THE HONOUR OF WONG

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 23, 28 January 1939, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE HONOUR OF WONG

Yellow butterflys eyes were red with weeping. All day she had sat alone in her room, her little heart almost breaking. Poo An had said she should be the happiest girl in all V anpehow, but Poo An was old and Tsanpc Lau was nothing to her but another poor Chinese poet. I'erlmp* || wh . ,ui 11 ■>■><> 11 r fur a j»<■ <> r £' r l l«» Im' i'liits"n f. r h rich mnii iik#» thn Yrtirr. luiil meditated. but " hi* mill ile.l like tlir link lli.it jfrow hp«nlc Iter t>• I lii• r"urn ip iiml hi* linger* WPIe yellow w|||.ir I lie 11; 1111111 pipe lull] left 11 * t ji in. 11 •* r lipiirt lipl<mut'd tn T-iiiik. tin' tin',liner w Im a riilr thp bpait litul poetry ,iiii| sang tlip lovely song*. The 1111111 vi 11 hi 111' \i■ i" hearing llipmi again in'H i- t liii n *lie dull,| In-;!r. mill, Aobhillg. -lII' t!''<l lillt into till' 111 wII Hi!', "in nl"iig tlip rner bank w here tii • ■ «'i i'■ U• ■i - ii.nl -<ii lift i'i] ni.i.l1■ in. 1. >.I \ fur lir r hi tin- | ui,t. M| i and "ii -lip walk pi. ii"t ■ i>ll-1 ii 11;v ii.'i .• -ill" «>i , -i.Hi'.: iii | ii"t ~i iiij-. \ , 1i •' -lip i 1111 1' t.. ii gra * \ -]■ . i in t In' f>ill-i.|p I'l' till' \ illume Mini. -i 11 Is 1111; tn

t hp ground. curled up in a small ball, with 11 pr head buried in lipr arms ami Ihp warm Milt tears running down her cheek- to full unheeded on the grass. It wa* here tluit Tsang ("lIIkI her as lII' waililcieil slowly along tllP bank of the - .renin, ji ml a* lie ,aw her hi- laughing ey e> 11 1 — t t'lieir ulii'liic--. Pausing a niniiient. lie gazed wistfully a t the small limine Hllil tiien stepped uoi-ele*-lv tn her *iile. Kneeling. he nt:irtnnro<l. "Oh. m \ ellinv Hutterfly. what lias stolen my lie 111 \ I'd'.-* * 1111 -11 ill e '.' Has tlip lVarl ■' t N H til: i how rrirkel ceased to ~ill lt ? I.i-ten. and T-ang .lill -ing x<> 11 the mini' hU >i i kip ii t father u-ed t<i drive the teardrops frnin my honoured mother's ryes." "Nn. T.-aii.tr." she murmured brokenly. "Today y 1111r song would shatter into piece* thi* |iiinr maiden'* heart. All day 1 lui\p wanted von and now that you hip liPfp I wi*h the*e eytv could not behold your iinnjtp. nor these oars hear I• e 111 :i ■i' ■ of your v i .ire, I ill. T-a tig." -he iiiiiaiii'il. "I know that 1 shall die." I'-»iu*_! f"hiei 1 hi* liiiikl* .iiid with true ( t i.i I | i.i tle lire waited for her to roiiI 1111: i ■. "I'li;* nioininu old 1'.... \n told me that Ki wa- coni.ng lo fetch

