A humble creak cut its way through the thick forestry, descending downhill in a wriggly fashion. Pebbles deposited close and numerous smaller creatures gathered around to quench their thirst. In one particular section, where a group of large boulders laid together on one side of the bank, a fox suddenly appeared out of the nearby shrubs on the opposite side in all its arrogance. To the dismay of those present, the little critters scurried and scattered, and the fox was readily left to his own space. Sticking out his long tongue in triumph, the fox lowered his head to the damp soil. Cool water sprinkled plentifully, exciting the fox more. A quiet whimper of delight later, and he finally edged near the body of water. As his tongue was about to lick up into his mount, the fox’s ears sprung upwards in instinct.
He jerked his head to his behind, where the ever approaching sounds of crunching leaves grew louder and more frequent. Warriness filled his mind as he considered his choices. He hasn’t had a drink yet, but there was a possibility that a lone predator, such as an outcast wolf, could be coming here to do the same.
A low hum through his mouth. He has decided against it.
The fox took precaution and proceeded to quietly retreat to the exact bushes from before. He moved slowly to avoid making a sound, however, the fox underestimated the speeding intruder.
Seconds later, a paw away from cover, the loud crackling of a fallen branch perked up the fur on his back. He was in a state of panic and immediately jolted away to safety. His heart pumped heavily as he turned to the sounds. The central and largest boulder shook unnaturally, and out atop it, appeared a blur of black and brown.
“...!”
It leaped overhead, momentarily blocking a patch of sunlight above him. The fox craned its head up, barely keeping up with its trajectory, as it vanished shortly afterwards, into the forests ahead. Only the loud thud of a fall greeted the fox a quick goodbye.
“...”
His wide ears twisted around. Fortunately for him, only the chirping of birds and the calm flow of the creak filled his ears. It appeared that no more threats were close. The fox let out a cheerful squeak in realisation and approached near.
First dip into the water and the fox felt so refreshed.
.
.
.
Amidst the green forestry, an increasing dominant number of spots marked red, yellow or orange riddled across the treetops. Leaves began to change colour as summer came to an end and the heat waves grew colder with another chilly one blowing past the tree trunks.
The ends of his dark brown robe were once again lifted airborne, fluttering gracefully in the wind, after ReZhui smoothly got up from the somersault. His legs were like springs, propelling him faster and further as he zoomed across the mountainous terrain undeterred. Through all the obstacles that roughened his trek, ReZhui easily weaved over approaching rocks and fallen logs. The angled landscape of the mountain that once needed both his legs to be placed steadily on the ground, now he was simply skipping about from a kick of one of his feet. Although there was no trail, ReZhui took no pauses to reconsider his directions. He has done this path for a significant portion of his life. For any detour he took, ReZhui would still make his way back to the ‘regular’ track.
He knew this place like the back of his hand.
Parkouring over a surfaced tree root, ReZhui finally heard it.
He never fails to smile at the sight of this fantastic accomplishment from a while ago. This was something he and his beloved father took great pride in; they even took part in constructing it.
ReZhui soon reached a wide clearing from the line of trees and was greeted by a wooden fence surrounded by decorative stones and sparkling pebbles. Grass and maintained weeds covered the rest of the open space showing its modernity and care. Across the waist height fence, there it was.
A road that stretched far on either side as usual, but was widened a fair amount and now sported two full lanes for two four-horse carriages traveling both ways. There were also spaces at the edges that served as pavements for pedestrians such as himself. What was once a road riddled with mud and potholes, was renovated into a dirt road with improved smoothness, and currently lying beside him, the road was now tiled in a manner of engineering feat similar to those roads paved along the outskirts of DongBu. Sticking the stones to the ground, layers of cement and clay of varying proportions ensured the road’s rigidity.
ReZhui’s eyes sparkled and his mouth formed a proud grin.
With finesse, he jumped over the wooden fence with ease and landed softly on the stone pavement. He took out a handkerchief from his inner pockets and wiped his neck and face clean. Although ReZhui knew his body was already well-adapted to this form of travel and is incredibly efficient at it, he still does it for decorum. In the end, he returned his handkerchief, only slightly damp from his sweat, into his pockets.
Just as he finished adjusting his clothes, a long column of horse drawn carriages and wagons strolled past him. ReZhui took a glance at them as they passed uphill.
There were three stagecoaches and seven cargo wagons with a bodyguard escort of twelve men on horseback. They were armed with simple spears and swords with majorly leather armour, while most of the goods they carried were draped with durable, waterproof cloth all over them so ReZhui had no way to know what they sold.
“...”
Some of the guards also eyed back to the fourteen year old kid in the brown robe on the opposite pavement. Naturally, they dismissed him of any threat being of that age and proceeded on with the others. ReZhui realised this but decided it’s not worth the fuss over. Unbeknownst to them, that boy could possibly single handedly beat all of them in a fight.
They went their separate ways.
.
.
.
