Wintry Night, page 19
“Sergeant, isn’t the situation …” started Ahan.
“The Japs have Great Lake and South Lake surrounded,” said Three Chops, looking a bit worried.
“Great Lake sits on the edge of a huge mountainous area. Can they surround it?” asked Qiu Mei.
“They don’t have to, in the mountains there are natives who hunt heads,” interjected Ahan.
“Not anymore,” said Three Chops. “We’ve made contact with the people in the mountains, and they’ve said that they won’t kill us Chinese from the plains.” Three Chops remained silent for a time. “Of course, if you want to get away it’s easy enough to do. But why should you? Why leave? This is the land our forebears opened. I hate the idea of them eating our grain. I heard that all of Taiwan along the main north-south route is under Japanese control.”
When they were alone together, Qiu Mei tried to persuade Ahan that the right thing to do was go back to Fanzai Wood for his wife. Ahan refused. Qiu Mei continued to try to persuade him. Ahan asked him to accompany him, but Qiu Mei thought it best that he remain with the guerrillas. “I can help them, because I have no family to worry about. I hate the Japs because they killed my wife and children and destroyed my home.”
“If you want me to go, then come with me and take a look,” replied Ahan weakly.
Qiu Mei eventually agreed to accompany him to Fanzai Wood. The following day, after a breakfast of rice gruel, they set off. Qiu Mei had even provided money for a set of clean clothes for both of them. As they approached Fanzai Wood, Ahan’s heart was filled with bitterness and his nervousness increased. On the hillside, Ahan paused before the huge kulian tree.
“What a giant tree. How strange,” said Qiu Mei.
Ahan recalled the words of Peng Aqiang, the heartless old man and foster father to Dengmei. He had said that when widows, old people, lonely travelers, and failed farmers could go no farther, they would come here and put an end to it all. Peng Aqiang had also said that the settlers couldn’t fail because there was no way back for them. Ahan braced himself.
“I don’t want to go back,” mumbled Ahan to himself.
“You have to go back,” Qiu Mei corrected him.
Ahan squatted by the path. Qiu Mei tried to reason with him, but the more he spoke, the more determined Ahan became not to return. Finally, losing his patience, Qiu Mei grabbed him by the collar and pushed him forward.
Ahan laughed, remembering the scene at the bridge by the pass at Tortoise Mountain.
The two of them made their way by fits and starts as Ahan continued to have doubts about returning. Passing Blind Man’s Pool, Ahan stopped again. The sun was already above the bamboo and Qiu Mei was on the point of losing his temper when someone hurried their way.
“It really is you,” said the man.
“Oh, it’s you, Brother Renhua,” said Ahan, unable to contain himself.
“Who’s your brother?” spat Renhua.
“Renhua!”
“It’s a good thing Chan Agu warned us, otherwise you would have sneaked in.”
“What do you mean?”
Renhua sneered. “Chan Agu saw you and warned us. What do you think I mean? You’re not allowed here in Fanzai Wood.”
“Do you own Fanzai Wood?”
“Don’t even think about coming to our house. And don’t think about taking Dengmei away from us.”
“Peng Renhua, what are you saying? You’re being ridiculous!”
“I’m telling you that Dengmei is no longer your wife.”
“What?” He stepped back, straightened up, and rushed at Renhua, grabbing him. “What do you mean?”
“You have no official proof that you married into our family. And when you left, you forgot to take the contract.”
Qiu Mei stepped forward. “Friend, what is this about his wife?”
“I’m saying that his marriage is not valid.”
“Not valid …”
“Go away. Dengmei doesn’t want you.”
“She doesn’t want me?” Ahan released Renhua.
“No. She’s going to remarry.”
“Remarry?” Ahan backed away, swaying on his feet.
Qiu Mei caught hold of him and Ahan sagged in his arms. Renhua continued on in his sarcastic manner. Ahan slowly shook his head, then turned and walked away. Qiu Mei quietly suggested that he go back to Fanzai Wood and get to the bottom of what was going on. Ahan just walked faster.
