The Tea District, The Middle Ring~

"What would you like today Miss Hua? Is Mistress Meizhen feeling discomfort in her stomach still, we just got a new batch of ginger, excellent for ginger tea!" Mrs. Yun eagerly showed me the vast collection of teas.

"No thank you Mrs. Yun. I was told to fetch peach blossoms…Huifang needs to drink them for a week straight. She's going to be meeting the matchmaker and Mother Meizhen wishes for her to be fragrant on the inside as well as on the outside," I smiled broadly.

"Oh! Lady Huifang shall do marvelously for she's so beautiful! Here you go, dear. Remember not to burn them or else they release a bitter essence," she warned with a smile.

"Thank you. Best wishes for your business," I smiled back and left the tea shop.

I hurried to return to our home in the Garden District and delighted in the sharp clacks my embroidered slippers made as I stepped on the stone steps. A lady was supposed to walk as silently and gracefully as the wind however I wished to hear the echo of my footsteps like I did when I was younger. It was trivial and silly yet I felt that it served as my little retaliation…my answer to the suffocating life of ignorance I was being forced to live.

"Young lady," a foreign male voice startled me and I missed the last step to sprawl on the tiled floor of the Camellia Garden.

My basket full of peach blossoms scattered across and I winced as I tried to rise. Tears began to well in my eyes as I felt the stinging pain of my scraped knees and my hurt ankle. I tried to rise when a shadow fell across me. I looked up and was taken aback. It was Master Junren, the chauvinistic pig I had met the other day.

"Didn't I warn you Miss Chiang that you should always travel with a companion? Your nurse would have watched over you…you certainly are independent for a woman," he lightly laughed as handed me my basket.

"Well, sir…if it had not been for you, I would not have fallen!" I angrily spoke as I snatched my basket and struggled to stand up.

"I am sorry Miss Chiang that you feel that way," he laughed, almost in a belittling manner as if I were a child, "I am afraid that your dress has been torn. It is highly improper for a lady's clothes to be disheveled. I shall assist you on your way home."

"I don't need your help sir, and besides you should be apologizing for my scraped knees rather than my dress," I spoke in an annoyed huff.

"Oh, I am sorry. I always believed that women cared more for their material possessions. Young ladies usually fret about their appearance," he spoke smoothly with a smile.

"What?" I looked at him with disgust and disbelief, "We are not all that shallow, you know!"

"Come, Miss Chiang. I believe that you should hurry home," he laughed and led the way.

I repeatedly told him to leave me but he ignored my angry bursts and walked beside me, maintaining a proper distance always. The man annoyed me greatly but I was far more irritated by the group of darkly uniformed men following us. They were Master Junren's guards but they unnerved me.

As I limped the way home, I couldn't help but scowl at the young master. He spoke empty fanciful words, pretty words safe for women. With grandiose yet proper gestures, he mentioned the beauty of the almond blossoms and the importance of their purity.

"Flowers are the expression of women, I believe. They are so lovely and innocent just like your sex, Miss Chiang. However, a young lady's beauty is never overshadowed by their loveliness if the young lady perfects her graces. Don't you agree?" he smiled at me.

"I don't care for flowers," I spoke defiantly.

"Impossible!" he laughed in amusement, "Women always love flowers…it is their hobby, their entertainment. It is your life!"

"They are superficial and fleeting…they bloom for so short a period then they wither away. There is nothing eternal about them, nothing worth remembering for they disappear before you know it," I spoke softly with a distant gaze.

He stopped for a moment and remained silent as he pondered at my opinion. It was as if this was the first time he had heard my voice. The young master ruminated my thoughts as I ruefully gazed at the flowering trees all around us.

"Women don't understand even the simplest things I see…" he softly spoke, "Flowers are too complicated a subject. Your sex understands only hair ornaments and dress…Miss Chiang you should care more for your appearance."

"Excuse me?" I nearly shouted as I gaped in shock.

"Well, here we are. I am sorry for your gown my lady. I shall send someone over with a new one. I hope that you are more careful from now on," he bowed deeply with a proper smile and left.

