Proofread by Peter Gong
“Tian’en. Are you going to go to the gate?” Seeing Ma Tian’en dressed herself up, Madam Ma asked anxiously.
“Yes. I want to have a look.”
“No. Tian’en, listen to me. You are a girl. Even if you go, they won’t let you approach the gate. Besides, if there is something wrong, they will blame you. Listen to me, don’t go.” The moment Madam Ma heard the thunder and rain, she knew Ma Tian’en must go to the gate. So she came here regardless of wind and rain. At this time, if Ma Tian’en went to the gate, others would believe it was ominous. She was afraid Ma Tian’en would be the target of public criticism if they met with a mishap.
“Mom, how can I stand by? What if they can’t lift the flash boards?”
“It will not happen. Ma Family has so many people who are good at swimming. Besides, if they couldn’t, what are you going for? You’d better leave early.
“Mom, what are you talking about? How can we leave? Even if all citizens of the city leave, we can’t. We are Ma Family. My father is Ma Chaosheng.” Ma Tian’en shouted firmly.
“Come on, lock her in the room.” Madam Ma was not willing to argue with her. She turned around and ordered the servant to lock her in the room.
“Mom, open the door.” Ma Tian’en clapped the door vigorously. Madam Ma ignored it and asked the servant to nail the window, then she went to the Buddha hall with the key.
“Master. You devote your whole life to Ma Family. Tien’en is our daughter. She bears so many responsibilities since she was born. She could have married someone, assisted the husband and brought up children, living a peaceful life as other daughters. It is because of me that she has to live like a man, bearing these. I know she will hate me for forbidding her to go. But it doesn’t matter. I only want her alive.” Madam Ma mumbled to herself.
Suddenly, the servant came to report restlessly that torrents came roaring down and wind and wave were so strong that they couldn’t lift the flash boards. They had already consulted Guo Qi for a final decision.
Madam Ma ordered servant to keep an eye on the gate, then she called for nanny Li and said: “you send someone to pay attention to the news from gate at any time. If there is something wrong on the gate, you leave with Tian’en.”
“What about you?” Nanny Li looked at Madam Ma and asked worriedly.
“Master and Ma Family are here. I won’t go anywhere. As long as Tian’en lives well, I will have nothing to worry about. By the way, please invite Mr. Wu for me when you go out.” Madam Ma said calmly. Nanny Li knew she couldn’t persuade her. She couldn’t say anything but to turn around and walked outside.
Water leaked into the yard of Wu Zhong. Standing by the window and looking at the strong wind and rain, he began to worry about Ma Tian’en. He wanted to know her situation , but couldn’t go there directly. The moment he was thinking about the excuse to visit Ma Family, he heard the heavy knocks on the door outside. A great foreboding arose in his heart. He rushed out and saw the nanny Li standing at the door.
He had thought it was Ma Tian’en but found she was nanny Li from Madam Ma. But it was too hasty to ask more. Wu Zhong went to the Buddha hall quickly with nanny Li.
Madam Ma had changed into clean clothes, sitting on the chair below the Buddha of the Buddha hall. Wu Zhong stood behind her after making the salute, confused.
“Would you please tell me why you call me here?”
“Sir, it is urgent. I will speak freely. I want to entrust Tian’en to you. I know it is impolite. To be honest, flood is around the corner. If I ask Tian’en to leave, she will disagree. Tian’en adores you and listens to you, I know that. Please take her away. When the flood is over, no matter where you go, return home or go to the south of the Yangtze River, I am cool with it.” Madam Ma knew her daughter. She would not leave if she couldn’t lift the flash boards. However, she was her beloved person. It was unacceptable to let her die. The only person who could persuade her was Mr. Wu.
Wu Zhong thought it over quickly and then understood: “Madam, is there any problem with the gate.”
“Yes. It is said from the gate that it is unable to lift the flash board. People begin to leave. But, Ma Family can’t. We swear to live or die together with the gate. Tian’en is a girl. I want you to take her away.”
Seeing Madam Ma who was not afraid of death but only wished her daughter to be alive, Wu Zhong made a salute: “I appreciate your trust. But I can’t promise you because I don’t know how to make Tian’en happy. If I take her away, and Ma Families don’t survive and people are homeless, she will live in misery. Moreover, she has her own idea. Even if it is me, I won’t persuade her. I will talk to her. If she is willing to leave with me, I swear, I will treat her as treasure. If she is not, I will help her.”
Madam Ma kept silent for a while and said: “you can go.” After that, she knelt down in the front of the Buddha and chanted with her eyes closed.
Wu Zhong turned around and found a key on the chair. He thought for a moment, made a salute to Madam Ma and left with the key.
Guo Qi got up immediately when he heard the gate went wrong. He was about to go to the gate but was pulled by Concubine Zhao who looked after him all days.
“You can’t. You got seriously injured. Even if you go, what can you do? Let’s stay here for the news from gate, please!” Concubine Zhao cried. Guo Qi got seriously injured. If he went there under the heavy rain, even if he didn’t jump into the water, he would lose his life.
Guo Qi knelt down and gave her a kowtow: “Mom, I make you cry. It is my fault. Please await me here, I will be back.” Then, he stood up and walked into the rain with the help of the servant.
Concubine Zhao cried bitterly, but she didn’t stop him. It was the destiny of Ma Family and it was also the responsibility and glory of Ma Family.
Tian Family went very well because Tian Fugui made advanced preparations. When the flood came, the first gate was lifted, which made Tian Families respect him. Tian Fugui had thought that the second gate had been prepared, but the servant he sent told him that the second gate didn’t make preparations. Now it couldn’t be lifted. The flood ran from the first gate to the second gate and was about to crash down on the shore.
Wu Zhong stood by the door of Ma Tian’en, hearing her scream in the room. He had thought clearly that he would follow her will. “If one lives in guilt, it will be better for him or her to die.” When he approached her door, he had no courage to open the door.
“Tian’en, please calm down. I am Wu Zhong.” Clapping the door, Wu Zhong shouted at Ma Tian’en who was inside the room.
“Sir!” Ma Tian’en became excited.
“Please let me out. I have no time. I will go to the gate.”
“Tian’en, even though you come, you may not work it out. How about we going away.” Wu Zhong didn’t understand when the words came to his lip, they became the persuasion, asking her to leave. “Sometimes, you know something, but maybe you can’t do it.” It was easy for oneself to die, but it was difficult to watch his beloved person die.
“I can do it, please believe me. Even if I can’t, I should die in the water.” Ma Tian’en shouted decidedly.
“Why?”
“My surname name is Ma. Sir, my dad told me that everything of Ma Family was given by Da Tong River, including our lives. If flood comes, everyone will lose their homes. Please believe me, I am the best at swimming among the five gates. If I go, I will lift the flash boards, then I will be back to see you. How about you punishing me to copy words? I will not loaf on the study any more, please.” Ma Tian’en sputtered loudly. These words were like swords, hitting Wu Zhong’s heart.
Guo Qi ran towards the gate with the help of the servant. The palm-bark rain cape couldn’t work and bamboo hat was blown away by wind. Guo Qi took it off to run fast.
Many people gathered around the gate. Ma Chaorong and Ma Chaoyang also came. No matter how they got along in daily life, it was the mission for Ma Families to safeguard the second gate. But the rain was too unexpected and too heavy.
Several experienced boatmen jumped into the water and were clapped down by the wave. Other jumped into the water to save them quickly. It kept raining. The flood was going to rush out from the gate and wash away everything on the shore.