The Paper Donkey

This time, they were heading northwest, first stopping in Luoyang for a look.

Luoyang was surely one of the largest and most prosperous cities in the world. It was a place of poetry, wine, and romance, where foreign customs flourished. The people of Tang prized peonies, and Luoyang was the finest place to see them.

They traveled along the official post road, also called the main road. It was packed earth and fairly smooth.

When traveling, Jiang She hadn't planned to bother with meals. He hadn't expected so many people to be making the journey together. Li Bai and Yuan Danqiu had also bought quite a few things. Yuan Danqiu was short a horse, and grumbled that he'd buy one in the next county.

So at noon, they stopped in a nearby village and borrowed space from a few households.

They were tall and burly, and had a carriage with them, which made them seem rather imposing.

They asked at several homes before anyone let them in.

It was the village's wealthiest household, with the surname Zhao. The master was in his thirties, with two sons and two daughters. He had a wife and an Old Matriarch in the household.

When the children saw the guests, they all stared at them curiously.

Few people came to the village, and strangers were rarely seen. What's more, the guests had a cat and a horse.

That made them all the more extraordinary.

Jiang She smiled and gently brushed aside the hand of a child reaching to touch the cat. "This cat likes its freedom and probably doesn't care for people getting too close. Little miss, be careful not to hurt yourself."

The little girl wore a ruqun and had her hair in two buns. A red velvet flower adorned her head. She was clearly a cherished daughter.

Zhao Erniang stared fixedly at the cat.

She asked in a very soft voice, "If Erniang doesn't touch it, may I watch it here?"

"Of course."

Village Master Zhao was very hospitable. The food he served was all excellent, with a bowl of mutton soup on the table as well. The group set down their luggage and rested briefly.

The meal wasn't all on the table yet.

Li Bai borrowed a table from the Zhao household and took out ink, brushes, and paper from a trunk.

He briefly explained what had happened in a letter to Meng Haoran.

He added, "We'll be away for a year. The peaches, plums, and pomegranates in the courtyard will ripen in that time, and they taste excellent. Master Meng should try some."

He also wrote with a smile that as they'd been leaving, they'd heard the sound of drums and gongs, and seen many people making offerings. Deer Mountain God had said the prefect and county magistrate wanted to build a temple for Master Jiang.

But those people had no idea that they were wandering among the mountains and forests.

The divide between immortals and mortals.

They'd witnessed it firsthand.

Li Bai wrote swiftly, as easily as he composed poetry. He barely had to think before his brush swept across the page, while the others waited, ready to depart at a moment's notice. When he finished, he blew the ink dry and put the letter away in the trunk.

Li Bai asked Village Master Zhao, "How far away is the nearest post station?"

"About seventeen li. Just keep heading north."

At the time, post stations were generally set up every thirty li, though the distance varied by region and the differences between north and south. But Xiangyang was a major thoroughfare, with busy trade routes, so the post stations there followed the rules strictly.

Village Master Zhao observed the group from a distance. They had an extraordinary bearing, and their clothes and appearance marked them as scholars. There was also an old man among them, so advanced in years that every move he made set one's heart fluttering.

No wonder the other villagers hadn't dared to welcome them.

The group must have been carrying valuables. And there was an old man nearing eighty among them. What if something went wrong? Who would be held responsible?

Village Master Zhao asked, "Where are you headed, honored guests?"

"Luoyang," Jiang She replied.

Village Master Zhao stroked his beard. "Luoyang's a fine place. Are you going to visit relatives or friends?"

Jiang She smiled.

Village Master Zhao seemed to take the smile as an answer. Seeing that the group looked like scholars, he called over his two sons, the elder thirteen and the younger nine, by nominal age. He asked them to recite the Book of Documents and the Classic of Filial Piety for the guests.

The two boys had been playing wildly with the horses outside.

The servants had dragged them inside. The elder boy looked dispirited, while the younger bristled like a hedgehog, furious and ready to breathe fire. Both were still thinking about the big horses outside, and couldn't focus.

Only when they saw the guests did they begin reciting, looking rather pitiful.

Jiang She couldn't help laughing.

