Zen and Jao looked at Lin with wide hanging mouths.

““What?”” they both said.

“Oh its great!” she said with excitement. “I was expecting to get an earful but they instead offered me a job! Seems I came back more of a hero than I thought and the Captain of our adventuring party put in a good word for me. Since the City Lord died, they thought it would be best for me to take over and bridge a peace between the commoners and the nobles.”

“My-My daughter is going to be a City Lord?” Jao said in surprise. “Yipee!”

Jao’s actions surprised Zen. He had never seen him show any other emotion except smug and petty.

“Ding Wu!” Wang Lin called out.

“Yes, Miss?” Ding Wu said.

“Is there any rice wine left?”

“Yes, a bottle.” He answered.

“Serve it up for all of us. We’re going to celebrate.”

“E-Even me?” Zen said.

“Of course!” Lin hugged her son roughly. “I’m going to be City Lord soon so it’s not like I’m going to arrest myself!” She laughed as she led them to the dining room where they all, including Ding Wu, drank a cup of rice wine.

Zen was practicing his martial arts training. His mother walked out of the house with Shibi on her shoulder.

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“ZenZen!” she called out.

“Ma?” Zen said, stopping his training to walk to her.

“There’s a message that came through to you today.” She held up an envelope.

Zen took the envelope, “Thank you, Mother.” She studied the names on the envelope. “The Jao twins. Probably want to check up on me.”

He sat down and she sat next to him. Shibi rested on her lap and allowed her to massage him.

Zen looked at Shibi for a short moment, flipping the envelope in his hands.

“So, my ZenZen enjoy the rice wine?”

“Yes.” He smiled. “I enjoyed better than tea.”

“Ho ho ho, don’t tell me you’re becoming a raging alcoholic like your old Mom!” she said. “You know, once your father…” she paused and her voice softened. “Your father never drank.”

“Yeah, all he did was brood and build weapons.

They laughed together.

The laughter died down. “How do you feel about everything?”

“Sad… Confused…”

She nodded. “You know, my mother and I had a rocky relationship. Sometimes, I was really convinced that I hated that woman but when she died, hit cut me deeper than any blade. So I understand what you’re going through, Kid. If you ever need to talk, your mother is here for you.”

“Thank you, mother.” He gave her a reassuring smile.

Looking down on the envelope in his hands and broke the seal. He could see neat handwriting on the page peeking out from the envelope opening.

“Mother, since you are to be a City Lord, does that mean we can save the house?”

She frowned and shook her head no. “It would take some time for me to raise the funds to save the house, even as City Lord. But thankfully, we won’t be out on the street. As City Lord I’ll be given the City Lord mansion to live in and hey, its bigger than this house.”

“Still, not home.” He said under his breath as he pulled the letter out of the envelope and read the contents.

“So, what are my brother’s brats saying?” she said, peeking over to read.

“Normal things people send after a death.” Zen said as he kept reading. “Seems the school tournament will start soon also.”

“Huh, that’s useless information to you.” She said.

Zen looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean.”

“I didn’t like that your father sent you far away and if I was around, I would never have allowed it.” She said. “Now that I am back, your days at Goixi Academy are done.”