Chapter Fifty-Seven: Three Lives, Three Worlds

The moon had climbed to its zenith, radiant and gentle. The moonlight over Qiongtai was tranquil and peaceful, its silvery glow edging the clouds and forming a splendid halo, as if cradling the clouds and brushing them softly across the delicate face of the moon.

Beneath this light, the sea waves gently lapped against the reefs and sands, producing a faint, fragmented sound, as if the sea itself were whispering secrets. Wang Wen lay on the beach, her chin resting on her hands like the petals of a white lotus. Gazing at the enchanting moonlight, she asked in a soft voice, “Um… Third Brother, what does it mean to be a concubine?”

Li Sanjian was at a loss. She didn’t even know what a concubine was, yet had promised—beating her chest—that she would become his concubine…

But Li Sanjian understood that Wang Wen had only agreed so that Wang Kunrui would let her return home. For that, he felt a measure of gratitude toward this pure-hearted girl who knew almost nothing of such matters.

“Well, the word ‘little’…” Li Sanjian pondered for a moment before answering, “It literally means ‘young.’ You’re young, so if you become that… well, that’s why it’s called ‘little.’”

“What do you mean by ‘that’? Third Brother, what does it mean?” Wang Wen’s large eyes shone especially bright in the moonlight, sparkling like a clear spring.

“It means being my wife…” Li Sanjian felt a headache coming on, unsure how else to explain, so he simply spoke plainly.

“Like Father and Mother?” Wang Wen asked again.

Li Sanjian smiled and nodded.

Joking and chatting with this clever, adorable girl eased some of the frustration in Li Sanjian’s heart.

“I don’t want to,” Wang Wen said, pouting.

“Oh? Why not?” Li Sanjian asked curiously.

“Father isn’t nice to Mother at all. I don’t want to be a concubine,” Wang Wen replied.

“Your father isn’t good to your mother? I thought he treated her well,” Li Sanjian asked.

“You don’t know, Third Brother,” Wang Wen said, lowering her head and speaking softly. “The other wives always bully my mother, and Father doesn’t care.”

Li Sanjian sighed inwardly at her words. Such was the way of the world—whether Han or Li, no matter who, there were always strict divisions between wives and concubines, between legitimate and secondary, with rigid hierarchies that could not be crossed.

“Wen’er…” Li Sanjian called gently.

“Yes… Third Brother…” Wang Wen looked up at him.

“Actually… what was said before doesn’t have to count, you know. Don’t take it too seriously. If you don’t want to be a concubine, you don’t have to. I won’t mind,” Li Sanjian said after a moment’s thought.

“What? Third Brother… you… don’t want me anymore?” Tears welled up in Wang Wen’s eyes at his words, threatening to fall.

She knew nothing of the matters between men and women, only that she loved being with Li Sanjian—listening to his tales and legends, playing and laughing with him, feeling nothing but joy.

“That’s not what I meant,” Li Sanjian said hurriedly. “I just want you to be happy. As long as you’re happy, you can do whatever you wish. I won’t mind at all.”

“Really?” Wang Wen instantly brightened, her sadness turning to delight.

“Truly. I would never lie to you—not for my whole life,” Li Sanjian said solemnly, nodding.

“Third Brother, you’re so good to me!” Wang Wen cheered, flinging herself into his arms and refusing to let go.

“Third Brother, I want to hear a story. Will you tell me one tonight?” She clung to him, pleading.

“Sit properly and I will,” Li Sanjian said, gently prying her from his lap.

Though Wang Wen was still a child, Li Sanjian was a young man in the full flush of youth. If things continued like this, he feared he might lose control…

“All right, all right,” Wang Wen obediently settled herself beside him.

“Hurry, tell the story!” she urged.

“Hmm…” Li Sanjian thought for a moment and said, “Isn’t it dull for me to always tell the stories? Why don’t you tell one for me tonight?”

“Me? I… I’m not good at it. You do it,” Wang Wen said with a tilt of her head and a soft laugh.

“No, you tell one first, and then I’ll tell mine,” Li Sanjian insisted.

“Okay…” Wang Wen agreed with a sigh. “But you mustn’t laugh at me.”

“Go ahead. I won’t laugh,” Li Sanjian promised with a smile.

“And after I tell mine, you have to tell yours. No backing out,” Wang Wen pressed.

“All right, hurry up, or it’ll get too late and your father will come looking for you. I promise I won’t go back on my word,” Li Sanjian nodded.

“It’s fine, I told Father and Mother before I came. So, I’ll tell you the story my mother told me,” Wang Wen said with a smile.

