When something ends, it surely has new beginnings.

CHAPTER 8

(Past life)

Xue Zan:

"Xiong di, my faithful friend, let us mark an eagle on each other's hand so that in every lifetime we would meet again through this symbol."- Xue Zan

"We have known each other since childhood and we were with each other through thick and thin. Let us use the quill made with an eagle feather itself and carve the symbol into each other's hand."- Xiong di

Ling hun:

(Present life)

Three days after Aunt Qu's Death:

"According to Mr. Hai, he found her cadaver in a pond. Though it appeared as though she drowned herself, that was not the case because her lungs were not filled with water at that time. We performed a toxicology test and discovered that someone intravenously inserted strychnine into her and then dumped her into the pond. Due to asphyxia or in other words a deprivation of oxygen Tian Qu passed away. Her body was sent to the funeral home."- Coroner Yang

"Thank you Mr. Yang I appreciate all of the help you and your team gave towards my Aunt Qu."- Ling hun

(One year ago…)

"Aunt Qu, you look beautiful! Fu Jia is lucky to have a girlfriend like you."- Ling hun

"Ling hun this is the first time I dated someone after your uncle left me. I hope this is a good decision."- Aunt Qu

"Aunt Qu now is not the time to get mushy, you have spent your entire life taking care of me. You deserve this, go enjoy your date girl!"- Ling hun

"Just remember I put some dumplings in the fridge and if there is an emergency just call Jin Hai and he would come to the rescue."- Aunt Qu

"Okay okay, Fu Jia might leave you if you are always thinking about me, go have a fun time."- Ling hun

(Day of interment)

"Tian Qu, better known as Aunt Qu to me. She always wore a smile on her face. If anyone was in trouble she willingly lent a hand. My parents died a long time ago. I was at the stage of becoming an orphan. Aunt Qu saved me and took me in like her own child. I would never forget the time when Aunt Qu had this date. She was so nervous to leave me alone. I told her many times that she does not need to worry about me. That is just one instance to show how much of a good Aunt she was to me. May her soul cross the bridge to the afterlife safely. Aunt Qu I love…. I love"

Jin Hai rushed to pacify me. The white sleeves of his suit wrapped around my body felt reassuring that everything would be okay.

It was time for the burial of Aunt Qu. I watched as the men dug her grave. I glanced upon her beautiful smile once more.

"Ling hun, I bought this bouquet of flowers for you to give to Aunt qu."- Xiao xu

His soft hands handed me a bouquet of white chrysanthemums which I placed on Aunt Qu's red gown.

They closed the wooden casket which she peacefully laid in and placed her 6ft underground.

It began to rain, Jin Hai came with a black umbrella while Xiao xu came to shelter me with his jacket.

I held Xiao xu's shelter and walked away from Jin hai. I looked back, as the droplets of rain slided down his umbrella revealing his face of rejection. I needed some time to figure out Jin Hai's dark past and what was his motive in killing me in the past life.

Xiao xu and I reached home, well at least that was the general name for it. "Home" for me was long gone, I was just existing in a house. He held my white laced gloved hands and said, "Everything is okay, we will start fresh."

"Start fresh! Start fresh! Everyone keeps telling me that. How could I!? When my parents died, I pulled myself together and started fresh. When I was rejected 10 times in modelling gigs because I was not beautiful enough, I started fresh and worked towards looking better. I am human, sometimes people look at me as if I am Xi shi, yet no fish sinks when I look at them. Well I guess let me just pull myself together and start fresh again because Aunt Qu's death is just one of those things in my life that regularly happens."- Ling hun

"That was all I ever had to do as well. I was brought up by an alcoholic uncle who abused me when he was intoxicated. Child service then roped me in with foster parents who cared more about money than my existence. Eventually when I was 18, Shang was kind enough to lend me a room to stay. Until now I always had to start over."- Xiao xu

"I need some time to figure out some things and reflect." I bemoaned.

I gathered a cardboard box, written in black capital letters "old belongings". It was time for this pensive sadness to end.

I pelted gasoline on the ground. The flames ignited and circled around. One by one I placed each of Aunt Qu's belongings into the fire. When each item burned, so were the memories it had with it. It came down to the last item, which was a wrapped envelope.