He interrupted the younger boy and said, "The village schoolteacher has raised his children well."

Village Master Zhao beamed, smoothing his sleeves as he laughed. "Oh, not at all. They're just a pair of little calamities, always giving us one worry after another."

After they'd talked for a while, everyone had grown more familiar.

Village Master Zhao thought it over, then made a point of offering them some advice.

"I probably shouldn't say this, but why don't you stay here tonight, honored guests? You can set out tomorrow and keep going to the post station after the next one. Don't stop along the way."

"You may not know, but the nearby post station has been haunted these past two years. There's a story going around!"

Village Master Zhao glanced at the group, his gaze settling on the old man.

He advised them, "Especially since there's an elderly gentleman with you. He surely can't endure that kind of hardship and upheaval. Better to rest for the night and travel on quickly tomorrow!"

Old Deer Mountain God hadn't expected that he would one day become a burden.

He smiled and stroked his beard.

Jiang She grew curious.

"What sort of ghost is it?"

How would Village Master Zhao know? He'd been trying to avoid the subject. He shook his head. "How would I know?"

At that moment, the last two dishes were brought to the table: steamed pork and chicken with scallions and vinegar.

Village Master Zhao was warm and generous, and the food on the table filled the air with its fragrance. There was a basket of hu cakes and a big bowl of shepherd's-purse botuo, a kind of noodle soup. Chives, Chinese cabbage, and mutton soup were followed by the freshly served steamed pork and chicken with scallions and vinegar, with condiments set out in the middle.

The cat had her own food too: a small portion of meat Jiang She had brought along.

He'd asked someone to set out a little table just for her. The cat wolfed down her food, barely chewing.

"Thank you, Village Master Zhao."

"You're far too kind, village schoolteacher."

They thanked him and began to eat.

The pig had been bought from a villager and slaughtered for the meal. The chicken had been raised at home, and the vegetables grown in the fields. From picking them to serving them at the table, no more than an hour had passed. They were fresh and delicious, with a distinct fragrance.

Seeing the young man they called "Master" set out a little table for the cat too,

everyone smiled.

Zhao's Youngest Son asked, "Does the cat have to eat just like people?"

"She does," Jiang She said. "Though a cat is small, she understands people's hearts. We should treat her well."

"What about the pig we're eating? Did it hurt?"

Jiang She thought for a moment.

"That's why we should make sure to finish it."

Village Master Zhao tapped his younger son's hand with his chopsticks. "Why are you asking all sorts of questions? Hurry up and eat!"

Zhao's Youngest Son lowered his head, sullen. He ate only the botuo in front of him with his soup spoon, and left the other dishes alone.

Jiang She smiled and said:

"When children are young, they don't understand much. They see another creature in distress and feel pity for it. That's natural kindness. Your son has it."

Village Master Zhao felt wonderfully pleased by his words, beaming from ear to ear. He stopped scolding his son.

After they'd finished eating, just before the group left, Jiang She spoke up.

"May I ask if you have any paper and scissors?"

"Could I borrow them for a moment?"

A servant brought them over. Jiang She called the Zhao children over. They'd all been very interested in the tall horses outside.

The four children gathered around, unsure what their guest was going to do.

Jiang She roughly cut out the shape of a donkey with the scissors. The paper cutout was a little asymmetrical, and might have been slightly lame, but that didn't matter.

He took a small bottle from his sleeve.

He tipped out a single drop.

The blue-green liquid spread across the paper, leaving a faint tint that quickly disappeared. The children tilted their heads as they watched. The eldest son had no idea what their guest was doing, but he watched along with them.

Jiang She blew on it.

The paper donkey stood upright at once.

He teased them, "I saw how much you liked the horses, so I'll give you this to play with."

The eldest son asked hesitantly, "Master Jiang, how are we supposed to play with a piece of paper...?"

Zhao's Second Son reached out to grab it.

Then he saw the donkey touch someone.

In an instant, it fluttered down to the ground and became a somewhat lame, grayish-brown donkey. It had a short mane, a thin tail, and long ears. Seeing the four children, it raised its head and sniffed.

"Bray—bray—"

It began to bray.

What should the kitten be called...?