Chapter 30: Wind, Unicorn, and Kites Chasing the Wind, Singing in the Marketplace
The autumn sun shone like melted honey, splashing across the newly paved bluestone slabs of the courtyard. Little Swallow knelt on a spread of bamboo mats, adding the final touches of gold to the phoenix kite in her hands. She wore a short, goose-yellow jacket, the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, her exposed wrists dabbed with a touch of gold powder. The red silk ribbon at the end of her braid brushed the mat gently as she moved, stirring up fine dust.
"Sister Xiaoyanzi, when can your phoenix fly?" Xiaodouzi lay on the wooden table next to him, with his chin resting on his chubby arms, staring at the kite without blinking, his saliva almost dripping onto the freshly shaved bamboo strips.
Without even raising her head, the little swallow drew a smooth arc on the kite's wings with the tip of her pen. Gold powder fell on her skirt like a handful of stars: "When you have memorized 'Heaven, Earth and Man' that we learned yesterday, I will fly it for you to see." She suddenly turned her face to the side, and while Xiaodouzi wasn't paying attention, she used her fingertips dipped in gold powder to make a small dot on the tip of his nose, which made the little pigeons next to him giggle.
Liu Hong came back from the well carrying a wooden basin. The well water in the basin was shimmering with tiny lights. She wiped her hands with her apron and smiled, "You only know how to bully children! Liu Qing went to buy some goods just now and said he saw that Sugar Painting Zhang had a new Phoenix candy, so he made a detour to bring one for you." She put the wooden basin on the stone table, in which the coarse cloth clothes to be washed were soaked. The soap nuts foamed in the water, and a refreshing fragrance spread.
"Sugar Phoenix?" Xiaoyanzi immediately dropped her paintbrush and jumped up, the red ribbon on her braid nearly knocking over the paint dish beside her. As she straightened, she saw Liu Qing carrying a load of dried fruit in a basket at the front, and in the back, a golden sugar phoenix, its wings spread half a foot long. The sunlight shone on the frosting, making it shimmer and translucent.
"Wow!" The children gathered around like little sparrows. Little Douzi was the smartest, clinging to the edge of the basket and trying to reach out to touch it. Liu Qing smiled and patted his hand away, saying, "Be careful not to burn yourself! We can share after we fly the kite." Sweat streamed down his dark face, leaving large wet marks on the back of his coarse shorts. But he smiled, revealing his white teeth. "This candied phoenix is beautifully made. It looks like it was carved from the same mold as the kite drawn by Xiaoyanzi."
Little Swallow held up her kite and compared it, raising her chin proudly: "Of course! This phoenix kite is made of bamboo strips specially made by the carpenter in the mansion. It is very tough and can definitely fly into the clouds!" The wings of the kite in her hand were decorated with feathers hooked with gold thread, and the eyes were dotted with round shapes. When the wind blew through the thin rice paper, it really looked like the kite was spreading its wings and was about to fly.
Liu Hong came over to take a look, and lightly touched the kite's wings with her fingertips. "This gold powder is really shiny. I'm afraid it's not cheap. You always spend your monthly allowance on these things."
"It's free!" Little Swallow blinked, then suddenly lowered her voice. "I bargained with the owner of the painting studio and even helped his daughter modify a painting. That's why he sold it to me at a low price." She stuck out her tongue, turned around, and ran out of the yard. "The wind is just right, let's go fly a kite!"
Liu Qing quickly put down his burden, grabbed the kite string and followed. Liu Hong smiled and called out to the children, "Follow us! Whoever runs slower won't get the candy phoenix!"
Beneath the old locust tree at the courtyard gate, Xiao Jian stood there for some time, his grayish-blue gown fluttering gently in the autumn breeze. He held a bamboo basket filled with almond cakes that Li had sent for the elderly man in the compound. He watched Xiao Yanzi run by, kite in hand. Her pale yellow jacket and skirt resembled a blooming flower, the red silk ribbon at the end of her braid tangled with the kite string. She smiled even more cheerfully than the sparrows perched on the branches.
"Brother!" Little Swallow stopped abruptly as she ran past him, the gold powder on the tip of her nose brushing against his sleeve. "Why are you here? Come and watch me fly a kite. I guarantee it'll be ten times higher than that butterfly kite you flew last time!"
