Yearning Of The Jade

Chapter 1: The Jade Pendant

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PROLOGUE

Love is destiny. Destiny is not love. Lao Tian Ye, god of the heavens, can you hear me? Can you hear my wails during the dusk of night and my laughter during the daylight? Here I am, standing on this Earth that you created. I'm sure I sound like I'm complaining right now, but I ask of you for one wish.

Please. Please cure this yearning that is engraved in my heart.

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VOCABULARY

Lao Tian Ye: Chinese term for heaven or god of the heaven

Si Hai Ba Huang: translates to the four seas and eight directions. The four seas symbolically refers to the four bodies of water that said to makes up ancient China. The eight directions refers to north, west, east, south, north west, north east, south west, and south east.

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CHAPTER 1

At the age of six, I already have read my first chapter book. At the age of twelve, I have already mastered the piano. But now at the age of nineteen, I am struggling to write a mere thesis statement for a research paper.

"Ling'er! You're still working on that? How long are you going to work on that paper? Hurry up, I'm getting hungry as a cow and Ma refuses to start dinner without you." My twelve-year-old cousin barges in. In the Tan household, Noah is a prodigy. He has the highest test scores in his grade and got the principal's award for his academic success which produced his current cockiness attitude.

I rolled my eyes, "Do you know the history of China? If not, then I suggest you keep your comments to yourself. You think I like working on this? I would be happy to be eating right now too." Ask me about the functions of the human body and I could answer in seconds. Ask me the algorithm of mathematics and I could solve the equation in seconds. But ask me a question about history, my brain knocks out in seconds.

Noah leaned closer to glance at my laptop and comments, "Writing a paper is easy. I would help you, but I'm too hungry." Just like that he slams the door and I could hear him march heavily down the hallway. I closed my laptop and tied my hair in a ponytail. Out in the kitchen, my Aunt Mei was preparing dinner. I glance to my left and Noah has his bottoms glued to the couch reading comics.

I headed for the fridge and grabbed a glass of water. Aunt Mei finished stirring the pot and poured tomato soup into three separate bowls. She asked, "How are your classes going? Do you like it here in China?"

I laughed sarcastically, "Great. Especially my History class."

I helped Aunt Mei set the dinner table and we sat down to eat. Aunt Mei glances at me and smiles warmly, "Studying abroad is always hard at first. But don't worry, you'll get used to it soon. You are a smart girl."

I smiled back at her. She always knew what and how to cheer me up. "I know, I must do my best. My mother spent all her entire life savings for me to study here. I can't let her down."

I was born and raised in the United States of America. Growing up in a predominantly western environment can be confusing for a little Asian girl.  At one point, I didn't know who I was anymore. My ideology and accent is American but my hair, skin, and eyes is Chinese. My mother owns a local Chinese restaurant that is quite famous in the city where I used to live before coming to China. With the earnings she made from the restaurant, she was able to send me to one of China's most prestigious universities. At this moment, I am into my second year of university, planning to pursue a four-year degree in medical sciences.