Startling News

In early winter, the Loess Plateau in northwestern Qin Province lay crisscrossed with ravines, its hundred miles all the same color.

"Tears like little eggs, oh, little handkerchief~"

"Meeting face-to-face is easy for us, but speaking our hearts is hard..."

A rough, ringing song drifted down from one of the ridges. Along a narrow goat trail came three people and a donkey.

Walking in front was a northern Qin man of around forty named Liu Jiaming, though the villagers habitually called him Liu Da. Behind Liu Da, leading the donkey, was a boy of fourteen or fifteen. His features were ordinary, but his eyes shone unusually bright and spirited. The boy was Liu Da's second son, Liu Yuanzhou.

Riding on the donkey's back was an old northern Qin woman. Her head was wrapped in a scarf, her hands tucked into her sleeves. Though the donkey swayed as it walked, she sat as steady as a rock.

The old woman narrowed her eyes and chuckled. "Liu Da, look how pleased you are—you've even started singing. Tell me yourself, is the wife I found for your Da Wa this time a good one or not?"

"She is. She's very good," Liu Da said with a grin.

"What's so good about her? Go on, tell me."

"Heh heh, she's just good. I can't say exactly where she's good." Liu Da scratched his head and laughed.

"Our eldest sister-in-law is not only pretty, but hardworking and filial to her parents too. Her reputation in Li Family Village is also very good. I asked around myself," Liu Yuanzhou, who was leading the donkey ahead, said after giving it some thought.

The old woman nodded repeatedly. "See? Our Second Child knows how to talk. Ah, Da Wa is a lucky boy indeed, marrying such a good wife."

"Heh heh, and that's all thanks to you, Auntie, for being the matchmaker." Liu Da was grateful from the bottom of his heart.

Liu Yuanzhou curled his lip. What do you mean my big brother is lucky? It should be her good fortune to marry such a fine man as my brother. Still, those words were not something he could say aloud.

"I'm not bragging, but among all the matchmakers in these ten villages and eight hamlets, this Auntie Liu is among the very best." The old woman had a bit of a habit of boasting. Then she said to Liu Yuanzhou, "Second Child, don't spend all your days hauling water and chopping firewood for your Third Master. Help your great-aunt more too. Next year, I'll find you a good wife as well."

"Sure. I heard Daughter of Wealthy Wang from Crouching Tiger Slope is exceptionally pretty. If you can make that match happen for me, I'll help you work every day and serve you like my own grandmother," Liu Yuanzhou said, pretending to be wildly excited.

"Ha ha, you child, always dreaming of sweet things. Wealthy Wang has wealth beyond measure—would he ever look twice at a little donkey-dung egg like you?" The old woman shook her head, then seemed to remember something and smiled. "Second Child, I heard you and He Xiancai's second daughter secretly got together. Is that true? Do you want me to go propose for you? Oh, look at my memory. He Xiancai's whole family has been in the city for half a year already. Who knows whether they'll ever return to our village."

At the mention of He Xiancai's second daughter, Liu Yuanzhou's heart clenched hard. But he put on an unconcerned look. "Great-Aunt, the villagers are just spreading nonsense. You actually believe them?"

At that moment, Liu Da spoke as well. "Mm, He Xiancai's second daughter is good enough, but she's too pretty. I'm afraid our Second Child..." He did not say what he feared. Clearly, he did not think much of the match; in his eyes, for a farmer to marry a wife who was too beautiful was not necessarily a good thing.

Liu Yuanzhou was speechless.

"Ha ha, our Liu Da really is down-to-earth." The old woman burst into laughter.

The goat trail wound through shrubs and wild trees. The three of them walked and rested by turns, and near noon, they finally spotted their own village far away on the mountain opposite.

The three sat on the ground to rest for a while, drinking some water and eating dry provisions before planning to make it home in one go. The downhill path was steep, and the old woman could no longer ride the donkey. Liu Yuanzhou thought she walked too slowly, so he simply carried her on his back, earning another round of praise from her.

After descending the mountain, they crossed a small river that had already frozen over. Then, after climbing one short slope, they entered the village. The village had forty or fifty households and was called Liu Li Village. It was a typical northwestern Qin village, with every family living in Cave Dwellings scattered across a sunny, gentle slope.

Once they reached the main village road, Liu Da said to the old woman, "Auntie, I'll have Second Child take you home first. Come eat at my place tonight. I'll have my wife make Mutton Heluo Noodles for you."

The old woman waved her hand. "No, I still have to cook for Qin Wa. Liu Da, hurry and prepare the bride price. And tidy up Da Wa's new room too."

Liu Da nodded again and again, saying he understood. He also told Liu Yuanzhou to return the donkey before heading home himself. Liu Yuanzhou helped the old woman onto the donkey and led it toward her house.

The village was small, and they met few people along the way. Before long, the two entered the old woman's courtyard. There was no wall around it. A disheveled man sat on a stone bench at the side; he was the old woman's foolish son, Qin Wa.

When Qin Wa saw them enter, he called to the old woman, "Mom, hungry." Then he lowered his head again and used a little wooden stick to draw something on the ground, paying Liu Yuanzhou no attention.