“Ahan, Liu Ahan! Where are you going?” shouted someone behind them.
Ahan stopped and looked. It was Peng Aqiang, that cruel man.
“Ahan, come back! Renhua, what did you say to him?”
In a daze, Ahan continued on. Peng Aqiang and Renhua were both shouting. Ahan thought he was going to collapse. His ears were buzzing and he could hear nothing of what they were saying. He didn’t want to listen. What was the point?
Ahan and Qiu Mei returned to Great Lake to take part in the last stand against the Japanese.
Winter had arrived, and the weather was getting colder. The greatest problem for the guerrillas was the lack of a clear chain of command. In the tenth lunar month there were nearly a thousand men in the area of Great Lake and South Lake. The men came from the defense unit led by Three Chops; others were deserters. By the end of the year, there were fewer than three hundred left. The new year began coldly but with no wind. The Japanese army and supporting gendarmes began to advance on Great Lake.
The guerrilla force led by Three Chops withdrew to the outpost in the hills outside South Lake. With the exception of the well-to-do, the people of South Lake, like the people of Great Lake, remained in their homes. The residents were unable and unwilling to provide Three Chops and his men and horses with provisions. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the Japanese arrived. And the Japanese army had posted proclamations forbidding anyone to aid the “bandits.” As a precaution, so as not to be accused of doing so, the people shut their doors and stopped trading.
Three Chops and his men were in a difficult situation. All that was certain was that they had enough guns and ammunition. They didn’t want to run away, but they had come to be seen as bandits in some people’s eyes. They were encouraged by the arrival of a number of aboriginal leaders who sought to make pacts with Three Chops to fight the Japanese.
As Qiu Mei became apprised of the situation, he again tried to persuade Ahan to leave.
“I’ve got no place to go, but you should leave as soon as you can,” Ahan said to Qiu Mei.
Though he felt dejected, Qiu Mei was resolved to stay. “I’m from Changshan, aren’t I? My children are missing and must be dead. I buried my wife here in Taiwan. I have no desire to return to Changshan alone.”
Ahan smiled coldly. “Then we might just as well be bandits together.”
On the third day of the new year, the sky cleared and the temperature rose. The Japanese army stationed in the hills south of Great Lake began a campaign to mop up what remained of the bandits. They started by bombarding South Lake for thirty minutes. The thatch-and-bamboo roofs of the houses in the village caught fire immediately. The shelling also initiated some movement. At that point the Japanese soldiers began their advance.
Those who opposed the Japanese had already withdrawn beyond the old guard post line to make a stand at Linlai Plain. Every man, woman, and child of Jialihewan had left for shelter with the natives on Malabang Mountain. Within an hour, the Japanese had taken possession of South Lake village. They managed to burn down half the village and kill about thirty residents but not a single bandit.
Eventually, the guerrilla forces joined the natives on Malabang Mountain to fight the invaders. After five days and four nights of fighting, Three Chops had been killed, as had all the native leaders. Most of the men ended up dead.
New leaders stepped forward immediately to take the places of the native leaders slain in battle or executed by the Japanese. All the tribes from Wen River to South Lake united to go on the warpath against the Japanese. The alliance of natives created a force the size of which hadn’t been seen in forty years. As a result, the Japanese garrison at Miaoli was dispatched to Great Lake.
NINE
•
Endless Wintry Night
On September 21, 1896, the twenty-ninth year of the Meiji era, the Bureau of Industry under the Governor-General’s Office in Taiwan issued a proclamation stating that all lands without complete documentation of ownership would be confiscated by the government. Those that did have proof of ownership would be subject to heavy taxation. This proclamation was one of many issued by the colonial government to control the land for long-term economic planning. Thus, the land of widows, orphans, illiterates, and all others without complete documentation was confiscated by the Japanese. The proclamation also forbade the people of Taiwan to open land or collect anything from land for which they did not possess ownership documents. All violators of the order were to be treated as criminals.
