How To Polish A Pearl

Chapter 39 - Planting

A few hundred meters away, Zhou Xu touches down, as nimble as a feline, at the bottom of the steps to Hua Men. Even though the days have been long and tiring the past week, a soft smile is curving his lips, giving his eyes a subtle glow. He is totally oblivious to the fact that he is the male lead starring in a soul changing dream that is taking place in the hot spring up in Jianchan.

Removing the bags that have been resting snug against his back as they made their way back home, he motions for the guards to follow him to the newly constructed shelter. Calling it a shelter might be generous, since he had just used one of the large new rifts the earthquake had torn up the mountain side.

Within the crack they had constructed a few platforms, like large steps moving upward and inward. Zhou Xu hadn't considered this a priority in comparison to the earthquake repairs, but he had still requested three ghosts for the construction which had taken two days. It didn't need to be perfect, it just needed to be sheltered from the sun and this fit the purpose.

The shelter has been prepared for days, just waiting to inhabit these plats. Large brown clay pots have been lined up along the inner perimeter against the granite walls. The maids and servants had worked together during those two days to get this ready under Zhou Xu strict instruction as well as early morning and late evening inspections.

Each pot had been filled, starting with larger stones at the bottom, then covered with gravel and then the soil filling the upper two thirds. They had only been permitted to take the soil from the riverbank at the bottom of the valley near where it usually flooded every spring. In addition, they had to mix the soil with the manure from some of the farm animals. They had to send ghosts to the close by farms to buy some, complaining all the way back about their misfortune on having been chosen for this task.

Taking advantage of the sole hour of daylight that he estimates is still left on the sky, Zhou Xu orders the guards to put one bag next to each of the pots. The fifteen bags that are left, he instructs are to be put just inside the main door. Thereafter he dismiss them with a wave to go on with their normal duty of just guarding him.

Seeing a few of the maids curiously peering at their Nu Zhuren from the door, he waves them over figuring that their delicate female hands would be perfect for planting as well. The girls giggle as the make their way up the large platform steps to where he is waiting. If he notices the way they stare at him with adoration, he doesn't give it away.

Slowly, he explains how to make a hole in the soil with their hands starting at the center and working their way outward. How to take care not to make the hole too deep so that they reach the gravel. Opening the first bag, he takes the plant out and unwraps the still wet cloth around the roots. His slender fingers carefully loosens any of the roots that are sticking together or has tangled during the journey. Gently he places the plant in the hole, guiding the roots down first, to then cover them with the soil. His no longer white hands, slightly pressing down around the plant, not too hard or compact, but not too loose so that the plant can fall over if the wind should grab hold of it.

Working efficiently, they carefully plant each and every one of the inflorescences in the pots, finishing with a few minutes to spare before the sun sets behind the peak. Smiling towards the maids, he thanks them for their help and moves towards Hua Men, looking forward to his bath.

"Nu Zhuren?" One of the maids, he thinks her name is Daiyu (1), she is the one that usually combs his hair every morning, steps forward with a shy smile on her face. "Do you want me to bring you some steamed buns and wine?"

"Yes, but let me have my bath first. Bring it in one hour, that should be fine." Turning around to walk towards the stairs he doesn't see the blush spreading across her face and down the sides of her long neck as the others tease her by poking at her waist.

He walks slowly up the stairs, not really dragging his feet but not really skipping either. Stopping at the top to turn and look at the sunset that is radiating in bright velvety orange and pink across the valley, the color bursts reflecting on the lighter parts of the mountain peaks. This far up the mountain, the air is fresher than he is used to and maybe it is the difference in angle, but the sunset seemed crisper somehow.

He had done this almost every night for the past week, whether it was on the way back home from searching whatever section of the Ghost Valley he had been to during the day or if he had made it back to stand on the porch like this. Having combed through little over half of the valley, he missed his home and the way the blossoming trees surrounding the manor looked during the sunrise. Back home he had always preferred the quiet promise of the sunrise. Another day of endless possibilities, and of course, lots of training.

He knew he had left the manor after his Shifu suddenly had died, but then what? The headache explodes like he has been hit by a sledgehammer and he quickly suppresses any thoughts of his forgotten memories. Shaking his head he stares at the last colored rays before his surroundings transforms into greyscale. For some reason, here in Ghost Valley, it was the sunset that was the most beautiful. Soon. Soon I will remember everything.

With a deep sigh that can even be heard by the guards at the bottom of the stairs, he turns and walks inside. Again, totally oblivious that the man, in who's dream he had starred in earlier in the evening, is observing him from across the courtyard. Ah-Xu, why are you even in my dreams?

(∪｡∪)｡｡｡zzZ

Author's notes:

(1)Daiyu, means black jade.