Qian Lan wakes up to the chatter of voices echoing and the sounds of someone beating on a door. Finally opening her eyes, she realized she was no longer inside the temple at her home. Quickly scanning the area, Qian Lan realized she was laying on the cold hard floor. To her surprise there was a large statue of a god looming over her.
"What…...where am I?"
Patting herself down, she realized she didn't have her phone or anything on her. As the banging on the doors got closer and louder; Qian Lan feared for her life and ran. She searched for any other way out of the building. After running for five minutes inside the corridors of the weird building, Qian Lan was able to locate a back door. Once she was outside; voices of men could be heard echoing from inside the weird building. Taking a deep breath, she continues to run.
Once, Qian Lan felt she was far enough from the weird building, she finally took a break to analyze her situation. Seating herself on a large rock, covered in leaves; she sits quietly as she ponders on what to do next.
"Seriously. Where the heck am I? There's nothing but forests here and I know New York does not have anything like this."
Qian Lan knew she was lost. Wasting no time as the sun was going to set in a few hours; Qian Lan continued walking barefoot in search of a road or other people. Three hours passes, and Qian Lan couldn't help but think she was going in circles at this point.
"Ow! What did I just step on?"
Without looking in front of her, Qian Lan had accidently cut her large right toe on a small broken tree branch. She winces in pain before hoping to a fallen tree. Pulling her feet up, she could see the cut bleeding. With nothing to wrap it with, Qian Lan ripped a small part of her dress.
"This should be okay until I get some help. Sigh…...I'm so tired…...can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss everyone…ma….pa…. even big sis Xia Lan."
As Qian Lan stood up, she hears the sound of something familiar.
"What's that noise?"
Following what she had seen from dramas, she lays herself onto the ground with her ear to the ground. Closing her eyes, she listens closely to make sure she wasn't dreaming.
"Is that what I think it is?"
Qian Lan ran in the direction of the sound. After being stuck out of nowhere, Qian Lan wasn't just hungry. She was dehydrated and tired. Running like her life depended on it, Qian Lan comes face to face with a small water reservoir.
"Water…...it's water! Ha Ha!"
Qian Lan runs to the small stream of water and grabs scoopfuls of water. Quenching her thirst and feeling satisfied, Qian Lan felt she was ready to conquer a mountain on her own. Taking in a deep breath of the fresh air, Qian Lan goes onto lay on her back as she stares into the sky.
"Rustle Rustle."
"What was that?"
Qian Lan quickly sits up and realizes she was surrounded by people dressed in an odd clothing. It was something like the drama she had seen as a kid. There had to be more than five people there. Quickly standing up, Qian Lan tries to ask one of the strange men where she was.
"Uh…. excuse me, do you know where I am?"
"Huh, so you really are a woman. I thought you were a man since you were so tall."
"A man? How…How rude! I'll have you know people would love to be my height normally!"
The old man, looking to be in his fifties, whispers to the old woman next to him. Qian Lan watched as they all pointed at her and made rude comments in regards to what she was wearing.
"What is she wearing?"
"Is she not embarrassed showing that much skin?"
Qian Lan looked at herself and knew her once pale pink dress was now covered in sweat and dirt but her arms were covered and her dress was knee length at least. Qian Lan couldn't believe what she was hearing. Once they were finished talking, the old man nods to the woman and walks closer to Qian Lan.
"Why are you here at our water reservoir. Were you stealing water?"
"I haven't stolen anything! I don't know where I am or who you guys are but I only came here by mistake. If I drank from it and you need payment, I will pay you when I have my money bag."
Just as Qian Lan was about to walk away, the old man grabs hold of her right hand and assures her they didn't need a payment. Rather than persecuting her, the old man was willing to house her for the night.
"It is dangerous here at night. I am the village leader. You're in the holy land of the water god. If you have no where to go you may stay with us. I have two daughters about your age as well. I'm sure they'll be happy to have you keep them company."
Qian Lan looked everyone in the eyes to make sure they weren't scheming anything. Her mother had always told her to not follow strangers, but wondered if that applied to her situation as she's in the middle of no where. Taking a deep breath, Qian Lan decided she had no choice but to follow these people as she didn't know her way out of the forest.
"Alright…..I'll leave with you guys, but don't try anything funny okay. I know Judo. Just saying."
"Judo?"
All the men and women looked at each other; confused about what that was. Qian Lan couldn't help but think everyone there had mental issues or lacked knowledge if they didn't know something so simple as judo.
"Ah…. never mind. Let's get going, before it gets any darker."
The old man heads out first, followed by the old woman. One by one, everyone left leaving only Qian Lan standing. Quickly turning to get one last look at her surroundings, Qian Lan runs to catch up to everyone. Nothing but the sounds of the wind could be heard. After following the old man for an hour; Qian Lan and everyone arrived to a small village. There had to be less than one hundred people living there. The buildings were small and looked like those houses she saw in dramas. Everything looked like they were made of pounded earth foundations and timber frames.
"Ah! I got it! This is a movie set isn't it?!"
