Bai Bingxue stepped outside. The bright moon hung high in the sky. She walked beneath the veranda pavilion and sat down to catch her breath.
Uncle Abu, concerned for his niece, followed her over. Hong Yun brought tea and snacks and stood nearby. The night dew was heavy, so the servants soon brought two cloaks. General Abu draped one over Bai Bingxue and said softly, "Bingxue, what happened to your mother is in the past. You're grown up now, and your life has only just begun. Don't live in hatred."
Bai Bingxue gazed at her uncle and pleaded, "Uncle, what was the relationship between my mother, Su Xue, and Gao Mingqing? I'm grown up now. You should tell me."
Uncle Abu walked to the edge of the veranda pavilion and looked up at the bright, perfectly round moon. His back looked terribly lonely. Hong Yun gazed at her father's figure and his empty sleeve, her heart aching.
Hong Yun spoke up. "Cousin, have you ever heard one of the Bingxue mountain songs from our Milu River?"
Bai Bingxue looked at Hong Yun and shook her head.
"If you want to sing, then sing," Uncle Abu said with his back turned. He was the last person who wanted to hear this song, and he still had no idea how to tell his niece. He might as well let his daughter explain.
Hong Yun cleared her throat, and a clear, melodious voice rang out:
"Mountain songs come from Luoqie Lake,
When the great river rises, boats are pulled along,
White as ice rides at the bow,
Su Ruxue rides at the stern,
The sun in the sixth month scorches so fiercely,
So up goes a Green Fragrance parasol,
And beneath the Bingxue parasol, the journey goes on.
The young man is a sparrow from Jiangnan,
Yet when he reaches Solitary Mountain, he dares not land,
He dares not step on a tree branch,
And dares not speak the words in his heart.
The young man is a sparrow from Jiangnan,
Yet when he reaches Solitary Mountain, he may land freely,
He may step on every tree branch,
And speak every word in his heart.
We drift beneath the stars across the moonlit sea,
Our eyes meet as we confess our love,
Privately we pledge ourselves to one another for life,
The sky becomes our canopy and the boat our bridal chamber.
The young man is a traveler from Jiangnan,
The maiden is the daughter of King Ziqi,
Her small country has just been founded amid wind and rain,
Surrounded by wolves seeking its destruction,
Even the mighty Han and Tang made marriage alliances.
Marquis Gao sent betrothal gifts and forcibly took her as his bride,
The new bride left with tear-filled eyes,
All to repay her country's favor,
Unable to part with her beloved traveler from Jiangnan."
Hong Yun's singing was delicate, clear, high, and passionate. At the end, her winding melody naturally revealed her sincere emotions, carrying them deep into Bai Bingxue's heart.
Bai Bingxue's heart was a jumble of emotions, and she was at a loss. She could only ask quietly, "What happened afterward?"
"There are a few more lines, Cousin. Listen carefully," Hong Yun said.
"In the ninth month, a daughter of great worth was born,
And they called her Bingxue,
The two cities of Shànchǎn and Milu celebrated,
Ten years passed peacefully with a lift of the eyes.
Then one day came word that they were a false father and daughter,
Their blood was tested to see whether they were kin,
Mother and daughter were locked together in the deep palace,
The Jiangnan sparrow flew a thousand li,
Trading his life to bring wife and daughter home.
Marquis Gao demanded the Green Fragrance Tree,
And when she failed to return in ten days, Su Xue died.
Bai Bing entered the sea to steal the spirit pearl,
Trading it for Su Xue's freedom,
Marquis Gao mocked the unfilial daughter,
Saying she had betrayed both husband and country.
Bai Bing could not let go of his grievance,
And leaped from Shànchǎn City,
Heading south to the Bodhisattva, westward to the Pure Land."
When Hong Yun finished singing this part, Bai Bingxue's eyes blurred with tears, and she could not stop herself from bursting into sobs.
Seeing her cousin's pain, Hong Yun comforted her. "Cousin, if Aunt were alive, she wouldn't want you to grieve so much. Adults have their own difficulties. Grandpa has already ordered Aunt's golden Buddhist likeness to be enshrined at Alu Temple. I'll accompany you tomorrow to choose a place."
After hearing her, Bai Bingxue stopped crying and said, "Uncle Abu, Little Sister Hong Yun, it's already midnight. You've been tired all day. Go back and rest."
Uncle Abu rose and said, "Bingxue, your grandfather and I will discuss how to avenge your mother. For the next few days, let Hong Yun show you around the city." After speaking, Uncle Abu left. Bai Bingxue watched General Abu's bleak retreat and his empty sleeve, her heart aching. When she was little, Uncle Abu had often carried her and fed her.
