Shao Kang: The Returning King (Part 4)

 This is the next part in the story of Shao Kang: 

    “Do you need a break, your Majesty?” the servant asked. They had been on the road a good two hours. Thankfully, they had good weather for their journey.

“I think I’m ok for now. How about we do a bit more and then take a break. We can have a small snack,” the Queen said.

They were thankful for all the food they brought with them. It wasn’t much, but by eating only a little at a time, it was enough to last until they made it to the Queen’s family’s home. When they got close enough, the Queen sat down to rest while the servant went on ahead. The Queen was desperately in need of rest. 

Following the queen’s directions, the servant found the Queen’s family’s home and knocked on the door. 

“Hello, I am the Queen’s servant. The Queen is coming and is almost here. She is tired from the journey. Can you give me some food to bring her?” the servant asked.

“She’s here? I am her mom. How far off is she? She hasn’t been here in a long time. Give me a moment and I’ll get some food and go with you,” the lady said. It was the Queen’s mom.

The two ladies quickly went back to where the Queen was sitting. She was overjoyed to see her mom again and soon they were happily chatting away and catching up. The mother was also happy to hear that she would soon be a grandmother.

“What are we doing here, chatting? We need to get you back home and tell your father about all of this. Oh, he’ll be so happy to see you again…and to think that we’re going to be grandparents soon! How far along do you think you are?” her mom asked.

“My guess is another five months,” the Queen answered.

“Great, that means I’ll have enough time to make the little one a baby blanket and some clothes,” the Queen’s mother suggested. “We should get back to the house. I’ll carry your bags.”

“Your Majesty, I can carry the bags,” the servant said, grabbing the bags and walking with them back to their house.

The Queen’s father was so happy to see her. He soon started adding an extra part to their home so there would be room for both the Queen, the servant, and the coming baby. Until then, they slept on hay and blankets in the big room. It was crowded, but it worked and they were thankful for a safe place to stay.

The Queen was right: five months later the baby was born: a baby boy. They named him Shao Kang (pronounced “Shaow Kong”). The Queen’s mom was able to make a few blankets for the baby and the servant also made a blanket for him. The Queen was thankful to be back home again and to enjoy her mom’s good cooking. 

The Queen’s dad finished adding on to the house before the baby was born. One day he said, “Now that your little one is a boy, we’ve got to train to be the next King.”

“ ‘The next King?’ I’m not the Queen anymore; someone else took over the country. How can he be the next King?” the Queen asked.

“His dad was the King, right? In my eyes, this little one is the next King. As such, we’ll have to train him as best as we can to be the best king this country has ever had. He’ll be better than the kings before him and rule the people well. He’ll be humble, a good leader, generous, and someone who’ll fight for his people,” the Queen’s father said.

“Thank you,” the Queen said, overwhelmed and thankful.

“And you, my dear, you are still the Queen. In my eyes and around here, you are the Queen of this country, the mother Queen,” the Queen’s father said and gave her a hug. 

A few months after the baby was born the Queen talked with her servant about plans for the future.

“I wanted to thank you for all your help these past few months: in leaving the palace and going to my parents’ home, your help around the house and yard, and helping with Shao Kang. You have been such a big help. I wanted to let you know that if you wished to go back to your home town and your own family, feel free to go. You don’t have to be my servant anymore,” the Queen said.

“I want to stay, your Majesty,” the servant answered. I love working in the garden; it reminds me of growing up and helping around the yard. I’ve always loved gardening and have missed it these last few years working in the palace.”

“If you’re sure of it. I’m sure my parents would love another set of hands to work in the vegetable garden and orchards. There’s always lots to get done around here,” the Queen smiled.

An Old Fortress (reconstructed)

 I went with the kids on an organized outing with other people to a place about an hour drive away to a city with an old fortress. It reminded me a lot of Xi'an with the city walls. The city we went to had fortress walls that have been rebuilt recently. The original ones were built in the 1300-1400s (?) but largely destroyed recently because of recent wars. The outing was specifically in the evening to get the sunset and to see it all lit up at night. There was a big festival going on at the time. I'm not sure if it's regularly all lit up at night but they had special dance and cultural performances for the festival. There were lots of people; it doesn't look like it in the pictures because I waited until it was relatively not crowded to take the pictures (or between the crowds).

Hiking and the views (and cicada shells)

 We went hiking a few days ago. The trail was a bit tough in some places so they had ropes you could hold onto while you climbed up or down...the views were really good. It was so refreshing to be out in nature again. The kids had fun finding cicada shells along the way and we saw a few big praying mantises. 

Rice growing in a field close by

Cicada Shell

Ladybug Caterpillars and the riverside

 We went to a small park along the river close by. There's a long biking/walking trail that we went on. There were so many ladybug caterpillars and cocoons and some spiky caterpillars. 

Usually they make cocoons on leaves but we found some on a post!

This was a place for taking pictures by the river.

