What is happening? asks Li Wei.
A new beginning, I reply. A new beginning for all of us.
EPILOGUE
I AM AWAKE BEFORE my roommates, as usual, because I hear the servant in the hall. She sets down a pitcher of water and turns the crank that shakes our beds. One by one, the other girls awaken, yawning and stretching as they try to throw off the heaviness of sleep. Many are reluctant to leave their covers, for autumn is upon us and the room is cold.
Zhang Jing pulls the blankets around her like a hood, pouting when she sees my grin. Time to wake up, I tell her. Don’t worry—the sun will warm things soon. It’s not winter yet.
Since the pixius returned to our village two months ago, things have changed considerably. Before, I led a good life as a star apprentice among the artists. Now my life isn’t just good—it’s full of meaning. Until recently, I hadn’t realized there was a difference.
I don my blue robes, and Zhang Jing puts on her green ones. The fabric of hers is new, acquired from recent trade, and I confess I am a little bit jealous. We finish our hair and check each other over as usual and then head off to join the others for breakfast. The dining room is much more crowded these days, but we manage to find two spots together at one of the low tables. The Peacock Court has become not just a residence for artists but for students of agriculture as well, and at last those empty rooms are being put to use.
Breakfast is still fast and efficient. Everyone knows the last nice days of autumn will be ending soon, and the gardeners are anxious to go about their work for the day. They leave before the artists do, Zhang Jing going with them in a flurry of green. I wave, signing that I will see her later.
We artists finish our meals soon thereafter and then go to the workroom to touch up the record we started last night. That part of our lives hasn’t changed, though the content of what we paint certainly has. We no longer diligently record the amounts of metals we mine and send to the township—because we no longer give them anything. Metals are still pulled out as offerings to the pixius and for help in our fledgling trade with those few merchants who’ve been brave enough to come up the mountain passes. After the defeat of the township’s army, King Jianjun declared our village anathema, but the lure of our buried riches was enough to draw some daring souls out against his orders.
The record reflects news of that trade as well as of our preparations for the winter to come. Food is still a concern, especially now that we no longer can rely on regular shipments from the township. Our early attempts at trade have certainly been useful in alleviating the problem, but we still have much to do. Along with a small supply of livestock, we’ve also acquired seeds for some root vegetables that are hearty enough to grow in the autumn. When the passes were blown open, we were again given access to the pockets of fertile valleys that our ancestors cultivated. Wild berry bushes and fruit trees have grown there all these years and were in full fruit when we found them, giving us a jump start on our winter supplies. Our hope is that if we can yield a crop of vegetables and grow our livestock in those valleys, we can make it through until spring offers more possibilities.
Today’s record also documents the activities of the pixius. They live openly on the mountain now, sometimes interacting with us and sometimes keeping to themselves. Those of us who still mine give the pixius offerings of metals, and in return we have enjoyed some of the healing that being in the creatures’ presence offers. There have been no new cases of blindness, and those who were starting to lose their vision have progressed no further. To regain the senses fully, however, requires a pixiu’s bonding. So far, only two humans in our village have been chosen for this. I am one of them.
My task in the record today is the kind of work I’ve always dreamed of: I am painting Yin Feng. I was up late last night working on her, and I still feel as though the work is incomplete. I’ve even been given access to special metallic paints, but no matter how many times I go over that rippling, glimmering coat, it just doesn’t seem good enough.
You will drive yourself crazy, Elder Chen tells me, coming to stand by my canvas. It is time for them to take this to the village’s center. You’ve done excellent work.
I sigh and look at my portrait. It’s not perfect.
He smiles kindly. Perfection is an admirable thing to strive for. But so is knowing when to stop.
I take the hint and set my brush down. Thank you, master.
He nods toward the other apprentices as they gather up the canvases. They will take care of this now. You should go on to your posts, both of you.
This last bit is directed to me and Jin Luan, who is painting nearby. She is the other human who was chosen by a pixiu, the only other human—so far—to have her hearing restored. It is something I’m still coming to terms with. Despite our past rivalry, I am happy that such a great thing has happened to her. And it isn’t lost on me that Elder Chen’s two apprentices are, as far as the pixius are concerned, the most visually minded of us all. It reflects well on him, and I know he is proud, maybe even a little wistful.
But there is a selfish part of me that hopes those I am close to—specifically Zhang Jing and Li Wei—will be chosen by pixius too. I want them to share this journey of hearing with me, to understand what it’s like to have all our senses restored. So far, the rest of the pixius are taking their time in choosing humans—if they ever will. I try not to be impatient, knowing it is a special and honored relationship that not everyone is ready for. And for pixius, who live much longer than humans, there especially seems to be no rush.
Jin Luan and I bow to Elder Chen and then leave the rest of our peers to transport the canvas. She and I step outside into the crisp autumn day, which is still cold but bright with the promise of sunshine. As we walk through the village, we see others out beginning their days as well. Some are gathering and waiting to see the record before going to work. Others, like the gardeners, have already set out on their tasks to make the most of daylight.
One such group we pass makes me frown. It is a small group of villagers working with Xiu Mei’s father. Disgruntled with the king’s rule, Xiu Mei and her father left the Red Myrtle Inn and came here when word spread of our village reconnecting with the world. His limp from the army is no deterrent, and his skills and knowledge are all still sharp. He has found work here training some of our young people how to be warriors, something else I feel conflicted about. After the attack from the township’s army, I can understand the need for self-defense . . . but it saddens me to see my people turning down this path.
Jin Luan and I soon leave them behind as we move on from the village limits and out into one of the fertile valleys opened by the army’s explosives. Gardeners are already at work, moving among the trees and plants in their green robes. I easily spot Zhang Jing kneeling in one of the vegetable gardens. Thanks to the pixius, her vision has not worsened, and she has discovered that her other senses—smell and touch—are strong and make her particularly well suited for this job. Even from this distance I can see her smile as she works, giving her more enjoyment here than she had as an artist.
Xiu Mei is late, Jin Luan remarks, glancing around. Again.
She is probably sleeping in, I say with a smile. With her knowledge of both silent and vocal language, Xiu Mei became an obvious choice to teach Jin Luan and me how to speak. We are not very good at it, and I often dread these lessons. Elder Chen knows of my distaste but reminds me there may come a time when those in our village are going to have to communicate with the outside world. As one of the pixius’ chosen, that responsibility falls on me.