The Frail Little Husband

Dark-skinned, devoted-dog gong & sickly young master shou

Mai Sheng has a frail childhood friend who lives next door. He is strikingly handsome and aloof in both looks and temperament.

All the village children go to school, but his childhood friend is stuck at home in his family's courtyard every day.

The tall pear tree goes from lush green leaves to being covered in snow, yet Mai Sheng's childhood friend never once sets foot outside the courtyard.

After school, Mai Sheng doesn't go fishing and playing by the river with his classmates. He hurries home, gulps down a couple of bites, and makes an excuse about going upstairs to study. Then he climbs out of the second-floor window, skirts around the back hill, and runs to the neighbor's backyard. He looks up and calls softly:

"Qiao Qiao, Qiao Qiao..."

At the sound of his voice, a window upstairs swings open from within. The sickly beauty leans on the sill and asks with a smile, "Little Black Bun, what is it?"

Mai Sheng chuckles. His ink-black eyes shine as he pulls a smooth, round pebble from his clothes and rubs it clean. Then he holds it up, full of hope. "Qiao Qiao, I met a monk today. He said this stone has been blessed, so I bought it to keep you safe."

After speaking, he pulls a long bamboo pole from a corner, places the pebble in a small cloth pouch tied to its tip, and carefully raises it up to the person above.

"Qiao Qiao, keep it with you every day. When you get better, I'll take you out to play. There are so many places I haven't been yet. I've been waiting for you."

*

Qiao Qiao is the only child in his family. Though he is a frail, frequently ill ge'er, his parents dote on him and give him the very best of everything.

While other children have to walk miles along mountain roads to attend school, his parents hire a tutor to teach him at home.

While other children rarely get to eat anything good all year and stare wide-eyed at cracklings during the New Year, his meals always include chicken, duck, fish, and meat.

But the comfortable life that outsiders envy is dull and tedious to Qiao Qiao. His frail health means he must take medicine every day and never leave the courtyard.

In these unchanging days, the only one who brings him joy is the little black bun next door. But their parents are bitter enemies and won't even let the two children see each other.

For a while, Qiao Qiao thinks this star is going to fade away. Then one night, someone pounds on his bedroom window.

He opens it and sees the poor little black bun standing outside in the backyard, clinging to the courtyard wall and calling to him in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Qiao Qiao, I brought you something tasty. Come down!"

*

1. Childhood friends, born on the exact same day.

2. First draft of the blurb written on 2023.05.31 (screenshot saved).

3. The shou really is very frail. He will only get a little better later on, and will still need proper rest and care.

4. Anything may change before the story officially begins.

Theme: Praying to the gods is useless. I'll protect you.