1 Daily Life of Tang He

UUUAAAAWWW

When a ray of sunshine hit the boy's face that was exactly the sound he made.

Waking up on top of his straw bed Tang He was able to look out of his window and see the blue sky. Somehow this view made him very happy but also sad. He didn't know why something so nice would be sad but he never questioned his feelings anyway.

"Comfy. Warm"

Stretching himself he yawned again.

Tonight, he had another of his strange dreams. Strange grey boxes moving on top of black road in between other sparkly big boxes. He remembered strange looking toys in a white room, where everyone was wearing funny clothes, haha.

Tang He always had dreams no one else understood. When he was five years old he tried to explain one of his dreams to his mama. She got really mad at him and shouted that he should never say such nonsense again. And she said something about a demon?

'We visited lots of people in the village. I had so much fun and got to meet so many people. Doctor Shu even gave me sweet water to drink. So sad I can't remember what happened after. But no more dreams after that.'

That was until a month ago – then every night he would have strange dreams: grey boxes, sparkly large boxes, toys in white rooms, and a lot of green walls with white pictures on them.

'Why no skies in my dreams?'

He heard other children talk about their dreams. They liked talking about the sky and flying like a bird. Tang He knew it was impossible to fly like birds but he couldn't say why.

When he told his thoughts to the children they only laughed at him.

Everyone in this small village knew that despite his big head Tang He was retarded, as stupid as it gets so to say. He had a weak body and got ill a couple of times. Everyone knew nothing would come of him.

It was said Su Liling got all his smarts and beauty as they were born on the same day. After a long time without children in the village only those two came to be. Only one year later other families could conceive kids. Even the chief and the elders in the village were thinking that all the good luck of the village got on Su Liling and the bad luck on Tang He.

With that in mind one could imagine how Tang He was treated.

But he did not mind. Every day he would awake when the sun came through his window and go to bed when he was tired in the evening.

As he had a really sickly and weak body he was normally tasked with less menial work than the other kids in his family.

His two big brothers Tang Guo and Tang Fang worked the whole day on the fields together with his father Tang Rong. The females would do housework and errands.

In the morning everyone would get to eat some bread his sister would trade from the Bao family. On good days everyone would get an egg.

Today there was only bread and a cup of water, freshly drawn from the well. Tang He always helped bringing one bucket of water home but afterwards would always be very tired and would only help his mother with washing clothes or running some errands in the village.

"He'er yesterday your brothers found a shiny stone in the fields. Please bring it to Chief Su, maybe he knows what it's for."

"Mhh!"

Tang He never talked much. He never liked to - his head would start hurting if he tried making longer sentences.

"Brother He, you need to answer in a sentence!" Tang Fang told him.

As the oldest brother he was always very concerned about his siblings. Even though Tang He never worked too hard, Fang never resented him, trying his best to help everyone out.

"Yes, mama. I go."

"Good boy!"

Tang Guo snorted sarcastically: "Oh wooow, our brother formed a sentence - hurray!"

Guo was the exact opposite always mean and never as eager as Fang.

Father Rong: "Guo'er what have I told you? Be polite and eat in peace. It is nice you found that stone but because of it we missed a lot of work yesterday. So… get ready, after the meal we are heading out to the fields."

"Yes, father." Both brothers responded.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Tang He finished his bread his mother placed the stone next to him on the table.

'Shiny! Pretty!'

The stone was round and it looked as if someone had taken a piece out of the sky and placed it here.

"He'er don't lose it! Come back quickly after you've met Chief Su."

"Mhh!"

Tang He picked up the stone, stood up and walked onto the road.

'Cold Stone! Nice in summer'

The road was as wide as a man. To the left and right he saw tall green and yellow grass. His mother once told him not to walk there because it would be bad. Tang He was a good child he would listen to his mother and elders.

When he got to the main roads the sun almost arrived at its highest. Big houses were on both sides and Tang He could listen to the shouts of children and the sounds of animals. He knew there were 57 houses in the village. Most of them on the main road. All the better kids were there with their parents. Elder Su's house was there too.

To get to him He needed to turn left and then right and after 7 houses he would be there.

Elder Su was a very strict person even to his daughter Liling. Before a year ago he too would feel pity for the Tang family and their disabled son. But then a year ago he started behaving very differently even nice to Tang He.

That day He needed to go to the chief's home as well to get something but Elder Su was busy. He was sitting at his desk murmuring:

"Healing paste is getting used up. Doctor Shu said, that he needs on average one box of the dried powder every month which amounts to 11 silver coins each. The small caravan doesn' have it so we need to wait for the big combined one to arrive. Hmm… the big and the small caravan only combine when both travel at the same time. The small one goes through every 12 months whereas the big one has a cycle of 16 months. How much do I buy then? How much does it cost me? Argg… I hate this…"

"48 months that's 528 silver coins or 5 gold 28 silver" Tang He answered almost automatically.

"He, boy don't talk when others concentrate…. Wait what did you say? 5 GOLD??? Have you ever even held gold in your hands? Stop spouting nonsense and go home. That parcel for your mother is on the shelf. Take it and leave!"

Elder Su was very annoyed as those caravans always felt very random to him. So listening to the boy rambling got him a bit mad.

"Mhh!"

Later that day Chief Su came to visit Tang He in their home though.

Next to He's bed:

"He'er what did you say earlier about the price?"

"528 silver or 5 gold 28 silver."

"How do you know?"

"Hmmm!?" he shrugged his shoulders.

"What's 21 times 15?"

"315" He almost instantly answered.

