Ode to gallantry, p.22
Ode to Gallantry, page 22
The urgency of the situation increased Ding Dang's concern. Afraid that her Darling Shi might say 'I want to learn Grandfather's martial arts skills' and thus destroy her life, she said, "Grandfather, I will tell you the truth. He is the leader of the Clan of Eternal Happiness, Shi Potian. He does have quite a reputation in the martial arts circle...."
"What?" asked Ding Busan in surprise. "He is the leader of the Clan of Eternal Happiness? He does not look the part, does he?"
"He does, he does," answered Ding Dang. "Although he is young, all the heroes in the Clan of Eternal Happiness submit themselves to him. Even highly skilled pugilists, like the 'Touch that Brings Back Life', the Physician Bei, listen to his commands as well."
"The Physician Bei listens to him too?" asked Ding Busan. "That cannot be, can it?"
"Yes, it can, it can," answered Ding Dang. "I saw it with my own eyes, so how can it be untrue? Grandfather, although you are a highly skilled pugilist, imagine if the leader of the Clan of Eternal Happiness learns martial arts under your tutelage...." Her meaning behind were words was clear: The martial arts skills of Physician Bei is not beneath yours. Clan-Leader Shi cannot study under you, so you should just allow him to have me instead.
At that moment, Shi Potian spoke up: "Grandfather, Ding Ding Dang Dang has made a mistake. I am not Shi Potian."
"So you are not Shi Potian?" asked Ding Busan. "Who then are you?"
"I am not a clan-leader," Shi Potian continued, "and I am not Ding Ding Dang Dang's 'Tian- ge'. I am Gouzazhong, and Gouzazhong is simply Gouzazhong. Although the name is unpleasant to the ears, I am definitely Gouzazhong."
Ding Busan held on to his stomach and laughed loudly for a long time. "Very good!" he said finally. "I want to reward you with a treasure, not because you are Clan-Leader Wa ('tile') or Clan-Leader Shi ('stone'). Neither is it based on whether A'Dang likes you or not. It is simply because Ding Busan has taken a fancy to you! I do not care if you are a bastard ( gouzazhong), a stinking little boy ( chou xiaozi) or a turtle who is the son of a bitch ( wugui wangbadan). Since Ding Busan has taken a fancy to you, you have no choice but to accept one of my treasures."
Looking in turn at Ding Busan and Ding Dang, Shi Potian thought: This Ding Ding Dang Dang has mistaken me for her Tian-ge. The real Tian-ge will definitely return soon, so if I accept the gift, would I not be deceiving the girl, as well as her Tian-ge? But if I say that I prefer martial arts to the girl, I will break her heart. I had better not accept anything at all.
So he shook his head and said, "Grandfather, I have already drunk your 'Liquor of Dark Ice and Blue Flame'. Since I have difficulty replacing it, perhaps you should just consider it as a treasure that you have given me!"
Ding Busan's face darkened. "No, no," he said. "We have already agreed that the 'Liquor of Dark Ice and Blue Flame' must be replaced. Are you trying to go back on your word? That will not do. So, have you made your choice yet? Do you want A'Dang or the martial arts?"
Shi Potian stole a glance at Ding Dang. At the same time, she stole a glance at him as well. Their eyes met, but they quickly turned their heads away.
Ding Dang's face was pale, and the tears in her eyes finally began rolling down her cheeks. Arrogant and wilful, she would have reached out and twisted Shi Potian's ear -- like she usually did -- or stamped her foot and walked off in a huff. However, she could not display even a tiny bit of her headstrong personality in the presence of her grandfather. Furthermore, twisting Shi Potian's ear and stamping her foot at such a critical juncture would only serve to push the young man towards choosing martial arts. That could never be allowed to take place, so Ding Dang's heart was laden with a mix of anger and pain that she could not express.
Shi Potian glanced at the girl again. When he saw the tears streaming down her face, he could not bring himself to let her continuing weeping. "Ding Ding Dang Dang," he said in a gentle voice, "I am telling you, you have definitely gotten the wrong person. If I am really your Tian- ge, is there still a need to make a choice? I would naturally choose ... choose you, not martial arts!"
