Chapter 2: Chapter 2 - Xiang, Yuzu and Zwei

Chapter Two - Xiang, Yuzu and Zwei

“Yuzu!” Yuzu’s brother’s voice boomed as he entered the shop, drowning out the bells, “I told you to watch the shop!”

Yuzu did not take her eyes off her book, angrily replying, “I’ve been watching it all this time, Xiang. Give me a break!”

“Then why is Grandma Jingyi standing at the counter unattended?” He demanded.

Yuzu nearly jumped off of the stool in fright as she suddenly became aware of the tiny old woman standing directly across the counter. Her thin grey hair was tied into a bun and her wrinkled face was beaming with a relaxed, joyful smile. She wore an old woolen cardigan on top of a long robe that reached to below her knees.

“G-grandma Jingyi!” Yuzu exclaimed, startled, “How long have you been there?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” The woman’s black eyes twinkled with glee, “Perhaps about ten, fifteen minutes?”

Jingyi was not actually their grandma, however they called her Grandma as an honorific. She had been a customer of their shop for decades - an old friend of Yuzu’s parents before they passed away, leaving their eldest son Xiang in charge. She was a widow and her only son, Jingfei, had moved away a few years ago, and so to provide for herself she would occasionally pawn an item every few months.

Xiang suspected that Grandma Jingyi was actually well off, and that her son sent her a monthly allowance from his job in the capital, and that pawning items was her way of keeping tabs on the children of her old friends.

“Fifteen minutes?? Grandma Jingyi, please have a seat.” Xiang pulled up one of the antique chairs displayed in the center of the room next to the counter and shot a furious look at Yuzu. He towered over the other two at a height of one hundred and ninety centimetres. He was twenty five years of age, with extremely short black hair, and hairy arms. He had a vibrant complexion, red cheeks and a broad nose. His eyebrows were thick and Yuzu always joked that they made him look angry. With his boisterous attitude and deep voice he often intimidated people on first impression. He wore his typical outfit, a smart waist coat, buttoned shirt and trousers. The pits of his arms were dark with sweat. His leather shoes were old, but well kept.

“She’s exaggerating.” Yuzu rolled her eyes at her brother, then glanced over at Grandma Jingyi meekly, “Right, grandma?”

“Perhaps.” The old woman said vaguely, sitting down with a content sigh. “I was enjoying watching your expression as you read that book. I wasn’t keeping track of the time.”

“I didn’t even hear you walk in.” Yuzu said honestly.

“Pay better attention!” Xiang growled, heading behind the counter towards the back door. Yuzu had to scoot forward to make room for his massive frame. A ten kg bag of rice was slung over his left shoulder and a bag bulging with vegetables hung from his back. A cage with a live chicken hung off his right shoulder. As he disappeared into the back he barked an order to Yuzu. “And offer Grandma Jingyi some tea!”

Yuzu set down her book gently and stood up, “Would you like some tea?”

“That would be lovely.”

Yuzu flitted over to a small gas stove at the end of the counter, checking the kettle on top of it. She had made tea earlier in the day, but it had now cooled.

“Let me replace the water.” Yuzu said, ducking into the back quickly.

Yuzu stepped into the dark corridor that led to the kitchen. To the right, directly behind the door, a staircase led up to the bedrooms and bathroom. Just past the staircase was a locked storage room. On the left was another storage room without a door, followed by the washroom. Yuzu walked down to the open doorway at the end which led into a small, but bright kitchen.

Xiang was unloading his bag noisily onto the central counter, a mix of radishes, cabbage, spring onions, bok choy and other vegetables from the market.

“Go get Zwei and tell him to start dinner.” Xiang ordered his sister.

“I’m busy making tea for Grandma Jingyi.” Yuzu said simply, stepping past him to the sink. She poured the contents of the kettle into a pitcher, for the siblings to drink later, and then rinsed out the kettle briefly before filling it from the brass tap.

Standing beside each other, it was hard to tell the two were siblings. Xiang was a strong and vibrant young man, with broad shoulders and sun baked skin. Yuzu was slender, with delicate facial features and pale skin. She wore her long black hair in a loose ponytail, tied with a bright blue ribbon. Her hair was kept out of her face by a slim hair band. She had a small nose, thin lips, and flat cheekbones. Dark circles always formed under her eyes, that remained despite her many attempts to get rid of them. They made her look constantly sleep deprived and worn out.

Yuzu quickly left the room, ignoring Xiang’s grumbles, and returned to the front.

“Tie guan yin?” Yuzu asked, though she was already picking the dried black tea leaves from a small pouch into the kettle and placed the kettle on the stove. Tie guan yin was Grandma Jingyi’s favourite tea, with its pleasant, slightly floral flavour and hints of chestnut. Yuzu checked the connection to the gas canister in the side of the stove and turned on the safety valve. She plucked a match from a small box near the stove and lit it, then turned on the valve to the element. It ignited with a puff of air.