"221 divided by 13?"

"17"

After a couple fun questions Elder Su went home humming and with an unusual spring in his steps. Tang He remembered very clearly that Chief Su was very happy. About something.

From then on, every now and then he would be invited into Village Chief Su's house to help him out. Of course, nobody was told about his wondrous abilities, as no one would really understand the significance anyway. In the village only Elder Su and a couple of other Elders were able to read fluently and to be able to count like that even they couldn't really do it…

"…"

When Tang He arrived inside. Chief Su was sitting at his desk as always. When he turned to look at the newcomer his face lit up:

"He'er you are coming at the perfect time. Do you want some sweet bread? Maybe an egg?"

"Mhh!" The boys eyes glistened.

As Old Su went to the opposite side of the rooms to the storage areas underground he started explaining:

"Builder Ma's son started getting pretty decent recently. So was thinking that it would be really nice to include him in the work on the new village inn. We have some money left because of the little number of children so we decided to build something where the caravans and travellers could rest in. This could help our village grow I think."

When he came back he held an egg in one hand and one of his yummy round buns. After peeling the egg Elder Su gave it to Tang He.

"Eat the egg first. So… where was I? Ah… yeah: Ma Qing needs 5 days to finish a wall and his father does it in 3 days. How long would it take them together?"

"1 kzf&a%§q 8 7 5 days"

"What?"

"Mhhh… less than 2 days."

"How much less?"

"One or two hours less"

Elder Su sat back down frowning.

"I guess you are right I should plan for 2 days instead of 3 as they won't work perfectly together… Good boy! Here take a bite from your bun you earned it."

Happiness filled He's face as he stuffed his mouth with the sweet taste of bread and fruit.

"Mhhhhh… Phankyuu…"

"Haha boy, eat slowly. Nobody is taking anything away from you. So why did you come in today?"

"Mmpfff … Brothers … Pretty stone … find … mother … mmpfff …. ask Chief"

"Oh, so your brothers found something. Come let me see."

While chewing Tang He placed the stone on top of the table.

"Wait what?! Isn't that…? Hoho, He'er you have brought some treasure today. Tell your mom she should come and visit me tomorrow so that we can discuss about this stone. She definitely won't regret it!"

"Mhh"

Tang He was just standing up and taking the stone again, when Elder Su interrupted him and told him: "Listen, this stone is very good. We'll keep it here and if your mother doesn't want to give it to me she can just take it back tomorrow."

A bit confused He stepped out of the village chief's office and back onto the main street.

He began walking home, but just as he walked by a couple of houses. Children shouts neared him.

"Hey, isn't that Bighead?"

This was actually Ma Qing the builder's son. He loved picking on Tang He as he was very strong but less so in his head. And here there was someone way worse off than him.

"Yeah, look at that, Bighead-Nobrain is here."

"Hey Bighead say your name out loud."

His two lackeys shouted.

"Ta…Tang…"

Tang He tried to stutter but talking was very difficult for him. Even worse when those around him would be laughing at him.

"Tatang? Haahaahaa"

"So funny, so you are a bastard after all, heh? No wonder you are the odd one around here."

"Ba-basta…?"

This was a new word Tang He never heard before, so he was curious what it meant.

"Haha, you are so stupid! It means your beloved mama is not your mama at all or maybe she is just a slut? Haha!"

He had heard the word 'slut' before and was told never to repeat it to anyone as it was a bad word.

"Don't say mama slut!"

Rage was building up inside him. He never cared if people were mean to him, but insulting his mama went too far. He was starting to swing around his fists at Ma Qing and the others.

"Uhh, almost a sentence, haha, run guys the retard is mad, hahaha."

Once Tang He actually managed to hit Ma Qing when he didn't expect it and was able to make him lie on the ground for a whole day. Very nice memory!

On the rest of the way nothing special happened. The afternoon sun shone brightly into his face. He almost tripped because of it.

"Haha, sun bright!" He exclaimed!

When Tang He finally reached his home he could already smell the cooked rice.

Still in the kitchen his mother was busy preparing some vegetables she was able to trade for.

"He back!" Tang He exclaimed.

Today he did everything as he was told to. So everyone should be happy.

"Oh welcome home He'er. Where is the stone?"

"Mhh! Su's house"

"Did you forget it there?"

"No! Mama go tomorrow!"

"Ohh?! Sure, why not, I haven't visited village chief Su for a long time…"

After stopping for a moment Tang Mei continued:

"Ah, fetch some water from the well can you? And call the others!"

"Mhh!"

Even though Tang He felt totally drained after today's activities, he still forced himself to go to the well and bring a bucket of water back. A lot spilled sadly. When he was back again He was drenched in water. He left the water in the kitchen and looked for his brothers and father.

'Tickly grass!'

As his hands glided over the ears of the wheat. When he reached a small hill, he called out:

"Foooood!"

This was one of the first words he was able to speak aloud and he could call it out with pride now.

Then he returned only to find everyone already waiting for him.

"He'er don't let others wait for you. You too need to learn respect and politeness" His Father rebuked him.

"Mhh! Papa"

"Let's eat! We shall wish He'er all the best for his birthday tomorrow. May he start his tenth year healthy and strong!"

"Mhh!"

'Mama and Papa so nice'

After eating a big serving of rice everyone went back to their tasks only Tang He was allowed to go to bed. Doctor Shu recommended it like that.

And it wasn't as if He wasn't tired.

'Woooaaaahhhhhh, sleepy'

The moment he lied in bed his eyes closed and he went back to the world of dreams.

Strange dreams indeed.