NOVPUBChapter 637 Entering Sichuan
At the cusp of summer's end and the onset of autumn, a gentle breeze caressed the land, bringing with it a hint of coolness amid the lingering heat. Along the winding mountain path, the clear and rhythmic clip-clop of hooves rose into the air, stirring up clouds of dust. Out of this dusty haze, three swift horses galloped forward.
The steeds panted heavily, their breaths forming mists, sneezing continuously as they were covered with a layer of dust, evidence of the long journey they had endured. Among the three riders, two young men and a robust fellow, their clothes and cheeks were caked with dirt. Beads of sweat dripped down their faces, carving rivulets through the grime, leaving them with faces streaked like painted masks.
The way through Sichuan was fraught with difficulty; ever since entering the region, the path had been a relentless twist through towering mountains. The so-called official road was nothing more than a few narrow trails carved into the mountainside, perilously confined with sheer cliffs on one side. A turn of the head would reveal the sheer rock faces below and the relentless surge of the river's waters.
"Brother Lin, look!" exclaimed the sturdy man at the lead, who had already dismounted. He scanned the surroundings and suddenly pointed excitedly at a boundary marker by the road.
The young man in the middle hurried forward, walking alongside the brawny man. The boundary stone, weathered by time, bore inscriptions that had faded into obscurity, but two bold red words still stood out — "Sichuan Border".
Looking down, the Jinsha and Min rivers churned below, their waters merging in a tumultuous dance. They converged here, the waves lifting boulders and crashing against the cliffs, roaring like a proud dragon before rushing into the Yangtze River.
"Is this Xuzhou?" the young man asked, patting his horse, his dark face brightening with intense joy.
Xuzhou, (now known as Yibin, Sichuan) lay to the south of the province, at the junction of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou provinces. Flanked by the Lu River to the east, Jiayang to the west, Zhaotong to the south, and Liangshan to the west, the Min and Yangtze Rivers rush and merge here, giving rise to the age-old saying, "The three rivers lead to Sichuan, one sail to Xuzhou."
The servant riding behind wiped the sweat from his brow, took a waterskin and some pastries from his saddle, and passed them forward: "Brother San, Officer Gao, have some food first!"
Having traveled from the capital, day and night, one could only imagine their exhaustion. Brother San devoured the pastries in a few bites and guzzled the clear water. The cool droplets slipped down his throat, bringing an indescribable refreshment. Lowering the waterskin, he gazed out over the Yangtze, sighing deeply, "Xuzhou, we've finally arrived. It wasn't easy!"
"Isn't that the truth?" laughed Officer Gao. "We set off after the Mid-Autumn Festival, from north to south, east to west, crossing four provinces without rest for over a dozen days. Together, we've changed horses no fewer than twenty times to reach this border today. How could it have been easy?"
"No matter, it's all part of the journey!" Brother San chuckled. His gaze wandered far ahead.
The mountain path spiraled along, clinging to the mountainside, trickling forward. They had traveled a bit further when it suddenly ended. There was no way forward.
After scrutinizing the path once more, the realization dawned on them, and their eyes widened in shock, "This is bad. The road—it's gone!"
To reach the border of Sichuan only to find no road? It was unbelievable, yet it had indeed happened. The three of them were so stunned they couldn't even bite into their food. They quickly led their horses forward, urgently seeking a way.
Indeed, as Brother San had said, after advancing less than two hundred yards, the cliff abruptly ended. No matter how much they searched, there was not even a trace of a narrow path ahead. Gazing at the dim outline of green mountains across, Officer Gao swallowed hard and exclaimed angrily, "Damnation, there's not even a path in sight! Could it be that Xuzhou is cut off from the outside world?"
Isolation was clearly out of the question; Xuzhou, nestled among mountains and rivers, was a place where myriad tribes emerged. It had always been a strategic stronghold in the southwest, the bulwark of Sichuan. How could it possibly have no connection to the outside?
