Steam rose from the bowls as Susu ladled the congee. The rich aroma of rice and herbs filled their small hut, making Zhao Li’s stomach growl again. She sat in her chair, watching as Susu added a sprinkle of dried vegetables to each serving before placing one bowl in front of her.

  “Eat,” Lady Susu said, settling across from her with her own bowl. “Your body needs strength.”

  Zhao Li picked up her spoon and took a small bite, the warm congee soothing her throat. She hadn’t realised how hungry she truly was until the first taste hit her tongue.

  Soon, she was eating with enthusiasm, her earlier frustration fading temporarily from a comforting hot meal.

  As Susu sat there, she watched as Zhao Li enjoyed her meal, then she spoke when Zhao Li devoured half the meal. “The villagers,” Lady Susu said, pausing, catching herself as if unsure whether to continue. Her eyes grew dour as if there was an anger bubbling within her. “I’m aware of how they treat you.”

  Zhao Li froze mid-bite, her spoon hovering halfway to her mouth. She lowered it slowly, her eyes fixed on the table, frustration swelling within.

  Why wouldn’t it? Susu said she’d protect her, wanted to be her mother…but she would allow the villagers to treat her that way? It didn’t make sense, not to her.

  “I’ve noticed the whispers, the avoidance, the way they look through you rather than at you…it bothers me to no bound.” She said trailing into a whisper.

  Susu reached across the table to tip Zhao Li’s chin up, forcing her to meet her gaze. “I hate that you have to go through this. I don’t want you to go through this, but you must.”

  “Why?” Zhao Li asked, “I don’t want to…it hurts…it hurts so bad.” She said tears forming in her eyes.

  “I know it hurts…I know how it makes you feel. I don’t want you to feel it, but this is the only way it can be…I’m just not strong enough,” Susu whispered as she cupped Zhao Li’s cheek.

  Confusion riddled Zhao Li’s face as she stared at Susu. She released her cheek and laughed bitterly as she sat back in the chair, placing her hands in her lap. She then stared at Zhao Li. “The reason you are treated this way is that I am weak. The people of Axsum are absurdly strong. If I could endure, I would’ve taken you there…but I’m just not strong enough…I’m sorry.”

  That doesn’t make sense.

  Susu was the strongest woman she’d ever seen. She saw her defeat a group of bandits while carrying Zhao Li on her back. She watched as she fought within a blazing inferno against another whip-wielder. She even saw her defeat an entire bandit group by herself. , Zhao Li thought;

  “Li’er…I want you to understand something important: their treatment is because they are afraid of you. It won’t last forever.”

  “Are they afraid of me?” Zhao Li asked, confused. “That doesn’t make sense…I’m scared of them!”

  “I know…but trust me, that’s how they are…and believe you me. They will change.”

  “No, they won’t!”

  “They will change slowly…in the ways we least expect. I’ve experienced it myself. Not to your degree. I’m a Parsonian while you’re an Axsumite.”

  Zhao Li stirred her congee absently. “I don’t even know what that is…”

  “It’s who you are and why they're afraid of you.”

  Zhao Li looked up from her bowl, her eyes searching Susu’s face. “What is a Parsonian? And why... why would being an Axsumite make people afraid?”

  Susu sighed and nodded; the firelight cast a flickering shadow across her face, making her seem suddenly older and more weary. “Parson is a land to the west of Huaxia. It’s smaller than Huaxia, but it is filled with valleys and rolling hills. The people are known for their learning and their...” she hesitated, as if searching for the right word, “…different ways.”

  “Different how?” Zhao Li asked, forgetting her congee entirely now.

  “Parsonians have strange ways,” Susu said, speaking as though she agreed with the Huaxian way of life. “Ways and beliefs that do not align with theirs. Yet, our appearance is not so different. The difference between us is our darker shade of skin. The Parsonians don’t believe in manners or traditions as the Huaxians do… being courteous is seen as weak.”

  “Is that why you want me to endure?”

  Susu scoffed a laugh and shook her head. It took her a few seconds, but she stared at Zhao Li, her eyes glistening as if she were proud. “My child… in life, we all have to endure.”

  Those words, the tone…it left Zhao Li confused. She didn’t know whether to respond or acknowledge them. She just sat there, confused. As she should, she was six years old…learning about life, like anyone would. “Li’er, in my life I’ve had to endure. I thought I knew what strength was, but I’ve learned that true strength isn’t about refusing to bend—it’s about knowing when to bend and when to stand firm. Knowing how to endure.”

  She pushed herself up from the chair and turned. She walked toward her room. Zhao Li didn’t allow her eyes to follow her, but Susu’s voice startled her when she spoke again. “This isn’t your fault. You are who you are. An Axsumite. It’s not your fault the history between Huaxia and Axsum is... complicated. And painful.”

  “Then what should I do to get them to accept?”

