Zen knocked on the door.

The door opened a sliver, enough for an eye to peek out. There was a rattling of chains and the door swung wide open.

“Wang Zen! Yin Zheng!” Jun Nee happily greeted the two boys happily.

“Hey, Jun Nee!” Yin Zheng smiled at her. “Can we come in?”

“Uhm…” she said, nervously looking at Zen. “I haven’t really cleaned up…”

“Nonsense!” Zen said, “It can’t be that bad.”

Shibi slipped in through the gap in the door. Zen followed in, walking past Jun Nee who was still trying to stutter out an excuse.

Yin Zheng gave her an apologetic smile while following in.

Zen looked around the small hut. It was a two room house, smaller than any proper house he had seen. It reminded him more of the dorm room he had shared with Deng Ai and Li Ao back at Goixi Academy.

“Wang Zen? Yin Zheng?” Jun Nin Xe said.

Zen frowned at him. His hair was amess and it was obvious as he had just woken up.

“You guys came to visit?” he said yawning. “You’ll have to forgive my appearance; I was working all night and only woke up when I heard the door.”

“Working all night?” Zen said.

“Since the Li Family took the Yellow Market, I’ve been forced to pull double duty. Finding odd jobs here and there.” Jun Nin Xe said.

“Why don’t you just start selling your food at another market.”

Jun Nin Xe smirked at this. “Merchant commoners are rather territorial. A weakling like me can’t really challenge them, so I’m trying to join one of the merchant factions, until then, I have to find odd jobs.”

“Sorry that happened to you.” Zen frowned, lowering his head.

Jun Nin Xe shrugged, “Not like there is much we can do. We’re only commoners.”

“Being commoners does not mean that we are helpless,” Zheng said. “We should not let the Li family get away with what they are doing. Don’t worry, they won’t.”

Zen disliked the edge in his friend’s voice at the last part.

“You guys interested in some food?” Nin Xe asked. “I know Yin Zheng likes my dumplings.”

“Yes,” Zen said, “but first, I think I should get to the business of why I am here.”

“Business? You have business with us?” Jun Nee said.

“Well, mainly with you?” Zen said. “How would you like to work at the City Lord’s Mansion?”

“W-What? Me? At the City Lord’s Mansion?”

“Yeah,” Zen said, “Thought it would be a good job that will help you with… well, your the current situation.”

“What would I be doing?” Jun Nee said.

Zen shrugged. “Not sure. I asked my mom to organise something.”

“Yes. I’ll do anything.” Jun Nee said.

“At least the City Lord is trying to help you guys out.” Zheng said, walking to the window and staring out. “But how will she help all those other people who also can’t work at Yellow Market anymore.”

Zen frowned, unsure what to say. “Why… Why would they even kick out commoners?” Zen wondered out loud. “Won’t they get money by charging merchants to sell there?”

Zheng shook his head. “I heard they are turning the market into a 5 star one. Only the richest merchants will be able to sell there. If you can’t afford the rent, you will have to sell elsewhere. People who lived in the market will soon have to move out because of the high rent.”

Zen clutched at his chest, the dull pain he constantly felt growing with his guilt.

“Enough with the gloom,” Nin Xe said. “Let me whip you guys up some food.” Nin Xe said getting up. “Now, I must warn you, Master Wang, after eating one of my dumplings, you may swear off your fancy food forever!”

Zen laughed at this, which caused Jun Nee and Zheng to also laugh.

Zen knocked on the door of his mother’s office.

“Come in!” she shouted from the other side.

“Mom,” he said, walking in, followed in tow by Jun Nee.

“Hello, Son.” She said, not looking up from her paperwork. She instead pointed at a steaming cup. “There’s your medicine.”

Zen rolled his eyes as he went for the medicine. “Mom, this is the friend I told you about.”

“Ah…” Wang Lin said, a sly smile on her face as she looked up for the first time since they entered the room, “So this is the friend you were telling me about.”

Lin studied Jun Nee for a long stretch of time. The girl began feeling self-conscious, hugging herself awkwardly while fidgeting with her foot.

“I can see it I guess.” She said. “A proper dress and a get her hair done and you could be worthy of my son.”

“W-What?” Jun Nee said, her face growing a dark shade of red.

“Stop it, Mom!” Zen said, taking a break from downing the bitter medicine. “I told you its not like that!”

“For now, it isn’t” she said with a knowing glint in her eyes. “But these things usually change. Ha, you think it was love at first when I first saw your father. I found his arrogance annoying but he wormed his way into my heart somehow.”

“Haai, keyword being worm.” Jao said, entering the room. He stopped, also to observe Jun Nee but instead of the curious look that Wang Lin had, his was more critical, more judgemental. “Where did you find this girl, Wang Zen?”

“She is an old friend.” Zen said, smiling at Jun Nee.

She held her head high and smiled back, finding confidence in her friend’s face.

“So she can be trusted?” Jao said. “There are many commoners after my daughter’s head after all, how do we know this isn’t a ploy to get to her.”

“I doubt she is part of a ploy.” Lin said, standing next to her son and placing a hand on his shoulder. “If she is a friend of my son, then she is worthy of my trust. And besides, it’s not like she is foolish enough to take on someone as powerful as me, right, Jun Nee?”

“No! I mean, yes, ma’am!” Jun Nee stuttered. “I would never take you on.”

“See, Papa?” Wang Lin said, returning to her seat.

Jao grumbled but said nothing further.

“So, what exactly will I be doing, Ma’am?” Jun Nee said. “Will I be a maid, or a babysitter…?”

“Babysitter?” Zen said in protest.

“…a messenger? Will I help with the groundskeeping or the kitchen duties?”

““Yes.”” Both Lin and Jao said.