Threads of Jades Chapter 1 part 2

Guan Inn

”Just a little sprain , you are fine”,Hui Zhong calmly examined his sister’s legs. Yue nodded in relief , it wouldn’t be funny to walk like a cripple on my wedding day... Wait,why am I thinking about it so freely?!. ”I am really sorry...”,the rude guard from before kept apologizing ever since he arrived at the Guan Inn. On then other hand,the slender boy named A Zhong had also been quiet for some time while chuckling mysteriously occasionally. ”Who was the man from before anyway? Some kind of noble?”,Yue asked the two men .A Zhong just smiled ,”You really don’t know? He’s a minister-to-be”. Her thoughts raced back to the man who helped her up.

Gentle ,yet strong... Yue secretly wished her husband would be that kind of man too. ”You two can leave now , I’m sorry for troubling you this far... It’s a mild sprain , I will recover soon”,Yue spoke while smiling. A Zhong sighed before finally opening his mouth,”...Fine. Once again ,I apologize for the rudeness of this guard behind me... ’Till we meet again , lady...”. With that , the two of them left . ”Why are they so....obedient and formal toward you?”,Hui Zhong asked while chuckling.”Maybe your reputation as future Mrs Yuan is well-known now” .”Not funny,brother...”.

That night, Guan family had dinner in Yue’s room so that she wouldn’t have to walk downstairs with her sprained leg,

”Yue ,pour me some tea”

”Yes,mom”

”....That is not how a noble wife pours tea. You spilled a little , watch me do it!”

Damn,marriage sucks so much!,Yue stood up ,”I’m tired of this! I don’t wish to marry this noble! Leave me alone!Let me enjoy my last days as Guan Yue Ping and not Mrs Yuan”. She wished she could just run somewhere now ,yet her sprain hindered that desire.  Yue’s mother sighed ,then signaled her to sit.

”Yue, listen to me... What seems bad is not always bad. I was a daughter  of a poor farmer who was always filthy with mud and soil... My hands would occasionally get scratched or wounded when plowing the farm and I smelled like chickens. I was sure I’d just marry the farmer boy nearby and would forever be a farmer until your father found me. A fine man ,heir of an inn. I am still not sure how he fell for a filthy girl who used to be very bad in even wearing clothes neatly but...Here I am ,happy and now even though he has left ,I have you two treasures... Your father is a very wise man ,he knows what he is doing. Even this marriage ,he wishes nothing but the best for you...”. Yue’s eyes teared up , she pictured her father’s face in that painting ,with his eyes always seemed to be filled with care...

Yue’s mom embraced her daughter,”....You will live better there. Trust me”

”I’m sorry,mom....I’m sorry”

Without the two women’s knowledge ,Hui Zhong was outside being greeted by some guards with tons of huge chests filled with jeweleries , fine clothes , golds ,fine raw  ingredients , cakes ,medicines and antiques. ”I assume this is wedding gift from Yuan family?”,he smiled.”We have also brought a letter from Yuan family”,the chief guard handed him a scroll.

”To our honored family of the bride,

Guan family

We hereby present to you the bethrothal gifts

according to the bride price we agreed in the

previous bethrothal letter. In fact ,we have given

more to show our appreciation of your Father

saving Minister Yuan’s life past years.

We have also sent you wedding attire for

Guan Yue Ping which is embroidered by the

best tailor in town. We sincerely hope you like

them.

With respect,

 Yuan Xie Feng”

”Send your master our best regards and most profound gratitude ,we will visit to personally thank them one of these days. And thank you for your hard works carrying these , please just place them on the living room and leave the rest to us”,Hui Zhong calmly ordered the guards. He smiled , A man with fine manner...

Three weeks later , Yue was trying out her wedding gown. Such beautiful bright red colour... and such fine fabric ,this must be silk... I still can’t believe I’m going to be a married woman in a week, she spaced out . ”You look stunning wearing that ,I’m sure your husband won’t be patient enough to make you his”,Hui Zhong laughed. Yue pouted , not finding her brother’s joke funny. ”...I hope he can be a kind and loving husband...a-and I hope I’m mentally prepared to be a woman”

”A woman,huh? Maybe soon I will carry my cute little baby niece or nephew...”

”B-brother!!”

”Yuan Xie Feng’s father is old , I’m sure he wants to see his grandchildren as soon as possible,hmm?  Young Master Yuan needs to move fast...”

