Explore Chapter 2 of '故事新编' with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
An intelligent beast truly understands a man's intent. No sooner had it caught sight of the manor gate than the horse immediately slackened its pace. Lowering its head in unison with its rider, it plodded forward step by step, like a pestle pounding rice.
Evening mist enshrouded the great house. Thick, dark smoke from cooking fires rose from the neighboring roofs-it was already supper time. Hearing the hoofbeats, the retainers had long since come out to welcome him, standing bolt upright with hands hanging respectfully at their sides outside the gate. Yi lazily dismounted beside the rubbish heap, and the retainers took the reins and whip from him. Just as he was about to stride through the main entrance, he glanced down at the full quiver of brand-new arrows at his waist and the three old crows and one little sparrow-shot to pieces-in his game bag. His heart filled with misgivings. But in the end, he steeled himself and strode inside; the arrows clattered noisily in the quiver.
As soon as he entered the inner courtyard, he saw Chang'e peek out from the round window. Knowing how sharp her eyes were, she must have already spotted the crows. He couldn't help a start, and his footsteps halted instantly-but he had no choice but to proceed inside. The maidservants came forward to meet him, taking his bow and arrows and untying the game bag. He had a distinct feeling they were all forcing bitter smiles.
Chang'e had been gazing at the evening sky beyond the round window. She slowly turned her head and cast him a glance that was neither here nor there, offering no reply.
This was a situation Yi had grown accustomed to-for at least over a year now. He still walked over and sat down on the wooden couch opposite, which was spread with an old, shedding leopard skin. Scratching his head, he began to speak haltingly-
"Hah!" Chang'e arched her willow-leaf eyebrows, suddenly stood up, and swept out like a gust of wind, muttering as she went, "Crow noodles with fried bean sauce again! Crow noodles with fried bean sauce again! Just you go and ask-what family eats nothing but crow-meat noodles with fried sauce all year round? I really don't know what cursed fate brought me here, to eat crow noodles with fried sauce year in and year out!"
"Madam," Yi hastily rose and followed her, lowering his voice, "but today wasn't all bad. I did shoot a sparrow as well, for your dish. Nü Xin!" He called loudly to the maid, "Bring that sparrow here for Madam to see!"
The game had already been taken to the kitchen. Nü Xin ran to fetch it and came back holding it reverently in both hands, presenting it before Chang'e.
"Hah!" She gave it a sidelong glance, slowly reached out to give it a pinch, and said discontentedly, "A complete mess! Smashed to bits, isn't it? Where's the meat?"
"Yes," Yi said with trepidation, "the arrow shattered it. My bow is too powerful, and the arrowhead too large."
"And is this the Great Boar and the Long Serpent?" she said, turning her head to address Nü Xin. "Serve a bowl of soup!" With that, she withdrew back into the room.
Left alone in the main hall, Yi sat down dazedly by the wall, listening to the crackle of firewood from the kitchen. He recalled how enormous the Great Boar had been back then-seen from afar, it looked like a small hillock. If he hadn't shot it then and saved it till now, it would have lasted half a year, sparing him this daily worry over food. And the Long Serpent could have been made into a fine broth…
Nü Yi came in to light the lamp. On the opposite wall, the vermilion bows and arrows, the black bows and arrows, the crossbow triggers, the long and short swords all materialized in the dim lamplight. Yi glanced at them, then lowered his head with a sigh. Just then, Nü Xin brought in the supper and placed it on the central table: on the left, five large bowls of plain noodles; on the right, two large bowls, one of soup; and in the center, a big bowl of fried bean sauce made from crow meat.
Yi ate his noodles with the sauce, finding them decidedly unpalatable. He stole a glance at Chang'e. She didn't even look at the sauce, merely soaking her noodles in the soup. After eating half a bowl, she put it down. He thought her face seemed sallower and thinner than usual and feared she might be falling ill.
"Ah," he said amiably, "this spotted leopard from the Western Hills-I shot it before we were married. How magnificent it was then, its whole body gleaming like gold." He then reminisced about the fare of those days: with bears, he ate only the four paws; with camels, he kept the hump; all the rest he bestowed upon the maidservants and retainers. Later, when the larger game was all hunted out, they ate wild boar, rabbit, and pheasant. His archery was so peerless, he could bag as much as he pleased. "Ah," he sighed involuntarily, "my skill with the bow was too consummate; I shot the land clean. Who could have guessed then that only crows would be left for the pot…"
"Right you are, Madam. I've been thinking the same. Tomorrow I'll rise earlier. If you wake early, do rouse me. I intend to go another fifty miles farther, see if I can find some roe deer or rabbits… But I fear it may be hopeless. When I shot the Great Boar and the Long Serpent, game was so plentiful. Surely you remember-black bears used to pass by your mother's very door, and I was called over to shoot them several times…"
"Who would have thought it would come to this-picked clean. When I think of it, I really don't know how we shall manage in the future. For myself, it matters little. Once I take the golden elixir that Taoist gave me, I shall achieve ascension to immortality. But my first duty is to think of you… So I've decided to venture even farther tomorrow…"
The dying lamplight fell upon her fading makeup. Some of the powder had worn off, making the skin around her eyes appear faintly sallow; the black of her eyebrows seemed uneven. Yet her lips remained as red as fire, and though she wasn't smiling, shallow dimples still graced her cheeks.
