Run'er and Zongzhi knelt on either side of a konghou harp. With its dragon-shaped body, phoenix form, gilded colors, and kingfisher-green ornamentation, it was plainly a precious instrument. Seeing Chen Caozhi enter, Run'er fluttered her long eyelashes and asked bashfully, "Did we disturb you, Uncle Chou?"
Chen Caozhi smiled. "No, I just came to look. So Run'er can play the konghou too."
Run'er shook her head. "Run'er can't. Run'er's mother can-we'll be going to see Mother in a few days. Run'er is so happy."
"I don't want to go," Zongzhi said. "Mother doesn't want us anymore."
Chen Caozhi raised his eyebrows. "Zongzhi, why would you say that?"
Zongzhi hesitated, then finally said, "Sixth Granduncle and several of our older cousins all said so. They also laughed at me for having no father or mother."
Zongzhi always called himself "I," unlike Run'er, who endearingly referred to herself by name, and he was rather quiet and reserved. It seemed that his father's early death and his mother's separation from him had indeed wounded this eight-year-old boy deeply.
Stroking his nephew's head, Chen Caozhi said slowly and gently, "Zongzhi, Run'er, Grandmother and your uncle both love you very much. Your mother loves you very much too. It isn't her fault that she can't be with you. She misses you terribly and wants very much to come back."
"Then whose fault is it?" Zongzhi and Run'er asked together. Zongzhi added, "It's the people of the Ding Household, isn't it?"
Chen Caozhi did not want Zongzhi and Run'er to hate anyone at such a young age. "We can't blame the people of the Ding Household entirely either. Who should we blame, then? You'll only understand that when you grow up-"
"How big do we have to grow?" Run'er blinked her large eyes. "As big as you, Uncle Chou?"
Chen Caozhi smiled faintly. "Yes, about that big. You'll understand when you're my age. Let me ask you something: do you believe what Uncle Chou says?"
"Yes!" the lovable little nephew and niece answered together.
"Then Uncle Chou promises you," Chen Caozhi said, "that this year or next, I'll find a way to bring your mother back to our Chen Family Cove, so she can live happily together with Zongzhi and Run'er."
"Hooray! Hooray!" Their two little faces flushed with excitement, as vivid as hibiscus blossoms opening.
Only then did Chen Caozhi examine the furnishings in the inner study closely. The low tables and reed mats were simple and elegant. Apart from the konghou, he saw no other musical instruments. Looking around, he noticed a long, narrow cloth bag hanging on the north wall. He took it down, undid the fastening, and drew from it what proved to be a purple bamboo xiao. He could not help feeling delighted. In his previous life, the dongxiao had been his faithful companion on his travels. He could play only two instruments-the xiao and the dizi flute. After learning the xiao, he had lost his taste for the dizi. He liked the dongxiao's tranquility and classical elegance; most dongxiao pieces were lonely and tinged with melancholy.
"Uncle Chou, can you play this Recorder?" Run'er asked. In the Jin dynasty, the name dongxiao did not yet exist; it was simply called a Recorder.
A little livelier now, Zongzhi answered for his uncle. "Uncle Chou must know how. I think he's been very accomplished lately. He's so nimble with chopsticks in his right hand, and he can write different styles with each hand. He climbs the mountain every day too, so he must know how to play the Recorder."
That Zongzhi should actually use the compliment "accomplished" left Chen Caozhi unsure whether to laugh or cry. He thought, Am I still not keeping a low enough profile? I certainly have to practice calligraphy. These two little ones are both attentive and very observant. Still, it doesn't matter. They're family, and I don't have any particularly outstanding talent to hide. My only strength is my willingness to learn.
Running his right index finger over the smooth, gently warm dongxiao, Chen Caozhi told the two clever little ones, "I can play a tiny bit. I'll take it back to my bedroom and practice properly first."
