Chapter 3 The survival....

Yanshu and her father are now in a stranger town, she has to live her life from the beginning. Her father was very sick to be able to survive on the roads, so she rented a cheap place for them,

it was an old, shabby, broken cottage, but for her, it was a better one. She cleaned the place and rebuilt it to be able to live there, all the money she had was finished, and now she had to find a way to earn, her father couldn't make statues anymore.

During her previous life in the village, she learned a little knowledge of herbs, so she started herb farming and made money by selling them in the market in disguise.

In a very short period, she was able to afford the house she rented, and was famous for her rare herbs and spices. Her father was getting better day by day and was able to walk on his own.

One afternoon, when she was in the market, a man came near her and asked,

" Hey boy, are you the one who sold me statues, on that night? do you remember me?"

Yanshu saw his face, and though it was night when she saw him for the first time, she was able to recognize her savior, and she was happy to see him again.

"yes sir, how could I forget, you were my Savior that day," she said.

"I was searching for you all this time and you are here, you don't sell, statues now?" he asked

"no sir my father is ill and I don't know how to make statues, so I sell these herbs for a living," said Yanshu,

"Can I meet your father?" he asked,

She hesitated, but at last, said,

"ok sir, I will take you to him, but can I ask why?"

he smiled,

" It's nothing kid, I just want to see him once, I like his work back then"

Yanshu took him to her father, her father was sitting outside, waiting for her,

" Father, meet him, he was the one who bought the statues the other day,"

he introduced himself,

" My respect to you, I am Jinhai",

her father was very happy to see him and bowed to him to show his gratitude, that man said,

" no, an artist like you should be respected," he sat beside him.

"I came to meet you with a special request, that can change our lives,"

her dad was surprised,

" What request sir, in such a state what can I offer you?"

that man continued

" I am here to ask you to make a statue one last time"

Yanshu came near and said,

"Sir, you can see his condition with your own eyes, I was not jabbering, he is ill and I don't want him to take any risk,"

"no kid, it's not a small matter, it's an enormous matter"

They both were astonished to hear that and looked at each other,

"no need to Panic, listen to me carefully"

Yanshu sat on the ground to listen to what he was saying, her father was eager too,

"The statues I bought from you I gifted them to some of the officials in the capital, and one of them was passed on to the prime minister ",

Both father and daughter were shocked to hear that name, it was a very big thing for ordinary people like them.

he continued,

" no don't fear, it's not a bad thing, he liked it very much, and called me to meet him, and you know what he said,"

Yanshu was listening to him very carefully.

" What...?"

"He asked me to meet you in person to request you to make another one, but that has to be rare, precious..." he said.

" but I am unable to make any..."

her father said mournfully.

"no.. no...no... don't say that, I will help you, you have to do that "

"but... how?" said Yaofan.

" I will provide the best doctor to cure you, and give you the best of my men to assist you, don't worry we will make it, the unique in the world... the one and the only one," he said closing his eyes as if dreaming huge.....

Yaofan was confused by Jinhai's attitude...

" Is it for the prime minister, or someone else...?"

" you can't even imagine, it's not for any normal man,...it's for The Emperor of this land ..."

they both were shocked,

" Emperor ...but"

"We can earn a lifetime treasure if he liked it, and this son of yours can get a job in the capital... there won't be a struggling life anymore and not only that, the prime minister will reward you for your work before presenting it to the Emperor" he said very excitedly.

Yanshu and Yaofan were thinking about it,

but he said,

"It's an opportunity that every artist long for... I have been searching for you for the last two months, and now I finally found you"

Yanshu worried that a huge opportunity may turn into a huge threat because she fears government officials, but his father thought about Yanshu and said,

"ok, sir I will make one, no need for any help I will do it with my own ability"

Yanshu was stunned by his reply,

but Jinhai was very happy,

"ok then I will return in a week to take you, and the monument, but remember that it has to be the most precious one,"

he said and gave him some money for the raw materials and left from there.

Yanshu was restless and asked her father,

" Father, why did you agree? It is not a trivial matter, involving officials made our lives hell and now The Emperor...it is a death wish"

"It will be my last work my sweety, I lived my whole life for you, and I want to earn more for you so that I can send you off with glory"

She started crying,

"we will be beheaded if anything goes wrong"

"Trust me, my child, don't worry God helps those who believe in themselves" consoled her father.

He asked her to bring mud and all the other tools needed to make a monument and started making it.

it took him four days and nights, Yanshu was busy with her farming and didn't have the time to see what her father carved.

On the Fifth day, Yanshu was keeping the dried herbs inside, she saw the statue covered with a cloth, she went near to see what amazing thing her father made to present to the Emperor...

But her father started coughing vigorously and she rushed to see him, he fainted out of weakness, he had been working for days without resting.

She helped him to get up and made him drink medicine,

"Father if you don't take care of yourself, I won't let you work anymore, I don't want any money or treasure, I want my father to live a healthy life with me," she said.

He was very tired and the soothing medicine she gave to him caused him to sleep, so he napped.

Yanshu went back to her work and collected the herbs and took them to market to sell them,

In the evening when she came back she went in to conserve the remaining herbs and saw the monument standing before her, she went near and removed the covered cloth and she was awestruck to see it...

What was it that made Yanshu astonished.....whose statue did her father made to convey to The Emperor, and what was his reaction on seeing it....

read more....to...know more....

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