Xiao Mei fought her drowsiness, waiting for Xiaojun until the sun nearly touched the horizon. She hoped to see him again, no matter his condition.
"Brother, where are you... If I had known you would disappear, I never would have let you go that night."
Regret was etched deeply on her face. Her hands trembled, and the dark circles under her eyes had grown heavier. Silent tears began to drip onto her lap.
The small puppy on her lap was fast asleep, even as the tears of loss began to soak its fur.
"I argued with you... told you that I didn't need a gift if we couldn't afford it, but you insisted on going out..."
"You said, 'I am your brother and your only kin. If I can't make you happy on your special day, what kind of brother am I? Remember, it's just the two of us now. Mother... Father... they left me with the responsibility to take care of you.' I could only stand there, speechless, thinking about your words."
"Is it truly necessary," she whispered to the wind, "to celebrate a birthday when you have nothing?"
Xiao Mei's contemplations were far too deep for a child her age. While others her age only thought of play, she and Xiaojun had to survive by any means necessary.
"I have to go find him..."
She forced herself to stay awake, but her body felt leaden and frail. As she tried to move, she stumbled and collapsed into the mud left by last night's rain. The light of the rising sun began to fade from her vision.
"Brother... I must... find you..."
Finally, Xiao Mei succumbed to the world of dreams, hoping that in that place, they could all be together again.
The puppy woke up as Xiao Mei's weight pressed it into the mud. After a frantic struggle, the tiny creature managed to wriggle free. It tried to wake her by licking her dirt-stained face, whimpering in hopes that she was still alive.
The puppy wanted to leave to find help but hesitated to leave her in such a state. She was skeletal, her cheeks sunken, her long hair matted with filth, and her clothes nothing but rags.
After a moment of uncertainty, the puppy steeled its resolve and bolted. It had only run a few dozen meters when it was intercepted by scavengers. They chased it, blocked its path, and even pelted it with stones. Yet, the small animal kept running, heading toward the city center in search of someone—anyone—who could help.
Eventually, the puppy spotted a traditional medicine shop. A wooden sign above the door read: 'Tong Ren Tang'. The shop was known to have a physician skilled in the healing arts.
The puppy burst into the shop, barking loudly to signal for help. However, instead of being helped, it only drew the ire of the assistant.
"Whose puppy is this?! How dare it barge in here barking like that! So disrespectful! And look, it's covered in mud!"
The assistant, Mei Dong, stepped out from behind the counter and grabbed a bunch of herbs with a pungent scent that animals loathed. He swung the herbs at the puppy.
The puppy felt a burning sensation in its sensitive nose. It yelped in pain, rolling on the floor and scratching at its snout until it almost bled.
"Take that! That's what you get for disturbing the Tong family's pharmacy!"
"Hey! Mei Dong, what are you doing?!" a loud voice bellowed. An old physician emerged from the back room. "Put those herbs away! You're nearly killing the poor thing!"
The Old Physician snatched the herbs from Mei Dong's hand and tossed them into a corner.
"Forgive me, Master. I just wanted to drive it out," Mei Dong said, bowing his head in shame.
"We'll deal with that later! Quickly, fetch me some Arid Land Maple Root!"
"A—ah, yes, Master!" Mei Dong scrambled to the cabinets, searching frantically through the drawers.
Meanwhile, the Old Physician pressed the puppy's vital points, applying acupuncture to prevent the toxin from the Golden Mountain Tulip stalks from spreading through its body.
"Here, Master! Take it!"
The Old Physician took the root, his face twisted in annoyance. "What is wrong with you?! Why are you giving me the whole root? How am I supposed to administer this to the little one?"
He shook his head at his clumsy assistant.
"Ah, my apologies! Let me grind it up and brew it with hot water immediately!"
Mei Dong ran back and forth, frantically preparing the decoction. "Here, sir, it's ready." He handed it over so haphazardly he nearly splashed the scalding liquid on the doctor.
"Are you trying to burn me too?!"
"I'm sorry—so sorry!"
"Enough!"
The Old Physician carefully poured the medicine into the puppy's mouth. Despite its initial resistance to the foul smell, the animal eventually swallowed it.
After taking the medicine, the puppy lay weak. But as soon as it regained a bit of strength, it nipped at the physician's robe, tugging him toward the door—toward Xiao Mei.
