Sharing a Pavilion With You
Chapter 77: Punished to Kneel

Chapter 77: Punished to Kneel

Fifth brother stood with Tan Bowen as the young men milled around outside the classroom, classes having ended for the day.

"Mother punished Mei Meili," Fifth whispered over the hubbub to Tan Bowen.

"What? Why?"

"For wearing that revealing outfit for the grasslands dance."

"But that was a gift from Prince Nur!"

"Doesn’t matter; she shouldn’t have agreed to wear it."

Bai Li hovered in the background, having overheard Mei Meili’s name.

"Well, that’s true," shrugged Tan Bowen, "but you guys have kept her so protected she’s extremely innocent and naïve. How can you expect her to know it’s a problem? Plus, she still thinks she’s hideous, so she’s clueless as to the effect she has on men."

"Shh," hissed Fifth. "I know, I know, it’s a problem of my mother’s own making, but still, she was crazy angry at her; angrier than I’ve ever seen her get at my meimei."

"What did she do to her?"

"Ten strikes of the cane, lying on the bench."

Tan Bowen knew that ’lying on the bench,’ was a polite euphemism for the caning being on her backside.

"Shit! Is she okay?"

"It was awful. She didn’t make a sound until strike number nine, then she let out this little keen that broke all of our hearts, especially Third, he’s devastated."

Tan Bowen scowled in dismay to think of his sweet Meili being struck until she cried out. She was a tough little thing, so he knew she wouldn’t have cried out without a lot of pain.

"And that’s not all. She had to kneel all night in the ancestral temple, and she’s back there again tonight!"

"What the hell?" cried Tan Bowen. "That’s a bit too much isn’t it?"

"No one can stop mother when she goes on the warpath like this with us; not even my father. He doesn’t even try. And to be fair, it was a pretty stupid thing to do."

"It’s a small matter," Tan Bowen brushed it away, "there’s no crime. She was just trying to please her friend and Prince Nur. She didn’t harm anyone."

"She harmed her own reputation," whispered Fifth. "For a girl... well, that’s everything."

Tan Bowen trudged off with a long face after his conversation with his best friend. He was feeling desperately sorry for Mei Meili. She must be in pain and very upset. He couldn’t bear to think of that sweet blossom facing a second night on her own in their ancestral temple, no doubt tearing strips off herself for her mistake...

Tan Bowen was joined by Bai Li, who walked up beside him.

"I overheard heard what Mei Sunren told you," he glowered, looking like he wanted to kill somebody.

"She probably got off easily, all things considered," said Tan Bowen morosely.

Bai Li nodded despondently. "You can’t disagree with her mother punishing her, but still..."

Tan Bowen pulled his shoulders back. "I’ll find a way in there tonight to cheer her up!"

"I thought you’d never say it!"

Meili knelt on a thin pillow in her family’s ancestral temple. Her knees ached and so did her behind, which she was trying not to touch with her heels because it was too painful.

Slow tears trickled down her face, not feeling sorry for herself, but sad that her mother was so upset at her, and of course, she was thoroughly ashamed of herself.

She wondered how she would ever be able to face her three male friends again now that she understood the magnitude of her faux pas. Her ears reddened just thinking about it.

Two guards stood outside the temple, preventing any of her brothers or Manni from ducking in with treats and encouragement, her mother knowing all too well that they would try. Only her parents were allowed to enter.

After an hour or so of kneeling, her father sidled in.

"Meili my pearl, are you okay?" he asked with concern.

"Yes father, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, I can handle it. I’m tougher than you think," she tried to sound brave, but it just made his heart break even more for her.

"I know you are my sweet, but still, let an old father worry about his daughter."

She smiled gratefully up at her father as he stroked her long hair.

She wore a plain white robe, and her long hair fell free as part of her penance.

She looked young, innocent and heartbreakingly beautiful.

"Don’t worry too much about your mother. She loves you very much, you know. This hurts her as much as it hurts you."

"I know father. She’s doing this for my own good. I made a terrible mistake, so I accept my punishment."

"Mistakes happen, mistakes happen," he comforted her, "don’t let it concern you too much".

"How can I not father? Mother says my reputation is ruined."

"People have short memories Meili, and there’s every chance the news hasn’t spread. All the young men who were there are well brought up, not gossips."

She nodded vigorously, hoping against hope that her father was right.

"Tian Yun!" called her mother from outside the temple, clearly on the warpath.

"Oh right! Straighten your back Meili!" he called sternly, secretly dropping a wrapped sweet in front of her. "Stay here tonight and think more on the error of your ways," he wagged his finger at her.

The door to the temple opened and her mother stuck her head in.

"Tian Yun, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Come out of there. You’re softening her punishment. ’A house divided against itself, cannot stand,’" she quoted.

"Yes dear," her father hastened away with his wife, "I was just admonishing Meili to think on her mistakes".

"Is that so?" said his wife sceptically, dragging him away from the temple by his arm.

Bai Li and Tan Bowen waited until well after midnight to make their foray into the Mei mansion.

They crept slowly over the rooftops, using the loud chirping of the late-summer crickets to cover what little noise their footsteps were making.

Arriving at the ancestral temple, Bai Li gestured for Tan Bowen to move out of the way. He very carefully prised off one of the ceramic roof tiles and peered through the hole.

He could see Mei Meili kneeling.

She looked so tiny and fragile in her white robe, her long hair surrounding her and falling to the floor. She was humming a sad little tune; The Injustice Done to Dou E, if he wasn’t mistaken.

He couldn’t help giving a wry little smile, it was good to see that her spirit was not broken and she maintained her sense of injustice, even if it was misplaced...

Bai Li gestured at Tan Bowen to join him, and the young poet peered through the other side of the peephole.

His heart broke at the scene of pathos on the floor of the temple below.

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