Chapter Six
Leander swept the housefrom top to bottom, opening every window.Upstairs were two bedrooms, both much larger than would be normal in America, and each with a huge, functional fireplace and four beds set on low platforms.The ground floor had the main room with a large table, an old stove, wooden benches, and a storage room with a fully stocked refrigerator behind a locked door.
The main kitchen was on the back porch, which also had a door leading to a bathroom divided into two rooms, one with a shower and tub, another with the toilet and sink.Shanlin had looked confused at the outdoor rooms, but when Leander handed him a bucket and brush, he had gone to work on the kitchen, scrubbing bird shit and decomposing leaves while Leander headed upstairs.He took the mattresses outside and propped them against the wall before beating them until dust rose in clouds.He moved furniture and scrubbed mouse droppings and choked on years of dirt.
Luckily, the refrigerator was new, as were the lamps placed beside each of the beds.Something wriggled in Leander’s stomach at the idea of Heng buying things for the house and coming out to meet them.It was a far warmer welcome than Leander had expected.And if part of him wished Heng had taken a few days away from his studies to stay with them, well, Leander shoved those thoughts away and refused to let any bitterness spoil the moment.
He shoveled years of crap out of the downstairs fireplace, which had a broad platform above it with a metal plate for cooking.He was covered in ash when a female voice called out.“Boon Lian, qidi of Nie Heng, are you available?”
Leander wasn’t, but he couldn’t afford to make a poor impression on any visitors.He brushed as much dirt off his pants as he could and stood.The top half of the door was open, and an older woman with a simple blue robe over long sleeves trimmed with red stood with her arms around a stack of white fabric.
“Good morning, noble lady.”He opened the bottom half of the door and stepped back.
“I am no more noble than I am green.I’m Li Daiyu, Auntie Daiyu for you.Nei Heng told us his qidi was coming with his son, and I know that man has not a linen in the house.I come with sheets and towels and a scroll of auspicious magic users and their sayings.”
“Thank you, Auntie Daiyu.Shanlin is in back cleaning the kitchen.Let me fetch him.”He bowed, the old manners coming back to him.
“Did not Heng clean one thing?”She scoffed.“That boy lacks elegance.”
“Auntie knows best, but I am pleased with the provisions Heng has made.”
“Then your standards are low.Go, get your son so I can see the child of the qidi of Nei Heng.”She ran her fingers over the table, no doubt checking for dust, before putting the linens down.Leander didn’t want anyone in the house.The more he talked to others, the greater the chance he would make a mistake and offend someone horrifically .If he could avoid human interaction, he could increase the odds of no one driving them out of town.
Outside, he found Shanlin sitting on the tiled porch, his hands in the bucket of cleaning solution as he scrubbed something.“We have a visitor,” Leander said.
“Who?”
“A woman who introduced herself as Li Daiyu, Auntie Daiyu.She came with sheets for the beds.”
Shanlin wiped his hands off on his shirt and stood.“Sheets sound good.I haven’t slept good in days.”
Leander had noticed the nightmares.“Come and be very polite.”
“Of course I will.”Shanlin rolled his eyes before heading into the house.
“Ah, and this is the young son, and a proper son, too.So handsome.”She said the last two words in English.
“Thank you, Auntie Daiyu.”Shanlin bowed.
She smiled and touched Shanlin’s curls before switching back into Mandarin.“So unique.I see hair like this only on television.He will be popular with all the parents of young girls.”
“He is far too young to be interested,” Leander rushed to say.Any family Daiyu introduced them to would be in danger from Druwolf if his enforcers tracked them.Besides, Leander didn’t even know what Shanlin’s preferences were–or if he had any yet, given his age.
“Of course, of course,” Daiyu said.Shanlin looked from one to the other.Maybe some instinct had warned him they were talking about him.
“Please, Auntie, sit,” Leander said.“I apologize that I have no food to offer, but I believe the refrigerator has an apple.It is a poor offering, but I offer it in the spirit of hospitality.”In some ways, this dance was easier than socializing in the United States.He had official rules to follow, and Leander had always been better with rules than people.
“Do not be so formal,” she said as she dropped into a chair with a sigh.“My teeth ache when I eat apples, so thank you, but no.I prefer information.Many people are interested in the newest members of our community.”
“I hope only to make the town better.”
“At least you have better manners than Heng.Luo Zheng teaches several village children English.If Shanlin attends, his skills will shame the other children into improving their accents, and his teaching will have more value.In return for Shanlin’s presence, he will provide lunch and fifty yen per day.”
Leander wasn’t the best at numbers, but he knew that was a bit over five dollars.It wasn’t enough to qualify as pay, but it would give Shanlin some personal spending money.That would allow Leander to keep his savings so they could live off it until he found a job.He turned to Shanlin.“Auntie Daiyu said there is a school for children in town.The teacher would like you to help students with English, and he would give you a couple of dollars a day.”
Shanlin’s mouth fell open.“I would get paid to go to school?!Really?”His voice rose in childish glee.
Daiyu laughed.“I think Zheng has found his assistant,” she said in English.
