Chapter 4: Ready Or Not?

[Quan Mo Ran]

Quan Mo Ran dropped the basket and sprinted toward the house.

Quan Rui Ming was thrashing around wildly. "No! Don't go, Quan Mo Ran! Please don't leave me! Please!" She screamed. In an instant, Quan Mo Ran was by her bedside and grabbed her tightly in his arms. Her head rested against his chest.

"I'm here, Quan Rui Ming. I'm here. I won't leave you," he whispered, holding her tightly. She was still struggling against him. He held up his other hand and transferred some inner force to her. This would make her feel better.

Slowly, she calmed down and her body relaxed.

Quan Mo Ran gently placed her head on the pillow and laid her down. He stood up from the bed and stooped down, picking up the blanket Quan Rui Ming had thrown on the floor when she was thrashing around. He gently laid it on her and brought her arms out from under the cover. He walked toward the doorway and paused. Glancing back to make sure she would be alright, he smiled and then turned away, stepping out from the room.

  He left the house and went to the edge of the clearing where a bunch of orchids grew, and clipping some off,  he placed them in a glass. Bringing the glass of flowers into the house, he placed them on the table beside Quan Rui Ming. These flowers usually calm her down when she's having bad dreams. Hopefully they can once again calm her mind down for a bit. I should make breakfast now. He decided.

He stepped out of the small room and crossed to the other side of the house. In the small area they called the kitchen, was a stove made of clay. The stove was cylinder shaped and had an opening at the bottom of it. Quan Mo Ran exited the house and brought some small pieces of wood back. He put them in a neat pile at his feet in front of the opening and, picking one piece of wood up, stuck it into the opening. He then took out two rocks and struck them against each other. Soon enough, Quan Mo Ran had a fire going. He put a metal pan on the opening of the cylinder-shaped stove and added some oil and noodles. The sizzling and crackling of the food was music to his ears. A sweet aroma soon wafted in the air and Quan Mo Ran let his mind wander as he mixed the noodles.

"Ahhhh. So tired," he heard a yawn from behind.

He turned and saw Quan Rui Ming in the middle of the doorway stretching and yawning. She rubbed her eyes and when she saw her older brother, her face suddenly glowed.

"You're awake, Quan Mo Ran!" She excitedly ran toward him and hugged him tightly around the waist.

"Let go," Quan Mo Ran ordered.

"No I won't," she said as he held him tighter.

Quan Mo Ran sighed as he tried to pry her arms off him. "Let go right now. I'm making you breakfast."

"I won't. You can't make me. Do you really think I didn't know you went yesterday?"

How does she know I went out yesterday? Quan Mo Ran wondered. Outwardly, however, he didn't show his surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was here the whole night."

"Lier! If you were here the whole night, why is there the smell of perfume on you? Huh?"

"Quan Rui Ming, please. Don't think too much about it."

"I'm not overthinking. The perfume you are using covers up certain smells like...the black market for instance," she said in such a matter of fact way.

Quan Mo Ran wasn't ready to admit it yet. "Well who said I went to the black market? I could've just gone to the house of pleasure. I�"" He suddenly stopped as he realized what he just said.

"Ha! I caught you! You did go out and you did go to the black market! You big fat liar!"

"I�""

"Stop trying to deny it! You are caught. Quan Mo Ran!" She was smiling but then she sighed.

"What's wrong?"

"Quan Mo Ran, I wish you would do honest business."

"Do you think I want to be in this business?"

"You have a choice."

"A choice? What kind of choice?"

Quan Rui Ming shook her head. They had been up and down this topic multiple times and every time it was brought up, they got into a fight. There was no use discussing it. Quan Rui Ming thought Quan Mo Ran should work like the other Jings did even though it meant putting their dignity aside. After all, to live was the best thing in the world. But Quan Mo Ran was still infatuated with the past and was hell bent on revenge. Instead of arguing, she said, "You're the only family I have in this world. If I lose you, what am I supposed to do?" Tears started to slide down her cheeks as she continued. "Quan Mo Ran. I can't bear to lose you. What am I going to do if something bad happens to you?" Tears splashed on the ground.

Quan Mo Ran stood there not knowing what to do. He wasn't trained in comforting people! He awkwardly put his arm around her and drew her toward him and patted her. "There. There. Don't cry. Nothing happened to me, see? I'm fine."

"This time nothing happened. How about next time?"

"Nothing will happen to me. I promise I will be safe."

"Please don't lie to me," she said as she used her sleeve to wipe her tears away.

