Xiao Xiao - Chapter One

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen – The Melting Snow

The news of the Empress of the West Palace’s pregnancy flourishing were the gossip filtering through the layers of the palace hierarchy, right down to the servants’ quarters. Experienced servants speculated that the baby might be a boy, judging by the curve of her stomach and her behavior: sour cravings and nausea in the morning. She requested pickled sweet and sour cucumbers for every meal.

At the meantime, the snow was melting.

The ice coating the carp pond was gone. The carp were swimming more vigorously now, pampered by the ground keepers who fed the fish choice meat and chopped vegetables. Xiao Xiao visited the pond, once she was done with studying. She loved the carp.

Mother decided to teach her a more complex jian drill. Her arms ached. Her calves throbbed. She had more knocks on her fingers and elbows. Yet Xiao Xiao enjoyed the jian drill. It got her blood flowing. It felt like dancing, it felt like moving with the sword.

Xiao Xin now was learning how to stand, wobbling on her plump legs and holding onto Autumn’s hands for support. She was now growing up into a little girl, her hair curling, hints of light brown. Xiao Xiao admitted to herself that at least the assassination attempts had stopped.

They would start again, once the world warmed up and the snow melted even more. That was life in the palace. People fought for position and status.

“You need to protect yourself,” Ma ma told her once.  “There are good people and there are bad people. The bad people want to hurt you, because they want good lives and because they are badly brought up. Sometimes, they are just bad people.”

“Why did you want to stay in the palace?” Xiao Xiao argued back.

Ma ma closed her eyes briefly. Instead of the fiery anger she always associated with her mother, Xiao Xiao saw sadness.

“I am bound by love and obligation,” Ma ma said.

“Love and obligation?” Xiao Xiao blurted. “Why?”

“I was brought in as a concubine. I became one, so that Wai Po and Wai Gong could live decently and comfortably. And your fu wang…” Ma ma’s words tapered off. Her eyes became misty.

“Die die?”

“I am obliged to him too,” Ma ma regained her composure, became the immaculate lady again. “Remember that, Xiao Xiao. Life is filled with obligations, some of them you might not like.”

Xiao Xiao nodded. She had words to say, but found herself unable to speak.

~*~

Die die came back. He thundered through the huge gate with his trusted men, clad in his golden armor. The stallions snorted and stamped their hooves as their riders dismounted, their boots crunching into the new snow. Xiao Xiao’s heart soared. He came back! Die die came back!

There were surprises. In his retinue was a red-haired barbarian, a Jesuit priest who huddled in his winter riding leathers, breathing into his gloved hands. His name was Giuseppe and he had a ruddy face. He smiled at everyone he met, his eyes warm. Giuseppe was an artist. He was brought in to design a new palace.

Die die stopped at the palace to visit Ma ma. He patted Xiao Xiao affectionately and played with Xiao Xin. He seemed to have more lines on his face, more care-worn sadness. Then he left and the palace was quiet once more.

Xiao Xiao buried her sadness in her calligraphy. Sadness was a hard cold stone in her heart.

Pickled White Radish

Ingredients

Two large white radish/daikon, peeled.

A cup and four teaspoons of sugar.

Two and a half cup white vinegar.

Two cups of warm water.

Method

Slice the white radish into thin slices. Get a large bowl to contain the radish slices, add the four teaspoons of sugar. Rub the sugar in until the slices are well-coated.

In a separate clean bowl, mix one cup of sugar, the white vinegar and the warm water, until the sugar dissolves.

Have an air-tight glass container ready and sterilized to maintain the cleanliness. Pack the white radish in and pour in the solution. Seal and put in the refrigerator to let the radish sit overnight.

The pickles can keep from four to six weeks in the refrigerator. For additional kick and extra color, you can add in chopped red chilli.