Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 154 Extra Xiao Mu (3)

The girl stuck out her tongue and laughed, "Sorry, I forgot, I only hit one, it's asymmetrical! Come on, let me give you another punch!"

Young Master Chen was so frightened that he quickly retreated and hid behind the servants. The servants, who had been so arrogant just moments before, were now like startled quails.

The girl suddenly said sternly, "You! You need to apologize to those children and pay them compensation!"

Young Master Chen looked on incredulously: "What did you say? Do you know who I am? No one has ever dared to do this before..."

Before he could finish speaking, the girl darted forward, grabbed his collar with one hand, and swung the other hand around, slapping him seven or eight times in a row.

"Ah! Ah! It hurts! Little girl... you're dead!... Ah! No, I was wrong! I was wrong! Little ancestor! I was really wrong! Goddess!... Please let me go... I apologize, I apologize! I'll compensate, I'll compensate! How about one hundred taels? Ahhh! It hurts! No, no, five hundred taels! Five hundred taels!"

The girl finally stopped, shoved Chen Gongzi away, and the bruised and swollen Chen Gongzi instantly slid to the ground like a lump of mud.

"You said it yourself, remember to exchange this five hundred for old copper coins, and also get a doctor for these children until their diarrhea is cured!" The girl knew very well what this money meant to these little beggars; they would never use this life-saving money to see a doctor.

Under the girl's supervision, Young Master Chen kept his promise, helped the little beggars get medical treatment, and paid them back the money.

That young master Wang even bought grain to help the poor people in the city. But that's another story.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The boy placed a plate of dried fruit in front of his younger brother's small grave mound and silently wiped the tombstone.

The girl stood behind the boy and patted him on the shoulder to comfort him.

The boy stood up, turned around with a smile on his face, but his eyes were still filled with tears.

The girl walked side by side with the boy, and asked, "Apprentice, what's your name? I haven't asked you yet."

The boy was somewhat surprised and asked, "Apprentice? Sister, when did I become your apprentice?"

The girl laughed heartily, "I see you have extraordinary talent, so I hereby declare you my disciple! You don't need to thank me. My name is Rong Wanyin, what's your name? Tell me quickly!"

Whether the boy acquiesced or couldn't argue, he spoke up, "Xiao Mu..."

Rong Wanyin looked at the boy's sculpted features; his appearance did not resemble that of a Han Chinese. She spoke in a flat tone, her eyes devoid of any emotion: "Your surname is Xiao? Are you from Liao?"

Xiao Mu was somewhat surprised: "Yes, you don't hate me?"

Rong Wan was somewhat bewildered: "Hate you? Why would I hate you? Just because you're from Liao?"

Xiao Mu nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes. Rong Wanyin sighed, somewhat moved, and murmured to herself, "Why is it that this world is never filled with love without a reason, but with so much hatred without a reason?"

Rong Wanyin sighed, forcing herself to stay alert. She bent down and patted Xiao Mu's head: "It's like there's a vicious dog biting people everywhere. We'll kill that dog. But we won't kill its litter of puppies, much less all the other dogs in the village. And some families still keep dogs. We're not afraid of other dogs, but we'll be wary of those that bark fiercely at strangers, fearing they might hurt someone. We don't tolerate invaders, nor do we harm the innocent. We can defeat and eliminate enemies, but we should respect and protect our partners and coexisting companions. Do you understand?"

Xiao Mu nodded thoughtfully, "I understand..."

Rong Wanyin smiled and patted Xiao Mu's head: "Good boy!"

Xiao Mu looked at Rong Wanyin earnestly, his eyes filled with grievance: "You called me a dog..."

Rong Wanyin sighed, "..."

Rong Wanyin took another deep breath, forced a smile, and solemnly patted Xiao Mu's shoulders with both hands. She lowered her head and said to him, "Master said that there are good people and bad people among the Han people; there are bad people and good people among the Liao people. You can see the Liao people killing Han people; you can also see the Liao and Han people harming each other; you can also see Han, Liao, and other ethnic groups saving people... History is complex, reality is complex, and human nature is complex. Because it is complex enough, it is real enough... I can only understand some of it, but I know that many things have nothing to do with you, so why should I hate you?"

Xiao Mu was filled with mixed emotions. No one had ever accepted him so openly before: "My father was a Liao person, and my mother was a Han person. After the Liao and the Great Zhou Kingdom went to war, both my parents died in the war. The Liao people said I was a spy for the Han people, and the Han people said I was a spy for the Liao people. In the end, I couldn't figure it out. Was I a Han person or a Liao person? Anyway, no one wanted me."

Rong Wanyin was somewhat indignant: "What did the child do wrong? It doesn't matter, I want you. Follow me, and you'll have food to eat! As long as I have a bite of meat to eat, you'll have a sip of soup to drink!"

Xiao Mu nodded obediently, a glimmer of light finally appearing in her eyes, and sweetly called out, "Master!"

------

"Is this the treasure you were talking about, the one you found?" The master sat in the armchair, rubbing his temples hard with two fingers. "Do you think you can just pick up a child like that? Where are his parents? You kidnapped someone's child, aren't they worried?"

Rong Wanyin had not yet spoken in argument.

Xiao Mu answered weakly, "My parents are no longer here."

The master took a deep breath: "Are there any other family members?"

Xiao Mu's eyes dimmed, and he shook his head, his eyes red-rimmed: "Gone, all gone. Father and Mother are dead, my younger brother is dead... I'm all alone now..."

Xiao Mu suddenly knelt down with a thud, grabbing the old man Wuji's trouser leg and sobbing, "Grandmaster, please let me stay, don't send me away, okay? I eat very little, I can do any kind of work!"

When the master heard Xiao Mu call him "Grandmaster," he instantly understood what his disciple had done. He was both angry and heartbroken. He turned to Rong Wanyin and scolded, "It's one thing to pick up a child, but you even take someone as a disciple? With your pathetic skills? I only let you go out to play for a day, and you've caused me so much trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Mu lowered his head even further, tears streaming down his face. Large teardrops fell to the ground and spread out. He cried silently, yet it evoked pity. Later, Rong Wanyin tried to imitate his crying style, but she couldn't quite grasp the essence. She was still chased and beaten by her master with a broom, completely baffled. But that's another story.

Seeing the child crying so pitifully, the master was instantly at a loss and quickly got up to comfort him: "I didn't mean anything else, what I meant was... hey, hey, child, don't cry. What I meant was that even if he or she can't be your master, I can!"