From The Soil

The Bell of Shijian

The morning lit cross hall was succumbed into a sudden tension as two trainee girls eyed each other with intensity. One girl with a smug look on her face, pupils seething in smoke- and the other girl having her face undisturbed and rather uninterested; wearing her work robe and waiting.

"You" the first girl raised her voice. Her fingers trembled from the over bearing of anger. She wasn't particular on concealing it. Kiamun could let so much lose especially when training madams weren't in the vicinity, she cared less about her anger management. This was one of those moments and today's moment concerned the young mediciner trainee Ahuri who was maintaining her calm clear gaze, a hint of growing annoyance in the eyes. Kiamun had battled this beast before- the many times her attempts failed because words simply don't take this child of Yi xing down. For every word hurled in her direction, she always had a word to match against it and as for Kiamun, this counter attitude was proving to be a difficulty in keeping her seniority respect.

Ahuri was altogether a trouble free girl. Her nose between a book all day, she stood out in poise and manner in ways other girls don't fathom and that was why she was a trusted doll to the madams in Shijian. The girl had nothing against anybody yet Kiamun always found a way to jeopardize her. Jeopardy that resulted in being hurt herself and ever since Kiamun was vindictive of this creature.

"You told madam about my coughing medicine!" Kiamun was shaking  regardless of the number of girls who stopped on their ways to glance on this new tirade. It was a scrumptious scene, so much gossip can be squeezed out of it in the afternoon. Kiamun was aware of the staring eyes yet she still wanted to grab Ahuri by her hair- those silky black hair.

"They are not coughing medicine." Ahuri simply stated.

"You are not the judge of that!" Kiamun replied testily.

"Madam Fu Shan found your medicine bottle during room search. She enquired me about it and I told her what it was." Ahuri explained, her gaze never shifting from her opposed.

Kiamun's chest rose and fell. A secret regret in her heart, she should have had carried the bottle in her sleeves but trainee's dresses are searched too so she left it on its spot, behind the lose wood board of her bed. Beside until yesterday she was confident it would pass off for its named disguise.

And only yesterday night the true raid searches began. One of the trainee girl's vomit inducing pills were confiscated resulting the girl in two months probation. Kiamun's 'coughing medicine' conqueres similar feats- a strict dose twice a day would result in quick weight loss. But perhaps in the monk administered Shijian, such medicine was a person's chase for materialistic vanity. The Madams will certainly put her in probation.

"Why should the madams believe you? You're no doctor! If anybody, it should be physician Baiwei. Arrogant of you to take his place!"

Ahuri's eyes glimmered, those clever glints in her eyes never escaping her. Kiamun was truly losing her patience.

"Ahuri! You're really crossing a line!" She trembled. Her whole body shaking in unison. The shameful fact that a pesky book nerd busted her made her boil. She looked up at Ahuri, eyes filled with disgust and anger. A quick step forward with her hands raised high and the Shijian bell rang. The standing girls looked up. The slow thudding sounds spreading across the high ceilings, the huge heavy bells chided from side to side, waking up all from their steads.

The girls broke away from the crowd in different directions, pulling away from the two centre figures. Even Kiamun looked wide eyed at the sound of the bell and retreated her step. She lifted her skirt and turned around to join the other girls. Knitting class was starting and she shouldn't be late a second time.