Die Schönheiten der Song-Dynastie

Kapitel 16

"I don't know either. Maybe this could be the key to a breakthrough. I just have a feeling." Jiang Ping immediately changed the subject: "The clan chief said he cast a curse on that land, and anyone who goes in will surely die. But the fact is that at least the driver and his comrades came out alive. Don't you find that strange?"

"I don't know what the concept of a so-called curse is. Is it like a wire mesh with high voltage, where you'll get an electric shock if you touch it? Even high-voltage wire meshes have power outages for maintenance sometimes!" Tian Juan said, pursing her lips.

“We are now like walking in the dark. We can’t see, so we can only use our ears, nose, skin, and even intuition to capture the smallest information to guide us. So this kind of analysis is not meaningless. At least it’s better than blind men riding blind horses and waiting to die!” Mr. Bian retorted.

"So what conclusion can we draw from this?" Tian Juan asked, somewhat unconvinced.

"I don't know," Jiang Ping said frankly.

I said, "Yesterday I kept thinking about the question Tian Juan asked that day: Is there really a deity watching over everything in the world? Does it coldly observe the good and evil in the world, or does it ultimately give a judgment and then give corresponding rewards and punishments based on the judgment?"

"Oh, so what's the result of your thinking?" Tian Juan asked with interest.

"I believe there is such a power in the dark. Lao Tzu said: 'The way of Heaven is to take from those who have more than enough and give to those who have less than enough. The way of man is to take from those who have less than enough and give to those who have more than enough.'"

Extremes lead to reversals, and the same applies to doing things. One cannot go too far, or one will reach the opposite extreme. Everything in the world is subject to mutual restraint and complementarity, preventing things from going to extremes. What is united for a long time will eventually divide, and what is divided for a long time will eventually unite; extreme chaos leads to order—this is the principle.

Back then, Zhuge Liang's ingenious plan, step by step, lured Sima Yi into a trap, intending to burn the Wei army to the ground. However, his calculations were so brilliant that even Heaven was jealous and couldn't bear to watch. So a heavy rain turned all his efforts into nothing.

Just as the chieftain's tribe was heading towards destruction, a beggar with magical powers appeared. It was the chieftain himself who had defied the will of heaven and disrupted all the procedures.

I believe there will be a force or opportunity to check and balance things, because the clan leader has gone too far.

“Generally speaking, I can believe it, but when it comes to specifics, I’m not so confident. I hope what you’re saying is true,” Tian Juan said sincerely.

The train arrived in Kunming a little after 10 a.m. It was just past midnight, the 14th day of the seventh lunar month, and the Ghost Festival was the day after tomorrow. We were exhausted from our journey, so we found a hotel to stay in.

During registration, Tian Juan smiled mysteriously and volunteered to book rooms. The waiter took the keys upstairs and booked three standard rooms.

I was wondering why they didn't book a triple room and a standard room when Tian Juan pointed to a room and said to Jiang Ping, "You stay over there tonight." Then she grabbed me and pulled me into a room, saying without turning her head, "We'll stay in this room, we don't care about the rest of you!"

She quickly closed the door, and Jiang Ping reacted just as quickly, immediately going into his room and closing the door behind him. I couldn't help but look at Tian Juan with admiration; she was truly a kind and understanding girl. I was sure Mr. Bian and Tian's mother must be incredibly embarrassed.

We started washing up, and after a while there was a knock on the door. It was Aunt Tian calling.

Tian Juan shouted exaggeratedly, "Who is it? Asleep, asleep! We'll talk tomorrow!"

"You brat, bring out my toiletries and a change of clothes!" Mother Tian said with a laugh.

Tian Juan playfully stuck out her tongue, quickly grabbed the clothes, and handed them out through a crack in the door.

I first watched this heartwarming scene with a smile, but soon felt a pang of sadness, and my eyes involuntarily welled up with tears. This couple should have been living happily together long ago, but cruel fate had been so merciless, forcing them to suppress their feelings for so long. Now they are finally together, but perhaps they only have thirty-odd hours left!

Tian Juan leaned against the door, her shoulders heaving as she sobbed softly. I went over and pulled her away, only to find her delicate face covered in tears, a stark contrast to her playful smile just moments before.

I pulled her to the sofa and comforted her in a low voice. She then began to tell me about her childhood.

