Priestess illustration

Author: Jin Dongli (Korean) and translated by Han Mei et al.
Translator: Han Mei,
Country:
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2002-06-01
Features: A few ragged beggars, opium smokers, and several crippled, lame, and disabled people gather in a circle, with an upside-down long box like a biscuit tin in the middle, on top of which lies a shriveled toad. Beside it is a round tin bucket filled with yellowish ointment. Someone is explaining the usage: "Toad oil, toad oil, toad oil! It cures paint poisoning, scabies, back sores, head sores, burns, frostbite, toothache, wind-fire toothache. Not only does it relieve toothache, but it also treats ear discharge in children, baldness, and bald heads. It works for men and women, old and young, adults and children, no matter who they are. It removes festering poison and promotes new growth. It's needed morning and evening. Buy a bottle and keep it well-sealed. One day, it will become a treasure! Buy now, buy now! Toad oil, toad oil squeezed from the toad's nose!"
"Alright, now let everyone see how effective this toad oil is. Watch closely." He stirred the yellowish ointment in the water: "See, see closely. The bad blood in our bodies turns into snow falling into a furnace when it reaches the tip of the toad's nose and melts completely!" With that, he held the plate around for everyone to see and then coughed. "Ladies and gentlemen, this gentleman here is a celebrity in our country. Two months ago, he got a toothache and lay in bed for a long time. Yesterday, he used this medicine and removed the worm. And look, he's here today." The seller pointed to the person beside him, who was none other than Huang Jinshi I had seen a few days ago; he wore black sunglasses and elegantly gazed at the distant mountains.
The seller continued: "This gentleman is very knowledgeable in this field. He can mix bear bile, duck tongues, earthworm urine, mouse droppings, and cat livers into excellent medicine, curing all kinds of ailments. He can be called a man with extraordinary abilities!" Just then, a police officer arrived, and the beggars, opium smokers, and disabled people scattered and hid in their usual corners. Seeing this, Aunt gave me a signal and walked ahead. I followed Aunt closely and walked for a while before looking back. The speaker, who had been eloquently talking, now held an empty biscuit tin with a dry toad and the ointment bucket in his arms. Huang Jinshi, on the other hand, walked gracefully with his hands clasped at his sides of his long gown, following the police toward the opposite police station.
Crossing Longchuan, we arrived in front of Huangtugou. About twenty people were lined up in a row, all bending over. Someone on the field held a flag, and four or five others beat drums. The sun burned fiercely at noon, and the entire field and mountains were lush green. Knock, knock, knock, boom, boom, boom! The so-called drums were just a bronze drum and a long drum, but despite that, they were patient, walking along the field edge with the weeding people, breaking the silence of the wilderness. However, far from these cooperative farmers, on this hillside, there was a person bending over, weeding alone. From the side, you could see that his arms, legs, and waist were much thicker and longer than ordinary people's, and his shoulders and figure were also exceptionally broad. His hair had turned gray. His name was Yisuo. Perhaps because his body was much larger than ordinary people's, he did the work all by himself.
Yisuo stopped weeding and walked toward the field edge. He had looked back toward the mountain several times, but still couldn't see Fengyi's shadow. He lit a cigarette. The cicadas' noisy calls came from the trees on the field edge. After smoking two cigarettes, Yisuo grew angry and thought, "I might as well go to the tavern." Just as he was about to stand up, Fengyi appeared between the pines.
"What are you doing? You're late!" When Fengyi got closer, Yisuo asked angrily. "What can I do?" Fengyi took the wine jar from her head and asked back, her breath filled with the strong smell of wine. Her eye circles and ear rims were red, as if colored. "You've had another round of strong drink." Yisuo muttered in his heart.
"Next, Yisuo." Fengyi handed the wine bowl to Yisuo, a strange smile appearing on her lips. Yisuo snatched the bowl and jar from Fengyi's hands, and the wine sloshed out. Almost snatched by Yisuo, Fengyi seemed to grow angry too.
"Hmph, that bitch, just wait and see." She bit her teeth tightly. The words were aimed at Xueji, but she didn't say it right. Yisuo ignored her and poured himself a drink.
