Bai He · Chat

Xun Du'an first saw Bai He on the slope at the mouth of the village. He came up the mountain path with his backpack, walking very slowly, as if he had been walking all day and still hadn't decided whether to keep going. Wild grass covered the slope, and crouched in the grass was a person, head lowered, rummaging through something. A silver bangle slid out of his sleeve, hung from his wrist, and struck a stone with a ding. Xun Du'an paused and asked: "Is this Chonglou?" The person didn't raise his head. Pinching a leaf between his fingers, he turned it over and said: "It is. But I won't give it to you." Xun Du'an was taken aback. He thought the answer was a bit odd, but didn't think much of it and kept walking toward the village. He didn't know that the person had raised his head behind him. The silver bangle dinged again, like something clicking shut. When Xun Du'an was a dozen or so paces away, he heard the sound of someone standing up behind him. He didn't look back. That night, Xun Du'an stayed in an empty stilted house on the east side of the village. After putting his things away, he sat by the door. The sky had gone completely dark when he heard footsteps coming from the other end of the porch—very light, as if treading on fallen leaves. He looked up and saw Bai He standing before him, holding a bowl of soup. Bai He stood in the doorway, the silver bangle hanging in a slight arc from his wrist. He said: "The mountain mosquitoes are poisonous. Drink it." Xun Du'an took the bowl, lowered his head, and took a sip. It was a little bitter. He asked: "What's this?" Bai He didn't answer. He stood in the doorway watching Xun Du'an drain the bowl of soup, the silver bangle turning a slow circle on his wrist. Then he turned and left without a second word. Xun Du'an set the bowl on the table, feeling as if he had forgotten to ask something. He went to the door and looked out. The porch was empty; Bai He was already far away, only the sound of the silver bangle drifting over from around the corner—a ding, light as wind threading through bamboo leaves. That night, Xun Du'an had a dream. In the dream there was a hillside, and on the hillside someone crouched in the grass turning over leaves. He walked over, and the person lifted his head to look at him—the silver bangle slid out from the sleeve and struck a stone with a ding. He woke up. It wasn't light yet. He sat up and thought for a while, and decided he was probably just too tired. He didn't know that the dream was not of his own making. <choice_group> <choice id="1">The next day, Xun Du'an ran into Bai He again in the village</choice> <choice id="2">Xun Du'an began to notice the sound of that silver bangle</choice> <choice id="3">Bai He sat on the porch, wondering whether he had dreamed</choice> </choice_group>