FRIVOLOUS SNOW

42|Skin and Bones

People almost couldn't recognize Cheng Xin when he stepped out of the manor and they were surprised to see him clean and wearing yellow robes. He looked decent and at a glance, he didn't look like a lunatic.

The same fruit vendor gave him an over riped, almost close to rotting, apple, and Zi Xin gladly received it. He was hungry that he could eat anything. He needs to go far away where no one could recognize him and then look for stores that buy items that have value. Zi Xin knew such stores exist since he had been into one before when his mother took him with her to take a look. It was in Dashan and Zi Xin was wishing there would be stores like that here in Shan Guo.

No one dared to start a conversation with Zi Xin or spare him a glace thinking he was a lunatic. They would become suspicious if he started talking normally so Zi Xin just stays quiet as he walked away, leaving the manor and the place Cheng Xin called home before.

A few hours of walking become days and when the dark comes, Zi Xin would knock on the villager's houses asking if he could stay in for the night. Only a few households took pity and let him stay either outside their house or in the stables but mostly, they would doubt him with all those news about demons lurking everywhere and heartlessly shoos him away.

Zi Xin also begs for food from stalls but mostly, vendors denied him and some even accused him of stealing. He could only eat a few crumbs in a day and he felt he grew thinner every day. He couldn't keep up like this. He was still far from Shan Guo's main city and he was already dying.

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Zi Xin choked unto something like he was drowning and water was forcing to get inside his throat. He woke up and coughed out a disgusting liquid that tastes like bitter dried leaves. His eyes were blurry with tears as he coughed his lungs out. The feeling was making him remember about that time he got drowned and he got hanged. It was awful.

"Father, he's awake!" Someone shouted making Zi Xin turned, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and saw a man not far from his age.

He was good looking and he was oozing with a cultivator aura. He squeezed his eyes shut feeling his vision turning and he was spinning.

"What happened?" Zi Xin weakly asked when the dizziness he felt slowly stopped and tried to sit up but failed.

His body was too weak to move yet. Not even enough to exert a small force. He could only move slowly.

Zi Xin watched the man stood up with a bowl of the disgusting medicine Zi Xin was choking in his sleep. The place smelt funny smell, mixed with mint, spicy and bitter which was common scents of herbs.

"Father almost ran into you in the road where you were leisurely sleeping." The man said and Zi Xin frowned.

"You call that leisurely when you're sleeping in the middle of the road under the scorching heat of the sun?" He used all his remaining energy to said that mouthful sentence.

The man glanced at him as he placed the bowl on the tray. His face was cold. "It was sarcasm." He said and then walked out of the room calling his father.

Zi Xin wanted to hit his forehead with his palm thinking how rude it was for him to talk like that to the one who saved him.

A man in his forties suddenly went inside the room and Zi Xin guessed it was the one who really saved him.

"Don't try to sit up." The man said when Zi Xin tried to sit up again.

"Thank you, uncle." Zi Xin said, his voice hoarse and the man smiled.

"This uncle is called Min Zhe and my son is called Min Jianhua." Min Zhe introduced then he looked at Zi Xin.

"Zi—I mean, Cheng Xin." Zi Xin sighed and Min Zhe nodded.

"There must be a reason why this uncle found you on the road." Min Zhe said as he helped Zi Xin sat up slowly.

Zi Xin never felt that weak before that he felt like his whole body was getting numb. He had to use so much energy just to summon his voice.

"Dashan." He muttered.

"You're going to Dashan?"

Zi Xin moved his head slightly nodding. He was too drained to even move an inch.

"Well, you need time to rest before regaining back you're strength and eat. You're all skin and bones." Min Zhe said and lifted a bowl to Zi Xin's lips.

Zi Xin didn't protest anymore even smelling the strong odor of the liquid inside. Zi Xin fought not to throw out the liquid and swallowed it immediately but he still gagged from the taste.

"Now, rest." Min Zhe said before going out of the room.

Zi Xin was screaming for water to wash the bitter taste of the medicine and he was still sitting, he couldn't move his body to lay back and his back was starting to ache.

Zi Xin felt distressed of his condition just when Min Jianhua entered the room with another bowl of he didn't know what. Zi Xin seriously wanted to cry. How many bowls does he have to drink before they leave him alone with his pathetic little life?

"Water." Min Jinghua said and Zi Xin's eyes lighted up immediately, throwing all his thoughts of self-pity.

Min Jianhua helped him drank the water slowly to avoid spilling. Jianhua also helped him laid back down on the bed and wiped the side of his lips.

"You're lucky a physician found you in the road." Jianhua said.

Physician or not, Zi Xin felt glad someone saved him.

Min Jianhua stared at the sleeping stranger laying in his bed. There was nowhere to let the man lay, not in his father's bed so he let the stranger took over his bed. His father brought the man a day ago, unconscious. Min Zhe said the stranger passed out of fatigue, hunger, and dehydration. He was wearing yellow robes when he arrives which was kind of weird for a man to wear and Min Zhe made him change the dirty robes of the stranger and he was surprised to find the man so skinny inside the robes.

He had never seen such a frail body before he thought the man would take in his last breath after a few days but guess he was wrong.

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