Elder Brother found Yin Su in the garden the day after the Kitchen God was sent on his way. He teased her, saying that she had the power of the Kitchen God in her hands. She did not laugh. “Do not worry, Yin Su. The spirit of the Kitchen God will not mention the ceremony. Your delicious nian gao will stay his gossipy tongue.”

Yin Su said nothing and lowered her eyes. Usually, she enjoyed the time she spent with Elder Brother. They would talk about the lessons of Kung Fuzi and how delightful society would be if everyone followed the rules. Elder Brother constantly commented on Yin Su’s skill in writing delicate characters compared with his courser representations. But today Elder Brother paced nervously and was distracted and irrational in his comments. Yin Su patiently waited for him to tell her why he was in the garden with her.

“I am to be married this year,” he blurted out.

Yin Su’s heart beat faster. A flush came unbidden to her face. She wondered why that happened. “I am happy for you, Elder Brother. I am sure your father will arrange an advantageous marriage. I wish you many sons.”

“There are several worthy families. I will comply with my father’s wishes. I know not who my bride will be.”

Yin Su was silent. Elder Brother continued. “I requested of my father that you be given to me to prepare meals for my household.”

Yin Su looked up and attempted to meet Elder Brother’s eyes. However, he looked away. “That request was denied.”

“Oh.”

“He would not tell me why.”

“Oh.”

“He only said that it would not be proper.”

“Oh.”

“And one more thing. He directed that you cannot attend further lessons.”

“But why?”

“I do not know. And I am not to spend time with you anymore.”

“Oh.” Yin Su felt her body tightening. Tears flowed. She had no control over her bodily reaction. “I do not understand.”

“These are my father and your Lord’s wishes. We cannot question. Fealty demands it. I just wanted you to know.” Elder Brother did not look at Yin Su as he delivered this final proclamation. He stood straight, body stiff, eyes focused on nothing. He turned and walked back into the house. 

Yin Su watched him go. Was this her punishment for not doing the Kitchen God ceremony correctly? Was the prospect of no more lessons what was causing the tears to flow? Or was it the prospect of no more discussions with Elder Brother? Did it matter?

>>>>><<<<< 

Yin Su made a new Kitchen God for the coming year. When no evil befell the house four days after the spirit of the Kitchen God had been sent to the Jade Emperor, everyone assumed all was well and the Jade Emperor had blessed the house with prosperity. Yet, the mistakes she made at the ceremony still weighed upon her, so the new Kitchen God would be an improvement. 

She selected fresh straw that was pliant in her hands. She folded the bundle of straw in half and tied a new red ribbon a short distance from the crease forming the head. She took a shorter bundle representing the arms and tied a red ribbon around each end, creating hands. She parted the bundle with the head below the red ribbon and put the arms crosswise then added another red ribbon at the waist. She separated the remaining straw forming legs and tied red ribbons around each. This had been her standard Kitchen God in times past. This year she found bits of material and fashioned leg coverings and a fine robe. Her mother remarked that this Kitchen God was too fancy. The Jade Emperor would not recognize him. Yin Su laughed and said the Jade Emperor would know him because of all the nian gao in his mouth. 

Yin Su worried about missing lessons. What were they discussing? What new idea did the Tutor present? What did Elder Brother think of it? Who would prepare and deliver refreshments? Would she be missed?

Another on the kitchen staff delivered tea and cakes to Tutor and pupils. Sometimes Yin Su’s mother took the tray in only to find Elder Brother and Younger Brother bent over their desks, busily copying characters. There was little talk and no laughter. Neither Elder Brother nor Younger Brother could think of any questions to ask or clarifications to inquire about. There was no discussion. Within a month the Tutor told the Great Lord that his sons had learned all he could impart. The Tutor stopped coming and the lesson room echoed sadness. 