The battles of 1895 had been fought and the turmoil of 1896 had been quelled. The bones of the dead defenders lay white in the fields; the wounded had recovered; and the Japanese who had served meritoriously had received commendations. The colonial government had laws for everything, but there were just as many waves in the sea, and the island was as beautiful as ever. The inhabitants of Fanzai Wood were struggling for a living as usual. Indeed, their life wasn’t all that different from that of the indigenous people; perhaps that was why the place had been spared and remained as peaceful as ever even after the natives had united to fight the Japanese.
The biggest worry for the people of Fanzai Wood was the notes signed by everyone now in the hands of Ye Atian. The 1.5 percent interest to be paid semi-annually was literally choking the people like a heavy chain at their throats. The new laws protected the rights of those with the law on their side more than ever and punished violators more swiftly. Not only would the people of Fanzai Wood never be able to free themselves, but they were also falling ever deeper into debt. It seemed that the harder they worked, the poorer they became. Some decided to abandon their land and run away. But when it came down to it, they were unwilling to leave the land they had struggled so hard to open. Su Afa, the oldest inhabitant of Fanzai Wood, was unable to pay the interest. It was said that officials would be arriving to survey the government lands. Su Afa was so troubled by all of this that he actually took a hemp rope and secretly went to the hanging tree to end it all. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the rope was too short and he was too feeble to climb the tree. Eventually someone stopped his attempts.
These were the worries of the men; the women and children didn’t concern themselves with them. Instead, their primary concern was to make sure there was enough food on the table to fill their bellies. Dengmei was secretly happy, gloating over the worried expressions on the men’s faces. But she could not let anyone know how she felt, because that would spell disaster for her.
But perhaps that was not the case. A few days before the Double Fifth festival, Ahan had appeared suddenly in the Pengs’ fields. After he had had time to catch his breath, he found that Peng Aqiang and Lanmei were all smiles. “Oh, you’re back,” said Peng Aqiang. Didn’t the word “back” imply acceptance?
Ahan had returned with Qiu Mei. Both men were dressed in native garb and carried long-handled native knives. The moment Ahan saw Dengmei, he flushed red with excitement. And almost as if he were picking a fight, he asked her about their child.
She wanted to smile, but a wave of pain swept over her and she was unable to hold back her tears.
“What, again?”
“Is there something wrong with the child?” asked Qiu Mei, as if he already suspected the truth.
She pointed toward the house. Ahan threw a glance at Peng Aqiang and his wife and then rushed over to the house. He brusquely pushed aside Aling and his wife, who had come out to greet him with open arms. On the bed was a baby boy. Ahan looked like an eagle about to swoop down on the child. He approached the baby but then stopped and stepped back.
“Fine-looking boy,” said Qiu Mei. “What’s his name?”
“We just call him Aming because no one has given him a proper name yet.”
“How old is he?” asked Ahan as if he had suddenly awakened.
“Almost four months.”
Of what was he suspicious?
He explained that while in the mountains, he had run into Xu Dingxin, youngest son of Xu Shihui. Dingxin had told him about Aming’s birth. This news, together with what Renhua had said about Dengmei not wanting him anymore, had increased his suspicions.
The previous year when Ahan was driven away, he had had no idea that Dengmei was pregnant. Add to that Renhua’s words and a new baby, and no wonder he was so suspicious. Considering the situation, Dengmei felt sorry for him but then had to laugh.
She recalled how the old man greeted him and how Renjie and Renxing tried to make him feel welcome when he came back to stay. Even Renhua was no longer wearing that nasty expression of his. Actually, Peng Aqiang had had many regrets when Ahan had left Fanzai Wood in anger. It was no easy matter for the old man to smile now.
Everyone had noticed that Ahan and Qiu Mei both had gleaming new rifles slung over their shoulders. After seeing his son, Ahan explained that they had taken them from the Japanese when fighting alongside the natives of Malabang. The old man was stunned, and his three sons went white with fear.
“You’ve cut off Jap heads?” asked Renhua, his voice trembling.
“No avoiding it; it was war,” said Qiu Mei.
“Quick, hide the guns,” said Peng Aqiang. “Don’t let anyone see them.”
“They should be buried,” said Renhua.
