Ballad of the Desert

Chapter 13: Falling Petals

The first day of the New Year means happiness? Happiness my rear end! I'm controlling a bellyful of bad temper. Grandpa sees my furrowed brow and gives Xiao Feng a quizzical look, but Xiao Feng just shakes his head indicating that he doesn't know. I can't wait any longer so I bow to Grandpa and then rush off to the Bamboo Residence.

It is the first time I use my foot to open the door, giving off a bang and the door opens. Before I can say anything, Jiu Ye smilingly asks "Is it Xiao Yu?"

His voice is the best defuser and my hot temper suddenly deflates. I lower my foot and gently enters the room. He is sitting at the table, holding a bamboo and carving it. He puts down the bamboo and carving knife to welcome me in to sit down.

I sit down next to him and stare at the table. He asks "Are you angry?"

I remain silent, so he says "So not angry then? How was your New Year? Last night Tian Cao dragged me along with them....."

I furrow my brow and give a deathly glare at the table, but he continues nattering on and on, from when he arrived at the banquet, to toasting, to getting drunk, to.....

I've never seen him so talkative so I stare and ask "I'm angry, can't you tell? You should ask why I'm angry, and ask if you did anything wrong?"

He looks innocent and muffles his laughter "Oh! Why are you angry? Did I do anything wrong?"

I give a sigh of annoyance and flop on the table. Why is he so clueless? What is it that I like about him? He has a weird personality, seemingly welcoming on the surface but really keeping people thousands of miles away. He does know a lot, but it's not like I want to marry a book. His identity is rather secretive, seemingly a Han citizen but perhaps plotting something against the Han Empire.....I keep trying to think of more bad qualities he possesses.

He looks hopeless "I asked but you won't answer, so what should I do now?" I angrily slap the table "You have no sincerity! You might as well not ask, and just keep talking about how much fun you had during the New Year!"

The room descends into silence, and I suddenly worry that he's angry at me. I raise my head to look at him and I see his open palm. Inside is a pair of gold and jade earrings "Is this sincere enough for you?"

I raise my head to look at him and pick up the earring. The gold represents the sand and the green is the water. Even though the Yue Ya Spring is but a small oasis in the desert, he managed to use my name (Jin Yu means gold jade) and find an even deeper meaning into the gift. We met in the golden desert, and almost got in a tussle outside the blue-green spring. The artisan who crafted this delicate piece is truly talented.

I study it and then put it on, with a stone face I say "Not bad. Seeing as how generous you are, I'll let this one slide."

I try to be serious but can't help myself and start laughing. He was looking at me but his eyes had a flash of concern, and then he averts his eyes.

Shi Yu comes in bearing two steaming bowls and places it before me. I look at it and murmur "You didn't call me so I thought you forgot and didn't keep your promise."

He doesn't say anything for a few moments before speaking in the softest of voices "How can I forget? No matter what, today is all about making you happy." I grab the bowl of noodles and reply indistinctly "Happy or not, it all depends on you."

Finished with the birthday noodles, Jiu Ye chats with me and then picks up the bamboo and knife. I ask if he's making a flute? He nods "This bamboo comes from a special mountain region where it has grown for ten years. No matter the weather change, the sound quality won't change. It has a beautiful name, called "Xiang Fei Zhu" (Consort Xiang Bamboo). The sound is even more crystal clear than the average bamboo flute."