To the average person, the Dragon Boat Festival is a joyous occasion. From the nobility to the common folk, everyone cleans their homes, wears mugwort, and enjoys outings in the sunshine, marking the end of a year’s cold. However, for a select few, the festival holds a different kind of excitement.
In households where mugwort is burned, the black ash that drifts from the chimneys is not the same as ordinary soot. It twists and gathers, and upon closer inspection, one can see that it consists of tiny, sesame-sized creatures that squeak and pop as they transform into clumps of ash, falling to the ground.
There are also fuzzy, black-gray creatures that are driven out from corners. Ordinary people might mistake them for rats, but a keen observer would realize that these are headless, faceless beings that thrive in dark corners, feasting on moldy substances.
At the doorways of some homes, rust-like patches cling to the beams. If a family hangs calamus and mugwort at their entrance, these patches slowly peel away and sink into the earth. In contrast, homes that neglect to hang these herbs find their doors crawling with this “rust.” The nearby homes’ patches will gradually creep over as well. While ordinary people cannot see these things, those who frequently touch the “rust” on their doors may find themselves falling ill several times throughout the year.
In addition to these easily produced, low-harm spirits, there are more troublesome entities. For instance, beneath Qujiang Pool, dark currents swirl. Those who see them might think they are schools of fish or water plants, but Wu Zhen knows that these are drowned corpses, awakened by the sunlight of the Dragon Boat Festival. These beings, born from the bones of those who drowned, appear transparent in the water, indistinguishable from the river itself. However, from a higher vantage point, their shadows can be seen. Many children drown in the summer, often due to these entities; once they enter the waters where the drowned gather, it becomes nearly impossible to struggle back to the surface.
Wu Zhen despises these creatures. Every summer, she and a few small snakes must fish these unfortunate beings out of the various waters in Chang’an, leaving them on the shore to die in the sunlight. Yet, they grow too quickly, and every year, they can never catch them all.
Aside from the drowned, another spirit known as “Yangming” appears during the Dragon Boat Festival, which Wu Zhen quite likes. This spirit also resides in the water but is harmless and even beneficial. On this day, Yangming emerges from the water, breaking free from its cocoon and flying into the sky, its call clear and melodious. These spirits only exist on the Dragon Boat Festival, choosing their favorite people to land upon. Though the chosen cannot be completely free from illness, they will feel a surge of energy, shaking off fatigue.
Wu Zhen watched as a gust of wind swept across the river, creating ripples on the surface. A smile crept onto her lips as she pulled Mei Zhuyu’s horse, chasing after the breeze to a spot downstream at Qujiang Pool. When the breeze stopped, they halted as well.
“What’s wrong?” Mei Zhuyu asked.
Wu Zhen replied, “Nothing. I’m looking for Mei Si and the others; they might be over here.” She casually glanced at Mei Zhuyu’s head and noticed that two Yangming had indeed landed on him, which made her feel at ease.
Mei Zhuyu didn’t pay attention to these small spirits. Although he could see the Yangming flying above him, the shadow slowly moving by the roadside, and the fluttering white banners in the willow trees, he acted like an ordinary person because Wu Zhen was by his side, showing no signs of abnormality.
Seeing Wu Zhen looking around, he asked, “Will your cousin be coming?”
Wu Zhen nodded. “Yes, they participate in the dragon boat races every year.”
Just then, someone shouted “Zhen Jie!” from the opposite bank. Both of them recognized the group of young men in purple clothing on the other side as Mei Si, Cui Jiu, and the others.
Wu Zhen waited in place, and sure enough, Mei Si and the others, well aware of Wu Zhen’s nature, took the initiative to row over. As soon as they reached the shore, Cui Jiu jumped off the boat and ran over, saying, “Zhen Jie, didn’t we agree to wait at the platform? Why did you come here? We’ve been looking for a while!”
Wu Zhen replied, “I forgot; it’s my fault. Let’s go.”
“Wait a minute!” Mei Si also ran over. “Zhen Jie, why aren’t you wearing the same clothes as us? It’ll look odd later.”
Wu Zhen said, “I’m not planning to participate in this year’s dragon boat race.”
As soon as she said this, the remaining young men panicked. “What! Didn’t Zhen Jie participate last year? Why aren’t you participating this year?” “Yeah, we saved the drummer position for you! Now that you’re not doing it, where are we going to find someone last minute?” Someone lamented, “Zhen Jie, my dear sister! Are you trying to kill us? We promised we’d win a place this year!”
After they finished their lamentations, Wu Zhen pointed to Mei Zhuyu beside her. “I meant I’m not participating; he will.”
In an instant, everyone fell silent, glancing at the tall, slender Mei Zhuyu. Finally, a timid young man asked, “Can he play the drum?”
Though the question was posed, everyone understood he was asking if Mei Zhuyu had the strength, as the drum was no ordinary drum. To strike it loudly required some muscle, and Mei Zhuyu looked like a frail scholar; what good was his height?
Wu Zhen understood their thoughts and smiled knowingly. “What? Don’t you trust my recommendation?”
Zhao Songyan, unlike the others, nodded sincerely while the rest hesitated. “I believe in him.” After all, he had witnessed Mei Zhuyu’s fierce side firsthand.
