?" The young servant shook his head, indicating he didn’t know it.
Chun Nuan smiled wryly, this was the Northern Desert’s territory, and things liked by Southerners might be unknown here in the north.
Just as when they reached Shu City, they didn’t know there was a tender vegetable called pea tips.
In the Capital, most often consumed were large and small cabbages.
Unexpectedly, Shu City folks mostly ate pea tips; young sprouts were picked and eaten, and when spring blossomed, they bore peas that could be stir-fried, and by early summer, when the peas matured and hardened, they could be podded out for soaking, frying, or making soup.
But such vegetables were unseen in the Capital.
So it was understandable that the young servant didn’t recognize ginger.
Chun Nuan suddenly remembered she had brought ginger among her medicinal supplies.
"Come find me later, and I’ll blend some medicine for your ears to prevent it from getting worse."
"Are you a doctor, miss?" His eyes lit up, but then dimmed again, "I don’t have silver for you."
"No silver needed, the herbs are for my relatives in the Northern Desert and giving you some is no issue."
"Thank you, miss, thank you. There are still good people in this world."
Chun Nuan... this child had learned some skills while doing odd jobs at the inn, see how persuasive his little mouth is.
"Miss, where are your relatives?"
"In the stone quarry."
Chun Nuan replied with a wry smile.
"Oh, I understand, your relatives are exiled."
This child, still a child, doesn’t it hurt to speak such words aloud?
"Are you departing tomorrow?"
Chun Nuan... why inquire so thoroughly?
"I’ll talk to Uncle, and you can take me along tomorrow when you leave for the stone quarry. Several of my uncles work there, managing those exiled."
This time it was Chun Nuan whose eyes lit up.
Even if they don’t know her relatives, it’s alright; people always know one another, and acquaintances can look out for each other.
In places like this, connections might be more useful than wealth.
After all, wealth only fuels desires, while connections continuously branch out and grow.
"Miss, you help me with my ear, and I’ll get my uncles to look after your kin. I’m serious, trust me."
The young servant thought Chun Nuan’s silence meant disbelief.
"I trust you; I’m just thinking about how to treat your ear," Chun Nuan said, "Come over, let me take a look."
"No need, no need, you eat first. My ear won’t get better all at once, and your meal will get cold if you don’t eat."
"Xiao Hu."
Someone in the kitchen called for him.
"Coming, coming."
He replied hurriedly and then turned to Chun Nuan, "Miss, enjoy your meal, I’ll go busy myself."
"Alright."
So, his name was Xiao Hu.
Yellow, thin, and short, more like a little monkey.
An orphan, quite pitiful.
During Chun Nuan’s meal, she kept seeing Xiao Hu running around delivering meals to guests, clearing tables, all with great agility, and his mouth never stopped, always answering whatever the guests asked.
What a clever child.
Chun Nuan developed a strong fondness for him.
In the afternoon, Chun Nuan finally saw Xiao Hu taking a break.
"Is it always this busy?"
"Not always, only busy when there are guests, otherwise it’s leisurely," Xiao Hu replied, "But when it’s idle, I help Auntie in the kitchen with chores like picking vegetables and washing dishes."