Chapter 1
The sky seemed auspicious as ever, sun shining bright and white fluffy clouds floating across the sky. There was the addition of laughter that filled the air, as wedding music played through the streets all around a troop of musicians, the groom on horseback and the sedan that contained the bride being carried by several people. The people in the street flocked by the dozens, nearly obstructing the road, a few servants had to keep them from disturbing the progress. They arrived at a large courtyard house to be greeted by the groom's father Official Liang and several servants who hustled the groom, Liang Yan to prepare for the ceremony and greet the huge group of other Officials and their friends, while some other maidservants took care of the bride.
"Congrats Official Liang," beamed Official Hui. "Your son is very lucky to take Yun Er as his wife."
"Thank you, thank you sir." Official Liang replied, before accepting greetings from the next guest.
A few more servants were directing all the guests with gifts to a building off to the side to place them in. A walkway ran all the way around the building. Once a group of guests left their gifts and went back to the main area, a couple of servants noticed a figure dressed in dirty clothing disappear around the corner to the back of the building and motioned to each other to follow.
"Who is there sneaking around the back?" one called out.
The other added, "Must be a tramp. Did you see those clothes? Let's kick him out or he'll cause trouble."
They hurried around the corner, only to find no one. They raced down the end and turned the corner again, until they went all the way back to the front, without seeing the figure again.
"Oh well, let's keep our eyes open for when we see him again." said one servant. They continued directing more guests to the building to put their gifts down when a large red cloth moved in the corner of the room. It went unnoticed however, as the people were too busy with the gifts. They left again and the red cloth was quickly thrown down to reveal a young woman. She is no other than Xiao Yan Zi.
Her big eyes sparkled with delight and she quietly unopened the nearest gift to reveal a pair of vases with intriciate designs. Oh my goodness, she thought, this is such a beauty. They will look real nice in my old room at Da Za Yuan. It will definitely brighten up the old rundown place. She was pulled from her thoughts when voices sounded at the door again. She took the vases and hid inside the red cloth again. She overheard a conversation that the ceremony was going to start immediately. Oh good, she thought, everyone will be distracted and I have all the time to go through these gifts and escape back out that same window I came in from. She spread the red cloth on the ground, placing the vases right in the middle, while going through lots of other gifts to find jewellery, plates, more vases, etc.
Outside, the ceremony took place with no problem and then it was time to get ready for the banquet. Official Liang took a moment off to the side when two neatly dressed girls approached him. One carried a bundle in her hands that she seemed to treasure greatly. The other looked shyly at her and then at Official Liang. These two girls are Zi Wei and Jin Suo.
"Hey, who are you two? The banquet is starting soon. Go out where the guests are." said Official Liang, shooing off the two girls. However, they both kneeled down in front of him.
"Please, Official Liang. We have important information to tell you. Could you hear our story?" Zi Wei replied, holding up the bundle like an offering.
"I don't have time, come back while I'm in office." replied Official Liang.
"But, you're never in your office. Me and Xiao Jie waited an entire week and you never showed up." Jin Suo spoke up this time.
"Forget it!" Official Liang snapped. He walked away briskly while the two women stood up to follow him. Official Liang was then approached by a frantic servant yelling thief!
"A female thief just took off from the gift building and is wrecking havoc and upsetting all the tables faster than we can set them up. No one can stop her!"
"What?" Official Liang yelled out. "How dare you let a thief in! Go catch her and bring her to me!" He raced off leaving the the two girls behind.
"Xiao Jie, let's go see what's going on." Jin Suo said, excited and scared at the same time. Zi Wei nodded her head and they went back to the main area.
What they saw was completely a disaster. Table and chairs were all over broken on the floor. They then screamed and had to duck as a broken table leg came hurtling in their direction and flew right over their heads and crashed into a window before falling to the ground. The broken table leg had been thrown by the thief, Xiao Yan Zi, who was on top of the lion statue in the yard, at a couple of men trying to catch her, who ducked just in time, letting the table leg go astray.
