WangXian Forever 7

Chapter 84 Dreams

Hongbaoshi entered with her sisters, Chihong and Xinghong. They were not holding hands, but she remembered the warning in their leader's eyes; Hongse was worried.

That in turn, as her second in command, made her worried too.

But she had to go and fetch water from the well. As she grabbed the pair of empty buckets, she looked around in contentment. She lived in a beautiful, quaint village where everyone knew each other.

Hongbaoshi waved to her neighbours, pausing to chat to a few well-known faces, as they inquired about her husband and her children, and she found herself telling them everything. Her two children, a young girl of five and her son, still only three years old had just learned a few characters and she was proudly showing off. Soon he would be able to attend the village school and was waiting every day for this.

She had left her little girl to sweep their home and garden while she visited the well; her adjacent neighbour had agreed to watch the children until she returned. She waved goodbye and passed through cherry blossom trees along the length of the river that fed the well, smiling at children playing among the fishermen's boats, while men and women washed clothes by the riverside.

It was a beautiful day, and the sun shone, warming her face. A goatherd went past her, chewing on a stalk of wheat, tipping his bamboo hat to her, and she beamed, feeling more energetic than the young kids following their goat parents as he led them to fresh new meadows for their grazing breakfast.

All in all, it was lovely living here, the life she had always wanted. Nobody treated her differently because of her blue eyes; she was accepted into the community like one of them.

A warmth spread in her chest as she remembered her family and hurried to the well. There was a queue of around five ladies in front of her, and she waited patiently until it was her turn.

The buckets were heavier on her way back, but she hardly felt the weight as she travelled slower this time back to her home, not wanting to slosh the water away. She passed by the blacksmiths, and the butchers, stopping to pick up some meat for their dinner tonight.

As she passed the grocer, she bought sweet loquats for her babies, because the little one already had a sweet tooth. He was already so much like his father, in his laugh and his mannerisms, his cherubic smile...and she loved her son very much.

Her daughter liked to dress as herself, right down to the way Hongbaoshi tied her long and gorgeous hair up into a neat bun. She was mature for her age and had her father wrapped around her little finger. But she was also aware of their financial circumstances and was not a demanding child. Perhaps her son would follow in her footsteps...

She came to the gate that marked the beginning of her home and entered it, pleased to see that her daughter had left a neat pile of rubbish where she only had to gather it up and dispose of it. Her son was playing in the courtyard with some metal lumps...and looking at them directly triggered a memory of another little girl, playing the same game...

But before she could focus on that, the door behind her opened and her husband came home. As she hurried to welcome him, she forgot all about the other child in her memories.

*******

Chihong loved to sing. Her voice was sweeter than the larks that frequented her window in the early hours of the morning. She sang in the mornings, and she sang in the afternoons, she sang throughout the day.

She loved it so much and was welcomed to continue on her path by the village Elders, yet no one was ready for the summons to the Royal courts. The King's advisor came to their tiny village, with pomp and ceremony, heralded by a musical escort. Children followed the procession with eager excitement as they stopped outside her home.

A rich carpet was spread from the carriage door to her doorstep, and she was shocked and amazed.

The advisor pulled out a scroll from his generous sleeves, dressed in a rich green silk brocade, his robes thick and heavy upon his older body. His announcement was that she should present herself to the Royal Court in five days time.

And who could deny the King?

The neighbours all arrived to gossip after the Royal entourage left, speculating on why she was to go, and then of course this led to discussions on what she would be wearing. The Elders were incredibly proud of her and they managed to raise enough money to buy good quality clothes so that when she represented their village, she would leave the King with a good impression.

Finally, the day came, and women knocked on her door early in the morning. Together, they bathed her, dressed her in the best robes available and packed an instrument with her things. The King had sent a four horse carriage, and she travelled in style.

The capital city was a hub of activities as people rushed from one place to another for a variety of reasons. It was a far cry from what she was used to and for a few minutes, Chihong just watched all the goings on around her, daunted. She had to remind herself that the King had sent for herself only, he was interested in her voice - this was merely speculation, as Chihong did not know the exact reason why she had been summoned.

And then they were at the Palace and there was no time to adjust. She was taken to a set of rooms from the back entrance it looked like, where another team of ladies were to prepare her for her meeting with the King. After another change of clothes, and oil applied to her hair, perfumed water thrown in a fine mist over her, she was led to the main court.

In a packed hall, they announced her name and she was escorted inside. After a brief introduction, they asked her to sing.

So she took in a deep breath and let out the first in a long succession of notes to thirsting ears.

*******

Xinghong strapped the saddle to her newest horse, hoping that this one would last longer than her previous one. Bandits had chased her away from the enclave of mountains behind her, and now she finally felt safe. She didn't care that she was alone; all she wanted to do was make her horse fly, leaving the fields far behind herself. Her family, what was left of them, lay back from whence she came and they had made it clear that she wasn't welcome.

Xinghong liked nothing more than to be free, free of social constraints, free of obligation and duty. Here, she was one person against the world, ready to stake her claim on her new adventures.

She looked up at the sound of geese honking, an arrowhead formation flying to the south, and for a second, she faltered. South...why was she going there? But the horse's neighing brought her from her thoughts and she jumped up into the saddle. With her feet firmly in the stirrups, she clicked her tongue and they were off, flying towards the sunset.