Ding Dang's tears continued to fall like a broken string of pearls, but a smile had appeared at the corner of her mouth. "You are not Tian- ge?" she asked. "How can there be a second Tian- ge under the sun?"
"Perhaps I really do look very much like your Tian- ge," answered Shi Potian. "That is why everyone has made this mistake."
"So you are still not admitting it?" asked Ding Dang with a smile. "All right, there are indeed people in this world whose facial features resemble one another. When I first met you early this year, you grabbed my hand roughly. Since I did not know you then, I turned my hand over and struck you at once, did I not?"
Shi Potian responded with a dumbfounded gaze, for he did not know how to answer her.
Consequently, Ding Dang became unhappy again. "Have you really forgotten everything after a serious bout of illness, or are you trying to wiggle your way out of things by pretending to be idiotic and dim-witted?" she asked angrily.
Scratching his head, Shi Potian replied: "You have obviously made a mistake. How would I know what happened between that Tian- ge and you?"
"You will not succeed in wiggling your way out even if you try," said Ding Dang. "That day, you had both my hands in your grasp. I was very worried, but you kept on laughing. Then, you reached out with your mouth ... and tried to ... tried to touch my face. I turned my head sideways and bit you on the shoulder. I had to bite until the wound bled before you set me free. You ... you should untie your shirt(1) and see if there is a scar on your left shoulder. You say that I have made a mistake ... but ... but you cannot remove the scar that I made with my teeth.
Shi Potian nodded in agreement. "That is correct," he said. "You have never bitten me, so my shoulder would naturally not bear a scar...." As he spoke, he untied his shirt and exposed his left shoulder. Almost at once, he was struck by a sudden shock. "Eh! This ... this is so strange!" he gasped aloud, for there were indeed two curved rows of teeth-marks on the shoulder.
It was also clear to all three people that the teeth-marks formed the outline of a small cherry-sized mouth. The scar that resulted from those marks protruded from the surface of the skin. Thus, there was no doubt that the scar had come from a person's bite, for other wounds would never have produced it.
"The little boy wanted to wiggle his way out," said Ding Busan with a cold laugh. "But he has finally failed. Let me tell you: A person who goes into the mountains a lot will eventually meet with a tiger. You, who have gone about unrestrained in romantic behaviour, will eventually be caught by a woman whom you will never be able to shake off. I too fell for such a ploy when I was young. If that was not the case, how would this world have A'Dang's father, and A'Dang in turn? That good-for-nothing brother of mine, Ding Busi, is the only one who has not managed to take a wife. Consequently, he has become obsessed and crazy in old age, wearing a mournful face the whole day just like a dog-bear coward(2). All right, we do not need a further digression. In that case, you want A'Dang, do you not?"
Shi Potian did not hear Ding Busan's question at all because he was distracted by the discovery of the scar on his shoulder. He was actually very astonished, for he could not recall when his shoulder was bitten. The teeth-marks showed that the bite had been done in a very ruthless manner, so how could he forget having suffered such a wound? In his heart, he knew that the many incomprehensible situations that he had found himself in recently had stemmed entirely from a mistaken identity, so this was the only issue that he could hardly find an answer for. Thus, he became lost in his own thoughts.
When Ding Busan noticed the young man's silence and the strange facial expression that that accompanied it, he attributed it to bashfulness at once. To him, Shi Potian was simply too embarrassed to address the matter outright. So the old man laughed and said, "A'Dang, steer the boat and take us home!"
Startled and delighted at the same time, Ding Dang asked: "Grandfather, are you saying that we are taking him to our home?"
"He is my grandson-in-law," answered Ding Busan, "so why should I not take him home? If he sneaks away without warning, will Ding Busan still be able to conduct himself in public? You say that there are people like the 'Touch that Brings Back Life', the Physician Bei, in his clan, so it will not be easy to drag him out once he withdraws into his nest."
Ding Dang responded with a smile that stretched from one ear to the other. Casting a sideways glance at Shi Potian, she suddenly turned totally red in the face. Then, she picked the bamboo pole up and tapped it lightly against the pier. The little boat glided through the arch under the bridge and swung out into the river.
