A Gathering of Heroes series: Anhu

Epilogue (Li)

I look around the clean dining area and let out a small sigh.

"Sighing is unbecoming of a cultured young woman," a voice says from behind me.

I don't look at him and reply, "It's really been two years since that day, hasn't it?"

It's now his turn to sigh. "You're sure about closing the shop tomorrow?"

I nod. "It doesn't seem right to have it open."

"We've just reopened and are barely getting by as it is. We could use the business."

I shrug. "It'll be fine. We've been through worse."

I hear him shuffle around behind me and know that he is taking out the sign. "Closed in remembrance. Please visit again."

***

I am sitting listlessly by the open window in my room as the door opens quietly and a pair of feet pad softly into the room. "Jiejie..."

I don't respond. Part of me hates what I've become, a store owner in the part of the city that I've despised since I was first conscious of the world. But I can't let it go. It's the string that still ties me to Jintou. Somewhere out there, in the winds, he is still looking after us. He'll come visit, I'm sure, rustle the fire-weathered oak leaves outside and drop some dung onto troublemakers. I feel my face give a wan smile at that thought and frown again.

"Are you going to stay in here all day?"

"I'm waiting," I reply.

"For?"

I shrug slowly. "Something to happen."

I hear her run her hand across the aged wood, which I had badgered and frustrated Hongye with when he was helping us rebuild the place. I'm not an architect, but looking back, I was more than a little bit unreasonable with my requests. I had wanted the place to remain unchanged. I wanted to look at it and still remember the times I spent with Jintou, with Huang-dafu. I'm surprised Hongye obliged and did as much as he did. I owe him far more than I can ever repay now.

"It's a day of mourning across the entire city, you know. We're not the only store that's closed. But still, commerce doesn't stop in a city as major as ours. Merchants will still come through. Officials will still come on business."

"I know."

"What do you want to happen?"

I finally turn to look at her. She's grown to be so beautiful that sometimes, I think to myself that Jiedao really doesn't deserve her. She's taller than me now, with long lithe limbs and silky flowing hair. Her almond-shaped face has tanned just enough to give her a vibrant, healthy look, but it's her eyes... they sparkle and hold such joy, even on a day of mourning. I suppose it's only those who have known loss who truly understand happiness. I smile despite myself. I turn back towards the window and feel the gentle caress of the breeze.

"Maybe they will visit," I say, rising from my position. I smile again at Qiuhuo, who looks at me with a puzzled expression. "Let us prepare."

The morning and afternoon pass as we work in the kitchen with the remnants of the staff from those days, plus a few more who came from the orphanage. The younger girls squeal and laugh as Shunzi and Fanfan display their expert knife work in preparing the fresh fish. Jianning comes in for utensils and shakes his head in exasperation upon seeing the mess of vegetables that Xiaoyue and Xiaoxing have left on the floor. Meiyu prepares some fresh tea for us, as Jianning and I have both agreed to ban Lvhu from tea-making.

"Chun-jie, how many are we cooking for?" Jiedao calls over the roaring flame as he tosses the chicken in the wok.

"Enough!" I call back, slapping back a young boy's hand as he tries to steal one of the steaming potatoes.