Zhou Mei Ling's eyes fluttered open, her mind and body still foggy from the strange dreams, - (memories)-, that plagued her every night since her arrival into this unfamiliar world. It wasn't truly her arrival, - it was hers but yet not hers (if that made sense) -, the memories, feelings and emotions of a life long gone mixing in with the fresh, new and exciting experiences of this new one. In this life she was Zhou Mei Ling, the daughter of a kind-hearted but stern mother, Madam Su, and a noble bearing safe inducing stepfather, Zhou Yong.
Mei Ling sat up from a small bed in a neatly arranged room. The faint but comforting smell of herbs wafted through the wooden walls, a lingering but constant trace of her mother's nightly remedies.
As the first rays of sunlight slipped through the cracks in the window, she (Zhou Mei Ling) reminded herself of her commitment and resolve. "..to live the best possible life..." and to "...be selfish for once...". Quotes that colleagues, friends and classmates almost always used when addressing her.
The past, at least what she remembered of her previous life, no longer mattered. This Life was a gift, - a chance to do things right, to bring joy to those who loved her and to create a brighter future than that of the One she left behind.
Footsteps as well as the gentle hum of her mother's voice pulled her attention back to the courtyard. Madam Su was up early as always, tending to the small but full vegetable garden the Zhou Family relied upon. Mei Ling smiled softly before stretching out and wrapping herself in a thin cloak, making her way outside and braving the crisp morning air.
"Ah you're awake." Called out Madam Su. Her voice warm but practical. She then wiped her hands on her apron and gestured towards the small patch on spring onion, they had planted 13 weeks back.
"We'll need a bit more of these for the dumplings later. Go fetch the basket Mei Ling." Madam Su continued, her voice it's usual tone, - firm but not unkind.
Mei Ling nodded and hurried to retrieve the basket from the kitchen. The Zhou Family home was modest, 2 bedrooms with both an in-house and outhouse kitchen, worn wooden beams and neatly swept floors. Though small it always felt warm and safe, -something Mei Ling had never truly known in her past life.
Returning to the garden, she knelt besides her mother, carefully plucking the fresh spring onions. The quiet rustle of leaves and the chirping of sparrows were the only sounds around them.
.
.
.
"Mother," Mei Ling called out after sometime her voice cautious and small. Unsure how to ask but wanting to know. "Do you....Do you ever regret leaving everything behind to come here with father?"
Madam Su paused, her hands stilling over the soil. A thougtful and deep expression crossed her face before she straightened and looked over to her daughter.
"When I first met your father at the temple, I was lost in grief and uncertainty. My brother had sold me, my husband didn't care in the least about me and later on you. His wife was unkind and so were his brothers and their families. Then the war happened and I had no where to go. If not for the kindness of the nuns we, mother and daughter, would be dead." Madam Su said. Her voice soft with reminisce.
" Then he came. He was a strange man, your father. So lost yet so determined. He had been and was a stranger then, yet his kindness felt like the hand of fate guiding me forward. Leaving behind my past wasn't easy but I don't regret it." She smiled faintly, her beauty becoming stunning in her determination.
She then turned and looked straight at Mei Ling."I had no life before your father Mei Ling, and while this life we've built may be humble, it's ours and it's honest."
Mei Ling absorbed her mother's words, her chest tightening with emotion. Madam Su's sacrifices, pain and suffering weighed heavily on her heart,but they also fueled her determination to make the very best of this life.
And so they carried on tending to the garden, stopping to chat and simply enjoy each other's presence.
As they worked, a figure appeared at the garden gate. It was Zhou Yong, Mei Ling's stepfather and Madam Su's husband. Zhou Yong had been carrying a bundle of firewood on his shoulder. His broad firm and slightly weathered face bore the marks of a man accustomed to hard labor, yet he radiated a presence that was steady, comforting and warm.
"You're up early, Mei Ling." Zhou Yong's voice called out from the woodshed, a small gentle smile on his face.
"I wanted to help mother." She replied while setting the basket of the harvest aside.
Zhou Yong nodded approvingly. Then smiling even wider he said, "That's good. A family thrives only when everyone works together."
Zhou Yong then made his way to his wife, helped her get up from the garden, looked her over, nodded in satisfaction (bringing a smile to Madam Su's face) before turning to his daughter and saying. "Now, how about helping me prepare the fire for breakfast?" Zhou Yong said with a wink. His eyes playful and happy.
Mei Ling smiled and followed him to the kitchen. The bond between them unspoken but undeniably strong. He had taken her in as his own, even going as far as to register her under his name, ensuring that she would have protection and the dignity of being his daughter.
Sometimes when her thoughts weren't loud enough, she often wondered what he had left to choose this life, far from the powerful Zhou Family he rarely (if ever) spoke of.
As they worked together to light the fire and prepare the ingredients, Mei Ling stole a glance at Zhou Yong.
Despite the calluses on his hands, slight tan of his skin (from the sun) and weathered look from the simple life he led, there was a quiet but undeniable nobility about him.
Zhou Mei Ling had a deep sense of gratitude towards both him and her mother, who had created a home filled with love and stability.