Language Learning and Food

 We are trying to learn the language here now that we've moved. I can almost read (slowly- but hope to improve!); they have a different alphabet than English. The kids also hope to learn the language and can say "Thank you," "Hello," and a few other phrases. It's frustrating not knowing the language! Yesterday we went out to eat and had a hard time ordering the food. I have food allergies so we were also trying to ask which things don't have meat. When I was pregnant with my 2nd kid years ago I had a hard time with meat (I would throw up) and had the same problem when I was pregnant with our 3rd child. After he was born, I tried to eat meat again but still felt yucky after eating meat. So I just gave up eating meat. However, it means that going out to eat as a family is often very difficult, no matter where we are. I've resolved to just bring my own food (normally a sandwich since it's fast) because most often I end up watching the kids and my husband eat food that I can't eat. Well, I could eat it, but I feel super yucky afterward. I also don't do eggs either- they really make me want to throw up. Yesterday, we ordered fried rice...but it came with lots of eggs (we didn't know it would) so I couldn't eat it either. It's just much easier for me to eat at home most of the time; which I don't mind. However, if we ever go to someone's house, I should try to learn how to explain that I have food problems in the local language so I won't offend them. Below is some of the food we got at the restaurant yesterday.  

Potstickers

Shao Kang: The Returning King (Part 3)

Here's the next part of the story of Shao Kang. 

“Do you need anything else?” the Queen’s servant asked.

“No, I’m ok. Is there any news of when the King’s coming back?” she asked.

“No, not that I know of. Are you sure you don’t need anything?” the servant asked. This servant had been working for the Queen for several years now. Although the Queen had many servants helping take care of her, this was her favorite servant. 

“Maybe a cup of tea,” the queen said.

“Of course, your Majesty,” the servant smiled.

It was already a few weeks after the king left and there was talk in the palace of the coming army. It was getting closer and closer. The Queen was trying to find out what she should do. If she stayed in the palace, she could get captured or killed by the incoming army.

Three days later news came: the King had died. He went out to meet one of the armies and died in the fight. Now the Queen had to decide what to do. 

“What will you do?” the servant asked.

“I have to leave, but I don’t know how. How close do you think the armies are?” the queen asked.

“They are close. Someone told me that they are almost at the city walls,” the servant answered.

“If they are at the city walls, then I’ve gotta leave. It’s not just my life I have to think of but my little one as well,” the Queen said.

“I might have a way. There are some dogs that keep digging holes under the walls. There might be a way through those holes,” the servant said.

“How do you know all of this?” the Queen asked.

“Last week I picked flowers in the garden for your room and that’s when I noticed the holes close to the walls. One in particular looked really deep, like it might go all the way under the wall,” the servant said.

“Well, do you think that hole is big enough for someone like me to go through?” the Queen asked.

“I don’t know but we can try,” the servant suggested.

“We have to. I don’t think we can get out any other way. By tonight or tomorrow they’ll be watching the city walls. We can’t chance it. We need to get packing; we’ll leave tomorrow morning after breakfast. Don’t tell anyone of this,” the queen said.

“Of course, your Majesty,” the servant said.

“We can start packing a few things now. Take my jewels and put them in a small bag. We can’t take much with us,” the Queen said.

“Where will you go?” the servant asked.

“To my parent’s house. I think it’ll take us three days to walk there. I’ve never walked there before because we’ve always had horses and horse carts take us. We’ll need to take food and water,” the Queen said.

“I’ll get started it on it right away,” the servant said.

“Remember, don’t tell anyone about it. When you get the food, just say it’s for the Queen and they shouldn’t ask any questions. We’ll need to eat breakfast a little earlier than normal. Actually, we should leave before it gets light in the morning. We’ll have to take food with us for breakfast,” the Queen said.

“Of course, your Majesty. I’ll go and tell the kitchen and then come back to help you pack,” the servant said.

“Don’t forget you need to pack a few things for yourself too,” the Queen said.

“Me? You want me to go with you, your Majesty?” the servant asked.

“Of course, that is if you are willing to go with me,” the Queen answered.

“Yes, I would love to,” the servant said. “I would rather serve you than be stuck here when that army comes in.”

The following morning the servant snuck in the kitchen and got some food for the Queen. She said the Queen had woken up a bit earlier than normal and wanted something small to eat before breakfast. No one asked any questions. They snuck out through the palace and to the garden, the wall where the dogs had dug the big hole. 

“Are you sure it’s big enough?” the Queen whispered.

“If it’s not, I can go get something to help dig and make it bigger,” the servant suggested.

Thankfully, they didn’t need to. The servant went first to make sure it was big enough. Once she went through, the Queen passed the bags through and then the Queen went through. They were well out of the city before most people woke up and before the incoming army got to the palace.

World War II at a Museum

 We were able to go to a museum a few days ago (me and the kids) and they had both a World War 1 part and a World War 11 part. They mentioned that birds were used in World War I if they suspected there was chemical warfare. If the bird died from the air around them, they knew the air was poisonous and the soldiers should wear protective gear. They also had a homemade flag on display that a Prisoner of War during World War I had made by hand out of an old sugar bag. They stained it to get the colors of the flag and would drape it over caskets of other POWs that died during the war...then they'd have to hide the flag so it wouldn't be taken away.