Clockwork Samurai (21 page)

What good were such memories anyway?

I had decided what needed to be done earlier that day when Old Man Lo had counted out my earnings. He wasn't stingy. On the contrary, he had given me more than my share.

Physician Lo was a generous man who operated on the old tradition by which his patients only paid him when they were well. Thus he always had a stake in bringing his patients back to good health.

Payment only sometimes came in the form of copper cash. Often he would be paid with a cup of rice or a quantity of salt or eggs. Whatever the villagers had to spare. Lately food was scarce and, as could be expected when the elements were unbalanced, sickness was common. For the last month, every coin Lo sent my way had been charity and I knew it.

I had gone to the provincial capital of Changsha several times before. Usually when we needed to sell something that we had brought with us from Peking. There was no market for finery in Linhua.

Someone in Changsha had to be willing to pay something for Father's box this time around. It was the only thing we had left of any value.

USA Today
bestselling author
Jeannie Lin
grew up fascinated with stories of Western epic fantasy, Eastern martial arts adventures, and romance novels. Formerly a high school teacher, Jeannie is now known for writing groundbreaking, award-winning historical romances set in Tang Dynasty China, including her Golden Heart award-winning debut,
Butterfly Swords
,
The Dragon and the Pearl
,
My Fair Concubine
, and
The Lotus Palace
, as well as the Gunpowder Chronicles, which began with
Gunpowder Alchemy
.

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