"I promise you I will be safe. Don't worry about me."

She sniffed then wiped her eyes one last time. "I believe you."

"There. There," he patted her shoulder and led her gently to the table that still had a full basin of water. He took the cloth and dipped it into the basin and then he took Quan Rui Ming's hand and put the cloth in her hand. "Here, wash your face."

She nodded.

Quan Mo Ran looked at Quan Rui Ming for a moment. She is my only sister. I love her so much. I just don't know if in the future...Stop thinking like that, Quan Mo Ran. You made her a promise and you will keep it.

"Quan Mo Ran," a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah Mei Mei?"

"What's that smell?"

Quan Mo Ran breathed deeply and suddenly coughed.

"Oh no!" Quan Mo Ran leapt out of his chair and hurried over to the stove. "Oh no! Oh no!" He mumbled to himself as he picked up a pair of chopsticks and fished out the noodles. It was too late. The noodles were charred black and there was no saving it.

Quan Mo Ran sighed. "Look what you did."

"What do you mean? You are the one who burnt the noodles!" Quan Rui Ming said indignantly.

"If you didn't distract me we'd still have noodles to eat!"

"You�""

"Here," he interrupted as he took out yellow bread shaped like a mountain. "Here," he said as he tossed it to her.

"Humph! At least you have a heart," she said as she bit into it. The mán tou was still soft and had a rich, sweet flavor.

"What kind of wheat is this made of?" She asked as she chewed.

"None."

"What? What's it made of?"

"Corn."

"I love corn! Thank you Ge Ge! You're the best!"

He nodded.

They were eating peacefully when suddenly a young man ran into the house yelling, "Yang Hao Ran! Yang Hao Ran!"

Quan Mo Ran's head snapped up as he shot a killer look at the intruder. Quan Mo Ran stood up.

The intruder, upon receiving Quan Mo Ran's glare, stopped dead in his tracks. He froze but then relaxed, "Hai, Yang Hao Ran! Why do you always have to be this cold toward me? We've known each other for years and yet, whenever I see you all I see is a serious killer face. Lighten up, won't you?" The man walked up to Yang Hao Ran and rested his arm on Yang Hao Ran's shoulder. "Relax, Xiong Di."

Quan Rui Ming, upon seeing that Quan Mo Ran had business excused herself in the guise of getting food for the guest. As soon as she turned away, Yang Hao Ran moved his shoulder and the intruder let his arm drop to his side.

"Who's your Xiong Di?" Yang Hao Ran said as he sat down and poured himself a cup of tea.

The man also sat down beside him and turned over an upside down cup. He also poured himself a cup of tea. He took a sip.

"Drinking my tea, two liang," Yang Hao Ran said as he held two fingers up. The man was holding the cup close to his mouth as he prepared to take another sip. Angrily, he slammed the cup down on the table with a loud clang. Water flew into the air like a geyser. "Yang Hao Ran! We're friends! You're not supposed to charge me for drinking your tea!"

Yang Hao Ran continued to drink his tea indifferently, and after taking a sip, he said, "Damaging my cup, four liang."

"Yang Hao Ran! You!" The man shot to his feet and swiftly turned to leave. Yang Hao Ran didn't attempt to stop him. The man had taken a couple of steps toward the door before he spun around.

"Wait, I wanted to ask you something," the man said as he turned around and returned to Yang Hao Ran's side.

"Why did you come, Xie Fei?"

"I wanted to know if we got a new assignment yet."

"No," Yang Hao Ran answered as he took another sip.

"That's what you always say! Even when we do have a new assignment!"

"Gun."

"You're telling me to leave?! We're friends! Friends don't treat each other like this!" Xie Fei cried indignantly.

"I've always been a loner. I don't have friends."

  "What am I? Chopped liver?"

  "Essentially,".

"You! I don't know why I waste my time on you!"

"Me neither."

"You!" Xie Fei cried as he turned and stormed out just as Quan Rui Ming came in.

"Eh," she said half heartedly as if she wanted to stop him. She watched him go and strode to the other side of the table facing Quan Mo Ran. She put down the basket of dried seeds. As she faced Mo Ran, her hands on her hips, she said angrily, "Quan Mo Ran! Why didn't you keep him here a bit longer? I just finished cracking these pumpkin seeds!"

"He wanted to leave. There was nothing I could do."

"Quan Mo Ran! You could've been more friendly and not be so cold towards him!"

"What? You like him?"

