Twenty seven

Gu Wuque saw Dong Mei's face getting uglier, so he quickly said, "ten and eight years. B-but this one will be making ten and nine in the coming autumn."

Dong Mei narrowed her eyes, "nothing but a child," she snapped her fingers, "I've changed my mind, continue bowing to me. I'm your senior."

The age difference between them was only a year but as a woman, she was long considered an adult before him. That made her his senior in every direction.

Gu Wuque nodded and bowed.

"Are you mad?" Dong Mei shot in his direction, "what are you bowing for? Gu Wuque, has no one taught you to have some pride as a man?"

Gu Wuque seemed to think about it for a moment longer, "then, this one will not be bowing."

Dong Mei sighed and shook her head, "you're really easy to bully."

No wonder it was so easy for Cang Mang to bring him over.

Gu Wuque looked at her then look away with a meaning full expression that hid his thoughts.

"Are you a child of the second branch of your family?" Dong Mei asked. She decided to walk around a bit.

"Actually, this one is the fifth child of the first branch. There are only five men in the family, and..."

He didn't hold back on his family history. He told her everything till the recently buried grandfather. In return, Dong Mei only had a few things to say. She walked around, looking up at the trees for some fruits until she found a bayberry tree.

Gu Wuque offered to get her a few fruits. He stoned the fruits down, perfectly hitting the stalk so that the fruit was not damaged. Then he went ahead to teach Dong Mei how to work on her aim when stoning fruits down. Out of all her attempts, only one fruit came whole.

In addition, Gu Wuque picked up a bunch of flowers and gave them to her. When she asked why he was giving them to her, he simply said that he had hoped she's like flowers.

There was a slight breeze and leaves came cascading down. Gu Wuque held out his hand and let a leaf land on it. He looked up among the branches and frowned slightly.

The singing of a bird sounded through the forest.

He turned to Dong Mei, "this one had an unexpected journey today. But the day is not early."

"It's really not, come, lets find that Cang Mang," she replied.

"This one has something to say," Gu Wuque stopped her from leaving.

Dong Mei turned to him with corked eyebrows.

When he had her attention, he silently pulled out a flute from his coat and looked at her before saying, "the green jade still shines on the willow tree branch, 

the angel's trail heads westward, 

Cherry blossoms run with the wind."

He placed it in her hands before she could refuse, "the little girl should keep well."

Dong Mei looked down at the flute as he walked away from her, taking the direction behind her.

It was a small green bamboo flute with no clever workmanship about it. She guessed it was supposed to be a parting gift. She wasn't too fond of it but she politely accepted it.

"I didn't get you anything," she turned to where he had gone and her voice faded when she didn't see anyone's figure.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Even in the forest, he would have to walk a very good distance before she would fail to spot him. It couldn't be that he ran? He'd have to be amazingly fast.

Her heart became anxious. She stepped back and bumped into something warm. She immediately turned, a scream at the tip of her tongue.

Cang Mang looked down at her, "what? You look like you're about to see a ghost?"

"Cang Mang!" Dong Mei half shouted and stepped away from him, "can you not suddenly appear like that? And where's Gu Wuque?"

"I did not suddenly appear, you're the one who called me just now," he said, "that boy has been gone a while now."

"No he just left," Dong Mei said.

Cang Mang leaned down and quizzed, "Mmh! Are you so fond of him now? You don't want him to leave?"

Dong Mei's expression dropped and she pushed Cang Mang's face backwards before walking out of the forest.

The Dong family courtyard that had been lively for nearly a month with father Dong's bickering finally calmed down. He had finally given up and bought more wines and kept them in a different place.

Dong Mei really couldn't admit her faults. She loved her father but there were things that she wouldn't admit unless she was in her grave.

Unless he was coming home for a meal and to rest, father Dong was normally out and about attending to matters. He was normally called to attend to disputes among the villagers.

There was a dispute that had grown so big that it had taken years to settle and everyone in the village always knew about it. They also knew when it was being handled by the chief and some people made time in their busy days to go, sit and watch exactly how things would turn out.

Such days were one of the rare moments of peace for girls around the village. Their mothers and aunts went out to watch the drama, leaving them on their own without anyone nagging them to do this and that task. So the girls would normally meet with friends during such a day. But even among them, the dispute was discussed.

The girls normally met up at the foot of one of the many hills behind their village. They divided themselves into three groups. Two of those groups played games while in the last, people did whatever they wanted from braiding hair to discussing future prospects and painting their hands with henna.

Dong Mei was in the group playing fortune sticks while the other group played catching seven pieces.