《A Bride in Diyu》


 Chapter One

    As Jia Meifeng took the offered clawed hand into the decoratively carved marriage sedan, she felt the finality of what was to occur. Seating herself on the cushion, she felt creatures outside lift the sedan and begin their long journey. From behind her crimson wedding veil, Meifeng could not see the faces of the creatures outside, even if she were to push aside the embroidered cloth covering the marriage sedan¡¯s window, the marriage veil would hinder her sight. One thing that she was able to glimpse was the sight of pants and shoes, like something out of the traditional hanfu seen in historical palace dramas.


    It was at this moment that a slight shiver raked through her body. From this day on, there would be no internet, no Shanghaiese jazz music, no cheesy dramas, and no friends to argue about boys she couldn¡¯t date. Despite it all, there was a sort of peace to be had. For twelve years, the ending which she had known about would finally come to pass. The only thing that she hoped was that he would be kind. With that thought, she lost herself to the loud music and dancing that accompanied the marriage procession. The horn of the suoda mixing in with the pounding of drums and the loud resonance of gongs. She imagined that unlike the peaceful nature of the inside of a marriage sedan, the outside must be teeming with liveliness and firecrackers as the procession continued on.


    At that thought, a frown graced her red rouge colored lips. Surely it wouldn¡¯t hurt for her to at least take one last peak at the home which had shown her such kindness for these past twelve years? At that thought, the sound of her shifu¡¯s voice reverberated through her mind.


    ¡°The denizens of Diyu do not follow the same rules and logic which we mortals do. Remember the marriage procession, is a sacred ceremony, to them. Do not do anything which they would deem shameful.¡±


    Sighing to herself, Meifeng knew that she had to abandon the thought and would need to content herself with only listening. Besides she had spent the week with all her closest friends and family from the village. Her goodbyes had all been said and there was nothing left for her there. The Wang whose name she still did not know and the imperial like ways of the courts of Diyu would be her new life. She was sure that everything would turn out well. He was going to be kind and handsome. She could still play her guqin and read her poems, although the loss of her precious jazz music still pained her. Even if there was no modern technology, she would manage. She always did.


    With that, Meifeng could feel herself begin to dose. Knowing that this journey would be longer than most wedding processions, Meifeng thought that she could allow herself at least that luxury and accepted the sleep that came.


    Feeling the carriage being lowered, Meifeng woke with a start and quickly arranged herself so that she resembled what her shifu had taught her was a real lady, back straight and a solemn expression behind her red veil. When the wooden door of the sedan chair opened a few moments later, Meifeng made sure to keep her head lowered while taking the hand of the person who offered it. This time the hand was smooth and fleshy rather than the slick and leathery hand that had helped her into the sedan.


    Mentally, Meifeng released an internal sigh at the knowledge that this person was surely her groom. With that thought she placed an embroidered slipper onto the red carpet. A bride¡¯s feet must never touch the ground. The whole time she walked, Meifeng made sure that her feet moved in small dainty steps that never left the red carpet laid out before her. She did find comfort in the smooth bridal ribbon that the groom also held as the two walked down the aisle into the ceremonial hall.


    Feeling a cushion, Meifeng stopped and knelt while she waited for the short ceremony to begin.


    ¡°Bow to Heaven and Diyu,¡± Came the screech of some priest or monk and both Meifeng and her groom bowed towards the priest or monk. Meifeng was told about the changing of ¡°Earth¡± to ¡°Diyu¡± in this ceremony, but it was still a little jarring.


    ¡°Bow to your ancestors,¡± the bride and groom turned towards an alter of stone tablets and bowed.


    ¡°Bow to each other,¡± as Meifeng turned towards her groom for the final bow she felt a pang at sadness at the memory of her shifu telling her that they would take out the bow to parents in the ceremony since both her groom¡¯s and Meifeng¡¯s parents would not be present.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    After, Meifeng was ushered into a room where she would wait for her new groom to join her at the conclusion of the banquet. Once the servant had finished leading her, he closed the sliding door. When she was sure his footsteps had receded into the distant sounds of the banquet being held, Meifeng breathed a sigh of relief. For the first time since she had left her room in the village, Meifeng lifted her wedding veil, careful not to damage any of her makeup and took a look around.


    As was to be expected the room gave off a strong ancient Chinese ambience. It was large, the room itself was comparable to the large Shanghai apartment of her childhood. On one side of the room was a large bed, different from modern ones, it was covered by some large strings of cloth. The room was also decorated in the celebratory crimson color of marriage, the same shades as Meifeng¡¯s decoratively embroidered wedding dress. Near the bed was a low table with two stools. On the table was an ancient looking wine jar, the nose of it long and curved like a tea bot while the porcelain-like material was long and thin. Next to the wine jar were two tiny cups, like the ones that Meifeng regularly drank tea in.


    Walking around the room Meifeng found a bookshelf on the opposite side of the room. Some of the books held classical titles which she was familiar with, others appeared to come from different time periods, modern, republican era, Ming, Tang, etc. And yet others still looked entirely unfamiliar to her. Picking one up, Meifeng flipped through the pages, glad that her shifu¡¯s teachings would save her from the shame of illiteracy in this new home of hers.


    Unlike the modern standard simplified Chinese characters, these were read from up to down, and then right to left and were much more literary than what most Chinese were used to. Luckily, these characters had been her friends throughout the twelve years Meifeng had spent under her shifu¡¯s harsh and strict tutelage. Thinking on today, Meifeng had done everything perfectly and she wasn¡¯t even allowed to participate in the wedding banquet.