.
.
.
Later as the family gathered around Kang (a heated bed) for breakfast, Mei Ling couldn't help but smile, wide and happy causing her parents to exchange looks and smile back at her.
This life might not have been what she imagined in her previous existence, but it was full of potential and hope.
She vowed to herself silently: "I'll make this life meaningful. For father, for mother and myself."
As the sun rose higher in the sky, bathing the humble home in warmth, Zhou Mei Ling made one last promise, a vow, a pledge:
'This, this right here is mine. I will guard it, cherish it and defend it.'
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile in the Capital...
.
.
In the Zhou Family's ancestral hall, dimly lit by the oil lamps and candles, was tension. It was so thick, rich and heavy that seemed as If to weave itself into the heavy brocade tapestries lining the walls. Walls that held the history, legacy and might of the Zhou Household. In was in this very room that the family had gathered to discuss matters of great importance.
Old Master Zhou sat at the of the long lowrise table, his fingers going over the mahogany came. His face, lined with age and authority, was like a granite mask, betraying no emotion except for the furrows that played on his brows. A result of years of weariness.
Besides him was Old Madame Zhou, her posture ramrod straight, her jade bracelets clicking softly as she adjusted the hem of her silk robes. The aura and feel around her weary and heavy. As If the collective weight of decands of maintaining harmony and peace in a fractured family had finally taken its toll.
Other Zhou Family members gathered included Zhou Chen (the second Zhou Son), Zhou Min (the third Zhou Son), Zhou Yun Xi (Old Master Zhou's only daughter) and Zhou Han (the fourth and finally son). The 2nd Zhou uncle, 5th uncle and 7th uncles were also present.
Zhou Chen sat with his back straight, his hands resting on the table rimming his tea cup as If to claim something only he could see. Zhou Chen gave off a casual looking posture but his eyes maintained the same sharp look he always had since that night.
Zhou Min and Zhou Han exchanged looks. The posture tense but unreadable. Zhou Yun Xi meanwhile was uneasy and very, very reluctant to be there.
"It's been 8 years since Zhou Yong left," Old Master Zhou began, his voice slow, deliberate and commanding. "8 years of disgrace,shame and embarrassment for the Zhou Family. The Zhou Family name has been tarnished by his absence and it is time to rectify this. The rift must end."
"Disgrace, shame and embarrassment?" Zhou Chen's voice broke the tense silence, his voice tinged in mockery. "Zhou Yong left of his own volition. He turned his back on the family, not the other way around."
"Don't twist the narrative, Zhou Chen," Zhou Yun Xi voice cut in, her tone soft but nevertheless sharp. "You played no small role in exactly why he left."
Zhou Chen's smirk widened. "And what role would that be, dear sister? Please enlighten me as I remain unaware."
"You stole his fiancée, and.. " Zhou Yun Xi snapped her fist slamming into the table to help drive the point home.
"She wasn't his." Zhou Chen interrupted, his voice icy and tone sharp. "Liang Rou made her choice."
The very mention of that name Liang Rou caused the room to chill. It was a name not spoken and had been avoided the Zhou Family for years.
"Enough." Old Madame Zhou interjected, her tone soft but trembling with restrained anger. "We are not here to relive old arguments. This is about bringing Zhou Yong back."
Zhou Han then scoffed, his brows lifting highlighting his skeptical attitude. Noticing the eyes on him he let out a bitter laugh, instantly drawing more of the attention from the room.
"And why would Zhou Yong want to return? You all made it very clear where you stood when he left." Zhou Han said, a cold hard smile playing on his lips.
"Indeed. Why would Zhou Yong come back? What has changed since he left? Do you think a few half-hearted apologies will undo the demage?" Zhou Min called soft, posture casual but his tone. It was sharper than any steel blade.
"Watch your tone." Old Master Zhou warned, his tone matching his 3rd son.
Undeterred Zhou Min carried on. "You all stood by as Zhou Chen mocked and humiliated him. Zhou Yong call for us to take a stand and yet everyone stayed silent. Now, tell me, what exactly are we as a family going to offer him - more silence?"
.
.
.
.
.
Flashback to 8 years earlier....
.
.
The memory was vivid, etched into each of their minds for any and all who were present.
It had been a stormy evening, the kind where the heavens themselves seemed to rage. Zhou Yong stood in the middle of the very same ancestral hall, his ceremonial red robes damp from he rain and clinging to his frame. His face was a mask of fury, that he for once didn't bother hiding and his voice matched the thunder outside.
"You expect me to stay here," he spat "while you let this happen?" He gestured sharply to Zhou Chen, who stood unflinchingly to the side of him.
"I didn't let anything happen." Zhou Chen replied colly. "Liang Rong chose me. Maybe instead of blaming me you should think about why?" Zhou Chen finished his tone coldly defiant.
The words struck like a dagger. Zhou Yong knuckles turned white on his sides. Then Zhou Yong turned, staring to the man across from him, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "You betrayed me, Chen. You, my brother. My friend. Do you have any idea what you've done?"
