House of Chen

  They were all there now, the whole of the Twin Hammers. They had assembled in their regiments, banners flying, tents up and the siege was in full swing. Tangun was completely locked down, both by water and by land. Any troops coming from across the border were intercepted and either detained or sent packing, their tails between their legs. Most civilians had also fled, but a few die-hards remained. They were invariably tied to the Mu in some way, usually financial. Second Master had arrived. He had left Yiran in the capable hands of the apothecaries. She didn't know where she was and was being kept under heavy sedation. He couldn't bare to watch as she thrashed about, screaming and calling for her children. It was from these screams and shouts, he had been able to piece together what probably had happened. Yiran had taken the two children up to Niao's house in the hills above the forge. Both children had been told to be extra careful, but the youngest was only four, and s...

More people were committing to the reparations division; accepting the brand and the tenure. Now the force was over five hundred men, young adults with no family to speak of, and a few women who had lost everything including their virtue. The teams had settled and women scattered into the groups, creating extended, working families. The women took up the roles of house keeper, tending to washing, cooking and mending. Some took on younger children and calling them theirs, began raising them. With working groups housing twenty or so men, the women felt useful, vindicated. Madam Min watched all of this and smiled. Slowly a new Chenxi was rising from the ashes. A new community was being created, one which accepted strangers, gave work to the beggar and dignity to the fallen, the lame, and the chronically disabled.  "Madam Min," a voice came from the door, making her jump back into the present, "may I come in and discuss things with you?" General Hao stood at the doorway...

  Madam Min stared at the remnants of her beloved town. Much of what she remembered had gone. The milliners which had stood on the corner was now a pile of burned out rubble. The butchers was boarded up as was the flower shop. The stalls which had once housed a bustling throng of people and sellers were just splintered wood lying, desolate on the floor. She walked further expecting to see carnage, but arrived at a scene which made her heart sing. Her boarding house was whole and vibrant. It had been rebuilt and repurposed, housing the children and some of the women she had collected and brought back. One saw her and yelled out, "Auntie!" Others looked up, and all came running to her, like chicklets to its mother. "You're here." "You're back." "Auntie, we missed you. Where's Tantan? She wasn't with us?" At that moment a frightened face appeared from behind Madam Min's skirts. "Tantan!" one little girl exclaimed and pu...

  Returning to Chenxi took longer than Madam Min had expected, but the sheer logistics of moving everyone, especially the children who insisted on running around, all excitedly, as well as all the reclaimed goods, required several journeys and controlled logistics. She had stayed behind until everything was cleared, ticking it all off her sheet as they went. Taking one final look around, she saw a little girl clutching a blanket, huddled under a tree. "Why are you still here, little one?" "I'm scared Auntie. What if the bad men are still there. What of they want to hurt me again?" Min's heart lurched as she looked into the little girl's face. She was another who had seen and experienced too much. "They are all gone now." she cooed, "the nice soldiers have sent them all away and now we've been told we can go back." "Are you sure Auntie?" Her eyes were filled with fear and tears spilled down her face. Min took her in her a...

  Min watched Second Master go up the hill toward his wife. She shook her head. 'I feel for him. I feel for her. She needs help otherwise she will not get through this ordeal.' She shook her head again, then, with resolve, ' this won't get the move done', she called the adults together for a meeting. It was time to move out and take everything they had salvaged back to Chenxi, ready for the rebuilding. She was under no illusions as to just how bad it would be. They needed carts, wagons, anything they could muster to get them all back. Assigning jobs to people, she sent them off to complete their tasks, then lifted herself off her chair and straightened her back. She was getting too old for all of this. Slowly, she left the make shift hut and started the trek up the hill to where she knew Yiran would be sitting. She heard it before she saw it. Reaching into her apron pocket she pulled out a vial in preparation. Yongle looked at her with obvious worry. "Its alrig...

  Xin went over to Băo and placed her hand on his shoulder. She felt his body tremble and she noted tears were falling on the face of the woman on the cot. "You know her?" "She is my sister." Xin tensed. She had never seen him like this. She didn't even know he had a sister, they never had time to talk about things like that. She quietly muttered to herself, 'when we have time, we must sit and tell each other of our pasts, our families, our hopes and dreams.' Out loud, all she could say was, "I'm sorry." He turned his head and faced her. Tears were falling freely down his cheeks. There was nothing but anguish in his eyes. "Is she dead?" Xin looked down and held a finger under her nose. There was the faintest of breaths, but it was clear she was close to death. "Barely." He looked down at her. "I can't let her suffer any more like this, I really can't." "Would you like me to do it?" "No. I...