In Search of Orchids

    (One)

    It was the fine season of early spring, with weeping willows brushing the embankment and green grass gradually thickening like woven cloth. In days of five warm spells and three cold ones, a few strains of silk-and-bamboo music, lilting and faint, hidden within the misty water vapor of the city of Gusu, slowly faded into the background, like a refined annotation added to this old city. The hibernation of a whole winter was about to end, and all of Suzhou was slowly waking in this spring wind and spring rain, like a young lady who had just taken off her brocade jacket and changed into light robes, stretching herself and displaying all her vitality. On both banks of the canal, taverns and brothels stood in tight rows, blue-green wine banners fluttered, wine flags followed the wind, and the fine, mischievous rain mist could no longer block the pedestrians on the street. This day was also the Lantern Festival, so although it was drizzling, it was much livelier than usual.

    Among the bustling crowd was a young gentleman in a blue robe, looking rather hurried. He did not linger over the early spring scenery, but only walked with his head down. Before long the long street was nearly at its end, and then he turned right and followed the straight bluestone-paved road to a large residence. The house was old but very refined, with gray bricks and black tiles, painted beams and lacquered pillars, and above the gate hung a plaque inscribed with four large characters: "Suzhou Flower Cellar." Just as the scholar was about to enter, he saw that the left wing of the gate was crowded with people, with shouts and cries unending, so he hesitated slightly. Turning to look, he saw two middle-aged scholars in the crowd seemingly fighting over something, and even grappling with each other. Beside them on the ground lay a broken clay pot, and at its mouth was a cluster of spring orchids with their pseudobulbs torn apart. He saw that the flowers were blooming in full splendor: plum-petal form, silkworm-moth hold, liu-hai tongue, with pale red spots on the tongue, and he knew he had come too late, for the flowers had already been bought by someone else.

    But why were those two fighting and grappling? It turned out that this was during the Qing Dynasty, when people loved orchids, and whenever a fine variety came down from the mountains, men of letters and refinement in the wealthy Jiangsu-Zhejiang region would vie to buy it at high prices. This young gentleman in the blue robe was surnamed Lu, with the single given name Yun. He was upright in character and honest by nature, and was obsessed only with orchids. Early in the morning he had learned that the Suzhou Flower Cellar had a new plum-petal flower for sale, and he hurried over, only to be beaten to it by the twin brothers Cheng Dahu and Cheng Erhu, who were at that moment wrestling. But when these two saw the flowers, their eyes lit up, and disregarding brotherly affection, they actually began brawling in the street. Lu Yun already knew them, so he quickly stepped forward, first protecting the orchids, then separating the two, and advised: "Brothers of the Cheng family, if you keep fighting, you will accidentally damage these flowers. Since the plants have already been pulled apart by you, why not each take half and plant them separately, and in a few years they will be a big pot again. Why measure every tiny bit and come to blows, hurting brotherly harmony?"

    When Cheng Dahu heard young Master Lu's mediation and saw that the flowers really had been torn into two halves, he knew he could no longer monopolize them, and with the crowd watching, he felt quite embarrassed, so he no longer insisted on seizing them by force. He took the larger clump himself and gave the smaller clump to his younger brother. Seeing that the dispute was settled, Lu Yun began chatting with them and asked, "I heard this flower was again dug up by that old farmer surnamed Liu. I wonder why he is always able to find such wonderful specimens?" Cheng Erhu replied, "Brother Lu, don't you know? That old man's flowers are all dug from the cliffs of Ling Mountain west of Lake Tai. Ling Mountain's terrain is steep and dangerous, with towering peaks standing abruptly, and ordinary people would not dare go there. Last year Old Liu almost broke his leg!..." With that, he straightened his lapel a little, cradled the orchids, and scattered along with the crowd.

    After hearing this, Lu Yun stood frozen in place for a long while, secretly pondering: Although Ling Mountain is more than a hundred li from Suzhou, if one crosses Lake Tai by ferry, it is not too difficult. Why should I not go see for myself? Perhaps I may encounter a supreme treasure.