"Enough!" Old Master Zhou's voice cut through the tense, damp air with a wipe. "This is not the time for childish accusations or bickering. What's done is done. Zhou Yong, you must move forward and control yourself."
"Move forward? Control myself?" Zhou Yong's voice cracked with incredulity. "While you all stand by and let this, this, this thing whatever it is happen!" Zhou Yong yelled. His voice once again matching perfectly with the thunder outside. "While you side with him?" He called, voice lower but nonetheless colder, harder and emptier.
"What's done is done." Old Master Zhou repeated something his children knew he loathed to do. "This Family does not, nor will it ever air out it's dirty laundry for the world to see. You can and will accept this, for the sake of the Zhou Family." Old Master Zhou spoke firmly. His tone softening at the end, after all, Zhou Yong was his firstborn.
"For the sake of the Zhou Family name?" He repeated softly almost emptyly. "You expect me to stand by and let this happen. No, not only let this happen but approve of it. Watch as you all side with him. All because of the Family?"
He then turned to the ancestral hall entrance, where his two youngest brothers Zhou Min and Zhou Han stood silently. "And you? You're just going to stand there and watch? Say something!"
Zhou Min looked away, his lips pressed thinly and his teeth grinding together hard. Zhou Han on the other hand shifted uncomfortably but said nothing, his gaze darting from his older brother to his father and mother.
Old Madame Zhou then stepped forward, her hands outstretched as If to placate him. "Yong'er please. We're not siding with anyone. But the family..."
"The family," Zhou Yong spat. "The bl**dy Family would rather sweep this under the rug than hold anyone accountable. Is that what this name means to you?" He carried on pointing to the Kanji (Han or Hanzi Character, hiragana or katakana) for Zhou behind their father. His question directed everyone but more importantly at Zhou Chen, Zhou Min and Zhou Han. His brothers.
But all remained silent throughout the entire ordeal. "And you? Do you really have nothing to say? Nothing at all?" Zhou Yong asked again facing Zhou Min and Zhou Han.
Zhou Min looked away, guilt plain on his face. Zhou Han opened his mouth, ready to say something but quickly closed it, cowered by their father's glare.
That was the final blow. Zhou Yong went from anger, rage to cold fury and finally disgust. The gradual shift of his expressions was open for his family, the whole Zhou Family to see.
"You made your choice," he spat low and venomous. "Each and every one of you. Your not my brother." Zhou Yong said as he turned to Zhou Chen expression hardened once again and blank except for the loathing in his eyes.
"And none of you are my family. You've made that clear." And with that he turned on his heel and stormed out into the night, leaving the Zhou Family in stunned silence.
.
.
.
.
.
Present day (flashback ends)
.
.
Back in the ancestral hall, Old Master Zhou exhaled softly, the memory weighing on him. With fingers tightening around his cane he said. "Mistakes were made." He admitted, his tone reluctant but still firm. "But we are family. And this family will not remain divided. We must find a way to bring Zhou Yong back."
"And what exactly do you plan on saying to him?" Zhou Han asked, his voice tinged heavily with bitterness. "That your sorry for taking Zhou Chen's side? Sorry for sweeping everything under the rug? Or maybe that you're sorry about Liang Rong?"
"Han'er," Old Madame Zhou began softly, her voice wavering.
"He's right." Zhou Yun Xi said quietly. A soft but thick elegance exuding from her. "Zhou Yong won't want to come back unless we show him that things have changed. He won't accept empty words."
Zhou Min, having watch the back and fourth for a bit finally nodded. "Of course if you want even a chance at getting him back we need to prove that the family values him. With actions and not just words."
"And what, pray tell, are said actions going to be?" Zhou Chen's voice asked mockingly. "Should I grovel at his feet? Perhaps we should all beg for forgiveness, seeing as he blames all of us."
"You have a plan Min'er?" Old Madame Zhou asked, her tone curious, light but guarded.
Zhou Min smiled. His face beautiful but odd, like an incomplete picture. Something off and fundamental missing. "Start with Zhou Chen. He'll have to admit what he did and then maybe beg."
Soft, simple but lethal.
Zhou Min looked Zhou Chen de*d in the eyes, his expression cold and frozen. His stare blunt and unapologetic irritated Zhou Chen.
Zhou Chen's chair scraped loudly against the floor as he stood, his expression darkening." I have nothing to admit," he said coolly. "If Zhou Yong wants to stay away then, let him. The family doesn't need someone who abandons it at the first sign of trouble."
"This isn't up for debate." Old Master Zhou said sharply cutting whatever else Zhou Chen planned on adding. "You are not the Zhou Family Head. And regardless of your opinion, Zhou Yong is my son. And he will return to this Family, whether you like it or not."
The room fell silent, the air thick with unresolved tension.
Old Madame Zhou placed her hand on her husband arm, her voice barely above a whisper. "We need a plan." She said. "Not just to bring him back back to heal, mend and finally move passed what been broken. Otherwise this Family will shatter."
The weight of her words hung in the air as the family members exchanged uneasy glances, each of them wondering what sacrifices would be required to mend what had be so thoroughly fractured.