Capital For the First Time

  A knock came through the door after the physician left 'Did he forget something?' opening the door Li Guang sees a lady with a coral dress standing outside the door. Trying to remember where she had seen the face she bows her head slightly greeting the lady ''Good morning ,how may i help you?''

 ''Ohh!! Xiao Guang don't you remember me?, look how you have grown'' she exclaimed hugging Li Guang with a big smile over her face.

  Seeing that Li Guang was still confused of who she was, she further explained '' it's me aunty shoaming '' she said with a big smile on her face.The name ringing a bell and then it clicked, ''Aunty Shoaming'' with a big smile on Li Guang face she gives her another hug with how she had missed her.

  She was a neighbour and a family friend of the Li's for several, since she was not married she had moved to another village and now she was back after five long years.

 ''Aunty shoaming, come in'' opening the door wider for her to get in ''where is your father? ''she asked stepping into their small home.

 Pointing to the room where he was ''He caught a cold this morning but he has been treated by the physician'' Li Guang explained opening the door to the room where her father was,

  '' Oh my! old Li dont fall ill on me, how are you feeling?'' she said checking his temperature.

  ''Shoaming,how long?, and i am fine, just feeling weak i am all good ,or you will start getting grey hair from worring like Xiao Guang'' he said chuckling.

  Bai shoaming turns her head to look at Li Guang ''Aaah yes i think i see some gray strands'' 

 ''Papa and aunty shoaming!'' they chuckled in unison.

     With the morning still fresh and warm, Li Guang packs the required goods to set out, her father had gotten a letter yesterday which required him to deliver a large amount of fabrics to one of his good customers at the capital which in return will bring in a good amount of money from the purchased items.

  And since her father had caught a cold and he definitely won't be able travel for hours on a carriage considering the journey would take hours to get to the capital, she had decided to do the journey and make the sales at the capital.

  After several minutes of countless reassurance of her safety to her father, he finally relented ''Aunty shoaming please help me take care of papa while i am away '' she pleads

 ''you don't need to tell me dear ,i am here ,just take care of yourself while you are away'' she states seriously

''Yes, tell her and don't skip dinner'' Li lanbei added adjusting himself to sit upright on the bed, Li Guang had the habit of skippping dinner either on purpose or she forgets she hadn't had dinner.

    Li Guang chuckled ''Yes i will '' she answered bading them goodbye , with the medium size heavy trunk filled with fabrics carried with both her hands she walks the distance to the junction.

 On getting to the junction, she sees the next available carriage heading to the capital with one passenger left ''to the capital?'' asked the carriage rider

  ''yes'' she answered handing her trunk to the rider which he straps at the back of the carriage '' that will be five shillings'' handing him the payment Li Guang bodes the carriage.

  On entering the carriage she sees two women opposite her, a lady and an older man who was already fast asleep beside her, greeting the women in the carriage, she faces outside the carriage window which was already in motion.

  It took several hours to get to the capital, coming down from the carriage she takes her trunk from the carriage rider, taking notice of her surroundings, it was not like Beijing where she was from, everywhere was beautiful and more organized and very colourful.

   After asking several people for direction she got to the place on foot on getting there she was asked to wait by one of the servants ,she stood outside for several hours till her legs started hurting and the sun was setting.

' papa will be getting worried' seeing the same servant passing again she asked again like she had asked every other time ''please excuse me, please can you remind Mr Wang that I am still out here waiting and that I have the fabrics he asked for with me'' she said to the maid who was looking at her like she was wasting her time standing there listening to her.

   The servant left after she saw that Li Guang was done talking to her ,it didn't take long when Mr Wang came asked the servant to usher her in, ''Good Evening Mr wang'' she greeted bowing her head.

   ''Where is your father,he is the one who was to come'' he said lighting up a ciger looking at her with narrowed eyes. 

  ''He caught a cold this morning, so he is unable to come'' she said curtly.

  ''I see you have what i asked for'' he said flicking his head to the truck beside Li Guang, ''Yes sir'' she said bowing slightly.

 Opening the drawer beside where he was sitting he took out a gold coin and two silvers, ''Take ! see it has a bonus'' he said handing over the money to Li Guang who took the money ''Thank you very much sir, this means a lot'' she said bowing 

  ''Your father deserves it, he works had, treat yourselves to a meal'' he said bringing out smoke from his nose and mouth at the same time.

 ''Thank you sir'' she said bowing again, leaving she could not help but think it was a miracle to them, the amount for the fabrics was to be seventy silver coins, but he gave them a gold coin and a silver ,Li Guang smiled happily as she walked down to get a carriage back home ,because the day ended well even though it started rough.

  On getting to the junction, there were no carriages for her to board ,she asked a woman passing by

   ''The gates has been closed ,passenger carriages are not allowed to leave and enter the capital, unless you have a permit'' the woman said

  ''Thank you'' she said bowing her head slightly.

 'what am i going to do, papa would be worried'

  Standing in the middle of the road with no plan next on her mind ,suddenly she remembered wen moshen, she heard from the villagers that he was back to the capital.

       Standing in the middle of the road with no plan next on her mind, suddenly she remembered wen moshen, she heard from the villagers that he was back to the capital.

  Wen moshen, Li Guang's childhood friend who stayed at Beijing the village where Li Guang stayed with his mother ,after his death wen moshen was taken by his father putting him in the military.

   His father Wen chen chief state counselor ,he wasn't aware of the birth of wen moshen since it was an outside affair, wen moshen mother had sent letters to Wen chen after giving birth to Wen moshen.

   She died after few years, he was taken away by his father since his current wife couldn't birth him a son after many years.

FIFTEEN YEARS AGO

  A little girl with the age not less than six was standing with a boy who looked four years older than her with several carriages behind them.

  ''Are you leaving me little Chen?'' Li Guang asked with a tiny voice with tears flowing from her eyes.

 ''I am sorry Guang Guang,but if i don't follow them my father will come to take me forcefully'' Wen moshen said using his palm to wipe her tears

 '' But i want you to stay'' the little girl said with more tears dripping from her eyes.

  ''I wish i could Guang Guang'' he said ruffling her hair,

 Seeing that there was nothing she could do to make him stay, she tried not to cry so as not to make Wen moshen sad,

  With red eyes staring at Wen moshen, he turns back to hug her;

 ''Wait for me Guang Guang ,when i am strong enough i will come to take you with me'' he promised wholeheartedly releasing her from his hug,

  Hearing this made Li Guang happy, nodding her head vigourously she shouted 

  ''I will wait for you little Chen ,don't forget me okay?'' she said with her childish voice and her nose choked from crying.

  Seeing this Wen moshen nods his head entering the carriage.