The Ties That Bind

Chapter 1 - The Ties That Bind

On a snowy day in Yunmeng, three people in white arrive at the dock, "Lan Shixiang, Lan gongzi, Lan er gongzi, welcome to Yunmeng town."

All three Lan gave the man in purple a bow, "it is our pleasure Sect leader Jiang." This sect leader is Jiang Fengmian, the clan leader of the Jiang clan.

"Please come this way. We already prepare warm food and tea for you," Jiang Fengmian lead the three Lan to the Jiang clan.

When they are in the main room of the Jiang clan, the youngest of the three Lan look around the room, 'this is boring, I rather go outside then sitting here until Shifu is done talking to Sect leader Jiang.'

While no one is pay any attention to the second young master Lan, he sneak out of there to wonder around Yunmeng town. He doesn't know that his older brother is following him, "Wangji."

"Da Ge, is the talk over?" Lan Xichen sigh, "No, I saw you left so I follow you. Why did you leave?" He ask his didi.

"I was bore, I want to go look around Yunmeng. Sorry I left without tell you and Shifu," Lan Xichen put his hand on top of Lan Wangji head, "Is alright. Is there anything you want here?" Lan Wangji look around at the vendor, he didn't see anything he wanted.

Until he see a little boy holding a rattling drum in his hand, "Da Ge, I want that," Lan Xichen see Lan Wangji pointing at the little boy with a rattling drum in his hand. "Alright, let's go find it. But you have to promise me that you won't let Shifu know? You know how he doesn't want me to spoil you."

"Mn."

So the two went to find the vendor that have the rattling drum. About an hour or so later Lan Xichen finally found the vendor that sell the rattling drum. Lan Xichen buy the rattle drum for his didi.

"Alright let's head back before Shifu know that we are gone. Wangji, put the drum away first," Lan Wangji did just that. When the two arrive they see Lan Qiren is waiting for them outside of the Jiang clan.

"Shifu," Lan Xichen gave a bow to his uncle, "You found Wangji," Lan Xichen nodded his head. "Sect leader Jiang is showing us around Yunmeng town, we are meeting him at an inn." Lan Qiren take his nephews to where Jiang Fengmian is at.

While walking around Lan Wangji hate the loud noise around him, 'so loud,' Lan Wangji walk away from the noisy crowd around him.

A boy is sitting in an alley way, it was away from other people. He made three straw doll, two big one and one little one, "this is A-Die," he put the big one down on the left, "this is A-Niang," the second one on the right, "And this is A-Ying," the small one in between the two big straw doll.

Lan Wangji came to a clearing, out the corner of his eye he see a boy in ragged cloth, dirty on his face and three straw doll on the white snow.

The boy with silver eye look straight ahead on him, he see a boy in all white and wearing a forehead ribbon walking toward him.

Lan Wangji walk over to the boy, he hold the rattle drum out in front of him, "me?"

Lan Wangji nodded his head, "I can't take it. It belong to you." Lan Wangji still hold the rattle drum in his hand until the boy takes it. "Can I really have it?" Lan Wangji nodded his head again.

"Then thank you," the little boy take the rattle drum in his hand, he move it left and right as the small bead on the string hit the drum. He smile at how much fun the toy is.

Lan Wangji eye went wide, a blush play across his face as he see how bright the little boy smile is. "How old are you?" Lan Wangji asked.

"I am 5 years old. And you?"

"I am 6 year old. Wha-" before Lan Wangji can ask the boy name a voice call out, "Wangji! Where are you?!" Lan Wangji turn back to look at the boy one last time and then turn back around to go find his brother.

When the boy in white left, the boy on the ground smile disappear. 'It must be nice to still have family member who is looking for you. I got no one left. Die and Niang didn't tell me anything about their family member.'

The boy look down at the rattle drum in his hand, 'I wonder if I will see him again. With my memories like my mom. I don't think I will remember this meeting.'

"Wangji, where did you go?" Lan Xichen asked as he take Lan Wangji back to where their uncle is at.

"I saw a little boy. He was by himself. He doesn't have any parents with him."

"A little boy?" Lan Wangji nodded his head, "mn. He doesn't have a home. He doesn't have warm clothes."

When the two Lan brother see their Uncle, the Lan clan is ready to head back to their own home. Lan Wangji turn back around to look in the other direction, 'I hope to see you again some day.' Lan Wangji doesn't know that when the two of them grow up, they won't remember this meeting at all.

This is the beginning of the meeting between Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji. This is the beginning of the ties that bind the two soul together.