The others were taken aback: …this sycophant, shamelessly trying to curry favor!
Not wanting to be outdone, the rest chimed in, “I believe!” “I believe too!”
Wu Zhen glanced at Mei Zhuyu and reassured her younger brothers, “Don’t worry; I’ve seen your brother-in-law’s strength firsthand.”
Upon hearing this, the young men suddenly became playful, laughing uncontrollably. One short, thin young man laughed so hard he couldn’t stop, while the others paused, and he continued to chuckle until Wu Zhen lightly flicked him with her whip. “That’s enough; keep laughing, and I’ll make you cry.”
As they all looked up at the sky, Wu Zhen leaned closer to Mei Zhuyu. “I was planning to do it myself, but my waist hurts, so how about you take my place this time?”
When they arrived, Wu Zhen hadn’t mentioned this, but seeing the purple robe on her and the boys’ purple outfits, Mei Zhuyu understood she had already made plans.
“Just this once, please?” Wu Zhen said in a coaxing tone. The young men nearly stumbled back in shock. Their Zhen Jie can coax people?! Wait, has she become this gentle since getting married? They couldn’t believe it!
Since Wu Zhen had brought it up, Mei Zhuyu had no reason to refuse, but…
“I’ve never participated in such an event; I can only do my best. I can’t guarantee I’ll do well.”
Wu Zhen brushed a strand of hair from his cheek and whispered, “It’s okay; I don’t expect much from you. I just think you’re too serious and want you to have some fun with these rascals.”
The young men thought: …but Zhen Jie, we’re not just having fun; we want to win a place!
This time, they couldn’t redeem themselves. Except for Zhao Songyan, the others, including Mei Si, felt a sense of despair.
The annual dragon boat race is grand, with over sixty participating boats, each manned by thirty-six people. Since Cui Jiu and the others didn’t have enough members, they called their brothers and friends to make up the numbers, managing to gather thirty-six people. However, among these thirty-six, there were strong men capable of bending bows and shooting eagles, as well as weaker ones like Mei Si, making it difficult to compete against teams that had been carefully selected and prepared.
Many well-known shops in the city would buy a dragon boat and hire strong young men to race, all for the sake of fame. In addition to these shops, students from official schools would also prepare a dragon boat to compete, hoping to showcase their skills. Even royal relatives and noble families would send their guards and soldiers to join in the fun. In short, people from all walks of life participated.
Looking at the dragon boats, while their sizes were similar, their decorations varied. Some were as ornate as flower boats, others painted with flying dragons on the sides, and some adorned with red silk, each unique.
These dragon boats would set off from the middle of Qujiang Pool, heading downstream to a bridge that spanned the water. The emperor, empress, and nobles would watch from above. The first boat to pass through the bridge would be declared the winner, and the emperor would reward the first-place team. To earn this honor, the participants would compete fiercely from the very start.
Wu Zhen rode her horse, listening to the rhythmic beating of drums echoing all around. The banks were filled with spectators cheering loudly, waving their hands excitedly. Some overly enthusiastic women even threw their handkerchiefs into the river, and a few even fell in themselves, only to be pulled back to safety by those on the shore.
The dragon boats raced swiftly, and at each section of the river, the spectators on both banks grew more excited. Some climbed trees to get a better view, while others ran alongside the moving boats.
Wu Zhen was among those chasing the dragon boats, but she was on horseback, not by the riverbank. She rode along a side path, catching glimpses of the arrow-like boats through the willows and the crowd.
She couldn’t see clearly, but she could hear the drums. All the drumming was passionate, but one beat stood out, loud and rhythmic, as if the drummer was completely unaffected by the surrounding excitement, calmly keeping his tempo.
The drummer at the front of the dragon boat was crucial; they set the rhythm for the entire crew. If a boat exerted too much energy in the first half, it would struggle in the latter half, and those who fell behind would find it hard to keep up.
Listening to the steady and powerful drumbeat, Wu Zhen felt a surge of joy. Finally, the crowd could vaguely see the bridge at the finish line. The drummers, having played for a while, began to tire, and the beats softened. At that moment, the loudest drumbeat suddenly quickened, booming like thunder, becoming increasingly urgent.
Through the gaps in the crowd, Wu Zhen spotted a familiar dragon boat pulling ahead of the others.
“Ah! We won!”
“Wow!”
Cheers erupted from the direction of the bridge as Wu Zhen held her horse, waiting on the side. After a while, a large group of young men came running over, all flushed with excitement. The previously solitary Mei Zhuyu was now surrounded by the group, clearly enjoying their camaraderie.
“I didn’t expect Da Lang to be so strong! Did you see that drummer on our left? What good is all that muscle? Compared to our Da Lang, he’s far behind. I saw his face turn purple, and his drumming wasn’t as loud as ours!”
“Finally, we’ve won! No more being laughed at!”
“Cousin, I’m impressed! How did you drum so well? You completely overshadowed everyone else. Just listening to you makes me feel energized… Ouch! I played too hard just now; my hand hurts now.”
Mei Zhuyu looked up and spotted Wu Zhen holding the horse under the tree, and he saw her smiling knowingly at him as if she had anticipated this outcome.