Further down the road to DongBu, ReZhui passed by a lot more people. There was a travelling couple that was in the middle of their hike up this trail to his village. Another train of wagons held an impressive amount of fabrics and iron tools for their trade later uphill. Finally, a group of artisans, riding on horseback, raced past ReZhui’s walking pace and all he saw was their diminishing outlines as they descended down the mountain.
Overall, it was quite the leisurely stroll.
He playfully held out his arm onto the fence. The coarse natural wood rubbed his bare skin while he neared an upcoming batch of wild flowers. Its bold scent wafted towards his nostrils, tickling him close for an impromptu sneeze. Thankfully, it never came to be.
The road then curved right and continued downwards. Every few minutes or so, there would be a wide and gradual turn around a curb, alternating from right to left. This uniform design made the road appear like a slithering snake at the steepest of places, and a major improvement from the earlier route.
Soon enough, ReZhui reached the halfway point, where a recognizable site stood strong all these years and was just as lively as he remembered it to be. Unchanging, it was a relatively flat clearing that had grown larger. From above here, two trails of smoke now emerged out from the treeline with one much darker than the other.
Approaching closer, ReZhui saw a small tavern to his left. Single-storied and newly constructed out of wood and brick. The eatery was majorly outdoors with a simple frame holding a feeble roof, with some seats spread out beyond the tavern’s platform. A red and white banner of tattered cloth hung loosely atop a tall makeshift pole of wood outside the premises and close to the road. Inside, a lowly family of seven ran the operations and were now attending to six tables of travellers.
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“...”
ReZhui then faced his right where a familiar sight filled his eyes. Nostalgia swarmed within, and his heart felt warm. It has been years since he graduated from there but that never meant he wouldn't keep in touch.
Since the road was built further away from the school to prevent unwanted noise pollution and disturbance, the large front yard which was originally part of the dirt road was turned into the school’s very own homegrown vegetable garden. Two large boxed fields of soil now reaped a plentiful harvest with four lines of fully grown cabbage each. Beyond that was the previous fence, left as a memory of the old, and at the very end, was finally the school itself, always retaining its humble self. However, despite the changes and developments made surrounding it,the bungalow grew more worn down compared to half a decade ago. The paints were very much faded and parts of the wooden beams were starting to decay.
Regardless of its dilapidated state, its doors still remain open for everyone willing to learn, and aside from some ruckus of the eatery, ReZhui could clearly hear the vigorous activity of reading children.
As he stayed a while, curious to decipher what exact passage the students were chanting aloud, someone slowly and quietly crept up towards him. Footsteps crunched softly on the sandy ground before the individual pounced on him.
But, ReZhui was aware of this and instinctually sidestepped to the left. He also raised his right leg simultaneously, catching the person and breaking a dangerous fall. He smirked back at the individual, raising them up steadily.
“Not today, XiaoAi. Try better next time.”
“That’s not fair, Big Brother ReZhui!”
An adorable girl's voice sounded.
“Your big brother will never fall for it!” came his playful reply.
It was the tavern owner’s third daughter and the youngest in the family. Dressed plainly in several hand-me-down robes layered tightly with four pigtails held by pink ribbons, the six year old immediately pouted. Her eyes grew watery in defeat.
“...” Unsurprised that she would do this, ReZhui glanced annoyingly towards the tavern’s entrance, where her father manned the counter. ReZhui also guessed that the mother must be in the kitchen but the other children were nowhere to be seen. Hearing her childish wails, the father, a man in his late forties, frantically got up and looked far in his direction, and instantly calmed down once he realized it was ReZhui she was dealing with. Giving the teen a lethargic grin, he went back to his accounting.
“...” ReZhui slumped, knowing the father just left him alone to attend to this little gremlin. Nonetheless, he gladly entertained her for the time being.
“Say, XiaoAi, where are the rest of your brothers and sisters?”
ReZhui crouched to her eye-level.
“NO! Fall first when I push you!”
“...! Haa…”
ReZhui then spread his arms wide, and the little girl took her chances. She rushed forward, tackling him hard to the ground with her falling onto his torso.
“YAY!”
She gave him a wide smile.
“Argh…alright, XiaoAi, get off now.”
“Alright!”
As ReZhui dusted off his clothes, the girl finally answered, like she needed to receive payment first.
“Some brothers and sisters are still studying, and Eldest sister is out to get the groceries.”
“Oh right, school…” ReZhui never considered that.
“My turn! What brings you here, Big Brother? Because today, Mama brewed delicious soup. The pot is huge!”
“I’m not hungry yet, XiaoAi, but thanks for the invite.”
“Aww…”
“B-but, to answer you earlier, I’m returning to DongBu for errands.”
“...What’s ‘errands’”
“Right…Just know that I got things to do down there. Lots of them.”
“Can XiaoAi come? She’s been bored since morning!”
“Haha,” ReZhui pinched her plump red cheeks.
“Ey! Itsh urts!”
“You got a good heart, XiaoAi. Sadly though, no matter how many times you ask, it will always be the same answer.”
“A hard no…?”
