🧚 A Story of Old China, part 2

With this and many tears they embraced each other, then with much weeping she knelt before him, and touching her head to the ground three times, she said her good-bye.1

Her husband raised her and gave her into the command of the serving-woman, with many words of instruction to the latter, who was in great distress at the condition of her mistress’s eye.2 He told her what medicine to get, and how to care for it, and made her promise to stay with her lady as long as she lived.3 And then the friend came and promised the wife to stay by her husband to the end of the journey and care for him, and urged her to go home as it was late and the cart must be starting.4

With one hand covering the poor wounded eye, the two women watched the cart until it was lost in a bend of the road, and the servant said, “My great lady, return to your home.5 Sad, indeed, is your fate, but the gods know all.”6 Together they went back to the city, and some weeks later the poor heart was comforted by the birth of her little son.7

Years passed; Yü Yüch Ying’s parents died, after great reverses and reduced to poverty, all by their powerful enemy.8 The mother took in sewing and washing and most of all gave herself to the care of her son, and in this quiet manner twelve years came and went.9 No word had come from her husband and no word of their life-story did the mother tell her son.10 Their great enemy year by year grew richer, and more powerful, and more unscrupulous.11

The year little Ting Lang was twelve the display of the Lantern Feast, the fifteenth of the first month, was most beautiful, and among all displays none exceeded Yen Sung’s.12 Hither little Ting Lang bent his steps, and as he was running along he pushed against a small boy who fell down, and at once began in great anger to revile Ting Lang’s father.13 Little Ting Lang did not understand what he said, as his mother always told him that his father was away on government business.14 He no longer cared to see the beautiful lanterns.15 Home he went as fast as he could, and rushing in, he prostrated himself before his mother, and implored her to tell him who his father was and why he didn’t come back.16

The mother’s heart was centred in the boy.17 He was “the point of her heart,” as fond Chinese mothers say when the Western mother would say “my sweetheart.”18 Taking him by the hand she raised him up, and said, with all the mother-love shining in her eyes, “My son, you are too young yet to know all.19 Some day when you are a little older I will tell you the history of our sad lives.20 We have a great and powerful enemy and it is only by this quiet living that you and I have lived in peace.21 Wait a little longer, son, and you shall know all.”22

The boy was quick and impetuous and said, “Mother, unless you tell me now I cannot live.23 I am no longer a child.24 I will to know now.”25

“Not now, my son,” was the quiet but sad reply.26

Hearing this, the boy rushed from the room and out into the back court where there was a well and, as he ran by, he kicked a brick into the well and dashed into a grape arbour.27

The mother, rushing out after him, only able to see with one eye, and not seeing her boy, but only hearing the splash as the brick struck the water, concluded that he had jumped into the well.28 Sitting down by the well, she exclaimed:29

“Ai, ja.30 What have I to live for now?31 My son is in the well, his father in banishment in Hsiang Yang, all is gone.32 I cannot keep my promise and send him to his father.33 Alas! alas!34 My fate is indeed bitter.35 I too will end my sorrows in the well.36 At least in death I can be with my boy.37 His shall also be my grave,” and rising, she gathered her skirt about her head preparatory to jumping in, when Ting Lang rushed out from his hiding-place and, grasping her, shouted:38

“Mother, don’t.39 I am alive.40 I hid to frighten you.41 Why is my father in banishment?42 What promise did you make him about me?43 Tell me, or I truly will beat my brains out against the bricks.”44

Seeing the desperate look in his eyes, she said, as she took him in her arms, “Little son, you were nearly the death of your mother, but never mind, you shall know all.45 I see, indeed, you are not a child,” and leading him into the house, she told him the sad, sad story from first to last, showed him the priceless keepsakes.46 As he looked at them and at the dear, patient, disfigured face, he said:47

“Mother, I am going now to seek my father.48 You must not prevent me.”49

Could she let him go, out into the great unknown world, her little boy, her baby; how could she?50 And yet her promise to his father; her vow that she had lived over every day of his precious little life.51 “Yes, the boy should go.”52 What mattered her sorrow at the parting?53 With breaking heart and bitter, sad tears she gave her consent, and pawned almost everything she had to give him money to use on the journey.54

When the morning came for him to leave her, she got his breakfast, feeling as though the life was going out of her, and yet, with words of wisdom and many instructions, she clasped him to her, then allowed him to make his prostration, and the door closed.55

As Ting Lang went down the steps he heard a fall and, going back, found the dear mother like unto one dead.56 He called to her and wept and plead, and at last the dear eye once more looked into his, and he said:57

“You must not grieve thus.58 I must fulfil your promise to my father.59 I will tell you a plan; you buy a coffin and put it under your window.60 Put all my old clothes and shoes into it, and when you are lonely and miss me and must weep, you go to the coffin and say, ‘My son is dead.61 Here will I weep for him.’62 Consider me as dead and here, and you will be comforted.”63

The mother replied, “You are wise, my dear, beyond your years; I will do as you say, and weep for you there.”64

“If I live, my mother, I will come back for you if I can find my father.”65

The boy went by boat down the Grand Canal for Tientsin.66 On the boat were some wicked men who took his money and clothing, and when they reached Lui Ching, sold him to a theatre man.67

This man was very unkind to him, and he was determined to make his escape; one day he was less carefully watched, and taking the open moment, he ran to the river bank just as some men were landing from a boat.68 The boy sought their protection, told his story, and before he was through, he was in the arms of one of the men, who proved to be the friend, Mr. Wang, who had taken his father to the place of banishment.69