Sprout of hope

Jiushu walked away only after she confirmed there are no more useful stuff in the temple. All the incense is burned away. She stored great many metal lumps, most of them halfway melted through. She is sure in this era she will get a great deal of money for selling those metal pieces. Even if she doesn't get money, she is sure she could get at least one bronze pot or iron cauldron out of those metal scraps.

She walked down the mountain. The villagers are already up and running. She took one of her shirts and wrapped it all the way around her face, to keep warm in one way, and to stop people from recognizing her for another. After all, if MoQiu's family has come down and spread the word that she fell down the hole, then it's quite possible she will be treated either like a witch or spirit.

Worse yet, if some shady person in this village actually knows the deal about blessings and decides to kill her, she wouldn't even have a place to cry. Thus, Jiushu covered herself, moved leisurely, and went to MoQiu's place before others could realize what she's doing. Fortunately, she came down just during that time when villagers finished their breakfast and left for their fields, which are all downwards from the village.

The moment she looked at Fa family's door, she felt a strange premonition.

When she opened the door, her premonition turned out to be true.

Indeed, something happened here. The woven baskets in the corner are upturned. Various herbs left to dry are all over the place, the trays down just like that.

Jiushu lifted her eyes to the door.

The door is ajar..

There are words written with charcoal on the door.

'ALL YOURS'

It is written in English. that sounded far too much like a will.

For a moment, Jiushu was afraid she would find dead bodies inside. Then her mind rebooted.

If MoQiu remembered to leave such a message for her, it means even if they left in a hurry, they are relatively safe. Moreover, if MoQiu really wished for it, he could take his family halfway across the continent. No one will be able to catch him. Thus, Jiushu repeated her actions from the temple.

This time around, she has at least proper cooking equipment and oil and salt to boot. She couldn't be happier. She stored everything in the house away, including almost rotten underwear of MoQiu's father, for there is a chance she might meet them again. She left from the backdoor of the house after she was done.

It is a good thing she did too, for just as she walked a few feet away from the house, she heard someone calling for MoQiu's father. Jiushu stealthily moved away from the house, crawled onto a boulder over hanging MoQiu's house. She looked down carefully.

Those robes.. They are imperial family's robes.

It's fairly low key, yet she could recognize them because of her recent memories. It's an imperial weaver's special fabric, only allowed to be worn by the imperial family. The clothes her fake mother stole are made of the same fabric.

The man called for MoQiu's father for some more time. When he did not hear anything, he turned to check his surroundings. Making sure none of the others were watching, the man retrieved a talisman from his robes, put it in between his two fingers, then threw it on to the house.

Immediately, the house caught on fire. Fire, which is sudden, all encompassing, yet spread nowhere but to MoQiu's house. Jiushu is so shocked, she automatically entered her bracelet. Yet, she could watch it from the window on her bracelet, the house burned for half a day. The prince stood there for almost two hours before he left.

All the same, Jiushu vowed to go back to the temple to retrieve a few skeletons to place in the aftermath of the fire. It will not do for such a man to doubt MoQiu is alive. He might hunt them to the end of the earth. Just as she began her trek towards the temple, she saw the youngman again, with another who looked like a servant.

They seem to be coming back from the temple. They went there to verify all the Taoists are dead. She is sure. The servant might be writing a report, but she is sure that youngman went there only to confirm the body count matches. Since they did her the favor of verification, now she can cheat all the way to her heart.

She retrieved five skeletons, three for setting up MoQiu's family's death, two as spare for herself. Afterall, if the past two days taught her anything, it is that she will most definitely need to set up her death at times. She would rather have few skeletons in her closet than be caught in headlights… pun totally intended.

The embers are barely cooling at MoQiu's place. Jiushu had never been more thankful for appropriating those shoes from Taoist temple. They are beautiful black with tall wooden soles. With one look one can tell these are ceremonial shoes made for the idols rather than for the priests. However, with Jiushu's small feet, she could get into these shoes. They are perfect for the occasion too.

Jiushu left the skeletons in a strategic location. She left the biggest skeleton near the window, some of the logs fell down. She stored few of them. This is one of her favourite kinds of game, solve the puzzle carefully. She put the skeletons there, then released the logs in reverse order she picked them up in. the bodies are trapped under beams.

She prayed to heaven that it is an underling who comes, not the prince himself. The youngman who took time to come back here just to kill people seemed far too meticulous to be fooled by her amateur skills. She retreated carefully to the forest path behind the house. It's almost midday now, Jiushu is both tired and hungry.

Rather than go to the village, Jiushu retreated further into the forest, searching for a big enough tree which might have a hollow. After she had hidden in one in her first village, she had gotten into the habit of automatically scanning surroundings for one wherever she went. She remembered there's a century old gingko tree half way between MoQiu's house and the village. On the day she climbed to the summit, she thought of staying there after coming back.

Only, life was like a blockbuster movie when she thought she would spend it like grinding a farm game account. However, that tree was easy to find when she walked the path, now that she is walking inside the forest, it's as hard to find a grasshopper in the lawn. It's then she noticed the trough. This particular trough has flowers blooming all over it's edge. Jiushu remembered this because it looked very much like a fairy ring.

The tree she is searching for is right at the tip of the trough. Jiushu hopped on the border excitedly, reaching the tree in no time. The hollow is well hidden, given how big the roots have grown, but she could find it easily. She jumped in only to stumble forward. There is a trunk there. Not just one trunk, but enough knick knacks to show some one's living here.

There is a really small bed made of blankets in one corner, with some old blankets thrown haphazardly on it. Sunlight filtered in from a hole above the bed, skipping the bed, but lighting the entire space. There is a table with enough dry food to last for a week, along with a jug of water. It's set up to be a tidy place which is being used by someone who has a hamster nest.

Only, there is a paper on the table, kept there with a very familiar weight, besides that hung an equally familiar family motto. It's MoQiu's. Jiushu moved to look at the letter. As expected, it is written in english.

Hello Jiushu,

nothing will make me happier than knowing you are reading this letter. No matter how much you hate me, I must insist you read this letter before you act. There are people searching for you, who might belong to the imperial family. They mean you harm, so do not ever reveal your power, or your identity. What happened is too long a story to put into a letter. If you found this hollow, you can stay here. It is my secret hideout. I only ask, if you find a little boy, you try to befriend him and take care of him, for that child is in a complicated situation. A very powerful man tried to kill him and cover up the crime. Mother and father are calling for me. We are very much strapped for time as we flee.

Hoping it is you who opened this letter,

Mo Qiu.

Jiushu walked over carefully to the bed, and removed the blankets slowly. Her eyes widened in surprise, her head hurt once more from the flood of the memories. She knew the name of the little boy in the bed.

'Mo Zhen Xing'

Her little brother.

Even his clothes are the same.

Only, he is slightly taller than what she imagined.

He hadn't even reached three years when the accident happened.

They were heading to the capital to celebrate his third birthday.

It is the little brother she has lost.

...

..

.

For the first time since coming to this world, Jiushu felt like she had a purpose.