《《蛮族之花》 Flower of Wilderness》Yina_bubbles

3、第 3 章 Flowe

　　Suyuan carefully poured the fish soup into a bowl before putting it into the wooden lunch box. The broth was still steaming , and the faint fragrance of ginger lingered in the air. Ayao secured the lid tightly before carrying it with both hands, “be carefull” Suyuan reminded her. Together they walked toward the main hall, the evening air had grown noticeably colder. Suyuan pulled her cloak closer around herself, winter was approaching. Of all seasons , winter was the one she hated the most . The Orchid courtyard became unbearably cold once winter arrived. The river would eventually freeze, making it impossible to obtain fresh fish. Even the charcoal supplied by the Khan’s household was barely enough to keep the room warm, let alone to maintain the fire through the night.

　　Whenever they had enough money , Suyuan would quietly bribe one of the guards to get more charcoal. But when money was scarce , the only solution they had was to sneak into the mountain for firewood. They would gather firewood, search for edible plants, and sometimes hunt whatever small animals they could find. The mountain was dangerous but the cold was even more dangerous for them, especially for her mother. Suyuan can endure it but her mother can’t.

　　As she walked , Suyuan’s thoughts drifted back to the years when she had been very young. The times before Ayao entered her life, back then there were only three people in the Orchid Courtyard. When Princess Shuran fell ill , Nanny Zhang had been the one who cared for them both. She worked tirelessly from morning until night from cooking, preparing medicine, tending the fire and looking after the young Suyuan. Nanny Zhang had been with the princess since she was young, when Shuran was sent away for the marriage alliance, many attendants refused to follow her. Only Nanny Zhang had been the only one who insisted on going, she had never considered leaving Shuran behind. Over the years , she had become more than just a servant to Suyuan; she was a grandmother.

　　When her mother was bedridden, Nanny Zhang had been there and whenever little Suyuan had a nightmare she would hold her until Suyuan fell asleep again. Then, Suyuan found Ayao from the mountain. Since Suyuan saved her the two girls had gradually become inseparable, Ayao was a friend and a sister. Together the two girls learned how to take care of themselves. They learned how to start fires, collecting herbs and vegetables from the mountain. They even learned how to set simple traps for small animals. They did it so Nanny Zhang could devote herself entirely to care for Princess Shuran.

　　Suyuan had never forgotten what Nanny Zhang had done for them, nor had she forgotten the stories the old nanny used to tell her. The stories about her mother, The Flower of Xian. Her mother used to be one of the most beautiful women in the entire empire but beauty had never been the reason people loved her. She had been gentle, kind and compassionate. Whenever Xian suffered through war , famine, floods or other disaster Princess Shuran would personally involve herself in the relief efforts. She would reduce her own expenses by eating simpler meals, wear plain clothing and use whatever resources she could spare to help those in need.

　　Nanny Zhang used to tell her that her mother would sometimes refuse expensive delicacies as she believed the money could feed more people. At that time little Suyuan listened with admiration but now 18 years later, she found everything painfully ironic. The woman who had once given food to others, now could barely afford hot meals. The woman who had worn plain clothing so that others could survive, now lived in a courtyard with peeling paint and broken roof tiles. The woman who tried so hard to save people couldn’t even receive enough charcoal to keep herself warm .

　　Suyuan lowered her gaze, her finger tightened around the cloak. Sometimes she wondered why good people were always the one who suffered? Why did kindness bring nothing but pain? Her mother spent her entire life giving to others , receiving so little in return? Maybe little Suyuan had been too young to understand and perhaps she was still too young now. But there was something about her mother’s stories that never sat right with her , a woman as loved and respected like her mother should not have ended up like this. A princess should not have to spend her final days forgotten in a foreign land.

　　Suyuan looked at the main hall, the doors were closed. A faint thread of smoke escaped from the chimney, her expression softened. Whatever the answer was, she only hoped that she would have enough time to find it . Because for now there was only one thing that mattered , her mother.”Miss?” Ayao’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. Suyuan looked at her, Ayao was standing by the door holding the lunch box carefully against her chest. She reached for the door, neither of the girls noticed the faint figure standing beneath the distant corridor. Nor did they know that inside the main hall, princess Shuran’s illness had already taken a turn for the worse.