Congee for Hangovers

Putting down the spoon, Qingqing leaned her chin on her hands with a sigh, and closed her eyes. "I still feel awful." she complained.

"Patience." grunted Dao Ge. "I never said the congee was a magic cure."

Groaning, Qingqing rubbed her eyes with the heels of her palms. "I won't drink so much again. I forgot how unpleasant it feels."

Dao Ge chortled. "You forgot? This is your first time drinking yourself silly, you mean. A young thing like you doing something so rash. What would have happened if the Three Gambling Ghosts had seen you?" he scolded. "You wouldn't be alive and sitting here eating congee, I tell you. You need to be more careful in the future, especially if you're going to go around making enemies."

Clapping her hands over her ears Qingqing put her head down on the table. "Oh stop nagging at me," she moaned. "You're making my head ache."

Dao Ge snorted grumpily. "Good, then you won't be tempted to go out and get into more trouble for now. You'd better rest for today."

With a wave of her hand Qingqing motioned him to be quiet. "Let me have some peace and quiet or I'll throw up all that congee." she threatened.

For a while they sat there in a peaceful, companionable silence, though to the rest of the customers in the inn watching them uneasily it was more like a tense one. Qingqing with her head on the table and Dao Ge meditatively sipping tea, gazing into the distance.

"You're upset about your friend," he said quietly, almost to himself. "You're hurt that she abandoned you after you did your best to help her. But your friend has to work her problems out for herself. You need to give her space to do so. When she's ready, she'll find you, or she'll let you find her, if she's any good as a friend.

"I know--because that's what I'm doing. I can't go back until I settle this. I've got to find that rogue Si GeJian and prove to everyone that I wasn't the one who poisoned ShanQuan, before I dare to go back and face them all. I know that XiaChun--maybe even JinFeng--would come with me and help me if I asked them to. They're faithful souls. They wouldn't abandon their Senior Brother. Just like how you want to help your friend take revenge."

He smiled, a small crooked smile that was somehow sadder than if he had sighed.

"But I need to do this myself before I can face ShiFu again. Before I can look any of them in the eyes. Though seeing you so upset makes me wonder if I'm causing them more pain like this..."

The head on the table suddenly came up. "You got framed?" Qingqing demanded, looking at Dao Ge with bright, inquisitive eyes.

Dao Ge gave a yelp of fright and spilled his tea. "What's wrong with you, can't you just rest quietly? One thought you were sleeping soundly. Why do you have to go around scaring people like that?" he snapped touchily, suddenly flustered.

Rolling his eyes, Qingqing replaced her head on the table. "Fine, keep your secrets. How was I to know you thought I was asleep." she retorted crossly.

Embarrassed, Dao Ge cradled his teacup in both of his big hands, at a loss. "I--uh--"

One eye glinted at him from over the crook of her arm. "But seriously though. You got framed by this Si GeJian? For poisoning someone? That's rather serious. I wouldn't have expected that of you. Poisoning?" She chuckled. "I can't see you poisoning anyone. Why, you almost got poisoned yourself not too long ago! I'd like to see you try and poison someone. You'd poison yourself first, I wager."

"Is that a compliment on my integrity or an insult on my lack of finesse?" muttered Dao Ge.

Qingqing smirked. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, if it makes you feel any better."

Eyeing his sword, she added meditatively, "Based on my judgement--and mind you, I have a good eye for people--you're more the sort who'd kill someone in a fight. You'd do it with your own two hands. Not some devious means like poison."

Dao Ge grunted.

"So who exactly was this Si GeJian? He must be slippery fellow. How did you meet someone like him, and give him a chance to frame you like that?" Qingqing found a comfortable spot for her head, preparing for a good story.

A moody look came into Dao Ge's eyes. Qingqing noted that their blackness was slightly cloudy, and there was more white than black mixed in his beard.

"The less you know the better." he grunted, turning away.

Qingqing shrugged. "Fine. I'm not dying to hear either," she retorted, and replaced her head on her arms.

They sat like that for another spell, a comical looking pair.

Dao Ge waved at a waiter. "Some spring onion pancakes."

Though she looked like she was asleep, Qingqing's eyes were open behind her arm. When she smelt the hot salty fragrance of fried dough and heard the waiter plunk the plate down on the table her hand appeared and thrust a piece of money at him, before Dao Ge could reach for his money pouch.

"I'll pay for it," she said authoritatively. "I've yet to pay you back for my wine last night, and this inn. When I'm feeling better I'll treat you to a good meal with plenty of meat. I, Qingyi, am not an ungrateful person, and I don't leave my debts unpaid."

Dao Ge nodded slowly and let his hand fall.

As he reached out and took a flap of warm, greasy dough studded with savoury green spring onions, he said at last in a deceptively off-hand manner, "We used to be fellow disciples."

Qingqing's ears pricked up and she settled into a more comfortable position, listening intently.

"Si GeJian was just a junior, together with XiaoChun and JinFeng. Shan Quan and I were the Senior Disciples. I was the eldest, but Shan Quan--he was gifted; we all could see that…"

He turned the pancake in his hand absently.