Foreigner Of Time [Book II]

46

A leisurely sound of qin could be heard.

Many willow trees had been planted outside the walls of the pear garden. 

Judging from the thickness of those tree trunks, they must have been there for decades.

The willow branches swayed gently with the wind. It was presently the season where willow pollen drifted about in the province. 

Seeing the sky full of dancing pollen, Alison let out a gasp of shock.

It was hard to keep willow trees alive in the dry province, so there were hardly any willow trees to be found in the city. But what kind of place was the Duke's estate?

As long as he liked it, so what if he moved it over from other provincial cities?

Before Alice could react to it, Alison had already pulled out a handkerchief and covered Jennie's face.

However, the handkerchief wasn't big enough to wrap up Jennie's head completely, hence Alison undid her bundle in a hurry and wrapped the bundle cloth on Jennie's head instead.

"Lady, are you alright?" Alison asked in concern.

Jennie shook her head, then she replied calmly, "I'm fine, let's go."

Both the servant girl from the duke's estate and Alice were puzzled.

Alice asked, "My Lady, what is this for?"

Alison said quickly, "Pollen, there's willow pollen!"

"What about willow pollen?"

"My lady can't touch this willow pollen ever since she was a child. If she gets a bit of it on her skin, her skin will turn red, and it'll even swell up when it's serious! She will break out in a rash!"

"How could that be?!" Alice gasped.

Alison helped Jennie towards the pear garden under the servant girl's lead as she replied quietly, "It's an illness the lady was born with. Physician Jill said that it's a heat condition. The lady had to go through so much in order to treat this heat condition. Who knows how much external and internal medicine was used, but none of them worked. Ultimately, Master Stark bought all of the willow trees in Winterfell. Master Stark either ordered people to chop it down or switch it with another tree, and then the ordeal finally came to an end."

Jennie walked silently on with her head wrapped up.

Her head was slightly lowered, and she could only see a small area.

Willow pollen drifted past her body from time to time. 

Keeping her hands in her sleeves, Jennie's memories suddenly surged to the surface. She recalled many things about her childhood.

At that time, her father would pick her up and scratch her cheek with his stubble. 

Ruby would always look worried whenever the season for willow catkin arrived, and she went to the 'incense offering hall' more frequently.

There was a year where her mother brought her up the mountain before the regularly scheduled visit to Black temple. 

She asked the three great masters to take a look at her, and all of them shook their heads.

After they returned, all of the willow trees in Winterfell disappeared. 

Willow pollen no longer flew about in the vast city.

Although there were a few willow trees in the back garden of the Stark, they were only left there for the sake of feng shui. 

They had also been treated with special medicine, so they would not form catkins again.