As always, Grandma Jingyi waited patiently in serene silence. It was a comfortable atmosphere, one that occurred at least once a week. Yuzu returned to the counter and sat on the stool.

“Do you need an extension on the hair pin?” She asked. Grandma Jingyi had pawned a jewelled hair pin a month ago, in order to pay for some medicine for her joints. It was a beautifully crafted pin, made of bronze, with an ornate circular head upon which hung several small rubies at the end of small chains. Yuzu had loaned three silver marks to Grandma Jingyi for the hair pin, with a paltry interest of one bell a week. It was the full value that the item was appraised for - if Yuzu were to sell it she would not make any money. Hardly a profitable transaction, but it was an arrangement that could be made due to the longstanding relationship between Jingyi and their shop.

“No, no. You can sell that old thing if someone wants it.” Grandma Jingyi said. “Go on, read your book. I’m fine here.”

Yuzu smiled and picked up her book. The hairpin was securely locked in the storage room, out of sight. Yuzu had no intention of taking it out to sell it any time soon. Perhaps Grandma Jingyi would find the funds “under the bed” in a month or so, as she always seemed to do. Or perhaps not. There were a few items in the locked storage room that Grandma Jingyi had pawned over the years. Yuzu would take them out every so often and ask Grandma Jingyi if she wanted to purchase any of them back. Once in a blue moon, the debt would be repayed and the item returned. Otherwise it served as a conversation topic, to reminisce about the past.

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Footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. A lazy thump, thump of bare feet on wood.

“Good morning.” A sleepy voice greeted as a tall, gaunt young man with shaggy hair appeared in the back doorway. He leaned against the frame and yawned. He wore a white hempen tunic and a pair of grey slacks.

“Good morning, Zwei.” Grandma Jingyi smiled. “How are your studies?”

“They are going well. I have exams tomorrow, but I’m not worried.”

“Are you ever?” Yuzu grinned, eyes not leaving her book.

Zwei was the middle sibling, only two years older than Yuzu. Unlike Xiang, Zwei and Yuzu looked like token siblings. Zwei had the same lean body type, though he looked slightly more stretched out, and was constantly slouching, as if his bones had grown faster than his muscles could to support him. He had a sharp nose and thin lips, and one could never see his eyes as they were constantly obscured by his wavy bangs. His complexion was better than Yuzu’s and his skin was softer, a fact which she secretly held against him as a grudge.

“Morning, Yuzu.” Zwei yawned again.

“Morning my ass!” Xiang appeared behind him, “It’s nearly four in the afternoon! Go start dinner, I’m starving.”

“Aye aye, captain.” Zwei slumped out of the doorway, heading to the back.

“You’re back to reading your book?” Xiang stepped into the front, “Have you even done any work today at all?”

Yuzu felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up at the accusation. “In fact,” She said cooly, “I made a large loan just after one. You’ll be happy to know.”

Yuzu reached down under the counter and brought out the locked chest and the contract. She placed it gently down on the counter. The polished wood shone with a subtle luster. Looking at it again, Yuzu appreciated even more the delicate gold inlays that had been crafted to complement the rich pattern of the wood. It contrasted with the geometric lines of the circular silver crest in the middle of the lid, accentuating the craftsmanship of both.

“Well, isn’t that lovely!” Grandma Jingyi sat a bit higher in her chair to examine the chest. “What’s inside?”

“I’m not sure,” Yuzu said, “It’s locked.”

“You bought a chest without the key?” Xiang grumbled, picking up the parchment and reading it, his voice raising in volume. “For eight marks? Are you trying to put us out of business?”

“The gold and silver alone is worth that much.” Yuzu said. “And we can get a locksmith to open it if we need to. Plus, the man insisted that he’d be back in five days. The box seemed very important to him.”

“And if he doesn’t come back, whatever is inside the chest must be valuable too.” Grandma Jingyi added in Yuzu’s defence.

“Locksmiths are expensive. Especially if we have to replace the lock or fashion a new key.” Xiang grumbled, but he calmed down once he started examining the chest. “It’s quite heavy. Too heavy for jewelry.”

“A set of carved stone seals, perhaps?” Yuzu voiced what she thought was the most probable contents.

“If they are crafted by a master seal carver, that would be worth such an extravagant box.” Grandma Jingyi said.

“No,” Xiang frowned, gently testing the weight of the box in his hands. Wrinkle lines formed on his head as he typically did when appraising an object. “It’s too heavy just for that.”

“Perhaps there is a metal plate inside to add to the weight.” Yuzu said.

“Six bells weekly interest.” Xiang read the parchment concurrently with his examination of the chest, “What’s this added clause about not opening or unlocking the chest?”

Yuzu shrugged, “He insisted.”

“Perhaps he doesn’t trust us not to pry.” Xiang said, nearly in a good mood. “This gentleman must have been well off to possess such a treasure. Is he from around here?”

“Actually, he isn’t.” Yuzu said. Her voice caught just a bit, which she hoped Xiang did not notice.

