Chapter 7 – Your Name (1)

The snake thrashed about wildly, possibly in panic and pain, as Zhao Xi held it firmly just below the head with one hand while inserting a thin, hollow needle with the other to extract the bile from its gall. She always felt sorry whenever she had to do this, but it was better than having to kill one of those creatures whenever she needed their bile for a potion.

Removing its bile was not fatal, but it would always leave the snake in a weakened state. Thus, she always kept such creatures in a cage after extracting its precious fluid. Out in the wild, it would stand no chance against other animals which preyed on it, such as large birds or even the occasional hunger-crazed wolf or bear. While imprisoned, she would feed the snakes with a little brew of venom from other beasts, such as spiders or scorpions, mixed with some herbs to hasten its recovery.

Having the serpent in its cage, Zhao Xi turned her attention to her patient. She was considering adding it to the medicine she was mixing to make it more potent. On the other hand, it would become unbearably bitter, even for someone accustomed to it like her. Even her bear, Ping An, was once given such a mixture and spat it out. Afterwards, it avoided her for months, associating Zhao Xi with the bitter medicine.

What if the man did the same and avoided her as well? After all, she had already decided that she would sleep with the man. What if he ended up refusing her because of the medicine?

In the end, Zhao Xi’s training as a healer prevailed and she threw in the bile with the rest of the ingredients which were beginning to bubble in the cauldron. To make it easier for him to consume the vile liquid, she put a couple of candied fruits in a smaller bowl, placed it on a tray with the bigger bowl containing the medicine, and then brought it to the small table beside the patient’s bed.

She gave out a huge sigh of relief when the man, after the first sip which made him grimace, drank the whole concoction in one sitting. His was face was screwed up in disgust, but he probably understood that Zhao Xi had nothing but his health in mind so he endured the taste anyways. He then gratefully attacked the candied fruits, eager to remove the bitterness from his mouth. She thought, Perhaps he would be easier to nurse than Ping An. That was good. The more cooperative a patient was, the better for his or her chances of total recovery.

Having surprassed what Zhao Xi expected would be the most difficult task of the night, she turned to the one that gave her butterflies of anticipation and excitement in her stomach. With a basin of water in one hand, she began dipping a rag in it and wiped the man’s face with it. Seeing no resistance from him, she moved to his neck, and then his hands. Seeing his beautifully-manicured nails, slender fingers bordering on being feminine, and the skin of his hands having the smoothness of one who never experienced manual labor, Zhao Xi let her curiosity get the better of her.

She began toying with those fingers, pretending to take extra time and care in washing each one so she could examine them more closely. Whether out of embarrassment or something else, the man ignored Zhao Xi’s obvious interest.

“Oh my, I complete forgot. Excuse my bad manners. What is your name?” asked Zhao Xi. “My name is Zhao Xi. The Zhao stands for morning, and the Xi for sunshine. So, I’m the sunshine in the morning. What about you?”

Silence. The man turned his head to face the nearby window, as if wishing he could avoid having to talk to her. I don’t blame him at all. After all, I forced him to this contract for his life, thought Zhao Xi. Just as she decided to give him a nickname instead, he whispered hoarsely, “Shen Fei. My name is Shen Fei.”

That’s a start, she thought. “Which of the meanings of ‘Fei’ applies in your case?” asked Zhao Xi, having let go of his hands, all pretense abandoned and her attention totally focused towards the man now. The only meaning of ‘Fei’ she could remember was ‘wrong’ and she was somehow confident this was not the one.

He kept silent, either out of a lack of desire to converse with her or because he was deep in his thoughts. Either way, Zhao Xi would not be dissuaded from knowing more about the man, like a shark having smelt blood in the water. She cleared her throat loudly, letting him know she was waiting on his response.

“Fei from ‘Fei Ran’” he answered, still looking out into her front yard. Zhao Xi decided not to press him, remembering that the medicine must have made his throat quite sore. She realized he must have been embarrassed being virtually nude in front of a stranger. But what can I do, thought Zhao Xi. After all, Shen Fei’s clothes still needed to be washed and patched. If any of hers actually fit him, it would be very tight and out of the question, considering his many wounds all over his body.

While those thoughts were running through her head, Zhao Xi’s eyes were all over the smooth, blemish-less skin of Shen Fei’s back. No, it’s definitely blemished now, she thought, noting how the straw of her bed left red marks all over his back. This one never had to sleep on anything but a soft bed in his life, the healer thought with a grin. She resolved to go to the town center to buy a quilt to cover the straw bedding along with a few clothes for him. Maybe some food as well, the kind a spoiled and pampered man wouldn’t be averse to eating.