When Xinyi stepped inside, she didn't find the usual warmth of a simmering pot. Instead, she found Li Hua sitting at the low wooden table, her shoulders slumped in a way that made her look smaller than usual. Her face was flushed and her eyes were puffy. As soon as she heard the floorboards creak, she wiped her face with the rough edge of her sleeve and tried to piece together a smile.
"Nothing, dear. Go wash up. Dinner is ready," Li Hua said. Her voice caught in her throat as she smoothed the wrinkles in the faded tablecloth.
Xinyi didn't move. Her eyes narrowed as she crossed her arms. "It isn't nothing," she said, her voice flat and challenging. "Tell me what happened. Did someone go after you?"
Li Hua sighed, the forced smile crumbling under Xinyi's stare. "Just some people at the market. They were saying things."
Xinyi felt a spark of heat behind her ribs. "What did they say?"
Li Hua reached out to touch Xinyi's arm, her hand trembling. "It isn't worth it, Xinyi. People will always talk. Let's just eat and forget they exist."
But Xinyi was already kneeling beside her, catching her aunt's hands. "You are the only person I have. If someone hurts you, they're starting a fight with me too. Tell me."
Li Hua hesitated, her gaze dropping to their joined hands. "They were talking about your parents. About how they left. They said I can't protect you because I'm alone."
Xinyi's chest tightened, but she didn't let the sadness in. She pushed it down and let it turn into something sharper. She stood up straight, her posture rigid with a confidence that seemed to fill the small room.
"Why is that their concern?" Xinyi's voice was like a blade. "Yes, they left. So what? Have we ever begged those women for a grain of rice? No. We earn what we eat. We don't owe them our tears or our time."
She walked to the window, watching the first few stars prick through the darkening sky. The anger was still there, but it had settled into a cold, hard resolve.
"We are stronger than their gossip, Auntie. We have each other. That's enough." She turned back, her face finally softening as she squeezed Li Hua's hands. "They wouldn't want us to be miserable over people like that, would they?"
Li Hua wiped a final tear away and managed a real nod. "No. They wouldn't."
"Go to sleep," Xinyi said, her voice light with a new plan. "Tomorrow, I'm going to the capital. I'll find work. I'll buy us a house far away from this place where you can just be happy."
Li Hua's eyes widened. "The capital? Xinyi, that's a world away."
"I can do it," Xinyi said. "For us."
The next morning, the world was still draped in the grey light of dawn. Xinyi tied her hair into a tight, practical braid and pulled on her cleanest tunic. The village was silent, save for a distant rooster and the wind in the eaves. In the kitchen, Li Hua was already awake, her face etched with a fresh layer of worry.
"Xinyi, are you sure?"
Xinyi took her aunt's hands one last time. "I'm going to find a way for us, Auntie. I promise."
With a quick smile, Xinyi stepped out into the crisp air. The walk was long, but as the forest thinned, the sight of the capital took her breath away. The high stone walls and the glint of tiled rooftops in the sun were like something out of a dream.
"I've spent too long in the dirt," she whispered to herself. "This place is incredible."
She was about to step onto the main thoroughfare when the air was suddenly cut by a powerful gust of wind. Before she could steady her basket, a heavy boot slammed into her side, sending her sprawling onto the gravel.
Pain flared in her palms as they scraped against the sharp stones. She looked up, her vision swimming, to see a man in dark, polished armor looming over her. A royal guard, his hand resting casually on the hilt of a heavy sword.
"What do you think you're doing?" Xinyi snapped, her temper flaring through the pain.
The guard looked down at her like she was a bug on the road. "His Highness is passing. Which family do you belong to, girl? So loud and so prideful."
Xinyi forced herself up, ignoring the sting in her knees. She brushed the grit from her bloody palms and stared him down. "I don't need a family name to know you're being a coward."
The guard's expression curdled. Behind him, a massive procession began to roll past. Banners snapped in the wind and the sun caught the gold leaf on the royal carriages. A man on a coal black horse led the way, his dark hair pulled back, his gaze distant and cold. For a split second, his eyes drifted toward the girl standing defiantly in the dirt, but he didn't stop. He didn't even blink.
"Watch your tongue," the guard warned, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl.
Xinyi didn't flinch. "If you want to fight, draw your sword. Otherwise, get out of my way."
The guard's jaw tightened, but the steady rhythm of the horses forced him to move on. He gave her one last look of pure contempt before turning to join the line.
Xinyi stood alone on the side of the road, dusting off her clothes as the dust settled. Her heart was hammering against her ribs, but her eyes were steady.
"The capital," she muttered, looking at the disappearing gold banners. "This is going to be harder than I thought."