Chinese Literature

TEMPEST

SHIH KUO

There was only one inch left of the last of the incense sticks by which time was measured in the village night school. Yang Chun-mei, seated in the rear row, was quite upset when she saw how little remained. From its red glowing tip, soft ashes dropped continually. ... She hadn’t heard anything in tonight’s class. The teacher’s slow tones sounded to her only like so much droning. Every once in a while, she tried to listen, but after a few sentences, the tangled skein of her own thoughts drove all else from her mind. Then the droning went on.

In her studies, as in her farm work, usually she was right up on top. But ever since that talk with her mother a few evenings ago, she hadn't been able to concentrate. It affected everything she did. Hoeing weeds, she kept hitting the rape-seed sprouts. A few times she nearly hoed her toes off. At night school, the teacher’s words had become a meaningless buzz.

The incense stick burned out. Chun-mei was startled to hear the class reciting in loud unison the whole evening’s lesson. They'd be dismissed in a minute. She sat up straight. First Pll get this much clear, then we'll see! she said to herself firmly, cutting the tangled skein clean through with one sharp chop. She tore a strip of paper from her notebook and scribbled rapidly: “Must talk to you. Will wait at the big cedar.” While the other students were busy getting their books together, preparing their torches and lanterns, she rolled the note into a ball and tossed it on to the desk of Chu Hsiao-chang, two rows ahead. Without giving him another glance, she slipped out of the classroom door.

Night school was conducted in the wings of the ancestral temple of the Yang clan, to which Chun-mei belonged. The temple compoundone storey buildings arranged in a hollow square around a courtyardwas always dark. Hven at the height of the day, it was dim and gloomy. Recently, after the wines were given to the night school, they were fixed up a little. Their intricately carved wooden window lattices were changed to a simple design of large squares to allow more light. But the main building was kept locked. Inside were tablets bearing the names of deceased family members. On certain holidays, the departed ancestors