The old man turns around and gives her a confused look. Qian Lan rolls her eyes and caught a glimpse of everyone else's reaction. Not only were they finding her weirdly dressed, but even words and terms she was using were something they've never heard of.
"Mo…. movie set? What is that?"
"You…you guys don't really know?"
With everyone staring at her, Qian Lan kept her gaze down in embarrassment. As everyone went their way, the old man and woman motioned for Qian Lan to follow them to their home. After another ten minutes of walking, Qian Lan was now standing in front of a much bigger home. It had the same exterior as the other homes, only difference was it was triple the size of them.
Once they were inside the home, the old man whispered into the old woman's ear and disappeared. The old woman turned around and asked for Qian Lan to follow her to the baths to be cleaned up.
"Uh…..where are we going? Where did that old man go?"
"To the baths, you're dirty and need to be cleaned up if you want to stay in my house. That old man is my husband. You can call me Yin fang and the old man is called Hao Fen."
"Oh! He's your husband. I had no idea. I apologize if I was rude."
The old woman brings Qian Lan into a small room that had wooden flooring. Sitting in the center was a large wooden bath. Just like in the dramas she used to watch; Qian Lan had always wanted to try a bath like it. Ying fang quickly filled up the tub halfway with water and motioned for Qian Lan to undress.
"Ah…you…you're going to stand there? Can I bathe alone?"
"Very well, I will go find you some clothing then. Please clean up, I will be back soon."
"Tha…thank you."
Once the woman left the room, Qian Lan quickly undresses herself and jumps into the cold water. Diving right in, Qian Lan soaked every part of her body. With no soap in sight, Qian Lan had no choice but to just scrub herself clean. Finally soaking her hair into the water, Qian Lan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Sigh…. looks like I'm not waking from this dream anytime soon."
"Knock Knock."
The old woman soon returned with clothing and a large clean cloth for Qian Lan. The woman stared as Qian Lan continued to bathe. After another ten minutes Qian Lan was ready to leave. As she turned around, she realized the old woman was still standing there.
"Uh….are you going to stand there as I get dressed?"
"There is nothing to be embarrassed about. We're all woman here. I am used to tending to my daughters, so don't let it bother you."
"Oh…okay."
Qian Lan stretches out her arm for the old woman to give her the large cloth to dry herself in. Qian Lan had never allowed anyone to see her butt-naked before as an adult. Trying not to think much of it as she knew in japan woman took baths together all the time at hot springs.
"Hmm…. you're a little thin, but you have nice and pale skin."
"You…you think so? I think I'm rather tan."
"Compared to people like me, you're pale. Are you sure you're not some noble girl?"
"Noble girl? I think I am far from that."
"I have to make dinner. Once you're done cleaning and dressing up. Just walk down this hall and take a right. You'll see the main room and food room."
The old woman quickly turns around and exits the room. Leaving only the drenched and cold Qian Lan left. Quickly wiping herself down, Qian Lan pulls the clothing apart and could see a pair of shoes fall out. Glancing at the clothing again she realizes the clothing wasn't a robe, but a hanfu.
"A hanfu one-piece dress? What is this?"
Qian Lan pulls the dress apart and looks at the three layers. She had only worn a hanfu as a child when it was the Chinese New Year. Taking a deep breath, Qian Lan digs into her memories on how her mother had fixed it on her that year. After ten minutes, Qian Lan was able to barely recall what her mother had done.
"Hmmmm...like this?"
Considering she used all the clothing and the outfit looked fine on her, Qian Lan pats herself on the back and heads out. With her wet hair still drying, Qian Lan kept it down. After walking down, the hall like the old woman had mentioned, Qian Lan could see another building at the end of the hall. Slowly peeking into the room, Qian Lan could see the old man, the old woman, two twin sister and a young man that looked like he was in his early twenties.
"Uh…. excuse me."
"Ah! You're done. Come on in and sit here."
The old woman points to a seat across from her. Qian Lan nods and seats herself as the old woman brings out a bowl of rice for her. Qian Lan quickly accepted and thanked the old woman.
"Thank you."
"You look much better after cleaning up."
The old man continued to eat. Qian Lan uses her chopsticks and picks slowly eat as she can feel everyone's eyes on her. The old woman could see how uncomfortable Qian Lan was; she quickly smacks the young man on the head.
"Ow! Ma! What was that for?"
"Stop staring at her! She can't eat if you do that."
"I'm only looking cause I think she's pretty, okay?!"
Qian Lan ignores the mans remarks and continues to eat her bowl or rice and veggies. Thinking the family must be struggling as there was no meat, Qian Lan only eat enough to sustain her hunger. Once dinner was finished Qian Lan helped the old woman cleaned up. Although the old woman was reluctant, she accepted Qian Lan's help.
"Ah, it'd be great to have a daughter in law to help me. Why don't you marry my idiot son?"
"Ah…Ha…I'm sorry."
"Ha Ha! Don't worry! He's twenty-three and still unmarried because he thinks he can land a noble woman someday."
"Oh, is that uncommon?"
"Very uncommon. You don't even see nobles here! They mainly reside in the capital only. You'll know what I mean in time. It's late, so you can head to bed. My daughters should have prepared your sleeping quarters so go find them."