  “Show them that you are better than them. Smile. Work hard, respect them. Be courteous, be nice…show them why you are who you are despite their wickedness…it’ll burn them at their core!”

  “But what if that doesn’t work?”

  Susu walked up to Zhao Li and stood in front of her; she sat back down and slid her hand on top of her and looked her directly in the eye. “Then that will be their loss,” Susu said firmly. “Their ignorance is not your burden to carry.”

  “But…” Zhao Li tried to say, but was cut off by Susu. “…But I have lived longer than you, seen more of the world than you. Trust me when I say that hearts can soften, minds can open. It requires patience—and that, Li’er, is another form of strength.”

  The fire popped loudly in the hearth, sending a shower of sparks up the chimney. Outside, the wind had picked up, rustling the trees around their small hut. “Until then,” Lady Susu continued, “you must remain respectful. Never lash out, no matter how justified your anger might feel. To them, that Anger will only confirm what they believe about you…alright?”

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  “…but its so hard not to,” Zhao Li admitted, thinking of all the times she had wanted to scream, to make them see her, to force them to acknowledge her existence.

  “Of course it is hard,” Susu agreed, surprising Zhao Li with her frankness. “If it were easy, it would not build the strength you need. But remember this: they do not know you because they choose not to. Their ignorance is not your burden to carry.”

  Lady Susu paused, studying Zhao Li's face carefully before continuing in a softer tone. “Do you know why I brought you to Snow Rabbit Village instead of keeping you at the Purple Mist Valley?”

  Zhao Li shook her head.

  “Because I wanted you to get away from Jiang Li. That treated you horribly. I wanted to kill her myself for the way she treated you. But alas, your father had created a life in the valley. A life I couldn’t let my anger taint. So I decided to bring you here.”

  This revelation stunned Zhao Li. She couldn't imagine the elegant, respected Lady Susu ever being treated as she had been. “You don’t like my ste—“

  “She’s not your mother!” Susu hissed, startling Zhao Li. ”Never was and never will be. I’d kill her first!”

  Zhao Li didn’t know what to say, but Susu’s words made her feel relieved. She didn’t know how to feel about her stepmother, but the fact that Susu despised her because of the way she treated her made her believe that everything would be fine.

  , she thought,

  “Finish your meal,” Susu said sternly. “Tomorrow, I’ll teach you your breathing exercises again.”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Zhao Li replied, picking up her spoon once more.

  For the first time since arriving in Snow Rabbit Village, Zhao Li felt something close to peace settle over her. The path ahead was still long, still difficult, but knowing she wasn’t walking it alone made all the difference.

  When they finished eating, Zhao Li helped clear the table and wash the bowls in comfortable silence. As she prepared for bed, Lady Susu’s words echoed in her mind: Their ignorance is not your burden to carry.

  Zhao Li pulled her thin blanket closer around her shoulders as she settled onto her sleeping mat. But before she could lie down, Susu looked into her eyes, which made Zhao Li feel exposed. She harrumphed and finished tucking her in. “Do you want to know about Axsum?”

  “I see…”

  “Once this door is open, it cannot be closed; do you understand?”

  “I do…” Zhao Li said, but the way Susu looked down at her, it was as if she knew better. It was as if she knew that Zhao Li only answered without knowing…and that bothered her.

  “Always remember this, Li’er, there’s a reason why the villagers…no, why people act the way they do. They are scared…and rightfully so.”

  “You’re not scared.”

  “…because I am not ignorant, but still. Forgive them. Show them that you are not what they think.”

  Zhao Li looked up at Susu, confused. She didn’t understand what she was trying to say, but she wouldn’t let that stop her from knowing where she came from. She needed to know, needed to understand why they hated her so much. She needed to know the cause of her pain.

  After all… she was a human, wasn’t she?

  “Axsum is... unlike anything in Huaxia. The land itself feels ancient, more so than Huaxia’s famed mountains.”

  Zhao Li pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she listened.

  “The land is desert-like, harsh, and unforgiving to those who do not understand its ways. The sun burns fiercer there, painting the sand in shades of gold and amber that change with every hour of the day. The nights are cold enough to freeze the breath in your lungs.”

  Susu took a breath, her voice taking on a rhythmic tone that made her sound so sincere it sent goosebumps rippling through Zhao Li’s body. “The language is harsh on the tongue—all sharp edges and guttural sounds that seem to scratch the throat. Yet there is beauty in it too, a poetry that our smoother Huaxian cannot capture.”

  “Did you learn to speak it?” Zhao Li asked, fascinated.

  Susu nodded. “Of course, but only enough to survive.”

  She closed her eyes briefly. “The winds of Axsum taste of spice and herbs. Imagine cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, and myrrh dancing on the wind and injecting themselves into your nose; they would riot for hours.” She ended with a laugh.

