The rooster song his early morning wake up call, startling Kai and making him fall face first from his bed. He groan as he got up from the floor, and scowl at the rooster that is standing on top of the post directly in front of his window.
"You! You just wait."Kai angrily scrabbled to the window, as he continue to curse the rooster. "
"I will catch you and make rooster soup out of you." The rooster flew up from off the post, making Kai smile in triumph. "Yes, ru-ahh!" But the rooster wasn't running away, instead, it flew through the window into Kai's room and pecked him in his forehead. Before ruffling its feathers and feet around in Kai's head.
"Get off me, you crazy fowl!" Kai yell, wrestling with the rooster and knocking stuff down onto the floor.
"Kai! Kai!" His mother barge into the room. "What with all the chaos?" Her mouth open wide, when she saw Kai grab the rooster from his head, and throw it through the window.
He cough out a few feathers from his mouth as he turn to face his mother.
"Mother." He smile at her, acting all innocent.
"The sun is just coming up, and you are already making a fuss." She said sternly to him.
Kai stomped his left foot like a five year old who is being reprimand by their parents.
"It wasn't my fault, that rooster is evil." He said, turning to the window and glare at the rooster who went back to his spot on the post.
His mother just shook her head, and walk back to the door. "Please tidy this room up, then come down for breakfast after getting ready to go to work." She told him, then made her way out of the room.
Kai sigh, the rooster made a sound. Causing Kai to give him the stink eye. "You!" Kai whisper yelled, pointing to the rooster.
"Slow down." Kai's sister scolds him.
"I don't want to be late." He talk with his mouth full of rice porridge.
"Disgusting." She scorn him, and move aside when porridge flew from Kai's open mouth. "Such a pig." She mumbled under her breath, but Kai still heard anyway. But he didn't care, her nasty comment didn't affect him one bit.
He was used to her snarky remarks. She didn't like him from when he was a younger child, why would she now. He gets knocked around by their older brother, but it wasn't as bad as Wang May's hatred towards him.
"Kai, it's time to go." His mother called from the front door.
Kai put his dirty bowl away, and walk to where his mother is standing.
"Don't forget your boots." She points to his bare feet with a motherly smile on her lips.
"Ah yes, shoes." Kai grab his boots and hurriedly put them on.
His mother look at him strangely, wondering why he is in such a hurry to get to the palace.
"Kai, why are you in such a hurry? You are never so egear to get to the stables before."
Kai look up at his mother with a smile. He can't possibly tell her about the plan that him and Li Jen is about to carry out today. He always promise her and his father that he will always tell them the truth, but he can't break Li Jen's trust either. She has always been a big sister to him than May has ever been. And he want that bond to stay as long as it can. So he will make do and bend the truth a bit for this one time.
"Oh, is that so." His mother raise a brow at him. "And may I ask what?"
"Li Jen and I have something plan for today." He muttered his answer, making sure to not look at his mother while doing it.
"Historical lectures. She's going to help me memorize some scrolls for the test master is going to assign to me." He cringe at how easily the lie rolled off his tongue.
"Oh, alright then. Let's go so we don't keep the princess waiting." Kai smile at his mother, but it quickly faded and turn into a scowl when he heard his sister snarky remark about Li Jen. "Nevermind her Kai, let's go." His mother pull him from the house, when she saw Kai open his mouth to curse at May.
Kai rush down the path from his house and on to the narrow main road, not even waiting for his mother to catch up. He was eager to get to Li Jen, so she could start her day as a simpleton. He was running so fast that he didn't see his brother and father approaching him with buckets of water on their shoulders.
"Kai, watch out!" His brother, Zhang, shouted when Kai unnoticeable ran right in to them.
The buckets of water felt to the ground, mixing with the dirt, splashing all three of them with mud.
"Kai." His father said in frustration, as he look down at the empty buckets and the water soaking into the earth.
"My apologies father, I didn't see you and senior brother coming." Kai bow to his father in apology.
"Hmm, it's fine. Where is your mother?"
Kai's face lit up, glad that his father didn't scold. But if looks could kill, he would be six feet under with the look Zhang is giving him right now.
But he didn't mind it, he just turned back to his father to answer his question.
"Mother is right behind-" He look around confusingly when he didn't see his mom behind him.
He turn to face his father again. "Ha,ha, ha. Mother was right be- oh, there she is." He said in relief when he saw his mother emerge from behind the bushes that was blocking the curve of the road.
"What happened here?" Sue-May ask her husband and sons when she caught up to them, and saw the buckets and the wet earth.
"Kai happened!" Zhang growled out, making Kai pout.
Kai face his mother, and gave her his best sad eyes. "I didn't mean to. I was in such a hurry that I didn't see father and Zhang in front of me. And before Zhang could call out to me, it was already too late." He turn to Zhang with the same expression on his face. "Wang Zhang, don't be crossed with me. Zhaaang." He whined, while hugging his older brother tightly. When Zhang didn't utter a word, he started to taddle. Looking up at Zhang with a pout, and then nuzzling his head on Zhang's chest.
Ugh, it's all good. I will go and fetch more water again. Just stop all this un call for movements, you are splashing all the muddy water around. You are going to be dirty by the time you reach the palace." Zhang finally gave in to Kai's antics. Pushing him away, and retrieving the buckets from the ground. "Why are you in such a hurry anyway? It's just 6am." Zhang ask, looking up at the early morning sky.
"He has an appointment with the princess." His mother answered. Patting her son's shoulder as she pass by him.
Zhang eyes light up when his mother mentioned the princess. "Oh, then. Kai shouldn't keep her waiting. Hurry along little brother." Zhang push Kai after their mother.
Kai chuckles at his brother's behavior. He always gets flustered everytime Li Jen is mentioned, and Kai alway seized the opportunity to tease him.
"Oh, is Zhang in love with the princess!" Kai laugh out loud, causing Zhang face to turn red, from being flustered and annoyed by Kai.
"You-" Zhang points his finger angrily at his younger brother, but his father stop him from saying anything further.
"Kai, run along after your mother. And stay out of trouble today." Kai bow at his father's words before running to catch up to his mother.
Zhang hum in annoyance and turn to his father and said. "You telling him to stay out of trouble, is like forcing a cow to drink water."
"My son, we just have to do what we can with him." His father pat his back. "Now come, let's go and fetch more water."