Meanwhile, Shi Potian wanted to ask if he was really going to their home, but there were just too many doubts and suspicions on his mind. Therefore, he swallowed the question although it had already reached the tip of his tongue.
+ + +
The river shone like a piece of green satin in the moonlight. Whenever Ding Dang's bamboo pole entered the water, ripples would appear. Then, the little boat would glide smoothly over the satiny surface of the river. Sometimes, the grass on the bank would brush against the side of the boat, producing a soft rustling sound. Other times, the low-hanging branches of the willows would sweep against the hair of Ding Dang and Shi Potian, carressing them like soft and gentle hands.
The night, faintly scented with the fragrance of flowers, was so beautiful and quiet that Shi Potian thought he had entered the land of dreams once more.
The little boat slid through the arch of another bridge before gliding through the opening under a third one. Then, it floated along a winding course for a long time before arriving at a flight of steps that was made from a type of white-coloured stone. Ding Dang picked the hawser (mooring rope) up and threw it towards the steps, looping around a wooden stake. Finally, she covered her mouth and gave Shi Potian a smile before skipping up the steps.
Ding Busan laughed and said, "You are Jiao-ke today, so after you, please!"
Shi Potian did not know what to say, so he followed Ding Dang up the steps in a rather confused daze. Walking behind her, he passed through a small door that was painted in black and walked along a lengthy cobblestone path. Then, he passed through a moon-gate(3) and walked through a flower garden before coming to a stop at an octagonal pavilion.
Stepping into the pavilion behind him, Ding Busan smiled and said, " Jiao-ke, please sit down!"
Shi Potian did not understand what Jiao-ke was, but since Ding Busan told him to take a seat, he did as he was told. Then, Ding Busan took his grand-daughter by the hand, retraced his steps through the flower garden and disappeared from sight.
The bright moon shone down from a westerly angle, creating long shadows with the flowers outside the pavilion. At the same time, a gentle breeze began to blow, swaying the trees and causing the swing beside the pavilion to move with a rhythm of its own.
Shi Potian touched the scar on his left shoulder, feeling totally perplexed. After quite a while, he heard a series of light footsteps as two middle-aged women walked through the flower garden towards him. Stopping just outside the pavilion, the women bowed slightly and said, " Xin Guanren, please proceed to the inner hall for a change of attire."
Although Shi Potian did not understand what the women meant, he guessed that they wanted him to go indoors. Therefore, he went with them without further thought. The little group walked past a lotus pond and along a corridor before entering a wing-room (xiang1 fang2)(4). A large tub of hot water stood in the room, with two cloth towels hanging on its rim. One of the women smiled and said, " Xin Guanren, please take a bath. Old Master says that we are rushed for time, so there no new clothes have been prepared. Please make do with what you have, and wear your own clothes." Then, the women left the room and closed the door behind them, cackling gleefully as they went.
Shi Potian thought: I am obviously called Gouzazhong, so how did I become 'Clan-Leader' in one moment and 'Tian-ge' in the next? When they called me 'Shi Potian', I thought that should be the end of the names, but now I have been given two new ones: 'Jiao-ke'(5) and 'Xin Guanren'. Yet, being there, he felt that he might as well stay and make the best of the situation. After all, Ding Busan and Ding Dang did not seem to bear any ill-will towards himself. Thus, throwing caution to the wind, he took his clothes off amidst the fragrance that drifted from the hot water in the tub. Then, he took a bath which invigorated him, before getting dressed again.
He had just finished putting his clothes on when a male voice spoke loudly outside the door: " Xin Guanren, please proceed to the hall and pay your respects to the Heaven and the Earth."
Shi Potian was startled, for he knew what 'paying respects to the Heaven and the Earth' meant. Adding two and two, he soon remembered what Xin Guanren was, for he had once heard his mother telling him a story about a Xin Guanren (i.e. "bridegroom") and a Xin Niangzi ("bride") who paid their respects to the Heaven and the Earth (bai4 tian1 di4) in a marriage ceremony.
Therefore, he stood dumbfounded until the man outside spoke again: " Xin Guanren, you are dressed, are you not?"