me,'' *hc said. "Yang the ugly, who once loaned my ancient father money to feed my heavenly mother when 1 wa.* ly ing in the darkness near her heart. Nothing can save me. 1 am so unhappy I could kill myself, but your Hutterfly lacks the courage of her ancestors."' She lie2a n to suli anew an<l I'sane - . his handsome yellow fare a lna-k. licirau slowly tu wave hi* fan backward* and forwards. Suddenly he stopped and taint traces of excitement lit hi- face. Leaning closer to her. something that niu-t lime been magic. for it changed the I'earl of Ya ngchovv from a brokenhearted little pill back to the Beautiful bellow Hutterfly. Drying her eyes, \\ ihi*r Mo-dci arose and together t hey made their way back to the village. Following Ancient Custom While the lovers liad been sitting on the grass, a huge junk, with red and blue eye* painted on the bow. made its way -lowly up the river and anchored near the shore. A sampan left its side and approached the bank. In it<* sheltered stern sat Vang Ki-wa toying with I lie -i\ long whi-kcr* that adorue.l hi* chin and which he valued almost a* much as life it*elt. for not every Chinese colli.l bo.i.-t -u-.'li. He had heard niurii of Wong flo (lei and alreadv hi* imagination played havoc with his senses and he yearned to hold her in his arms. The bout -lid its nose up on the muddy -hore and Yung made his way towards the village. He wiu half-way down the dirt trail when he wa- met by I'no An. The old

hag clasped her hands together and bowed seven times in greeting. "oh. honoured Vang Ki-wh, Father of Main Noble Sons." she said, "1 am Poo All. \ our humble servant who ki-ses \ our gown ami cares for Wong Ho-dei, that fhe may l>e a fitting bride for her lioble master." Vmg bared his yellow teeth in a grin. "I hope you have eaten well," he replied. "I pray that the girl has your charm and has your deep respect for her ancient father'.- honour." The old woman chuckled and said. "This sun it» not good for those whoso bones have weathered many winters as ours. Come! There is tea and a pipe awaiting you."' Poo An turned and led the way to a little house, th« rich man following. Not a word was s|x>ken between them until they had entered the main room and were seated at the table which had been prepared. For several moments they sat, the old man glancing furtively about the room, and eventually he asked, "Where is the gem ( > j Yangcliow Poo An ahook her head. "She is not vet yours." she replied. "We are country people and follow our ancient customs."

The old man nodded. "Ah, yes!" he sighed. '"I have been with the foreigner too long and forjret those niceties that are so much a part of your happy life." Poo An chuckled. "I am afraid you will not he able to see her till after the ceremony at the temple in your home. Surely you will grant a simple country girl this one request? To-night fthe will he brought aboard your gampan in her sedan chair and you remem-

ByTheo. L. J. Greenslade

tier t Imt according to our custom you inny neither si>oa\ to her nor invade 1 km" mum until she has liurne<l the candles lor a -im. I. as is tit and proper, w ill accompanv tlie chair when it is brought to your ship." The old man nodded. "It is well." he said. "To-night when the crickets cease to sing I shall lie expectinir you.'' He bowed his way out of the house. Meanwhile Tsang had left the village and taken a friend's boat to tlie fishermen's temple, situated on a small island in the middle of the river. Had anyone been watching closely he would have seen three other *mall boats leave and follow the first to its destination. If ho had waited until dusk lie might have seen the party return and. making sure they were not observed, carry something into t.ie home of Wong Ho-dei. While Tsang hud been away Poo An had decorated the bridal sedan, resplendent in its red i*ilk. Red wliieh meant

good io-s. < iood joss that the til—thorn might be a boy and that the girl would make her master happy, bringing joy to his old age. Il had been dark for almost one hour when the sedall eliair was lifted and taken out into the open. Xot a word wa<- spoken. I*", veil the figure inside which was Irately discernible through the heavy drupes «at as silent and stiff a- a -tatue. Lanterns were lighted and w itli a dashing of cymbals. and the boom of gongs a procession composed of friends of the family, with the bridal eliair in the middle, began to wend it« nay towards the ri\er shore. Frotp tlie boat, lying as if asleep on the river, it. looked , like mine huge snake as it wound its way in and out along the crooked pathway. The crooked pathway leading l*>tween the rows of whitewalled houses. in whose doorways stood old women, grey and bent with the passing years, smiling *adlv through teardimtned eyes as dormant memories crept into hearts where romance had been so long a stranger.