That night, Chen Caozhi tried playing the purple bamboo xiao. The xiao of the Wei-Jin period differed little from the later instrument he knew: six holes, five in front and one behind. He soon got the hang of it and played a short tune in low, mellow notes, feeling very pleased.
Like calligraphy, music was beloved by the people of Jin, and it too had left legends for the ages. The celebrated scholar Liu Kun had defended Bingzhou with a lone army, while fifty thousand Xiongnu troops besieged the city so tightly that not a drop of water could pass. On that full-moon night, Liu Kun, famed as both general and scholar, had climbed the lofty gate tower alone, his white robes whiter than snow. First he had raised his face to the sky and cried out in grief, then chanted and sighed softly, before playing a hujia-according to another account, a dongxiao. The flute's mournful, plaintive notes seemed to weep and tell of sorrow. Outside the city, tens of thousands of Xiongnu soldiers had lowered their blades and spears, silent as crows and sparrows gone still. The music's power had made these bloodthirsty tribesmen sigh and shed tears, lifting their heads in longing for home. Then a miracle had occurred: tens of thousands of enemy troops had lifted the siege and departed overnight-
The Wei-Jin spirit was not merely lofty, useless philosophical talk; it possessed a powerful artistic appeal. Thus Chen Caozhi had to master one or two instruments. Other instruments were too difficult to learn, but he already had a foundation in the dongxiao, and the youth's long, slender fingers were born to cover its holes.
With the purple bamboo xiao beside his pillow, Chen Caozhi fell sound asleep and played it in his dreams until dawn. Only the sound of Zongzhi and Run'er knocking on his door woke him. Looking outside, he saw the faint light of day.
"Uncle Chou, it isn't raining today. Let's climb the mountain."
Chen Caozhi shook his head with a smile. One must never make promises to children lightly; they would watch you and never let go.
Amid his mother's reminders, Chen Caozhi led Zongzhi and Run'er out through the Fortified Manor's main gate. Lai De naturally came along.
The morning air was exceptionally fresh. The mountain woods dripped emerald green, and flowers and leaves gave off a clean fragrance. With every breath, he almost felt a faint green freshness passing in and out.
With little Run'er along, Chen Caozhi took his time climbing the mountain. Along the way, he picked wildflowers and gathered them into a multicolored bouquet for her to play with. Neither Zongzhi nor Run'er had ever been to the summit of Nine Luminaries Mountain. Everything along the way was fresh to them, and they were full of enthusiasm. Both walked on their own, with Chen Caozhi and Lai De giving them a hand at the steep spots. Neither little one felt tired.
Noticing the long, narrow cloth bag in Chen Caozhi's hand, Run'er asked, "Uncle Chou, did you bring the Recorder too? Are you going to play it on the mountain?"
"Uncle Chou, Run'er and I heard you playing the Recorder last night," Zongzhi said. "But Grandmother said she didn't hear it."
"Grandmother is old, and her hearing isn't sharp," Chen Caozhi said. "Oh, and you two little things, don't tell Grandmother I can play the Recorder. Did you hear me?"
Run'er hurried to agree first.
Because Run'er walked slowly, by the time the four reached the summit, a red sun had already leaped above Dongshan. In the distance, mist wreathed West Lake, and the peaks around its shores appeared and disappeared. It was the first time Zongzhi and Run'er had looked so far from such a height. They were delighted, chattering and laughing nonstop like mountain birds.
Chen Caozhi told Lai De to watch Zongzhi and Run'er carefully, then sat on a rock and drew out the purple bamboo xiao. Pursing his lips, he tested a few notes, then played the short piece "Green Ravine, Flowing Spring"-
The peaks lay still, and the distant lake was silent. A thread of flute music rose upon the wind, its gentle, elegant notes flowing slowly onward. Now and then came a brief, curling turn, like a mountain stream winding around a rock before continuing its murmuring course-
Young as Zongzhi and Run'er were, they too found the flute music truly lovely. They sat on either side of Chen Caozhi, each propping a cheek on one hand, their heads tilted as they watched him play, quiet and motionless.