Renjie thought it a pity to bury them, but Peng Aqiang, his wife, and Renhua all insisted so as to avoid getting into trouble.
“All right, we just won’t let anyone find them.”
Nobody spoke again, but their eyes betrayed their fears and worries. Late that night, Peng Aqiang and his wife called Aling over and asked him to tell Ahan and Qiu Mei that they hoped the two of them would leave Fanzai Wood as soon as possible.
“We can’t leave right now, but we will leave in a few days,” said Ahan.
The following day Peng Aqiang asked Dengmei over and announced that for six dollars she and Ahan could buy their freedom, and he would allow her and Aming to leave Fanzai Wood with Ahan. Ahan agreed with alacrity. However, Japanese soldiers had already been garrisoned in the area. Anyone entering or leaving the mountains—Fanzai Wood was now designated part of the mountain areas—was carefully searched. Qiu Mei, who had gone out to reconnoiter the area, returned and said that it would be impossible to move.
It was then suggested that they go to Big Southside because they were on friendly terms with the natives there. But that road was impassable as well because the Japanese army had stationed a huge number of troops in the area to counter the threat from the natives of Tabeilai village, who were constantly on the warpath. The soldiers would no doubt see through their disguise in daylight, on the road—Ahan and Qiu Mei had put on native clothing and had made their way to Fanzai Wood under cover of darkness.
“It will do the Pengs no good if we are taken, because Ahan is a member of the family,” Qiu Mei reminded the old man.
Absurdly, out of fear, the Peng menfolk asked Xu Rixing, Xu Shihui, and Su Ajin to meet with them. None of them thought it necessary to panic—hadn’t the Xu boys been early and vocal opponents of the Japanese at Great Lake? And hadn’t they also taken an active part in the resistance? In the end, the Pengs decided to sever all ties by making Ahan pay the six dollars in freedom money and publicly declare that he was now on his own and no longer a member of his wife’s household. Since the marriage had never been registered at the yamen, the contract was burned. In any case, Ahan and Dengmei had no blood ties to the Pengs. The demand for freedom money was not considered proper, but Peng Aqiang reasoned that it was his due because Ahan had never fulfilled his duties as captain of the guard; nor had he, as promised, given his salary to the old man.
“You will also have to move out,” ordered Peng Aqiang.
“Where are we supposed to go?” asked Dengmei.
“Fanzai Wood is full of cliffs and rocky outcroppings. Find a cave or something for the time being.”
“Yes!” Dengmei’s eyes shone with delight.
In the end they went to stay under a rocky overhang at Black Rock Cliff above Fanzai Wood. In a few days, Qiu Mei, who was something of an expert at geomancy, located an ideal site for a house opposite the cliff. Qiu Mei, along with Aling and his wife, helped the couple put up a thatched hut with a small kitchen. Qiu Mei also gave Aming his new name: Mingqing. While he was at it, he thought up names for another half dozen sons they might have.
“This is a great place for a nest, and it’ll be perfect for you,” said Qiu Mei.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not for someone who wants to get rich, but it is ideal for someone who wants to live in privacy. It’s a lucky place; you’ll be safe here. You will have many sons and grandsons, but fame and fortune will come to your family only after two or three generations.”
“What a bunch of nonsense.” Ahan laughed. “And what about you?”
“This is not the place for me,” said Qiu Mei. “I’m a loner and I’ll have to find a high, open peak to live on.” Qiu Mei was serious. A few days later, he did find a piece of land high above Fanzai Wood on which he erected a thatched hut.
It was in this way that Ahan, Dengmei, and little Mingqing finally came to have their own home. Dengmei was afraid that the natives would attack them, but Ahan reassured her by pointing to the native clothes he had deliberately hung under the eaves. The Pengs, for their part, treated the young couple well: they gave them a bowl, two pairs of chopsticks, and a pillow stuffed with straw as well as their old bedding made out of hemp sacks.
“Will Father and the others really let us go?” asked Dengmei, still somewhat fearful.
“They’re afraid of getting in trouble on account of me.”
