RFF - Chapter Ten (Part 1)

Everyone at the Tao Manor were anxious since Tao Tu Yun was unconscious.

'How is Tu Yun?' Luo Bing Liang asked the physician impatiently.

The physician let go of Tao Tu Yun's wrist. Then the physician looked at everyone's worried faces and shook head sadly at Tao Fang Ao.

'Second master Tao, lady Tao's heart condition is rare,' the physician said. 'Her heart pulse is faint like her heart stopped beating. I'm sorry. It appears lady Tao won't live past tomorrow.'

The bedchamber became silent and tenser. No one wanted to believe the physician's examination was true.

Su Wu cried loudly in a corner while Tao Fang Ao sat on the bed next to Tao Tu Yun, waiting for her to wake up.

'Impossible,' Luo Bing Liang said. 'Tu Yun is young. I won't believe she's dying. She only spat out blood. She is going to live a long life.'

Luo Bing Liang looked disbelievingly at Tao Fang Ling. She wanted Tao Fang Ling to tell the physician's examination was wrong.

'Are you certain...' Tao Fang Ling said.

'First master Tao, I'm sorry,' the physician said. 'I can't save lady Tao.'

'Second brother...' Tao Fang Ling said.

'Elder Jiang!' Tao Fang Ao called.

Elder Jiang ran into the bedchamber.

'Second master Tao, I'm here,' elder Jiang said.

Elder Jiang sensed the tension in the bedchamber. He suspected the physician gave bad news about Tao Tu Yun's health.

'Elder Jiang, have you prepared everything I asked you to prepare?' Tao Fang Ao asked.

'Yes second master Tao,' elder Jiang said. 'When the news was spread about lady Tao, many people voluntarily travelled around Luo Yang province and Liu Yue province and they helped to collect one thousand finger prints in two days.'

'Good,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Elder Jiang order the servants to prepare the wedding. I'm marrying Tu Yun tonight.'

Everyone were surprised by Tao Fang Ao's words except for Su Wu.

'Quickly, go prepare the wedding!' Tao Fang Ao ordered.

Elder Jiang stumbled backward, turned around and ran outside.

'Second brother, tell me what happened,' Tao Fang Ling said.

'First brother, come outside with me,' Tao Fang Ao said.

Tao Fang Ao's eyes lingered on Tao Tu Yun sleeping on the bed for a while then he followed Tao Fang Ling outside the bedchamber.

'Su Wu, stop crying,' Luo Bing Liang said. 'Tao Fang Ao won't let Tu Yun die.'

Luo Bing Liang patted Su Wu's back and followed Tao Fang Ling outside the bedchamber too.

'Mistress, did you hear?' Su Wu asked softly. 'Second master Tao is marrying you tonight. You're not going to die.'

In Tao Fang Ling and Luo Bing Liang's bedchamber, Tao Fang Ao stood in front of the window and he explained Tao Tu Yun's situation.

'Second brother, why didn't you tell us about Tu Yun's situation sooner?' Tao Fang Ling asked.

'Having less people know about Tu Yun's situation is my way of protecting her,' Tao Fang Ao said.

Tao Fang Ao wished Tao Tu Yun worried about her own life as much as she worried about saving people.

'I didn't think a gift like Tu Yun's gift exist in the world,' Luo Bing Liang said. 'It's as rare for someone like Tu Yun to exist in the world who cares more about saving people than her own life.'

'Second brother, what happens if the fortune teller's way to save Tu Yun's life doesn't work?' Tao Fang Ling asked.

Tao Fang Ling was skeptical about fortune tellers. But he wanted to believe Tao Tu Yun's life could be saved.

'Fang Ling is right,' Luo Bing Liang said. 'What should we do if Tu Yun...'

'It'll work,' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Tu Yun will be my wife, and we'll grow old together.'

Tao Fang Ling and Luo Bing Liang didn't want to upset Tao Fang Ao by voicing all their doubts. They looked at each other, and understood Tao Fang Ao loved Tu Yun too deeply to accept there was a chance the fortune teller's way would fail. They could only hope Tao Tu Yun's life could be saved.

'Second brother, you have two shichen hours left until the wedding,' Tao Fang Ling said. 'Go change into the groom's clothes. Let Bing Liang and I oversee the wedding preparations for you.'

'Thank you first brother,' Tao Fang Ao said.

Tao Fang Ling was both a father and older brother in Tao Fang Ao's eyes. Even though no one could stop Tao Fang Ao from marrying Tao Tu Yun, he was grateful for Tao Fang Ling's support.

'Second brother, you don't need to thank me,' Tao Fang Ling said. 'I'm your first brother, it's my duty to take care of you. I'll even fight with Dizang if Dizang appears to take Tu Yun's soul.'

