The Yao Emperor and His Human Doctor.

Extra 5 - Family

*This is the last one, I promise! And very short!

More than a hundred years ago, when Su Ning was still a child and lived in a quiet mountain village.

Su Ning was sitting on the grass on a small hill, looking at the clouds in the sky. His younger brothers were running and playing a little further down and their happy laughter could be heard in the distance. From time to time he watched the two little radishes, worried that they would stray too far or fall into the stream.

"Don't go very far." He said, but he still watched them strictly. He took advantage and filled a small basket with wild vegetables that he had with him and stopped to rest. As always, the sky caught his attention and he never tired of admiring the variation in colors throughout the day and the ephemerality of the clouds.

Not that a child knew these difficult words, he could just feel them and appreciate them, which is much more than just defining them as adults do. At this very moment he observed a long, curvy cloud, which he thought looked a lot like a dragon he saw in a painting in the village.

A dragon must be very powerful. He thought, remembering the yao he knew. They could be strong and resilient like lizards and other beasts and could fly like birds. Without a doubt, they were the most powerful, he found. But perhaps they were also gentle and friendly like small animals. His father said that the strongest should protect and help the weakest, so the same should serve the dragons.

The cloud began to dissipate and Su Ning stood up, brushing small leaves off his clothes.
"Xiaojin, Xiaomei, let's go back!"
The two little ones ran back and little Su Mei brought a small bouquet with small, white, fragrant flowers that she handed to her older brother. The flowers had a sweet honey smell that Su Ning loved.

"Thanks." He caressed the little child, who only spoke in loose, disconnected words.
"Imão!" Su Mei raised her fat little arms, wanting to be held. Su Ning laughed and picked it up carefully. Promptly Su Jin  went and picked up the basket of wild vegetables. Seeing its lush green interior, he grimaced in displeasure.

"Eehh! Don't make that face. There are mushrooms you like too." Su Ning scolded him kindly and Su Jin's expression softened and he laughed showing some missing baby teeth. The trio went down towards the village, greeting passersby.

The Su family's house was one of the first residences at the entrance to the village, made of green bricks. Su Wu put a lot of effort into building a solid and safe structure for his family and his blacksmith shop was next door in an attached room. From afar he saw his three cubs returning home and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

Su Ning put her sister down, picked up the basket and recommended that they wash their hands. The two little ones ran inside and he went to his father.
"We're back, dad. Is everything okay?"
Su Wu nodded, wiping the soot off his hands.
Su Ning smiled. "I'll go in then and start preparing dinner."
Su Wu smiled. "I'm on my way."

The blacksmith came forward to clean his hands properly. He knew that Su Ning would already get ahead with the tasks, but he didn't feel at ease seeing his son dealing with dangerous things so soon. Then he himself also went in and put wood on the stove, lighting it. In the meantime, Su Ning had already washed the vegetables and seeing the fire lit, he put the rice to cook.

Su Wu had made his eldest son a less sharp knife and with it, Su Ning began to cut the vegetables. Beside him, the huge blacksmith took a piece of pork belly and began to cut it into small cubes as well. Father and son worked silently in a tacit understanding with each other, but they both smiled at each other, completely happy in their hearts.

Su Ning put the vegetables to cook and cooked the rice, while Su Wu fried the meat. Soon the kitchen was filled with the fragrant air of cooking food. Seeing his father sit down at the table for a while, he took advantage and served him a glass of freshly brewed tea.
"Thanks." The man thanked him and took a sip of the hot drink. The feeling was comforting, just like the teas his wife usually made.