"Ah, such a woman, and I give her nothing but crow noodles with fried sauce to eat all year…" thought Yi, feeling ashamed. His cheeks burned hot right up to the ears.
Yi suddenly opened his eyes. A shaft of sunlight slanted across the western wall-he knew it was late. He looked at Chang'e; she was still sprawled out, fast asleep. Quietly, he threw on his clothes, climbed down from the leopard-skin couch, shuffled out to the main hall, and while washing his face, told Nü Geng to order Wang Sheng to saddle the horse.
Being a busy man, he had long since dispensed with breakfast. Nü Yi placed five steamed buns, five scallions, and a packet of chili sauce into the game bag, tying it together with his bow and arrows at his waist. He tightened his belt, stepped softly out of the hall, and addressed Nü Geng, who was just entering from the opposite direction-
He strode quickly out the door, mounted his horse, and left the retinue standing in formation behind him. In no time he had galloped out of the village. Ahead lay the sorghum fields he traversed daily. Paying them no heed-knowing full well they held nothing-he gave the horse two more lashes and raced straight on. In one stretch he covered nearly sixty li before sighting a dense grove up ahead. The horse was panting heavily, its coat slick with sweat, and naturally began to slow. After proceeding another ten li or so, he finally drew near the woods. Yet his eyes met only wasps, butterflies, ants, and grasshoppers-not a trace of bird or beast. When he first glimpsed this new terrain, he had hoped to find at least a fox or a rabbit or two; now he knew it was but another fantasy. He had no choice but to skirt the woods, only to find beyond it yet more lush green sorghum fields, dotted in the distance with a few small earthen huts. The breeze was gentle, the sun warm, and not a crow or sparrow broke the silence.
But after advancing another dozen paces, his heart instantly leaped with joy. Far off, on the flat ground outside an earthen hut, there was indeed a bird, pecking its way along step by step, looking like a large pigeon. Hastily, he nocked an arrow, drew the bowstring to its full arc, and released. The arrow flew forth like a shooting star.
This required no hesitation-his shots never missed. He need only urge his horse forward along the arrow's path to retrieve his prey. Yet just as he was nearing the spot, an old woman appeared, clutching a large pigeon with an arrow through it. Shouting at the top of her voice, she rushed straight toward his horse's head.
"Ha! Liar! That was Lord Fengmeng and others who shot them together. Perhaps you were among them, but to claim it was all your own doing-for shame!"
"Compensation. This was my best layer, laying an egg every day. You must give me two hoes and three spindle-whorls."
"Madam, look at me. I neither till nor weave. Where would I get hoes and spindle-whorls? I've no money on me either. I have only these five steamed buns, made of white flour. Let me offer them in compensation for your hen, plus these five scallions and a packet of sweet chili sauce. What say you?…" With one hand he reached into the game bag for the buns, stretching out the other to take the hen.
The old woman, seeing the white-flour buns, was somewhat swayed, but she insisted on fifteen. After much haggling, they finally settled on ten, agreeing they must be delivered by noon tomorrow at the latest, with the arrow that had killed the hen held as pledge. Only then did Yi set his mind at ease. He stuffed the dead hen into the game bag, mounted the saddle, turned his horse, and rode off. Though hungry, he was rather pleased-it had been well over a year since they last tasted chicken broth.
When he emerged from the woods, it was still afternoon. He hurriedly whipped his horse homeward. But the horse was spent. By the time they reached the familiar sorghum fields, dusk had fallen. Suddenly, a human figure flashed in the distance ahead, and immediately an arrow came whistling toward him. Yi did not rein in his horse but let it run on, while he himself nocked an arrow. With a single shot, he heard a sharp *clang*-the arrowheads met precisely in mid-air, striking a few sparks, then the two arrows pushed upward to form a human character shape before tumbling to the ground.
No sooner had the first arrows met than a second pair flew from both sides, again meeting in mid-air with a *clang*. They exchanged nine such shots, and Yi's arrows were exhausted. By then, however, he could clearly see Fengmeng standing triumphantly opposite him, with yet another arrow nocked on his bowstring, aimed directly at his throat.
"Hah! I thought he'd long since gone to the seaside to catch fish. So he's still lurking here, up to these tricks. No wonder the old woman spoke as she did…" thought Yi.
In that instant, the bow opposite curved like a full moon, the arrow sped like a meteor. With a *whoosh*, it flew straight for Yi's throat. Perhaps the aim was slightly off, for it struck him squarely in the mouth. He somersaulted and fell from his horse, arrow and all. The horse halted.
"You've really wasted your hundred-odd visits," he said, spitting out the arrow with a laugh. "Don't you even know my ‘arrow-biting technique’? This won't do. These petty tricks of yours are useless. A stolen punch can't kill its master-you must practice properly yourself."
