Page 55 - WTP Vol. VIII #4

Ju beckoned forward the old man and his nephew. “No tricks. We will open the box together.” He lifted the lid to reveal several fist-sized bundles wrapped in silk. Ju ignored the smothered protests from the now gagged Sunshu. He held high the first bundle and unwrapped it. It was a plain river stone. He reached for the second, but that was enough.
“You murdered my daughter!” The cry split the air. Ju grabbed at the old father but it was not him yelling. His tiny wife had flown across to where Ju’s soldiers held the struggling Sunshu. Before she could be pulled back, scratches dripped blood down the high priest’s face.
The old man had turned white and swayed. His nephew threw an arm around him and turned to the rest of the villagers, “Perhaps, Master Ju is right. Our wise priests are the most skilled when it comes to persuading He-Bo not to flood.”
With the enthusiastic assistance of the village men, Ju’s guards forced Sunshu and some of the older priests onto the raft and tied them down. Several fishermen volunteered to tow it out into the river. In the center of the river, Ju stood on the deck of the largest fishing boat until the raft sank. When the last protesting priest disappeared beneath the dark water, he signaled a return to shore.
Stepping onto the dock, Ju thought of Madam Flow- er’s bao cakes and tea brewed to just the right strength. With the loss of dowry revenues, the temple could no longer afford her. She would need a new job and he would offer her one.
He knew Zi-Fang was enchanted with Luyuan. As the rejected and penniless bride of the river dragon,
she had no future in this valley. Ju decided that if his assistant was serious, Ju, as her mother’s employer, would make a marriage settlement for the girl. All that was for later. Now, one last piece of business needed to be discussed. Ju cleared his throat, and the crowd went silent.
“So, let me teach you how to build a dam—a new way to stop the floods.”
Pruitt has published a non-fiction article in Life in Pacific Grove. She has also privately published two books on her family’s history. "Master Ju's First Case" is her first published fiction.
"W
village men, Ju’s guards forced Sunshu and some of the older priests onto the raft and tied them down."
ith the enthusiastic
assistance of the
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