Chapter 39- Placing the Toad in the Hole

Tian came home to a note. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but expecting Liren to wait around at home was never going to be on the table, unlike the note.

“She still has such sloppy handwriting. Tsk. I must scold her later.” He smiled as he read the note, written in Liren’s perfectly adequate handwriting.

Zihao-

It is weirdly hard to know how to write a note, now. We don’t usually leave notes. Also, how am I supposed to address you now? Brother? I’m sticking with Brother in Public and Zihao in private. You do the same. You should refer to me as Sister or Sis in public and I’m okay with Liren in private, like before. I shouldn’t have to specify that.

“No, no, this is good. Don’t backslide, this is progress. Specific is the true path.”

A sister had a lead on some dye making materials, and they will also be good for making inks. It’s a bit of a haul without the crane, but not too bad. I’ll be gone for a few days. Which, given your sense of timing, means hang around for a bit and I’ll turn up eventually.

I don’t like it when you run off, even if you are doing it for a good reason. Just… wait at home. I’ll be back soon.

-Liren

Tian couldn’t help smiling. He could feel Liren in the words, could feel the irritation and warmth in her, all that furious yang qi rushing around inside of her, now tempered and condensed. He touched his heart and felt it blaze.

“I guess I can stick around. Maybe someone at the hospital will know a good tune for the flute. And the pond needs a thorough redecorating. Landscaping? Whatever you call it.”

Tian decided to dig the pond a little deeper first. It wasn’t easy, digging through the rock, but he had experience with that now. It was figuring out how they would keep any dirt in there that was going to be the big challenge. That, and little fish. He got to work deepening and widening, then took the removed rocks and made a pile of them in the middle of the pond. The top rock was right at surface level, and the whole thing was barely waist deep and ten feet across.

“Should we call that a pool more than a pond? But I want a pond,” he muttered, then stuck the toad on the rock. Just to show there were no hard feelings, he left another brass coin in front of the still meditating toad.

It’s facing the wrong way.

“What do you mean?”

It needs to face away from the entrance. I’m treating the whole cavern as a courtyard here. Inside your house would, strictly speaking, be better, but this is good too. Just aim the toad at your front door, keep his back towards the cavern exit, and leave the money right in front of it.

“Toads hop around, Grandpa.”

This little beggar wont, without good reason. You will see.

The hospital wasn’t too busy, but it wasn’t empty either. There were long-term patients there, whose healing time might be measured in years or even a lifetime. A few were in the Earthly Realm, but most of the long-termers were in the Heavenly Realm. It had been quite a mystery to Tian, but it was explained to him (vaguely) that the kinds of problems Heavenly people suffered could be incredibly esoteric, and needed equally obscure treatments. Sometimes they would never be right until they understood something, mastered something, transcended. The Heavenly Realm seemed like a dark forest, compared to the bright, straight path of the Earthly Realm.

One such lost wanderer was Martial Uncle Gen, who never wanted tea, but was open to chatting over some snacks and malt candies. Tian felt a little stab of guilt, now that he understood why the Martial Aunts and Uncles never cared for his tea service. They truly were used to better stuff than he could provide.

For now.

“Martial Uncle, how are you today?”

Uncle Gen was looking pale, hollow eyed and listless, his long mustaches draping lifelessly over a sad face. All of which was normal for the senior. He was doing a bit better than he looked, but only a bit.

“Much the same, much the same. It is good to see you again. How roasted are you?”

“Pardon?”

“By the flames of love. The Outer Court is buzzing with it, and I’m practically going deaf in here.” Something that might have, under other circumstances, been a grin flashed across Gen’s face. Tian suddenly and urgently felt the need to return to the wilds, but controlled it.

“I don’t know, it’s all pretty new to me. We are figuring things out. I just hope she likes the present I got her.”

“Oh? You got her something? Say more.”

“It’s nothing so special. Once I tricked the guardian defending the stone- ah, but you don’t want to hear about all that.” Tian said, with malice aforethought. “I see you have your qin out. Are you playing again?”

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Uncle Gen looked momentarily torn between being nosy and maintaining the dignity of a martial uncle. Face won out, but it seemed to be a close-run thing.

“Yes, I’m hoping it will help me resolve the lingering evil in my wound. It will be a lot of trial and error, and a lot of luck, but… I have time, and little else to do.”