Ripple
i. There is a crying and feverish child that he brings back. His heart is still tender from his loss that he cannot offer anything more than a pat on the young one’s head. His golden eyes harden.
iii. The whip lashings don’t feel a thing and he slowly walks towards the door of his confinement. His punishment supposedly ends today but he sees the wary glances of the elders. He has a lot to work for and he stands straight.
v. The rabbits have multiplied and he gently touches their fur during feeding time. Sometimes, this is his only reprieve. His gaze is unseeing but his determination is fixed. He will try again later.
vii. He names the child ‘Sizhui’. And he is proud of him but his lips remain unmoving. He tries to convey his feelings through his (lifeless, dead, blank) eyes. He hopes he understands.
ix. He adds another jar of Emperor’s Smile on his room. He shifts the eight older ones to the left to make room for the new one. He does so carefully and ensures all are balanced.
xi. The two original rabbits are dead. With the help of Sizhui, he buries them near the Library Pavilion. He stacks unread letters (Dear Wei Ying,) beside them and with a firm clench on the soil, his bare hand covers the two.
xiii. The last notes of the Inquiry fade with through the air. Nothing happens. Nothing changes. No one answers.
+ He hears him before he sees him. His heart is wildly banging on his chest, his posture in disarray, and his eyes wildly looks for the source of the music. He shakily grips his wrist and finally witnesses the ripple from the consistency of his loss.