  Zhao Li tried to imagine it—this place so different from the lush, green mountains of Snow Rabbit Village, from the elegant gardens of Purple Mist Valley. A place where the wind carried spices and language scratched the throat.

  “Axsum is a land torn by war. The seven provinces fight endlessly, brother against brother, generation after generation.”

  “Why?” Zhao Li asked, though part of her already knew the answer from her father’s stories. Susu's expression grew more serious.

  “…Because of Endubis of Axsum…are you familiar with the name?”

  Zhao Li shook her head. “No…I’ve never heard the name before, but I’ve heard the word demon..ess before.”

  Susu shook her head, as if disappointed. “Endubis was the man who united the kingdoms of Axsum into an empire under his rule. Once he’d conquered them…he then brought himself to Huaxia, seeing that Huaxia was also not united as Axsum was.”

  She traced a pattern on the wooden floor with one of her fingers. “What happened?” Zhao Li asked.

  “He was defeated?”

  “Yeah, Endubis was defeated by a man named Tian.”

  “Tian?”

  “Yes, Tian. To be precise, Tian the First, the progenitor of the Imperial Family of Huaxia. He defeated Endubis, whom our histories call the Demon Emperor.”

  Something cold settled in Zhao Li’s stomach.

  “Demon Emperor,” she repeated, the words tasting bitter on her tongue.

  “After Tian defeated Endubis, his seven sons returned to Axsum. Each claiming the right to rule in their father’s place. Neither of them was willing to yield to either of them. So they divided the land between them and established the seven provinces that war against each other today. Each province bears the name of the prince who founded it. The sons of Endubis who could not set aside their pride even as their people suffered,” Susu said, nodding as her eyes never left Zhao Li’s face.

  “Endubis is the reason why they treat me this way? Because I look like him? Because I’m from Axsum?” Zhao Li asked.

  “Yes, they act the way you do…because Endubis is written or said to be dark-skinned. All the Axsumites are dark-skinned, dear. I’ve seen it myself.”

  “I’ve tried to rub flour on my skin to change the colour; it didn’t work!”

  Susu’s eyes widened, her expression shifting from surprise to deep concern. “You did what?” Susu asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Zhao Li looked down at her hands, ashamed. “I thought if I could change my skin to be lighter, like the other children's, they would stop looking at me that way. They would allow me to play with them.”

  Tears streamed down Zhao Li’s cheeks as the pain she had been holding inside broke free. Her small shoulders shook with sobs that seemed too big for her tiny frame.

  Zhao Xing had consoled her immediately after he found her with flour smeared across her body. Now this time, Susu was there to just hold her, make her feel loved, despite her feelings of inadequacy. “Oh, Li’er,” Susu murmured, moving swiftly to gather the child in her arms. She held Zhao Li against her chest, one hand cradling the back of her head. “You’ve done nothing wrong, you brave, foolish child. You are loved and cared for. Do not let their ignorance fool you, because deep within, they know nothing and that is not a fault of theirs…alright?”

  Zhao Li didn’t answer; she just buried her face into Susu’s shoulder, her tears soaking the fabric. “I just wanted them to stop. I just wanted to be like everyone else.”

  Susu rocked her gently, her own eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Listen carefully,” she said firmly, pulling back just enough to look into Zhao Li’s face. “Your skin is beautiful. It is the color of rich earth that grows the strongest trees. It is the color of the mountains at dusk when they catch the last light of the setting sun.”

  She wiped away Zhao Li’s tears with her thumbs. “Never again will you try to change yourself to please those who refuse to see your worth. Do you understand me?”

  Zhao Li hiccuped, trying to steady her breathing. “But if I look like the Demon Emp—“

  “You look like Zhao Li!” Susu interrupted, her voice fierce. “You are Zhao Li. Not Endubis. Not anyone else. The blood in your veins tells a story that is yours alone to write. And I will help you write it.” She said smoothing Zhao Li’s hair back from her forehead.

  As the fire had died down to embers, casting a soft orange glow across the room. Outside, the wind had quieted, leaving only the occasional rustle of leaves. “Promise me…promise me you will never try to change yourself like that again.”

  Zhao Li looked into Susu’s eyes, seeing the pain and determination there. Slowly, she nodded. “I promise.”

  “Good… Now, it is late, and tomorrow’s lessons will not wait for us to be rested,” Susu said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

  As she rose to her feet, Susu’s expression hardened with resolve. She would protect this child. She would teach her to protect herself. And someday, perhaps, Snow Rabbit Village would learn that the stranger in their midst was not someone to fear but someone to cherish.

  For now, though, it was enough that Zhao Li would sleep without tears, with dreams of golden sands and spice-laden winds to comfort her.

  The fire gave one last soft pop as Susu retreated to her own sleeping mat, leaving only the gentle sound of Zhao Li’s breathing to fill the quiet hut.