A Gathering of Heroes series: Anhu

Chapter 4 (Zhang)

I winced as Qu-dafu applied a stinging, but cooling paste to the cut on my hand. With practiced ease, he wrapped a cloth bandage around the wound. It hurt to flex my fingers but the physician assured me that the wound was not contaminated by poison or other noxious substances. Wei luckily had only a few bruises from our encounter with the two young women. I was relieved.

There was no intent to harm, yet there was that scarred-face girl, Chun. Underneath her disdain for high society, there was pride and something else that I could not fathom. She was clearly hiding something.

"Take care of that hand now, Zhang-xiaojie. You were lucky that it was a shallow wound." Qu-dafu's voice startled me out my thoughts. He had finished cleaning his hands in a basin and was now carefully drying them on a cloth."You will need to apply the salve three times a day to help with healing. A new bandage must be used each time." He looked meaningfully at Wei as he provided the instructions. She nodded in understanding. I sighed. When it comes to these things, Wei will be punctual in keeping the physician's instructions.

I thanked the physician for his discretion and handed over the payment for his services. In the past, I had come here a few times with Wei when we were involved in a few scuffles with other precocious young ladies from my school days. We would often hide the wounds as best we could from my mother's hawk-like eyes only to get scolded in the end. I knew Qu-dafu would keep his word and not inform my parents.

We left the clinic and stepped into the street. Wei brought the horses out from the stable nearby. She handed me the reins, waiting. Absently, I stroked the horse's head. "Where to now?" I murmured. I had no concrete evidence, only Wei's testimony and the interrogation with Chun. I felt suddenly weary. "Hui-jie, perhaps it is best we stay the night away from home," Wei answered as she patted my shoulder reassuringly. "It may help us come up with new ideas." I could not agree more.

***

"Zhang-xiaojie! I almost mistook you for a nv gui at this hour!" In his surprise, Huang-laoshi had brandished a club at us when he opened the door to our incessant knocking. Wei had stepped in front of me to fend off the club. I knew we looked the worse for wear. The dirt had soiled our robes and exhaustion showed on our faces. The sky was darkening behind us. We had chosen to walk the horses through the alleyways to avoid curious passerby. I merely laughed in embarrassment.

"Surely, you are not running to me to hide from potential suitors?" He made a show of surveying the street behind us.

"No, Huang-laoshi. I merely was out for exercise when I fell off my horse. I had only wanted time away from home, but instead it took a turn for the worst." I held out my bandaged hand to affirm this. He raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He allowed us to enter the Chaguan through the backroom where deliveries were made and goods were stored. Before us, beyond the doorway, I could make out the outline of the kitchen. The door was shut behind us and secured with a wooden beam.

"This way." He gestured to the stairs leading to the second floor. We followed him wordlessly up the steps; Wei was at my back. He led us down a hallway to a bedroom at the end. The room was modestly furnished with two beds and a small table. A small window graced the wall. "This is the guest room. Both of you are welcome to stay here tonight. The cleaning room is downstairs. I can see if my wife has any clean linen to spare for the two of you," he said quietly, watching as we entered the room before him.

"That is very generous of you, Huang-laoshi," I remarked after a cursory glance of the room, "I do not know how I can repay you..." I trailed off when I saw his stern expression.

"Now, Zhang-xiaojie. Earlier, you were not saying the whole truth. The injury that you sustained..." He gestured to my bandaged hand. "I am no fool to not notice a wound from a weapon. Surely you are not involved in some dangerous situation, are you?"