Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4-7 2019 | Page 259

“Would all wounds heal?” He asked after slowly regaining his consciousness, “I hope they do. All of us
have got different wounds from the battles.”
Yuqing smiled and busied herself with tending his wound. This wouldn’t be time for her to explain,
with gestures, how she treats different wounds. She also wanted to tell him that the doctors try their best to
ensure all physical wounds could heal but it’s the mental ones that are more difficult; she doubted whether
the soldiers could ever forget the deaths and injuries on the battlefields.
Her thoughts suddenly drifted back to her family - there was definitely a wound left somewhere by her
battle with her mother. It had been exposed in the air for too long with no one tending to it.
It had been at least a year since they first set sail. Yuqing couldn’t risk asking anyone on board so she tried
to keep track of time by counting sunsets. Day after day she watched the red, glowing sphere vanish behind
the horizon; watched the pale blue sky become the canvas painted with shades of marigold and crimson.
But she lost count after a year – some days merged into others. What she preserved in her mind was all the
sights she had seen that portrayed a world she had once never even dared to dream about.
She remembered the shimmering golden roofs of those magnificent Buddhist temples in Siam; the devoted
monks murmuring their prayers in unison.
She remembered the bustling markets in Ceylon; the curious glance of a lady sitting in a wagon, dressed in
an exotic sari.
She remembered the mysterious islanders on Java, who spoke a strange language but were nevertheless
kind to her; they offered her a piece of a fruit named “ cempedak ” that tasted very sweet.
…
Of course, she had been practicing medicine like she wanted. She recalled the names of countless herbs and
their effects; learnt how to take the pulses of patients and figure out what different signs of pulses implied.
This was all she longed for – being a doctor who helps vulnerable patients; there was more – she saw the
world beyond the horizon.
“Hey.” The soldier said feebly, “Why are you smiling? Does my injury please you?”
Yuqing shook her head and blushed.
“Anyway…do you want to hear the story of the uprising in Sumatra?” He said abruptly.
She gave him a quizzical look.
“I’m feeling much better now.” He explained, moving his arm a little to prove his point.
She nodded, allowing him to continue, but she only heard vaguely about a son of a fisherman who tried
to rebel against the new king of Sumatra, and absorbed none of the details. Instead, she managed to deduce
something crucial – they were now going to return, for she heard that Admiral Zheng had promised to help
the king to suppress it on their way back. Yuqing felt something tugging at her heart as she thought about
returning. It seemed like decades ago when she confronted her mother about the arranged marriage; seeing
the stern and disappointed face of her mother as she stormed off; now she couldn’t help wondering about
how she had been.
*
*
*
“Yuqing.”
Doctor Li whispered her name as she was returning to her cabin, looking around cautiously, “This is
important, Admiral Zheng is looking for you.”
“Pardon?” Yuqing raised her voice in surprise, “You mean…Admiral Zheng He?” She asked tentatively to
make sure she had not misheard him.
Doctor Li placed his finger in front of his lips – a gesture for Yuqing to lower her voice, “Yes, the most
important person here.”
“What for?”
“I have no idea. You’d have to find out yourself.”
“Do I have to go?”
“You better do.” Doctor Li pursed his lips, “He has the power here, the wise decision would be not to
defy his orders. He arranged to meet you in his cabin at sunset. I need to go tend to the wounded soldiers
now; let’s just leave this conversation at that.”
Yuqing frowned as Doctor Li patted her shoulders and hurried off. Millions of questions swirled in her
head – What is the Admiral like? What will he do to her? Was she failing to do her duty?
Most important of all – why is he meeting her?