The young lady arranged her hair to the side before moving aside some bottles in the liquor store her uncle owned. This family business thing was a part of her everyday life. Not that she had any complaints. She had plenty to be thankful for. Life, her family, her health, her education…who wouldn’t be grateful? She ignored the chiming of bells to indicate a customer had arrived and continued to organize the shelf.

“Hello!” she greeted in Cantonese.

“I want service, now!” a crisp female voice spoke up before laughing.

The girl turned and shook her head, putting her hands on her black denim clad hips. Her blue blouse flattered her figure. “That’s funny, Chun Li.” But her tone indicated she thought otherwise. “With that type of attitude, it’s no wonder you don’t have a boyfriend.”

Chun Li’s eyes narrowed. “Now that’s not funny.” She jerked her chin in the direction of the store next to the liquor store. “You’re no better than those two amateurs, Meiying…”

The young woman laughed. “I think they’re influence is rubbing off on me…”

Chun Li, wearing a gray sundress, crossed her arms. “No kidding. I’m looking for a wine…with subtle flavor, yet a decent amount of alcohol…”

“You want to get drunk?” Meiying asked.

“No.” She pointed an accusing finger at the younger female. “And no comments about me being depressed and wanting to get drunk because I don’t have a boyfriend!”

Meiying shook her head. “I didn’t say anything!”

“But you were going to!” Chun Li retorted.

Meiying pulled out a stool. “Here. Sit. You look stressed.”

Gratefully, Chun Li sat down. “Is it my fault I fall for the wrong men?” she grumbled.

“Just the ones who have the ability to disappear in the blink of an eye,” Meiying quipped. “Things could be worse.”

In spite of the constant teasing, Meiying saw her as an older sister. She had known Chun Li for several years. The older woman was older by nearly fifteen years, but she was a kid at heart at times.

“How worse?” Chun Li asked. She rolled her eyes. “Or do I want to know?”

“You could be interested in younger men,” Meiying said. “Like Yun or Yang.” Referring to the two amateurs who worked in the market next door, she tipped her chin in the same direction Chun Li did earlier.

Chun Li nearly fell out of her chair. “Oh, that’s disgusting! This is Yun and Yang here!”

“That’s pretty bad. The worse it could get, actually,” Meiying pondered. “By the way, how are they? I haven’t seen them in a week.”

“They’ve been training a lot,” Chun Li said, standing up. “Ever since the last tournament, they’ve been practicing back and forth.”

“That takes a lot of discipline…and the moves they perform…”

“You know that one of Yang’s special attacks came from their childhood days?” Chun Li asked, looking through a rack.

“Oh?”

“His Tenshin-Senkyutai,” Chun Li offered. “He told me that when he and Yun were younger, they used to kick Gen’s chickens in the air and that’s how they learned how to do that.”

Meiying stifled a laugh. “You’re joking.”

“Ask him next time.”

“That’s our Yun and Yang…” Meiying grinned.

Chun Li walked over to the next rack, examining the wine. “I’m buying a wine as a gift. An old classmate of mine is getting married…” Her gaze shot to Meiying. “And no comments on how I’m always at weddings, never in them…”

Meiying shook her head. “Why would I even say such a thing?”

The other woman picked up a bottle, examining the label. “You were thinking about it, and don’t lie.”

Meiying sighed. “You don’t give me enough credit.”

Chun Li stuck her tongue out at the other woman.

“Heads up!” came a loud male call.

Meiying watched in amazement as a lean young man wearing a white shirt and black pants, cap on his head, breezed inside the store on a skateboard. What was even more surprising was that he was headed straight for Chun Li, obviously attempting to jump over her and the rack she was perusing. Her back to him, Chun Li bent slightly and lightly kicked his stomach, causing him to fly against another rack. She quickly turned around, catching his skateboard underneath one silver platform sandal.

Chun Li glared at him, then at the young man who appeared in the doorway, wearing a maroon shirt, black pants, and a sheepish expression.

Meiying kneeled, yanking the lopsided cap off of Yun’s head. “Nice going…You’re always pulling stunts like this…” She blew out a breath, surveying the scattered bottles and spilled liquid on the floor.

“If Miss I-Can’t-Get-A-Man hadn’t kicked me, the mess wouldn’t be here,” Yun pointed out, standing up.

“Will everyone just quit with the jokes about me not having a boyfriend?!” Chun Li exclaimed. Was it her fault that the object of her affections was a wandering warrior? “I know I don’t have one, all right? You don’t need to remind me! So what if he travels all the time? It’s not as if I can’t land a date on my own, ri-?”

She got cut off with their laughing. Chun Li glared at all three of them.

Yun plucked his hat out of Meiying’s outstretched hand and dusted his pants off. “Man, that was really funny…”

Meiying’s attention was diverted when she spotted a piece of paper sticking out from between two wood panels on one of the racks that had been knocked over. She carefully pulled it out.

“What’s that?” Chun Li asked.

Meiying unfolded the paper. Her eyes widened. Yun and Yang moved closer to look over her shoulder.

“A treasure map!” Yun exclaimed.

Indeed, it was. The paper had clear landmarks of the city, in their respective locations. And an ‘X’ was placed on the map as well.

Chun Li frowned. “You three don’t believe in buried treasure, do you?”

“Well…it wouldn’t be hidden if it wasn’t important…” Yang reasoned.

“Let’s find out what it is!” Meiying exclaimed. “It’s not as if we have anything better to do…”

Chun Li shook her head. “Young people…”