    Speaking to herself Meifeng said, ¡°My old friends, it¡¯s quite fitting that you would welcome me into my new home.¡± Moving her fingertip across the books, Meifeng continued, ¡°Now which of you has the honor of accompanying me on my last night as a maiden.¡±


    Humming to herself an old republican era jazz song, Meifeng stopped on a collection of love poems written by women in the Tang Dynasty. Smiling to herself, she sat on the bed, careful not to damage her hair, makeup, and clothes and lost herself to the words written by women centuries past. It was only as she neared the end of the book, that Meifeng felt something was off.


    Feeling her heart thump in anxiety, Meifeng quickly got up and put the book back in its place.


    ¡°Its okay. Maybe he got drunk or something happened,¡± Meifeng muttered to herself as she walked towards the door she had entered in earlier.


    Placing her ear on the door she had entered, she heard that the sounds of the banquet were much quieter than what they had been earlier.


    Meifeng backed away from the door and looked around the room more closely. She spotted two different sliding doors, one next to the bookshelf on the right and another adjacent to the bed, on the left. Going to the one on the right side, she found that it was a bathroom and quietly shut it. She then opened the one on the left and found that it led to a courtyard of some sort.


    Looking at the sky Meifeng found that there were no stars nor moon to provide her solace but rather a dark sky that appeared to emit a strange faint light of its own.


    Taking a deep breath, Meifeng closed the door. As much as she wanted to go outside, it might look like she¡¯s running away and that was the last thing she wanted. Moving around the room, Meifeng noticed an adjoining door she had missed on her first look. It was in between the bathroom and the bookcase and the door fit in so well with the wall that she had almost missed it. Opening it, she found herself pleasantly surprised.


    Inside, rather than the ancient feeling that the main bedroom gave, Meifeng found that it gave a distinctly retro feel like something from the Republican Era. On one side of the room was a record player, and adjoining the record player were three bookshelves, all stuffed to the rim was old records. Scanning them, Meifeng was surprised at all the names she found.


    Nancy Yao Li.


    Bai Guang.


    Zhao Xuan.


    These were just a few. Many others also graced the records, some she knew while others she had never heard of. On the other side of the room laid a western piano next to a low table which held a traditional seven stringed guqin.


    At all the sight of all this, Meifeng knew that her fears must have been unfounded and that she should return to the main room. The only one alive that knew about Meifeng¡¯s interest in Shanghai jazz music was her shifu and a few close friends. Moreover, the main room held books that interested her. This level of care must mean that something must have happened or that he was just a little late.


    Smiling to herself Meifeng went back into the main bedroom, shutting the door behind her, and patiently waited. This time she sat on the bed and decided not to distract herself. She waited even as the first strands of artificial lights peeked in through the door leading to the courtyard, yet not a soul entered her new abode. Even as the drowsiness she had fought crept into her eyes, no one came.


    As the last strands of consciousness left Meifeng, her only thought was, There has to be a good reason.

 Chapter Two

    ¡°Wangfei, Wangfei, are you awake?¡±


    The light feminine voice caused Meifeng to push herself from the bed onto her elbows for a moment, but a splitting headache made her fall back down. Reaching a hand to her head, Meifeng found that the heavy metal combs, pins and woven flowers were still there.


    At least I know why my head hurts, Meifeng thought before reaching into her head and slowly removing the cause of her pain.


    ¡°Wangfei, please allow me,¡± said that same voice.


    Turning her head to the side, Meifeng saw what appeared to be a young girl around her age dressed in a pink hanfu, the long robe simple yet fitting to her figure. Her hair was also tied up in a black bun reminiscent to a maid from Ancient China, though Meifeng couldn¡¯t be sure about the exact dynasty of the style.


    ¡°Are you here to serve me?¡± Meifeng tentatively asked.


    Giving a deep curtsey with her hands clasped to the right corner of her waist, the girl said, ¡°This servant pays respects to the Wangfei. When this servant was among the living, this servant was surnamed Ye and named Huian. The ¡®hui¡¯ from ¡®kindness¡¯ and the ¡®an¡¯ from ¡®quiet¡¯. The honorable wang has arranged for this servant to see to your needs.¡±


    Meifeng stayed quiet for a moment thinking about what to say before saying, ¡°Its nice to meet you Huian. Before I introduce myself, could you please help me up?¡±


    ¡°It would be this servant¡¯s pleasure¡± Huian said with a slight smile before offering Meifeng an arm to help her stand up. After, Huian proceeded to help Meifeng walk to the other side of the room where a wooden chair, desk, and mirror laid. On either side of it were some large wooden boxes, their outside decoratively carved, although Meifeng suspected they held only clothes. Last night Meifeng had not taken notice of this half of the room as the books and music room had consumed her entire attention.


    Sitting down, Meifeng saw how grimy her once beautiful makeup had become and how messy and out of control her once perfect black locks appeared. At the sight, she couldn¡¯t help but feel her cheeks redden.


    ¡°Wangfei, just relax and allow this servant do the rest,¡± Huian¡¯s voice said, pulling Meifeng from her thoughts.


    As Huian started to carefully remove all of Meifeng¡¯s hair ornaments, Meifeng said, ¡°I apologize for not introducing myself. I am surnamed Jia and named Meifeng. The ¡®mei¡¯ from ¡®beautiful¡¯ and the ¡®feng¡¯ from ¡®wind¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Wangfei, if this servant may be so bold, this servant would like to request permission to speak freely,¡± Huian inquired.


    Having been raised in the modern era, Meifeng found that no amount of preparation could have helped her get used to the classist manner of speaking Huian had. Even so, she didn¡¯t want to get Huian into trouble by going against the mold. It was the first time Meifeng felt like a foreigner in this land and was grateful for all of her shifu¡¯s teachings.