Yin Su turned inward. Without the lessons she had more time to devote to other tasks. She followed her mother more closely in the kitchen learning the Great Lord’s favorite recipes and techniques for making a dish turn out just right. She practiced cutting up the ingredients into uniform bite-sized pieces, thus lessening cooking time and saving precious fuel. She learned which ingredients cooked faster, putting them in last so everything in a dish would be equally tender. 

She helped others in the kitchen perfect their skills and make the work easier. She ventured into the household garden and planted the vegetables she had previously only touched after harvesting. She befriended the elderly man who cared for the peach orchard and helped him prepare cuttings from the best-producing trees to plant new ones. She learned that the burning torches in the orchard during the Spring Festival, which she had thought were mere decoration, would actually reduce insect damage. 

She spent time in the market buying herbs and talking with the vendors who gathered them. She ventured forth outside the city walls to search for the herbs herself. She learned to identify which plants were indeed herbs and edible and which plants might be toxic or poisonous. She often brought her gatherings back to the vendors in the market and they verified the identification of the plants. She gave them excess of what she gathered and they invited her to join them in the market. Yin Su laughed and told them she would be greatly missed in the great house where she cooked. In her heart, she wondered if that were true. 

Even with all her new interests Yin Su still noticed activity within the house. A new structure was being built in a corner of the compound, presumably to house Elder Brother and his new wife. The Great Lord was away more, taking Elder Brother with him to learn the family business. Younger Brother was apprenticed to another house to learn how to warehouse merchandise, thus ensuring continuation of the Great Lord’s empire into the next generation. The Great Lord’s Wife and her attending ladies stayed in their apartments telling stories and sharing the latest gossip of the city. 

The learning room beckoned. One sunny afternoon Yin Su passed by and looked in. Writing implements were still on the table. The chairs occupied by the Tutor, Elder Brother, Younger Brother, and herself were placed as if awaiting the arrival of each occupant. Her mind raced as fragments of previous discussions swirled in her head. What happy times these had been. She had learned so much. She twirled around filling the room with energy. The water container next to the inkstone caught her eye. She grabbed it up and ran to the koi pond in the courtyard. Scooping up a small amount of water, she ran back to the learning room and sat at the familiar table. A pile of slender bamboo rods were ready for writing. She picked one up and dipped her brush in the water and gently twirled it over the ink stone transferring the dark liquid to her brush. She wrote a character on the bamboo. Then another. Her memory was good. The thoughts flowed. 

Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand.

“What are you doing?”

Yin Su looked up to see the Great Lord holding the writing brush that had just been in her hand. She had never experienced his anger directed toward her. “What are you doing?” he repeated.

Yin Su was without words. Her usual nimble brain failed her. All she could do was stare, wide-eyed and feel foolish. 

“You do not belong in here. You are a kitchen slave. A female. Return to the kitchen at once.”

As if in a dream Yin Su left the learning room. Then she was in her mother’s arms, crying. She had no idea how she got there. Yin Su tried to tell her mother what happened, but her speech was slurred and her words made no sense. She could not be comforted. 

The next day the activity in the house changed. Guests arrived. Younger Brother came home. Elder Brother took up residence in the new section of the house. Extra help was hired to assist her mother in the kitchen. Decorations were brought in. Elder Brother’s wedding would be soon. 

Yin Su attempted to help her mother but kept making mistakes. Finally, her mother set her to chop vegetables for the meals of the extra workers, nothing more. The week blurred in Yin Su’s memory. The bride’s family arrived in a flourish of red silk and soft perfume. The actual ceremony was brief. Everyone cheered when Elder Brother removed the veil from the bride’s face and was obviously pleased with what he saw. The bride blushed and lowered her eyes. She would be a proper wife. They left the celebration early to retire to their new apartment. The bride’s mother stayed for two days to make sure that all was well then returned to her home. Other guests departed. Younger Brother returned to his apprenticeship. The house returned to normal. Yin Su saw none of this. She stayed in the kitchen the entire time. 

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