“You think its’ funny. One day we will have to …”
“The Japs have Great Lake and South Lake surrounded,” said Three Chops, looking a bit worried.
“Great Lake sits on the edge of a huge mountainous area. Can they surround it?” asked Qiu Mei.
“They don’t have to, in the mountains there are natives who hunt heads,” interjected Ahan.
“Not anymore,” said Three Chops. “We’ve made contact with the people in the mountains, and they’ve said that they won’t kill us Chinese from the plains.” Three Chops remained silent for a time. “Of course, if you want to get away it’s easy enough to do. But why should you? Why leave? This is the land our forebears opened. I hate the idea of them eating our grain. I heard that all of Taiwan along the main north-south route is under Japanese control.”
When they were alone together, Qiu Mei tried to persuade Ahan that the right thing to do was go back to Fanzai Wood for his wife. Ahan refused. Qiu Mei continued to try to persuade him. Ahan asked him to accompany him, but Qiu Mei thought it best that he remain with the guerrillas. “I can help them, because I have no family to worry about. I hate the Japs because they killed my wife and children and destroyed my home.”
“If you want me to go, then come with me and take a look,” replied Ahan weakly.
Qiu Mei eventually agreed to accompany him to Fanzai Wood. The following day, after a breakfast of rice gruel, they set off. Qiu Mei had even provided money for a set of clean clothes for both of them. As they approached Fanzai Wood, Ahan’s heart was filled with bitterness and his nervousness increased. On the hillside, Ahan paused before the huge kulian tree.
“What a giant tree. How strange,” said Qiu Mei.
Ahan recalled the words of Peng Aqiang, the heartless old man and foster father to Dengmei. He had said that when widows, old people, lonely travelers, and failed farmers could go no farther, they would come here and put an end to it all. Peng Aqiang had also said that the settlers couldn’t fail because there was no way back for them. Ahan braced himself.
“I don’t want to go back,” mumbled Ahan to himself.
“You have to go back,” Qiu Mei corrected him.
Ahan squatted by the path. Qiu Mei tried to reason with him, but the more he spoke, the more determined Ahan became not to return. Finally, losing his patience, Qiu Mei grabbed him by the collar and pushed him forward.
Ahan laughed, remembering the scene at the bridge by the pass at Tortoise Mountain.
The two of them made their way by fits and starts as Ahan continued to have doubts about returning. Passing Blind Man’s Pool, Ahan stopped again. The sun was already above the bamboo and Qiu Mei was on the point of losing his temper when someone hurried their way.
“It really is you,” said the man.
“Oh, it’s you, Brother Renhua,” said Ahan, unable to contain himself.
“Who’s your brother?” spat Renhua.
“Renhua!”
“It’s a good thing Chan Agu warned us, otherwise you would have sneaked in.”
“What do you mean?”
Renhua sneered. “Chan Agu saw you and warned us. What do you think I mean? You’re not allowed here in Fanzai Wood.”
“Do you own Fanzai Wood?”
“Don’t even think about coming to our house. And don’t think about taking Dengmei away from us.”
“Peng Renhua, what are you saying? You’re being ridiculous!”
“I’m telling you that Dengmei is no longer your wife.”
“What?” He stepped back, straightened up, and rushed at Renhua, grabbing him. “What do you mean?”
“You have no official proof that you married into our family. And when you left, you forgot to take the contract.”
Qiu Mei stepped forward. “Friend, what is this about his wife?”
“I’m saying that his marriage is not valid.”
“Not valid …”
“Go away. Dengmei doesn’t want you.”
“She doesn’t want me?” Ahan released Renhua.
“No. She’s going to remarry.”
“Remarry?” Ahan backed away, swaying on his feet.
Qiu Mei caught hold of him and Ahan sagged in his arms. Renhua continued on in his sarcastic manner. Ahan slowly shook his head, then turned and walked away. Qiu Mei quietly suggested that he go back to Fanzai Wood and get to the bottom of what was going on. Ahan just walked faster.
“Ahan, Liu Ahan! Where are you going?” shouted someone behind them.
