WangXian Untamed Together

Chapter 22 - The Feng Tragedy

The quiet, sorrowing voice of Feng Tian hung in the Hanshi like a mist, everyone silent before her grief.

Wei WuXian broke the quiet, moving over to the young girl, guiding her to a seat at the table and pouring her a cup of tea before resuming his own seat, beside her place. Looking up, he caught the eye of Lan JingYi.

"JingYi, would you and SiZhui please occupy young Wei for a time? He would probably enjoy the rabbit meadow and we will bring his sister when we are finished discussing matters here." He turned to the young girl. "Would that be alright with you, Feng Guniang?"

The young girl startled, her eyes blinking and mouth open. "Oh! I'm not a Miss! I'm just... I'm just me," she replied.

Wei WuXian smiled, his eyes kind. "You are the head of your little household here, so Feng Guniang it should be. Is it alright if the boys take your little brother to play? We have a lovely place he should enjoy, with bunnies and fresh air, and I can recommend these two to take good care of him. SiZhui is my own son and JingYi as good as."

Feng Tian nodded her consent and the teenagers left with Feng Wei, chortling as Lan JingYi lifted him easily and set him upon his hip.

Lan XiChen turned his soft gaze on the young girl. "Would you please share with us how you know of White Crane On Lotus Lake? And could you explain how these pills came into your hands, Feng Guniang?"

The girl shook her head. "Please, just call me Tian or Feng Tian... it doesn't feel like me to be a Miss," she started.

"Very well. Of course, we will address you as you prefer," replied Lan XiChen. "Now, please tell us your story, in your own way and words, and we will try to keep our questions until afterward." He cast a quick glance at Wei WuXian with these words, who raised his eyebrows as if to inquire 'Who? Me?' before settling back down to listen.

The girl took a moment to collect her thoughts. For a child she had great presence, her quiet, upright posture and deep breaths betraying her early training by a Cultivator or possibly a parent of the gentry. Face pale behind her sunburned cheeks and hands trembling slightly, she began to speak.

"I... it was a while ago. I don't really know how long... I've been taking care of my brother and walking here for so long I've lost track. At one time we had a nice home. I don't know much about these things, but I've learned while travelling and we had a home much larger than I've seen on the way to Gusu Lan. We had a lot of young people in training and my grandfather was in charge. We had a big home with a strong wall all the way around it and I was sure nothing bad could ever happen..." Her voice trailed away and her eyes drifted to the side, as if recalling the past. She gave a little shake and resumed speaking; her voice stronger this time.

"A long time ago we were a strong family. Grandfather was in charge, Father worked with him, and we had lots of uncles and aunties and cousins. I don't really know why, but something changed. I don't know what it was, but Grandfather started to be... to be... angry? I'm not sure that's the right word, but he started to be upset more and more often, more and more easily... anything would set him off. I remember when I was small, he let me sleep in his lap as he worked and fed me sweets when Mother wasn't looking, but that stopped when he could not keep his temper... A-Wei never knew Grandfather like that. Father tried to help and was working all the time. Mother said that Grandfather was ill, but I don't understand anything about it. Finally, one day Mother came running into our room and blocked the door and moved the furniture in front of the window. She made us be very quiet. There was a lot of yelling and the sound of fighting. When Father finally came and called us to come out now, Mother insisted on going first by herself. After a while she came back and said that Grandfather had passed away, but we weren't to leave the room for any reason. I played with A-Wei and kept him busy and Mother brought us something to eat in the room. I... I saw there was a brown smudge all about the hem of her robes. I pointed it out and she jumped up, all upset and ran to change immediately. I don't know why she was dirty. She never said."