”S-STOP IT ,BROTHER”

Hui Zhong bursted out laughing,”Okay okay I’m sorry . I’m just joking, don’t be so serious!”

”....”

”Heyy come onnn ,don’t be mad”

”...”

”Seriously ,I’m...sorry,okay? As an apology,I will bring you to the lake you like”

”R-really?”

”Sure ,you may not be able to freely go there anymore after marriage so let’s go”

”Yay!”

After changing clothes , they walked to The Red Leaf Lake near their house . Yue had always liked the lake even since she was a mere child. There’s something about the lake that entrapped here and made her at peace just by looking at it...A vast water area surrounded by trees with red leaves. The wind around Red Leaf lake was always breezy ,as if whispering poems to anyone who was there. Yue sat by the lake ,under a huge red tree joined by her brother.

”I like it here so much”

’Yeah, we both do”

After peaceful moments of silence , they both fell asleep...

***

I couldn’t believe I will be a husband soon... , Xie Feng inwardly muttered while strolling around the lake accompanying his little brother who claimed he needed inspiration for painting lesson. Like the little boy he was ,Kai started running around happily when reaching the lake and singing a song. Xie Feng looked around ,his gaze stopped when he saw a girl under the tree sleeping so peacefully. He recognized the girl , she was the one his guard injured.

Feng approached and crouched ,staring at the sleeping girl. How lovely ,he smiled. ”Brotherrr where are you—”,Kai stopped when he saw the sleeping girl in front of Feng. Feng smiled,”Sssh... Don’t wake her up. Kai ,let her have one of the cookies you bring ”. Feng smiled and placed a piece of sesame cookie on her lap ,stood up and left. He chuckled to himself and thought, When I have a wife later on I will be sure to remind her not to be so careless as to sleep alone in such place.

As he was about to leave ,he was stopped by the sudden presence of a silver-eyed man with golden hair. Feng assumed he was either a ghost or a foreigner from the west. ”Long time no see”,he spoke. ”...I am sorry but we have never met”,Feng replied

”Ah but we have ,long long ago”

”.....No we never”

”...........We have m—”

”No. Is this some kind of fraud? My guards are nearby”

The golden-haired man sighed and stepped backwards,”Alright . Just remember that the story is about to unfold... Don’t forget me. This time , do it right”

”W do you mean?”

”You will see”

”......who are you?”

”.......My name’s Silva. Remember that”

With that ,the man named Silva left...

Threads of Jades Chapter 1

Chapter  1

The Bond

Guan Inn

Yue Ping stood in front of a painting of her father , Guan Xian Long. Her father looked so young and handsome , as the father kept in her memories. She lost her father when she was merely seven ,due to sickness. Since then , the Guan inn was handled by her mother and her brother. ”Father...”,Yue slowly muttered,”Is this the gift you prepared for me? Two years before you left us ,you saved a minister...I never thought that’d lead to this”. She sighed and stared out of the window. The moon looked so big and grand ,surrounded by darkness. It was a calming sign,yet Yue couldn’t stomach the thought that this may be the last month she gets to see the moon alone. Starting from next month,she’d have to spend nights with a man she barely knew.

”Yuan Xie Feng... ”,Yue tried muttering again and again the name of the man who would be her husband soon.  Footstep sounds approached , Yue turned around and saw her brother walking towards her.  His gentle eyes never changed , that was the reason a lot of girls fancied her brother ,Guan Hui Zhong. Hui Zhong may be a commoner but he dressed up so tidily and his hair always tied in a neat bun. If anything , he looked like a son of someone with high social status. He flapped his white fan open and smiled.

”What are you thinking about,sister?”

”The Yuan son,obviously”

”Why are you so reluctant,Yue? This is truly a one-in-a-million grace from The Gods. We are just simple inn owners and now you are entering a family of nobles. Father has truly left you an important gift , a bright future”

”I know, I know but I’m only fifteen and I have never even met the guy.For all we know,he could be an ugly liquor addict or a gamble freak or a spoiled brat. And anyway ,I have never even been close to a man...”

Hui Zhong chuckled,”Such raw emotions and innocence will obviously make a man fall for you. Don’t worry , a lot of townspeople have seen him and they say he is a fine man. A minister will not let an only son be a gambler or any street junk as he is the heir,no?”

”Will he love me?”

”Will you love him?”