Brother San, with a furrowed brow, pondered deeply for a long while. His eyes settled on the turbulent river and suddenly lit up with excitement, "Who says there's no way through? There it is!"
Following the direction of his pointing finger, they saw the place where three rivers merged, the waves reaching sky-high, crashing against the cliff walls, splashing water up to the middle of the mountainside. Officer Gao's eyes widened in shock, "Brother Lin, are you suggesting we cross the river?"
Brother Lin nodded, "Sichuan has always been 'seven parts mountain, one part water, and two parts field'. If the land route is impassable, we take to the water."
At the confluence of these rivers, the currents were rapid, like a celestial river. Not even a wooden boat, let alone a boulder, could stir a wave here. Officer Gao was dumbfounded, "Brother Lin, you're not scaring me, are you? How can we navigate these waters? And even if we could, who would dare to ferry us across?"
Indeed, who would dare? Brother San sighed and shook his head in silence, his brows tightly knitted.
"Hey," the servant boy called out from behind after looking afar, "Brother San, look quickly, there seems to be a boat ahead!"
Before his words had even finished, a melodious mountain song echoed from the cliff:
"Chrysanthemums bloom on the cool mountain top,
Each blossom fragrant, none should be forgot.
Speak, young lovers, with hearts entwined,
Lest the flowers wilt and leave you behind."
—---
From the cliffside below, a bamboo raft emerged, carrying an elder and a young girl, each with a bamboo pole in hand, gently propelling the craft through the water. The song floated from the boat; the raft, like a leaf on the waves, rocked and swayed but never capsized.
Could it be true that someone was navigating the river in such a simple raft? Officer Gao's eyes were wide, scarcely daring to breathe.
Brother San had already leapt up, waving his arms and shouting, "Uncle, uncle, can you take us across? We need to cross the river—"
The river rushed fiercely; it took several shouts before the people on the boat heard him. The two people on the raft turned around; one was a robust elder, and the other a graceful young girl. The girl's skin was fair, her features lovely, dressed in a dark cyan cross-collared robe and a pleated floral skirt, with the collar, cuffs, and sash embroidered with five-colored silk threads, in the traditional attire of the Miao people.
The small boat gradually came to a halt, and the Miao girl looked at them curiously, "Are you folks from the (Great) Hua people?"
Her Mandarin was tinged with a Sichuan accent, clear and sweet to the ear. Brother San nodded eagerly, "Yes, yes, we are all from the Hua people! Miss, we have an urgent matter and need to cross the river, could you possibly give us a ride?"
The girl turned to the elder, "Father, these three Hua men need to cross the river. Should we take them?"
The elder shook his head, his face showing difficulty, "People from (Great) Hua are known to be treacherous. It's better to have as little to do with them as possible."
Brother San could not understand their Miao language, but the elder's shaking head was a clear sign that things were not going well. He hurriedly said, "Miss, rest assured. If you can ferry us across the river, I will pay whatever you ask!"
His words, however, infuriated the Miao girl. She slapped the water sharply and retorted indignantly, "Father says the Hua people are cunning and sly, and he's right! All you talk about is money, only you Hua people would behave like this! To offer help and then speak of money is disgraceful; if word got back to our village, all the nine villages and eighteen hamlets would laugh at us!"
Her voice was crisp, laced with the pleasant cadence of the Sichuanese dialect, swift and spirited. The Miao elder smiled and nodded, applauding his daughter's words. Brother San's face flushed with embarrassment, and he chuckled awkwardly, "You are right, Miss. Helping others should be a joy in itself. I was indeed being too worldly. Please forgive me! Now, may we board the boat?"
The daughter glanced at her father, seeking his consent. Only then did she nod, "Hurry and board, but you must leave your horses on the shore!"
Brother San nodded, patted the horses firmly, and set them free to the mountains. Only then did the three men board the raft.
The bamboo raft was exceedingly simple. As the men stepped on, it rocked and dipped into the water, causing Officer Gao and the other man, both landlubbers, to turn pale with fright. Only Brother San, who fancied himself a 'Little White Dragon of the River', sat unmoved.