Ahan stopped and looked. It was Peng Aqiang, that cruel man.
“Ahan, come back! Renhua, what did you say to him?”
In a daze, Ahan continued on. Peng Aqiang and Renhua were both shouting. Ahan thought he was going to collapse. His ears were buzzing and he could hear nothing of what they were saying. He didn’t want to listen. What was the point?
Ahan and Qiu Mei returned to Great Lake to take part in the last stand against the Japanese.
Winter had arrived, and the weather was getting colder. The greatest problem for the guerrillas was the lack of a clear chain of command. In the tenth lunar month there were nearly a thousand men in the area of Great Lake and South Lake. The men came from the defense unit led by Three Chops; others were deserters. By the end of the year, there were fewer than three hundred left. The new year began coldly but with no wind. The Japanese army and supporting gendarmes began to advance on Great Lake.
The guerrilla force led by Three Chops withdrew to the outpost in the hills outside South Lake. With the exception of the well-to-do, the people of South Lake, like the people of Great Lake, remained in their homes. The residents were unable and unwilling to provide Three Chops and his men and horses with provisions. Everyone knew it was only a matter of time before the Japanese arrived. And the Japanese army had posted proclamations forbidding anyone to aid the “bandits.” As a precaution, so as not to be accused of doing so, the people shut their doors and stopped trading.
Three Chops and his men were in a difficult situation. All that was certain was that they had enough guns and ammunition. They didn’t want to run away, but they had come to be seen as bandits in some people’s eyes. They were encouraged by the arrival of a number of aboriginal leaders who sought to make pacts with Three Chops to fight the Japanese.
As Qiu Mei became apprised of the situation, he again tried to persuade Ahan to leave.
“I’ve got no place to go, but you should leave as soon as you can,” Ahan said to Qiu Mei.
Though he felt dejected, Qiu Mei was resolved to stay. “I’m from Changshan, aren’t I? My children are missing and must be dead. I buried my wife here in Taiwan. I have no desire to return to Changshan alone.”
Ahan smiled coldly. “Then we might just as well be bandits together.”
On the third day of the new year, the sky cleared and the temperature rose. The Japanese army stationed in the hills south of Great Lake began a campaign to mop up what remained of the bandits. They started by bombarding South Lake for thirty minutes. The thatch-and-bamboo roofs of the houses in the village caught fire immediately. The shelling also initiated some movement. At that point the Japanese soldiers began their advance.
Those who opposed the Japanese had already withdrawn beyond the old guard post line to make a stand at Linlai Plain. Every man, woman, and child of Jialihewan had left for shelter with the natives on Malabang Mountain. Within an hour, the Japanese had taken possession of South Lake village. They managed to burn down half the village and kill about thirty residents but not a single bandit.
Eventually, the guerrilla forces joined the natives on Malabang Mountain to fight the invaders. After five days and four nights of fighting, Three Chops had been killed, as had all the native leaders. Most of the men ended up dead.
New leaders stepped forward immediately to take the places of the native leaders slain in battle or executed by the Japanese. All the tribes from Wen River to South Lake united to go on the warpath against the Japanese. The alliance of natives created a force the size of which hadn’t been seen in forty years. As a result, the Japanese garrison at Miaoli was dispatched to Great Lake.
NINE
•
Endless Wintry Night
On September 21, 1896, the twenty-ninth year of the Meiji era, the Bureau of Industry under the Governor-General’s Office in Taiwan issued a proclamation stating that all lands without complete documentation of ownership would be confiscated by the government. Those that did have proof of ownership would be subject to heavy taxation. This proclamation was one of many issued by the colonial government to control the land for long-term economic planning. Thus, the land of widows, orphans, illiterates, and all others without complete documentation was confiscated by the Japanese. The proclamation also forbade the people of Taiwan to open land or collect anything from land for which they did not possess ownership documents. All violators of the order were to be treated as criminals.
