Making friends
Huai Xu and Feng Qiao, the two leaders of the children, encountered a group of migrant children halfway there. They called out "Sister, Brother" and all rushed towards the river.
I brought Lin Zhong to the small courtyard where Liu Xingjian and Liu Yu lived. The two of them were cutting green bamboo to make fishing rods. Their clumsy work was so bad that even Lin Zhong couldn't bear to watch. So I asked Lin Zhong to stay and help, and went into the house alone to find Wang Yunhui.
I patted the door: "Madam Wang!"
Wang Yunhui put down the cloth in her hand and replied with delight, "Qingcheng, come in quickly."
"What are you busy with during such a holiday?"
"Let me take stock of the cloth. Once I've collected enough for this batch, Qingcheng, I'll need your help to take it to town for consignment sale."
I nodded: "Wow, that's fast. The last batch was delivered not long ago."
"The looms are running non-stop now, all full during the day, and some villagers are even asking to come at night. Weaving day and night, it's quick!"
I laughed and said, "That's because Madam Wang pays a high wage."
Wang Yunhui sighed, "I want to save up some money as soon as possible and find a craftsman to replicate the loom. At that time, more women from Nanguang will come to help, and their lives will be able to improve."
I took her hand and said sincerely, "Madam Wang, you've gone to so much trouble."
Wang Yunhui patted my hand: "Helping each other is what we should do."
I thought for a moment: "Last time I went to town, the cloth shop owner recognized at a glance that the cloth I brought was woven on a slant loom."
She said she had seen it in Chengdu and that the cloth woven by the oblique loom was much neater and finer than that woven by the zigzag loom. She was surprised that our Nanguang not only had oblique looms, but also craftsmen who knew how to operate them. She hoped that we could cooperate for a long time.
"I think we can talk to the boss about the delivery date and quantity of the subsequent fabrics, and it would be best to get a partial deposit in advance so that we can raise the cost of the second loom as soon as possible."
Wang Yunhui looked delighted: "That's a great idea! Qingcheng, but I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to talk to them again. I really don't know how to thank you enough."
"Hey. It's not a hassle to just talk. In this whole matter, you, the expert in weaving, are the key to success or failure."
“I say, Qingcheng, you—” Wang Yunhui grinned from ear to ear, “your rhetoric is exactly the same as Prefect Wei’s.”
I laughed out loud: "They are somewhat similar, but Lord Wei said he is more pessimistic than me."
"Alas." Wang Yunhui looked regretful. "Prefect Wei was originally the youngest junior official in the Ministry of Works, with a promising future. It's just a pity that he spoke out for justice and offended powerful figures. He was all alone when he took up his post in the Southwest. It's inevitable that he would become pessimistic and disheartened after such a heavy blow to his life."
“It’s alright, the feng shui of Nanguang is good for people. Look at Doctor Liu, he used to be an imperial physician in the capital, but now he’s a country doctor in Yanziping, and he’s eating and sleeping well, and he’s gained ten pounds since he first came here.” I took her hand and said, “Come on, I’ll take you for a walk along the Yuejiang River.”
The three people in the courtyard were still busy. I smiled and said, "Lin Zhong, you help them out. Wang Niangzi and I will go ahead first."
There were far more baby children than ducks on the river, chasing and intercepting them amidst the loud singing of the girls on both banks.
Catching ducks in the river is no easy task. Ducks are good divers, and once they sense a change in the water flow, they immediately swim away. Many swim with the ducks for a long time but fail to catch them; others are skilled swimmers who manage to catch one and bring it ashore, immediately drawing cheers from the villagers.
I wanted to take Wang Yunhui to the shore to look for Huai Xu and Feng Qiao, but she refused, saying repeatedly, "Qingcheng, we can't go any further."
There were many half-naked men in the river. She was once a wife of an official in the Central Plains. Although she was exiled to the southwestern barbarian lands, she was clearly far from adapting to local customs regarding the separation of men and women.
Among the crowd were many Han Chinese women of similar age to her. I pointed them out to her one by one: “Look, this is helping her son clear the field, and over there are a few cheering for their grandson.” When we got to the vicinity of the bluestone beach, I laughed and said, “The Han and Liao women usually gather here to wash clothes. If you come late, you won’t be able to find a spot.”
Wang Yunhui asked curiously, "Why is that?"
I pointed to the opposite bank: "Look, there are boat trackers carrying boats across the river. This is the best spot to watch. Wash your clothes, watch the men, listen to the boatmen's chants, and chat for a while, and half a day will pass by."
Wang Yunhui suddenly burst into laughter, patted my shoulder and said, "Qingcheng, I like you so much. Being with you makes complicated things seem simple, and I feel so relaxed."
I said sincerely, "Qingcheng also felt an instant connection with Madam Wang. I originally thought that Madam Liu, who came from the Central Plains, must be a dignified and composed official's wife who never left her home. I never expected that Madam Wang would have such a righteous spirit and integrity, which truly attracted me."
"There are too many officials' wives who never leave their homes, so they don't need me. From childhood to adulthood, I, Wang Yunhui, have always been committed to doing what I want to do. Some things I have accomplished, while others have not only failed but have also been repeatedly criticized and ridiculed."
"Looking back, I realize it wasn't my fault, but rather that there were simply too few people who shared my views. I never imagined that there was a woman like Qing Niangzi three thousand miles away who did so many things I wanted to do in my youth but couldn't. It's truly a case of wishing we'd met sooner!"
A gentle breeze and white waves rippled across the river as we looked at each other and laughed by the bluestone beach.
Wang Yunhui asked, "Qingcheng, have you been alone all these years?"
I looked at the endless mountains in the distance: "Twelve years ago, when the Nanguang tribe was still subjugated by Dali, a young man from Dongchuan proposed to me, and I accepted."
"On the eve of his wedding, Shimen Fan and Nan Guang went to war again. After this battle, Nan Guang was brought under the control of the Song Dynasty. Although Shimen Fan still paid tribute to Dali, it had not paid tribute for many years."
"People who used to live on the same land have been cut into many pieces. He can't come over, and I can't go over. For twelve years, we haven't heard from each other at all."
Wang Yunhui sighed, "Qingcheng, people can't dwell on the past; they have to look forward."
I laughed and said, "I'm looking, and I haven't found anyone who's good enough for me yet."
Wang Yunhui nodded: "That's true, better to have none than something bad."
"Madam Wang, when you and Mr. Liu fled to Yuezhou, didn't your children come with you?"
“Old Liu and I only have one daughter, who should be around your age. Five years ago, she died in childbirth while giving birth to her second child.” Wang Yunhui turned to me and said, “Old Liu often tells me that seeing you is like seeing our daughter.”
“But I told him that I thought differently, and that seeing him was like seeing a long-lost friend. These older men just like to play the father, how could they understand that women can also share the same ideals and feelings?”
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