Status Updates From 人面桃花

Tiger and his father left Puji in April of that year, during the greening of
spring willows and lush grasses and the fragrant explosions of peach
blossoms. Baoshen said that the Lu family’s misfortunes all started the year
the master transplanted an orchard of peach trees to the estate; their color
and fragrance possessed a wicked allure.

She locked herself in the room with the corpse and remained there until
nightfall. No one knew what she was doing in there, and no one dared
intrude. Neighbors and friends who came by after hearing the news
crowded together beneath the eaves, under the walkway, and in the kitchen.

THE PRINCIPAL stepped out from behind a black lacquered screen, a careworn expression on her face. The cold light of the poorly lit room barely illuminated the wooden chair and makeup table, the screen, the carved wooden bed, and the long side table set with flower vases, making everything look as hard as iron. Only the silk fabric draped loosely over her body emitted softness.

NOVEMBER 21, 1901
Xue Zuyan killed yesterday. Night before last, a brigade of soldiers set off from Meicheng under cover of darkness to surround his villa, as Zuyan and his concubine were sound asleep. The garrison lieutenant had been a childhood friend of Zuyan’s, and killed him quickly during the struggle that morning.

XIUMI slept the whole next day. Han Liu entered her room sometime around noon to speak to her briefly before leaving again. Xiumi could tell she was talking quickly and with urgency, as if informing her of something
important, but Xiumi was just too exhausted to do more than look up at her, murmur a few words in reply, and roll back over.

JULY 18, 1901

STILL clear. Met Xue Zuyan once more in Xia village. He claims the eightyseven Mauser rifles are already on their way from the Germans. Zhang Lianjia announced his intention to quit the society, claiming he had to stay home after his mother’s death. The real reason is simply terror in the face of the great moment. Zuyan pleaded with Lianjia unsuccessfully; his mood darkened and he became quite angry.

MR. DING was writing calligraphy at his desk, his hand still wrapped in
gauze. Seeing Xiumi come through the door, he told her, “No class today.”
Apparently he was too busy writing a tomb inscription for Miss Sun. He
asked Xiumi why she hadn’t gone to see the Land and Water ceremony; she said that she didn’t want to. As she turned to leave, he stopped her: “Hold on a minute. I have a question for you.”

XIUMI brought up the rear of Miss Sun’s funeral procession. Grandma Meng was handing out yellow flowers made of cloth from a basket for guests to pin onto their clothing. She gave out her last flower just before she got to Xiumi. “What bad luck!” Grandma Meng laughed. “I’m just short the one.”

There had been no traffic at all at the ford yesterday, they said, and Shuijin
had spent the whole day playing go with his son inside the ferry. They were
both good go players, Shuijin told Mother. Skill at the game was passed
down through the family. Apparently his own father had died at the go
board, right after losing a whole field of pieces and spitting up blood.