Step by *top the procession, with it c- weird pulsating rhythm, advanced until it reached the water's edge, then tli re was a parting in the crowd and th" aged Poo An and her charge went forth alone to a small sampan which was tf) carry them to the awaiting groom. For a moment there was eonfusion as coolies struggled for a grasp of the huge chair and then it Was lifted carefully aboard and steadied as the ernft began to nose its way outward from the *hore.

stood on the deck rubbing his hands together and inwardly cursing the rising tide which would delay him lie - fore setting fail. With a covetous light in his eyes ho watched the chair and noted ft motionless figure within, outlined by the bright lanterns. The chair was carried below the decks iind Poo An accompanied it. In a few moments she

returned and finding Vang still standing by the ship's rail said. "Ancient. Father of Many Sons, your unworthy servant hopes this day has tilled you with content incut The rich man smiled. "I would that all days were as bright as this one," he replied. The old woman chuckled. "A day that is bright si oiild be Mattered by a Ifappy evening. May your moon bei onie a sun to light your way to dreamland." Vang stroked his eliin. "My ceilings should be bright if my - Precious Pearl has paid heed to the wisdom of her aged teacher." Poo An bowed. "Vour humble servant is grateful. And now she must leave. Kaeli moment of parting is a tnorn that stabs against an aching heart." She turned to walk awav, but he stopped her. "Von have been of service and we may never meet again. Besides it would be but a cold wish not to share a parting cup with one to whom you have given the most sacred treasure of your heart. This should not be a time for sadness. Am I not rich and is not the little Hut terfly beaut iful." He began to grin and Poo An. despite her years of training fell an insatiable longing to sink her yellowed nails into his smirking eyes. She felt the longing, but not even a tremor of her grey old face showed the hatred in her heart. Instead she toyed with a small fan dangling from her wrist and murmured, "Poo An is not unmindful of her manners. and it would Ik l poor grace indeed to tail to share a groom's cup upon so joyous an eve.'' 11l a little while Poo Ah took her leave and climbing down into her sampan disappeared into the night. Kvent ually the sails of the junk were raised and slowly, like Pome huge vulture, the ship got under way. For several minutes Vang stood at the vessel's rail and then, certain that his boat had cleared the village and unable to wait

any longer to see hus bride, he made his way below. Hft approached the girl s compartment and, drawing aside the drapes, slid noiselessly into the room. He paused. There was no sound. W 011dering if his presence had been discovered, he padded to the side of the chair. and chuckling to himself noted that the iigure was still inside. With a quivering hand he drew aside the red silk curtains. On the shore watching the vessel depart were silhouetted the figures of a man and woman. Both stood facing the open river. Downstream black dots could he seen making their way across the water. The man pointed in their direction and the woman nodded. Slowly t lie dots became larger, until the watchers could di-cern their shape. They were sampans. intercepting the course of the -olitary junk. Soon they were near its side and then they disappeared from \ icw and for a moment all was quiet. Minutes passed and the pail* remained mot ionless. Suddenly shout* of conflict echoed across the water and the junk burst into flame. From the light shed by the blaze tlie watchers saw an image being lowered into one of the larger boats and then the attackers headed for the shore. For a long time the flame® from the boat shot upward, lighting the sky with their brilliance.

The sampans had drawn tip near the shore, their occupant* noiselessly watching the scene Gradually the hull of the junk wa~ consumed by the flame* and with a gurgle she «ank into the bosom of the river. A few charred s.ieks floated slowly downstream. The watchers mi the shore slowly and quietly climbed again into their rampans and pushed out into the river. All was quiet and dark again. For the first time the man on the bank spoke. ''The fishermen have claimed their god, my Yellow Butterfly. }Iv father once said, 'the Great Axe sickens with the blood of him that would steal a woman* l>ody and leave behind her heart.' Yang thought he was taking you. but lie wa- stealing- a god. an image that wedded him with death.'' The smaller figure sobbed and as she nestled close to him the two silhouettes l-ecanie one. while the moon slipping quietly behind a cloud allowed deep night to spread her clonk about, the lovers. In the distance an old woman chuckled.