As the father and daughter slowly poled the raft, it drifted across the river like a leaf. Brother San, aboard the raft, listened to the whispering waters, feeling light as if he were floating. The towering cliff walls and dense pine forests on both sides, the cries of beasts and gibbons, created a serene emerald world. The torrential river rushed eastward, spiraling up to the heavens.
His gaze wandered and settled on the highest point of the cliff, and he exclaimed, "What is that?!"
Atop the high cliff, hundreds of coffins were suspended by ropes, unweathered by the centuries. The Miao girl explained softly, "These are the hanging coffins of the Bo people, the burial sites of our ancestors."
"Hanging coffins?" Brother San's admiration was genuine as he gave a thumbs-up. "It's incredible how these coffins were hoisted up there. If I could be placed here after death, to gaze upon the green mountains and the surging river, what a blissful thing that would be!"
Hearing him speak not of money but of life's simple pleasures, the girl found his words less disagreeable and nodded gently, "My wish is the same as yours."
"It's not just you or me; I suspect it's a wish shared by all under heaven," he hummed, admiring the carvings on the cliff walls with envy in his eyes.
The girl poled the raft, her lips parting to sing:
"By sixty or seventy, our lives do end,
How many reach a hundred and ten?
Even emperors must meet their term!
Who can stand eternal like the mountains vast?
Who can remain forever like the river's steadfast path?
I wish to be this river, flowing ever westward, year by year!"
The Miao girl, skilled in song and dance, sang effortlessly. Her song was elegant and lofty, harmoniously blending with the surroundings, stirring the soul. Brother San looked up at her with admiration, "Miss, your singing is truly beautiful. Do all Miao women possess such lovely voices as yours?"
The old father, poling into the water, chuckled and said, "Hua people lad, my daughter is known far and wide as the 'Hundred Spirits Bird', and there are many 'mi duo' who fancy her!"
"Father—" the girl called out urgently, stomping her foot in embarrassment, causing the bamboo raft to gently rock, which made Officer Gao cry out in alarm.
Brother San was puzzled and murmured, "Mi duo? We also have a lot of rice at home!"
The Miao girl laughed so hard she had to steady herself, "Mi duo, in our Miao language, means young men, not the rice you eat!"
Realizing his mistake, Brother San joked, "So, 'mi duo' means young men; should young women be called 'mi shao', then? Understood, understood!"
"It's not 'mi shao'," the girl corrected him hastily, "In Miao language, a young woman is called 'mi cai'! You, why do you like to pretend to be so clever?!"
Her rush of words brought out her Sichuan accent, and Brother San laughed heartily, "I am 'mi duo', and you are 'mi cai', you should have said so earlier, now I get it!"
(Mi = rice, duo = many, shao = few)
Hearing his attempt at the Sichuan dialect, Officer Gao and his companion burst into laughter, embarrassing the young girl until her face turned red.
After the laughter subsided among the youths, Brother San, looking at the girl's translucent skin and fair wrists, asked in wonder, "Miss, do you specialize in ferrying on this river?"
The Miao girl frowned at being addressed repeatedly as 'Miss', "You're really not straightforward. I have a name! What's yours?"
Brother San promptly replied, "My name is Lin Wanrong. Everyone calls me Lin San, or Brother San! But may I know your honored name, Miss?"
"Don't call me Miss!" she huffed. "My father's name is Buyi. I was born beside the Lotus Pond, and by our Miao customs, combining my father's name with my birthplace, I am called Yilian!" [Lian here means Lotus.]
"Yilian?!" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, "What a wonderful name! Heavens, why didn't I think of such a beautiful name?! If I have a daughter, I will name her Lin Yilian! Splendid, truly splendid!"
His forthright praise made Yilian blush, and she said modestly, "Since you're called Lin San, then I'll call you Ah San Ge. Ah San Ge, we're not ferrymen—"
"Ah San Ge?" His facial muscles twitched at the appellation, "Yilian, could you drop the 'Ah'? I really can't aspire to 'Ah San Ge'!"