    With that thought, Meifeng carefully said, ¡°When we are alone, you may speak freely.¡±


    Smiling, Huian said, ¡°As expected, wangfei is both beautiful and kindhearted, suitable for living in the seventh court. Now, this servant wishes to inquire as to why the wangfei is so calm.¡±


    ¡°Forgive me, Huian, but I don¡¯t quite understand your meaning,¡± Meifeng responded.


    ¡°Please allow this servant to explain,¡± began Huian before she placed the last hairpin on the table and started removing Meifeng¡¯s makeup as she explained, ¡°A friend of this servant often travels into Earth and she tells this servant that in the current era, there are not many willing to accept a fate of living in the ten courts with all of our restrictions. This servant wagered 50 liang with her on whether the new wangfei would be truly suitable or not. Might the magnanimous wangfei help this servant hold on to her 50 liang.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯m a cruel wangfei who will punish you for admitting to gambling over me,¡± Meifeng responded.


    Laughing while moving a cloth filled with makeup remover over Meifeng¡¯s rouge, Huian responded, ¡°Although this servant is young in appearance, this servant died in the Tang Dynasty and prides herself on being an excellent judge of character.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Meifeng then stood up so that Huian could help remove her wedding dress and while holding her arms out said, ¡°If you would like, I have a story you could tell your friend.¡±


    Meifeng wasn¡¯t entirely sure why she said this, but there was just something about the caring aura around Huian that made her want to be honest with her.


    Pulling on the sash at her waist, Huian responded, ¡°This servant enjoys stories.¡±


    Meifeng began, ¡°In a certain family there were two cousins, both girls and sharing the same age. One was as pretty as an immortal fairy and as pure hearted as an angel while the other was quiet and lonely. One day the angel¡¯s parents received news that their angel would marry a demon king. When all hope had been lost, the mother of the angel learned that the parents of the lonely child had perished in an accident and that she was being mistreated by her new relatives. The mother then took the child and let her meet with the angel. Like everyone else she was entranced and found that being around the angel made life not so lonely anymore. So as a child, the lonely child decided that she would take the angel¡¯s place.¡±


    ¡°This lonely child is really pitiful if that¡¯s the case,¡± Huian spoke.


    ¡°No, she wasn¡¯t pitiful because the lonely child had made a decision,¡± Meifeng argued.


    Huian paused while removing Meifeng¡¯s clothes and asked, ¡°And what decision did the lonely child make?¡±


    ¡°That in the future she would make a happy family filled with love and kindness with the demon king,¡± Meifeng finished.


    Huian finished removing Meifeng¡¯s robes and said, ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful story and between the wangfei and this servant, this servant much prefers the lonely girl to the angel. Now what color hanfu would the wangfei prefer to dress in today?¡±


    Pulling herself from her musings, Meifeng crossed her arms over her underclothes and tentatively responded, ¡°Is there blue?¡±


    Huian pulled from the wooden chest on the right a beautiful hanfu, the top half white and embroidered in blue-green flowers and the skirt of the lower half was the color of the ocean itself with similar flowers embroidered at the edges and sleeves.


    ¡°Wangfei, is this pleasing to you?¡± Huian asked with an expression akin to a puppy wishing to be praised.


    Smiling, Meifeng again was reassured that something must have been amiss last night. Huian was so kind and even to her untrained eyes, the clothes were beautiful and extravagant.


    So she said, ¡°Its lovely, could you help me put it on?¡±


    ¡°It would be this servant¡¯s pleasure,¡± Huian responded as she began helping Meifeng dress in the complicated ancient clothes.


    While Huian helped her, Meifeng thought it would be a good time to ask the question that had been burning in her mind since last night.


    ¡°Huian?¡± Meifeng started.


    ¡°Yes, wangfei¡± Huian responded while securing the skirt around her thin pants.


    ¡°Is it alright if I ask you something,¡± Meifang inquired.


    Smiling, Huian responded, ¡°Ask away. There is nothing in the whole of the seventh court which this servant does not know. Well except for the sixteen dungeons.¡± Huian paused for a moment before asking, ¡°The question isn¡¯t about that awful place, is it?¡±


    At the mention of the place where sinful souls were tortured, sometimes for years, Meifeng suppressed a shudder and said, ¡°No, its not about that. I was just wondering if the wang got into an accident or if something had happened last night.¡±


    ¡°Last night?¡± Huian frowned as she took one final look at Meifeng¡¯s appearance.


    Before Meifeng could respond, a knock sounded at the door.


    ¡°Oh, look at the time, it would appear that that child has arrived,¡± Huian suddenly said.


    ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡± Meifeng asked.


    ¡°Wangfei will find out in a moment. First, if this servant may ask, how proficient is wangfei in the dialect of Diyu?¡± Huian instead answered.


    Meifeng responded, ¡°When I was six, my shifu performed a ceremony which granted me fluency in the dialect of Diyu, the sight, and the bridal gift.¡±


    ¡°The village made a child undergo that ceremony?¡± Huian exclaimed, her cheerful disposition falling for the first time.


    ¡°It was my decision,¡± Meifeng responded.


    ¡°Still, it shouldn¡¯t be one a child should have to make,¡± Huian insisted.


    Before Meifeng could respond, the knock turned into almost banging.


    ¡°Wangfei, this servant apologizes about her. She¡¯s a short-tempered child, but her heart is in the right place. Just remember to speak in the dialect of Diyu and be yourself and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll all get on.¡± Huian explained.


    The banging intensified even more and Huian switched from Mandarin into the dialect of Diyu as she said, ¡°Hold on, I haven¡¯t even done the wangfei¡¯s hair.¡±


    In that same dialect, a gruff yet feminine voice responded, ¡°She¡¯s still here? You mean she didn¡¯t try to run away?¡±


    Ignoring the woman outside, Meifeng asked Huian if they were going somewhere.


