Flying Fox of the Snowy Mountain Chapter 7 – Part 2

Tao Zian continued, “This time when Uncle Tian sealed his jian and shut his gates, I went with my father, full of eager anticipation. The moment I saw Qingwen,¹ I noticed her face was haggard, as though she had recovered from a grave illness. My heart ached for her. I drew her aside and asked if she was unwell. At first she stammered and evaded, but when I pressed her for the truth, she flared up and scolded me, and from that moment would not speak to me. Her rebuke left me bewildered, and I could only mope in private.

“That day when the banquet ended, I came upon her in the pavilion of the rear garden. Her eyes were red from weeping. I forgot everything else and began apologising. ‘Qingwen, it was all my fault. Please don’t be angry.’ But her face hardened and she burst out, ‘Hah! If it really were your fault, that would be a blessing! It’s someone else’s fault, and I’d be better off dead.’ I was more confused than ever. I asked a few more questions, but she tossed her head and walked away.

“I went back to my room and lay down, but the more I thought, the more uneasy I grew. I could not understand what I had done to offend her, so I got up quietly, went to her room, and tapped three times on the window. In the past, when we arranged to meet in secret, those three taps were our signal. But that night I tapped again and again, and not a sound came from within.

“After a while I tapped three more times. Still nothing. I grew curious and pushed at the lattice. The window was not latched. It swung open at my touch. The room was pitch-dark, and I could see nothing. Eager to speak with her, I climbed through the window…”

When Cao Yunqi heard this, a surge of jealousy rose from his chest and could no longer be contained. He shouted, “You sneaked into a young lady’s bedchamber in the middle of the night. What did you think you were doing?” Tao Zian was about to retort, but Miao Ruolan’s maidservant, quick-tongued Qiner, spoke first, “They’re betrothed. What business is it of yours?”

Tao Zian nodded slightly at Qiner in thanks for her defence, and continued, “I went to her bedside. In the dim light I could make out a pair of shoes before the bed. I plucked up my courage, drew back the silken curtain, and reached under the covers…”

Cao Yunqi’s face flushed purple. He was about to roar abuse, but Qiner glared at him, and the words died on his lips. Tao Zian went on, “…What my hand touched seemed to be a bundle. Qingwen was not in the bed. I grew still more curious and felt what it was. My hand met something cold and soft. It was like an infant. The shock nearly made me cry out. I felt more carefully. What else could it be but a baby? But it was ice-cold. It had been dead for some time. It looked as though someone had smothered it under the quilts.”

A crash sounded. Miao Ruolan had dropped her tea bowl. Her face was ashen, her lips trembling faintly.

Tao Zian said, “You find it frightening to hear today, but when I touched it with my own hands in the dark, the horror was beyond words. I nearly shouted. Just then I heard footsteps outside. Someone came in. I slipped under the bed at once. I heard the person walk to the bedside and sit on the edge, sobbing softly. It was Qingwen. She took the dead child in her arms and kept kissing it, whispering, ‘My child, don’t blame your mother for taking your life. My heart hurts more than a knife could cut. But if you lived, I could not go on living. I am truly cruel. I am sorry.’

“Lying under the bed, I felt my hair stand on end. Only then did I understand. She had been carrying on with some worthless scoundrel, borne a child, and then killed it with her own hands. She held the dead infant, weeping and kissing it, until at last she rose, wrapped it in a cloak, and went out. Only after she had left the room did I crawl from under the bed and follow her at a distance. My heart was torn between grief and fury. I would find out who the scoundrel was.

“I watched her walk to the rear garden, take a short spade from beside the wall, and climb over it. I followed at a distance. She walked over half a li² to a graveyard. She raised the spade and was about to dig when she heard the clash of iron against earth and stone from several dozen feet away. In the dead of night, someone else was digging. She started in alarm and crouched low. After a long while she crawled forward on her hands and knees to look. I assumed it was grave-robbers at work, so I crept closer too. Beside a grave a lantern cast a dim yellow light on a dark figure digging.

“I stared harder. The man was not robbing the grave but digging a pit beside it, as though to bury something. I thought, How strange. Is someone else burying a bastard child? But then the man lifted a long bundle from the ground, which indeed resembled an infant’s body. He placed it in the pit, shovelled earth over it, and turned. In the lantern light I saw his face clearly. It was none other than Zhou Yunyang,³ Zhou shixiong here.⁴”

Zhou Yunyang’s face had been bloodless to begin with. As Tao Zian spoke, it grew still paler.

Tao Zian continued, “At that moment a great cloud of suspicion rose in my mind. Could the scoundrel be this beast? Why is he burying a dead child too? Did she bear twins? When Qingwen saw it was him, she pressed herself even lower to the ground and did not show herself. Zhou Yunyang tamped the earth firm, scattered grass on top, and piled stones over it so that no one could tell it had been disturbed. Only then did he leave.

“As soon as he was gone, Qingwen hurriedly dug a pit and buried her dead child. Then she moved the stones Zhou Yunyang had piled, meaning to dig up what he had buried. I thought, Even if you don’t do it, I will. Now you save me the trouble. Qingwen had raised her spade and dug only a few strokes when Zhou Yunyang suddenly emerged from behind the grave. ‘Qingwen, what are you doing?’ It seemed his caution was thorough indeed. He had buried his burden, pretended to leave, and then doubled back to watch. Qingwen started, loosened her grip, and the spade fell to the ground. She had no word to say.