”...”

”It is too soon to be worrying about what lies ahead. Focus on enjoying the rest of your maidenhood”, with that he chuckled and left.

Yuan Residence

”A Zhong ,pour me more liquor”,Xie Feng sighed. The quiet pavilion had always been one peaceful place he escaped to whenever in need of some relaxation. ”Y-young master...You have drunk too much...”,a boy timidly muttered. ”It is fine ,I am a man. Pour more!”. As a servant ,the boy had no choice but to obey his young master who was obviously distressed.

”A Zhong, you used to live near Guan Inn right before coming here?”

”Y-yes,Young master. When I was younger”

”Have you ever seen the daughter?”

”I think I have, once or twice but I don’t know her personally. All townspeople know her , she is very friendly”

”That lady will be my wife soon”

”R-really? Congratulations, sir!”

”Congratulations ,congratulations...What is that head of yours even thinking about , congratulating me? I barely know the...*hic* girl”

A Zhong noticed that his Young master had clearly lost his head to the alcohol ,he capped the liquor jar and slowly put it aside,”No more,Young master.I don’t want madam to kill me”. Xie Feng chuckled , his face reddened,”Mom is one scary lady... *hic* I hope that Guan girl is not as dominating as her...Ahahahaha. Is sheee prettyyyyyy?”

”Yes ,she is a fair and charming lady.Now let’s go back to your room”

”Aaaahh Zhhhooonggghhh ,whyy are you acting so mature all of sudden? I am still so *hic* young... I have never even been on hunting more than twice and now I’m getting marrieddd?”

”Young master, you are the oldest son and you are in that age already... You should rest up ,we have plans tomorrow”

”Ohh yeahh,buying valuables to be sent to Guan family as the marriage gifts....*hic* Boooorinnggg. Let Xiao Kai do the joooobbbbbb”

A Zhong sighed and called the guards to help him drag the young master to his room as his physique was too tiny and slender to carry a grown man. He shook his head and chuckled a bit as he imagined his free-spirited master restricted by marriage soon. Will it be good or bad? Who knows. All he knew was years ago , vases in Guan Inn broke because the daughter got furious.

The next morning...

”....Urgh...My head hurts...”,Xie Feng slowly opened his eyes while groaning in pain. The sunlight shone right through the window and dazzled his vision ,making it even worse for him . He didn’t really remember things that happened last night but he did blurry remember being dragged by the guards. The man slowly sat ,still trying to deal with his massive headache. His thoughts once again raced to the marriage. Everyone knew Xie Feng was a womanizer ,he flirted a lot but in actuality never once had he been in a serious relationship and this sudden marriage plan scared the hell out of him. How does it feel anyway ,to lose your freedom and be bound to ”obligations” as a husband?

”FENG ER”,Feng’s mother ”gracefully” barged into his room ,clearly not amused. ”M-mother...I am sorry, I woke up late. I shall take a bath now and afterwards we will go and buy those things...”. Madam Yuan clicked her tongue and flapped her fan around, ”Such lack of discipline and responsibility! You are the heir ,act like one! A Zhong , A Qiao ,prepare his clothes! Xiao Mi ,Yan Yan,prepare the bath!”. Servants ran around ,commencing their respective duties. She walked out , leaving Xie Feng still half-awake and shaking his head. ”Mother...”,he grumbled.

Xie Feng ,to avoid further rage from his mother,rushed to the bathroom and prepared himself.

Long Ji Street Market

Yue Ping loitered around ,holding roasted yam for her afternoon snack. Originally ,she was planning to buy some candies and head home but somehow she ended up wandering. She coudln’t count how many people had congratulated her that day for her upcoming marriage to a noble. She knew they meant well , she knew .But somehow , it left a bland taste on her mouth upon continuously expressing gratitude.

Her thoughts had been lost somewhere until she bumped onto a man. ”Ouch!”,Yue was startled. ”I-I am sorry...”,she timidly looked up and met the gaze of a pair of silver eyes . Yue felt as if she saw little moons and somehow those eyes...trapped her. She couldn’t avert her gaze . Beautiful as the sigh ahead her was, the tall figure was a man. He was so tall her face bumped to below of his chest when they bumped. Those golden long hair was beautiful ,and his skin tone was fair and glowing. That was the first time Yue had seen such a beautiful man in her life .

