The scholars had long since fled the Small Courtyard of the Wei Residence.
Wei Nisheng knelt before the offering table, holding the last fragment of wood.
He measured it against the mostly reconstructed spirit tablet, studying it again and again.
Qu Niang and Cui Fu stood beneath the jujube tree, one behind the other.
Watching Wei Nisheng's back, they opened their mouths several times, but in the end neither uttered a word.
"Young master..." Cui Fu finally spoke. "Young master, you... you should run."
Wei Nisheng did not turn around. He continued holding the fragment in place, waiting for the glue to dry.
"Young master, I once heard some idlers from the south say
"there's a sea down south, with ships and pirates. Those ships can go far, far away.
"Let's run together and become pirates. Then they'll..."
"Cui Fu," Wei Nisheng said.
"Young master..."
"You, Qu Niang, and your mother are to go to my teacher's residence. Go now."
Cui Fu froze, then shook his head fiercely. "Young master, I'm not leaving!
"What will you do if I leave?
"You're a scholar. You don't know how to run away. I know lots of idlers. I..."
"This is not a discussion." Wei Nisheng turned, rose, and looked at Cui Fu.
"When you reach my teacher's residence, say nothing and ask nothing.
"Whatever my teacher asks, answer him.
"If he asks nothing, do not breathe a word. Remember that?"
Cui Fu opened his mouth. At last, tears spilled from his eyes, and he dropped to his knees with a thud.
He kowtowed three times to Wei Nisheng, each blow ringing out as his forehead struck the blue bricks, drawing blood.
"Young master, you... young master, you'll die..."
He wept too hard to form a complete sentence, only repeating those words.
Wei