“Zhou Yunyang said coldly, ‘Qingwen, you know what I buried, and I know what you buried. If we keep it secret, we both keep it secret. If it’s uncovered, it’s uncovered for both.’ Qingwen said, ‘Good. Then swear an oath.’ Zhou Yunyang swore a terrible oath at once, and Qingwen swore one after him. The two agreed to keep each other’s secret and returned together to the manor.

“From their bearing, I thought there might be some affair between them, but it did not quite seem so. It did not look as though Qingwen’s child could be his. I followed quietly behind, my hand on a poisoned hidden weapon. If the two showed the slightest sign of intimacy, or spoke a single word I could not bear to hear, I would kill him on the spot.

“Fortunately for him, the two walked back from the graveyard to the manor keeping well apart, without exchanging a word.

“Qingwen returned to her room and wept in low, choking sobs. I stood beneath her window, my mind turning over every possibility. I thought of bursting in and cutting her down with one stroke of my dao. I thought of setting fire to the Tian Family Manor and burning it to the ground. I thought of exposing her shame for all to know. And then I thought of holding her and weeping. At last I made up my mind: For now I must show nothing. I will find out who her lover is first.

“My whole body was cold. I returned to my room. My father was still asleep, but I stood alone in a daze. I do not know how long passed when Ruan shishu⁵ came to summon me, saying Uncle Tian had orders for me. I thought, So it’s come to this. Let us see what he has to say. Will he ask me to break off the betrothal, or will he trade on my ignorance and hand me a green headscarf to wear? Ruan shishu said it was late and he would not escort me. I was afraid something might go wrong, so I woke my father and told him to be on his guard. I armed myself with blade and hidden weapons, and even concealed a bow and arrows beneath my gown.

“When I entered Uncle Tian’s room, I found him lying on his bed, staring at the canopy, lost in thought. He held a sheet of white paper in his hand and did not even notice me come in. I coughed and called, ‘Da!’ He started and hid the paper under the mattress. ‘Ah, Zian, it’s you.’ I thought, You sent for me yourself, yet you act as though you’re surprised. But his expression was genuinely one of terrible alarm. He told me to bolt the door, then opened the window lest anyone eavesdrop outside. Only then did he say in a trembling voice, ‘Zian, my life hangs by a thread. Only you can save me. You must do something for me.’”

Cao Yunqi had been stifling himself for some time. At this he leapt to his feet, pointed a finger, and shouted, “Lies, lies! My shifu’s skill is beyond compare. What power does a brat like you have to save him?”

Tao Zian did not so much as glance at him, as though he were not there, and addressed Baoshu and the others, “I was greatly startled and puzzled by his words. I said, ‘Da, whatever you command, your son-in-law will undertake, though it mean plunging into boiling water or treading on fire.’ Uncle Tian nodded. From beneath the quilt he drew out a long bundle wrapped in brocade and placed it in my hands. ‘Take this and ride beyond the pass tonight. Bury it where no one will find it. If you can do so without being observed, you may save my life.’

“I took it. The bundle was heavy and hard, like a piece of iron. I asked, ‘What is it? Who seeks to harm you?’ Uncle Tian waved his hand, looking greatly fatigued. ‘Go at once. Do not tell even your father. A moment’s delay and it will be too late. And whatever you do, do not open this bundle.’ I did not dare ask more and turned to leave. Just as I reached the door, Uncle Tian said, ‘Zian, what are you hiding under your gown?’ I started. His eyes are sharp indeed. I had to tell the truth. ‘Blade and bow. There were many guests today. I feared evil-doers might slip in, so I took precautions.’ Uncle Tian said, ‘Good. You are alert and capable. If Yunqi could learn even a fraction from you, it would be well. Ah, give me the bow.’

“I drew the bow from beneath my gown and handed it to him. He pulled out a long arrow, examined it for a moment, and fitted it to the string. ‘Go now!’ Seeing him so, I felt a pang of alarm. What if he shoots me in the back? I bowed low in salutation and backed slowly out, step by step, until I reached the door. Only then did I turn abruptly. After I left, I glanced back. He had the arrow’s point aimed at the window, clearly prepared for enemies entering from there.

“I returned to my room, deeply troubled by the whole affair. I thought that Uncle Tian’s manner throughout had been seven parts alarm and three parts mystery. I could be certain he bore me no good will. I told my father about this, but for fear of angering him, I said nothing of Qingwen’s matter. My father said, ‘Let us see first what is in the bundle.’ I had the same notion. We opened it, and inside was this very iron box.”

Footnotes

1. 青文 – Qīngwén. Tian Qingwen’s given name. Tao Zian uses the familiar ‘Qingwen’ in address. ↩

2. 里 – lǐ. A unit of distance, approximately 500 metres or one-third of a mile. ↩

3. 周云阳 – Zhōu Yúnyáng. A disciple of the Tianlong School, Cao Yunqi’s fellow disciple. ↩

4. 师兄 – shīxiōng. Senior fellow disciple. Both apprenticed to the same shifu. Shī means teacher. Xiōng means older brother. ↩

5. 师叔 – shīshū. Junior lineage uncle. The shidi or shimei of one’s shifu. Shī means teacher. Shū means father’s younger brother. ↩