The battles of 1895 had been fought and the turmoil of 1896 had been quelled. The bones of the dead defenders lay white in the fields; the wounded had recovered; and the Japanese who had served meritoriously had received commendations. The colonial government had laws for everything, but there were just as many waves in the sea, and the island was as beautiful as ever. The inhabitants of Fanzai Wood were struggling for a living as usual. Indeed, their life wasn’t all that different from that of the indigenous people; perhaps that was why the place had been spared and remained as peaceful as ever even after the natives had united to fight the Japanese.
The biggest worry for the people of Fanzai Wood was the notes signed by everyone now in the hands of Ye Atian. The 1.5 percent interest to be paid semi-annually was literally choking the people like a heavy chain at their throats. The new laws protected the rights of those with the law on their side more than ever and punished violators more swiftly. Not only would the people of Fanzai Wood never be able to free themselves, but they were also falling ever deeper into debt. It seemed that the harder they worked, the poorer they became. Some decided to abandon their land and run away. But when it came down to it, they were unwilling to leave the land they had struggled so hard to open. Su Afa, the oldest inhabitant of Fanzai Wood, was unable to pay the interest. It was said that officials would be arriving to survey the government lands. Su Afa was so troubled by all of this that he actually took a hemp rope and secretly went to the hanging tree to end it all. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the rope was too short and he was too feeble to climb the tree. Eventually someone stopped his attempts.
These were the worries of the men; the women and children didn’t concern themselves with them. Instead, their primary concern was to make sure there was enough food on the table to fill their bellies. Dengmei was secretly happy, gloating over the worried expressions on the men’s faces. But she could not let anyone know how she felt, because that would spell disaster for her.
But perhaps that was not the case. A few days before the Double Fifth festival, Ahan had appeared suddenly in the Pengs’ fields. After he had had time to catch his breath, he found that Peng Aqiang and Lanmei were all smiles. “Oh, you’re back,” said Peng Aqiang. Didn’t the word “back” imply acceptance?
Ahan had returned with Qiu Mei. Both men were dressed in native garb and carried long-handled native knives. The moment Ahan saw Dengmei, he flushed red with excitement. And almost as if he were picking a fight, he asked her about their child.
She wanted to smile, but a wave of pain swept over her and she was unable to hold back her tears.
“What, again?”
“Is there something wrong with the child?” asked Qiu Mei, as if he already suspected the truth.
She pointed toward the house. Ahan threw a glance at Peng Aqiang and his wife and then rushed over to the house. He brusquely pushed aside Aling and his wife, who had come out to greet him with open arms. On the bed was a baby boy. Ahan looked like an eagle about to swoop down on the child. He approached the baby but then stopped and stepped back.
“Fine-looking boy,” said Qiu Mei. “What’s his name?”
“We just call him Aming because no one has given him a proper name yet.”
“How old is he?” asked Ahan as if he had suddenly awakened.
“Almost four months.”
Of what was he suspicious?
He explained that while in the mountains, he had run into Xu Dingxin, youngest son of Xu Shihui. Dingxin had told him about Aming’s birth. This news, together with what Renhua had said about Dengmei not wanting him anymore, had increased his suspicions.
The previous year when Ahan was driven away, he had had no idea that Dengmei was pregnant. Add to that Renhua’s words and a new baby, and no wonder he was so suspicious. Considering the situation, Dengmei felt sorry for him but then had to laugh.
She recalled how the old man greeted him and how Renjie and Renxing tried to make him feel welcome when he came back to stay. Even Renhua was no longer wearing that nasty expression of his. Actually, Peng Aqiang had had many regrets when Ahan had left Fanzai Wood in anger. It was no easy matter for the old man to smile now.
Everyone had noticed that Ahan and Qiu Mei both had gleaming new rifles slung over their shoulders. After seeing his son, Ahan explained that they had taken them from the Japanese when fighting alongside the natives of Malabang. The old man was stunned, and his three sons went white with fear.
“You’ve cut off Jap heads?” asked Renhua, his voice trembling.
“No avoiding it; it was war,” said Qiu Mei.
“Quick, hide the guns,” said Peng Aqiang. “Don’t let anyone see them.”
“They should be buried,” said Renhua.
