Bright and early, Han Shanyuan woke up. He needed to go ask for his copper and then visit granny Nuo Nuying’s stall and…no, he didn’t need to do that anymore. He smiled and pinched himself.
Yes, this was definitely real! He jumped up and made his bed. He had a bed now; he hadn’t had a bed ever since his mother died of the fever shortly after Han Fengfan was born.
Today he needed to go to his hiding spot and take all of their keepsakes. He’d ask Wei Zhaohui to clear him some space so that he could put them on display.
He wasn’t given his routine for today, so he supposed he would be going to school as usual. Furthermore, he ran to the bathing room and washed in cold water, not wanting to wake up his benefactors.
Then he put on yesterday’s robes on and pulled them around himself. Then he went into the kitchen determined to start on preparing breakfast, only to see Basil and Bjorn already there with Basil steering something delicious smelling in a pot.
“Do you need help?” He asked, and Basil smiled at him and pointed at the free spot next to Bjorn.
“For oatmeal? Nah. You sit tight and breakfast will be ready in a bit. Or you can go wake the lovebirds, your sister, and Wei Zhaohui. They need to bathe and get ready for the day, too.”
With this new task in hand, Han Shanyuan jumped up and ran first to Niki and Wei Caihong’s room. He found them curled up around his awake sister.
She waved her little hands at him. She was holding hair in each of them. Han Shanyuan smiled and went to tickle her just below her chin, so she would let go.
She liked gripping his hair too, even if his only reached to his shoulders. Her giggles woke up the sleeping pair. Niki reached out a hand and patted Han Shanyuan fondly.
“How did you get her to let go?” He asked, and Han Shanyuan demonstrated tickling his sister below her chin. Nikola’s finger soon joined him and the little girl caught, which was their cue to stop.
Nikola picked the child and got up, Wei Caihong following him. They went into the bathing room and when Nikola didn’t see any ashes in the little stove, they kept stocked with wood for appearances, he turned to look at Han Shanyuan.
“Didn’t you warm your water before you took a bath?”
“I didn’t want to risk starting a fire,” answered the boy truthfully.
“Well, tomorrow, you wake me. What if you get sick?” Han Shanyuan’s head was lowered, but he was smiling. It was good to have someone taking care of him again.
After the bath, Basil came into the dining area with the oatmeal and Bjorn in tow, and they had a breakfast once the oatmeal cooled. Once again, Han Shanyuan was feeding his sister, but this time Wei Zhaohui was sneaking in spoonfuls of his oatmeal to the little girl.
Then, when his oatmeal was eaten, Wei Zhaohui extended his hands and Han Shanyuan handed him the little girl and begun to eat his breakfast.
“There will be a debate for the first place,” said Wei Caihong from the head of the table. “I expect you both have good arguments for your key points.”
“But, isn’t my essay the best written?” Asked Wei Zhaohui. Surely all his hard work on his calligraphy had to amount to something, right?
“Grammatically, yes. You don’t have a single mistake,” said Wei Caihong, and then he pointed to Han Shanyuan. “But his mistakes are so few that they can be excused, and his passion for what he writes overshadow them.”
“What was your essay about, Han Shanyuan?” Asked Wei Zhaohui. What could be so extraordinary about it?
“It’s about how to manage your expenses when you live alone. What is yours about Wei Zhaohui?” Asked Han Shanyuan shyly. Ever since Wei Zhaohui had helped him with his calligraphy yesterday, he had begun to act better towards him.
“It’s about workshops that accept children and why it’s wrong,” said Wei Zhaohui and Han Shanyuan frowned.
“But, how could it be wrong? Your father gave me a chance to work for him, and now I have a roof over my head. Do you have any idea how many more children would jump at this opportunity?”
“Children should have time to go to school! I wrote that in my essay!” Replied Wei Zhaohui, his raised voice making the little girl in his arm tearing up. Han Shanyuan snatched his sister away from Wei Zhaohui.
“And what will they learn when their stomach grumbles, and they have to live off a half a steamed bun a day?” Han Shanyuan’s voice was equally raised, and soon Nikola snatched the little girl from his hands and stood up to get her to her crib.
“Safe your arguments for the debate,” said Wei Caihong sternly, but not before Wei Zhaohui pointed at Han Shanyuan and spoke.
“Your arguments fall flat and your idea for an essay is such a pity party. What will you teach everyone? How to…”
“Enough!” Yelled Wei Caihong and he pointed at the door. “Get out, Wei Zhaohui, and wait outside.”
The boy stood up and ran outside. Han Shanyuan’s head was held down.
“You should just let him have the first place, teacher Wei,” said the boy, but there was a slight waiver in his voice. “I made mistakes, after all.”
