Chapter 7: Magical Artifacts

“Do you want to know how to take care of me while I recover?”
“Yeah.”
沈青越 looked at him with a mix of silence and amusement, half-joking, “I don’t have money to take care of you.”
“No need, I have some.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
沈青越 was skeptical. “Did you spend all the money you took this morning?”
姜竹 shook his head.
“Let me see it.”
姜竹 brought over the basket; the string of coins he took in the morning was about half left.
The string looked clearer now.
It really was a series of segments, joined at different times.
No one knew how long it took to save up enough to tie such a long string.
沈青越 studied it in silence for a while. “How many days of medicine did you get?”
“Five days.”
“Five days... my illness can’t be cured, I’ll need medicine for life. Do you have enough money?”
“Yeah, I do.” 姜竹 pointed to the larger packet of medicine, “This is for your leg injury. If you catch the illness one more time, you won’t need it again. This small packet is for your actual illness.” He added, “It’s not too expensive. This packet costs sixty coins and the doctor said you don’t need to take it every day. This packet lasts about a month.”
沈青越: “...”
That’s because the aged tangerine peel isn’t that old!
How expensive can average tangerine peel, chrysanthemum, and jasmine flowers be?
“Here, let me do the math.”沈青越 got interested and started calculating aloud, “If I take medicine that costs sixty coins a month, that’s over seven hundred coins a year, over seven thousand coins in ten years. Besides medicine, I need to eat, eat meat, eat fruit, wear clothes, buy things. We’re strangers, and you want to help me?”
姜竹 paused, not thinking of ten years but rather that sixty coins a month was still affordable for him.
Besides, he wasn’t ungrateful. That short dagger沈青越 gave him was worth at least ten taels of silver, enough to pay for ten years of medicine.
As for food, meat, fruit, and clothes, he needed to eat and wear too, and沈青越 didn’t seem particularly picky or demanding luxurious food or silk clothing.
He thought secretly to himself that沈青越 was far easier to keep than the little white dog at Mr. Wang’s place, which was picky, often sick, and cost a lot in meat and veterinary bills each month.
No pet is free to keep, and沈青越 was more economical, prettier, interesting, could talk, and only cost sixty coins a month for medicine — what a bargain!
Having figured that out,姜竹 nodded cheerfully, “As long as you don’t leave, I’ll help.”
沈青越: “...”
He always felt this kid looked at him strangely, as if seeing something beyond him.
姜竹, noticing沈青越’s silence, asked eagerly, “So you’re not leaving?”
“...”
沈青越 was silent.
He really didn’t know.
To catch a half-grown kid to feed, house, and medicate was indeed quite inconsiderate.
After all, he had lived like this for over twenty years, and even his own father looked down on him.
But he didn’t know what the outside world was like, and if he would ever meet another pure, kind-hearted, simpleton like姜竹, a family of just one person, ever again?
Though there are many good people and many fools in the world,
someone both good and foolish wasn’t easy to find.
If he left here, how would he make a living?

He only knew painting. His specialty was book design, which probably wouldn’t be useful here. His skill at illustration might have no place either. He only had a pitiful amount of portable art supplies, which he couldn’t replenish once used up.
He didn’t know if this world even accepted sketches, pencil drawings, or watercolors.
He had learned a bit of traditional Chinese painting, but that was just a hobby, not professional level. Compared to real artists, he was no match, and he was penniless, probably couldn’t even afford paper, ink, brushes, and inkstone.
Sell his belongings to start capital?
His most valuable electronic devices were useless without power, not even clear enough to be mirrors, and even if they were strange enough, who would pay good money for them?
Sell his thermos as a glass cup?
It was possible, but as a stranger carrying rare things and money, would he attract unwanted attention?
With his delicate appearance, not just here, even at home he looked like easy prey.
He was still a sickly person.
Was he really going to survive by living off others’ goodwill, having a half-grown kid keep him?
姜竹’s casual question made沈青越 frustrated.
The more he thought, the more depressed and vulnerable he felt.
He really was useless.
姜竹 waited a long time, but沈青越 didn’t respond, growing a bit discouraged.
Life on the mountain was so harsh, far from the village, even farther from the county town, not much to do, inconvenient to see a doctor, even planting crops and vegetables didn’t grow as well as down the mountain. A rich young master like沈青越 surely wouldn’t want to stay.
Once his leg healed, he would definitely leave.
姜竹 felt downhearted. People and dogs aren’t the same; people can leave.
“I—I’m going to cook now. I bought meat to make shredded pork noodles.”
“Wait.”
“Hm?”
“Give me my bag, it’s in your wardrobe.”
姜竹 went to the wardrobe and brought沈青越’s backpack to the bed.