When the piece ended, the two jade-like children remained immersed in the beautiful music. Only after a good while did Zongzhi say, "Uncle Chou, I want to learn the Recorder too."
Run'er also clamored to learn.
"The children of the West Tower Chen family must all learn music, chess, calligraphy, and painting," Chen Caozhi said. "Some things I can teach you; others can wait until your mother comes back to teach you. As for this dongxiao—I prefer calling the Recorder a dongxiao—you’re too young, and your breath isn't steady. You'll have to wait a few years before learning."
Her face full of admiration, Run'er said sweetly, "Uncle Chou, you play so well. Run'er wants to hear more."
And so Chen Caozhi played several pieces in succession, stopping only when his mouth and tongue were dry and his head was spinning. That morning, uncle, nephew, niece, and Lai De were all in very good spirits.
On the way down, Run'er could walk no farther, so Lai De carried her on his back. Remembering how she had declared yesterday that she would never let anyone carry her, she felt a little embarrassed and tilted her head away, not daring to look at her Elder Brother. She told herself, Run'er isn't breaking her word. Run'er really can't walk anymore.
As for Zongzhi, he merely smiled up at Chen Caozhi, who was holding his hand, without exposing Run'er's failing. He showed the generosity of an older brother.
At the Fortified Manor's main gate, Chen Caozhi met his fourth uncle's daughter, who had married into Shangyu County—the Seventh Sister whom Mother Chen Lady Li had mentioned yesterday. Beside Seventh Sister stood a girl of thirteen or fourteen whose hair still hung loose, her bright eyes fixed on Chen Caozhi.
Seventh Sister merely greeted Chen Caozhi and stroked Run'er's little face. She said little else and did not introduce the unfamiliar girl beside her.
Chen Caozhi bowed to Seventh Sister and exchanged greetings. Then his smiling gaze passed over the unfamiliar girl's face, and he gave her a slight nod before leading Zongzhi and Run'er upstairs.
Watching Chen Caozhi's graceful, upright figure recede, like fragrant orchids and a jade tree, Seventh Sister said to the girl beside her with no little pride, "Wanqing, did you see? Isn't this cousin of mine extraordinarily handsome? People call him the Wei Jie of the lands east of the Yangtze. I haven't seen him for only a month, and I find him even more free and elegant in bearing-"
The bright eyes of the girl named Wanqing suddenly dimmed. For no reason, Chen Caozhi's fleeting glance and faint smile just now had made her feel ashamed of her own inadequacy. She felt that this youth was far away from her, that she could never draw near him. Her spirits abruptly sank, and she said softly, "Sister-in-law, let's go back. I-I have a bit of a headache."
Chen Caozhi did not know that Seventh Sister had brought her husband's younger sister especially to see him, and he gave it no thought. After washing his hands and face, he took Zongzhi and Run'er up to the third floor. Mother Chen Lady Li was just coming out of Crane-Crying Hall and affectionately greeted her grandson and granddaughter.
Yet the first thing Run'er said was, "Grandmother, Uncle Chou didn't play the Recorder—oh, the dongxiao. Uncle Chou didn't play the dongxiao."
This was truly a case of putting up a sign saying "No three hundred taels of silver buried here." When Mother Chen Lady Li asked, "Your Uncle Chou went up the mountain to play the flute, didn't he?" the two obedient children nodded together and said, "Yes."
Seeing his mother looking at him with smiling eyes, Chen Caozhi felt like laughing too. "Mother, I've been learning the Recorder. At least I managed to get a sound out of it."
"Your sister-in-law gave this vertical flute to your elder brother," Lady Li said. "Your brother couldn't play it at first; he learned from Youwei. Since you like the vertical flute, when we visit the Ding Household this time, you should ask your sister-in-law to teach you properly."
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