The Bones of Love
Sabrina Yau, Group 3: Fiction, Shatin College
t was a calm afternoon, and the wind whistled through the cracks through loose stones. I sauntered around
happily near Shanhaiguan Pass, one of the mountain passes of the Great Wall. I had just visited some
historic sites, so I was now enjoying myself as the tour guide gave us some time to rest and explore. As I
wandered around, I suddenly came upon a small jade pendant, “How strange!” I thought to myself, and as
soon as I touched the jade, I was felt the world spinning at a dizzying speed. When the spinning stopped, I
found myself in front of the Great Wall.
But, wait! Why was it in tatters, with four hundred kilometres missing? Just then, the sound of sobbing
jerked me out of my thoughts. A beautiful young woman in front of me was kneeling over a skeleton of bones
was staring at me in confusion. I did a double take, as she was dressed in traditional Chinese clothes that looked
like they were from a long time ago. Her fingertip was dripping with blood, yet she didn’t seem to care. I asked
her “Who are you? And why are there bones all over the ground?” I asked cautiously. She sighed and told me
her strange tale.
“
My name is Meng Jiang Nu. This skeleton is the one of husband, Fan Xi Liang. He was an
intellectual man, and we first met when he hid in my garden to escape being caught by the officials to work on
the Great Wall, and we soon fell in love. However, three days after our marriage, officials suddenly broke in and
took Fan Xiliang away to build the Great Wall in the north of China. It was a hard time after my husband was
taken away - I missed my husband and cried nearly every day, so eventually, I sewed warm clothes for my
husband and decided to set off to look for him. After saying farewell to my parents, I packed her luggage and
started my long journey. I climbed over mountains and went through the rivers, and walked day and night;
slipping and falling many times, but finally I reached the foot of the Great Wall. As soon as I arrived, I was
eager to ask about my husband, but bad news came to me, however, that Fan Xiliang had already died of
exhaustion and was buried into the Great Wall. I cried and cried, and somehow, my sorrow and despair reached
through to the Great Wall, and part of the Wall collapsed revealing countless mounds of human bones, so I bit
my own fingertip, testing each skeleton with my own blood, praying for a sign - if the skeleton absorbed the
blood, it would be my husband's. Now, I have finally found Xiliang’s bones.”
I gawped at her, surprised and shocked. She looked at me sadly, and then nodded towards the Great
Wall. “It has taken many lives” she murmured quietly, then turned back to me. “Now that you have heard my
tale, perhaps you could tell me why you suddenly appeared in front of me” she said expectantly. I shrugged
uncomfortably and muttered “Err, I’m not sure, I was just touched a piece of jade and I suddenly appeared here!”
I told her. She looked at me for a while, then said “Are you talking about this?” and showed me a jade pendant
around her neck. I immediately recognised the pattern and shouted “Yes, it is!” She smiled gently and looked at
me with her large, dark eyes full of sadness and misery, then took it off and handed it to me. “Take it. I was born
with it, never knowing what it meant or it could do. Now, I can only hope it will be of use to you.” I looked at
her and felt a rush of sympathy, and then I felt a familiar spinning sensation, and I landed gently on my feet
back at the Shanhaiguan Pass.
“
Rest time’s over!” My tour guide rushed up to my group and told us we were going to visit another
temple. I sighed and followed my group as we walked across the paved paths to a grand red temple. A huge sign
outside the temple read “The temple of Meng Jiang Nu.” Below it, was a smaller sign, with the writing “This
temple was built in memory of the brave and beautiful woman. In this legend, Meng Jiang Nu embodied the
kindness and courage of ancient women. The legend also reflects the torture brought by war on the ancient
people, and her story has been passed down from generations to generations. We hope to remember her this
way.” I smiled at the sky, and for a second, I thought I could see her face, high up in the clouds…
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