Yilian looked puzzled, "Then I'll call you Ah Lin Ge. Ah Lin Ge, my father and I aren't ferrymen. We are Miao physicians from the village. We were up the mountain gathering herbs today and just happened upon you on our way back!"
As she spoke, the raft reached the center of the river where the current was strongest. The boat bobbed like a leaf in the wind, violently rocking. Officer Gao and his companion were dizzy and pale, beginning to slide around on the boat.
Buyi, the father, poled with both hands and shouted, "Yilian, the rope!"
But Lin Wanrong reacted more swiftly. Before the girl could comprehend the situation, he had already grabbed the rope at the boat's bow. Staggering to the other side of the raft, he struggled to secure the rope. Taking the opportunity, Officer Gao and his companion clung to the rope, finally steadying themselves.
Waves crashed against the boat, which rose and fell with the tumultuous waters, one moment soaring through the air, the next plummeting into the valley below! Yilian and her father gripped their bamboo poles, fiercely slapping at the waves to maintain the boat's balance while sweat rolled down their foreheads. Lin Wanrong, having grown up by the lake, was an excellent swimmer. He quickly grabbed a nearby paddle and, together with the two Miao, worked in unison against the lashing waters.
It was uncertain how long the tumult lasted, but eventually, the small boat broke through the waves. Although still undulating, the motion was hundreds, thousands of times better than before. Officer Gao and his companion were soaked through, clinging to each other, breathing heavily with exhaustion.
Buyi, the father, gave Lin Wanrong a thumbs-up, praising him, "Well done, Hua people lad!"
Lin Wanrong laughed heartily, sitting down on the boat, gasping for breath. Indeed, the confluence of the Jinsha River, the Min River, and the Yangtze River was a perilous adventure!
Yilian wiped the water from her face and sat down beside him, smiling, "Ah Lin Ge, I didn't expect you to be so skilled in water, and you paddle well too. Other Hua people don't have your talent. Even my father is praising you!"
"That's right!" Lin Wanrong caught his breath and boasted with his usual bravado, "I am well-known by a nickname, 'The Great Tiger on Land, The Little White Dragon in the River'. How could I not live up to such a reputation?"
Yilian, with the forthrightness of a Miao girl, looked at him puzzled and said seriously, "Ah Lin Ge, you're so dark-skinned, it's not right to call you 'Little White Dragon'. 'Little Black Dragon' or 'Little Dark Dragon' would be more appropriate!"
Lin Wanrong's cheeks trembled, he bit his lip, stammering, too embarrassed to speak. Officer Gao, having just caught his breath, burst into laughter once again.
"Yilian, I saw the road on the mountain was broken. How does everyone usually cross the river? If we can't cross, won't Sichuan Prefecture be cut off from the outside?" The dangers of the river were imprinted in Lin Wanrong's memory, and he hurriedly took the chance to ask.
The girl shook her head, "Usually, the waves aren't this big. My father and I can cross easily. Today's trouble was because of you. Besides, we Miao people rarely cross the river. The prefect forbids it! If outsiders come, they need the lord's permission to send the official boats to receive them."
The prefect's permission? Lin Wanrong snorted inwardly. In Sichuan Prefecture, there were many followers of Prince Cheng. Prince Cheng had once threatened An Biru with the lives of the Miao people to coerce and seduce Lin San! It was since that night that Sister An, heartbroken, had returned to the Miao village, a memory Lin Wanrong could not forget.
Hearing Yilian mention the prefect, his anger flared, "Yilian, Buyi, it seems you hold some resentment against our Hua people. Has someone mistreated you?"
Buyi shook his head without speaking. Yilian said softly, "Father, Ah Lin Ge helped us paddle. He seems like a good person. He probably won't report us, right?"
‘So I'm a good person because I helped paddle?’ Lin Wanrong laughed out loud at the girl's simplicity, about to speak, when he felt the boat lurch – they had reached the shore.
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