Another heavy snow had fallen. The cold fluff had been cleared from the paving stones, but the distance remained a sea of white.
Ding Songyan walked back to his courtyard and, amid the creak of the gate, approached the stone table and stools piled with snow. A sweep of his sleeve sent the jade dust swirling away, and the damp traces swiftly evaporated.
He sat down, glanced at the untouched snow in the courtyard, breathed in the keen, cold wind, and opened the letter in his hands.
An elegant, cool fragrance drifted out. Several dried crimson plum blossoms peeked from between the sheets:
"Second Brother Ding:
"After my birthday in September, I went with my parents to visit my maternal grandparents, touring New Yu and the Feng Kingdom along the way. I only returned to Five Hills Mountain recently and saw your letter.
"The Three Bodies Tribe of New Yu claims descent from Emperor Shun and takes Yao as its surname. They have one head and three bodies, and men and women alike have at least three spouses...
"Similar to them, yet different, the Three Heads Tribe of the Feng Kingdom has one body and three heads. Each head has its own thoughts and beliefs, and they often argue among themselves and contradict themselves. Thus, most have embraced Buddhism, using its teachings to harmonize their own natures. They claim to embody both the three Buddhas across space and the three Buddhas across time, and to be heaven-appointed children of the Buddha...
"The Quanrong resemble dogs. They exalt men and demean women, which I rather dislike. Quanrong men enjoy marrying women of other races and making them kneel to serve them... They are merely one of the Hundred Tribes, not demons. Even before the severance of heaven and earth, they could