Run Tiger Run (II)

Hu Li spend the morning digging for vegetables in the garden. The two ladies last night was informed by Sheng Qin that Hu Li ideal of cooking is strange they have to give her some direction. They watch Hu Li dig for carrots and later plucking some grass and grapes that she see. They offer to help her and ask what she is planning to do to serve the carrots. 

The ladies teach her to cut the carrots up into small pieces so it is easy to put in the mouth. While the grass, they show her to chop it and fry it with some sauce to make it tasty. Hu Li finds it exciting and learn how to make the fire grow big and small to make some of the dishes more tasty. She serve the breakfast of chop carrots and fry vegetables with soy sauce. The old men are puzzled but they later join in to praise Hu Li for the afford she is taking. Sheng Qin try to eat everything so that Hu Li is not disappointed and also to spare the old folks from chewing hard carrots. Soon breakfast is over, the old folks pick the fresh vegetables and head off to the market to sell them. While Sheng Qin continue copying diligently for the books. Hu Li spend time in the kitchen smelling the sauces around and taste everything in the kitchen, She is trying to understand that the different types of dishes that she can come up with to help out the family. Hu Li walk around the garden and look at the corps. Some are not growing well. Using her magic spells, she make them grow two times. The apple tree at the far end starts to grown big juicy apples. The grape vine is starting to look bigger and fuller. Watermelons are growing rounder and bigger. The woodshed at the far corner attract her attention. It's time to deal with them. She walks in and stare at the four sleeping men. With her spell in mind, she cast them to forget the past and live diligent towards the future. A small cloud with memories of those men floated out and up into the sky. She watch those memories becomes nothing and join the wind. She cast the last spell to have them magically transport to somewhere far where they can restart their lives. The bodes have left but the ropes remain, Hu Li pick them up and tie them nicely. She place them among the chopped wood and walk out. She stretch outside the yard to look at the beautiful abundant harvest. 

That late afternoon, the old folks return to find garden fill with ripe corps to harvest. They jump for joy and so happy at the sight of it. Sheng Qin comes out of his room to the kitchen to see why are they yelling. When he see the back yard fill with corps he smile. Hu Li comes up and join him, she reach out to hold his hand. Sheng Qin's heart is beating fast. Even thou he can't see her face well, he can feel her heart. A honest and innocent girl who wants to make people and animals around her happy. He wish in his heart that he can keep her here as long as he lives. Whatever magic spell she cast on him. he is willing to accept. Some day maybe she will tell him a magical story. He will probably not be afraid but firmly believe her and her goodness. 

After dinner, she walk to the ancestor room. She gently close the door. The light floaters appear in a human form and bow. 

"Master."

"Don't call me master. I have a name. Bai Hu Li. If you don't want to call me Hu Li you can call me Bai." 

"No we need to respect you. You are our family saviour."

"Fine fine. Wait i have to ask you. Does your family have a guidian or a protector?"

"Our family from generations used to have a spirit protector but it is now destroyed."

"Destroy? How?"

"Right before Sheng Qin is born, there was a fire. It burnt everything down including the scroll that the spirit is in it."

"Was it a tiger?"

"Yes master, it was a tiger. It had remained in my family for thousand of years. It brings great fortune and bravely. My ancestor family used to be in the army. Before the general goes out on the battle ground, he pray to the tiger for wining and bravely to stand against the enemies. It never fail. Until the edges got burnt. Slowly the fortune slips away. Until my grandfather becomes a commoner we kept the scroll in a box. The escort agency is set up at that time. We are appointed by the royal family to escort the goods. We have a good reputation and never fail to deliver. After my wife got pregnant, shortly out of no where the fire starts and the scroll is burn away. Trouble starts to boil and our family is slander for a crime that is not commit by us."

"Lucky for us at that time, the city Lord's son grow up with Sheng Qin. He spare our son who is so young. He become the playmate of the young lord. As he grows up, he knows the story of his family however the old servants never want to leave him behind. They persist and they stay together. Sheng Qin brings all the ancestor tablets that he can find. If not, we will all be homeless."

"Sheng Qin grown up with a burden to keep thinking how to have three meals a day for everyone. He is a sensible child. He matured faster than those children of his age. He learn to read or write from the city lord's grace. Young Lord and Sheng Qin grown up like brothers. Still there is a social class difference. Sheng Qin after turning 14 years old left the mansion and live with the old servants. His disability even thou never brother him, it doesn't allow him to take up other jobs."

"Do you know where is the tiger now?"

"Tiger... as far as we know the scroll is burnt. There is nothing left behind."

Hu Li realised that they are common folks who dont see the tiger spirit that is bound in the scroll at that time. Now the tiger is free.. It is out to harm others. The tiger must be stop.

Hu Li spend the night reading and watching Sheng Qin who is asleep. The night is silence when she smell the familiar smell of someone she knows. She put down her book and climb outside the window. On the big apple tree sits her friend that she haven't seen for a long time. She smile and leap there.