One Day

"You see, sir, how much this youngster drank and hasn't paid for yet! He threw all those jars ar my waiters when they tried to get him to pay, and refused to leave. If he hadn't passed out he'd have doubtless made an even bigger fuss! If you're his friend you ought to take him away, he's being a public nuisance here, taking up space. My waiters don't dare to come near him either. If I'd known how troublesome he'd be I wouldn't have let him enter my inn," complained the landlady fretfully.

Dao Ge scratched his head. He had not expected to have all this on his hands when he stopped by a restaurant to take a closer look at a suspiciously familiar figure in green slumped over a table. Since he stormed off the other day little Brother Qing hadn't appeared, and Dao Ge couldn't help wondering what had happened to that youngster. The landlady had pounced on him the moment she caught him peering at Qing Xiong, and loudly demanded that he take responsibility for his friend.

He frowned. Qing Xiong had both arms folded on the table around a wine jar, and his cheek pillowed on the jar. A gentle snoring issued from him in between the landlady's stream of words. Dao Ge tilted his head sideways to see his face, wondering how much he had drunk--the table was surrounded by broken jars that Qing Xiong had hurled at the waiters who tried to rouse him. His temper clearly didn't improve with alcohol.

His cheeks were flushed and his lips twitched slightly, restlessly, as he slept, like the way his brows knitted occasionally. With those sharp, lively eyes hidden under lowered lashes he looked startlingly young and vulnerable, like a lost kitten sleeping in the rain; and there were what looked incredibly like traces of tears smudged on his cheeks.

A pang of pity filled Dao Ge as he looked down on him. "Just a boy, really," he muttered to himself. "What is a child like this doing wandering about the jianghu on his own? He could be knifed like this by one of his enemies. Why didn't he ask me to drink with him, if he was going to drink so much?"

He knew the answer already, because the boy had wanted to drink away his emotions; but he sighed. Turning to the landlady, he gestured sharply for the bill. "How many jars?" he demanded gruffly, eyeing the landlady keenly. "Don't lie to me now, or I'll come back and take my money back."

"Ah, of course your humble servant wouldn't dare to," purred the landlady quickly, her face lighting up when she saw him reach grudgingly into his belt for his money pouch. "The young gentleman owes us two pieces of silver for six jars of wine. He ordered the better ones."

Dao Ge plunked the money into her waiting hand, giving her a dark look. "That had better be correct, or I'll find out after my friend wakes up," he growled.

With difficulty he coaxed the jar out of Qing Xiong's arms. He frowned and batted weakly at him, slurring, "Go 'way. I've got money, all right. Don't push me around or I'll bite your head off, I'm warning you."

The landlady retreated with a sour expression. "Your friend has a violent nature," she remarked.

Dao Ge got one of Qing Xiong's arms over his neck and grunted as he dragged him up from his seat. He tried to push him away, though she couldn't stand straight. "Don't touch me. I'll take all of you on in a fight, just you see. Don't underestimate me. I, Qingqing, am not the kind of person you can bully!"

His finger waved aimlessly in the air and he poked it stolidly into Dao Ge's nose with narrowed eyes in what was meant to be a fierce and intimidating gesture.

Exasperated, Dao Ge took his other arm firmly and hoisted him on his back, legs dragging limply over the ground. Qing Xiong slumped comfortably against Dao Ge's broad shoulders, though he continued to mumble threats. The landlady allowed her face to show her disgust and made way for them, calling the waiters to come and sweep up the mess.

"You're worthless scum, all of you," declared Qing Xiong woozily as they went laboriously down the steps, and his toes trailed over the ground. Dao Ge sighed and heaved him a little higher, thanking the gods he was short. "You're a foolish young thing," he retorted. "Drinking yourself silly like that. Wine never did anything to solve one's problems. If it did, I would have discovered that long ago."

He trudged down the street, keeping to the shadows. Who knew where the Three Gambling Ghosts were, or what they might be planning for revenge. They hadn't been seen since the disaster at the noodle stall--SuanRong's face would take a while to heal. If they had seen Brother Qing passed out drunk at the restaurant just now there was no way he would be alive by morning.

Well, the gods must have known and sent him here. For now, he had better find an inn and let Qing Xiong sleep it off.

"Ah, you stinky brat," he exclaimed in horror as he felt something wet on his neck. "How dare you drool on me, that's disgusting!"

Qing Xiong chuckled unexpectedly as if he understood. "We had some good times, didn't we, Sister Bai," he wheezed. "If only I hadn't encouraged you to chase after that physician. Was it my fault? Maybe it was my fault..." and his voice sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

Appalled, Dao Ge raised his eyebrows but said nothing, waiting to see if he would say more.

"No, it's not your fault," he said hastily, feeling uneasy at the prospect of having to comfort a tearful Qing Xiong--something he could not imagine.

"You're right, it's that evil monk." sighed Qing Xiong. "Ought to find him. Kill him. Put everything right again."

His arms tightened around Dao Ge's neck and Dao Ge swallowed, suddenly nervous. Qing Xiong had better not mistake him for the evil monk.

"There there," he said soothingly. "You'll find the evil monk one day. And your Sister Bai. You'll find them one day, all right?"

"I'll find them one day," echoed Qing Xiong forlornly. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." He felt his words tug at the heaviness in his own heart, wrenching a sigh from him. "And I'll find them too, one day." he whispered to himself. Qing Xiong's head fell heavily upon his shoulder and he heard a faint snore.

"After I manage to clear my name one day. I'll see XiaChun, and Shifu, and JinFeng…"

His eyes clouded over with memories, well-worn memories that had blurred over time until they were worn paper-thin.

Looking up at the night sky, he smiled up at the stars, though they seemed very far away.