The Li people did not have as many taboos as the Han. There was none of that strict separation between men and women; if a Li girl liked a young man, it was perfectly normal for her to stay at his home. No one thought it strange, especially since Li Sanjian and Wang Wen already had this understanding between them.

“I heard from my mother that our ancestors were descended from a woman called Li Mother, and Li Mother was said to have come from a serpent’s egg,” Wang Wen began, her voice clear and melodious.

Li Mother hatched from a serpent’s egg? Li Sanjian had never heard that before, but though surprised, he listened quietly.

“A long time ago,” Wang Wen continued, “there were no people here, only birds and beasts. One day, the Thunder God passed by and saw how beautiful the land was. He envied it, thinking how wonderful it would be to live here. So, he found a serpent’s egg and ordered the five-color finch on the mountain to care for it. The next year, on the third day of the third month, the Thunder God came by again. He struck a mighty bolt of lightning from the sky, shaking the earth and the mountains. The serpent’s egg, hidden in the hills, split open, and from it stepped a beautiful maiden. The Thunder God transformed into a kindly old grandfather…”

“Wait, wait…” Li Sanjian interrupted her. “The Thunder God? If he liked it so much, why didn’t he just settle down? Why bother with a serpent’s egg and hatching it with lightning?”

He thought it was all a bit much, but kept it to himself.

“He…” Wang Wen tilted her head, pressing a finger to her cheek like a spring onion, and thought hard. “I don’t know, do you?”

How would I know why the Thunder God would do something so odd? Was he mad, hatching people from serpent eggs? Li Sanjian mused silently. Or could it be…?

“Oh, I know!” Li Sanjian declared. “The Thunder God is also called the Thunder Duke. Do you know what he looks like?”

Wang Wen shook her head.

“The Thunder Duke has the body of a dragon and the head of a man. But the human head doesn’t really look like a human’s—it even has a bird’s beak. Now, a dragon is just a snake, so the dragon’s body means a serpent’s body. In other words, the Thunder Duke is a serpent, so the serpent’s egg is his egg—his illegitimate child… so then… ha ha ha!” Li Sanjian couldn’t help but laugh at his own words.

“Pah! Third Brother, you’re just making things up. If you’re not going to listen, I won’t go on,” Wang Wen pouted, giving him a shove.

She might be young and naive, but she knew when Li Sanjian was teasing her.

“I’m listening, I’m listening. Please go on,” Li Sanjian said with a smile.

“Where was I?” Wang Wen asked.

“At the Thunder Duke’s… at the birth of the goddess,” Li Sanjian replied.

“Mm…” Wang Wen nodded and continued, “After the Thunder God became an old grandfather, he gave her the name ‘Li.’ Then the five-color finches, the spotted deer, and many other birds and beasts came to celebrate, all calling her ‘Lady Li.’ When Lady Li was hungry, she ate wild fruit; when thirsty, she drank from mountain springs; when tired, she slept in the trees. She lived carefree and happily, though sometimes she felt lonely and alone. Until one day, a handsome, brave young man sailed across the sea to Qiongtai to collect precious agarwood in the mountains. He met Lady Li, and they were drawn to each other, fell in love, and became husband and wife. They had many children and grandchildren. Later, when wild fruit was no longer enough, the Thunder God sent the five-color finch to bring rice seeds. Lady Li and her husband led their descendants to clear the hills and plant mountain rice, to brew sweet wine, and lived happily ever after. When they died, their children and grandchildren honored Lady Li as ‘Mother Li’ in remembrance of their ancestor.”

Li Sanjian marveled at how well Wang Wen remembered the story, recounting it so clearly at such a young age.

If she were to study, surely she would achieve much, he thought suddenly.

“So that’s how this mountain got its name?” he asked.

“Yes, Li Mother Mountain is named after Lady Li,” Wang Wen nodded.

So that’s it, thought Li Sanjian, gazing at the moonlight. This was the origin of the Li people’s ancestors. His mother was of the Li people, so he too was their descendant, as was Wang Wen. Yet, they belonged to different peoples—he to the Han through his father, she to the Li through hers.

Because of their parents’ identities, a gulf seemed to yawn between them, impossible to cross.

Li Sanjian loathed this world, hated these prejudices, but he was powerless to change them—at least, for now.

“Third Brother, what are you doing, daydreaming?” Wang Wen pushed him lightly when he remained silent for a long time.

“Oh…” Li Sanjian snapped out of his reverie. “Wen’er, do you want to hear another story?”

“Yes, yes! Third Brother, tell me!” Wang Wen clapped her hands in delight.

“Very well,” Li Sanjian smiled. “Did you know that people live three lifetimes?”