“When I was little, I was very naughty. Whenever I got into trouble, my mother would grab a broom to punish me. If I saw that things were going to get bad, I would run to Uncle Bian's place as fast as I could. Once I got there, I would be safe because Uncle Bian loved me the most. When my mother caught up with me, he would pretend to scold me and make me apologize. That way, the physical pain would be relieved.”

I love it when Mom goes on business trips, because then I go to Uncle Bian's place, and that's when I'm happiest. Uncle Bian is as happy as a little kid, we fight, bicker, snatch food, tell stories, and assemble toys together. I'm especially well-behaved then, unlike at home where Mom has to nag me many times before I do my homework. Because if I finish my homework quickly, I can play with Uncle Bian.

One year, my mother was rarely away on business trips, and I was very worried. I went to ask Grandpa Sun, my mother's boss, and asked, "Why haven't you let my mother go on business trips for so long?" He said, "What's wrong? Did your mother ask you to ask? What are you going to do if your mother is away on business trips?" I said, "That's easy, I'll stay at Uncle Bian's place."

Later, when my mom came back, she angrily asked me what happened and why I was talking nonsense. I said I liked living with Uncle Bian, and I wished he could be my dad. I saw my mom was about to hit me, and I was about to run away when she suddenly started crying, which terrified me.

As Tian Juan pondered her memories, she spoke of when Uncle Bian bought her the first large doll, the first trench coat, the first Walkman, and so on. A smile gradually appeared on her lips.

"Several times I woke up in the middle of the night and saw my mother staring blankly at a photo album. I begged to see it, but she hid it and wouldn't let me. Later, I secretly used a key to open the drawer and found that it was a photo of my mother and Uncle Bian when they were young. I was so happy to find that my mother, like me, also liked Uncle Bian."

One winter, her mother went on a business trip, and I stayed at Uncle Bian's house again. That night, Uncle Bian got up several times to tuck me in, and the last time he secretly kissed my forehead. I wasn't asleep at all; I opened my eyes, hooked my arms around his neck, and asked him to be my father. Uncle Bian didn't say anything, tears streaming down my face. I was terrified and said, "Don't cry, I'll tell you a secret." Then I told him about how his mother had been staring blankly at photos, and he cried even harder. I never dared to mention it again.

As I listened, tears welled up in my eyes.

"My mom often jokingly scolds me, saying that I love Uncle Bian more than I love him. But in my heart, Uncle Bian is my dad. Who doesn't love their own dad? But I've never understood why he's so good to my mother and me, and my mom likes him so much, but he just doesn't want to be my dad."

Once, my neighbor's aunt came over for a visit. I overheard them talking and found out they were trying to introduce my mother to a potential partner, praising how wonderful that person was.

I rushed out and shouted, "I don't want him to be my dad! I only want Uncle Bian to be my dad! You're not welcome here, please leave!" The aunt didn't react at first and got anxious, saying, "Your Uncle Bian doesn't want you as his daughter?" I yelled back, "Bullshit! You're talking nonsense!" My mom rushed over and slapped me, making me apologize. I slammed the door and ran away. At that time, Uncle Bian was doing research in the suburbs. I had been there before, but I didn't have any money, so I walked there.

She ran away from home around 10 a.m. and didn't arrive until after 4 p.m. She was exhausted and hungry, and when she saw Uncle Bian, she started to cry in grievance.

Later, Uncle Bian took me home, and my mother didn't hit me. After that, no one came to propose marriage again; everyone at the research institute knew about my bad reputation.

Seeing that I was crying, Tian Juan comforted me, "I'm so sorry to have made you cry too. Actually, I've always had the love of my mother and Uncle Bian, and I'm naturally cheerful, so I don't feel that much hardship. It's just that they are suffering so much. I feel so guilty when I think about how I used to make my mother angry when I was little. She has always needed someone to talk to, and she has always hoped that someone could help her share the burden of the family."

I wiped away my tears and said, "I think they are very lucky to have such a sensible daughter as you. You may think that you do a lot of silly things, but actually, they are the best way for you to express your love for them. You bring them a lot of joy and are their pride."

Tian Juan crossed her arms over her chest and prayed silently. A strand of her hair covered her delicate nose, and her face radiated an angelic glow.

I sighed softly, and almost at the same time I seemed to hear another sigh from inside the room, but it wasn't me.