沈青越 unzipped it, rummaging inside, then pulled out a solar camping lamp and handed it to him. “This is for you.”
“For me?”姜竹 was puzzled.
“Yeah.”沈青越 gestured it toward him again.
Clothes, sleeping bag, and such he needed for himself, couldn’t give away.
Phone and tablet were useless without internet or power; giving them to姜竹 wouldn’t help much.
Raincoat, hat, sunglasses, snacks could be given, but weren’t really practical for姜竹. Among all electronic devices, the cheapest lamp was the most valuable and useful right now.
Fortunately, it was a solar lamp.
沈青越 pointed to the button on it, “Press here.”
姜竹 gently pressed it; the lamp suddenly lit up, startling him so much he instinctively threw it away.
“Ha ha ha!”沈青越 was ready, caught it, pressing it repeatedly, “Press here to turn it on, press again to change brightness. See?”
姜竹 looked at him in awe.
“Here, it’s brighter than your oil lamp.”
姜竹 shook his head, hesitant to take it.
“What’s wrong? Don’t like it? It’s really bright. You’ll see at night. What’s the matter?”
姜竹 asked, “Is it hot?”
“Hot?”沈青越 was momentarily confused, then laughed heartily, “Ha ha ha, no, it’s cold light, not hot. Touch it.”
He shoved it into姜竹’s arms and babbled, “It’s expensive.”
姜竹 dared not refuse. When the lamp touched his arm, it really wasn’t hot. He curiously touched it again—indeed, cool to the touch!
“Fun, right?”
姜竹 held the lamp nervously, “Is this your magical tool?”
“...”沈青越 was silent for two seconds, then calmly said, “Yeah. Brighter than an oil lamp, no oil needed. Just take it out to soak up the sun during the day. No risk of fire. Rain or shine, wind or snow, it works. How’s that for your accommodation fee?”
“Accommodation fee?”
“Yeah. I’m not staying for free. While I recover, this is for you. Later...” If he couldn’t earn money, “I’ll give you something else.”
沈青越 had little confidence in his ability to make money. “Of course, you can refuse, but only after my leg heals.”
?????
姜竹 didn’t expect this twist. He quickly put the lamp down, “No, no, no, you don’t need to give me anything else. You stay as long as you want. Your short dagger is valuable, and...”
“Hm?”
姜竹 said seriously, “You’re a celestial being. Helping you will bring good fortune.”
“...”
沈青越 stiffened, embarrassed, then regained composure.
He smiled at姜竹, nodded, and fanned himself with a fan. “Yeah, right, it will bring good fortune. If you’re hungry, go cook!”
“Okay!”姜竹 hurried to the kitchen.
After he disappeared,沈青越 peeked toward the kitchen, wondering if the kid was doing it on purpose.
At dinner time,沈青越’s “magical tool” came into play.
姜竹 watched the overly bright lamp for a moment, then shyly asked if he could borrow it.
沈青越: “Sure, I said it’s yours, it’s for you. We’re both using it, no need to feel shy.”
姜竹 respectfully placed the “magical tool” on the altar table, illuminating the noodles, offerings, and incense clearly. His expensive candles looked dull by comparison.
This was much brighter than oil lamps or candles!
The bright light made up for姜竹’s regret of being too busy in the morning to offer under good lighting.
After finishing offerings to the mountain god,姜竹 happily carried the “magical tool,” a plate of snacks, and two steaming bowls of noodles to沈青越’s bed.
He didn’t eat alone today and came to share noodles with沈青越.
He even brought a slightly bigger stool to serve as a table.
沈青越 was finally free from eating coarse porridge and pickles, happily showing off a small half bowl of noodles without even looking up. Not so hungry now, he watched姜竹 eat and laughed.
姜竹 sat opposite him, taking a bite, glancing at the lamp, poking it occasionally, shifting it around, but didn’t dare press the button to change the light.
沈青越: “Why do you keep staring at it? Isn’t it glaring?”
“Glaring, too bright.”
“Then put it farther away.”
“Oh!”
姜竹 put down his chopsticks, held the lamp, and looked for a place to put it. He placed it on a small table next to the bamboo couch, so he could still see it while eating.
沈青越 stifled a laugh, “Make a stand for it, hang it higher, make a cover. Can you do that? I’ll draw it for you.”
He put down his chopsticks, took out his sketchbook, and drew a simple lamp stand and lampshade. “Or you can hang a little cage from the ceiling and put it inside.”
姜竹 leaned over to look, admiring沈青越’s drawing. It was so well done, as if the stand was right in front of him.
沈青越: “Can you make it?”
姜竹 nodded, “I can.”