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the one I had earlier with Zhang Jing. Bao is yet another villager going blind.
    Once his father is out of sight, Li Wei punches a scraggly tree growing near the mine’s entrance. I’ve seen him make impulsive gestures like this since childhood. They’re born out of passion, when his emotions run high, and they’re usually harmless. Except, when his hand makes contact with the tree, blood spurtsout, and he jumps back in surprise. Recalling how notices are sometimes hung on the tree, I realize he’s struck one of the old nails. Without thinking twice, I’m on my feet, retrieving the supply bag he brought out for his father.
    What are you doing?
Li Wei signs, even with blood dripping off his hand. The surprise on his face tells me he didn’t know I was nearby.
    Stop talking
, I scold.
Stay still.
    To my astonishment, he complies and stops moving so that I can help him. The cut is on his right hand, which could be catastrophic for a miner. As I clean it, though, I can see it’s actually pretty shallow. It reminds me of the paper cuts I sometimes get back at the Peacock Court, cuts that are barely skin deep but still manage to put out a lot of blood. But there’s something a little bit more sinister about an old nail, and even after I’ve poured water on the cut and wiped away most of the blood, I worry about infection. I hurry over to the stump and return with a small belt pouch, searching through tiny packets of pigment. When I find the one I want—yellow—I sprinkle a little of the powder on his cut before wrapping a clean cloth bandage around it. Once the bandage is secure, I examine his hand one more time, turning it over in my own. His fingers start to entwine with mine, and I abruptly pull back.
    What was that?
Li Wei asks when I tuck the packet back into my pouch.
    It’s pigment for a special type of paint. We make the color from a root that also has medicinal properties. I saw my masteruse it once on another wound. It will prevent infection.
I don’t tell him how valuable the pigment is and that I’m not even supposed to be bringing it out with me on my observations. It’ll be a while before our masters do inventory, and I hope I’ll have some reason for explaining why I’m low.
    Won’t you get in trouble for interfering?
Li Wei asks.
With a miner?
    His words startle me. Everything happened so fast that I didn’t even really have a chance to think about what I was doing. I just broke our primary commandment, interfering when we’re only supposed to be observing. I’d be in serious trouble if my master or any of the others found out.
    If I get in trouble, so be it
, I say at last.
I make my own decisions.
    That’s not what I remember.
A moment later, he realizes how mean that was.
I’m sorry.
His hands waver again before he asks:
I suppose you’ll have to tell them about my father? That he’s going blind?
    Li Wei is right. Technically, as part of my duty, I should report back everything I observed—including their discussion. I can tell that as much as it pains him, Li Wei secretly wants me to report on his father. It will take the burden of responsibility away and finally get Bao removed from the mines and the danger there. I think about the old man’s words, about holding on to his pride. And then I think about Zhang Jing and her own fears of being found out. Slowly, I shake my head.
    No
,
I won’t tell.
I hesitate before continuing on.
And youshouldn’t be so hard on him. He’s just trying to do what he’s always done. It’s noble.
    Li Wei stares at me incredulously.
Noble? He’s going to get himself killed!
    He’s providing for others
, I insist.
    Providing?
he asks, still outraged.
We slave away, putting our lives at risk and our own dreams aside so that we can feed everyone else. We have the entire village’s hopes and fears resting on our shoulders. If we don’t work,