Immortal Mortals

Wedding

Gathering his crew together, Jie informed them he would be marrying Ai the following day, to cheers and loud applause.  "So today, we will be building a temporary alter right here." he said as he pointed down at his feet.

Looking up at him wide eyed he laughed.  "Right here, in this exact spot that I am standing is where Ai chose the location of our home, so it is only right that we marry in this exact spot." he said, pushing a stick into the ground to the mark it.

Then going through the ritual with them, and of course including them as their wedding guests and witnesses, they all quickly followed his strict instructions on the layout and finer details.  It took the whole day to prepare, but once done, Jie had his crew build a palanquin. 

"Be here at the usual time, we will all collect her in the morning." he smiled at them before sending them home.

Then leaving them to work on his instructions, Jie left immediately for town. There was a little store he had seen earlier that sold wedding apparel, which he headed to first. The first things he purchased was the wedding gown and matching robe, veil, slippers and accessories.  Then a wedding blanket, pillows, goblets, candle holders, candles and everything the store owner recommended.  It was quite an exhausting 3 hours, but once he had everything he would need, he had them all delivered to his Ais little home.

Now that, that was ready, Jie immediately returned to the construction site and his crew, who had almost finished the alter and were preparing to take a break.  Unloading his horse of the rest of his purchases, he gathered his crew in front of him and began to hand out packages to each one.  These are for tomorrow, he told them smiling as they all opened their parcels amid gasps and wide smiles.

Their parcels contained new robes, small trinkets and money.  Even though it was they who should have given him the gifts, he knew they could not afford it, and being an unconventional wedding anyway, he didn't see any point in creating more hardship for them.  Explaining to them that he did not want gifts or money, only their presence, they all stood and bowed before he sat them back down again.  

The amount of money he had gifted each of them, was a years wage, so a substantial fortune, but when he explained why, they were understood and were very grateful for it.  "I have hired more men to assist you in completing my home, I need it finished within two weeks, even less if possible." he said as he looked at his young crew whom he had grown to love.  

Understanding that more crew would mean less time to earn more money, they thanked him for his generosity and foresight.  It was more than they could have hoped for, and it was enough money to prepare their own futures.  Jie, would always remain their number one concern in life, they felt indebted to him and grateful that their futures looked brighter than it had only moments ago and they would not disappoint him.  From that moment on, they all referred to Jie as Father.

________________________________________________________

When the parcels arrived at Ais little home later that day, she burst into tears.  The thought that she was marrying Jie, suddenly became a reality.  But it was when she unwrapped the wedding blanket that she came to a complete halt.  

Jie would be staying with her while his home was being built.   Rising quickly, she raced through every room to remove any remnants of her Immortal life.  There could be nothing for him to suspect her of being anything other than Ai, a common Mortal woman.

It was when she picked up the luminous Pearl, that her mind once more returned to the night that Jie had picked it up.  That he knew what it was, once again had her thinking how that was possible, and her zither too.  She had watched his reaction to it, as if he knew that it didn't belong there.