"Hahaha!" He guffawed as he stood up. "Quoting the classics again! But such talk might fool an old woman. What ghosts are you playing before me? I've always been a hunter, never dabbled in your highwayman's tricks…" As he spoke, he glanced into the game bag. The hen was unharmed. He mounted his horse and rode straight off.
"Who would have thought he'd turn out so worthless. Young as he is, he's learned to curse. No wonder the old woman believed him so readily." So thought Yi, shaking his head in despair from atop his horse.
Before he had traversed the sorghum fields, the sky had darkened completely. Stars shone in the blue firmament, and the Evening Star glowed with exceptional brilliance in the west. The horse could only follow the white ridges between the fields and, utterly spent, naturally slowed even further. Fortunately, the moon began gradually to cast its silvery-white radiance along the horizon.
"Damn it!" Yi heard his stomach rumble and grew fretful on his horse. "Just when the struggle for sustenance is hardest, I run into more of this nonsense, a pure waste of time!" He dug his heels into the horse's flanks, urging it to speed up, but the beast merely twitched its hindquarters and maintained its plodding pace.
"Chang'e must be furious. See how late it is today," he thought. "No doubt she'll put on some dreadful face for me. But luckily, there's this little hen to cheer her. I'll say: Madam, I had to travel two hundred li back and forth to find this. No, that won't do-sounds too boastful."
Catching sight of lamplight from the houses ahead, his spirits lifted and he thought no more of it. The horse, needing no whip, broke into a gallop of its own accord. The round, snow-white moon lit the way ahead; the cool breeze caressed his face-it was even more delightful than returning from a grand hunt.
They did not answer, only looked at his face, then came forward to remove his bow-case and quiver and the game bag containing the little hen. Yi suddenly felt a pang of terror. It struck him that Chang'e, in a fit of anger, might have taken her own life. He told Nü Geng to summon Zhao Fu and ordered him to search the pond and trees in the back garden. But the moment he stepped into the bedchamber, he knew his conjecture was wrong: the room was also in disarray; the clothing chest stood open. A glance toward the bed told him immediately that the jewel case was missing. He felt as if a bucket of icy water had been dumped over his head. The gold and pearls were of little consequence, but the elixir of immortality given him by the Taoist had also been kept in that jewel case.
Yi paced several more circles in the room, then walked out to the main hall and sat down. Lifting his head, he gazed at the vermilion bows and arrows, the black bows and arrows, the crossbow triggers, the long and short swords on the opposite wall. After some thought, he finally addressed the maidservants standing dumbly below-
"No, we didn't see that," came the reply. "But she did ask me to pour her some water this afternoon."
"Oh!" Nü Xin thought for a moment, then exclaimed as if struck by a realization. "When I went out with the lamp, I did see a black shadow flying in that direction. But it never occurred to me it might be Madam…" Her face turned pale.
Nü Xin pointed. Following her finger, he saw a round, snow-white moon hanging in the sky, within which towers and trees were faintly visible. Hazily, he recalled the moon palace's beautiful scenery his grandmother had described to him in childhood. Gazing at the moon, which seemed to float upon a sapphire sea, he felt his own body grow exceedingly heavy.
Nü Yi and Nü Geng took down the mighty bow from the center of the main hall, brushed off the dust, and placed it in his hands together with three long arrows.
In one hand he held the bow; with the other he gripped the three arrows, nocking them all at once. He drew the bow to its full arc, aiming directly at the moon. His body stood firm as rock. His gaze shot straight ahead, glittering like lightning beneath a cliff. His beard and hair streamed outward like black flame. For an instant, one could almost envision his heroic stance from the days when he shot down the suns.
*Whoosh!*-a single sound. Three arrows were loosed in rapid succession, nocked and released again the moment the first were away. The eye could not follow the technique, nor the ear distinguish the separate sounds. Ordinarily, facing a single target, the three arrows should have struck as one, for they followed each other without the slightest gap. But to ensure a hit, he now gave his hand a subtle twist, so the arrows would arrive at three distinct points, inflicting three separate wounds.
The maidservants cried out in unison. They all saw the moon give a shudder, as if about to fall-yet there it remained, hanging serenely, emitting a gentler, brighter radiance, seemingly utterly unscathed.
"Hey!" Yi gave a great shout to the heavens and watched for a while. But the moon paid him no heed. He advanced three steps, and the moon retreated three steps; he retreated three steps, and the moon advanced exactly three.
Yi lazily propped the sun-shooting bow against the hall door and walked inside. The maidservants all followed him.
"Ah," Yi sat down with a sigh. "So, your Madam will be happy alone forever. She could bring herself to abandon me and achieve ascension to immortality by herself? Does she perhaps think I've grown old? Yet only last month she said: 'You are not old. To deem yourself old is a degeneration of thought.'"
"Wait a moment," said Yi, thinking it over. "There's no hurry for that. I'm absolutely famished. Better make a plate of spicy chicken and bake five catties of flatbread quickly, so I can eat and get some sleep. Tomorrow I shall go find that Taoist and ask for another dose of elixir of immortality. Once I've taken it, I'll pursue her. Nü Geng, go tell Wang Sheng to measure out four *sheng* of white beans to feed the horse!"