Jinshan Temple

Suzhen closed her eyes, exhausted, as they busied themselves with the baby. Incredulously, she heard the tiny, fragile wail, so thin it was like a breath of incense smoke, and opened her eyes slowly to see Wanwan lower the baby into her arms, wrapped in a blanket.

She frowned, amazed at how tiny it was, and gazed at the little mouth, the eyes squeezed shut, and the fingers curled into small fists.

"That was the quickest birth I ever saw," Hui Niang declared triumphantly. "You see, didn't I tell you to hold on for a bit more? You're very fortunate, child. Your first birth was such a fast one. The gods were smiling on you. A boy, too! You should be very proud of him, and yourself. What will you call him? Or will Mao Gongzi name him?"

Wanwan cleared her throat but Hui Niang did not notice. "He'll surely take after you, my dear, and be a handsome young man. In fact, I think he has Mao Gongzi's ears, don't you think?"

"Mao Gongzi is not his father," Suzhen said quietly. Her hand came up slowly and rested, wonderingly, on the child.

Hui Niang raised her eyebrows but Wanwan nudged her discreetly. "Ah, I see," she said slowly. "Well, you have a good rest, my dear. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow, just in case. Wanwan knows what to do, don't you?"

Suzhen was not listening. She was thinking of Xuxian, wondering with a burst of anguish whether he had any idea that their child had just entered the world. That they had a son.

A large tear slid noiselessly down her cheek, but she was smiling. Very gently, she caressed the small damp head on her breast and started humming softly.

Wanwan picked up the basin of bloody rags and cast a concerned glance at Madame before she left the chamber. It was easy enough to guess what Madame was thinking about. For a moment she wondered whether it was really impossible for Madame to marry Mao Gongzi after all.

As she exited the chamber she saw Mao Jin pouring himself a cup of wine. He caught her eye and offered her a cup generously. "Here, Wanwan. You must need some as well after all that."

His eyes fell on the basin of bloody rags in her arms, and he choked slightly, hurriedly looking away.

Wanwan's nostrils flared slightly. Once again, she was not very impressed with Mao Gongzi.

Hastily, Mao Jin downed the wine and refilled his cup. "I am never taking in another pregnant woman again," he declared darkly. "If I have to go through this again, I believe the strain would kill me."

"One would think you were the one giving birth, rather than someone who simply stood outside the whole time," retorted Wanwan disgustedly. "You don't sound like a man ready to be father."

Mao Jin held out his hands. "I am not," he said firmly. "I am clear on that. "

"You should be congratulating Madame," Wanwan said stiffly. "Hui Niang said she had never seen such a fast birth! Madame did very well, especially considering it was her first child. Gongzi, you should go and see Madame."

He waved her away. "I will, I will, once my nerves have recovered."

Wanwan sniffed, letting her disapproval show itself across her face, and marched away with the basin muttering to herself under her breath about ungrateful people as loudly as she dared.

Finishing his wine, he stood up and went slowly towards the chamber. He was glad, glad for Madame Bai that she and the child were safe. But there was a heaviness in his heart that he could not explain.

Tapping gently at the chamber door, he waited until he heard Suzhen's sweet "Come in," and pushed open the door hesitantly.

"How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

She looked very drawn, almost as bad as when she had first arrived, but her eyes were luminous like the new moon, and there was a smile on her lips that gave an incredibly soft and warm expression to her face.

For answer she drew back the fold of the blanket, showing him the sleeping baby's face. "Hui Niang says he looks like me. But she also said he has your ears, so I am not confident in her judgement."

There was a teasing glint in her eyes. Mao Jin coughed awkwardly. He stooped forward, peering curiously at the tiny, crumpled red face, and wondered how anyone had the boldness to declare they could see any resemblance to anyone at all. It was his first time seeing a newborn baby and he guiltily found himself comparing it absently to a bundle of washing.

Swallowing this thought, which he knew would have made Wanwan glare at him, he answered smoothly, "She's quite wrong, don't worry. My ears were never so large."

Suzhen smiled. "How dare you. Be careful I don't box your ears, they'll be twice their size if so."

Pulling over a chair, he sat down by the bedside. "Well, you did it," he said softly. "Congratulations, Madame Bai. May the gods protect you and your son, for you deserve a peaceful life."

She stared upwards at the curtains over the bed. "There is still something I need to do before I can think of living peacefully," she said quietly.

"Come now. Surely you're not thinking of leaving right now?" demanded Mao Jin in alarm. "If I had known I wouldn't have--"

She laughed. "Of course not. I am going to rest properly, and care for my son first."

Turning her head on the pillow block, she fixed an intent gaze on him. "Jinshan Temple. How did you find out? How are you sure?"

Mao Jin dropped his eyes. "I wish I knew if I did the right thing," he muttered to himself.

"When I went to see my mother the other day at the temple, it suddenly struck me that there might be a chance she had heard of that monk you were searching for. She didn't know him, but the Abbess overheard me asking."

A sudden blush came into his cheeks. "I--well, I said I had heard of the holy man. The Abbess said that Fahai was famous for his dedication as a demon catcher, and had wandered the world tirelessly in his devotion to rid the world of such evils--"

"Ah!" Suzhen drew in a deep breath. Her face lit up. "That's him," she said eagerly.

"Recently, however," Mao Jin continued, watching her expression keenly, "he had settled down at Jinshan Temple, and the Abbess speculated it was due to poor health catching up with him after years of neglecting his body…"

Suzhen closed her eyes. "He'll be there. Long enough for me." She sighed, and her fingers stroked the sleeping child on her breast as it stirred. "Thank you, Mao Gongzi. It looks like I have only added to the debt I owe you."

Mao Jin reached out and tucked the blanket around them, with an unexpected gentleness. "Shh. Focus on resting well now and taking care of the baby, and we'll talk about debts another day."