Quan Rui Ming's face went red. "Who dares to like that Xie Fei? That handsome, intelligent, hot tempered, nice guy that makes my heart beat so fast I can hardly breath?" By now, she had a dreamy look on her face.

"What did you say?"

She snapped out of her day dream and replied, "I said, who would like that ugly, grouchy, Xie Fei?"

"That sounds more like it."

Rui Ming seated herself beside Quan Mo Ran and turned over another cup and poured herself tea. She tipped the cup to her lips and drank it in one gulp.

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"How long are you going to be away?"

  "Not long," Quan Mo Ran lied.

Quan Rui Ming nodded. Suddenly, she had a coughing fit that racked her whole body.

"Quan Rui Ming!" Quan Mo Ran said in alarm.

"I'm fine," she said as she held up her arm, signaling Quan Mo Ran to back off. He refused to because he knew she was too weak to stand up all by herself. She always wanted to play strong even though her body was weak. He gently helped her up by allowing her to clutch his arm.

"You shouldn't have gone outside. Now you're coughing again," Quan Mo Ran gently scolded her.

"I wanted to though. It's been a while since I went out. Quan Mo Ran, you don't understand, the sun on my skin is such an amazing feeling. The birds sang their lovely songs and I could smell the deep, rich soil. I wish I could go out every day..."

Quan Mo Ran led Rui Ming to her bed where he led her to sit. Then he helped her lie down. He took her head gently in his hands and laid it on the pillow. After she was settled, he picked up the blanket and tucked her in.

"You rest here and don't get out of bed. I'm going to make your medicine."

Quan Rui Ming nodded.

Quan Mo Ran walked out the door and sighed. If only he could find someone to cure his sister then he wouldn't have to worry so much.

After the medicine was ready, he took the bowl full of medicine to the room. Gently shaking Rui Ming awake, he helped her sit up. She took a sip and pushed the bowl away. "It's bitter!"

Quan Mo Ran sighed. Taking out a piece of candy, he held it up to show her. "If you drink your medicine, this piece of candy is yours."

She didn't need to be told twice. Rui Ming grabbed the bowl from Quan Mo Ran's hand and tipped the medicine in her mouth, drinking it all in one gulp. After finishing her medicine, she put the bowl on the table beside her bed and stuck out her hand. Quan Mo Ran placed the candy into her hand and she unwrapped the candy and popped it into her mouth.

As he watched her happily suck on the candy, he leaned forward and buried his eyes in his hands. "I am so useless. I am so useless," he muttered.

"Ge Ge," he felt two soft hands pull his hands away from his face. He looked up and saw Rui Ming. "You're not useless," she said softly.

He felt a sudden flash of anger. He tore his hands away from hers and shot to his feet. He started to yell, "BUT I AM! I CAN SAVE ANY JING BUT I CAN'T EVEN SAVE MY OWN SISTER! WHAT MIRACULOUS HEALING POWERS? WHAT GOOD IS INFINITE MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE IF I CAN'T EVEN SAVE THOSE CLOSEST TO ME! I AM USELESS! I AM USELESS...I am useless," he said repeatedly until his voice turned into a murmur and then a whisper. He dropped to the ground exhausted and rested his head on the bed post. "Tell me, what good am I if I can't even save my own sister," he whispered desperately as he choked back sobs. He buried his face in his arms and let the darkness comfort him.

Then through the darkness, he heard a gentle voice start to sing. It was a sorrowful but beautiful voice. The voice moved his whole being as it rose and fell. It sang on for a while and faded into the darkness as Quan Mo Ran's consciousness started to slip away...

***********************************************************

Quan Mo Ran and Quan Rui Ming sat at the table sharing a meal. Quan Mo Ran had cooked up a feast: steamed yellow buns, oily rice noodles with pork, steamed rice, an assortment of fried vegetables, chicken soup, and bao zi  which was round bread stuffed with meat and white cabbage.

When Quan Rui Ming had first woken up to the feast she was so excited and asked, "What's the occasion?"

Quan Mo Ran had replied with, "I wanted to cook lots of food so that you could remember what my food tasted like before I leave."

Quan Rui Ming smiled broadly and sat down. Quan Mo Ran followed her and sat down as well. Picking up a pair of chopsticks, he got some fried vegetables from a plate in the middle of the table and put them in Quan Rui Ming's bowl. "Here, eat more," he said.