Xiang lifted the box above his head, examining the underside. “And?”

“And he seemed sincere that he would return for the chest.”

Xiang exhaled sharply out of his nose as he lowered the chest. It was a warning sign. He had caught on to Yuzu’s hesitation. “And?”

A low whistle began blowing from the corner of the room. Yuzu set down her book and hopped off the stool, walking past Xiang to fetch the kettle, which was now steaming and singing profusely.

“And he had a sword, although he didn’t let me take a good look at it.” She said, turning off the gas.

“Yuzu-“ Xiang said softly, “What was this man like? Where was he from?”

Yuzu’s hands trembled a bit as she lined up some small cups and picked up the kettle. “He was a traveller. From Huan.”

“A traveller? Was he well dressed? Why was he pawning the chest?”

“He had a cloak and a straw hat, nothing of great value except perhaps the sword. He needed to buy some materials from the market. He didn’t say what, only that he needed six marks in total.” Yuzu tried to keep a cool tone. She felt the nervousness spread from her hands into her arms as she anticipated Xiang’s response.

“A poorly dressed traveller needed six marks, so he pawned an extremely well crafted chest and didn’t leave the key?” Xiang’s voice rose. Yuzu had her back turned to him but she knew his face was turning red.

“Xiang, let her be.” Grandma Jingyi said gently.

“Yuzu.” Xiang was yelling at this point, “How can you be so naive? Haven’t you been helping at this shop all these years?”

“I had a good feeling.” Yuzu muttered.

“What was that?”

BAM! Yuzu slammed the kettle onto the stovetop, and raised her voice, “I had a good feeling, okay?!”

“You always have a good feeling!” Xiang yelled, hitting his hand against the table. “This isn’t a good feelings shop, this is a pawn shop! People like this man prey on your good feelings! Some rich person out there is wondering who broke into his home and stole his chest, and a thief is walking off with eight of our marks! I’m going to have to go to the police and report this item and when the owner claims it, which they will, we get nothing!”

Yuzu didn’t reply. Her chest felt tight. She was trembling all over. She braced herself against the side counter with her hands. Her vision was starting to blur.

She heard Zwei’s voice in the doorway, “Xiang, enough.”

“What’s enough? The amount of money we’ve lost from Yuzu’s good feelings?”

Yuzu felt her legs give out. Two strong, slender hands caught her by the arms to steady her. She heard Zwei’s voice in her ear, “Are you alright?”

Yuzu nodded, though she felt too nauseous to respond with her voice.

“And every time you mess up, you pull that fainting act!” Xiang yelled.

“Xiang, shut up!” Two voices rang out - Zwei and Grandma Jingyi. There was a brief pause, and then Xiang stormed out of the room, through the corridor and kitchen and left out the back door. It slammed with such force that the walls shook.

Yuzu didn’t have the strength to stay standing, and slowly sat down on the floor with Zwei’s help.

Small wrinkled hands gently cupped her own and brought them into her lap. A small hot cup of tea was gently placed into them.

“Your hands are always freezing.” Grandma Jingyi said.

“They’re just like that.” Yuzu mumbled bitterly.

“Never mind Xiang. He cares about you, so he acts this way.” Grandma Jingyi said.

“He cares about money.”

“That, too. It’s part of the caring.” Grandma Jingyi replied, gently guiding Yuzu’s hands up. “Come, drink. You’ll feel better.”

Yuzu sipped at the tea. It was too hot and scalded the tip of her tongue.

“I’ll go finish dinner.” Zwei said. “Grandma, would you like to eat with us?”

“I have a dinner with my friends tonight.” Grandma Jingyi shook her head.

“I’m not hungry.” Yuzu said. The room was not spinning as much anymore.

“I haven’t seen Xiang so angry in a long while.” Zwei said. Then he paused and added softly, “He’s probably right, though.”

Yuzu buried her head in her arms, still holding onto the teacup. “I don’t want to see him tonight. He’s going to yell at me as soon as he sees me.”

Zwei shrugged. “That’s Xiang, I guess.” He left towards the kitchen.

Yuzu felt Grandma Jingyi’s hands rub her back consolingly. After some time, Grandma Jingyi said, “You take after your mother so much. She and Tai would argue, just like this, all the time.”

Tai was Yuzu’s father’s name. Xiang reminded her of him. Strong, huge, imposing. But her father never yelled at her.

“My mother would fight back, though. I’m just a weakling who can’t even take being yelled at.” Then she bitterly added, “And an idiot who can’t even tell the simplest scam.”

“Don’t worry about that, Yuzu. You are a good judge of character. I’m sure the man will be back in five days for his chest, and we can laugh at Xiang together.”

Grandma Jingyi took the tea cup out of Yuzu’s hand and helped Yuzu to her feet. “Come now. How about you join me for dinner with my friends? If you still don’t feel well after you can stay in my home for the night. I have a spare room.”

Yuzu nodded.

“Go get dressed, quick now, before Xiang returns.”