In the third month of late spring, the rows of willows by the city moat sprouted fresh leaves, swaying in unison in the breeze as ripples spread across the green water.
A mischievous child used a slingshot to shoot at birds in the trees. The crows and magpies scattered in alarm, and a flurry of feathers fluttered down amid the lush greenery.
An adult pinched the child's ear and frowned as he scolded him, "You little rascal, the birds by the city moat belong to the imperial household. Who told you to shoot at them? It's a good thing you missed, or the officials might have beaten you until you were as foolish as Yingying of the Cheng family!"
Scolded, the child drooped his head and let his mother drag him away.
But someone was still asking, "Who is Yingying?"
"That foolish girl!" someone replied.
The person asked again, "How come I've never seen her?"
This time, no one answered.
In the third month of late spring, when the grass grew and the orioles flew, and sparrows chattered as doves gathered, Yingying, who used to sit by the stone block beneath the drooping willows, looking up with a sweet, radiant smile, had vanished without a trace, like a yellow crane disappearing into the distance.
Theme: Perhaps she knew all along.
