As the group watched the little flower, they all thought that for sure there was no way for it to survive or to come out untainted yet when it wilted away, the spirit of the flower was not tainted by any demonic aurora nor did it have any vengeance or anguish, the soul was still pure white and it moved onto the mortal realm. Finally.
Even though it was still pure and untainted, the spirit was tired and had little energy, and it was flying around trying to find another place to take root but it was pulled by a strong force as it passed by an old house and that was how the flower spirit became a mortal.
The sound of a child could be heard, the wet nurse and the others ran about as they let the husband know that both the child and mother were fine. Everything was fine about the child but on her right shoulder, was a white mark that looked like a snowdrop flower, almost as if the flower itself was pressed onto her shoulder.
The parents didn't mind this about their daughter, they loved her even more and the pair raised her with love and gave her all that they could even in the poverty that they were in. The minute that Bai Jue saw her father's face, he began to cry; he recognized the face of her father
The group watched the little girl grow up to be the spitting image of Hou Chi as she was right now but just with light hazel hair and bright brown eyes with pale skin. The little girl was named Mei Li, Mei was kind, and naive but also was a brave child. She was elegant and polite as well even though she was not of noble origin whoever saw her would think otherwise.
"Ba!" Mei called out to her father who was working the field as she ran from the house
"What is it?" her father asked her and she smiled
"I've brought you some tea and some snacks." Mei said to her father who smiled at her as she becken him to come take a break at the little shed in the middle of the field.
"Ah....Where is your mother?" her father asked her as he took a seat
"Ma went to the market and told me to watch you while she's gone." Mei said to her father who chuckled at her as she poured him a cup of tea and handed him the snacks, her father has been aging and thus his body has been aging and has not been the same as he used to be.
Last week he even fainted in the field, she and her mother found him in the field when he didn't return for lunch.
"You and your mother worried too much." her father said, and she chuckled. Once her father finished the snacks and tea, the two of them went back to work in the field until her mother came back to call them to go home.
Mei loves the little village that they live in but since it's the countryside there is no school, so after dinner, when there are no more chores; all of the children of the little village gather in the yard of Mei's house and she would teach them how to read and write.
As weeks turned into months, her father's condition didn't get any better. Mei went into town with her best friend, the two went into town hoping to find work and work they found.
The royal palace was sending out flyers, they were looking for palace maids and they were willing to pay very well as well. The two girls came home to let their parents know, however, Mei's parents didn't want to let her go into the palace since palace life could be very dangerous but she wanted to make money so that her father could get the treatment to get better.
In the end, she finally won the debate about going into the palace life for work, her parents agree since she mentioned that she would be able to leave the palace every other month if after the first two months of palace training and that she would only have to serve the palace until she came of age and that was only 3 years away.
"Imagine the money we could save up in just that 3 years, I promise to be on my best behavior." Mei had promised her parents and the two looked at her with love and concern, the two were happy that their daughter was so good to them but they didn't want her to tire herself out. Yet seeing her so determined the two could only send her off with advice and concerns.
"Promise to visit often and come back after 3 years." Her father said to her and she nodded
"No matter what, you must come home in three years." Her father reminded her once again after dinner and she nodded to reassure her father once again.
The next day, the two girls head back into town again to join the selection into the palace. The two were lucky to get selected into the palace and were told to go back home to pack and return the following day to head into the palace.
Mei came back home to pack and say farewell to her parents, and they all went to bed. The next morning her parents went into town with her to send her off, their neighbors also came to send off their children as well. There were young ladies and young men who were willing to head into the palace that day but they didn't know what it was going to do for their life.
Once they arrived at the main city which was only a day's ride out of their town, they were told to get out and rest there for the night since they would head into the palace the following day. The main city is farther from the capital for about half a day's ride so they would head out early the next morning.
The young gentlemen and ladies chit-chat about who knows who and some also joined the group from other towns and villages as well. 6 people were chosen from their town, it was Mei and her best friend along with a young boy about their age three houses down from them, and three other ladies from the other side of their town.