    Beaming, Huian responded, ¡°The wang requested that we take you into town today so that wangfei can familiarize yourself with your new home.¡±


    ¡°When will I get to see the wang?¡± Meifeng asked in response.


    Instead of answering, Huian said, ¡°It would seem that this servant cannot arrange your hair for today¡¯s outing. No matter, no one knows wangfei¡¯s face so we shall say that wangfei is a new demon.¡±


    Running to the wooden chest, Huian grabbed some shoes to match Weifang¡¯s hanfu and said, ¡°Now put these on and let us be on our way before the angry dragon abandons us both.¡±


    Nodding in confusion Meifeng did as she was told with the thought that she could always inquire about her husband while they were out. With that thought, she carefully placed the dainty blue-green shoes on her feet and pulled open the wooden sliding door to find a very tall and annoyed demon tapping her foot incessantly on the wooden floorboard. Her firey colored skin and ram horns only adding to her intimidating atmosphere.


    Before Meifeng could greet herself, Huian hooked both Meifeng and the demon by the arm and said, ¡°Shall we, my ladies?¡±


    With that, they were off to wherever it was Huian planned for them to go to.

 Chapter Three

    As Huian led them through the winding hallways of the estate, Meifeng began to wonder where the girl received her strength from. They passed through hallway after hallway of wooden floorboards until finally arriving at a terrace which overlooked a grand courtyard. The only strange thing was that unlike the rest of the estate, the garden was wild and in disarray with weeds running rampant and wilted flowers everywhere. Even the road which winded through the garden was barely kept.


    As Huian led Meifeng and the she-demon through the courtyard, Meifeng asked, ¡°Why is the courtyard so unkempt?¡±


    Abruptly stopping in a way that Meifeng and the demon almost fell over, Huian responded, ¡°It has always been the duty of the wangfei to look after and manage the courtyard.¡±


    ¡°Then what about the previous wangfei?¡± Meifeng asked.


    Walking at a slower pace while still dragging Meifeng and the she-demon, Huian responded, ¡°This estate has long not been blessed with a wangfei,¡±


    Realizing her meaning, Meifang carefully said, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. This is no secret and is old news,¡± Huian said.


    Noticing that the path they were taking led to a large ancient style stone gate, Meifeng asked, ¡°Are we really leaving the estate?¡±


    Meifeng had always assumed that like women in ancient times, she would not often have a chance to leave her home. Even after hearing Huian¡¯s earlier proclamation, she had assumed that it was just empty words to make her feel more at peace.


    ¡°Yes, this servant said as such, did she not?¡± Huian responded.


    ¡°I know, but is it allowed?¡± Meifeng asked.


    The demon let out a loud laugh that was stopped from a harsh tug by Huian.


    Clenching her free hand into a tight fist, Meifeng said, ¡°I don¡¯t see what¡¯s so funny.¡±


    The demon pushed her long black hair out of her eyes with her free hand while saying, ¡°What¡¯s funny is that you think Diyu abides by the same regulations as Earth and the Heavenly Jade Court.¡±


    Giving her friend a glare while keeping a brisk pace, Huian interjected, ¡°What this child means is that many of the demons and officials have a duty to punish sinners. Therefore, we, more than any being in the Heavenly Court or Earth understand what might cause someone to sin. Due to this, the residents of Diyu and those souls awaiting judgement live in a way simply not possible in any other dimension.¡±


    ¡°My shifu never told me this,¡± Meifeng muttered.


    ¡°If your shifu is from Earth or the Heavenly Court, of course she wouldn¡¯t. To them we are barbarians who deal in death and punishment,¡± the demon said with a strange look in her black eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough chitchat children, we¡¯re almost at the gate,¡± Huian said, finally releasing both Meifeng and the demon from her tight grasp.


    Huian then reached into the inside of her pink hanfu and pulled out a set of keys. In a way that told Meifeng the maid had done this many times before, Huian placed the key in the lock of the main door and pushed open the large wooden doors.


    Outside greeted Meifeng a sight the likes of which she had never seen nor thought to witness. Unlike the dreary painting her shifu had instilled into her mind, the streets were filled with all manner of people and demons. Although the people with demonic features all dressed in Hanfu there were also many beings that looked like people from the present too. Moreover, not all the human looking people wore hanfu. Some wore dressed in republican era qipao dresses like the jazz singers Meifeng loved listening to. While others wore clothes reminiscent to the Manchu style of the Qing Dynasty. Still others dressed in modern clothing. Looking at it all, there were even a few styles of dress that Meifeng didn¡¯t recognize and assumed belonged to some ethnic minorities.


    The strangest thing of all was that rather than cars and scooters, the streets were filled with horse driven carriages and demon-pulled rickshaws. From the corner of her eye, Meifeng could even notice how the stalls and markets resembled more traditional marketplaces. Even all the people that moved about belonged to all genders and ages. It was truly a sight to behold.


    Smiling, Huian said, ¡°Wangfei, I am proud to introduce to you the city of the seventh court where demons and souls awaiting judgment thrive and live together.¡±


    ¡°I-I-It¡¯s so¡­.¡± Meifeng¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°Out of date? Strange? Unlivable?¡± The she-demon snidely offered.


    ¡°No¡­amazing! Absolutely amazing,¡± Meifeng exclaimed.


    The she-demon faltered and slowly said, ¡°You¡¯re different than what I expected.¡±


    ¡°But different is good, wouldn¡¯t you agree,¡± Huian offered.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. Its too soon to tell,¡± the she-demon responded.


