Lady on The Forest

The clashing swords echoed in the spring pine forest, two handsome young men practicing swords.

Pin Zin and Lan always practiced when the opportunity came, and they were even, but this time Pin Zin managed to make Lan drop the sword several times.

He slashed Lan's arm and caused a pretty big wound.  Instantly their practice stopped.

"Aia, what's wrong with you, Lan?"  Pin Zin anxiously tugged at his best friend's arm.  "See, there's quite a lot of blood. You should focus more on practicing. Come on, and I'll treat your wound."

"No need, just a small wound, no big deal."

"That's a big deal for me, you know.  Sit there, and I'll prepare the medicine." Pin Zin swiftly went to look for the medicinal herbs around them. "If anything is bugging your mind, tell me.  I'll help you."

"Well, nothing.  Just relax." 

For Lan, Pin Zin was his best friend and always helped him solve problems, but this time he definitely couldn't. Lan's situation was burdensome and had an impact on the dukedom.

There was someone who could lighten Lan's mind, but he was reluctant to ask for her help.

"Where's your wound, here."  Pin Zin sat next to Lan, munching on the leaves.

He pulled Lan's injured arm, then smeared the chewed medicine onto the wound.

"So disgusting. Let go!"  Lan snapped.  "I don't want your spit, don't give your spit to me!"

"Saliva is the best medicine created by God. My saliva can heal wounds. You remember when I fell and cut my arm, smear it with saliva, and it heals."

Even though it's disgusting, it makes sense.  Lan let Pin Zin rub the potion he made on the wound.  It hurts, like being skinned, and Lan winced in pain.

"Enough, Pin Zin! I don't like your saliva, and I don't want it!"

"What the heck, Dude! People can misunderstand if you shout like that!"

"Enough, you idiot, it hurts!  Pull away, and I don't want it!"

"My saliva is efficacious, and you must be cured!"

From a distance came the voices of several girls. "Oh look, what are they doing there?"

"Hey, isn't that Pin Zin? Great, his dad is looking for him.  Pin Zin!" a girl shouted, running over.

"Oh shit. Hold on, Lan, wait here. I'll be back with some food."  Pin Zin mounted the horse and fled from there.

"Damn brat," muttered Da Xie. 

She arrived with several other girls, laughing at Pin Zin. 

Lan got up, his palm touched his left chest, and bowed in greeting.  "Miss Da Xie."

"No need to be formal with me."  Da Xie found a wound on Lan's arm. She sat and put the bucket on the ground. "Who treated your wound? It's disgusting."

"Pin Zin."

Some girls laughed hard at hearing that name. Then they said goodbye and left.

"Sit down, Lan, wipe your arms. Surely that loser is good at hunting, but in medicine, he's good as nothing. Does he think saliva is healthy? No, saliva is the source of disease."  Da Xie picked up some plants, then pounded them finely against the rock.

Lan sat watching the girl, two years older than him, pounding the plants.

Her eyes are black, with a gentle gaze exuding a motherly aura.  Her thin face was elegant and always gave Lan a sense of warmth.  

Da Xie often visits Lan's dreams and becomes the beautiful angel he adores most. She was always being a mature woman and a good listener, as well as a wise one. Lan loved to confide in her.

Da Xie seemed to be able to read inside Lan's thoughts. "What's wrong? Just tell me, if I can help, I will."  She sat on a log beside Lan, dousing the wound with clean water.

Lan told Da Xie what had happened. The girl listened carefully as she rubbed medicine on Lan's arm.  

It was strange, and there wasn't the slightest bit of pain when the wound was touched by her soft hand.

"So what do you want, Lan?" Da Xie finished treating Lan.

"I want to take advantage of the offers from Han and Ning. But we all had agreed to refuse."

"I'm not a political expert. But, you should be honest with yourself, tell your brothers and father about what's on your mind."

"I'm afraid to make them angry, but if I keep on dark, this opportunity would be wasted."

Both Lan dan Da Xie was silent while taking a deep breath.  Lan had expected that Da Xie would not be able to help her this time, but now he was relieved after he had shared his heart with the woman next to him. 

"I heard from some tribal girls there is a teahouse called Sui Yan. They prepared a good, neat green tea. Maybe by drinking tea, you can find a way out."

"Drinking tea?" Lan remembered something. "A man who said my father was stupid and imbecile. According to the official, he often plays Go with other scholars."

Lan found Xie's smile adorning those thin lips.  

He thought, Was she deliberately helping by reminding me about that mysterious man?

Lan reached for the flower-tattooed palm. Grasping tightly, then hugged Da Xie.  "Thank you, Xie. Without you, I would forever be trapped in the dark."

 "Where are you going now?"

 Lan mounted his horse.  "To the teahouse, tell Pin Zin to catch up!"  He galloped his horse towards the capital.

"Lan, eat first! You haven't eaten yet!"

"Later!"

Xie shook her head with a smile.  "Man always being a man. Sight, I should tell him honestly from the beginning to go together to the teahouse." She took a bucket filled with clean laundry and went to the tribe's land.

Thanks to Da Xie, Lan had new hope to solve his problem.  

He was curious, what kind of man was Yan Liang?  Why do many scholars and even officials like to play Go with him?

 ****