After General Abu had gone far away, Bai Bingxue asked Hong Yun, "Little Sister Hong Yun, how did Uncle lose his arm?"
Hong Yun frowned. "Cousin, you really don't know?"
Bai Bingxue shook her head.
Hong Yun said sadly, "I was still little then. One night, Aunt carried Father back. He was covered in blood and had passed out. The adults drove my brother and me outside."
"After Aunt died, Father was always depressed and hardly spoke. I asked Mother and my brother about what happened to Father's hand, but they didn't know much and didn't dare ask him."
"Grandpa told Hong Lian and me to listen to Father and said that Father was suffering inside. Hong Lian asked Grandpa, 'Did Father seem to have lost his soul?'"
"Grandpa said, 'The person dearest to your father has left, and a monster ate his hand.'"
"Hong Lian asked Grandpa, 'Can the person dearest to Father come back? Can Father's hand grow back?'"
"Grandpa smiled and said, 'You silly children, you are the people dearest to him now. You can make his hand grow back for him.'"
"A few years ago, Hong Lian and I made Father a fake hand and put it on him. He said it couldn't hold a knife or grip a brush, so what use was it?"
Bai Bingxue listened quietly to Hong Yun's unhurried account. She neither interrupted nor showed any expression, sinking into thought.
Long after Hong Yun fell silent, Bai Bingxue said softly, "Uncle Abu and my mother were deeply attached as brother and sister. He suffered two devastating blows, which is why he can't escape the shadow in his heart.
"I've read in medical texts that a prosthetic hand can be made and worn on the arm.
"By using the other hand and the shoulder to control the prosthetic hand's joints and fingers, he could hold a brush and write, and even wield a spear on the battlefield."
Hong Yun asked in amazement, "Cousin, is there really such a miraculous prosthetic hand?"
Bai Bingxue smiled. "Over the next few days, I'll draw the plans from memory for you to see."
Hong Yun smiled happily. "Thank you, Cousin!"
Bai Bingxue smiled and asked again, "Hong Yun, do you know someone named Su Xue?"
Hong Yun thought for a moment. "I heard Brother A Wei mention him. Su Xue was the personal servant of Su Zi, the great literary master of Gongjiao Country. That year, Su Zi contracted a strange illness and failed to recover after a long time. A Daoist said that the Green Fragrance Tree of Southern Expedition Country could cure him.
"Su Xue crossed mountains and rivers for thousands of li to come to Southern Expedition Country in search of it. He traveled across its mountains and rivers, and later encountered Aunt at Luoqie Lake.
"I heard Su Xue was a handsome man, gentle and honest, with a soft appearance but a strong heart, and a voice and appearance both unmatched. Aunt fell in love with him at first sight, and they loved one another.
"Unfortunately, their happy days did not last. Su Zi's illness worsened, and a letter from home arrived. Su Xue bid Aunt farewell and returned to Gongjiao Country. While he was gone, Su Zi died. Su Xue handled his master's funeral affairs, but by the time he returned, Aunt had already married Marquis Gao.
"Eldest Uncle and Second Uncle threatened him sternly and ordered him not to disturb Aunt, but Father protected him. Disheartened, he left Southern Expedition Country. It's just that I don't know how he learned of Aunt and you eight years ago.
"After ten years apart, that graceful youth dressed in white as snow had become a Jiangnan hero whose sword was cold as frost. He still protected Aunt, and Aunt protected him as well."
After listening, Bai Bingxue fell into thought. She has no affection for this biological father of hers. All she knows is that her mother died because of him, so she put him on her revenge list. But when Hong Yun spoke of Su Xue just now, she could sense her admiration for Aunt. Su Xue had become the good man her mother could entrust herself to.
Elsewhere, inside the Small World of the Twin Fish Jade Pendant, Chen Qing was hammering a piece of wood in the Siheyuan Courtyard. He was making a billiard table.
He had shaved the stone tabletop smooth, supported the four legs with wood, and spread a bedsheet across the surface as felt. Nets had been hung over the six pockets, and nine round balls were arranged on the table.
"Bai Xue, come out!" Chen Qing shouted. Over the years, he had tinkered with all sorts of toys in the Siheyuan Courtyard, while never properly cultivating.
"What is it? I'm busy rubbing pills," Bai Xue called back without coming out.
"Play ball! The billiard table is finished," Chen Qing replied. His hands did not stop moving as he wiped down two cue sticks.
"Wait a moment," she said, setting down what she was doing. Two black-and-white swans honked beneath her feet and ran out first.
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