    Shrugging, Huian waved her hand and called over a rickshaw man or demon. Meifeng wasn¡¯t too sure considering the fact that although he looked more human than the she-demon, he had four tails sticking out of the rear of his hanfu. Getting into the wooden two-wheeled cart, the three women got comfortable before the demon picked up the two protruding pieces of wood and moved at a speed not humanely possible.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    As the rickshaw raced through the city, Meifeng tried to absorb as much of her new home as possible. The traditionally tiled roofs which covered ever building and even some walls gave the city an ancient feel hard to find in the modern world. At the same time, Meifeng wondered if there were any other bits of technology like the music room¡¯s record player in this city.


    In her peripheral vision Meifeng witnessed a large wall surrounding the city. Strange enough there seemed to be some structures beyond the wall, but Meifeng wasn¡¯t sure what they were.


    When Meifeng thought to ask, the rickshaw cart jumped and Meifeng had to hold on to the wooden cart for dear life, her previous questions gone.


    Instead, Meifeng asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°Downtown,¡± Huian answered.


    ¡°What¡¯s in downtown,¡± Meifeng asked.


    ¡°The teahouse district,¡± Huian responded, seemingly unphased by movement of the rickshaw.


    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± the she-demon said before Meifeng could ask another question.


    At her voice, Meifeng saw that the rickshaw bridge has arrived at a large gate with the characters for ¡°Teahouse District¡± painted in large golden traditional Chinese characters at the top of the gate.


    After the rickshaw slowed to a stop, Meifeng found that although Huian and the she-demon were fine, her legs could not stop shaking, making it hard to get out of the cart.


    Seeing her struggle, Huian offered Meifeng her hand for the second time that day.


    When Meifeng finally got out of the cart, the she-demon commented, ¡°Do you have to be so slow?¡±


    ¡°A lady must always be gentle and kind, yet firm in resolute,¡± came the words from Meifeng¡¯s shifu into her head.


    It was these words that stopped Meifeng from reacting and once she had regained her footing, she just walked straight ahead without commenting.


    ¡°Are you ignoring me,¡± the demon exclaimed.


    This time Meifeng turned her head and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t have something nice to say, then don¡¯t say anything at all¡± before continuing to walk in a random direction.


    ¡°Leikhan, you said you would be gentle,¡± came Huian¡¯s soft voice from behind the she-demon before Huian yelled, ¡°Young Miss, wait for us!¡±


    Very quickly the two women caught up to Meifeng. Not that Meifeng was particularly surprised. The she-demon was huge and athletic in build while Huian appeared to be a lot stronger than her small and slim appearance gave her credit for.


    Meifeng continued her brisk pace until she abruptly stopped in front of what looked to be an outdoor noodle shop. Although she was a proud Shanghaiese southerner who preferred rice over noodles, food was food. On that thought, Meifeng realized she hadn¡¯t eaten anything in over twenty-four hours.


    ¡°Right!¡± the loud exclamation followed by a clap from Huian pulled Meifeng from her thoughts.


    Turning to Huian, the maid said, ¡°I don¡¯t think we had time for you both to introduce yourselves.¡±


    Meifeng looked at the she-demon in a suspicious gaze that the she-demon returned as they both said, ¡°Introduce ourselves? To her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, children, to each other. After all, we will be spending a lot more time with each other and this is about trust,¡± Huian reasoned in much the same way an adult might reason with a child.


    ¡°Wait, Huian, I have a question,¡± Meifeng interrupted.


    ¡°What is it,¡± Huian responded.


    ¡°What do you mean by being together a lot?¡± Meifeng asked.


    ¡°Right when I was alive, female soldiers weren¡¯t very common,¡± Huian mused.


    The she-demon said, ¡°Well, as much as I love this conversation, I¡¯m hungry and-¡±


    ¡°Leikhan, stay and introduce yourself,¡± Huian suddenly narrowed her eyes and ordered in a tone that seemed, to Meifeng, uncharacteristic of her.


    ¡°Fine,¡± the demon grumbled crossing her arms over her chest.


    ¡°Young miss, you too,¡± Huian said.


    In slight shock, Meifeng nodded and said, ¡°I am surnamed Jia and named Meifeng.¡±


    ¡°I am surnamed No and named Leikhan,¡± the she-demon who Meifeng now knew to be named Leikhan responded.


    ¡°And,¡± Huian stressed, seemingly unsatisfied with Leikhan¡¯s response.


    ¡°and I was assigned as your personal bodyguard,¡± Leikhan said in lightning speed, not pausing to take a breath.


    ¡°Good, now that that¡¯s over with, shall we have breakfast?¡± Huian cheerly said to the hesitant nod of both Meifeng and Leikhan.


    The three proceeded to sit on a long wooden bench in front of a low wooden table.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to order our food. Both of you make nice while I¡¯m gone,¡± Huian said with a smile, but for the oddest reason Meifeng felt as if the small girl was threatening them.


    Unfortunately, there seemed to be a long line of demons and souls trying to order food. Looking around, Meifeng saw that all five surrounding benches were also packed with people.


    It¡¯s a miracle we even found a seat in this crowd, Meifeng thought.


    Looking at her ram-horned companion, Meifeng tried, ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t like you,¡± Leikhan immediately interjected.


    Tilting her head to the side, Meifeng replied, ¡°I noticed, but I¡¯m not entirely sure why. Have we met before?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Leikhan answered.


    ¡°Have I ever wronged you?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Have I harmed your love ones?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Are you in love with my husband?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then, by the laws of reason, why do you dislike me if,¡± at this Meifeng began ticking off the fingers in her right hand as she said, ¡°We have never met before, I¡¯ve never wronged you, I never harmed your loved ones, and you aren¡¯t in love with my husband.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk with someone who is so unworthy that they were abandoned on their wedding night,¡± Leikhan said before turning her head away in slight disgust.


