Chapter 8: Introductions

I open the door to see what she is doing. She appears to be trying to rebind her feet. Only to experience extreme pain. Which she stopped.

Over the next few months, She gotten bigger and enough size that her baby would be massive when ready.

She has tried several times trying to rebind her feet, but she couldn't psycologically cause herself pain. That and the fact that I slapped her hands when she gotten too close to breaking through.

She has seven days to heal completely and she has been resting well and keeping off her feet.

She has also been eating well.

"The general is here!" Wenrou calls out from the doorframe. "Shall I let him in?"

"Let him." I tell her.

General Pei enters the room.

"Son, so it seems my daughter is resting. I am overjoyed, I heard it was to be a son. That would help balance out the disparity of men. If you know what I mean." He roars with laughter.

Strangely, it seems that she didn't inherit General Pei's personality. From what I heard, her mother is a liberated concubine and servant in the palace.

Wonder why she went with her father instead of staying at the palace.

I sit her up and leave her to talk with her father.

I decide to leave the manor entirely.

I head out to the garden to think.

Well I would if the random yelling didn't call my attention to the gate's window and from what I see is a large army just outside the gates.

Their faces are sullen and they knock. I hide in the bushes and wait.

My father exits the house and opens the gate.

They ignore him and a tall armored man walks towards our household doors. A smaller well dressed gentleman feeble looking man with official styled clothing follows behind him.

The man is shaking and nervous probably in his late twenties.

The smaller man is let in by my mother and the soldiers stand guard at the door.

Taking my chance I walk around the back of the manor to sneak inside and peep on their conversation.

"I am thankful for the warm welcome into your home. Though, it is more surprising to find myself seeking your assistance." The young man says.

"It has been quite difficult escaping from Bianjing (Kaifeng), which is now taken over by the Jurchen. I am trying to reestablish the Song Dynasty, but I need support and land. I am the only one who managed to escape the palace. Everyone else was imprisoned."

"We don't have much. I don't think you can depend on us to help you. But if you need help with travel or food, we can assure you we will supply it or get you to any destination you need to."

"Ahh." He nods.

I cautiously step into the room when he exits and take in this information.

"Wait the Emperor and the court has been captured?" I ask.

I follow after the Song Dynasty's only heir and watch him take the family carriage.

Learning this makes me regret not learning politics and law when they offered.

Perhaps I can work as an official or have some job in the court when he becomes Emperor? But don't I have to pass a test? Ehh, I'm not that smart. Maybe I could live in the capital instead.

"A-Shen! Come quick! I have sent word for Doctor Shen."

"What, happened?" I ask.

"It's here, Lady Pei needs assistance."

I have never seen anyone in labor before either.

This moment here is one of despair. Pei Ling is screaming a righteous roar of pain and she grips her abdomen. It went on for an hour or two before the doctor came.

The general was in a frenzy, he was sent to get the doctor. It was for the best that he was kicked out of the room Pei Ling was in.

At first it had been a human like scream. But as the time went on the wailing became monster-like.

She grasps my arm and side glares me with an intense look. I look down at where her hands meet my arms and watch as she begins to squeeze.

My eyes widen when I realize what is happening. This is for revenge.

A lone thug tear rolls from my left eye as I watch my arm turn as purple as my eyes.

Her nails took the liberty of creating divets in my skin.

She wasn't screaming alone anymore.

"I have water!" The general yells. the doctor nods and kicks him out, kicked out once more.

"Please doctor, I don't think I can last much longer." I whimper as she pinches deeper.

It has been already a good portion of the day has gone by.

She grown tired of screaming and refocused her screaming on high pitched grunts.

I sit down beside her waiting I have been brought food from my mother to keep me nourished. And on the final day...

"Here he comes." The doctor says. And out pops a big fat baby girl. "It's a girl?"

"What?" We both say in unison.

The old doctor looks at his notes.

"But it says here you were to have a son? It must be after my mistake for your birth."

The chunky child looks healthy and came out hungry, wrinkled and ugly. Wailing for her mother to pick her up.

She had big light brown eyes so light brown that it seemed to be a brown trasparent silk around the ring fading into a icy blue similar to Pei Ling's natural fully blue eyes. Her skin is a light tan and hair dark, both like my features.

I clean off the baby and cut the cord. Then I pass the baby to Pei Ling where the baby searched for something.

"There's another one." Elder doctor Shen says after the first placenta exits.

The next one breaches through and a shock of hair white as the clouds, clouds covered in blood? Paper yellow skin like xuan paper. Her eyes are black and reminiscent of the blank stare of sheep, but with human pupils. And like the other was also ugly and wrinkled.

My mother shows her how to hold the two and feed them.

"Doctor, I don't think we should be in here any longer." I say.

"Yes, yes, right."

We let the mother get used to the new children and get training to care for the two of them.

"Why is everyone so panicked?" Wenrou asks.

"Surprises happen everyday. Three happened in one day."

"What does that mean?" Hua Li questions.

"Pei Ling just finished her labor." I tell them. "It's been nearly the full day again? I need a drink of water." I say rubbing my arm that has soothing cream on it.

"I will get it sir." The servant says.

She runs to get water from the well.

"The other surprises?" Wenrou asks.

"Twins. Both daughters. I was told it was a son. But unfortunately, I am ill prepared for this circumstance." I state.

"Thank you." I tell the servant and drink the water she passed to me.

"All that is needed is to name them. But a courtesy name has been chosen, Baihu. I intend to keep it." I tell them.

"My son!" My father comes to me a smile wide on his face alien to his usual expression. "I knew you could do it. Welcome to fatherhood."

"Thanks, father." I give him a small smile.

"A-shen, come." My mother says.

Names. Names. Names that suit my children. My children. Not a thing I though I would say this early in my life. The solstice. Pei Ling's birthday is next, she turns sixteen. Then I, fifteen and Wenrou will follow after.

For the darker one I decided Daiyu (黛玉) and the white-haired one Shuang Lin. (霜亃)

"You don't have to give them the name." My father said.

"No, it is only right to let you have the name." I tell him.

"No, let's all come up with something." My father says.

We collaborated to make names for Shuang Lin and Daiyu. Xue Baihu (雪白虎) to keep the original name and provide for the snowy hair color. But for Daiyu she shall take on Ji Ying (玑荧) for beauty and gain a second name to be fair.

The solstice means the weather will change again soon. Ling will turn seventeen around this time of year later next season.

I look back to the table. Pei Ling recovered enough to sit with us. I open the windows and sit at the table.

"The stars are still out!" Pei Ling giggles pointing it out to the babies.

Wenrou and Li Hua come back from the kitchen with bowls of dumpling soup and radish.

"The Tangyuan is still in the kitchen. Help me please?" Wenrou says.

"Of course."

We set the jiuniang out as well and prepare to eat.

The babies are much too small to eat the Tangyuan and much else, but they will be big soon.

"Let us pay our respects." I say bowing down my head.