an ancient chinese story

1

Jing yi woke up early before the dawn as always. He cleaned the house though old and small. Then he went to get the firewood in the forest near his house which took him two hours as always. he then cooked and took care of the single cow they had. though he had measly meals he was happy. even though he had to work all day just to survive he was happy. 

but he was happy till his father wasnt there.it was after dusk, jing yi had just set up the dinner when his father came home after fifteen days since he went to town. jing yi's father was a drunkard and a gambler. he would go to the town and gamble everything he had and get     drunk . 

"hey faggot!  you good for nothing! its because of you that life has come to this. your rotten luck made me lose everything." jing yi went out to help his drunk father again. after getting inside the house, jing yi helped his father eat the meal. his father in full rage pushed off jing yi and threw the bowl at jingyi. jing yi hit the wall and the bowl barely missed him. "you dare touch me, bitch! dont let your hands anywhere near me. i dont want your rotten luck to spread to me." jing yi having always heard his father say this had no tears left to cry. his father got up ,even when not being able to balance himself , he let his hands and legs hit jing yi wherever he could. at last when he got tired he slept right there on the floor. the previous bruises had just faded away now the addition of the bruises left him weak again. Even though he put the only blanket  they had on his father and cleaned up the mess as usual. 

jing yi never blamed his father for calling him an abomination and a shameful existence. he blamed himself. he himself thought his existence was god's awful mistake. he understood his father and accepted the punishment for his birth like always.

he went out the house and sat on a big stone at the side of the river , a little far from his house. this space was always used to be his mother's favourite place and his too. the moonlight reflected by the water and the nature around would make the place surreal. it always gave jing yi a sense of safety and a little warmth to his heart just like when he was with his mother. it had been 10 years since her death ,jing yi was only 8 then. Remembering his mother, tears fell from his eyes. he remembered the happy days, which seem to be so far away, almost like a dream.  every pain now seemed to have made him numb but the pain of having lost his mother was always fresh in his heart. he cried some more and then decided to leave. he picked some herbs for the bruises and then went home.

jing yi woke up the next day and his whole body hurt. but still he got up and did the usual chores. when he was returning from the forest carrying the firewood he heard someone. he lived in the mountain at the outskirts of the town all his life and no one other than jing yi and his father lived there. so that sound of a man made jing yi curious. he hid himself and peeked out to look at the man. it seemed to be a nobleman. jing yi knew that from the man's clothes. though a nobility the man was burly . even the clothes couldnt hide the muscles. 

jing yi couldnt see the man's face , so he moved a little to see the man more clearly. but the sound of a branch breaking beneath jing yi's feet caught the  man's attention. just as the man moved to see who it was ,jing yi ran away. the man immediately followed him. jing yi then was terrified. he wasnt supposed to be seen. no one should see him. that's why he lived in seclusion in the mountain. he ran for his life but was shocked when turned to see the man catching up. jing yi made twist and turns as the mountain was very familiar to him, and soon the man lost him. 

jing yi then  went home . his father was still sleeping. jing yi though still terrified  made the meal. jing yi as he mainly lived himself, used the herbs from the forest and vegetables from the little farm where he grew whatever he could. just as his father woke up jing yi left the house so that he would not anger his father. he went to his usual place near the river. 

"mother, i was almost caught today. i wonder what that man was doing in the forest. " jing yi talked to his mother. "but i think its alright. he probably didnt see me.  Mother , i know i always say this but i wonder how easy my life would have been if i was born normal. why did god have to be so cruel to me?"jing yi cried seeing his misfortune.

"xaio jing ! my beautiful son. dont cry. and dont listen to that man. you are not an abomination . you are my son and you are most beautiful and the cutest son in the world." jing yi's mother held her son's face and consoled him. jingyi had again ran away from home. "really, mom?" jing yi's mother wiped his tears and nodded her head. jing yi smiled looking at her beautiful mom.

jing yi smiled. remembering the days with his mom." this is no time to cry."jingyi told himself  and stood up. soon his friends came to him. jing yi smiled at them and snuggled the wolves. this occurrence may seem strange but it was what it was. 

jing yi with his kind heart had been unble to leave a wounded pregnant wolf, 4 years ago when he went to find firewood on the mountain. he treated the wolf and helped make a shelter to protect the wounded wolf from the rain.

the wolf did threaten the young boy helping him but seeing him to be harmless the wolf didnt  see the boy to be a danger to her and her pups. jingyi helped the birth and took care of the pups when the mother wolf died while giving birth. the pups had grown up to be fierce wolves but they always had a soft side for jing yi almost like for their mother.

"Bai! Chun!where had you been ?" jing yi exclaimed with happiness. among the three pups only Bai and chun survived. jing yi forgot about his sorrows and played with the wolves till dawn.