"Yes," answered Shi Potian.
The man pushed the door open and entered the room. He placed a longish strip of red silk around Shi's neck and pinned a red silk flower on to the front of his shirt. "Congratulations!" he said with a smile. "Congratulations!" Then, he took the young man by the arm and led him out of the room.
Flustered, Shi Potian followed the man through a maze of doors and corridors before arriving at the main hall.
Eight giant candles bathed the hall up in a bright albeit flickering light, illuminating the Eight Immortals Table (ba1 xian1 zhuo1) in the centre of the scene. The table, which had a square top that seated eight, was covered with a red tablecloth. Ding Busan stood in the midst of everything, facing towards the door.
When Shi Potian stepped into the hall, three other men in the corridor outside began blowing their bamboo flutes (di2 zi3). The man who was taking Shi Potian by the arm declared in a loud voice: "May the bride enter the hall."
The two middle-aged women whom Shi had seen earlier emerged amidst the sound of tinkling ornamental rings. Between the women was a third one who wore a red silk covering on her head and red garments on her body. She appeared to be none other than Ding Dang. All three women then went over and stood beside Shi Potian.
Blinded somewhat by the light of the candles and intoxicated by the fragrance of orchids and musk, Shi Potian found himself feeling confused, afraid and happy at the same time.
The man beside him spoke in a loud and clear voice: "Pay your respects to the Heaven!"
Shi Potian saw Ding Dang kneeling gracefully and bowing towards the courtyard, but he was hesitant about doing the same.
"Kneel down and bow your head," the man whispered into Shi's ear before giving him a light push on the back.
It looks like I have to do it, thought Shi Potian, so he knelt and made a few haphazard bows.
The two women beside Ding Dang were so amused by his random bows that they burst into giggles.
"Pay your respects to the Earth!" said the man.
Shi Potian and Ding Dang turned around together, knelt and bowed towards the inner wall of the hall.
"Pay your respects to Grandfather!" said the man again.
Ding Busan got to his feet and stood before the couple. Ding Dang knelt and bowed first, followed by Shi Potian after a moment's hesitation.
"The husband and his wife pay their respects to each other!" said the man.
As Shi Potian watched Ding Dang turning towards him and falling to her knees, his mind suddenly became clear. "Grandfather, Ding Ding Dang Dang," he said loudly, "I am really not Clan-Leader Shi, and I am not your Tian- ge. You have all made a mistake, so you had better not ... not blame me in the future."
Ding Busan burst into laughter. "Little Rascal," he said, "you are still cracking such jokes at a time like this! No, I will not put any blame on you, not now, not ever."
"Ding Ding Dang Dang," said Shi Potian again, "let us lay things out upfront. This ceremony is just a game, or is it the real thing?"
The girl, who was already kneeling on the ground with the red silk covering still on her head, was surprised by the question. But she simply smiled and replied: "Of course, it is the real thing. How can this matter be ... be a game?"
"You have gotten the wrong person today," declared Shi Potian. "The matter has nothing to do with me. When you start having regrets later on, you will pull my ear and bite my shoulder again. That will not do!"
Suddenly, the entire hall seemed terribly bright. Unable to contain her amusement, Ding Dang started to giggle before bursting into laughter. "I will never have any regrets," she said softly. "So long as you treat me well and true, I ... I will naturally not pull your ear or bite your shoulder."
"To have one's wife pull one's ear is right and proper!" declared Ding Busan in a loud voice. "After all, it has been like this since Pan Gu created the Heaven and the Earth(6). So what is there to do or not to do about it? My dear well-behaved grandson-in-law, A'Dang has been kneeling towards you for such a long time, so why are you still not returning the gesture?"
"Yes, yes!" answered Shi Potian. He knelt on the red felt rug and exchanged several bows with Ding Dang.
"The husband and his wife have exchanged bows, so the ceremony is complete!" announced the man who acted as the master-of-ceremonies. "Send the couple to the bridal chamber! May the bride and the groom enjoy a hundred years of gracious harmony, many children and grandchildren, as well as five lifetimes of prosperity!"