Tao Fang Ling held Luo Bing Liang's hand, and they walked outside to oversee the wedding preparations.

In the evening, everyone from the Tao Manor attended the wedding in the ceremonial hall.

The groom Tao Fang Ao and the bride Tao Tu Yun were dressed in red.

Su Wu helped the unconscious Tao Tu Yun stand and bow during the wedding ceremony.

Elder Jiang cried the happiest tears to see Tao Fang Ao marry Tao Tu Yun because he watched Tao Fang Ao grow up.

After the wedding ceremony, Tao Fang Ao carried Tao Tu Yun to the bedchamber.

'Elder Jiang, did you put the fabric that Su Wu embroidered my wife's name and date of birth on the altar?' Tao Fang Ao asked. 'Have you instructed everyone what time to burn the paper finger prints and to ask the heavens to save my wife outside the bedchamber?'

'Yes second master Tao,' elder Jiang said.

'Good,' Tao Fang Ao said.

Elder Jiang walked outside the bedchamber, where Luo Bing Liang was scared they couldn't save Tao Tu Yun's life.

'Fang Ling, I'm scared...' Luo Bing Liang said.

'Bing Liang, you need to believe,' Tao Fang Ling said. 'For second brother's sake, all we can do is believe we can help save Tao Tu Yun's life.'

'First master Tao is right,' elder Jiang said. 'We need to believe we can help save second master Tao's wife. The Tao Household's ancestors are asking the heavens to save their descendant's wife too.'

Xiao Hong and the other servants gathered outside the bedchamber before the ox hour because they wanted the heavens see how much they truly wanted the heavens to let Tao Tu Yun live.

The servants stared anxiously at the lit red lanterns outside the bedchamber while they asked the heavens to let Tao Tu Yun live.

Tao Fang Ling gave out scented candles to the servants. They knelt around a circle of lit scented candles outside the bedchamber.

At the hour of the ox, everyone at the Tao Manor heard an eerie dog bark that sounded like Ox Head coming toward the bedchamber.

Inside the bedchamber, Tao Fang Ao hugged Tao Tu Yun tightly. If he couldn't feel her faint heartbeat then he would have thought she was dead.

Tao Fang Ao heard the eerie dog bark too. He wasn't going to let Ox Head take Tao Tu Yun from him.

A gust of wind blew the lit red lanterns in the bedchamber. Tao Fang Ao heard crunching footsteps on the scattered rice floor, and saw Ox Head's footprints on the scattered rice floor too. In his life, he feared losing Tao Tu Yun the most.

'No!' Tao Fang Ao said. 'I won't let anyone take Tu Yun away from me!'

Tao Fang Ao felt an invisible presence going back and forth in front of the bed like it was searching for something.

A while later, Tao Fang Ao felt Tao Tu Yun stopped breathing, and the invisible presence slowly moved away from the bed.

Tao Fang Ao looked toward the open door and he was scared to see Ox Head carrying Tao Tu Yun's soul away from the bed. In that moment he truly believed the fortune teller's words.

'No!' Tao Fang Ao yelled.

Everyone heard Tao Fang Ao's pitiful yell, and they ran into the bedchamber. When they saw Tao Fang Ao cry, they cried too.

Luo Bing Liang cried loudly on Tao Fang Ling's chest. She didn't want to accept that they failed to save Tao Tu Yun's life.

'Mistress...' Su Wu called in a choked voice and cried.

'Everyone leave!' Tao Fang Ao said. 'Don't disturb my wife and me!'

Everyone saw Tao Fang Ao buried his face on Tao Tu Yun's neck, and they understood how much he was grieving.

After everyone went outside the bedchamber, Tao Fang Ao still hugged Tao Tu Yun tightly. He didn't want to accept he lost Tao Tu Yun forever.

Memories of Tao Tu Yun appeared in Tao Fang Ao's head. Like the first day he met her and saved her from a pervert. How she looked when she found out she lost the betrothal jade bracelet. She wasn't angry and attempted to leave the Tao Manor. That day he didn't know why he didn't want her to end their betrothal and thought of ways to detain her at the Tao Manor. He was attracted to her gentleness and kind heart. He didn't know when his attraction turned into deep love. But the moment Ox Head took her soul, he truly knew how deeply he loved her.

Tao Fang Ao regretted hurting Tao Tu Yun when he said he was disappointed in her because she risked her life regardless of how much he and the people who care about her valued her life.

Tao Fang Ao kissed Tao Tu Yun's forehead and his tears dripped onto her face.

***

End of Chapter Ten (Part 1)