{Jiaoshu, I wish to speak with you about Xiaohu,} Manchu said, bowing deeply to the older man. It had been three months since Dee's birthday and Manchu had finally managed to get a private interview with Jiaoshu.

The teacher gave Manchu an odd look, quirking an eyebrow at the boy. Folding his hands into his sleeves, Jiaoshu straightened his spine and looked Manchu in the eye. {Please. Sit and tell me what is on your mind.}

{I would prefer to stand, thank you,} he said, inclining his head. {What I wish to say may be a topic you do not wish to discuss as it has come and gone, but I feel the need to voice my opinion on it.}

{You have waited all this time to come to talk to me about Xiaohu not being accepted into the Triad, is that correct?}

The boy looked shocked. He could have had any number of reasons to come and talk to Jiaoshu about Dee. Some of the excuses could have been her sudden immersion and the odd pleasure she found from doing the daily chores she once would do anything to get out of. The hours she spent feverishly training alone or with one of the willing former students or guards could have been another. Certainly there were many other reasons he could have come to talk to Jiaoshu about his beloved friend and her current behavior.

{Ah...Yes. It has been on my mind since the night she was turned down as to why she didn't get in. Certainly she has all the qualifications and the determination.} He gestured with his hands for a moment, trying to get out what he wanted to say without sounding insulting. {Jiaoshu, we all know that Po Sin has never liked her. He has never liked anyone much, not even himself! Could he have prevented her from joining? He is the High Elder and I don't wish to speak so disrespectfully of him, but...}

Jiaoshu waved him quiet and tucked his hand back into his robe. {Manchu, in all the time you have known our Xiaohu, has she ever said anything derogatory of any member of the Triad and truly meant it? Think carefully, my son.}

{I do not need to think on that at all. The only person I could even think of her saying something about and meaning it was Feng.}

{And what did she say about Feng?}

{That the girl would never grow out of her desire to be the best no matter who she had to hurt, even kill, to get there. I share the same feelings about Feng. Many do.}

Nodding his head thoughtfully, Jiaoshu asked, {In your opinion, would Xiaohu ever knowingly betray the Triad if she had been accepted?}

{No! Never, Jiaoshu! She has more honor than that!} The boy was as near insulted at the question as one could get. How could anyone even think that after knowing Dee as long as they had? She was loyal to the core when it came to her friends and loved ones.

{Thank you, Manchu. You may be excused.}

Manchu's eyes went wide. {But Jiaoshu!}

{You are excused, Manchu.} The tone in which Jiaoshu spoke left the boy nothing to do other than bow respectfully and leave the room. For a moment Jiaoshu sat quietly. {Did you hear what you expected?}

Shing and Fai came out from behind the screen where they had been secreted. Both men were smiling at the results of the interview.

{We heard exactly what we expected, Jiaoshu. The boy has known her the best and known her longest. He has no reason to make up anything he told us as he came to fight for her right to enter the Triad,} Shing said.

{Indeed. In the time I have had to observe her, she has shown none of the traits that Po Sin insists she has. The only issue is this Feng girl.}

Shing immediately waved the topic aside. {The girl came here looking for trouble and expecting to be treated in the way her family pampers her. Jiaoshu plays no favorites and Feng did not like it. Xiaohu defeated her in one of the most magnificent matches we have ever seen between two students.}

{It was too short, in my opinion,} grumbled Jiaoshu. {Had Feng's intentions to do bodily harm not been so obvious, I would have liked to see a nice long match. The kind that Xiaohu and Manchu used to get into.}

The three men laughed and Shing clapped Jiaoshu on the shoulder. {We will let the subject cool for a little longer as we work on Po Sin. However, we both agree that the girl should be accepted into the Triad. The sooner we can start training her for missions, the better. I believe she will make an excellent thief for us.}

Fai nodded. {She certainly has the skills for that! I saw her nab two steamed buns and hide them faster than the cook could blink!}

{Then you two will let me know when the final decision comes?}

The Elders nodded. {As soon as we can find a way of allowing her in that will appease Po Sin, we will tell you.}

Respectful bows were exchanged and the Elders left the house. Jiaoshu made his way down to the kitchen where he watched Dee as she quickly rolled together pot stickers for the afternoon meal. A smile caressed his face as he watched the young woman with a smudge of flour on her nose deftly toss the delicacies into a steamer. His heart was lighter with the knowledge that the Elders were working on getting her a position in the Triad.
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