I am only allowed to roam freely at the rear living quarter.
Frustrated by the confinement, I got the chance to think over my situation carefully. I love Niang, Papa, Jinu and Ponu. But I don’t love them enough to marry some stranger. Actually I don’t even have enough love towards myself to marry a stranger. It just disgusts me thinking about having the most intimate relationship with someone you don’t love. Even if my family do agree not marrying me to Huang, most likely they will find me someone else, or I will put them into financial stress by paying the hefty fine.
I thought of a lot of ways to get out of this situation. But running away seems like the only option. I have the knowledge of the geographic location. I can find islands down south to live on, such as Japan, Taiwan, or Hainan. At this time, they should be all in native state. I would not need to worry about being forced into marriage. I get the freedom and independence. My family won’t get fined and Mr. Huang can find him another wife. It is a happy result for everyone.
The more I think about this, the more I become sure of the solution. With almost a year away, I can get myself ready for the relocation. But a lot of things need to be taken care of, especially making some money.
That was why the first chance of stepping out of my confinement, I decide to look for Zhao Yan, who is the only one I can think of who might be able to help me.
Papa went back to our old home early in the morning, leaving Jinu and Niang taking care of the store, which opened for business three days ago. We did not expect such an overwhelming success. Three of them, along with three hired hands, are unable to meet the demand from our customers.
While they were busy, I sneaked out.
But now I am lost in Chang’an.
Chang’an, the capital city of Han Empire, is the largest city in the world at this time. It is about 4 miles in both length and width. The central and south part of the city has been occupied by Royal Palaces, government offices and resident houses for high ranked officials. Only at the northwest corner of the city, there are two market places: West Market Place and East Market Place.
West Market Place then is further divided into six sub divisions, where craftsmen and their workshops grouped together by their trade. East Market Place only has three sub divisions, which specialized for merchants from all over the country, including merchants from Xiongnu.
My family lives next to East Market Place, where restaurants are lined up next to each other.
When Zhao Yan told me the address of his store, I naturally assumed it is in East Market Place, since that is all the merchants stay. But after I passed through every single merchant store in East Market Place, I still could not find his. I walked through East Market Place again with the same result. So I tried West Market Place, at where I finally found his shop. The shopkeeper told me Zhao Yan only comes to the shop once a long while. He also refused to tell me where I can find him, but he was willing to pass on a message for me. I know there is no use leaving him a message. Even if he comes to my house, my parents will not let him see me.
Zhao Yan’s fur shop is actually a shop providing tanning services. They do sell furs and leathers, but their main business is taking hides and turn them into fur or leather. That’s why it is in the West Market Place, with all other craftsman shops.
Unwilling to leave like this, I managed to chat with a young guy worked there. He told me Zhao Yan liked to spend a lot of time at Pear Spring.
I almost kicked myself when I heard that. How could I forget about Pear Spring?
So I thanked the guy from the shop and continued with my journey. But I am lost after a few surprise looks, a few sneers and a few obscene comments from those who have given me directions. Someone must have tricked me.
Again I wipe my sweat. I really want some water or tea. But I don’t have any money on me to buy tea from tea stands, nor do I see any public wells.
A couple of young servant girls pass me and I overhear them talking about a fight last night in Pear Spring, between two guests for a woman named Jade Spring. I follow them while my feet are killing me.
After a few turns, I see them entered a double-door gate. The gate shut behind them. I stop in the front and see a pair of red lanterns hanging from the roof of front porch. I can recognize one of the characters on the lantern is character “Spring”. So I lift the door knocker and keep striking it until someone comes to the gate.
“What do you want?” A guy crack opens the door. He gives me a frown when he sees me.
“Excuse me,” I say to him. “I am looking for Mr. Zhao Yan. He is a regular here.”
“Never heard of him.” He shuts the door quickly.
I strike the door knocker again.
“What else do you want?” Same guy with a deeper frown and a more irritated tone.
“My name is Shiaonu and I really need to get hold of him. Would you please passing my message to him?” I beg him.
“I told you I have never heard of him.” He raises his voice.
I stop him before he shuts the door again. “Could you please check with Ms. Jade Spring?” I throw out the name I just overheard.
He gives me a quick glance. “Just wait here.” He shuts the door again.
I wait and look at both ends of the quiet street. The sun has cast a shadow of a willow tree at the cross street. It’s only afternoon. But the length of shadow is very long already. The day is getting shorter.
Contrasting from the hustle and bustle in East and West Market Places, it is almost dead here. I wonder if this is where all brothels in Chang’an located. If so, will it come to live at night? Will it be like what I have seen in movies, crowded with beautiful prostitutes, ugly guys, greedy bawds and scary pimps? I also wonder what General Huo will say about this when he finds out me visiting a brothel. As Mr. Uptight, General Huo’s temper matches well with his despise towards me.
“Shiaonu. Why are you here?”
I turn and see Zhao Yan standing behind the gate. I let out a deep sigh of relief. I can’t help to smile to him. “Hey, how good to see you here!”
I mean it sincerely, but he probably takes it the other way. He looks embarrassed.
