It is almost grudging.
Drawing in the dirt?
You know what I mean. Those lines are perfect. I canât draw anything that straight.
I couldnât do that
, I say, nodding to the neat rows of game pieces heâs crafted.
Youâve improved over the years.
Itâs just a hobby
, he says modestly. His face darkens a little.
Something my father and I used to do to pass the time when we werenât working.
You have a lot of skill
, I say honestly.
You should do something with it. . . .
I trail off, unable to finish the thought. There is no real need for artistic woodworking in our village. All construction is simply done with brute labor. The focus is on practicality, not aesthetics. My skills with brush and pen are coveted by the elders, but the record has no need for a carver. The sculptures that have survived in our village come from a different era. I think back to what I told Li Wei earlier, about how painting gives me meaning. I wonder if heâd feel the same way if he could make woodworking his vocation.
Iâm of more use to our village hacking metals from the earth than coaxing beautiful things from wood
, he says, guessing my thoughts.
I know
, I reply.
And itâs a shame.
A lull falls between us, marked only by the shifting of wood in the fire. Iâve made and watched countless fires burn throughout my life but never had any idea of the sounds they made. Theyâre fascinating, and I long to know the words to describe them. Li Wei gestures at the chess pieces.
Shall we play before all the light is gone?
We donât have a lot of time for recreation at the Peacock Court, just occasional holidays. Xiangqi boards are rare. Like carvings and sculpture, no one has the time or means to make them anymore. Li Wei beats me in our first game, and I insist upon a secondâwhich I also lose.
I sign to my defeated army in exasperation:
What are you doing to me? You lost us the game!
A sound draws my attention, and I look up sharply to see that Li Wei is laughing. Just as his cry of mourning conveyed grief so perfectly, his laughter is full of a joy that soon makes me start laughing too.
My little general
, he says. Although he is teasing, there is something warm in his eyes that suddenly makes me acutely aware of how close weâve drawn to each other. It was out of necessity, needing to be near the light as we played, but our arms practically touch as we lean over the board. Our fingertips are only a few inches away from each other. A rush of heat goes through me, and it has nothing to do with the fire.
We should get some more rest
, I say, pulling away.
Iâll take the first watch.
Iâm pretty sure I can see a flush in his cheeks. He nods in agreement and soon curls up and sleeps. Once again, I have to fight the urge to watch him and find other things to distract myself. We switch halfway through the night, and I fall asleep easily, with no dreams this time.
When morning comes, I wake to find Li Wei gone. Panic hits me, and then I hear footfalls and see him approach through the lingering fog.
Sorry
, he says, seeing my expression.
I just wanted to look around. You wonât believe what I found farther around the mountain.
What?
I ask.
A mine entranceâan old one. It doesnât look like itâs been used in a while.
There must have been people here then
, I say, searching around as though I expect them too to appear through the mist.
At some point
, he agrees.
I didnât go in, but the mine doesnât look nearly as big as ours. Do you want to look around before we go?
I hesitate. Weâre down to one meal pack, and lingering puts us farther away from getting to more food. And yet the mystery of the mine is too alluring. Who would have worked in it? Certainly no one from our village. Did workers come up from the township? Or is there some settlement here on this forested plateau?
We need more water as well, so we agree to make finding it part of
Drawing in the dirt?
You know what I mean. Those lines are perfect. I canât draw anything that straight.
I couldnât do that
, I say, nodding to the neat rows of game pieces heâs crafted.
Youâve improved over the years.
Itâs just a hobby
, he says modestly. His face darkens a little.
Something my father and I used to do to pass the time when we werenât working.
You have a lot of skill
, I say honestly.
You should do something with it. . . .
I trail off, unable to finish the thought. There is no real need for artistic woodworking in our village. All construction is simply done with brute labor. The focus is on practicality, not aesthetics. My skills with brush and pen are coveted by the elders, but the record has no need for a carver. The sculptures that have survived in our village come from a different era. I think back to what I told Li Wei earlier, about how painting gives me meaning. I wonder if heâd feel the same way if he could make woodworking his vocation.
Iâm of more use to our village hacking metals from the earth than coaxing beautiful things from wood
, he says, guessing my thoughts.
I know
, I reply.
And itâs a shame.
A lull falls between us, marked only by the shifting of wood in the fire. Iâve made and watched countless fires burn throughout my life but never had any idea of the sounds they made. Theyâre fascinating, and I long to know the words to describe them. Li Wei gestures at the chess pieces.
Shall we play before all the light is gone?
We donât have a lot of time for recreation at the Peacock Court, just occasional holidays. Xiangqi boards are rare. Like carvings and sculpture, no one has the time or means to make them anymore. Li Wei beats me in our first game, and I insist upon a secondâwhich I also lose.
I sign to my defeated army in exasperation:
What are you doing to me? You lost us the game!
A sound draws my attention, and I look up sharply to see that Li Wei is laughing. Just as his cry of mourning conveyed grief so perfectly, his laughter is full of a joy that soon makes me start laughing too.
My little general
, he says. Although he is teasing, there is something warm in his eyes that suddenly makes me acutely aware of how close weâve drawn to each other. It was out of necessity, needing to be near the light as we played, but our arms practically touch as we lean over the board. Our fingertips are only a few inches away from each other. A rush of heat goes through me, and it has nothing to do with the fire.
We should get some more rest
, I say, pulling away.
Iâll take the first watch.
Iâm pretty sure I can see a flush in his cheeks. He nods in agreement and soon curls up and sleeps. Once again, I have to fight the urge to watch him and find other things to distract myself. We switch halfway through the night, and I fall asleep easily, with no dreams this time.
When morning comes, I wake to find Li Wei gone. Panic hits me, and then I hear footfalls and see him approach through the lingering fog.
Sorry
, he says, seeing my expression.
I just wanted to look around. You wonât believe what I found farther around the mountain.
What?
I ask.
A mine entranceâan old one. It doesnât look like itâs been used in a while.
There must have been people here then
, I say, searching around as though I expect them too to appear through the mist.
At some point
, he agrees.
I didnât go in, but the mine doesnât look nearly as big as ours. Do you want to look around before we go?
I hesitate. Weâre down to one meal pack, and lingering puts us farther away from getting to more food. And yet the mystery of the mine is too alluring. Who would have worked in it? Certainly no one from our village. Did workers come up from the township? Or is there some settlement here on this forested plateau?
We need more water as well, so we agree to make finding it part of
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