    For a moment, the words didn¡¯t register in Meifeng¡¯s mind. She was sure that she must have heard them wrong. Then she recalled all the times Huian kept dancing around the issue whenever she asked about her husband.


    Still, she needed to be sure before she acted rashly and did something she would regret.


    Ignoring the pain in her heart, Meifeng said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t abandoned.¡±


    Leikhan suddenly grabbed Meifeng¡¯s arm and pulled up the white sleeve of her hanfu, revealing an unmarred beauty mark, proof of Meifeng¡¯s maidenhood.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s this?¡± Leikhan inquired in judgement.


    Pulling her arm away, Meifeng quickly covered her sleeve and said, ¡°Something happened.¡±


    ¡°Do you really believe that?¡± Leikhan retorted.


    ¡°The books in the room matched my preference and the music room even had records and instruments that I enjoy,¡± Meifeng responded, trying to reassure herself.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re from the village. There¡¯s a report with everything about you written. Your room was prepared to your preferences with that report. It doesn¡¯t mean anything. It¡¯s just a way to make you more comfortable since brides from the village are normally nervous and violent,¡± Leikhan said.


    Meifeng had never considered herself a violent person, but she had never been so angry before either. Without thinking, Meifeng raised her hand and slapped Leikhan in the face. When she realized what she had done, Meifeng felt the tears pricking her face and ran from the table into the crowd. She didn¡¯t know where she was going or even how long until Huian and Leikhan would start to follow her. All she knew was that she needed to be alone for a little while and that she had a lot to process.

 Chapter Four

    When Meifeng began to feel a splitting pain in her side, she realized that she had ran for too long and too far. Stopping to look around, she didn¡¯t recognize any of the buildings or scenery. Meifeng was never the fastest runner so this realization frightened her because it meant no one had chased after her.


    Forget Leikhan, but shouldn¡¯t at least Huian have come after me? Meifeng thought to herself.


    Looking around she saw all sorts of faces, but nothing she could recognize. At least Meifeng guessed that she was still in the teahouse district since she could identify all manner of different teahouses lining the street.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just backtrack,¡± Meifeng muttered to herself.


    After a few minutes of wandering around, Meifeng accepted that she was completely lost. At this thought, her heart started beating rapidly in her chest, and she found it hard to breath. Quickly, she sat down in a crouch in one of the alleyways and tried to steady her breathing. She hadn¡¯t had a panic attack since she left Shanghai as a little girl. If she had one now, that would just be the icing on the terrible cake her supposed new life had become. At that thought, the terrible feelings from the earlier conversation resurfaced.


    This wasn¡¯t how things were supposed to go! Of course, Meifeng had never been foolish enough to expect a deep love like in novels and dramas. At the very least she had hoped for a little kindness and amiability with her new husband. Once more, Meifeng felt the tears prick her eyes.


    This time, she could not find the strength to stop their flow and began crying a river of tears. Feeling them drip down her face, she began to feel mucus begin to drip from her nose onto her hanfu. Still, she continued to cry in some strange alleyway, far from anything that was familiar to her. In some part of her brain, Meifeng knew that she must look very foolish, but the part that was bawling her eyes out simply didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Big sis, why are you crying,¡± suddenly asked a childlike voice.


    Wiping the tears from her face with the sleeve of her now ruined hanfu, Meifeng somehow found the strength to stop her tears and face the child.


    As to be expected, the child was not like any other child she had ever seen. His hanfu was as white as the color of his hair and rather than having eyes like a person, the whites of his eyes were black with the color of his eyes white and without a pupil.


    Meifeng, you¡¯ve fallen so low that even a demon child finds you pitiful. As the thought entered her mind, more tears began streaming and Meifeng went back to crying into her knees.


    ¡°Sis, did someone bully you,¡± the demon child asked.


    ¡°Bully me,¡± Meifeng asked before letting out a strange laugh and answering, ¡°Yes, I guess I was bullied.¡±


    ¡°Who bullied you?¡± asked the demon child.


    ¡°Why do you want to know?¡± Meifeng responded.


    ¡°Mama says that a gentleman should always help out a damsel in distress,¡± the child said, trying to appear taller than his stature.


    Laughing at his display, Meifeng said, ¡°How wise your mama is. If only that man had a fraction of your morals.¡±


    ¡°It was a man? Mama always says that men who bully women are scum who deserve to rot in the dungeons for eternity,¡± the child recited.


    Laughing louder, Meifeng said, ¡°Your mama sounds like an interesting lady.¡± Thinking about the situation, Meifeng followed up by saying, ¡°Little One, where is your mama or baba right now?¡±


    ¡°At work,¡± the child responded.


    Frowning, Meifeng said, ¡°Then what are you doing here all alone?¡±


    Shrugging the child responded, ¡°I was on my way to mama and baba¡¯s teahouse, but then I saw you.¡±


    Meifeng nodded and said, ¡°Well, thank you. I¡¯m fine now so please continue on to your mama and baba. They might get worried if you take too long.¡±


    Scratching his head, the boy paused before offering, ¡°Do you want to come with me?¡±


    In surprise, Meifeng paused. Her first instinct was to refuse, but when she considered the situation, she was lost, hungry, and alone. Moreover, she really didn¡¯t want to go back to either the estate or the noodle shop. At least the child¡¯s offer gave a safer alternative.


    Convincing herself, Meifeng nodded, and took the child¡¯s hand. He proceeded to lead her through the alley, each road winding with the other. At first Meifeng thought that she could keep track of where they were going, but as the road continued to twist, she gave up.


