Chinese Literature

with a large bell. There was a flash as Yang the Elder fiung his brassbowled hookah at Chun-mei’s head. It sailed through the air, and struck the bell with a musical clang. The old man charged at Chun-mei in the immediate wake of his missile. Several people seized him. Threshing and. kicking wildly, he fought to break free. His slightly crippled son, looking very distressed, pleaded that the old man be taken home. Crowding and pushing, they got the Elder outside and made him sit down on the steps. lLi-chia followed close behind, intending to talk seriously to him. But by then, the old man was beyond hearing any-

thing. He had collapsed limply against the body of Li-ho, who was

supporting him. Li-ho shouted for his wife to hurry and bring a bowl of hot tea for the Hider.

In response to everyone’s anxious coaxing, the old man drank the tea. He had just become somewhat calmer when a young boy came rushing into the temple courtyard. It was the Elder’s fifteen-year-old grandson. Even before he had run halfway across the courtyard, the boy dropped the bundle he was carrying and burst into tears.

“Grandpa! Huan—Huan—has jumped in the river and drowned herself!”

Many cried out in shocked dismay. The Elder’s eyes rolled up and he fell unconscious. People were thrown into a frenzy of alarm. One man calling to him, pressed a fingernail hard on the centre of the Elder’s upper lip. A few massaged his back with their fists. Someone got cold water and threw it in his face.... Finally, there was a rasping in the old man’s throat and he began breathing normally again. He opened his eyes, looked at the people surrounding him, and gasped:

“They've killed her! We must get revenge! Our Yang clan is big. We'll bring the house of her husband’s family down on their heads!”

Straight and erect, Li-chia stood before him. ‘Elder, we don’t have feuds between families any more. We've got our own government now. We can bring charges against them there. Anyone who drives a person to death has to be punished!”

Loudmouth shivered. That very morning she had cursed her daughter-in-law and struck her with the fire tongs. Quickly, she turned and searched through the crowd. Only after she discovered that the

thin little sixteen-year-old girl was still among the others did she relax. .

When the excitement subsided a bit, Li-chia asked a few men to carry the Elder home to rest. But the old man proved surprisingly strong. He stood up, and taking Li-chia and Li-ho each by the arm, walked out with them under his own power.

Aunt Li could see that the meeting was breaking up; people were beginning to leave. She ran to the temple doorway and shouted for everyone to wait a little while.

“The rest of you please don’t go yet. Chun-mei has something to