For the Sake of Chicken Soup

"Forgive me, Dan Dan. You really ought to enjoy life a bit more before you get eaten, and the plan was to let you lay plenty of eggs before ending up on the block. But this is an emergency situation. Susu needs to get her strength back and to do so she has to eat well. It's a necessary sacrifice for a important cause. A regrettable one, but one's wife is definitely more important than a chicken, so you must forgive me. You were a good chicken, but all chickens meet their ends in the pot one day."

A soft, wheezing sound that was instantly stifled made Xuxian jump, nearly cutting his toes off with the axe he dropped. He had been crouching in the yard, axe in hand, earnestly and regretfully looking at their scrawny chicken in its pen. Turning around, he caught a glimpse of Suzhen at the doorway as she tried to move back out of sight, but not quickly enough--she still could not make sudden movements without causing herself pain. She clapped her hand over her mouth, unsuccessfully trying to silence her laughter.

"I saw you," he called out accusingly. "What are you doing walking around? Go back to bed at once and lie down."

Suzhen's face appeared round the corner. "How could you think of slaughtering Dan Dan without telling me?" she replied instead, shaking a finger at him. "Imagine my feelings when I found out I had eaten her."

Xuxian sighed. "Chickens are meant to be eaten. It was a mistake to let you name this one, it's suddenly become difficult to slaughter it. I admit I weakened just now, but I won't back down. You need to build up your strength. Dan Dan would understand." He gripped the axe handle determinedly. Dan Dan clucked innocently, clueless of the danger she was in.

Suzhen shook her head. "I won't die if I don't have chicken soup," she pleaded. "Just look at her. She thinks you're going to feed her. How could you betray such a trust?"

Xuxian avoided meeting the gaze of the chicken's beady black eyes. "I've slaughtered plenty of chickens in my life," he said firmly. "This one will be no different."

"She's such a sweet chicken," Suzhen pleaded. "I never thought I would be fond of a chicken, but after feeding her every day I've taken a liking to her. Wouldn't it feel lonely to wake up tomorrow morning and not have her clucking in the yard outside?"

"Don't be foolish," Xuxian said sternly, though it sounded like he was talking more to himself than to her. "How could one become fond of a chicken? Chickens are meant to be eaten. You're going to have chicken soup today, Susu."

He opened the pen and reached in to grab Dan Dan. "Come along now. Let's get this over with."

"Don't touch that poor chicken, Xuxian," threatened Suzhen, making her way down the steps as fast as she could manage. "I won't drink a mouthful of that chicken soup, I swear."

Xuxian saw her wince as she clutched the railing, clumsily descending the stairs. He abandoned Dan Dan and waved the axe urgently at her. "Don't go a step more, Susu, you're not fit to be going down the steps at that pace. Stay right where you are."

"Then you leave Dan Dan alone," she countered. "We're having fish tonight, do you hear? No chicken soup. On no account will Dan Dan be sacrificed."

"What on earth is going on?" demanded Qingqing, appearing at the gate with Xiaohu and Yuanzheng behind her. "I heard that you almost died and yet here you are arguing with Physician Xu about a chicken."

Xuxian gave up and got up, opening the gate for them. "I agree with you, little sister-in-law. The last two days she's been a terrible invalid, sneaking out of bed and doing all sorts of things invalids shouldn't be doing. Now she won't allow me to slaughter the chicken."

He was careful not to mention the aforementioned chicken's name. Qingqing brushed past him and ran to meet Suzhen on the verandah.

"Sister!" was all she said, but she caught Suzhen by the shoulders with genuine alarm in her face as she glanced rapidly at her.

"Are you all right? What happened?" she murmured urgently, taking her arm and supporting her down the last step to sit down on a bench.

Suzhen had to catch her breath. She eased herself onto the bench with an effort. "What else do you think?" she replied dryly.

"Who on earth did you fight with?" Qingqing said lowly. Her eyes were troubled as she studied Suzhen with some uneasiness. She had never yet seen the great white snake so weak. There had been few who could rival her strength and spirit energy in a fight. She remembered how they had once fought with an aggressive fox spirit. Suzhen had finished the fight looking glowing and energized as if it had just been some exercise, her spirit energy level barely even dented.

Suzhen sighed. "Who else? The monk."

She watched as Xuxian came leisurely up the path with Yuanzheng, talking, while Xiaohu tagged behind with a basket.

Qingqing caught her breath. "No way," she said eagerly. "You managed to kill him?"

Suzhen did not reply immediately. "No," she said at last. "But I believe he will not dare to interfere anymore. It was a close shave. I could just as easily have lost to him."

Uncertainly, Qingqing chewed her lip. "Well, that's unfortunate. I would sleep easier knowing he was dead. I tell you, I had a bad feeling about him since I first met him."

She eyed Suzhen closely. "Are you really all right? Xuxian didn't find out?"

Suzhen shook her head. "Thankfully not."

They fell quiet as the men approached them. "How are you feeling, Sister-in-law?" Yuanzheng asked, taking the basket from Xiaohu. "We brought you some dried red dates. Xuxian said they're good for the blood. You can make tea with them, or use them in your cooking, for desserts, or even eat them on their own. They're large and sweet; try one. But be careful of the stone in the middle." He fished out one and held it out to her.

Suzhen smiled brightly up at him. "If being sick gets me so many visitors and gifts, I may decide not to get well at all," she teased. "Come on in. Xuxian made some dumplings just now. They're not pretty to look at, certainly nothing compared to your mother's handiwork, but they taste good."

"I can't decide if that was meant to be an insult or a compliment to my dumplings," Xuxian remarked as they made their way inside, laughing. He slipped his arm around her waist and helped her up the stairs. "Careful now. Lean on me."