”....Are you alright, lady?”,the man asked with a smile. His voice was soft ,with a hint of mystery in it somehow. ”I...I....I am fine!”,Yue reflexively exclaimed. He chuckled, ”Why is such a fine young lady walking around alone? It is not safe”. ”....just shopping”,Yue timidly answered and somehow that made the man laugh. ”Some people just never change...”,he muttered. Yue was intrigued by his unclear statement ,but before she could ask anything... The man suddenly grinned while looking at the street,”He is here. This is where it will all start ,once again”. ”Wait...What do you mean? You’re not making any se—”

”Make way!”,strong voices  interrupted. A group of guards marched forward , surrounding two  figures that clearly were nobles based on their appearance and demeanor. A woman and a younger man , walking gracefully .  She could see that the guards were carrying chests of things ,whatever they were –they looked heavy. Naturally , Yue and the silver-eyed man moved to the side of the road but as she was slowly retreating ,a guard rudely shoved her aside and the impact made her fall. ”Kyah!”.  The man with ebony eyes and hair turned his eyes to the sound’s direction and his gaze met hers. ”Halt”,he calmly ordered and walked to her. He crouched and offered his hand,”I am sorry for our guard’s rude behavior .Are you alright ,lady?”.

”I....I am fine”,Yue was sure that day was her unlucky day, First she bumped a foreign man and now she had to fall and be the center of attention. The young man helped her up , then glared at the guard,” We paid you to guard ,not to harm civilians”. The guard immediately bowed and begged mercy while the noble woman just nodded while flapping her fan.  ”...It starts".-Having said that ,the foreign man left .Yue scratched the back of her head ,What a strange man,she thought to herself. Then again ,today had been a very strange day and she couldn’t make heads or tails of the events. ”Thank you”,she talked while slowly retreating backwards .That was when she felt it, sharp pain on her ankle.”Ouch!”,she fell back to her sitting position.

Damn ,what are the odds?! Bad things keep happening today! Curse it ,this must be bad omen,Yue mentally cussed at her bad day. The man in front of her slowly lifted her skirt a bit to see her ankles and touched it.”....This is a sprain”,he analyzed calmly. ”Is there any resting place near here? We should get A Zhong to treat her sprain at the very least”. The woman chuckled,”You’re trying to escape shopping ,right? Do not fool me .A Zhong and that stupid guard who shoved a lady ,you both stay behind and treat the lady .Afterwards,escort her home! Feng...” ”Fine ,fine! Goodbye ,lady.”. With the man half-dragged , they both left .

A friendly slender boy smiled,”Can you stand? I’m A Zhong...”.The guard behind him sighed,”I am sorry,kay? You are so short. I didn’t see you”. First , I bumped onto a foreigner ,next shoved by a rude guard and became center of attention ,now I fell again because of a stupid strain and these two are left here... I’m so embarrassed I could die...Urghh.With his help,she slowly stood up,”Thank you. Can you please escort me to Guan Inn? I have medical kits there so I will be fine. My name is Guan Yue Ping”.

...

...

All of sudden ,the two humans in front of her stopped moving. They froze there , literally. Eyes widened with shock , jaw gaping. ”Ummm...What is wrong...with you two?”

DAMN,WHAT A STRANGE DAY! I should have stayed home!!

Threads of Jades two-page manga

Heya, so I decided to try sketching two pages of manga for my story Threads of Jades (the prologue was posted last month. If you haven't read , check it out!). This is pretty simple and drawn only with pen, I guess it is pretty much a doodle huh ? Haha! I'm an amateur in art and my drawings are pretty messy but I hope you enjoy this small bonus of my post! I will keep training my drawing skills~

Thankyou for reading~ Feel free to zoom if it is not too clear.
XOXO

A Brand New Year

Chirp...chirp...
Birds are flying around
The sun shines so bright...
I open my eyes and blink
A brand new chapter of our lives has begun
Blank pages to be filled
I blink again , once...twice...
Last book was truly a grand lesson.
There were happy , sad and motivating times.
I fell , I hurt myself , I cried , I laughed...
Slideshowing all those jpg files
Life might have been a real pain,but it goes on...
A brand new year
Sky remains the same ,but I know
It is a new start
Book 2015 is starting
Let's make this another best-seller book
Best wishes ,everyone...


With love,
Andromeda S

Happy New Year 2015,everyone!!!
May this year be another great on,filled with happiness and wellnesss!!!