Chapter 66: An act of kindness.

"Uncle, why did you do that?" Ming Yu asked as she tug on my hanfu. I crouched down to her height and started explaining. "Ming Yu we're born into the royal family so in a lot of scenarios we don't get to choose what we want to do. My mother once told me that we should always help the commoners because we're the royal family of Dong Yue. We must serve the people. Treat it as if it's an act of kindness towards somebody who looks as if they wanted to receive something. Sometimes it needs just one little thing to start something marvellous. Did you see what the old woman did with the money I gave her?" I explained. Ming Yu nodded her head as if she was understanding a bit. "She helped her community using the money I gave her so it's like a circle. Someone starts the circle of kindness and maybe next time someone else could help us in return. Do you understand what I mean? Just watched the beggars," I ordered as Ming Yu turned her gaze to where they were sitting. At that moment a thief came into the alleyway and the beggars helped stopped the thief and return the money to the young man. He thanked them happily with gold and walked away in a happy mood. "So it's like a circle of kindness? Uncle, you helped one person and then that person helped another and so forth?" Ming Yu asked as I nodded. She was quite smart I'm sure she would become a brilliant Jun Zhu one day. "You're born into the royal family and that is a fact you can't change. But you can always grow up to love the people of Dong Yue no matter their status. Do you understand?" Ming Yu nodded and kept silent as she began to nibble onto the sugar candy. I too nibbled on mine and looked around to see if there were any dangers nearby. So far ok.

Mother, I've taught the next generation your wise words. I hope in the future Ming Yu can live to serve as a Jun Zhu towards her country and not like any other spoilt daughter. Ming Yu I've great expectations for you so don't you dare disappoint me.

We walked for a while visiting all sorts of shops around. Firstly Ming Yu wanted to see how clothes were made so I took her to a clothing shop where she watched in awe at how fast the young ladies were stitching. I noticed that she had begun to scratch her arm but I brushed it off seeing nothing on her arm. Next, we went into a jade shop where I brought her a little jade carved like a flower and a lion-carved pendant for Hao Yu. It was uncommon for the elders in the family to send jades to the younger ones. It usually represents what the elder wish for them to grow up as. So I wish for Ming Yu to be as pretty as a flower and for Hao Yu to be as strong and courageous as a lion. The jade was quite well done. Crystal green with a hint of white. It looked really beautiful. I asked the store manager to wrap it up for us and handed it to Yu Xuan. I would hand it to Tian Jing when I get home just in case the two younger ones break it by accident. Tian Jing would give it to them when they were old enough to look after it themselves.

We walked out of the jade store and into the restaurant opposite. I asked for a normal table and the waiter led me to a table on the right-hand side. This restaurant had 2 floors. In the middle of the first floor, there was a stage where young scholars were comparing poems. Sometimes it would be used for the dancers to perform something. However right now the conversation was about the poem Hu Chao Xing said on the day of his marriage. Ming Yu looked at me and asked if they were talking about her Yi Mu*(1) and Yi Fu*(2) marriage. I nodded at her and proceeded to help her order some food. Yu Xuan and Shang Gu were sitting at the opposite of our table seemly arguing about something. But this was pretty much them. They always argue at some point in the day. There is never peace between them. Ahhh.

I looked at their pair and raised my eyebrows a little and glanced at them. They must have noticed me glaring because they quiet down in the next second. I watched as Ming Yu glanced at the stage and she slowly began to scratch her arm again. This time she was doing it so aggressively. I removed her hands from her arm and asked her to stop scratching it or she hurt herself. She listened for a while until the waiter came. I was momentarily distracted but Ming Yu had started scratching her arms again. As soon as the waiter left I looked at Ming Yu and asked "what's wrong?" she looked far too pale.

Glossary:

1. Yi Mu is how you addressed your mother's sister in mandarin.

2. Yi Fu is how you addressed your mother's sister's husband in mandarin.