Fengyi, even more furious, glared at Yisuo: "Kill that bitch and her lover with one strike!" Then she bit her teeth again.
"This bitch, what nonsense is she talking about?" Yisuo cursed, and Fengyi quickly said, "I wasn't talking about you, I was talking about Debao." This was even more confusing.
"Debao isn't your uncle or something? What are you talking about?" Fengyi snorted. "Uncle? So what?" Then she turned over and lay down on the grass, her white legs exposed beneath her rough-spun skirt. Soon, she fell asleep, snoring. The cicadas' calls came again from the trees.
After pouring the third bowl of wine, Yisuo stared blankly at the trees. Fengyi's words, "Kill that bitch and her lover with one strike," kept swirling in his mind. Who was he jealous of? Yisuo couldn't understand.
Yisuo pushed the jar away, lit a cigarette, and stuck it in his mouth. Just then, Debao appeared, holding a wild boar upside down in one hand, walking down the slope.
"Coming down from the mountain?" The sun had passed its zenith, casting light onto the mountain ridges. In the deep shade of the forest, sea cucumbers-like, dark snails were secreting white, sticky fluid, clinging tightly to the ground. The sun was scorching, sweat trickling down, and his throat felt dry. The more so, the more like a beast, Xingqi buried his head in the vines, picking at raspberries, strawberries, mountain peaches, hawthorns, and mulberries, putting them in his mouth one after another. But as soon as he ate them, they melted like snow, leaving only sweet, syrupy saliva. Occasionally, unripe mountain peaches or hawthorns stuck to his teeth. Even the bitter, astringent juice of strawberries was swallowed without hesitation. His lips first stained with dark juice, then his whole cheek was covered.
Qiyan picked the increasingly thirsty, dry strawberries and green mountain peaches, filling them into a round gourd leaf and handing them to Xingqi. Xingqi spread his hands and took the leaf with his palm, then lowered his head, drinking it like water. He tossed the leftover gourd leaf onto the vines and lay down, leaning against the kumquat vines entwined with gourds.
Qiyan handed Xingqi the gourd leaf again. Xingqi, seeming tired, still lay there, took a full mouthful, bit into it, and threw the rest onto the vines. Then, he quickly fell asleep. When Qiyan handed him the carefully picked strawberries and wild grapes on the gourd leaf for the third time, she found Xingqi already asleep. She ate it all like Xingqi had done.
"Sleeps so soundly." Qiyan muttered to herself, trying to lean against the vines too. But soon, she sneezed and felt extremely thirsty and hungry. Suddenly, the cuckoo's call sounded terrifying.
"Is there no spring water in the vines?" Qiyan pushed aside the vines and walked in for a long way, suddenly seeing the woodbine vines entwined with the woodpears on the pear tree, heavy with fruit.
"If this were ripe, it would be great." Qiyan murmured, rubbing the hard, rough-skinned woodbine fruits like a green cucumber, picking three of the largest and holding them in her hands. Due to her habit of eating whatever fruit she could reach in the afternoon, she subconsciously brought them to her mouth and bit into one. Immediately, her mouth filled with a bitter, grassy taste.
"Ah, it's not ripe!" Qiyan spat it out and walked over to Xingqi. The sun seemed to have passed noon. Thirsty and hungry.
"Get up and look for spring water." Qiyan shook Xingqi's shoulder. Xingqi opened his eyes. Qiyan panicked, handing him the green woodbine fruit. Xingqi got up and hugged her round shoulders and neck, and their lips met.
From her small, plump lips, he felt the sweet, bitter taste of the strawberries, mulberries, mountain peaches, and woodbine fruits he had eaten that day, mixed with the fragrant, meaty scent of the clay steamed in the sun.
Ga, ga! A crow suddenly cawed and flew over their heads.
"Is the Seven Buddhas far away?" Qiyan took the lunch hanging on the kumquat vine. The old man who sold sieves to Huakai Village hadn't returned after half a month. Before leaving, he had said he was going into Ziyi Mountain, and both Yuhua and Qiyan thought he was really there.
"Perhaps we'll spend the summer in the mountains."