The Old Splendor of Enchanting Xitang

Drip, drip

Drops of water rolled off the eaves, trickling through the notches and splashing onto the soft sand below, leaving behind pretty little circles.

It was the rainy season unique to Jiangnan. Every so often, a few pedestrians passed by with blue oil-paper umbrellas patterned with white flowers.

The schoolgirls wore pale blue blouses with lotus-shaped cuffs. Their black skirts didn't flutter in the breeze, and their polished leather shoes clacked along the street, kicking up clear, rounded splashes that glittered as they flew.

“Hey, have you heard what happened to the Gu family in the eastern part of the city?” one girl asked, glancing at the sky. The clouds curled at the horizon like ripples in cloth. Rain fell in a soft patter, with a few drops landing coolly on her exposed, lotus-root-like arms.

Another girl, her hair in two braids, nodded. Over the sound of the rain, she launched into a lively discussion of the latest gossip.

“Is it about Miss Gu being arrested by the Republicans and nearly drowned?”

“That's right. I heard Miss Gu couldn't even swim. The Republican radicals tied a rock to her and threw her into the water. Who knew she'd float back up halfway there, scaring the Republicans half to death! They must've thought a ghost had possessed her!” The girl with the braids tugged at her hem. “Oh, this rain! It's practically drowning us.”

“Yeah, who knows what's going on these days? Presidents and prime ministers keep changing, and now even the rain is acting up. By the way, Miss Gu's name is Gu Sinian, right?”