Fictional Series: A Year for Gu -- Spring IV: Beginning of Spring, By Nan Qu 谷的一年 之 春, 立春

Ancient Chinese invented solar terms by meticulously observing the natural world in relation to solar movements. Even today, farmers in different parts of China rely on them to guide their agricultural practices throughout the year. While this story is fictional, it incorporates some elements that deviate from traditional Chinese customs. The story is for the season of spring, which has now fully blossomed. It consists of six parts, each named after one of the spring solar terms, namely Beginning of Spring, Rain Water, Awakening of Insects, Spring Equinox, Pure and Bright, and Grain Rain. I hope you enjoy it.

Part V: Spring Equinox

Gu was surprised to find that the boy was not alone. A dog, the color of chestnut, circled around,

occasionally inching close to sniff him. Gu recognized the dog from a Qing Ming years ago. He

was squatting atop his little mount observing the crowd of visitors, when he had an eerie feeling

that someone was watching him. That was when he saw the brown dog sitting a few yards away

from the graveyard, unfazed by all the commotion and staring straight at him. It seemed like it

was about to speak to Gu when another dog appeared. Then they left.

Gu moved closer. The dog heard him. It lifted its head and locked eyes with Gu, maintaining an

unwavering gaze that left Gu unsure of how to proceed. Suddenly, the dog pivoted and vanished

into the brush surrounding the graveyard, rustling the leaves in its wake. The boy woke up at the

sound. Spotting Gu, he swiftly sat upright, his bald head gleaming in the moonlight.

“Am I dead?”; inquired the boy, who reminded Gu of his former young master, commanding but

not unlikeable. Gu was impressed; it had taken him months to come to terms with his own

passing, yet the boy seemed to have no issue grappling with the heavy concept. Gu nodded in

response.

“Am I going to heaven?” The boy asked again.

Gu pointed to the ground. He didn’t know what heaven was. Where they were going was down.

The boy looked overwhelmed, his breathing becoming shallow and labored, his pupils widening

in shock. Tearfully, he searched for comfort in Gu’s eyes. But he received none. The boy lowered

his gaze and concentrated intently on the tips of his shoes, until he finally took a long, deep

breath and broke the uncomfortable silence. He wiped his face with his sleeves and spoke with a

resolve that sounded funny for a young boy. “Then to hell it is.”

The boy reached behind his headstone and pulled out a toy truck. “Could I bring this?”

Gu looked at the object in confusion.

“Just a toy. A transformer. It’s alright. I had it for a while.”

Noticing Gu’s puzzled expression, the boy put the toy down and shouted, “Flip!”

“Nope.” A voice spoke up and startled Gu. He looked around but saw no one else.

“Flip!” The boy persisted.

Not programmed to hear a dead man’s command, the toy made no response. The boy reached

and pressed on the bottom of the truck. A few seconds later, it sprung up and flipped through

the air.

Though impressed, Gu found himself feeling strangely detached from the experience. It was

almost as if he had already envisioned the sequence of events before it even happened. His heart

had leaped with excitement at his vision, but failed to generate the same level of enthusiasm

when the trick played out before him. It was like Gu was observing himself. He was unsure how

he truly felt.

The boy shrugged and pressed the button once more. This time, the toy began to fold and unfold

in a series of intricate motions, eventually transforming into a bulky scarecrow.

“Transformers!” The boy screamed. His enthusiasm did not travel far and quickly dissipated. Gu

couldn’t help but chuckle. Despite his confusing visions, he felt a fondness for the boy, who was

giggling with tears still in his eyes. Gu pressed the button and watched the toy jump and unfold a

few more times. Without the manual prompt, the truck sat there, more lifeless than they were. It

was just all right, like the boy said. They exchanged a look and laughed again at the

underwhelming toy. Standing beside the scrawny yet slightly taller boy, Gu felt they were

together.

“Do you have any toys?” The boy asked.

Gu pondered for a moment. He could sneak out some of Major’s coins. But it was already Spring

Equinox, and Qing Ming was right around the corner. If they stayed, Gu could spend Qing Ming

here and show the boy down afterward, saving his chance to see his visitor. Despite warnings

that the Yang in the living world would erase their existence, they both seemed unaffected so far.

Gu decided to stay put. Spring Equinox marked the middle of spring, the day when the sun was

directly above the equator and divided the day and night evenly. Rumors said the sun’s central

position created a balanced pull and made objects on Earth stand steadier. Gu remembered a

game he used to play with his young master on this day.

“What’s your name?”

“Kai.”

“Kai, send a dream to your mother and ask her to bring you a raw egg. We can make it stand.”