She looked up at him and smiled. Then she picked up the bowl and put her mouth on the edge of the bowl and shoved food into her mouth. Quan Mo Ran smiled as he watched her. A  pang of sadness crept up on him. I don't know when I can return or if I will return at all. I just hope that Quan Rui Ming can live well and happily.

He had been staring at her as she happily ate when she suddenly put the bowl down on the table. "Quan Mo Ran, are you alright? You haven't been eating."

"Huh? What? Oh..." He quickly grabbed some food with his chopsticks and started to eat.

"Here, eat more," she said as she picked up some noodles and put them in his bowl. "You need to eat more for your journey ahead. Then I won't worry about you."

Quan Mo Ran glanced up at Quan Rui Ming. He nodded and he agreed, "Mm."

There came a knock followed by a voice. "Yang Hao Ran! I'm here! I knew you wouldn't leave me behind! I knew you would send me a message!"

"Who released the pigeon?" Quan Mo Ran asked.

"I did," Rui Ming said.

"Why?"

"Because you need a friend to help you on your way."

"I've always worked solo."

"Come on, Quan Mo Ran, you prepared the message and container that would notify Xie Fei. You had to have planned on releasing the messenger pigeon."

Quan Mo Ran sighed as he started to collect the dishes. He was stopped by Quan Rui Ming. "I'll clean the dishes. You better get going before Zhang Xie Fei gets really mad."

"Who cares about him? It's none of my business."

"Oh really? You're joking!" She hit him playfully in the shoulder.

"No I'm not."

"Alright. Fine. You're not. Go get your stuff."

"Yes Mei Mei."

He went to their room and grabbed the cloth bag and tied it around his waist. He then picked up his sword and tucked it between his belt. Then his eyes slowly swept across the room one last time before he left the room. He walked through the kitchen and stepped unto the porch.

Quan Rui Ming was already sitting on the porch when he finally arrived. When she saw him, she stood up and ran into his arms. She grabbed his neck and said, "I will miss you, Quan Mo Ran. Stay safe."

Quan Mo Ran was struggling to breath as she held him so tightly.

"Well? Why don't you speak?" She demanded. Then she glanced at his face and upon seeing him struggling to breath, glanced at her arms. Suddenly realizing what was happening, she quickly let go of him. "Sorry, Quan Mo Ran!"

Quan Mo Ran coughed and managed to say, "I-it's a-alright."

"I knew you would forgive me!" She shoved him playfully which made him cough even harder.

"Remember what you promised me. Stay safe. Don't do anything that will get you killed."

Quan Mo Ran nodded as he continued to cough. Finally after a minute, he stopped coughing, and said, "I...p-promise. Also, later in the day, there will be a maid who will move in. Her name is Tan Zi Ru and she will be taking care of you."

"Awww. You're the best brother I could have ever asked for."

"Of course."

There was a slight pause, then Quan Rui Ming said, " Oh yeah, I made something for you." She held out a ruyi knot. It was a red string that combined to form four cloverleaf knots. "This knot is a wàn shì rú yì knot. I hope everything you hope for will happen and that this knot will bring you safely home. Maybe if you bring it with you wherever you go, you will have good luck and it may bring you peace of mind. If you ever miss me, just remember to look at the moon because even though we are far from each other, we still look at the same moon. Dear Ge Ge, stay safe and don't break your promise." With that, she put the knot in the palms of Quan Mo Ran.

Quan Mo Ran looked down at his palm and smiled.

"Wow. Your sister cares so much about you," Zhang Xie Fei commented.

"You get one too," Quan Rui Ming said as she handed him a knot.

He smiled broadly as one corner of his lip went up. "Thanks a lot."

Quan Rui Ming merely giggled. Xie Fei and Rui Ming looked into each other's eyes.

"A-hem. Alright, let's go," Yang Hao Ran said grumpily.

"Bye Hao Ran! Bye Xie Fei!" Rui Ming called as she turned her back to them and walked back toward the house.

Xie Fei and Yang Hao Ran turned their attention to the road ahead of them and set off.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸
Mei Mei (妹妹）: younger sister

Mán tou(�'头）:it's a type of bread that can be made from corn or wheat

Xiong Di (兄弟）：it's a term used to describe familiar address for a man who is younger than oneself, or it's to describe a relationship where men are so close that they become like family

Liang: a huge quantity of money, is usually solid gold or paper money

Wen: a smaller quantity of money, is usually small coins

Wàn shì rú yì(万事如意）: an idiom, hoping that everything goes as one wishes . Its used to bless people and is commonly used during Chinese new year.

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