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MYOLDHOMEBravingthebittercold,ItravelledmorethansevenhundredmilesbacktotheoldhomeIhadleftovertwentyyearsbefore.Itwaslatewinter.Aswedrewnearmyformerhomethedaybecameovercastandacoldwindblewintothecabinofourboat,whileallonecouldseethroughthechinksinourbambooawningwereafewdesolatevillages,voidofanysignoflife,scatteredfarandnearunderthesombreyellowsky.Icouldnothelpfeelingdepressed.Ah!SurelythiswasnottheoldhomeIhadrememberedforthepasttwentyyears?TheoldhomeIrememberedwasnorintheleastlikethis.Myoldhomewasmuchbetter.Butifyouaskedmetorecallitspeculiarcharmordescribeitsbeauties,Ihadnoclearimpression,nowordstodescribeit.Andnowitseemedthiswasalltherewastoit.ThenIrationalizedthemattertomyself,saying:Homewasalwayslikethis,andalthoughithasnotimproved,stillitisnotsodepressingasIimagine;itisonlymymoodthathaschanged,becauseIamcomingbacktothecountrythistimewithnoillusions.ThistimeIhadcomewiththesoleobjectofsayinggoodbye.Theoldhouseourclanhadlivedinforsomanyyearshadalreadybeensoldtoanotherfamily,andwastochangehandsbeforetheendoftheyear.IhadtohurrytherebeforeNewYear'sDaytosaygoodbyeforevertothefamiliaroldhouse,andtomovemyfamilytoanotherplacewhereIwasworking,farfrommyoldhometown.AtdawnontheseconddayIreachedthegatewayofmyhome.Brokenstemsofwitheredgrassontheroof,tremblinginthewind,madeveryclearthereasonwhythisoldhousecouldnotavoidchanginghands.Severalbranchesofourclanhadprobablyalreadymovedaway,soitwasunusuallyquiet.BythetimeIreachedthehousemymotherwasalreadyatthedoortowelcomeme,andmyeight-year-oldnephew,Hung-erh,rushedoutafterher.Thoughmotherwasdelighted,shewasalsotryingtohideacertainfeelingofsadness.Shetoldmetositdownandrestandhavesometea,lettingtheremovalwaitforthetimebeing.Hung-erh,whohadneverseenmebefore,stoodwatchingmeatadistance.Butfinallywehadtotalkabouttheremoval.Isaidthatroomshadalreadybeenrentedelsewhere,andIhadboughtalittlefurniture;inadditionitwouldbenecessarytosellallthefurnitureinthehouseinordertobuymorethings.Motheragreed,sayingthattheluggagewasnearlyallpacked,andabouthalfthefurniturethatcouldnoteasilybemovedhadalreadybeensold.Onlyitwasdifficulttogetpeopletopayup.Youmustrestforadayortwo,andcallonourrelatives,andthenwecango,saidmother.Yes.ThenthereisJun-tu.Eachtimehecomesherehealwaysasksafteryou,andwantsverymuchtoseeyouagain.Itoldhimtheprobabledateofyourreturnhome,andhemaybecominganytime.Atthispointastrangepicturesuddenlyflashedintomymind:agoldenmoonsuspendedinadeepblueskyandbeneathittheseashore,plantedasfarastheeyecouldseewithjade-greenwatermelons,whileintheirmidstaboyofelevenortwelve,wearingasilverneckletandgraspingasteelpitchforkinhishand,wasthrustingwithallhismightatazhawhichdodgedtheblowandescapedbetweenhislegs.ThisboywasJun-tu.WhenIfirstmethimhewasjustoverten¡ªthatwasthirtyyearsago,andatthattimemyfatherwasstillaliveandthefamilywelloff,soIwasreallyaspoiltchild.Thatyearitwasourfamily'sturntotakechargeofabigancestralsacrifice,whichcameroundonlyonceinthirtyyears,andhencewasanimportantone.Inthefirstmonththeancestralimageswerepresentedandofferingsmade,andsincethesacrificialvesselswereveryfineandtherewassuchacrowdofworshippers,itwasnecessarytoguardagainsttheft.Ourfamilyhadonlyonepart-timelabourer.(Inourdistrictwedividelabourersintothreeclasses:thosewhoworkalltheyearforonefamilyarecalledfull-timers;thosewhoarehiredbythedayarecalleddailies;andthosewhofarmtheirownlandandonlyworkforonefamilyatNewYear,duringfestivalsorwhenrentsarebeingcollectedarecalledpart-timers.)Andsincetherewassomuchtobedone,hetoldmyfatherthathewouldsendforhissonJun-tutolookafterthesacrificialvessels.WhenmyfathergavehisconsentIwasoverjoyed,becauseIhadlongsinceheardofJun-tuandknewthathewasaboutmyownage,bornintheintercalarymonth,andwhenhishoroscopewastolditwasfoundthatofthefiveelementsthatofearthwaslacking,sohisfathercalledhimJun-tu(IntercalaryEarth).Hecouldsettrapsandcatchsmallbirds.IlookedforwardeverydaytoNewYear,forNewYearwouldbringJun-tu.Atlast,whentheendoftheyearcame,onedaymothertoldmethatJun-tuhadcome,andIflewtoseehim.Hewasstandinginthekitchen.Hehadaround,crimsonfaceandworeasmallfeltcaponhisheadandagleamingsilverneckletroundhisneck,showingthathisfatherdotedonhimand,fearinghemightdie,hadmadeapledgewiththegodsandbuddhas,usingtheneckletasatalisman.Hewasveryshy,andIwastheonlypersonhewasnotafraidof.Whentherewasnooneelsethere,hewouldtalkwithme,soinafewhourswewerefastfriends.Idon'tknowwhatwetalkedofthen,butIrememberthatJun-tuwasinhighspirits,sayingthatsincehehadcometotownhehadseenmanynewthings.ThenextdayIwantedhimtocatchbirds.Can'tbedone,hesaid.It'sonlypossibleafteraheavysnowfall.Onoursands,afteritsnows,Isweepclearapatchofground,propupabigthreshingbasketwithashortstick,andscatterhusksofgrainbeneath.Whenthebirdscometheretoeat,Itugastringtiedtothestick,andthebirdsarecaughtinthebasket.Thereareallkinds:wildpheasants,.woodcocks,wood-pigeons,'blue-backs'....AccordinglyIlookedforwardveryeagerlytosnow.Justnowitistoocold,saidJun-tuanothertime,butyoumustcometoourplaceinsummer.Inthedaytimewe'llgototheseashoretolookforshells,therearegreenonesandredones,besides'scare-