Foxes Among Wolves - Chapter 14 Food For Friendship

No one could sleep on an empty stomach. Meifan stared at the lumpy figure on the floor beside her and felt empathetic. Meifan replayed the day in her head. Xiaoli and the other women were horrible to her, teasing and taunting her skills every chance they could. When she cried after breaking the cup, she could hear the delighted snickers above her and felt so small. The flying rocks were a blessing.

“Fa Huian, are you awake?”

“Yes,” Huian replied as well as her stomach.

“Follow me.”

The women snuck out of the servant chambers, careful not to trod on anyone as they escaped into the cooler air. They came to a small bridge and halfway across it Meifan climbed underneath. There was a spot on the support pillars of the building which was compacted with dirt. It was a small space to rest but it remained comforting.

“What is this place?” Huian asked in wonder.

“My safe hideaway. I come here when I want to be alone,” Meifan explained self-consciously and sat on the ground. She had to squish to the side so Huian had room to join her.

They were both quiet for some time but the silence was heavy, holding their thoughts and emotions. Meifan experimentally played with her hands, stretching them until the point of pain and then curling her fingers back up again. They were covered in burns and cuts, looking far from feminine. No man would love her scarred like this.

“Use this.”

Huian nonchalantly offered a thick plant part and a few bandages. It was unexpected. She was never the caring type, always ignoring Meifan’s questions and wearing an irritated expression. Meifan was overcome with gratitude; since entering the palace, no one had helped her.

“What is it?”

“Aloe vera that I found. It will help the burns. Just crack the branch leaf and rub on the sticky sap. Hopefully your hands won’t scar. I heard that it’s a curse in the palace to be tainted in appearance.”

Meifan’s eyes watered in gratitude. “Thank you.”

“Let me dress them,” Huian said and gently grabbed Meifan’s wrists.

Just like she instructed, she snapped the long plant part down the middle, revealing a sticky mess inside. Using her fingers, she applied the sap to the red and blistered skin. Meifan hissed and gasped at the sting but kept still while they were bandaged. It was nostalgic to be cared for like this. So many years had passed since her family sold her because of debts and she missed the kindness of a loved one. Jiang had been the closest thing to family but perhaps, their family would grow. Meifan was beyond indebted to the gods.

“Call me Meifan.” To use a first name in Shanhe when speaking represented a close relationship between people. Meifan was desperate for that bond.

Huian was hesitant to reply, her contemplation weighing down the mood. “I refuse.”

“Please!” Meifan begged. “Please!”

“Fine! Just stop whining!” Huian snapped. “I will call you Meifan if you stop crying.”

Meifan smiled, heart on her sleeve. Quickly, she reached in her clothes to give Huian a bun to repay her kindness.

“Where did you get this?” Huian asked as she deeply inhaled the divine smell of bread.

Meifan was silent, wallowing in shame. “Meifan. Where. Is. This. From?”

“The ladies threw it to me after they retired my service to them. It is their leftovers,” she confessed.

“You took it? Have you no dignity?”

Meifan laughed humourlessly. “We are servants. If you still have dignity, it will only provide you with worse fortune. We withstand torment to survive. Had I not grabbed it, you would suffer. Please eat it.”

There was a fight occurring in Huian’s eyes, her pride unwilling to compromise. Fortunately, her stomach won the silent battle and she shoved the bun in her mouth greedily. When there were no crumbs left, Huian finally spoke again. “I thank you but next time, please do not do this again.”

“We servants must stick together. You saved me today and I owe you everything.”

“You owe me nothing at all,” Huian said quietly. For a few minutes she was lost in thought and Meifan watched the ripples of the lake water as it lapped at the dirt area. “What is your wish?”

“I wish to be free and married to a nice husband,” Meifan replied, the idea making her smile. She could see herself as a mother, running after several children. They would live in the countryside and the daughters would help her grow rice, while the sons studied in the village. It was a beautiful dream.

“What kind of man would you marry?”

“My husband would be kind but powerful. We would have no debts and no one could take me away.”

“What if I could grant your wish to be free of the palace?” Huian asked.

“Huian, you are not a magical spirit nor an emperor. You cannot grant me these dreams,” Meifan said and burst into tears. The truth was she desperately craved the freedom of a life that wasn’t hers.