White Horse Neighing in the West Wind #6

But today, there was no hostility in his smile. Su Lu’ke’s fury had not subsided, so he glared angrily at him. Che Erku laughed, “Old Su, your son certainly has good taste!” Su Lu’ke said, “Are you talking about Su Pu?” He grasped the hilt of his knife, shooting Che Erku a poisonous look, thinking, “You’re ridiculing me because my son gave his wolfskin to a Han girl.” Che Erku was about to say, “If I’m not talking about Su Pu, do you mean you still have another son?” Instead, he smiled and said, “Of course I’m talking about Su Pu! The boy is quite good-looking, and he’s quite capable too. I like him.” Whenever a father hears other people praising his son, he would obviously feel pleased. But he was used to bickering with Che Erku, so he retorted, “Are you envious of me? Too bad you are unable to bear a son.” But Che Erku did not get angry. Smiling, he said, “My daughter A’man is not that bad either, otherwise why would your son take a fancy to her?” Su Lu’ke spat, “Stop showing off, who says my son has taken a fancy to A’man?” Che Erku grabbed his upper arm, saying, “Follow me, I’ll show you something.” Su Lu’ke was puzzled, so he walked shoulder to shoulder with him. Che Erku said, “Your son killed a big grey wolf some time ago. For a young boy, that is extraordinary. When he grows up, won’t he be exactly like his father? The father is a hero; the son is a good man.” Su Lu’ke did not answer. He suspected that Che Erku was laying a trap for him to fall into, thinking, “I must be extremely careful from now on.” They walked for more than three li before reaching Che Erku’s tent. He went closer. Wasn’t that the big grey wolf which Su Pu had killed? He clearly recognized that it was the first wild animal which his son had killed. After a moment’s confusion, he was pleased yet perplexed, “I blamed A’pu wrongly, and gave him such a heavy beating last night. So he had given the wolfskin to A’man, not to that Han girl. Stupid boy, why didn’t he tell the truth? Children are easily embarrassed and don’t dare to tell the truth. If his mother was still around, she would’ve restrained me. Ai, children would always pour out their problems to their mothers…..”

Che Erku slapped Su Lu’ke back using his thick, large hands, and said, “Let’s have a bowl of wine.” Che Erku’s tent was neat and tidy. Woolen rugs with red flowers and green grass woven onto them were hung all around the tent. A slim girl carried wine out. Che Erku smiled and said, “A’man, this is Su Pu’s father. Are you afraid of him? This huge bearded man is very ferocious!” A’man’s blushing face was even more beautiful. Her eyes seemed to smile, as if saying, “I’m not afraid.” Su Lu’ke laughed heartily, “Old Che, I heard others saying that you have a daughter who is like a flower walking on the pastures. Yes, a walking flower, this description is extremely apt.” The two men, who had contended with each other for a decade, suddenly became close friends. You toast me, and I toast you. Su Lu’ke drank until he was drunk. With sleepy eyes he lay on the back of a horse, and returned home.

After a few days, Che Erku brought two fine woolen rugs. He said, “These were woven by A’man; one for the father, one for the son.” On one woolen rug was woven a large man holding a long blade. The man had killed a leopard, and a second leopard was running away with its tail between its hind legs. On the other rug was woven a boy who had stabbed a large grey wolf to death. Both of them looked majestic and heroic. Su Lu’ke was delighted, and praised, “Excellent skills, excellent skills!” There were few leopards in the Muslim Region, but one year two leopards appeared and harmed the livestock. Su Lu’ke pursued them into the snow-covered mountains, and killed a large leopard, while the other leopard escaped with injuries. A’man had woven the heroic achievement he was proudest of on the rug, and he was extremely pleased by this.

This time, the one who lay, drunk, on a horse’s back was Che Erku. Su Lu’ke asked his son to send him home. Inside Che Erku’s tent, Su Pu saw his wolfskin. While he was puzzling over the matter, a blushing A’man thanked him. Su Pu muttered something, but did not know what he was talking about. He did not dare ask how the wolfskin landed up with A’man. Early the next day, he went to the small hill where he had killed the wolf, hoping to meet Li Wenxiu so that he could ask her about it. But she did not turn up. He waited for two days but to no avail. On the third day, he mustered up his courage and went to the old man Ji’s hut. Li Wenxiu answered the door. When she saw him, she said, “I never want to see you again. “ Then she shut the door with a loud slam. Su Pu was stunned for a long time, and went home feeling bewildered. Listlessly, he mused, “Ai, a Han girl, who knows what she is thinking of?”

Of course, he did not know that Li Wenxiu hid behind the door, hiding her face in her hands and crying. She cried for a long time. She would have liked to play with Su Pu again, and tell him stories. But she knew if his father found out, Su Pu would have to suffer another round of whipping. He might even be whipped to death.

The days passed, one by one. The three children were blown taller by the winds from the pastures, and grew bigger by the freezing snow at the foot of the mountains. The walking flower became more beautiful, the wolf-killing child became a handsome youth, while the Tianling bird in the pastures sang even more melodiously. But she hardly ever sang. Late at night when there was no one around, she would go to the small hill where Su Pu had killed the wolf and sing. She did not forget this childhood playmate for even a day, and often spotted him riding together with A’man. She also heard them singing those ‘question-and-answer’ love songs to each other.

