A Loose Floorboard

"Xuxian is still packing his things, sit down while you wait for him. I'll get you some tea."

Suzhen gestured to the bench outside their porch as Yuanzheng leaned on the railing, bundle on his shoulder and a staff tucked into his belt.

He shook his head. "Don't bother, Sister-in-law. I wanted to ask you something, if you have a moment."

Suzhen raised her head, surprised. She picked up her sewing and sat down again. "Well, what is it?"

"How did you learn to fight like that?" he said earnestly, looking intently at her.

She hesitated. "I've learnt since I was young," she said at last, and thought to herself that that, at least, was true.

Yuanzheng looked thoughtful. "So it took you many years to train to your current level?"

He hurried to explain himself, seeing her confused expression. "I just wanted to know. I've--I've been thinking about it ever since. That night the bandits came, we only just barely managed to fight them off, and it was mainly because of you. If you hadn't turned against them, none of us would have dared to resist them. And I could tell they were afraid of you. I said to myself, if only I had that ability. We could protect ourselves so much better. They'll come again. Every few years, or more, they come. Each time they take what they want, and kill a few people just to frighten us, even though we give them whatever they ask for, even though we never fight back. This was the first time we ever tried to fight back."

"But people died anyway," Suzhen said sharply. "Gong Yezi will never drink wine and compose poetry under the moon again."

Yuanzheng nodded somberly. "Yes. But perhaps that needn't happen again."

"I was thinking," he continued. "If we trained, and better prepared ourselves, the next time--"

"There should not be a next time," Suzhen interrupted him to say. She bit the thread off with a jerk of her head that revealed a flash of teeth.

"But they will come back. They always come back," Yuanzheng insisted. "And the next time, we can be ready for them. Why do we always need to live in fear, waiting for them to come, helpless when they do? We can build up our village fence to be stronger, higher, so they can't break in so easily. That's one thing we should do, for sure. And we could come up with a plan. The elderly, women and children should know exactly where to hide. Someone would be in charge of leading them. Someone else should be in charge of mustering those who can fight. It needn't even be all the men. After all, you killed more men than the rest of us. And Huajun, I saw her fighting that night too. She put up a good fight despite being frightened like everyone else. I think if all of us banded purposefully together, and had a strategy, we needn't be so afraid of them next time."

Suzhen did not seem to be listening. She folded the garment and laid it aside, taking up another one. "You have a good head for this, Yuanzheng. I think you would do well as a soldier."

"Would you be able to help me? I want to learn how to fight. I was hoping you could teach me." he said bluntly.

Her hands paused. "Teach you?"

At that moment, Xuxian appeared at the doorway. "I'm ready! Thank you for waiting for me," he said breathlessly. He glanced at the two of them. "What are you talking about?"

Yuanzheng straightened quickly. "Nothing. Let's set off. Sister-in-law, tell me what you think later."

Xuxian squeezed Suzhen's hand. "We'll be back soon. Do you want anything from town?"

She shook her head, laughing. "Do you think I'll die if you're not around to accompany me? Take your time. I'll be fine--I have so much mending to do, I won't even miss you. Bring back something nice to eat, and don't forget Granny Hong."

He smiled teasingly. "Ah, is this what happens to married couples over time? My wife has tired of me. Yuanzheng, I'll need your help to pick out a gift in town which will win her favour back."

Yuanzheng held out her hands helplessly. "Physician Xu, you're talking to the wrong person. I would be the last one to know what women like."

"Ah, but you and Qingqing are good friends--surely you'd have picked up some knowledge of what women like from her," Xuxian said with a glint in his eye.

Yuanzheng chased him off the porch and they went down the path bickering and laughing.

Suzhen watched them go, thoughtfully. She waited till they had disappeared, and then she gathered up the pile of mending. Working steadily and methodically, she put everything away, banked the fire, and closed the shutters. She shut the door and crouched down. Barely noticeable in the bad lighting, one of the floor boards was slightly loose. Suzhen reached up and withdrew the bone hairpin in her hair. Pressing down on the loose board so that it came up, she inserted the tip under the edge and pried it up.

She looked approvingly down at the two swords lying there in a shallow hole, wrapped neatly in a piece of cloth. She had hidden them when Xuxian was not around after the bandit raid. They were not very good blades, but a sword--however lousy--was still a sword after all.

Taking them out carefully, she checked the blades for any signs of rust and laid the board back in place. She had already thought about what she would use to carry the swords, and now she went to fetch it, hidden among the pile of mending. From rags she had fashioned a rude belt that crossed behind her back. She tried it on, and slipped the swords into it, testing if it held them securely.

Satisfied, she took her cloak from the wall and flung it over her shoulders, covering the sword hilts.

Suzhen fastened the door and went swiftly down the path towards the mountains. She did not want to waste any time.