"Tian a," Jin Suo exclaimed. "What the heck is going on! We're still 50 chi away from the commotion."
"Since when did 'knife and spear has no eyes' become 'table leg has no eyes'? Zi Wei replied.
They cowered over to the side, among the dozens of other guests ducking and getting out of the way.
Xiao Yan Zi, on the other hand, had a grand nice time showing off her meager kung fu skills kicking this man and punching that man out of the way, even using the giant red cloth, which was now full of stolen items, as a giant club, swinging at the men. She kicked off items from the ground right into the faces of the men who attempted to obstruct her way. She was now running across the yard to the front entrance fighting and dodging everyone. One big very well built man suddenly stood up tall in front of her, brandishing a huge sword, snickering crudely. Xiao Yan Zi saw him and put a hand right up to her mouth before turning around, crashing right into debris on the ground, toppling over and over, still kicking and lashing out. The one well built man laughed and walked slowly right up to her, when BANG! A stone crashed into his head from behind, knocking him to the ground and out cold. Xiao Yan Zi saw her chance, and picked herself up, albeit losing a couple of pieces of jewellery from her cloth in the process. She ran across several paths to another part of the courtyard with everyone chasing and yelling at her. Official Liang decided to take matters in his own hands and began chasing after the lot as well.
Xiao Yan Zi ran around one corner when someone grabbed her and hurled her inside another building and closed the door behind him. She proceeded to punch out the man when she was grabbed by behind by someone else who yelled out in a feminine voice, "Own people, own people! Stop that Xiao Yan Zi!" Xiao Yan Zi recognised that voice immediately and stopped her punching, though not to soon to land a solid one right in the eye, to see that the man she had been trying to punch out was Liu Qing. The woman behind her was Liu Hong.
Liu Qing was mad, clutching his eye. "Do you have eyes? Take a look at who you're punching next time! We come to get you out of her and you attack us!"
"Oh my god! Liu Qing, I didn't know! I'm so sorry."
Liu Hong had just been peeking through the door and returned. "Looks like they left this part. We still hear yelling and shouting though. Let's get out quickly."
"Hey, how did you two know I'm here," Xiao Yan Zi yelled out.
Liu Qing replied, "You were missing in Da Za Yuan and those kids were giggling their heads off. Bao Ya Tou spilled the beans. Don't rush off to do something like this again. We came just in time to see that big guy going for you. My sister threw that rock."
"So that was you?" Xiao Yan Zi turned to look at Liu Hong, who nodded. "I was wondering where that came from."
"Come on, let's go." Liu Hong said, peeking out the door again, making sure there was no one out there.
Liu Qing followed while Xiao Yan Zi lagged behind, still tugging the big cloth. As she took a step out of the building, more things began slipping out of it, which she noticed and frantically bent down to stuff them back inside the cloth.
"Hurry up, no time!" Liu Qing whispered, tugging gently on the back of Xiao Yan Zi's clothing. They were too late however, as a search party came around the corner again and spotted them.
"There she is! Let's go!" shouted a man!
"Where did those other two come from!" shouted another.
Liu Qing pulled Xiao Yan Zi up, neglecting the fact she was still picking up spilled goods, and pulled her along with them, all while she shouted and yelled, "Let me pick the stuff up! You two go and block those men!"
It was another chase as the 3 ran about, attempting to find the nearest place to exit, be it a gate, a low wall or even a high wall that had a tree or something next to it. Xiao Yan Zi saw a pile of bamboo sticks against one wall and she quickly yanked and throw at the men behind them, causing chaos as they all fell back in a heap shouting and cursing. She laughed and sped up, past her two friends, still looking backwards. She turned the corner to see the main courtyard again and immediately crashed into Official Liang, who was knocked into Zi Wei and Jin Suo, who apparently were nagging him again.
"Ai ya," shouted Jin Suo, "You're on top of me Zi Wei, get off. It hurts."
"I can't! Official Liang is on top of me." Zi Wei replied.
