Dawn had already broken when Zhi Shengsi removed the metal tray from the main cooking chamber of the clay oven. The firebrick floor had been extinguished for a while, so the tray was manageable when she moved from the small kitchen building beside yet separated from the main hall. On the tray rested two loaves of bread that weren't yet sliced, emitting a warm, buttery scent.
Shengsi smiled as she looked at the table filled with dishes she'd prepared, standing with her hands on her waist like a proud baker. Good for her that the room was tidy, and even with her apron on, she wasn't a mess, though sweat trickled down her forehead. Had it not been an auspicious day, would she even be this proud?
On such a special occasion, she felt compelled to prepare a morning feast.
The girl, with sparkly button-like black eyes and a smile that made the dimples on her lower cheeks evident, blinked her thick lashes. Her white teeth showed in a grin of satisfaction. There were three bowls of chicken broth egg-drop noodle soup topped with shredded chicken, hard-boiled eggs, scallions, and fried tofu, plus the two loaves of bread and three bowls of rice.
It was a busy morning for her, but it was work she loved doing.
She took a knife and sliced a loaf of bread into three pieces before placing two slices onto a tray along with the others. She lifted it, walked straight out of the main hall, and proceeded toward the adjacently connected two-story structure.
She didn't go to the second floor, however.
She stopped in front of the base floor and knocked three times on the door.
"Brother Xuxu?" Shengsi asked softly.
Xuxu was the nickname she was fond of calling her elder brother, but his real name was Zhi Chengxu, which meant 'sincere and vast.' She was still confused by the meaning of her own name, but that's another story.
When she heard her brother coughing, her light expression disappeared, replaced by a crease of worry. She didn't wait for a response and opened the door herself.
The moment she saw her brother sitting on the bed, wearing only his white undergarments, her heart sank. With his frail physique and a complexion as pale as a ghost, he looked incredibly weak.
As his gaze landed on her frozen countenance, Chengxu's expression turned grim.
"I'm not dead yet, Shengsi." He smiled to reassure her, though his eyes were filled with sorrow.
In Chengxu's eyes, Shengsi was a girl with wavy, waist-length hair that she always tied into a braid. She wore her favorite black dress: the top was form-fitting at the sleeves while a belt at the waist tucked into a skirt that flared slightly at the bottom. It complemented her delicate amber complexion. Had she have her apron removed, it'd seem this girl would be the town's main attraction.
At that moment, Chengxu wanted to protect this innocent young lady who was surely the apple of many men's eyes. But in his current state, he couldn't even take care of himself, let alone his sister. He could only despair with a quenching heart.
Shengsi went near him and rested the tray on the small table beside his bed.
"Are you unwell?" She placed her hand on his forehead and sensed how cold it was. "Was your window opened by the wind again last night?"
"I was asleep the entire night, I wouldn't know."
"Brother Chengxu."
Chengxu flinched when he heard his sister call him that. She only used his full name when she was worried, angry, or irritated. Right now, she seemed to be a mix of all three, and he could only grimace.
Shengsi sighed. "You're the only family I have, so please, take care of yourself."
Even Shengsi didn't know how she was upset out of the blue.
"What are you worried about? I've been sick since birth, and it's heaven's mercy that I'm still waking up each day." Chengxu didn't know how to soothe his sister, but seeing her frown deepen, he felt guilty. "I'm not leaving you..."
But her anxiety only grew. "Brother Chengxu."
"I'm sorry." Chengxu scratched his nape then looked at the food. "You've prepared a feast, Shengsi. Is there a special occasion?"
Shengsi sat on the foot of his bed. "Have you forgotten what day it is?"
Her brother only looked at her with a curious gaze.
"It's Great Dan's Establishment Day." Shengsi pointed at the dish. "It's best to eat while it's still warm."
Chengxu didn't want to make his sister anxious, so he picked up the bowl of noodles. After all, she wouldn't even dare leave his room until he'd started eating.
"Alright," he whispered.
When the Zhi twins were little, they were always told the story of the Establishment Day, as this was a way to preserve the events that happened a thousand years ago.
Shengsi knew that Dan Lì zhi Rì, or the Day of Dan's Establishment, was an important day for the Zhonghua citizens. It was said that during this day, their ancestors survived an apocalypse. Instead of creating rifts and fighting, they united to secure land and build from whatever resources they had so their race wouldn't go extinct during the cataclysm. While it seemed unbelievable to some, it was a legend common even to the free people.