    Thus he secretly made up his mind, waiting only for the sky to clear so he could go up the mountain to seek orchids. 

  (Two)

    A few days later, the rain cleared and the sky turned bright. Seeing that the light was just right, Lu Yun hired a small boat by Lake Tai at dawn. He boarded and set sail, and as it happened he had favorable winds and currents. Standing at the bow, before long the towering green mountains and verdant forests in the distance came into view. After another moment he reached the shore. He paid the boat fare and went ashore, excitedly heading up the mountain. 

    At this time the sun shone on the green moss, birds sang in the secluded mountain, the path was narrow and rugged, chaotic rocks piled up, grass was dense and thorns were deep, and there was no sign of anyone walking. After three or four li, the mountain path was swallowed by the forest and disappeared from sight. Fortunately he came upon a small stream, formed by melting snow from the mountain gathering into a ravine. Lu Yun cupped the spring water and drank a few mouthfuls; it was clear and cold, extraordinarily sweet and fine. After resting a moment, he continued upstream along the stream, and the terrain became more and more dangerous. The mountain vegetation was verdant, wildflowers swayed in graceful postures, sunlight pierced the dense forest and became countless golden arrows, dyeing even the forest mist golden, like a fairyland. By now Lu Yun's clothes were torn by thorns, and his body had gained many bloody marks. Yet faced with this wondrous spectacle of creation, he could only stare dumbfounded, refreshed in spirit, and had long ceased to care about his clothes or skin. 

    After going up another three or four li, the stream grew thinner and thinner, and unknowingly he came to the bottom of a valley, surrounded by cliffs and precipices, with no way out. The secluded valley was full of pine trees, and when the mountain wind passed, the sound of the pines was like waves. Along the way he seemed not to have seen any trace of orchids. The sun was already leaning west, and he was just thinking of returning by the original route when, in a daze, he seemed to smell a faint, secluded fragrance. Turning around, he saw deep in the pine forest a huge rock more than one zhang high, and in the cliff crevice on the rock's west side hung two slender-leaved little plants, graceful and lovely, looking just like orchids. Lu Yun was overjoyed beyond restraint, and managed to grab the pine branches and climb over. When he reached the base of the huge rock, he saw that the two plants were indeed extremely beautiful orchids, blooming proudly in the air! One of them had a huge flower, with short, broad, thick petals, and on its tongue was set a single round red spot, radiant and dazzling, full of spirit! The other flower was also pure in color and broad, with bright red spots on the tongue; the difference was that its outer petals slightly fluttered, adding yet another touch of lively elegance!

    Lu Yun was instantly beside himself with joy, marveling endlessly, but alas this solid rock and huge stone was steep and smooth, absolutely impossible to climb. He circled the huge rock and saw that a cliff face in the distance was not perfectly vertical; if he managed to climb it, perhaps he could follow the shrubs along the cliff up onto the huge rock. At once he did not hesitate in the slightest. Regardless of danger, he slowly moved over there, climbed onto the cliff and firmly grasped the short branches of the shrubs, pressed his face against the mountain rock, and found places to grip so that he could barely climb. He did not know how long he climbed, but at last his footing became a little steadier, and he knew he was standing on top of the huge rock. Only then did his frightened soul settle somewhat, and he turned around. Unexpectedly, as soon as he turned, he was stunned again!

    He saw that on top of the huge rock two peerlessly beautiful women sat facing each other. Between them was a large stone, and on the stone was a Go board, and they were playing as if no one else were present. One was dressed in a palace-style gown of imperial concubine pink, with a face congealed like goose fat, lips like touched cherries, brows like ink paintings, and a spirit like autumn waters, simply a divine consort descended to the mortal world; the other wore a long skirt of water-blue, with slender shoulders and a narrow waist, tall and graceful in figure, also with fine brows and bright eyes, a matchless countenance, and a flying glance that made one forget vulgarity. Lu Yun stood foolishly beside them for a moment, and the two paid him no attention. Only then did he discover that the two orchids from before were gone, and he assumed he had arrived one step too late and that the orchids had again been taken by them first. He could not help feeling embarrassed, and was just about to turn back down when he heard the woman in the imperial concubine pink skirt say:

    "Little sister, your mind is not on the game. Why don't we fight again another day?"