"Hey! You filthy dog, let go of the Master!" Mei Dong snapped.
But the Old Physician didn't look angry. Instead, he looked compassionate. As if he understood the language of animals, he picked up the puppy and hurried outside.
"Mei Dong, watch the shop! I have urgent business!" The doctor ran, his physician's hat nearly flying off his head.
"That old man... just leaving whenever he pleases!" Mei Dong grumbled.
The puppy guided the physician through the streets, past the harbor, and deep into the slums. The doctor paused briefly under the Yue Ming Bridge, horrified by a dark pool of blood on the ground.
"This... what happened here? Why is there such a thick pool of blood?"
'Judging by the volume, that's at least 500ml lost. An adult would faint; a child would be in critical condition,' the doctor calculated. Looking at the muddy surroundings, he was certain it was human blood.
As he looked around, he was confronted by Pak Ming, who was lurking nearby.
"Hey, old man, what are you doing here?"
"Ah, nothing. I was just surprised by this puddle. It looks like blood, but it's too thick," the doctor said, his voice trembling slightly under Pak Ming's intense gaze.
"It's nothing. Just old ship fuel. You'd better leave." Pak Ming's eyes were cold, a silent threat to get lost.
"Ah... right, right. I'll be going then."
"Good." Pak Ming turned and walked toward the city in search of food.
Once Pak Ming was out of sight, the doctor took a small sample of the liquid to test later. Then, he followed the puppy to Xiao Mei's camp.
The puppy had felt a foul aura from Pak Ming and whined at the doctor as if to warn him.
Within five minutes, they reached the camp. When the Old Physician saw Xiao Mei's condition, he recoiled in shock. He was terrified for her.
"How long has she been like this?! I must get her to the shop immediately!"
He expertly hoisted Xiao Mei onto his back. Her skin was burning with an extreme fever. "How can a child be this hot?!"
He ran as fast as his old legs could carry him, passing the bridge again. 'How could a child survive alone in a place like that? I have to hurry!'
He nearly slipped in the mud several times, but with the puppy's guidance, he maintained his balance. When they finally burst back into the shop, they were covered in grime.
"Mei Dong! Quickly! Fetch the herbal extracts, hot water, candles, and the acupuncture needles!"
Mei Dong was stunned to see his master carrying a dying child into the infirmary. "Ah—yes, Master! Right away!"
"Master, what is going on? Who is this girl?"
"Save the questions for later! Close the shop and light the candles!"
As the shop was locked, the Old Physician began heating the needles over a flame. He carefully inserted them into Xiao Mei's body as she lay on the cot.
"She has too much Yang energy. It's making her body temperature unstable. I must give her Eastern Star Mushroom to balance her Yin and Yang!"
He crushed the mushrooms and mixed them with Night Ghost Snake Oil. He rolled the mixture into a marble-sized pill and placed it in Xiao Mei's mouth.
Moments later, a cold, white frost-like vapor began to rise from Xiao Mei's body, forcibly cooling her fever.
"I hope this works," the doctor whispered.
The vapor cleared. Xiao Mei's complexion returned to a healthy hue; the dark circles faded, and her sunken cheeks filled out. Her temperature plummeted to normal.
"It worked!!"
The Old Physician was so relieved he picked up the puppy and grabbed Mei Dong's hands, dragging them into a joyful dance.
"Master, let go!" Mei Dong cried out, but the old man wouldn't stop.
Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Xiaojun woke up. His body was wrapped tightly in bandages.
He was delirious, caught in a dream where he was celebrating with his sister.
"Happy birthday, Xiao Mei! I hope you stay healthy always! Look, I brought you a gift!"
Xiaojun smiled widely, handing the gift to her. But in the dream, Xiao Mei remained silent, refusing to look at him.
"Xiao Mei? Are you okay? Look at me!"
He tried to get her attention, but she remained still. A chill ran down his spine. He reached out to tap her shoulder. Xiao Mei finally turned around—but as she did, her head fell off, hitting the ground. Blood gushed out, forming a foul-smelling pool.
"Xiao Mei?!"
Xiaojun screamed, his body going limp with nausea. His only sister... his only family...
"XIAO MEI!!"
Xiaojun bolted upright, waking from the nightmare. He sat frozen, trembling and gasping for air.
"Xiao Mei... I'm so sorry."