    Well, if I wasn¡¯t lost before, I sure am now, Meifeng thought to herself.


    Out loud, she asked the boy how much longer until they reached his parent¡¯s teahouse.


    Placing a hand securely on his backpack, the boy responded, ¡°We¡¯re almost there, see.¡± Meifeng noticed that the boy had cocked his head towards a teahouse with red lanterns on the front.


    When they approached the door, the boy opened the sliding doors to reveal a sort of waiting room. The furniture inside feeling more like the Republican era with decorative couches, low wooden tables and mats rather than the ancient style furniture that the estate was decorated with. Stranger still, Meifeng could hear music faintly playing from somewhere. At first, she couldn¡¯t recognize it, but the longer she listened, the more familiar the sound became.


    ¡°Is that jazz music?¡± Meifeng exclaimed out loud in shock.


    ¡°En, when mama was alive she was a singer in an Earth city they called Shanghai,¡± the boy responded.


    ¡°Does she still sing,¡± Meifeng asked.


    The boy nodded and said, ¡°Mama said that although baba looks scary he¡¯s kind enough that he gave her this teahouse to live out her dreams in.¡±


    Meifeng was about to ask the child another question when she heard a shrill male voice exclaim, ¡°Young master, what took you so long?¡±


    Looking up, the two were greeted with a man dressed in a western style suit. Meifeng assumed that he must have been a human soul as he looked no different than a clean-cut man in his 30s. The only strange thing about him was the old-fashioned style of his suit.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°I was helping a damsel in distress,¡± the child said handing the man his bag.


    Looking at Meifeng¡¯s haggard appearance clutching the boy¡¯s hand, the man muttered, ¡°Your mother is going to kill me and then your father is going to laugh while watching.¡±


    ¡°Did you say something,¡± the child asked.


    ¡°Nothing, young master. Now let¡¯s get you inside,¡± the man said.


    The child was going to agree, but then he looked back at Meifeng and said, ¡°Wait, I want mama to help her.¡±


    ¡°Young master, what do you mean,¡± the man asked with sweat pouring down his face.


    ¡°A man bullied her. He also made her cry. Mama will fix it,¡± the boy said confidently.


    The man was about to open his mouth to respond to the child when a feminine voice called out, ¡°Yong-er, where have you been?¡±


    The boy immediately took off running towards the voice and jumped into the arms of one of the most beautiful women Meifeng had ever seen while yelling, ¡°Mama!¡±


    The woman caught the child, but immediately after asked, ¡°What did you do?¡±


    In his mother¡¯s arms, the boy said, ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. How could you doubt your own son?¡±


    ¡°Its because you¡¯re my son that I doubt you. Now speak,¡± the woman ordered.


    ¡°Someone bullied a girl so I brought her back,¡± the child said then pointed at Meifeng.


    The sharp black eyes of the woman turned to look at Meifeng, examining her for a moment. To Meifeng, it felt as if a mother fox was examining an intruder in her territory.


    ¡°Your name,¡± the woman then said.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Meifeng responded lamely.


    ¡°I assume you have one,¡± the woman said.


    Nodding, Meifeng said, ¡°Yes, its Jia Meifeng.¡±


    The woman put down the boy and then circled her and asked, ¡°Now are you a soul awaiting judgment or a newly conferred demon?¡±


    Meifeng¡¯s shifu had told her about how some souls were able to stay in Diyu and even marry and have children with demons by giving up their right to reincarnation. Since Meifeng was clearly not dead and she didn¡¯t want to say who she really was, she decided that the latter was a better option.


    ¡°I was just conferred as a demon yesterday,¡± Meifeng responded. At least this way it was only a half lie.


    Nodding, the woman asked, ¡°Did you get any special ability?¡±


    ¡°I can predict a person¡¯s future when I trace the lines on their hand,¡± Meifeng responded, revealing her bridal gift.


    The man remarked, ¡°How do we know you¡¯re not a hack. There¡¯s plenty who claim to know the future.¡±


    The woman flashed the man a smile which caused him to visibly shudder before saying, ¡°Excellent deduction Mr. Jiang. Now, give her your hand.¡±


    ¡°Madame Tian, why do I have to?¡± asked the man Meifeng now knew to be Mr. Jiang.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m the Madame and you¡¯re the waiter,¡± the woman called Madame Tian responded.


    Sighing Mr. Jiang replied, ¡°Very well. Can I at least have a raise for this?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Jiang, I pay you more than half the city gets to see in their entire afterlives,¡± Madame Tian retorted.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Mr. Jiang said giving his palm to Meifeng.


    In response, Meifeng traced her finger on the lines on his palm and a scene of Mr. Jiang being scolded appeared in her head.


    Releasing his hand, Meifeng asked, ¡°Can you promise not get angry if I say what I saw?¡±


    ¡°Young miss, this Mr. Jiang is a proud waiter of the famed Tian Teahouse. I would not be so petty as to hold a grudge for something I, myself, wanted to confirm,¡± Mr. Jiang responded.


    Shrugging, Meifeng said, ¡°Yesterday he broke an expensive blue vase on accident and today, Madame Tian will find a shard that he forgot to clean up when walking down a hallway.¡±


    Mr. Jiang¡¯s face paled to the point that he could not even muster the ability to deny Meifeng¡¯s claims.