    The younger sister smiled and nodded, threw down the Go piece, and then turned her head toward Lu Yun and said, "The mountain roads are dangerous and unsuitable for traveling at night. Why not come home with us, young master, and return tomorrow? Besides, I see that you quite understand the way of cultivating orchids. Our courtyard is humble, but we have collected a few uncommon varieties. Would you be willing to come and appreciate one or two?"

    Lu Yun first wondered where the two had come from, and then was curious how she knew he understood the way of cultivating orchids. But as soon as he heard that these two sisters cultivated fine specimens, he could no longer bother with all his doubts, and wholeheartedly wanted only to see what immortal grasses and wondrous flowers they had. He gave his name, bowed in thanks, and gladly followed. Seeing that Lu Yun spoke openly and uprightly, the woman rather approved, and said with a smile, "Our surname is Shen, and our home is just behind the mountain."

    Then he followed the two of them. Unexpectedly, in the narrow crack on the back side of the huge rock there was a hidden row of stone steps, and the three could easily descend to the valley floor. Then they passed through the pine forest, and under the cover of the trees followed the stone wall around a cliff, arriving in a bamboo grove. At the end of the bamboo grove was a small river, and by the river stood seven or eight houses with white walls and black tiles, with silken willows before the doors, and peach blossoms still flourishing within the walls. After entering, the dusk gradually thickened, and he could only vaguely make out a white stone-paved path inside the gate, flat and broad. The two sisters led Lu Yun to the guest room in the west wing, and the room's furnishings were quite elegant and clean. After settling him in, the two sisters closed the door and took their leave. Lu Yun had traveled over mountains and across waters for a whole day and was utterly exhausted, so he fell onto the bed and sank into deep sleep.

      (Three)

    The next day, just as the daylight first brightened, Lu Yun woke, ate the refreshments sent by a maidservant, and then pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard. At this time the spring colors filled the whole garden before his eyes. Lu Yun felt very relaxed and comfortable, and began strolling casually. When he reached the corridor, he happened to meet the two sisters carefully tending a crabapple and a China rose. The crabapple was already in full bloom, and the China rose was also in bud, about to bloom. Lu Yun stepped forward to greet them:

    "Good morning, both young ladies! People all say crabapples have no fragrance and China roses are too gaudy, and that both are flowers unfit for elegant halls. I never expected that under your watering and care they could also grow so refined, fragrant, and pure."

    The elder sister returned the greeting and answered:

    "Young Master Lu overpraises us. All things born of heaven have spirit; how can there be high and low among them? These flowers have received the mountain rain and dew, so naturally they bloom with lively beauty. It is not our achievement!"

    Before the words had faded, the younger sister lightly pushed the elder: "Didn't he want to see our orchids? Then take him there!"

    The elder sister nodded with a smile and gestured: "This way, young master."

    Lu Yun followed them through the covered corridor and around to the back of the house, and saw that the rear garden was also very large. Besides several ancient pagoda trees, by the stones and around the pond were orchids and cymbidiums everywhere, at least several hundred to a thousand kinds. Lu Yun thought to himself that even the orchid nursery of the Suzhou Flower Cellar did not have such grandeur! A wave of secluded fragrance met his face, and he could not help praising:

    "Confucius said it well: the orchid truly deserves to be called the fragrance of kings!"

    Unexpectedly the younger sister burst out laughing and said, "So the young master really is a bookworm, saying 'fragrance of kings' when he opens his mouth and 'fragrance of kings' when he closes it! Utterly pedantic! What else did Confucius tell you?"

    Lu Yun hurriedly answered, "The Master also said: The iris and orchid grow in the deep forest, and do not cease to be fragrant because no one is there; the gentleman cultivates the Way and establishes virtue, and does not change his integrity because of poverty and hardship."