When Li Wenxiu was young, she did not know what these songs meant, but now she understood them all too well. If she had continued to be ignorant of their meanings, would it not have spared her so much unhappiness? Spared her so many sleepless nights? But once she understood the things that she did not understand previously, she was unable to return to the childish puzzlement she had felt when young.

Late one spring night, Li Wenxiu rode the white horse to the little hill where the wolf had been killed. The white horse had shed the hair which had been dyed yellow a long time ago. And now its body was as white as the snow in the mountains.

She stood on the small hill. Far away, she could see a large bonfire burning in the middle of the Kazaks’ tents.

Li Wenxiu thought, “He and she must be feeling exceptionally happy today, for it is so lively, so joyous.” The ‘he’ in her heart, was of course none other than Su Pu; and the ‘she’ was of course A’man, the walking flower. She could hear the rising and falling sounds of music and merrymaking. This day was one of the Kazaks’ festivals. The young men and women gathered around the bonfire, dancing and singing, enjoying themselves thoroughly.

But this time Li Wenxiu did not guess correctly. Su Pu and A’man did not feel exceptionally happy, but felt exceptionally nervous. Near the bonfire, Su Pu was wrestling with a tall and thin youth. This was the most important component of the festival. The winner of the wrestling competition won three prizes: a fine steed, a fat cow and a beautiful rug.

Su Pu had already defeated four strong youths in a row. The tall and thin youth was called Sang Si’er and was a good friend of Su Pu’s. Still, a victor had to be declared. Furthermore, he also loved that walking flower. Who wouldn’t love so pretty a face, so graceful a figure, so skilful two hands? Sang Si’er knew that Su Pu had been on good terms with A’man since childhood, but he was a stubborn and proud youth. On the pastures, whoever’s horse was fastest, whoever’s strength was greatest had an advantage over everyone else. He always thought, “If I defeat Su Pu in a publicized match, A’man will like me.” He diligently trained in wrestling and swordfighting for three years. His master was A’man’s father Che Erku.

Su Pu’s martial arts skills were passed to him by his father.

The two youths were tangled up. Suddenly Sang Si’er suffered a hard punch in his shoulder. He staggered and toppled backwards. But as he fell, his right leg caught Su Pu who then fell too. Both of them leapt up simultaneously, and gazed at each other. They moved in a circular direction, each searching for the other’s weak spot. Neither dared to take the first strike.

Su Lu’ke sat in a corner watching, his palms full of sweat, calling out, “Too bad, too bad!” But Che Erku’s feelings were harder to describe. He knew how his daughter felt, and even if Sang Si’er won, she would still like Su Pu, perhaps even more intensely than before. But Sang Si’er was his disciple. This wrestling match was exactly like a competition between himself and Su Lu’ke, the bravest Kazak warrior. Wouldn’t it be glorious if Che Erku’s disciple defeated Su Lu’ke’s son? This matter would spread throughout a thousand li of pastures. Of course, A’man would be unhappy for days, but this did not bother him. Thus, he still hoped that Sang Si’er would win, even though Su Pu was a good boy and he liked him.

The people gathered around the bonfire cheered the two youths on. This was a competition between two evenly-matched youths. Su Pu was more powerful, but Sang Si’er was more agile. Nobody could tell who would be the eventual winner.

Sang Si’er dodged right and left, managing to avoid Su Pu’s grasps. The cheering of the spectators became louder. “Faster, Su Pu, faster!” “Sang Si’er, attack! Don’t just dodge here and there!” “Aiyo, Su Pu has slipped!” “Never mind, use your strength to pull him down!” The sounds travelled far away, and Li Wenxiu could hear their faint cries of “Su Pu, Su Pu”. She was puzzled, “Why is everyone calling for Su Pu?” So she rode the white horse towards the cries. From behind a large tree, she saw Su Pu wrestling with Sang Si’er, and the spectators calling out excitedly. Suddenly, she saw A’man near the bonfire. Concern and excitement flickered about her face, tears shone in her eyes. One moment she was worried, the next moment, joyful. Li Wenxiu had never observed A’man so clearly before, and thought, “So she really likes Su Pu a lot.” Suddenly, all the spectators shouted in unison as Su Pu and Sang Si’er both fell to the ground. Li Wenxiu was unable to see them wrestle through the wall of people. But by listening to the crying and calling, one could imagine that Su Pu was on top, then forced to the ground by Sang Si’er. Li Wenxiu’s palms began to sweat. As she was unable to see what was going on, she was more anxious than anyone there. Suddenly, the cries of the crowd stopped completely. Li Wenxiu clearly heard the sounds of heavy breathing coming from the two wrestling youths. Then one of them stood up, trembling. The crowd cheered, “Su Pu, Su Pu!” A’man ran into the circle of people, and grasped Su Pu’s hand. Li Wenxiu felt gladdened yet desolate. She turned her horse around and walked away slowly. The spectators crowded around Su Pu, and no one noticed her.

She did not control the reins, but allowed the horse to canter leisurely in the desert. She had travelled for quite some time before realising that the white horse had reached the edge of the pastures. If she went any further, she would reach the Gobi Desert. Softly, she chided, “What did you bring me here for?” At this point, two horses appeared, and then another two appeared. Under the moonlight, she could roughly make out that the riders on the horses were all dressed in Han clothes and were gripping long blades.