The day was bright and sunny with a little chill in the air.  Ping-Ping sent Tiger and I to the market to pick up a few things for my upcoming hair pinning ceremony and birthday.  I was thankful we were able to spend some time alone together before the party.  It was becoming more difficult as Monkey and Leopard always seemed to be around and dad was teaching Tiger about our business affairs.  

 

Cao Feng was already 17 and very responsible. He watched over us three younger students with his penetrating stare while trying to keep some of us out of trouble.  One day he would become the chief of our clan so he shadowed my father on his business outings.  Today, my father allowed him to go on this errand with me.

 

“Master Cao Feng, Miss Li-Li,” Mr. Wang the shopkeeper bowed slightly in greeting as we entered the shop.  “Your things have been stacked over here.” Tiger followed Mr. Wang over to the small pile of goods. Tiger compared the list we were given to the goods in the pile to make sure every item was accounted for and met his approval.

 

“Master Cao, your special item also came in today.  Lucky you came to help the lady,” Mr. Wang smiled at Tiger as he placed the thin, rectangular, red box on top of Ping-Ping’s items already in Tiger’s arms.  Mr. Wang then went over and opened the door for us to leave.

 

“What did you special order?” I questioned Tiger as soon as we were out of the shop. “Is it for me?”  

 

“You will find out in a day or two”

 

“Look, Chen Xiang,” a voice said loudly behind us. “The Iron Tiger has become the Princess’s pack mule.”  The voice belonged to Gao Deng, The Fierce Eagle of Eagle Hall, our rival school.  He was Chief Mi Jiu Gao’s top student and one day would take over as chief.

 

“The only thing Cao Feng is good for is carrying a woman’s things. The Princess has him wrapped around her little finger.”  Laughing at his side was The Flying Eagle, Chen Xiang. He was just as bad as his older sworn brother. Both young men were mean and conducted evil deeds throughout our town.  They were as immoral as the Iron Flag Clan was righteous.

 

“Ignore them,” Tiger commanded me.  “They will get theirs one day. We need to get these things home to Ping-Ping. Focus!”

 

I kept walking as Cao commanded me to do but the words of the evil Eagles made me angrier with each step.  I was going to have to take time to play my flute to calm down.  

 

On the morning of my 15th birthday I awoke early and dressed before anyone else in the house.  I quickly threw on my black hooded cape and headed toward the back of the compound.  I stopped in the kitchen area to grab my favorite little basket and some offerings of peaches and sweet meats.  I was on my way to visit my mother’s grave and pay respects to her on this special day.

 

I quietly slipped out the gate and quickly made my way to the peach grove where she was buried.  Deep in thought and in a rush, I did not hear the footsteps of the person following me until I knelt beside my mother’s grave.

 

“My father sent you?” I asked as I began taking the items out of the basket.  I lit incense and kowtowed 3 times.  I then took out my offerings and placed them behind the incense.  By the distinct sound of the footsteps I knew my was Tiger.

 

“Yes,” Tiger replied. “He knew you would come here first thing in the morning.  You know you are not allowed out of the compound without an .”

 

“I know and I also knew he would send someone to follow me.”   I kowtowed 3 more times, stood up and turned to face Tiger, who was smiling in the glow of the rising sun. His beautiful brown eyes were dancing with delight as a wide smile graced his classically handsome face. He stood a full head taller than me.  In his hands he held the thin, rectangular, red box the shopkeeper had given him 2 days before.

 

“Happy birthday,” he said joyfully.  “I hope you like it.”  As had become the tradition over the past few years, Tiger was always the first person to present me with a gift for my birthday.  Usually he gave me his gift a day or two before my birthday.  This being a very special birthday, I couldn’t wait to see what was inside.

 

“Should I open it now or later?” I asked, hoping he would say now.

 

“You can open it whenever you would like,” he said.

 

My hands trembled slightly as I opened the red box to reveal a pair of Mandarin Duck hairpins. I took both hairpins out to examine them in the light of the brand new day.  On the female Mandarin duck my name was engraved on one side and my nickname, Iron Flag Princess was on the other.  The male Mandarin duck bore Cao Feng on one side and Iron Tiger on the other.  I cried at the thoughtfulness of the gift.

 

“I more than like them,” I whispered as I threw my arms around his neck. “I absolutely love them.  But I will not have them pinned into my hair today.  My mother left me special pins for the ceremony.  I will wait for a special occasion to wear these.”  I kissed him softly on the cheek.

 

When we arrived back at the compound, the women of my family were waiting to perform the ceremony.  They escorted me into the bathing chamber where a bowl of perfumed water awaited.  Ping-Ping and my aunt each unbraided the two braids that hung on either side of my head.  They took turns combing out the knots.  My aunt, being my closest living female relative washed my hair with the fragrant water as she said prayers of longevity, happiness and prosperity over me.  As she sang, the other women lit incense and chanted.

 

My hair was then parted into two sections.  The top section was combed into a bun and pinned in place using the special jade hairpin with a phoenix carved in it my mother had bought years ago for this very special day in which she was unable to participate.  The bottom half was combed and held together at the nape of my neck with a red ribbon before it was rebraided.  A few wispy strands were left in the front on either side to frame my face and enhance the beauty of my high cheekbones, perfectly shaped almond eyes, and small button nose.  The wisps were plastered into place with a special waxy material.