“Han Shanyuan…a copper a day to the poor isn’t really enough, is it?”
The boy sucked in a breath. He didn’t mean to sound ungrateful. Before teacher Wei begun to feed the poor, he had days in which he didn’t eat so that he could make sure that there was enough food for his sister.
“I know you can’t spare anymore, teacher Wei. And I don’t ask for more.”
“Before, you earned money doing chores, didn’t you? Has Nikola spoken with you about your pay?”
The boy waved his hands around and looked around the room. Basil and Bjorn were looking down at their plates. In this family, they didn’t do charity even though they were both rich. Bjorn’s mead was an instant hit with the adults, and Basil took on commissions which were very profitable. Han Shanyuan wondered if they felt guilt.
“You don’t need to pay me! I’ll be learning a craft. And I get to live here with my sister, and we are warm and fed.”
“The normal wage for an apprentice is three silvers per day. I will speak with Nikola and arrange that you get them. If you save them, for we will take care of your living and school expenses, you will be able to get your smithy running when your apprenticeship ends,” the boy should have had their forge, for Wei Zhaohui didn’t need it.
But the two boys didn’t get along, despite Han Shanyuan’s attempts. And if Han Shanyuan ranked first today, for Wei Caihong was going to give the guests the chance to pick the number one, then it would only get worse.
Nikola entered the room, without Han Fengfan, and sat back down next to Wei Caihong to finish his oatmeal.
“So, charity,” said Bjorn as he scratched the back of his head. “How do I go about it?”
“Are you kidding?” Asked Wei Caihong as he pointed his spoon at his grandson. “You taught me about the true nature of charity and how it differentiates with simply handing out things.”
“Well, yes. But I have no idea what people need.”
“Food in their bellies, clothes on their back and somewhere warm to spend the night, Master Bjorn,” said Han Shanyuan, and he covered his mouth. What if Bjorn gets angry at him now? Oh, why didn’t he keep his mouth shut?
“There has to be something more specific. A way to give them these things with them actually earning them. But there are too many people for me to hire them all,” said Bjorn as he poked at his oatmeal with his spoon.
“Once Master Wang defeats the kraken, then we can become a fishing village again. Then everyone will have food to eat,” said Han Shanyuan.
“I just wished he would hurry. The mermaids are crowding into the caves, trying to get away from the kraken. And…”
A thunder sounded and rain begun to pour outside. Wei Zhaohui ran inside, soaked.
“Do we still have to go to school today?” He asked, and Wei Caihong sighed.
“Yes, son. Now prepare the umbrellas. Han Shanyuan, help him. He’ll show you where they are.”
As soon as the two boys were out of hearing range, Wei Zhaohui ducked his head.
“I’m sorry. Your essay must be something else if papa is overlooking the mistakes.”
“You must have some good points too if you are considered for first place,” offered Han Shanyuan. The two boys grinned at each other and extended their hands towards one another.
“Let the best one in the school win,” said Han Shanyuan, and Wei Zhaohui winked at him.
“We both know it would be me.”
“Prat,” said Han Shanyuan, but he was smiling brightly. Was this how it was like to have a brother?
The debate was heated, and the title ended up going to Han Shanyuan, his topic being a little too close for comfort for most of the poorer residence of the village.
Wei Zhaohui received second place and people commented on his beautiful writing. He vowed to write about how good it was to adopt a child for the state exam. He wasn’t going to be showed up again.
They returned home. The rain hadn’t let up during the entire day. Then, just as Nikola was putting the finishing touches of their dinner, a man burst into their home. He was soaked to the bone, and he was crying.
“Wei Caihong! Wei Caihong! It’s Master Wang! He killed the kraken, but he is heavily wounded. You have to help him!”
“Where is he?” Asked Wei Caihong. He knew the truth about Master Wang, or rather Rudra, and he wondered what traditional medicine was going to do for him.
“He is outside. Should we carry him in?”
“Yes, quickly before he catches his death in this cold.”
Master Wang was barely clutching to life as they carried him in. His left arm had chunks bitten off it, just small enough to have come from an octopus’ tentacles.
People were crowding in the room, and they refused to leave even when Wei Caihong looked at them pointedly. He would need to heal the angel himself. He just hoped he could pass the healing chants he knew for calming songs. Determined to do this, he turned to Nikola.
“Get the kids to their bedroom. And bring me some herbal paste for all these wounds, my Emerald.”
Nikola nodded at him and grabbed Wei Zhaohui and Han Shanyuan and rushed them out of the room. All the while, Wei Caihong couldn’t help but wonder: where do angels go when they died?