I wanted to hear it clearly, but I heard nothing.

He didn't get up until after nine o'clock the next day. Mr. Bian and the others came to knock on the door again. He was still calm and composed, while Mrs. Tian was shy like a little girl.

We went downstairs together to have breakfast.

Jiang Ping, having had plenty of sleep, looked radiant: "The clan chief came by just before dawn today."

"Really? You didn't fight, did you?" Tian Juan asked in surprise.

"Of course not, but I didn't see him. He left a small note by my bedside, telling us how to get there." As he spoke, he took out a yellowed piece of paper, which was a paper money, covered with writing.

He continued, "I fell asleep very quickly when I got home yesterday, and I even dreamed about some fragments of my past life."

"Do you still remember the details of your dream?" Tian Juan asked eagerly.

"Yes, I remember it very clearly."

Tell me about it!

"Hey, where should I begin! It's really just a lot of fleeting glimpses of life. Maybe you can recall the scenes in Zhang Yimou's film 'The Road Home,' which are very beautiful and poignant. I believe that if I go to that place and there's no human damage over the years, I'll recognize it."

"Did you dream about your parents from your past life?" Tian Juan asked curiously.

“One scene I remember is from when I was born. It’s strange, I shouldn’t have understood anything at that time, but I dreamed of this scene. Shortly after I was born, my father, who is also the clan chief, was holding me, and my mother was holding clothes and protecting me. There were several other clan members holding several newborn babies, followed by the men, women, and children of the whole village, singing and dancing, all coming to the riverbank.”

Several elderly people put wooden collars around our necks, with green lotus leaves inside. The fragrance and softness of those collars are unforgettable.

The river water was crystal clear; you could even see small fish swimming around the shore. He gently placed me in the water, and at first I cried loudly and choked on water, as did the other children.

The young mothers couldn't resist wanting to pick up their babies, but were stopped. Soon, I felt incredibly comfortable, warm and cozy, and I even paddled with my little hands as tiny fish swam around my neck. It was a wonderful, very comforting feeling.

All the tribespeople cheered on the shore, and the children threw pink lotus petals into the water. After a while, the mothers picked us up, removed the wooden rings, wrapped them in soft towels, and then, by a respected elder, placed silver necklaces on each of us. My father took out pastries he had prepared and distributed them to the tribespeople who participated in the ceremony. As they received the treats, they spoke words of praise, and I felt that those people were truly simple and honest. I want to go to those places to conduct folk custom research in the future.

Another vivid image is of people of all ages dancing wildly around a bonfire during festivals, with roasted beef and mutton in the center, the aroma filling the air. Everyone's faces are flushed, and the silver jewelry on the girls sparkles. I danced along, feeling incredibly excited. It was different from the feeling in bars and dance halls; it wasn't empty, aimless indulgence or catharsis, but a fulfilling and joyful happiness. As for catching fish, picking fruit, and hunting, those are just fragmented memories. For example, I can vaguely imagine hearing distant singing from men and women in the middle of the night, but I can't describe the unique feeling.

"So do you remember what happened on the day the disaster occurred?" I asked.

Jiang Ping tried hard to recall, then shook his head: "I don't know. I hadn't been asleep long yesterday when I felt very sleepy. I heard a woman's voice calling very gently: 'Ah Xiong, Ah Xiong, come back, come back, Mom misses you.' Then I was running alone in the dark wilderness. The voice seemed to come from different places, sometimes from the dark forest, sometimes from the distant hills, sometimes from the surging river, and sometimes from the depths of the earth. I felt very lonely and very scared. Finally, I seemed to hear someone sigh, and then I woke up. After a while, I fell asleep again and started having the dream I just described."

"Later, the situation in my dream was completely the opposite; it was very warm and cozy. You described it as a paradise on earth," Tian Juan said longingly.

"Yes, but I can never see my mother's face clearly in my dreams. It's like there's a mist between us. She's always so close yet so far away from me. I keep trying to get closer to her in my dreams, but I never succeed. I wake up in the middle of the night with my collar soaked with sweat."

"Oh, really? So you didn't sleep well, but you seem to be in good spirits," Tian Juan said.

Jiang Ping said, "I dreamt in the first half of the night, and I even drank some water after waking up. I didn't dream in the second half of the night."

"How can you be so sure the clan leader arrived close to dawn? I remember you said you didn't see him," I asked.