Today marked the one thousand two hundred and fiftieth year since the Great Reset, and the Zhonghua Empire, once a vassal kingdom of the Dan Dynasty for two hundred years, still stood currently under the long-standing Jiang Dynasty.
"You are wearing your necklace, right?" Chengxu thought it might be under her garments. He didn't want to ask about it, but knowing she's gonna travel, he asked her anyway. "It's best you wear them in case something happens."
His sister snorted, "It's not as if I'm not traveling every year during the Establishment Day."
Chengxu drank the soup. "Just in case."
When Chengxu finished eating, Shengsi left the room carrying the tray and the dirty dishes. Just as she arrived in front of the main hall, an elderly man entered. His skin was wrinkled, he was slightly hunched, and his hair was graying. This was her grandfather, Li Rui.
Shengsi quickly placed the dirty dishes in the washbasin.
"Grandfather, I was about to call for you," she said, watching Grandfather Li yawn. "You've just woken up, haven't you?"
Her grandfather was the father of her deceased aunt, who'd taken care of them since they were children. While the Zhi twins hadn't seen their parents, Aunt Li stayed with them for ten years before she passed away, and she'd said many great things about them. That was the sole reason they stayed at the Li Residence. Aunt Li had returned there years ago carrying both Shengsi and Chengxu in her arms, and the widowed Grandfather Li had accepted his daughter's return.
Grandfather Li commented sternly: "During the eleventh day of the fourth lunar month, you're always this busy, dear child."
In the past, it was their Aunt Li who prepared food for all of them, even during important days, and Shengsi would assist in a distance, eager and observant to learn a lot from her. Her Aunt Li loved to teach her and pass on the knowledge she also learned. After her death, Shengsi took up the mantle and shouldered the responsibilities that was once her aunt's.
The old man squinted before taking a seat.
Mindful that the food was getting lukewarm, he began to eat.
"Are you still having nightmares?" he suddenly probed.
Shengsi was caught off guard by the question, but knowing Grandfather Li, it was likely just another one of his recent troubles.
Before answering, she followed his lead and began eating at her own pace.
"Last night," she replied shortly, avoiding the old man's intrigued scrutiny.
"And you still want to..." Grandfather Li didn't finish his sentence, falling silent as he ate.
The nightmares she'd been having were always about bells and a graveyard, and she'd had the same dream for a week. While it might not be wise to travel, she felt she had no choice. This day, unlike any other, had been a routine for eight years.
When they'd finished breakfast, Shengsi obediently washed the dirty dishes and waited outside the residence's gate for the ox cart she'd rented for fifty wen. She clasped a baoguo, a fabric wrap containing everything she'd need for her journey.
Grandfather Li appeared beside her, clearing his throat.
"Take care on your journey, Shengsi." He glanced at her. "When you return, you must rest. I'm worried you'll be busy all night preparing products to sell at your bakery."
Shengsi gave a soft chuckle. "Don't worry, Grandfather Li. After I return from the Ziyou Graveyard, I'll surely rest and won't be the cause of your anxiety."
The old man gazed at the blue sky as the wind blew against his face. "Winter is coming... but my daughter's soul won't." His expression softened. "While you're not my blood, nor my daughter's own, you and Chengxu are those I dear most in this world. Your Aunt Li loved you both just the same."
Shengsi fell silent, her grasp on the fabric wrap tightening.
"It's tragic that your Aunt Li died eight years ago on this very day, when the free people of Zhonghua celebrate the Establishment Day..." Grandfather Li turned his back, not wanting Shengsi to see his sadness. "It's okay to be sorrowful, Shengsi, but know that today isn't the end. Even your Aunt Li wouldn't want you to despair on a day as important as this."
Before he walked away, he added:
"You're a great cook, and a great baker... why not make every loaf of bread meaningful? Live your life, just as your Aunt Li would've wanted you to live it."
As soon as Grandfather Li disappeared, the ox cart halted before her. She climbed aboard and began her journey to the Ziyou Graveyard.
Surely, it wasn't an auspicious day to travel.
But then, why would she even believe in such a fate?