"The Lord's daughter descended upon the northern isle; her distant gaze filled me with sorrow. The autumn wind stirred softly; waves rose on Dongting, and leaves fell from the trees."
A child's tender voice recited the Songs of Chu, its faint echoes drifting through the dense bamboo that blotted out the sky.
The little girl wearing a white flower still ran around the house, laughing, as though she were reciting some kind of curse.
It reminded Xie De of a documentary about the Zhou Dynasty, in which wild horses running out of a graveyard heralded the dynasty's downfall.
Old Liu stopped Xie De. "Sir, the feast is about to begin. Where are you going?"
"Just taking a walk. You don't need to follow me." Xie De headed forward. Drifting yellow paper fluttered past his eyes as the wind swept by. He kept walking, about to leave the old residence.
Looking troubled, Old Liu hurried after him and blocked his path. "Oh, sir, the Wei Family has rules. No one is allowed to leave today."
"Am I not even allowed to light a stick of incense at an old friend's grave?"
"Uh, why not go tomorrow? We people of Hua Country aren't particular about such things. Tomorrow would be just the same."
Xie De lowered his head slightly and glanced at him. Old Liu gave an awkward smile, but it froze a moment later. He collapsed, and several venomous insects crawled out of his clothes.
Xie De stepped forward and headed for the gate.
"What did you do to him?"
Diviner Granny had actually come after him. She looked at him in surprise. "I advise you not to go outside. You'd best follow the Wei Family's rules."
"From the way you acted earlier, I thought you weren't afraid of the Wei