Fang Xin point of view.

I was surprised at her docility, every other time I had picked up women like this for their own good they had fought me, this lady, whoever she was just accepted her fate and hung there. 

Who is she that she is so docile? I can tell she is of no use for anything much, she's like Hong's mother in that regard. I wonder... Could she manage a house? No, that is impossible, she can't even speak our language. Speaking of languages, I wonder what language that is. is it an important language? Maybe it is the language of the West, I have heard of white devils that speak a harsh language. 

What made me take her, of all the people there, anyway? She is not the usual type who come after me at all. Can I really even say that when it was just a feeling and her looking at me? Does that even count? Oh, who cares? I will try to find out her name and then worry about what to do. Oh, we are here. I paused for a moment outside my manor, under the tree in front of it, and placed the lady down.

Nǐ de míngzì? I asked her again, this time I added "Fang Xin" and pointed to myself, then I pointed at her and asked again "Ni de mingzi?"

"Oh, you mean you want my name!" Chen Xinye said figuring out what I meant, then looked at me and muttered, "I can't say Karen what name can I use?" She looked at my eyes again, impressing me with her bold fearless nature, and held her hand flat to her ample chest, "Xinye Chen, wait no, Chen Xinye," then to him she tilted her head and touched my chest in query, "Fung Xin?"

I shook my head at her mispronunciation, "Guānbì, Fang Xin."

"Fang Xin?" she looked at me with a look I could only describe as hopeful.

"Hm," I nodded that this time she had gotten the pronunciation correct, "Gēn wǒ lái," and waved at her to follow me.

Karen/ Xinye's point of view

I followed Fang Xin into the manor, and not knowing what else to do, I followed him around as he did things. Eventually, Fang Xin got annoyed with my presence, and took me to a chair in the room and sat me on it, "Dài zài nàlǐ, zhídào wǒ lìng yǒu shuō" he said with a frown.

I did not know what he was saying, but I figured the intent was that I stay on the chair where he had placed me. So, I nodded and he left me there. Having little else to do I sat and watched his every move. He went to his desk and read through the scrolls that were on it and writing responses to the scrolls. People would come and go giving him further documents to read and reply to, occasionally they would go to the enclosed room in the corner. They would look uncomfortable going in and relieved coming out.

Fang Xin attended this "paperwork" for about half of that day before a person came in with some food saying, "Lái chī xīnlì ba, wǒ gěi wǒmen liǎ mǎile chī de." I found out later they were dressed in a eunuchs' uniform.

Noticing me by the door, the person asked, "Zhè shì shéi?"

He looked over to me frowning a little, "Chen Xinye" then looked away hurriedly as if embarrassed by the schwing that had occurred between us again.

Hearing my name and not knowing what was being said made me really uncomfortable, so I prayed, "God please give me understanding of this language, so that I might be of service." to my surprise my prayer was answered and I could understand them, but although I was given the ability to understand the language, I was not given the ability to talk the language. I was not worried as I was thankful that I could at least understand it. Hopefully one day I could speak it too.

"Fang, do I need to provide food for her too?" the person asked.

"No Chen Li," he shook his head, "Just tea and wine for now."

Chen Li nodded, "Ok I will make sure to bring them later."

"No rush," he nodded his thanks, smiling tersely for the first time since I had seen him, "So how is Hong Taiji today?"

"He is fine, but he keeps putting me in danger," Chen Li replied.

"Hmm, it comes with the territory I am afraid," Fang Xin answered, appearing unconcerned by the conversation.

I wonder if Chen Li is an ancestor of my husbands? Probably not as although he is dressed in male clothes, he looks like a she. I wonder if she is dressing as a male for some reason? I could be imagining the whole thing too. Who knows? I wonder when I am though. The hair style suggests sometime in the 1100s the Hong dynasty? or is it Han? I don't know. I never was that familiar with the History of China anyway.

I was left alone then and I could hear laughing outside and noisy chattering though I could not hear well enough to understand. Later Chen Li did indeed come in with sweetened black tea and gave it to me. I was so thirsty I sculled it down earning myself a scolding.

"Slow down, drink it carefully!" Chen Li said in a panicked voice.

"Sorry," I apologized, knowing that he could not understand I said unnecessarily, "I am very thirsty," and indicated I needed more to drink.

Chen Li must have understood as she disappeared and brought back a wine gourd, and a water gourd, "Here drink these, I will refill them in the morning." and went off to a side annex and put out bedding. I assumed it was for Fang Xin, but it was not. Chen Li changed behind a screen into sleeping attire and lay down to sleep. I did not see Fang Xin enter.

I was beginning to feel uncomfortable, needing the toilet, so I hoped that the room in the corner was the bathroom. As I had seen people go in there during the day with anxious expressions and come out looking relieved, so I got up and shuffled quietly over. I was shuffling to prevent surprise changes in floor levels.

I made it to the bathroom without incident, and I was extremely thankful for the moonlight flooding through the windows, it made seeing a breeze. I was also thankful I had come on a full moon and not the dark moon. It would have made things a lot more complicated if it had been the dark moon. I was horrified to see that our toilet was a hole in the floor, covered by a pull up 'lid', with a bucket underneath. I guess it was someone's job to clean out that bucket daily as it did not stink too badly.

I used the hole and wondered if I could make it better for everyone if I had a seat made, but this in itself could be a problem if they did not know how to use it. I would just have to get use to squatting as I remembered my sister visited Hong Kong once and said that she had to learn to squat on the toilets as they were so dirty. I just hoped that I would not fall in and that I would be able to get up again afterwards.

I sighed and went; I was right it was difficult for me but I somehow managed. I left the bath room with the intent to go back to the chair I had been allocated and lie down in front of it with the use of the square cushion. I knew I would not be terribly comfortable but I had not been given anything or told anything about sleeping so I felt I had to stay there.

About halfway back my foot hit a pot plant and it clanged away making a mess. I could have cried, both from the sudden noise and the shooting pain in my foot. But what happened next shook me to my core.

As I mentioned, my foot was hurting from the accidental kick when the next thing I knew Fang Xin had materialised behind me with a sword to my throat, "Who are you? And what are you doing here?" he demanded, not recognising me.

"Chen, C-chen Xinye" I gasped out, tears forming at the back of my eyes, but not falling.

"Oh" Fang Xin said and withdrew his blade. He took a step back and bowed to me, "Sorry."

"It's ok!" I assured him in English, wondering how he would even understand me, "But what about this mess? I need to clean it up, do you have anything?" 

I indicated to the mess that had caused him to appear out of nowhere. Although he did not understand me, he seemed to understand.

"Do not worry yourself, go back to sleep, I will fix in the morning," he dismissed me.

I walked back to the chair, took the arm rest and lay on the floor in front of it.

"Aiya," I heard Fang Xin mutter, "Another matter to attend. Having a woman is so bothersome."

I looked towards him then and caught the end of a charming smile. Strange, I have not seen him smile fondly at all before now. I wonder what he is thinking. Never mind, I need to sleep somehow, sleeping on my stomach isn't an option anymore. Let's try this... and I closed my eyes and slept really uncomfortably waking up to every bone and muscle in my body aching.

A/N If you enjoyed this chapter, please take the time to vote by pressing the star. Please let me know if you see any errors, as this is unedited.