Both of them were used to this. The old woman untied the cloth bundle she carried with her, took out a Corn Bread, and handed it to Qin Wa. He snatched it and wolfed it down. Afraid that her son would choke, the old woman patted his back and called, "Eat slowly. No one's fighting you for it. There's more after you finish."

Liu Yuanzhou felt a blockage in his chest. He did not want to linger, so after saying goodbye to the old woman, he led the donkey out of the courtyard.

When Great-Aunt is gone someday, how will Uncle Qin Wa survive? His older brother probably won't take care of him.

If I became like that, my brother would never abandon me. My eldest sister-in-law is a good person too. She would never treat me that way.

Er Ni, what exactly happened to you? It's been half a year. Why haven't you sent me even a single message? Did something happen to you? Or did you change your heart?

Liu Yuanzhou led the donkey down the road, his thoughts running wild, when a voice suddenly sounded beside his ear. "Second Child Ge, what are you thinking about? I called you several times, but you didn't answer." A hand landed on his shoulder.

Liu Yuanzhou jolted and turned around. It was his good friend Zhang He, whose nickname was Xi Zi. Zhang He was short, half a head shorter than Liu Yuanzhou, and lean as a whip. His eyes darted about constantly.

"Damn, you scared the life out of me. Why aren't you helping your dad work? Out wandering around again?" As he spoke, Liu Yuanzhou lifted a foot and kicked toward Zhang He's backside.

Zhang He quickly jumped back two steps and shouted, "Ha ha, I was on guard against that move!"

Liu Yuanzhou withdrew his foot and laughed as he scolded, "You're the clever one, all right. Oh, since you're here, I can return the donkey to you. Saves me a trip to your house. Tell your dad thanks." With that, he shoved the reins into Zhang He's hands.

Zhang He pulled a long face. "Brother, I just sneaked out to find Hu Wa and play, and now you want me to go back."

"Quit whining and get back there. Your dad will be searching the whole village for you again soon, and we'll get dragged into it too." Liu Yuanzhou waved him off and urged him to hurry home. Zhang He's father was a blacksmith, and thirteen-year-old Zhang He had already begun learning the trade from him. The father and son usually forged farm tools to sell at the market.

Watching Zhang He lead the donkey back with drooping spirits, Liu Yuanzhou sighed. He gathered himself, stopped dwelling on those troubling matters, and turned toward his own home.

When he entered his family courtyard, the sun had already sunk behind the mountain. The evening glow dyed half the sky red. Every household in the village had begun lighting fires to cook dinner, and smoke curled softly from the chimneys.

Liu Yuanzhou's family lived in three earthen Cave Dwellings. The middle one was the main dwelling, where his parents lived and where they cooked and ate. The one on the left was under renovation and was meant to become his elder brother's wedding room. The two brothers currently squeezed together in the Cave Dwelling on the right.

Liu Yuanzhou lifted the curtain of the middle dwelling and entered. He saw his father, Liu Da, sitting at the edge of the kang, puffing away on a tobacco pipe. His mother, Zhang Shi, was rolling out dough. Vegetables bubbled away in the pot, sending out the rich aroma of Pickled Cabbage Stewed Potatoes.

Liu Yuanzhou swallowed and called, "Mom, I'm starving to death. Let me have some vegetables first."

"Go wash your face first. There's hot water in the pot. Hurry up, the noodles will be ready soon." Zhang Shi quickly used her chopsticks to swat away Liu Yuanzhou's hand as he tried to lift the pot lid.

Liu Yuanzhou dodged aside and pretended to be angry. "Mom, is that how you treat the great hero of our family?"

"What great service did you perform? You and your father were just errand-runners." The dough had already been rolled out. Zhang Shi sliced it thin and dropped it into the pot to cook.

After Liu Yuanzhou had washed up, Zhang Shi first scooped out a bowl of noodles, topped it with vegetables, and brought it to him. Liu Yuanzhou then set the bowl in front of his father.

"Your father's is ready too. You eat first," Zhang Shi said.

"You eat first. I don't want dry noodles; I want mine with soup," Liu Da said as well.

Seeing that his father would not eat, Liu Yuanzhou picked up his bowl and began eating. "Where's my brother?" he asked.

"He went to Crouching Tiger Slope. He wants to whitewash the walls of his new room, but nobody in our village has lime, so he went there to buy some. Who knows when he'll be back?" Zhang Shi said, displeasure in her voice. In her view, the new room only needed a simple cleaning and tidying. What was with all those fussy extravagances for country folk? She ladled out a bowl of noodle soup and set it heavily in front of her husband.

Liu Da said nothing. He picked up the bowl and slurped down the noodles in huge mouthfuls. After walking mountain roads all day, he was ravenous.

"Whitewashed walls look much better. Our family is holding a wedding for once, so we should make it look nice," Liu Yuanzhou argued on his elder brother's behalf.

"Something's wrong, Uncle! Second Child! Da Wa Ge's handcart fell into a ravine!" Suddenly, the door curtain was flung aside, and someone rushed in, panting as he shouted.