Pinwheel of an Old Lady
Kwok Yeung Tang, Group 3: Fiction, SKH Lam Woo Memorial Secondary School
ock Cock Cock...’ The rooster crowed in the silent early morning. An old lady woke up in her bed.
She got up from her tiny bed, put on a thick cotton jacket, wore a traditional black embroidered
shoe and held her wooden cane to get support for standing up. Once she had stood up, she walked
towards the tablets of the god immediately. Her hands were shivering when she incensed to the
gods.
Then, she walked outside and her neighbors greeted her.
‘
Good Morning, old Hua Yue,’ Mrs. Chun greeted her friendly.
‘
Good Morning, Mrs. Chun,’ the old lady said delightedly.
‘
May I ask did you get some news about my husband and my son from the government official recently?’
The old lady asked worriedly. Her pale face showed her heavy sadness as well as her worriment.
‘
I’m so sorry, old Hua Yue. I heard no news from it,’ Mrs. Chun replied sorrily, ‘However, I promise I will
do the most that can help you to look for your husband and your son.’
‘
Thanks for your hand, Mrs. Chun.’ The old lady whispered hopelessly but full of thankfulness to Mrs.
Chun.
Mrs. Chun was her old friend. Mrs. Chun was a good hearted middle aged woman.
Depressed Hua Yue walked back to the house, sat on a chair, grabbed a colourful hand-made pinwheel, blew
a breeze to the pinwheel. Her tears fell as soon as the pinwheel turned around and around, her tears made the
wrinkles on her face much significantly seen. Every time she thought of her son, she would stare at the pinwheel
so she would remember her son smiled, as if a bright sun shining.
The miserable bygone of Hua Yue was started at fifteen years ago. From the time of the government officials’
notice board announced that the Emperor had ordered to build a huge defensive architecture, The Great Wall. It
would be one of the paramount defensive structures in China in the future... Since then, many following notices
stated the government commandeered strong male adults as construction workers, unless the whole family
would be executed. Therefore, Hua Yue’s husband and son were commandeered, also many male adults in this
village including Mrs. Chun’s husband in order to save their lives. At that time, only women and children were
in the village, they lived in panic and worry every single day. The only thing that they could do was waiting. It
seemed like their men would not come back anymore. Every second of waiting tormented them into living
death.
A few months later, some horrifying rumors were spreading over the village.
‘
A kind of new serious plague is spread to the workers of the construction of the Great Wall. Lots of workers
died...’
‘
Custodians of the working sites hit the weak and tired workers and lead to their death...’
Mrs. Chun, Hua Yue and the other people in this village couldn’t help from tearing for these rumors.
Unfortunately, another neighbor of Hua Yue, Mrs. Wang went mad. Everyone was woeful about her. The
village turned gloomy after that.
Time flies, several men went back the village respectively after twelve years, Mr. Yang, Mr. Guang, Mr. An,
Mr. Chun, Mr. Pong and Mr. Ling except Hua Yue’s husband and son. Not only her, all of her neighbors were
curious about it. At that moment, Hua Yue was burnt up, fisted hard, face turned red, a ireful smile was shown
while tearful Hua Yue was trying to dried her tearstains. Mrs. Chun did nothing but patted her shoulder as well
as stayed with her.
Afterwards, she started enquiring the local government officials about her husband and son, but the officials
just simply ignored her or even chastised her.
‘
Excuse me, Excellency. Pardon me asking you for little information?’ The old lady asked.
‘
What information do you want to know?’ The official replied disdainfully while he was working on his
paper work, without paying any attention to the old lady.
‘
Eh... May I know that is every male worker of the construction of the Great Wall has been sent back home
already?’ The old lady asked politely.
‘
Yea,’ he murmured.
‘
That’s great!’ The old lady yelled pleasingly, ’Do you know Wen Er and Wen Qing? They’re my husband
and my son. My husband was 52 and my son was 19 when they were commandeered. Do you...’
‘
Shut up,’ he shouted impatiently and rudely, ’Firstly, I don’t know both. Also, can you notice that I’m
extremely busy now, ragtag? Stop asking me anything and get out now!’
‘
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