Official Liang quickly picked himself up and off the girls, forgetting they were even there. "Thieves! How are you still here!" He shook his fist and started chasing after them.
Zi Wei and Jin Suo picked themselves up as well. Jin Suo cried out, "Let's get out of here. We've had enough excitement for today!" Zi Wei agreed, while picking up her bundle, checking its contents. After thoroughly sure they were intact, they left quickly.
Liu Qing had jumped up on a wall, and pulled Xiao Yan Zi up with him, with Liu Hong bringing up the rear, throwing a chop and a punch here and there at the men chasing them. However as soon as Xiao Yan Zi was up on the wall, the cloth opened very wide and everything just spilled off to the ground. Lots of shouts were yelled by all the common people as they dashed onto the scene scrambling to pick up whatever that fell. The tirage of people that came immediately blocked off the chasing men from getting to them. Xiao Yan Zi, frustrated yet happy, she opened up the rest of the cloth, spilling out everything that was in it.
"Everybody come and take whatever you like! It's all for you! All these greedy officials have everything and they leave nothing for us common people!" She yelled out, watching everyone gather up the stuff.
"You, you, you!" Official Liang cried out. "The three of you! I'll get you for this!"
He was suddenly joined by his son Liang Yan, "How dare you spoil my wedding, my wife is weeping over this mess! What am I supposed to show her? That we can't even keep out a group of lowlife thieves out of our home?"
The rest of their words were unheard as the 3 jumped over the wall and away through the streets on the way to Da Za Yuan.
Xiao Yan Zi cried out, "I am so happy today! We gave that no good Official Liang an unforgettable experience and humilation and lots of wealth got spread to the common people! Why don't we keep on doing this? There's so many greedy and evil officials out there!"
Liu Hong replied, "Oh no, you are not doing this again! You're very lucky we were here to help, you might probably be locked away somewhere by now if not for us."
"Come on. I would have pulled it off eventually! And with bringing those goods back. Liu Qing, you're the one who yanked me up that wall, making me lose my grip on that cloth!"
Liu Qing shook his head, knowing that he could never argue against her doing such things, being used to her causing trouble everywhere she goes. It was only a week ago she had upset an entire street of vendors because one vendor had been selling rotten goods.
They were greeted at Da Za Yuan by a crowd of kids, some asking what goods have been brought back. Xiao Yan Zi once again blamed Liu Qing for the loss of the goods, and the one-sided argument ensued again, with Liu Qing sneaking away quietly. The kids consoled her and listened all the way until dinnertime, about the adventures.
Meanwhile, Zi Wei and Jin Suo had been wandering about the streets for some time, quickly growing hungry as well. Zi Wei checked her waist, and found her money pouch was missing.
"Oh no! Where could it have gone?"
Jin Suo looked shocked, "You lost it? It was all the money we had, only a small amount, but still, it's gone."
"It must have been when we were knocked down back at the wedding. Who made those thieves crash right into us at that moment." Zi Wei replied.
Suddenly, Jin Suo's eyes lit up. She reached inside her clothing and fished out a dozen coins. "Thank goodness, we still have some. But they won't last another day. What are we ever going to do?"
Zi Wei sighed, "Let's go find a place to eat and sleep. We'll worry about that tomorrow. Hopefully we won't have much excitement like this tomorrow. Today was really a crazy day. Never in my life had I seen such a sight before!"
Jin Suo replied, "They were so bold! How can they even mess up an Official's son's wedding, and not even hide their faces. They would surely be recognised and caught."
They thought about the events over and over again until it slipped their mind from their hunger as they found a small inn to eat and sleep for the night.
A/N: Well I didn't think I'd write the first chapter up so quickly. Please read and review. Tell me what you think. I hope the length isn't too short?
A couple of teasers for next chapter. Zi Wei and Jin Suo see Xiao Yan Zi, Liu Qing and Liu Hong performing in the street. Jin Suo persuades Zi Wei to play guzheng in order to earn money.