    Nodding, Madame Tian said, ¡°From your reaction, the young miss is telling the truth. Mr. Jiang we¡¯ll discuss this later. For now, tell a waitress to bring some tea and osmanthus cakes while I talk with the young miss.¡±


    When Mr. Jiang stayed where he was, Madame Tian said, ¡°I meant now. Oh, and take Yong-er to his room. I want him to be doing his homework by the time I¡¯m done.¡±


    Taking the young demon boy¡¯s hand, Mr. Jiang said, ¡°Yes, Madame Tian.¡± Meifeng did notice that the man gave her a particularly dark glare before leaving to do what he was ordered. She had the strangest feeling that despite Mr. Jiang¡¯s earlier words, he would surely be holding a grudge for what just happened.


    Sitting on the couch, Meifeng took notice to how elegantly Madame Tian sat, with not a wrinkle in her white and crimson qipao. Patting the space next to her, Meifeng went to sit next to her, trying to keep some of her dignity and teachings in place.


    ¡°Now, Yong-er says that you were bullied. Tell me all about it,¡± Madame Tian requested.


    ¡°With all due respect, Madame Tian, how does this matter concern you,¡± Meifeng responded.


    Flipping her short permed black hair, Madame Tian said, ¡°I am the Madame Tian. If there is one thing I can¡¯t forgive, its bullies. You won¡¯t be the first person I¡¯ve interfered with and you certainly won¡¯t be the last. If you doubt me, just ask my husband and Mr. Jiang.¡±


    Nodding, Meifeng decided that while she couldn¡¯t tell her everything, she could at least tell Madame Tian some of the truth. Besides it would be nice to have someone to confide in.


    Just as she had made this decision, a young girl with an apron around her qipao came in and placed some tea and cakes on the low wooden table in front of them.


    After the girl left, Madame Tian took a cup of tea and Meifeng took a bite of the sweet cake, feeling it melt in her mouth and remind her of her earlier hunger.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Madame Tian asked.


    Covering her mouth while chewing on the cake, Meifeng responded, ¡°It¡¯s so good.¡±


    Nodding, Madame Tian said, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to relay your compliments to the chef. Now, who was it that bullied you?¡±


    Gathering her thoughts, Meifeng said, ¡°I was supposed to be married. I was really looking forward to it. Some of my friends said that I was making the wrong decision and that I should have run away, but I wanted to believe that he would be kind.¡±


    ¡°Did he hit you,¡± Madame Tian asked.


    Meifeng shook her head.


    ¡°Did he curse you?¡±


    Again, Meifeng shook her head.


    ¡°Then what did he do?¡±


    ¡°A-After the c-ceremony¡­¡± Meifeng¡¯s voice trailed off unable to voice out what she now knew to be true.


    ¡°Did this floating rotten corpse cheat on you on your wedding night?¡± Madame Tian asked with a vengeful gleam in her obsidian eyes.


    Meifeng shook her head and said, ¡°No, No. Though I think I would have preferred it if he had. At least then I would have understood.¡±


    Dumfounded, Madame Tian responded, ¡°Well then, what did he do that you would rather have had him cheat on you then whatever happened?¡±


    Taking a sip of tea to wash down the sweet taste of the cakes, Meifeng responded, ¡°He left.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean he left,¡± Madame Tian asked in confusion.


    Feeling her voice rise in anger, Meifeng exclaimed, ¡°Exactly as it sounds. After the ceremony, he just left without saying two words. I mean, who does that? I wasn¡¯t a stranger, I was supposed to be his wife!¡±


    Madame Tian eyes widened at this news and exclaimed an exaggerated, ¡°Oh no.¡±


    Not expecting this reaction, Meifeng asked, ¡°What do you mean by that?¡±


    Putting two fingers to her temples to calm herself, Madame Tian responded, ¡°Miss Jia, it would appear that we are bound by fate.¡±


    Cocking her head, Meifeng said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Madame Tian, but I don¡¯t quite understand your meaning.¡±


    ¡°Never mind about that. How would you like a job?¡± Madame Tian suddenly asked.


    ¡°Do you normally offer strangers jobs,¡± Meifeng asked.


    ¡°No, but your story reminds me of something I¡¯ve heard before and that floating corpse¡­Regardless, do you want one or not?¡± Madame Tian cryptically explained.


    Even though Meifeng was angry, she still didn¡¯t really think running away was the appropriate thing to do, even if Madame Tian did seem like a good person.


    Seeing the reluctance in the younger girl¡¯s eyes, Madame Tian said, ¡°You¡¯d sit at one of the tables and read people¡¯s fortune for 5 liang a person and the shop would get 30 percent of your daily earnings. You¡¯d be able to meet all sorts of people.¡±


    ¡°Its not that I wouldn¡¯t like to, but my house is far from here and I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to come here again,¡± Meifeng tried to reason.


    Laughing, Madame Tian said, ¡°Is that all? So what you¡¯re saying is if I give you a method to be able to work here without trouble, you would agree?¡±


    Thinking on her words, Meifeng responded, ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t really see how that¡¯s possible.¡±


    Smiling, Madame Tian reached into her pockets and pulled out a set of keys, the most peculiar thing about these keys was that they all looked the same. Madame Tian then unhooked one of the keys and tossed it to Meifeng.


    Catching it, Meifeng asked, ¡°Why did you give me a key?¡±


    Placing the keys back into her pockets, Madame Tian replied, ¡°You said that all you were lacking was a method. This key when placed into any lock will open a doorway into this teashop and when you want to return, the key will open a doorway to the place you originally came from.¡±


    ¡°Why are you willing to go so far for me? I don¡¯t know you,¡± Meifeng inquired.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, you don¡¯t. It would also be a lie if I said I was doing it out of the goodness of my heart. That said, it¡¯s an opportunity and its not one many people are often given,¡± Madame Tian said.


    Thinking about everything that had happened in the past two days, Meifeng replied, ¡°Then I choose to take that opportunity.¡±