“I just happen to be here with a friend. We are…” He tries to explain.
“Can we find a place to talk?” I interrupt him. “I really need to talk to you.”
“Definitely.” He says. “There is a tea house at the next street. Let’s go there.”
He leads the way and I walk behind him slowly. My feet hurt badly.
“What’s wrong with you?” He notices my strange walking pose.
“I think I am bleeding between my toes.”
He bends down in front of me and pulls up my long skirt a few inches off the ground.
“Yes, you are bleeding.”
He then scoops me up and holds me in his arms.
“What are you doing?” I cry to him. “Put me down. Your back is still recovering. Don’t tear open those wounds.”
He laughs. “Don’t worry. I have been recovering nicely and you don’t weight much, less than a small goat.”
“I hope it’s not very far.” I mumble.
“Very close.” He smiles to me.
When we get to the tea house, Zhao Yan takes me into an individual room.
“Stay here. I will go to get something from pharmacy next door.” He tells me.
Before I can finish second cup of tea, he comes back with the ointment and two buckets of warm water.
“Give me your feet.” He says to me.
I raise up my feet and he holds them on his lap. He removes the clogs from my feet, gently separating the girth from my toes, which are covered with mud and dried blood.
“I can wash my feet myself.” I tell him when he starts washing my feet.
He won’t let me go and insists on washing my feet for me.
“So, what happened?” He asks me while drying my feet with a towel.
I briefly tell him what have happened. I omitted Huo’s name, instead sa
ying a visiting family friend.
“So where do you want to go?” He asks me.
“Probably somewhere in the south.” I say. “It will be warm in the winter.”
“You really sure this is what you want?”
“Yes, I cannot imagine marrying a stranger.”
“He won’t be a stranger after you two get acquainted for a while.” He says.
“Ah….”I whine. “ I still cannot marry a wimp. He did not even fight back to defend his mother.”
Zhao laughs. “That doesn’t make him a wimp. He might be wise choosing not fight because he knew he could not win.”
“I did not like the way he looked at me either, dirty and sleazy. It makes me puke just thinking of him.”
He laughs. “Then how about marrying somebody else?”
“Like who?”
“Like me.”
“Come on, I am serious and miserable here. Don’t tease me like this.”
“No, I am not teasing.” He says. “I can find a way to let Huang family break the engagement. Then I can go to your family and propose a marriage.”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course I am.” He says to me. “You saved my life. I am not a stranger to you. And we seem like getting along fine. Why not?”
What an easy decision for him.
“But I remember you are married.”
“Yes, I have twelve wives. But they all live in Xiongnu. I am here in Chang’an alone.”
I gasp on the number of his wives. What the...
“So if I agree, I will be your wife number thirteen?” Without showing my astonishment inside, I ask him calmly.
“Yes,” He nods and then he remembers something. “We Xiongnu are different from Han. All wives are equal. I know for a Han, a man can only have one formal wife and the rest are concubines.”
Jeez. Who would ever thought equal rights can be applied in such a situation.
“In that case, if I insist on getting the title as Number One Wife, you will make it happen for me?” I can’t help continue tease the mad scenario.
He detects my joke. “Of course.” He says with a smirk. “You can be my number one wife, always number one wife.”
I start laughing. All the worries I have been suffering after I found out the marriage contract have been evaporated. Although his propose sounds outrages to me, it is still a sincere one from him.
“Please excuse me.” I say to him. “I have worried about this for so long that I thought I was going into depression. Then you just provide me with such a crazy solution, as if all my worries are worthless.”
He doesn’t laugh. “I am not joking. I will be glad if you agree to marry me.”
“I am sorry.” I stop my laughing. “I know you are serious. But I am different. I don’t share my husband. If someday I fall for a guy, he must believe the same. It might sound selfish to you, but it should be selfish. I believe in one and only, not the number one.”
After a long silence, he finally says. “My wives are my responsibilities.”
I nod in understanding. “I know. A man with responsibility is respectful.”
“Do you need some money from me?” He asks me after a pause.
“No, I don’t.” I shake my head. “But I need your help in making some.”
“What do you want me to do?”
I start telling him my plan. “I know how to make something called soap. It helps people clean and sanitize. People can use soap to clean their bodies or to wash their clothes. I can guarantee it will be much better than anything they’ve ever used.”
“That sounds interesting.” He says.
“I also know how to make perfume. With just a drop or two, the fragrance will linger for long time. The customers will probably be women only. But I think that’s a business with a high profit margin.”
He thinks it for a while, then he says to me. “All right. When are you going to show me some soap or perfume?”
“It will take weeks before I can get them ready. And I also need help in getting the ingredients.”
“Just let me know what you need and I will get them for you.”
Like Jinu, he doesn’t bother to write down my list. He simply memorizes it.
I then let him know my confinement situation.
“Then it’s best for me to meet your family and become their friends. “ He says. “Do you have any ideas how I can approach them?”
“I remember you have access to cattle and sheep?”
He nods. “I am a Xiongnu. Of course I have connections to cattle and sheep.”
