Red Snow

Chapter 29

Ye Hua found himself in a craven inside of a cave. He was kneeling by a burning hearth, stirring a pot of porridge. 

The place was lined with makeshift furniture. However, the style was something Ye Hua had never seen before. They were made of stone slabs, instead of silk, they were covered with hay or various animal pelts. The gigantic pot he was using was made of bronze instead of clay with the face of Tao Tie etched into the metal. 

These designs were ancient, people had stopped using them for tens of thousands of years. What was all this doing here?

He scooped the soup into a bowl and got up. Ye Hua found that he had no control of his body. He was like a rider who lost command of his horse. He just let it take him where it wants to go.

Ye Hua presented the bowl to the woman sitting on the bedside. She looked nothing like anyone he had seen before. Her face looked plain compared to the goddesses in heaven. No, makeup to cover her flaws as if she wasn't bothered with appearances. And yet she was able to carry herself with confidence and grace. 

The lady wore nothing on to cover her decency, she didn't seem bothered by it. And strangely, Ye Hua didn't seem to be embarrassed. When she got up, an animal pelt blanket fell off her hips, revealing the lower half of her body. Instead of legs, she had a snake truck. It was so long it extended to the other side of the room. Ye Hua wondered how she ever slept at night?

The lady reached out and took the bowl from him. Ye Hua noticed clay was embedded under her fingernails. They looked cakey and dried, but she didn't bother to remove them.

"Thank you, Mo Yuan," she said. Ye Hua wanted to speak up and correct her, but he couldn't. 

Instead, he asked. "How is your stomach, mother?"

Her hands cupped the bulge of her belly, "The same," 

She looked up at him, "A lot lighter now when you're not in it," 

Ye Hua lowered his head. "I'm sorry, mother," 

She laughed, "There's nothing to be sorry about. I made my choice, you get used to it after a couple of centuries," 

The lady stretched, "To be honest, I prefer making children out of clay. A lot less work and a bit messy. But I don't understand why they are so fragile…" 

"Father said that they are different from us," Ye Hua added, "He said he wanted to teach them our ways. So that they could become like us," 

She raised her eyebrow, "Well, won't that be a sight to see?" 

Ye Hua stayed by her side until she finished her bowl. He couldn't help but stare at her belly. It was as large as a pot by the hearth. And yet she mentioned that she had been like this for centuries. 

When the lady stood, she was at least three times his height. Ye Hua got up, and he helped her get to the door. He wondered what it was like to grow up here. To have his parents looming over him despite being a full-grown adult. Ye Hua didn't have to imagine much, the answer came to him quickly.

A young woman stood outside the entrance, she bowed when they approached and handed them a letter. Ye Hua recognised the young woman immediately, it was Da Ji. 
 
 "Mo Yuan," The snake lady called, "This is my new attendant. Her brother Bai Zhi had sent her here to learn some skills after he caught her doing… unsavoury things…" 

She didn't elaborate on what kind of unsavoury things Da Ji did, and Ye Hua was too scared to know. 

Da Ji was pretty in a way Ye Hua had never seen before. She dressed in a simple blue dress, her nine blacktails were waved hypnotisingly behind her. There's no evil glint in her eyes or malice in her smile.