The Complete Collection of 6 - Where the Water Meets the Moon

Author: Qiong Yao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Excerpt from the book: I will never forget the night I first saw Du Xiaoshuang. Although it has been many years since then, and many changes have occurred in the meantime, the scenes of that night are still vivid in my memory, clear as if it were yesterday. That winter was especially cold, that rainy season especially long, and the azaleas bloomed especially early that year. Just a few days after the New Year, the fence by the small courtyard was covered with azaleas. Raindrops fell from morning till night, beating on the petals, not damaging them but rather dyeing them more vibrant. However, with the rainy season came the cold waves. Grandma and I were the coldest-hating people in the family, so we had lit a charcoal stove since before the New Year. Grandma kept talking about the fire pit she had on the mainland. Growing up in Taiwan, I could never understand what a fire pit looked like: "It's wooden on the outside, iron on the inside, square on the outside, round on the inside." I concluded that Grandma would never be able to become a painter or writer because she had no talent for describing or depicting things. Our fire pit was green, like a large jar, with ash lining the bottom, and burning charcoal on top. I often buried orange peels in the ash, roasting them until the whole room smelled of oranges. That night, we all gathered around the fire pit. Grandma was knitting a blue-and-white checkered sweater for me, while Mom helped with the yarn ball. Sister Shiqing and her "always-by-her-side" fiancé Li Qian were playing chess. Of course, Shiqing was a sore loser from start to finish, and Li Qian was always pretending to be clueless, losing left and right, already not sure how many games he had lost. Though he lost at chess, he won Shiqing a sweet smile. Men have this skill of pretending to be clueless, knowing how to "cheat" women. But my brother Shiyao was different—Shiyao was a gentleman, Shiyao was a bookworm, Shiyao was enigmatic, Shiyao was hard to read, Shiyao was calm at heart, Shiyao didn’t chase girls. Zhu Shiyao wasn’t just anyone—Zhu Shiyao was unique, Zhu Shiyao was Zhu Shiyao! Now, my brother Zhu Shiyao was smoking a cigarette, with a newly arrived "World Folk Song Collection" from the United States spread out on his lap, yet his eyes were fixed straight on the TV. On the screen, the "master thief" played by Robert Wagner was once again stealing "world-famous paintings" in a baffling manner. Bored, I used the tongs to stir the fire, and impatiently said, "Brother, just because there’s a TV at home doesn’t mean we have to watch it! The TV has a switch, and the meaning of a switch is that it can be turned on or off!" Shiyao frowned slightly, blew out a puff of smoke, and didn’t even hear what I said. But Mom chimed in, "Shihui, don’t bother your brother. He’s in this profession— he can’t afford not to watch!" "In what profession?" I deliberately provoked. "Shihui this little girl has something on her mind," Grandma said, peering at me over her glasses. "She’s straightforward and can’t hold things in. Probably, Ruyin didn’t write her a love letter today!" "Grandma!" I exclaimed angrily. "How did you know?" "Ha! How could I not know?" Grandma looked smug. "She ran to the gate three times in the rain that night, looking for letters!" "He was just checking if Dad had sent a letter!" I blushed and argued. "Ouch," Grandma laughed. "Dad is the most favored father in the world!" "Mom!" I panicked, shouting. "You’re always making things up!" "Shihui, you’re clueless!" Shiqing turned around. "You’re complaining about Grandma to Mom in front of her—so are you expecting Mom to meddle in Grandma’s affairs?" "Anyway, in our family, there’s no hierarchy, and we’re already famous for it!" I glared at Shiqing. "Wait until you marry Li Qian and have little Li Qian, and I guarantee Grandma will fight you for candy!" "Mom!" Shiqing blushed. "You listen to what Shihui is saying!" "Don’t call me," Mom said, turning away with a smile. "I’m not dealing with your nonsense!" Grandma held her knitting needles, laughing so hard her back bent, nearly dropping the yarn ball into the fire pit. Shiqing turned to Li Qian. "Li Qian, you see? In our family, Mom favors my brother, Grandma favors me, and I’m the one nobody pays attention to!" "That’s why I want you!" Li Qian said seriously.