“Well, not sternly hard, but yes, that’s you’re right”
“But, helping out at the eatery is boring! Boring!”
ReZhui could feel the father’s gaze on him; piercing eyes telling him quickly subdue this raging tantrum. Fortunately, he sort of came prepared.
“Remember XiaoAi, once you turn eight, you will truly be as busy as your siblings.”
He then pointed her at the school opposite them.
“You will be learning so much that I assure you, one day, you will come running back to me in tears for the amount of work you have to put in.”
However, rather than fear, this bold girl took it as a challenge.
“...Papa said the same thing…I hoped you said something different, Big Brother.
“Haha…that’s simply all there is to it.”
“Is that truly it?”
“Yes.”
“Aww…I have to wait another two more years…”
She fiddled clumsily with her oversized sleeves.
And just as they finished their small talk, the sounds of cheering students erupted out of the school.
“...!”
ReZhui and XiaoAi, along with the others at the tavern, turned to the front yard where the doors smacked wide open and children that only reached ReZhui’s lower torso poured out in numbers.
“Big Brother, is that…”
“It’s lunch break, XiaoAi, and I suppose you could be preoccupied with your brothers and sisters. Look, there they are!”
In their direction, two boys and a girl ran towards them.
“Afternoon, Big Brother ReZhui!”
They cheered in unison.
“Good afternoon to you all as well. So, XiaoAi, what do you do now?”
“...Yes! Everyone, Mama’s prepared soup for us!”
“Yay!”
With that, the siblings gathered together and raced against each other for the kitchen.
“Bye bye, Big Brother ReZhui, I’ll save some for you when you return!” came her final farewells before disappearing into the interior.
“Thank you, XiaoAi! Have fun!”
He waved back at them.
“...”
Now with everything settled, he could finally continue his journey.
However, before he could turn to face the pavement, a large arm caught him by the neck in total surprise. It then tugged him close for a tight bear hug, and all of this happened in the blink of an eye.
“REZHUI!” shouted a deep male voice as he proceeded to lift him off the ground and squash him whole.
“I’VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH! WAHAHA, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE WE LAST CROSSED PATHS! I’VE HEARD EVERYTHING! WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE DOING SO WELL!”
“...!” ReZhui felt his eyes popping out and he could even hear his own heartbeat as he barely made out the words spoken. But with his mouth muffled by the man’s chest, ReZhui struggled to tell him to stop and the man was screaming out aloud himself. That’s until a youthful woman intervened.
“REZHUI! REZHUI-AH AH YEI YEI! STOP IT, WEIQI! STOP IT!” suddenly came the man’s high-pitched shrieks of agony. His ears quickly grew flush red as WeiQi pinched them with her sharp nails, pulling hard at the pinna and away from his head as well.
Side eyeing her, WeiQi gave the man an annoyed glare.
“Clumsy brute, can’t you see ReZhui’s in pain right now? Hah, I can’t believe an idiot like you is still adamant about joining the imperial government.”
“Huh…OH MY GOSH, REZHUI!”
“...”
The man finally realised ReZhui’s deflated state and hurriedly set him down carefully. Giving ReZhui time to gather himself together, WeiQi continued to berate the man mercilessly, to which he simply tossed aside her criticisms with a carefree attitude.
Eventually, ReZhui regained his composure and approached the bickering duo.
They too noticed this and made eye contact once more. This time it was a proper introduction, and ReZhui began the conversation.
“Older Brother Wei of Wei HuaYan?”
“Yep, that’s me in the flesh!”
Two heads taller than ReZhui, HuaYan was now a fully grown adult of a burlier physique, dressed plentifully in an orange and brown HanFu tunic, thick white inner layers and a star patterned maroon robe that was draped over his well-built body. He also wore a black cap decorated with white ornamental pearls, making it seemed like he had cut his hair short. His face was angular with a prominent jawline. A small goatee completed his look, signaling his outward maturity.
Slinged behind his back, HuaYan carried a white cloth bag, containing his and WeiQi’s necessities.
ReZhui then faced her.
“Older Sister Tian of Tian WeiQi?”
“Long time no see, ReZhui. You’ve grown well.”
Slightly taller than him, WeiQi too had become a full-fledged grown-up with a petite frame, shown more prominently with her uniquely narrow shoulders. Sporting a simple, but extremely elegant HanFu skirt of natural pink and flower-patterned peach that fell gracefully from the top of her relatively well-endowed chest, she also wore an inner layering of lime green with narrower openings at the long ends of the sleeves. Keeping her warm in the autumn wind was a thick, wide scarf of scarlet that hung over her neck, flowed down her shoulders and behind her forearms. Light makeup was applied and her silky black hair was let loose with a part of it forming a flower bun atop her head with glimmering fasteners.
Together, they both attracted quite the attention from everyone around them, but there’s more than what meets the eye to them as ReZhui experienced earlier.
Smiling back at them, ReZhui crossed his hand in a greeting salute.
“Good afternoon, Seniors, we truly have a lot to catch up about.”