an ancient chinese story

25

After the fire, Feng ling had never thought jing yi had died in the fire. He had reasoned himself that jing yi was still alive and even commissioned a search team for it. But even his last hope had been destroyed when jing yi's jade pendant which he wore everyday in honor of his mother, was found in the rubble along with ashes and remains of a burnt body.

Since then, feng leng had lived as a dead man, he fulfilled all his responsibilities to the nation but in his life, he was nothing but a hollow shell. Everytime his servants found him staring away somewhere far, lost in thoughts and memories. Since that day, feng leng never laughed or cried. But his cold demeanor returned and his heat turned to stone.

Somewhere in the forest.

"Mama, look I can also carry the woods." lele said to his mother, knowing he would make his mother proud. His mother, who was carrying firewood on his back, turned around to see his adorable son with some twigs gathered around his hands.

" Oh my, my son is as strong as a tiger. Mama is so proud that lele helps me around.'' Jing Yi said, crouching down a little to pinch his son on the cheeks.

"Now come little tiger, we don't want grandpa to wait too long for us. We need to get home quickly, alright."

Lele smiled at his mother, loving the praise. And so, jing yi and lele walked on towards their home.

When they got back home, the old man helped Jing Yi take the fireworks off his back. "Oh father, please remain seated. I can do it by myself. Please rest, you shouldn't move around much.'' Jing Yi insisted on not wanting the old man to tire himself. The old man hadn't been well for quite some time.

"My child, all I do is rest. Let me help a little ." the old man said, taking jing yi's hands into his.

"You should be the one taking care of himself. Look at your hands." the old man said, sadly looking at Jing Yi's calloused hands. The one's soft hands had become hard and calloused from all the hard work.

"This is all this old man's fault. You shouldn't be living this way. This old man is sorry."

The old man said feeling incompetent to help jing yi. Even after taking Jing Yi as his son , he couldn't offer a better life. Quickly taking back his hands and holding on to the old man's hands , jing yi assured the old man," father, i am the one grateful to you. You have saved me many times and I am grateful for all that you have done for me. And for lele." both turned to look over to lele playing with chun and bai.

"Now, don't relent on nonsense things father. Tonight's dinner is gonna be great. I got the duck , so just rest and look after lele , alright?'' Jing Yi said, smiling. The old man nodded .

After washing his hands and feet, Jing Yi moved on to making dinner while Lele and the old man stayed outside.

Listening to lele playing and laughing outside, jing yi was truly happy and grateful for his life right now.

It was the day for the market opening, the old man and lele had gone off to the market. Even though lele had insisted on it like always, jing yi had stayed at home. Patting chun on the back, jing yi had been relaxing in the courtyard when he saw lele and the old man coming back.

They had just been gone for an hour, so it seemed strange to jing yi to see them back so soon.

The old man was consoling lele, who was crying and wailing. Seeing his son cry, jing yi rushed to them. Taking lele over his arms, jing yi continued patting lele and hushing him.

" What happened, father?" Jing Yi asked the old man, while trying to make Jing Yi stop crying.

"I had gone to the shop to sell the herbs when lele seemed to have wandered off. When I came to find him, he was fighting with some child. I separated them, and the other child ran off to seeing me. I tried asking little lele but he wont talk."

Lele still didn't want to talk about what had happened, so to not pressure the child anymore, they went on with the day.

At night, Jing yi hugged little body closer to him and gently patted his son's back.

"Lele , you know mama loves you with all the love in this world, right?"

"Mhm, and lele loves mama even more." lele said as he hugged his mama.

" and you also know mama will keep all the bad people away from my lele."

"Mhmmmmm... lele will too. Bad people just like that stupid boy."

"That boy? The one you fought with?" lele grimaced at his slip-off. "What happened at the market,lele ? you can tell your mama.'' Jing Yi tried to assure his son.

Lele hugged his mother tighter. "He called you a monster. He said you ate children. He is stupid . I told him to stop but he didn't. I didnt want to fight like you told me to. But he pushed me and I couldn't hold it in anymore, so I pushed him back."

Jing yi was surprised at the cause of the event. He knew people didn't like him in the market, so he never went but for even a child to think that about him, jing yi felt sad. But maybe it was fair for them to hate on him. He was a monster. He had become one the day the fire took away all he had ever wished for.

" Thank you for trying to protect your mama, lele. But don't fight ever again, okay?" jing yi hugged his son, "but mama feels sorry for lele. Because of mama, you cannot play with the other kids. "

Lele looked to his mother," no, i don't need nasty people to be my friends. Mama is all i need. " jing yi smiled at lele, seeing how his little son had started to resemble his father more and more. Suddenly at the thought, Jing Yi's eyes teared up. Lele concerned, touched jing yi's face near the left ear, " does it hurt , mama? Should i blow on it ?" lele inquired seeing how he found his mother crying ever so often. He had always thought it was because of the pain .

Jing yi shook his head. "No , it doesn't .. because lele is right here beside me. So mama doesn't feel pain."

Lele hugged onto jing yi feeling drowsier by the moment.

"mama, you are beautiful. The most beautiful in the world.... So ...dawnt worry ..lele will pro....tect .......ma..ma".