"When they arrived, I felt like someone shouted at me suddenly, and then I woke up and saw this piece of paper next to my pillow."

"Who was shouting at you?" Tian Juan asked, puzzled.

Jiang Ping looked troubled and stammered, "He is my guardian spirit. Otherwise, wouldn't someone with magical powers be easily tricked just like an ordinary person? I meditate with him every morning and evening, communicating with him on a spiritual level. But please don't ask me about this anymore; I promised Grandpa Sun."

"Oh, so was it the clan leader who appeared in your dream this time?" I asked.

“Who else could it be but him? Yesterday, we reasoned with him and used force to intimidate him; today, we appealed to his emotions and dreams, awakening his memories of his past life, making him feel like a member of the tribe, and willingly helping him realize his plan,” Tian Juan said without room for doubt.

Jiang Ping nodded and took a bite of the fruit salad.

He looked at the red dish.

The little red fruit suddenly stopped and froze, motionless.

"What's wrong, Jiang Ping? Are you feeling unwell?" Tian's mother asked gently.

Jiang Ping ignored us; we were used to it. Perhaps this was what Grandpa Sun meant by natural talent—the ability to concentrate on thinking about problems anytime, anywhere.

I'm starting to believe that the story of Newton boiling his pocket watch like an egg might not be a fabrication.

"Red fruit! That's right, I remember now, I also dreamed of red fruit. There was a peculiar fruit growing on an ancient tree in the middle of the village, which no one had ever seen before. It was bright red, very vivid and beautiful, and tasted delicious!"

Almost everyone ate quite a bit, but my father didn't. I remember he usually forbade us to eat them, saying that brightly colored things were poisonous, like colorful mushrooms. But those who ate the fruit were fine, so he didn't stop them.

He happened to leave the village on some business, and soon after, the villagers began to fall ill, developing small, itchy red spots that bled when scratched.

"Sigh, another tragedy!" I murmured.

“Oh, but the clan chief never seems to have mentioned the fruit. Have all these dreams helped us with our current predicament?” Tian Juan said.

"I don't know. I don't even remember having any substantial contact with the clan chief," Jiang Ping said helplessly.

Disappointed, Tian Juan stirred her drink with the plastic straw, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Grandpa Sun can do divination, can you? Will we be able to escape tomorrow's disaster?"

Jiang Ping regained his composure and said, "Man proposes, God disposes; I don't know either." At this moment, the waiter handed Mr. Bian a receipt: "Sir, your letter has been sent out; this is the registered mail receipt."

Mr. Bian thanked him and put the receipt into his wallet. He seemed to be trying to act nonchalant, but his hand still trembled a few times.

Tian Juan asked curiously, "Uncle Bian, what kind of letter is it?"

"Oh, I sent a letter to my workplace explaining why I'm leaving," Mr. Bian said, trying to sound casual. "Hmm, are we going right after we finish eating?"

Jiang Ping said, "How about this, I think that place is only a little over 100 kilometers from Kunming, so we can still make it tomorrow. I'll go scout it out today, so you guys don't need to go. Just wander around the city."

Mother Tian said, "That won't do."

Jiang Ping said, "I called and asked. There are three buses a day, and it's only a few hours' journey. It's rare to have an extra day of free time!"

"Jiang Ping, I'll go with you! Uncle Bian, it's rare for your family to get together like this, so don't insist. Are you afraid we'll run away? Haha!" I said jokingly, but the meaning was clear. Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. The three of them must have a lot to say, and it would be inconvenient for Jiang Ping, an outsider, to be there.

Tian Juan opened her mouth as if to say something, but Uncle Bian said, "Alright, then I'll leave it to you two! I won't thank you enough."

After dinner, Jiang Ping and I packed our luggage and said goodbye to them.

"Take care on your journey, sister!" Tian Juan said, holding my hand with tears in her eyes.

"Have a good time with your mom and Uncle Bian, take lots of pictures, and send me a few later!" I said with a smile.

I got on the bus without any problems, and I said, "I didn't expect you to be so considerate!"

Jiang Ping smiled sheepishly.

“Tell me the truth, how confident are you?” I asked, staring into his eyes.

"This is my first time encountering such a problem since I gained magical powers. I can't give you a definite answer, but my fusion with the gods is giving me more and more confidence."