I scoffed and laughed with disbelief as I watched him disappear. The entire walk, he did not offer to help carry my basket nor did he offer assistance for my injured leg. He firmly believed that I was concerned with my gown more than anything…like the other women he knew. I could not believe how ignorant he believed our sex to be and was infuriated at the stereotype he placed on me. I knew that all of the male sex agreed with Master Junren in their flawed belief of our inferiority…even Father did, I knew. Yet, I was more flabbergasted by our brief encounter than with any of my other interactions with the male sex.

As Mother worriedly worked on bandaging my leg with Niu's help, I couldn't help but repeat our exchange over and over again. He infuriated me in a way I had never experienced before. I wished that I could prove him wrong…I wished that I could prove everybody wrong.

"I can't believe that I am to meet the famed Madame Fa Lin…she is the most renowned matchmaker. I hope she finds me favorable," Huifang mused as she sipped the tea that Fai had brewed.

"She will love you, Huifang…you shall be engaged to the most handsome and talented man in all of Ba Sing Se, I am sure," I smiled at her as I poured her more peach blossom tea.

"Do you really believe so? My skin has been too dry recently…I hope she doesn't take that badly," she worriedly fingered her face.

"You look lovely as usual Huifang. Don't worry, really. You shall be a queen," I assured her as I recalled Master Junren. Huifang was one of the women he would admire, I was sure of it.

We exchanged little snippets of gossip about the outside world as well as the catfight of our petty sister in laws. Just as Huifang was about tell me a hilarious episode that had happened with Huao's wife when we heard a piercing scream that startled us. I nearly had overturned my teapot and I exchanged a glance with a worried Huifang.

"That sounded like Niu…" she softly spoke and rose.

We hurried to open the sliding door and we saw Fai hurriedly running towards Hung's study. Huang, my younger brother stood in curiosity with a kite in his hands.

"Hua…is something wrong with Niu?" he looked up at me with wide eyes.

"Huang, go outside and play with your kite, okay? Everything is fine…" I kissed his small forehead, "You'll have to run to the university later for your tutor so have fun while you can now."

Huifang smiled at the ten year old and she insisted that he run out to the patio as well. As soon as he was headed towards the gardens, Huifang and I ran towards Hung's study. Huao's wife, Wan Rong, was holding Hung's young wife, Dehua, in her arms for Dehua looked as if she were about to collapse. Huifang and I were greatly confused when we saw Niu sprawled on the floor in front of Dehua. Her hair was mussed, her clothes tattered and her lip appeared to be bruised. The poor girl was shaking and tears slithered down her face as Fai was covering her.

"What in the world…" Huifang gasped in astonishment and we stood in silence as Hung came out of his study and without a word left with his friend Dong.

"We hope you come again, Master Lin," Dehua managed to speak calmly as she bowed to Dong and her husband's departure though they didn't even turn back.

"I can't believe…how are they human?" I angrily shouted as Huifang struggled to keep me quiet, "Are you all right, Niu? I shall tell Mother Meizhen about this…I shall tell Father about this. Don't you worry."

"No," Dehua spoke to me stone-faced, "Sister Hua, leave this matter to me. It is my problem."

Huifang nodded and I reluctantly left them. I laughed in disbelief and felt a tear running down my cheek in embarrassment. I felt as if I had suffered the mortifying humiliation poor Niu just faced.

"How can they? Hung and Dehua are still newlyweds…" I muttered to myself as Huifang furrowed her pretty face.

We sat in silence and sipped our tea trying to forget the ordeal when Fai came to fetch our tea tray.

"Fai, where is Niu?" I asked quickly.

"Niu," the kind woman had a grim face, "she shan't be working here anymore. We are to get a new girl the day after next."

"What?" I shrieked as Huifang grabbed my arm.

It was not fair. It was clear that Niu was the victim yet she was being punished for Hung's despicable actions. These men…they had no honor. They were horrible useless beings who were allowed privilege just for being men.

"It is not fair, Niu did nothing wrong….it should be Hung and Dong who are kicked out," I spoke bitterly.

"What can we do? Nothing…we are women. If we knew more then…well things might be different," Huifang spoke softly and I turned to her in surprise.

She was right…we couldn't do anything because we were women. If I could prove that we knew just as much about the world as the men, then maybe we could be equal. I smiled at my pretty sister as I gained determination. I would study at that university and expose the hypocrisy of it all no matter the consequences.