“Will you sit for an examination?”Heng asked, surprised.
“He’s great at magic.He would be awesome at any test,” Shanlin said defensively.
Heng laughed.“It is good for a boy to defend his father’s honor.I meant only that he insisted he would not study the Chinese methods because it could weaken his Western-style powers.I told you, we use our chi—our power—differently.”
“And I cannot afford to be weak,” Leander said.He planned to walk the perimeter of the property and exchange magic with old, powerful trees in order to have sentries to guard them all the time.If opening his chi and gaining more diverse powers interfered, he could not risk it.
“You are my qidi, either way.My home is not large, but you’re welcome,” Heng said.
“What is a qidi?”
“The way you are pronouncing it, it means a steam whistle or ship’s horn,” Heng said with unvarnished amusement.“But when I say qidi, I mean he is my family.”
“Oh.So you really are my uncle?”
“I am,” Heng said, “but you should call any older man you respect ‘uncle,’ and most are older.”He guided his car around a low hill with a cluster of dawn redwoods, and the town came into view.On the hill stood an immense structure with traditional upturned eaves and wide windows.Below stood a village clustered around a small stream spilling into a blue pond ringed with flowers.It reflected the clouds above, and if not for the cars parked willy-nilly between houses and antennas reaching toward the sky, Leander would have thought they had slipped into the distant past.The few people walking around had the same flowing robes as Heng, several of them carrying baskets.
If these people lived a traditional rural life, Leander should be able to find a job using his flora magic to help with crops or flowers.People seemed to have planted them everywhere.Even the hills had streaks of color from blooming flowers.
“We are home,” Heng said as he pulled up to a plain house with a sloped roof.It was two stories, but not nearly as decorated as the surrounding houses.It had a simple wooden door rather than the carved entrance, and the walls and windows were streaked with dirt.“I don’t live here because I am a student.I live at the school most of the year.”Heng sounded apologetic.
“It’s kind of you to offer your home.It looks very inviting,” Leander said.
Shanlin looked dubious, but at least he didn’t say anything.
“No, no, no.It is not good enough.If my qidi wants to sit for the examination, I will speak to the teachers at the school ...and then you and Shanlin would have a room there.It would be much better than the poor offering I put in front of you.”
“I have lived in a much poorer home for the past ten years,” said Leander.
Heng turned to him, sorrow so obvious even Leander could recognize it.“Then I am sorry you did not come long ago.You deserve better.I do not have to be back at the school until dinner, so I will help you clean until then.”
“No, your clothing is far too fine.Shanlin and I can do the cleaning, Leander said.“I would like to tidy up so I feel like I am repaying your kindness.”
“You do not have to repay me, qidi.I will stay and clean.”They went through several more rounds before Heng agreed to return to the school.He opened the front door with an oversized key, revealing a dusty first floor with a wood stove and heavy table flanked by benches.The whole place smelled sour, and the dirty windows only let in weak trickles of light.
They were home.