Xiao Jian shook his head helplessly and reached out to help her tidy up her bangs that were messed up by the wind: "My mother asked me to bring some snacks over, and by the way, I wanted to see if you guys have had enough of the fun." His fingertips brushed the gold powder on her forehead, and his eyes fell on the distance - Liu Qing was helping Xiao Gege adjust the crooked butterfly kite, Liu Hong was backing away with the spool in her hand, the children were chasing the falling gold powder, and curls of smoke were rising from the chimneys in the courtyard, mixed with the aroma of pancakes coming from the street corner, like the most vivid city painting.
"Let it go!" Little Swallow's cheer interrupted his thoughts. Liu Qing ran a few steps holding the phoenix kite, then suddenly let go. Little Swallow pulled the string back, and the kite swayed, then soared into the air with the wind. Its wings fluttered gently in the breeze, and golden powder fell, like a living phoenix soaring into the sky.
"It's flying! It's flying!" The children clapped their hands and cheered. Xiaodouzi jumped up and grabbed the corner of Liuhong's clothes. "Sister Liuhong, look! Sister Xiaoyanzi's phoenix has flown into the clouds!"
Liu Qing stood beside Xiaoyanzi, helping her steady the spool. A smile spread across his dark face. "Your technique in unwinding the line is quite neat. Who did you learn that from?"
"Self-taught!" Little Swallow raised her chin proudly, then suddenly cried out, "Ah!" The kite string suddenly tightened, and the Phoenix kite spun in the sky, about to fall. Liu Qing was quick to take the spool of string and bring it back. With a slight twist of his wrist, the kite regained its balance and soared higher and higher in the sky.
"Amazing!" Xiaoyanzi clapped her hands and looked at Liu Qing with sparkling eyes. "Brother Liu Qing, your skills are even better than those of the guards in the mansion!"
Liu Qing's ears turned red from her praise. He scratched his head and chuckled, "I used to play it often in the countryside when I was a kid. I learned it by practicing."
Xiao Jian sat on a bamboo chair beneath an old locust tree, watching the phoenix kite in the sky, its long tail trailing behind it. The spool of string passed back and forth between Xiaoyanzi and Liu Qing. Their laughter, mixed with the children's cheers, drifted far into the distance. Liu Hong brought over a freshly brewed coarse porcelain tea bowl, a few tea leaves floating in it, steaming hot. "Brother Xiao Jian, try this! This is the pre-rain tea Liu Qing bought specially for you."
"Thank you." Xiao Jian took the tea bowl and his eyes fell on the newly built roof of the compound—the tiles were neatly arranged, the window paper was white, and the morning glories in the corners climbed up the bamboo trellises, blooming vibrantly. He suddenly understood why Xiaoyanzi always loved to go to this compound. The lively atmosphere here was fresh and warm, a kind of freshness and warmth that was missing from the exquisite but formal courtyards of the mansion.
As the sunset painted the sky red, the kites were collected and the sugar phoenixes shared, leaving the corners of the children's mouths stained with golden icing. Xiaoyanzi helped Liu Hong collect the spools of thread, rubbing the gold powder from her fingertips onto the cloth, leaving tiny specks of golden light. Liu Qing was carrying the empty basket to go wash it when Xiao Jian stood up and said, "I'll go with you and take a look at your new stock."
Xiaoyanzi watched them walk out of the courtyard side by side, and suddenly smiled at Liu Hong, "Look, Brother Liu Qing and my eldest brother are quite similar, aren't they? Neither of them likes to talk, but they always worry about other people's affairs."
Liu Hong smiled and patted her on the back: "You, all you do is talk about others. Hurry up and wash off the gold powder on your face, or your mother will nag you again when you get home."
The well water was icy cold, washing away the powder on her face but not the warmth in her heart. Little Swallow looked up. Hanging from the eaves of the compound were kites of all shapes and sizes: phoenixes, butterflies, bees... They swayed gently in the evening breeze, like a string of soaring dreams. In the distance came the clappers of the night watchman, and closer still the laughter of the elderly, and the footsteps of Liu Qing and Xiao Jian returning.
This autumn in the capital finally feels like home because of these lively people and things.
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