 

After the ceremony, I changed clothes and joined the rest of my family for our morning meal.  The house was active with preparations for the feast to be held in my honor this evening.  Decorations were being hung in the great dining hall so we ate in the meeting hall.  Tiger, Leopard and Monkey were finishing their meals as I entered the room.

“Happy birthday, Princess,” they greeted me in unison bowing deeply.

 

“Thank you,” I replied bashfully as Monkey and Leopard presented me with a gift.  They usually pooled their money together and bought me something.  I unwrapped the package to discover a new cape that was not in the traditional red and black of our clan.  This cape was a beautiful royal blue silk that would match perfectly with the new outfit Ping-Ping gave me.  I wondered if she had helped these two with their gift again this year.

Many people from the town came to celebrate my birthday and to pay respects to my father.  There were many gifts and red envelopes presented to me on this happy occasion. The guest were seated by importance at the tables in the great hall.  My father, brothers and I sat at the table that was front and center.  The next two tables were reserved for my uncles and their family members. The next rows of tables were for the the shop owners my dad was very friendly to and protected.  The last tables, placed in the courtyard, were for those we knew and respected but not necessarily friends.  

 

My father and I wound our way through the tables and greeted everyone between each course. The women complimented me on my beauty and the men complimented my father on his business dealings, martial arts skills and knowledge of the world around us. We were having a good time until we reached the last few tables in the courtyard.  To my surprise Chief Mi and his two top Eagles were sitting at a table close to the entrance.

 

Fortunately we were motioned to come back to our table for the final course.  Hopefully I would not have to greet these intolerable men before the night was over.

 

“Why is Eagle Hall here,” I whispered to my dad as we sat down at our table.  “Our 2 schools do not get along.”

 

“We have to be polite Li-Li,” my father reminded me. “Sometimes you do things you don’t want to do so you don’t appear weak. You will greet and thank them for coming before the night is over.”

 

“Yes father,” I said almost indignantly.  

 

Before the final course was over, my father and I headed back to the Eagle’s table to greet them.

 

“Thank you for joining us in celebration,” my father said to Chief Mi as he bowed slightly.  “We are honored by your presence.”

 

“Yes. Thank you for coming,” I stated addressing Chief Mi before I made eye contact with each of his Eagles.  I didn’t like the look that Gao Deng was giving me at the moment.  It was making me feel dirty. I lowered my eyes to the floor. As my father continued to talk with Chief Mi, I could feel Gao’s disgusting gaze upon me.

 

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” I said politely before I turned and quickly made my way back to the table.

 

“What’s wrong?” Tiger asked me as soon I sat down.  He must have had his eyes trained on me the entire time I was at the Eagle’s table. “You look sick.”

 

“Did they say something?” Leopard asked.

 

“They would never be rude with Chief Mi and Uncle standing there,” Monkey said quickly.  “They would be dead if they had.”

 

“I don’t like the way Gao Deng looks at me,” I whispered. “He makes me feel dirty, like one of the es in the brothel.”

 

All three of my brothers growled at this statement.  They were not happy the Eagles were here in the first place.  What I told them made them angrier.  I could see the wheels turning to hatch a plan to make Gao Deng pay for how he made me feel.

 

When my father arrived back at our table, he asked the servants to refill everyone’s wine cups as he had an important announcement to make. The brothers and I looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders in bewilderment.  We did not know what the announcement was going to be.

 

“As everyone knows, this is a very special birthday for my Princess,” my father began.  “Today she turned 15 and her hair was pinned to signify she is eligible for marriage.”

 

I know I turned the deepest shade of red in embarrassment as my father was about to announce he was looking for a suitable match for me. No wonder Gao Deng was looking at me in that disgusting way!

 

“However, a match has already been found for her and a wedding date has been chosen,” he continued as he looked down at me and I stared at him in shock.  He was about to tell the whole world.  “My daughter is officially betrothed to my most senior student, Cao Feng.  When they were children, Cao Feng’s father and I betrothed them as we wanted our families to always be united. Tonight I propose a toast to my daughter and future son-in-law.”

 

Cao Feng and I rose and accepted the toast.  We smiled at my father and the guests who were pleasantly surprised by the announcement before we drank the wine in our cups.  

 

“Did you know our fathers had betrothed us when we were children?” I asked Cao Feng as he escorted me back to my bedchamber.  My mother and Auntie Cao had made reference to it several times before, but I never knew if they were joking or being serious. I thought they said those things because they knew I wasn’t fond of Cao Feng. My feelings for him were very different from what they are now.  As a young girl, I had been jealous of the boy and the time he spent with my father.  As we matured, perceptions and feelings changed. Circumstances can also change the way one person feels or thinks about another.

 

“I have known it was true since my father died,” Tiger admitted.  “My mother and your father told me as we made the journey to take my father home to be buried.  I thought your parents told you and that is why you didn’t like me at first.”

 

“I didn’t like you because you spent so much time with my father when you came to visit.  I felt like you were taking him away from me. Especially after you came to live with us.”

 

“And now how do you feel about me?” Cao asked with his lips slightly upturned in a smirk.  He was so confident in the answer he was going to hear.

 

I opened the door to my bedchamber and stepped inside before I replied with a smirk of my own and a batting of my eyelashes, “I can say I love you now. Good Night, My Iron Tiger.”   As I closed the door Tiger’s smirk turned into a brilliant smile.