Chapter 9 (1/1)

Che Erku slapped Su Lu’ke back using his thick, large hands, and said, “Let’s have a bowl of wine” Che Erku’s tent was neat and tidy Woolen rugs with red flowers and green grass woven onto theirl carried wine out Che Erku smiled and said, “A’e beardedface was even , “I’hed heartily, “Old Che, I heard others saying that you have a daughter who is like a floalking on the pastures Yes, a walking flower, this description is extremely apt” The two men, who had contended with each other for a decade, suddenly became close friends You toast me, and I toast you Su Lu’ke drank until he was drunk With sleepy eyes he lay on the back of a horse, and returned home

After a few days, Che Erku brought two fine woolen rugs He said, “These oven by A’ oven a largeblade Theaith its tail between its hind legs On the other rug oven a boy who had stabbed a large grey wolf to death Both of thehted, and praised, “Excellent skills, excellent skills!” There were few leopards in the Musliion, but one year two leopards appeared and harmed the livestock Su Lu’ke pursued thee leopard, while the other leopard escaped with injuries A’man had woven the heroic achieve, and he was extremely pleased by this

This time, the one who lay, drunk, on a horse’s back was Che Erku Su Lu’ke asked his son to send him home Inside Che Erku’s tent, Su Pu saw his wolfskin While he was puzzling over theA’, but did not knohat he was talking about He did not dare ask how the wolfskin landed up with A’man Early the next day, he went to the s to meet Li Wenxiu so that he could ask her about it But she did not turn up He waited for two days but to no avail On the third day, he e and went to the old man Ji’s hut Li Wenxiu answered the door When she saw hiain “ Then she shut the door with a loud sla bewildered Listlessly, heof?”

Of course, he did not know that Li Wenxiu hid behind the door, hiding her face in her hands and crying She cried for a long tiain, and tell him stories But she knew if his father found out, Su Pu would have to suffer another round of whipping He ht even be whipped to death

The days passed, one by one The three children were blown taller by the winds fro snow at the foot of theflower beca child beca bird in the pastures sang even ht when there was no one around, she would go to the s She did not forget this childhood playether with A’ those ‘question-and-answer’ love songs to each other

When Li Wenxiu was young, she did not knohat these songs meant, but now she understood thenorant of their s, would it not have spared her so hts? But once she understood the things that she did not understand previously, she was unable to return to the childish puzzle

Late one spring night, Li Wenxiu rode the white horse to the little hill where the wolf had been killed The white horse had shed the hair which had been dyed yellow a long tio And now its body was as white as the snow in the mountains

She stood on the s in the middle of the Kazaks’ tents

Li Wenxiu thought, “He and sheexceptionally happy today, for it is so lively, so joyous” The ‘he’ in her heart, was of course none other than Su Pu; and the ‘she’ was of course A’ sounds ofThis day was one of the Kazaks’ festivals The young , enjoying thehly

But this tiuess correctly Su Pu and A’man did not feel exceptionally happy, but felt exceptionally nervous Near the bonfire, Su Pu restling with a tall and thin youth This was the most important co competition won three prizes: a fine steed, a fat cow and a beautiful rug

Su Pu had already defeated four strong youths in a row The tall and thin youth was called Sang Si’er and was a good friend of Su Pu’s Still, a victor had to be declared Further flower Who wouldn’t love so pretty a face, so graceful a figure, so skilful two hands? Sang Si’er knew that Su Pu had been on good terms with A’man since childhood, but he was a stubborn and proud youth On the pastures, whoever’s horse was fastest, whoever’s strength was greatest had an advantage over everyone else He always thought, “If I defeat Su Pu in a publicizedand swordfighting for three years His master was A’man’s father Che Erku

Su Pu’s martial arts skills were passed to him by his father

The two youths were tangled up Suddenly Sang Si’er suffered a hard punch in his shoulder He staggered and toppled backwards But as he fell, his right leg caught Su Pu who then fell too Both of theazed at each other Theyfor the other’s weak spot Neither dared to take the first strike

Su Lu’ke sat in a corner watching, his pal out, “Too bad, too bad!” But Che Erku’s feelings were harder to describe He kne his daughter felt, and even if Sang Si’er won, she would still like Su Pu, perhaps evenSi’er was his disciple This wrestling match was exactly like a competition between himself and Su Lu’ke, the bravest Kazak warrior Wouldn’t it be glorious if Che Erku’s disciple defeated Su Lu’ke’s son? This hout a thousand li of pastures Of course, A’man would be unhappy for days, but this did not bother hih Su Pu was a good boy and he liked him

The people gathered around the bonfire cheered the two youths on This was a competition between two evenly- Si’er was ile nobody could tell ould be the eventual winner