The Mystery of the Song Dynasty Painting by Adeline Yen Mah Page B

but so what? A great work of art is worth any amount of effort and time. Done properly, this painting may even live on after we’re all dead and gone.’ He looks at Gege’s expression and reassures him, ‘No worries, my friend. I’ll help you finish it if it’s the last thing I do… I promise!’
    ‘Let’s start now!’ Gege cries.
    ‘There’s no better time than now,’ Ah Zhao agrees.
    ‘How do we begin?’
    ‘I’ve got it all planned out. I have a stack of paper here. Each sheet is ten cun long and ten cun wide. And here’s a pair of scissors. Let’s begin by cutting the papers down to the same width as our roll of silk. Seven-and-a-half cun . Now we unroll the silk and find out how many pieces of paper we need to represent the entire painting. Will you help us, Little Sister?’
    We unroll the silk scroll, place the paper on top and count the number of sheets that cover its length. The answer is sixteen. Or, to be exact, fifteen and eight-tenths; just shy of sixteen.
    Ah Zhao rolls up the scroll and puts it away in his big, wooden storage box by the wall. The boys begin to work in earnest. After various rough drafts on numerous sheets of paper, they decide to make the arched bridge the central focus of their picture. Next, they sketch the river meandering down the entire length from right to left.
    ‘Think back on that day,’ Ah Zhao urges. ‘What did we first see when we came out of our gate?’
    ‘A rural scene of crop fields, tall trees, narrow muddy lanes with donkeys, camels and ox-carts plodding along, and peasants ploughing their farms with the help of water buffaloes,’ Gege answers.
    ‘Very good,’ Ah Zhao says. ‘Let’s depict the first part of our journey on this sheet of paper and label it One. Remember, everything in proportion! Meanwhile, Little Sister, you can help us by writing down in your notebook everything you saw that day. Start from the moment we passed through our gate at home, and continue on as we approached the city…’
    We are so absorbed in our tasks that we don’t hear Nai Ma coming into the playroom until she’s standing immediately inside the door and calling loudly: ‘Little Sister! Your Niang is looking for you! She wants to see you in her room right now.’
    Reluctantly, I put away my ink brush and notebook. Nai Ma is clearly anxious, and she whispers that Niang is in a very bad mood.
    I must have done something wrong, but for once I can’t think what it might be. The boys wish me luck.
    I tidy myself hastily before knocking on Niang’s door.
    ‘Good evening, Niang.’
    Niang’s eyes wander over me with open disdain, and I know she doesn’t like what she sees.
    ‘How unkempt you look!’ she begins. ‘I think you’re getting uglier and uglier as you grow older and taller.’
    Her unkind remarks make me wince. I try to answer, but I suspect a trap – one wrong answer and she’ll strike. So I say nothing.
    ‘Where were you just now?’
    ‘I was in the playroom, helping Gege with his painting.’
    She sits down, and I can’t help noticing that the turquoise silk of her robe goes perfectly with the pink cushions on her chair. Nothing is allowed to clash in Niang’s rooms. The only thing out of place is me.
    ‘Was Ah Zhao there also?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Did your father tell you we’re on the verge of signing a marriage contract for you?’
    I’m shocked and don’t know what to say. Surely Baba would have told me if there was anyone seriously asking to marry me?
    ‘No, Niang,’ I reply.
    ‘He probably doesn’t want to bring bad luck and ruin it by mentioning it to you – it has taken long enough to get to this point,’ Niang says. ‘This is what I want to speak to you about. You’re growing up. While marriage negotiations are under way, you’re not to spend too much time in servants’ quarters or talking to them in a familiar way.’
    I can’t think what she means.
    Niang eyes me coolly. ‘Don’t try looking innocent – you know the