THE LEGEND OF SHENLI

CHAPTER 4

    Shen Li had nothing to show despite trying all night. She finally called it quits at daybreak and was just about to rest her aching head when a sound jolted her alert again. She hopped over to the front yard and caught sight of an empty handed Xíng Yún about to leave. That was strange. So she asked, “Oy, you’re not selling your ginseng today?”

“They’re not fully dried yet.” Xíng Yún bent down and patted Shěn Lí’s head as he spoke. I’m going out to buy some things, so watch the house while I’m gone.”

“Hey, wait! I’m coming with!” After saying so Shěn Lí made a quick beeline to the yard and came back with a stone in her beak. So what if she wasn’t successful last night with the moon? She’d just keep trying. Maybe she’d have better luck under the light of the sun. If she succeeded they would be able to buy some good things! “Alright let’s go,” she muffled with a beak full of stone.

Xíng Yún looked at the rock in her mouth but decided not to ask. He only smiled and said, “Are you sure you want to go with me? There are a lot of people at the market so it can get pretty hectic. What if you get lost and get cooked into a pot of soup? Maybe I should tie a leash around your throat so you don’t get lost.”

“You dare?!” Shěn Lí flitted about with her two bald wings in a fit of fury. “I had good intentions. I was going to do something nice for you. You should be thankful! So . . . hurry and pick me up!”

Xíng Yún looked at her flapping wings for a while before smirking and bending over to pick her up. She moved around a bit in his arms trying to settle into a good position. Once she found a comfortable spot she told him, “Alright, now just be careful and don’t move around too much.”

Xíng Yún laughed. “Yes, of course Boss Chicken.”

Shěn Lí kept her spell-casting up the entire trip. Xíng Yún didn’t know what silliness she was up to, but he figured he would just ignore it. Finally, they reached the market and the sounds of vendors hawking their wares filled the air. Listening to the butchers advertise their meat prices, Xíng Yún realized prices had gone up. This was no good. Prices had gone up by two whole coins! At this rate he wouldn’t be able to afford enough meat to fill Boss Chicken’s huge gullet. Not to mention he still didn’t understand her fixation with the stone in her mouth. Was it a full moon or something?

Just as he wondered what to do a voice sounded behind him. “Hey now! Count out ten coins.”

Eh? Xíng Yún turned around to find two men speaking. The older of the two said, “This cross pattern here shows you’re a blessed person.” He held a sign proclaiming his profession as a fortune teller in one hand while holding the young man’s hand in the other.

Xíng Yún impulsively stepped closer to the two and abruptly interrupted them. “Hey brother. Your house is going to burn down this afternoon. You should head back right now, otherwise you’re going to really regret it.”

Both the fortune teller and the young man were shocked into silence at this revelation. Even Shěn Lí looked up from his arms as if to ask, “What’s up with that?”

The fortune teller was the first to gather his wits and react. He harrumphed and fiercely scolded Xíng Yún. “What are you talking about? Don’t mess with this young man’s blessing. Spout your nonsense somewhere else!”

“It’s not nonsense.” Xíng Yún faced the young man and spoke. “You, go home and see. I’ll wait here for you until the afternoon.”

The young man was one who believed in this sort of thing, after all he did come to the market specifically to have his fortune read. Xíng Yún’s confident manner of speech threw his mind in turmoil and he hesitated for quite some time before pulling his hand out of the fortune teller’s grasp. Once he made up his mind, he turned around decisively and ran home.