ZuoMeng: To Dream

Clouds

JinGe stood there watching the clouds bathed in the morning sun. It was still morning, but the sun is almost on top her head now; she could not be more worried about him especially when she isn't around him.

If he was the usual Master, then she would not have the need to be worried. Her master would not even be on her mind but right now he is injured. It would have been better if there was someone to take care of him.

JinGe wasn't sure how old he was but seeing the white hair he had, he must have been an old man like her grandmother.

Even though her body was physically here in the temple but the more she thought about it, the more she felt that she should be going back to the hideout until the cries of the twins rang in her ears.

It distracted her.

"Mother, we have bought the fan from the backpack," said the older brother, XiaoZhong. However, when they were standing in front of her, the older twin passed the fan to his little brother when he saw the sad and pouting face he was making. "Here you could give it to mother."

The words made the boy smiled as he received the fan and gave it to JinGe which she praised XiaoChen first, "Thank you for bringing me my fan." and then towards XiaoZhong, whom she patted his head in acknowledgement of his effort.

JinGe opened the fan and praised the picture drawn on the fan by the children, which made the children very happy and then she made a puzzled face and asked them about the picture, "Hmm, what is this? This look like a little puppy," pointed out JinGe to the children.

They pull JinGe's hands each on each side, to lower down the fan, in order for them to get a better look at it.

"This is not a puppy," said XiaoChen.

"It's a wolf," said XiaoZhong. "I drew it, see its sharp teeth."

"And this is the one I drew. It's a wolf too," pointed XiaoChen at the brown wolf at the side of the grey one and after that, the two began imitating wolves and began howling and scratching themselves. It made her laugh.

Unknown to them, all their actions were seen by someone, the person was none other than YongSan. He was just at the corner of a wall not too far away from the hill where JinGe and the others were. He was watching the scene silently there and smiling at the girl who looked so different from the person he imagined.

One thing, he did not expect was that she would be good with children, teasing and playing with them. Second, how strong she was. Just now, she was looking sadly at the grave and the next thing; she was smiling at the children and making them laugh as well.

The scene that was in front of him was familiar; it reminded him of when YuQiao was playing with her cousins. That time, he was hiding at a corner, so she did not notice him as he watched her played with them, sweat on her brows, a vibrant smile and graceful moves dodging the children.

YongSan could not understand as well, but every time she saw her, he seems to find traces of YuQiao in the girl. She was like another her.

The silly and also lousy acting from both children, made JinGe and YuXiang chuckled and giggled. It also made ZhenPing who was watching at the side laugh too and thus revealing her own location. "Opps," thought the girl.

The boy stopped their acting and called out in her direction.

"Who is it?" said XiaoZhong who was approaching the stone pillar where she was hiding.

ZhenPing followed the boys and hid behind ancient moss filled stone pillars that were lined along a pathway up to the grave. It was big enough to hide her small figure and whenever they passed it, she will hide on the other side, so they did not catch her there but just then her laughter exploded, and she was heard.