“My family just opened a store selling Dian Xin. If we have access to milk, cheese or butter, we can make more delicious Dian Xin to sell. Maybe you can try from here?” I suggest.
“You mean Xiao Xiao Dian Xin belongs to your family? “He raises one eye browse as if surprised.
“Yes, it is.” I ask him. “You heard about us?”
His lips curls up. “I should have known it. “ He says. “You must be the one made the mooncake and jello.”
I nod and smile. “Yes, for the initial ones. But my family are making them now. Did you try any?”
“I’d love to. But I can never get there early enough.” He says. “Xiao Xiao Dian Xin has been the talk in Chang’an ever since Royal Moon Banquet. Everybody was talking about mooncakes and jellos.”
“You know for the list I gave you, I might miss something. Please be patient with me.” I can hear Ponu’s whining.
“I am always patient with you.” He says.
“Now we need to talk about profit sharing. Will it be all right if I take one tenth of the profit?”
“Is that all you want?” He asks.
“Is it too much? I can take less.” After all, I only provide the know-how.
“If you agree to marry me, you can own all of it.” He teases me.
I laugh too. “Right, Number thirteen.”
9 Welcome to the Family
“One last thing. “ I tell Zhao Yan while he helps me get on a one-horse carriage he just called for me. “My parents might not be nice to you. They had some really bad history with Xiongnu. Please understand.”
He sneers. “I have figured that part out when you told me the names of your brothers.”
Jinu, the name of my older brother, actually means attacking Xiongnu. Ponu means destroying Xiongnu. And my name Shiaonu, means laughing at Xiongnu.
“Well,” I laugh at his grudge. “At least, I won’t laugh at you. I will laugh with you.”
I made an exaggerated smile with my teeth clenching together.
He cracks up by my comic expression.
“Shiaonu.”
Both Zhao Yan and I turn our heads to the voice. My brother Jinu is darting towards us.
“Where have you been?” he yells at me loudly. “We have been searching for you all over.”
Before I can say anything, he turns to Zhao Yan.
“Who is this? Did he hurt you?” He asks with a very suspicious tone.
“Brother.” I cut in before he becomes hostile towards Zhao Yan. “This is Mr. Zhao, who has actually helped me.”
I quickly explain to Jinu. “I sneaked out of our house, trying to check out our neighborhood. But I got lost. I then walked a long time trying to find the way back. I was thirsty and tired. Mr. Zhao has bought me some tea and he is just about to send me home.”
Jinu doesn’t look like he believes what I said. But Zhao Yan quickly raise his hands together and bow to Jinu. “My name is Zhao Yan. I have a tanning shop in West Market Place. I saw your sister wondering on the street alone. Worrying about her safety, I offered her my help. She hurt her feet walking. I was just going to escort her home.”
Zhao Yan’s frank and polite words works better with Jinu, who bows back sincerely. “Thank you for taking care of my sister. I am Zhao Jinu. My family just opened a small stored called Xiao Xiao Dian Xin. You are very welcome to drop by any time. My parents would also be grateful for what you did.”
Zhao Yan acts as if he is surprised to find out we own Xiao Xiao Dian Xin. “Do you mean the Xiao Xiao Dian Xin?”
I see my brother Jinu stands taller when he takes the subtle yet flattering question. “Yes, that’s our store.”
Zhao Yan immediately greases up further. “For real? I have been coming everyday trying to buy some mooncakes. But they have always been sold out before my turn. Your business is the best among all the stores in both East and West Market Places. Actually the other day, some of my friends were guessing who owns the store. But none of us would have ever guessed such a young and handsome businessman.”
I laugh my heart out internally. Jinu’s face turns red on Zhao Yan’s comment. He bows again towards Zhao Yan.
“Thank you for such kind words. We are new in business and we still have a lot to learn. If you don’t mind giving me your address, I will send some mooncakes and jellos to you personally. And you can come to our store any time without waiting in line.” Then he adds. “I feel like I have seen you before.”
“I feel the same about you, Brother Jinu.” Zhao Yan says. “I feel very fortunate to meet you and Shiaonu today. Why don’t you join me tomorrow at Spring Wind restaurant? I have a regular gathering with a few friends. They have all been in business here for a long time. I am sure they would like to meet the new face in town. And it might be beneficial for you as well.”
By now, Jinu has totally bought in everything Zhao Yan just said. He thanks Zhao Yan again and promises to meet him and his friends in the restaurant the next day.
“Now I remember where I have seen him.” Jinu suddenly exclaims on the way home. “At the bamboo woods near lake in our Village.”
Oops. “When did you see him there?”
“A few days ago. He seemed as if he was looking for something.”
Luckily he did not see Zhao Yan and me together. A few days ago, I had been already locked up by my parents.
“Did Niang and Papa get really mad at me?” I ask Jinu.
“They are not mad. They are freaked out.” Jinu says. “Niang has been crying and blaming Papa to confine you in the house. She said you have been growing up running around our village freely, the city life and the confinement was too much for you.”
My Soul is in the Sky Page 8
