The Incredible Race
Tze Yu Lok, Group 3: Fiction, Evangel College
ing Feng was nursing her temples as the truth hit her again and again. Her dad was gone. So was her
brothers. Her mom has disappeared, and considering that she has been taken to work as a slave for
the Qing officers, there was such a slim chance of seeing her again that Qing Feng didn’t even care to
believe in it.
It was AD 1900 and the War of Shanhauguan was raging on. All the males in Qing Feng’s
village were all sent out to the war. Qing Feng was left all alone with her friends, both orphans and 12 years old.
They were called Ah Xiang and Xiao Li. Unlike Qing Feng and Xiao Li, Ah Xiang was a boy. The friends
were worried abut that, because at that time, all male above the age of 12 were forced to join the army. That
was what happened to Qing Feng’s brothers and they did not want it to happen to Ah Xiang.
Qing Feng’s name meant “breeze”, but she was rather the wind. Her legs grow wings whenever she runs.
She had the speed of the wing. It was a gift given to her from the Gods themselves when she was born.
Today, she ran her full speed as she remembered promising her friends that she would show up at their usual
meeting place on time. Her feet pounded the dry, cracked mud as she arrived at the big tree under which was
the village’s cemetery.
“
Oh, please, dear gods, don’t let Xiang get caught by the army.” Xiao Li begged as she briefly cleaned her
grandmother’s grave with an old rag.
Just then, a scream rang out through the surrounding shrubbery.
“
No! Nooo… Don’t take me. I don’t want to fight in the army! Help me, Feng! Li!” it was Ah Xiang’s
voice, and it seems like he had been taken to fight in the war by the Chinese soldiers.
Both Xiao Li and Qing Feng froze. Qing Feng felt like she had been sucker-punched. She was shocked
and scared, and her hands and feet were stiff. Qing Feng rose slowly onto her feet as she staggered back towards
the village, her face remaining emotionless. Xiao Li was not so calm and tears streamed down her face as she
slowly followed Feng towards the village. Both girls knew that they might not see their best friend ever again.
He might even be fighting to his death at this moment!
Qing Feng woke up early the next morning. She still had not got over the fact that Ah Xiang was gone.
She had nothing to do, and nothing that she wanted to do. Xiao Li was either down at the river, doing the
washing or crying at home, and Qing Feng certainly did not want to sit in awkward silence listening to her
friend crying. So, she went for a walk in the woods.
While Qing Feng was in the woods, Xiao Li was at home, desperate for something to do so she could take
her mind off the war. She chose to do needlework. Xiao Li sew and sew until she had finished a dress. She
observed the finished work and the tears she had tried so hard to hold back streamed from her eyes. She hated
wars, why couldn’t there be any peace?
For a year, Qing Feng practiced running. Up and down the mountains, polishing her already good
skills. She even ran to the middle of the forest where there were many wild animals. Then, she would try to
outrace the wild animals as they chased her. Every time, she outraced the animals.
A year after the day Ah Xiang was taken away, a small army of Qing soldiers arrived at the village that they
lived in.
“
Any male in this village?” the Qing general asked.
“
Nah! What a shame we couldn’t organize another one of those one-on-one sword fights again!” another
soldier said, peeking into one of the crudely constructed houses.
“
I know. I killed two of them last time we did that” a third soldier said proudly.
“
Anyone who wins me and my men at anything requiring physical effort will win.” The general
announced to the villagers.
Nobody said anything. Nobody stepped forward. It seemed like somebody had pressed the pause
button.
“
Oh, as well. We will burn those hostages in front of these people. Out with those captured Ming soldiers!”
The general said.
A huge cage was bought out from the midst of the small army of soldiers. The villagers watched as the
Qing soldiers lowered the cage onto the ground. Xiao Li burst into tears. Inside the cage, was every single male
from the village that has been bought to war in the past few years. The general started lighting up a match and
many people started screaming and yelling hysterically.
“
I challenge you to have a race with me. If I win, you cannot kill anyone from this village. If I lose,
Q