Renjie thought it a pity to bury them, but Peng Aqiang, his wife, and Renhua all insisted so as to avoid getting into trouble.
“All right, we just won’t let anyone find them.”
Nobody spoke again, but their eyes betrayed their fears and worries. Late that night, Peng Aqiang and his wife called Aling over and asked him to tell Ahan and Qiu Mei that they hoped the two of them would leave Fanzai Wood as soon as possible.
“We can’t leave right now, but we will leave in a few days,” said Ahan.
The following day Peng Aqiang asked Dengmei over and announced that for six dollars she and Ahan could buy their freedom, and he would allow her and Aming to leave Fanzai Wood with Ahan. Ahan agreed with alacrity. However, Japanese soldiers had already been garrisoned in the area. Anyone entering or leaving the mountains—Fanzai Wood was now designated part of the mountain areas—was carefully searched. Qiu Mei, who had gone out to reconnoiter the area, returned and said that it would be impossible to move.
It was then suggested that they go to Big Southside because they were on friendly terms with the natives there. But that road was impassable as well because the Japanese army had stationed a huge number of troops in the area to counter the threat from the natives of Tabeilai village, who were constantly on the warpath. The soldiers would no doubt see through their disguise in daylight, on the road—Ahan and Qiu Mei had put on native clothing and had made their way to Fanzai Wood under cover of darkness.
“It will do the Pengs no good if we are taken, because Ahan is a member of the family,” Qiu Mei reminded the old man.
Absurdly, out of fear, the Peng menfolk asked Xu Rixing, Xu Shihui, and Su Ajin to meet with them. None of them thought it necessary to panic—hadn’t the Xu boys been early and vocal opponents of the Japanese at Great Lake? And hadn’t they also taken an active part in the resistance? In the end, the Pengs decided to sever all ties by making Ahan pay the six dollars in freedom money and publicly declare that he was now on his own and no longer a member of his wife’s household. Since the marriage had never been registered at the yamen, the contract was burned. In any case, Ahan and Dengmei had no blood ties to the Pengs. The demand for freedom money was not considered proper, but Peng Aqiang reasoned that it was his due because Ahan had never fulfilled his duties as captain of the guard; nor had he, as promised, given his salary to the old man.
“You will also have to move out,” ordered Peng Aqiang.
“Where are we supposed to go?” asked Dengmei.
“Fanzai Wood is full of cliffs and rocky outcroppings. Find a cave or something for the time being.”
“Yes!” Dengmei’s eyes shone with delight.
In the end they went to stay under a rocky overhang at Black Rock Cliff above Fanzai Wood. In a few days, Qiu Mei, who was something of an expert at geomancy, located an ideal site for a house opposite the cliff. Qiu Mei, along with Aling and his wife, helped the couple put up a thatched hut with a small kitchen. Qiu Mei also gave Aming his new name: Mingqing. While he was at it, he thought up names for another half dozen sons they might have.
“This is a great place for a nest, and it’ll be perfect for you,” said Qiu Mei.
“What do you mean?”
“It’s not for someone who wants to get rich, but it is ideal for someone who wants to live in privacy. It’s a lucky place; you’ll be safe here. You will have many sons and grandsons, but fame and fortune will come to your family only after two or three generations.”
“What a bunch of nonsense.” Ahan laughed. “And what about you?”
“This is not the place for me,” said Qiu Mei. “I’m a loner and I’ll have to find a high, open peak to live on.” Qiu Mei was serious. A few days later, he did find a piece of land high above Fanzai Wood on which he erected a thatched hut.
It was in this way that Ahan, Dengmei, and little Mingqing finally came to have their own home. Dengmei was afraid that the natives would attack them, but Ahan reassured her by pointing to the native clothes he had deliberately hung under the eaves. The Pengs, for their part, treated the young couple well: they gave them a bowl, two pairs of chopsticks, and a pillow stuffed with straw as well as their old bedding made out of hemp sacks.
“Will Father and the others really let us go?” asked Dengmei, still somewhat fearful.
“They’re afraid of getting in trouble on account of me.”
“You think its’ funny. One day we will have to …”
