One Tail at a Time

The Past 1

Rubbing my aching belly, I hold off from calling Yunru because Mo Yuans manuscripts are utterly enthralling.  He is outside on the training ground with Die Feng and Fu Yu who he is helping with a new sword maneuver which for a sprite is exceptionally difficult to manage, even for a man, but it means I have more time to read even though my back and belly is aching again.

I know I should mention it, but no sooner do I think to put the books down and deal with it, then I hit another important milestone in my life of which my memories are far different to his which is why I can't leave his books alone.  So very gently, I tell our baby to settle down until mama is finished reading.  I laugh at myself, because I have a strong suspicion that I am in labor but I am going to try and finish as much as I can before I have to bring this entire mountain to a standstill.

Actually that is another reason why I am so loathe to tell Mo Yuan.  He is inundated with daily visitors, teaching, trips to the Celestial Heavens and all manner of paper work, so I know he is tired.  He barely sleeps because he is too busy fussing over me, but with nothing important scheduled for this afternoon, I know he will find the much needed rest before my own needs take ver.

So with that, I pick up the next book and lose myself to a time that still makes my belly flip over itself, and even more so when I read his reaction to it.

I don't know where the time has gone.  My little Xiaobai is growing in both loveliness and knowledge every day.  And much of her achievements to date has been gained from her own hard work, though I have to say she has tested my patience the entire way.  She is far too clever for her own good, and there have been many times that I have had to walk away to dwell heavily on her reasoning over everything from Taoism to tying the sash on the sides of her dresses.

According to her, sashes need two knots because the strands of the material cross over each other, and the more twists one adds, the more changes in the direction of rotation.  Though of course, her wording was much simpler, only my reasoning is far less complicated.  One knot makes it easier to undo only she sees things so much differently.

Though I have come to the conclusion that she argues everything because she likes to argue.  Which is great, because it means when she is older, she will be able to join her brothers in debating Taoism which is a yearly event overseen by Di Jun.

Only that thought is not allowed to take root because of the gossip which is still swirling about her.  It is heinous and so unfair, and there have been many times where I have been accused of harbouring a child of murderers.  This is something that I am still battling with, and what most meetings are about.

That her family had been allowed to live has caused enormous heartache for all those concerned, so their thoughts are not kind or understanding of a little girl who is innocent.  But I do battle on her behalf every time, and each meeting ends with more disgruntlement and aggression towards her family.  And this has not changed over the years, though the gossip is now a mere trickle but at times can still be just as brutal because the world will never truly get over it.

Even more so from one area of the North where several sons were lost.  They were now forced to look outside of their own realms for husbands for their remaining daughters and several have had to amalgamate their realms in order to survive because they had no male heirs to take over their thrones, which in this world is a tragedy, only there is one saving grace.  And that is, a new tribe that has formed is not only enormous in numbers, but their combined wealth has seen them become a substantial voice in every meeting they attend which means they are an alliance much sought after, even more than the Nine tailed foxes. 

And on top of that, much of their successes can be put down to the enormous amount of effort that Bai Zhi has put into the healing process.  Several daughters have had their education paid for, the widows were all gifted land and wealth to ensure a good dowry for their daughters when the time came for them to marry, and because of that wealth, their tribe has now found itself in a very comfortable position.