    But the younger sister laughed even harder, and teased, "I see! So Confucius was the most pedantic man in the world. Those words are very wrong! If he said the iris and orchid do not cease to be fragrant because no one is there, had Confucius ever seen any other flower that is fragrant at one time and not fragrant at another? Besides, was what the old gentleman saw really an orchid? Wasn't he unable to tell one grain from another? If he could not distinguish beans from wheat, how could he recognize orchids and cymbidiums? I think in this world there are few gentlemen who cultivate the Way and establish virtue, and many petty people who pretend to elegance. I wonder which sort Young Master Lu is?" 

    Lu Yun was instantly rendered speechless by this question, his face full of shame. Fortunately, at this moment the elder sister stopped her:

    "Little sister, do not be rude, and do not spoil the young master's elegant mood for enjoying the flowers!" Then she turned to Lu Yun with an apologetic smile, but he did not take it to heart and continued enjoying the flowers.

    At this time it was exactly the orchid blooming season, and these were all varieties Lu Yun had never seen before. He held his breath and concentrated, savoring each pot carefully:

    He saw that beside the clear stream there was one pot of orchids that was extraordinarily strange: several sparse green leaves, short and broad, and two green flowers blooming together on one stem. What was strange was that this flower was in lotus-petal form, and each flower actually had more than ten petals! It was like a small lotus carved from jade, round and adorable!

    Then he saw one pot under the pagoda tree. It was a pure-hearted spring orchid, with graceful leaf posture, a slender flower scape, fresh and round-broad petals, a color green and crystalline like jade, and a white, round, clean tongue, elegant and peerless, supremely noble, and the sight of it made one forget vulgarity.

    He also saw one pot whose orchid leaves were lush green and flourishing, and among the leaf clusters dozens of flowers bloomed all at once. The flower color throughout was lustrous like red jade, and under the morning glow it shone radiantly. Leaning slightly closer, one could smell an intoxicating secluded fragrance.

    In addition there were countless plum-petal forms, lotus-petal forms, strange flowers, and colored flowers, each with its own characteristics, and every one was exquisite beyond compare. They cannot all be described here one by one.

    Lu Yun was wholly focused and utterly self-forgetful. With each specimen he viewed, he could not help appraising and praising it with the two sisters, either expressing his own views directly or quoting lines from orchid manuals. But although the sisters cultivated many orchids, they did not understand the theory of petal forms, and seemed also not to have read any orchid manuals.

    In the mountains one does not know the passing of time, and these several hours passed like a single instant. Lu Yun finally finished viewing all the spring orchids blooming in the garden and felt immensely satisfied. With heartfelt joy he said, "I originally came up the mountain to seek orchids. On this trip, although I collected nothing, meeting you two young ladies, who generously invited me to appreciate the orchids, has truly feasted my eyes! I thank you both, and please accept my bow." With that, he bowed deeply to the two.

    Seeing that Lu Yun did not ask for a gift, the elder sister knew he was modest and courteous, and said:

    "Since the young master is so sincere, I will give you one pot." With that she picked up that pot of strange lotus-petal flowers, handed it to Lu Yun, and then said gravely:

    "This matter must not be told to outsiders. To be honest, we two sisters are not mortals, but merely mountain orchids nourished by rain and dew who transformed into human form. In recent years, orchid cultivation has flourished in the world, and many people go into the mountains to dig up orchids. Although 'everyone has a love of beauty,' if the orchids brought down from the mountain do not meet people's expectations in flower quality, they are casually discarded and trampled. Flower farmers and flower vendors have harmed countless innocent beings of our kind! That you, young master, traveled in Ling Mountain and also love orchids is fate between us. If you are truly one who cherishes fragrance and treasures jade, please treat it well."

    Lu Yun was greatly astonished, and only after careful thought did he realize that these sisters were transformed from the two orchids on the cliff. Therefore he became even more reverent and respectful. He thanked them again and again, and seeing that it was getting late, it was time to go home. The two escorted him to the valley where they had met the day before, and also found for him that little stream that served as a guide. Then Lu Yun returned home by the original route himself.