Madam White Snake

First Meeting

After many dark, cold days, spring came to Lake West. It was the most beautiful time of the year, although it rained sometimes. People from all over China came to see Lake West in spring. Some came in groups. Some came in pairs. Some came alone and Xu Xian was one of them. However, he did not come to see the beautiful countryside. He came to Lake West because his parents were buried there. Every year around this time, he came to pay his respects to them.
The rain came very suddenly in the afternoon. It had been a very nice and sunny morning. The weather had been almost warm. The rain sent the people running for shelter. The lake, which had been filled with rowing boats, was not left in peace.
The rain sent up mist from the lake. The cold that had been forgotten in the sunshine a moment ago, returned. The people in bright coloured clothes went as quickly as the came. Soon there was no other noise, but that of the rain. It fell on the thin new leaves. It fell on the roofs covered with straw. It fell on the lake.
It was perhaps the best time to enjoy the beauty of Lake West. Only those who were trapped in the rain saw the beauty of it. But they just wanted the rain to stop, so that they could go away.
Xu Xian was ready for the rain and he had brought along an umbrella then je walked to the edge of the lake. He waited patiently for the boat that he had hired. He lived in a town just across the lake.
Xu Xian was a nice looking young man of about twenty. People in those days in China married young. By the time he was twenty, if he was not too poor, a man would have a wife and children. But Xu Xian was still not married.
Both his parents had died when he was very young. He was brought up by his sister who was a lot older than him. She ruled her little brother's life. She ruled her own husband's life as well as his business. If you let her, she would rule the world. She was the kind of woman. Her husband owned a small shop selling medicines in the town where they lived.
Since he was a boy, Xu Xian had a very little to be happy about. Sometimes he was not sure if his sister really cared about him. But she always said she did.
"Stay home and clean up the kitchen. Playing with those boys out there will only make you a good for nothing."
If he disobeyed her, she would beat him. She never had a kind word for him.
The rain kept falling and he waited for the boat which would take him home.
The rain stopped suddenly as he heard noise coming from behind him. People were running out of their shelters. The sky still looked grey and the rain was likely to fall again.
He hear the voices of two young women, talking and laughing. They were coming his way.
"Oh there's a boat coming. There's a boat coming," cried one of them.
"Just in time too," said the other one. "I hate rain. I hope it's not going to fall again. My shoes are wet and dirty."
The boat was rowed up to small pier which was made of bamboo. A number of people get off the boat. The boatman called out to Xu Xian.
"Have i kept you waiting for very long, sir? The water is a little rough today. Hard rowing. It's hard life being a boatman, you know. In winter you stand in the cold wind the whole day to wait for someone to come. Now you row the whole day. You don't even have time to say you're tired. I tell you, sir, this is a hard life.."
The boatman went on. He wore a raincoat made from dry leaves and was an old man.
Xu Xian walked out to the pier, and stepped down on on to the boat. Just at this moment, the rain began to fall again.

The two young women
There were two women standing on the pier. Neither of them had an umbrella. The taller of them was dressed in flowing white silk. Standing there in the rain, she was the most beautiful woman Xu Xian had ever seen. She looked as though she was a fairy risen from the lake. The other young women was dressed like a servant. She wore a long light green dress. She talked to the boatman.
"Boatman, can you take us across too? We don't know how long we shall have to wait for another boat. We'll pay for the ride."
"He must decide," the boatman said, pointing to Xu Xian. "He has hired the boat."
The maid turned to Xu Xian and bowed. She said, "We're in hurry, sir, and we did not not expect this rain. Please let us ride with you."
"Where are you ladies going?" Xu Xian asked.
"Li Jiang," she answered.
"I'm going that way too, so please come aboard."
It was a small boat. Xu Xian gave his seat to the two ladies and stood at the front. The boat slowly made for the other side of the lake in the rain.
The lady in white whispered a few words to her maid. The maid turned to Xu Xian and said, "Please come inside and sit with us, sir. It's windy and uncomfortable out there. You'll catch cold."
"The lady is right," the boatman added. "The boat is small and the wind is strong. You'd better sit down too."
A little red in the face, he closed his umbrella and went inside. The ladies made room for him and he sat down by the door. He felt rather uncomfortable, he did not know what to say or do.
In those days, men and women did not mux. The young ones, especially, were not allowed to be friendly. They had very little chance to meet. Xu Xian now found himself alone with two women of his own age. It had never happened to him in his life before. And one of them was so beautiful too!
The boatman saw all this. He rowed and sang:
"A man loves to sail on a day like this,
Rowing in the light rain.
How did we come to meet
On this lovely day of May?
And why have I fallen in love with you
Long before I even know your name?"
"The lake does look lovely from here," said the lady in white. "Where do you live if i may ask?" She said resting his eyes on him.
Xu Xian almost jumped at the question. For a moment he did not know what to say. He moved uncomfortably in his seat and said, "I live in Zhouzhuang."

The maid
The young maid said cheerfully, "Then we're neighbours. We live in Wuzhen, you know. How nice!"
She talked very quickly and her face wore a naughty smile. The maid was a happy girl, happy and bold. She went on, "If it wasn't for you, sir, we would certainly have caught a cold. Why does it have to rain? Why can't we have sunshine all the time? I love the sun. Don't you?"
"Oh, yes.."
"Look, I'm talking to you, but I don't even know your name."
"Don't be rude, Xiaoqing," the mistress called out gently.
Xu Xian told her his name.
"You see, Master Xu doesn't mind," Xiaoqing said to her mistress. She turned to Xu Xian and bowed.
She said, "My humble greetings, Master Xu."
Xiaoqing did not remain serious for long. She lowered her voice and said to Xu Xian, "I'm a bad maid. That's what my mistress says all the time. I ask too many questions. That's what my mistress says too. What can I do? I was born like this. What are you doing here today? Oh, I'm sorry. I am doing it again."
Xu Xian was more comfortable now. He said, "It's alright. I'm here to pay my respects to my parent's graves. They're buried here."
"We're very sorry to hear that," the lady in white said.
"Xiaoqing, please behave yourself. You've just reminded Master Xu of something very sad."
"It's alright. My parents died a long time ago. I dont remember them very well."
They began a long talk in this manner. The lady in white told him that her name was Bai Suzhen. Like his, her parents both died. She was nineteen years old. He father had been an army officer an he had been killed in battle. Her mother had been very sad after that. She had become sick and died soon afterwards. Since then, Suzhen had been living all by herself. Xiaoqing, the lively maid, grew up with her. She was like a sister to her.
"Perhaps that's why she never obeys my orders. That naughty girl!" She looked up and smiled at Xu Xian. Their eyes met. He felt as he had never felt before and it was a strange feeling then he looked away at once. He saw that the boat had reached Wuzhen. He did not know that they had talked for so long.
"Here you are," the boatman cried out. "Wuzhen. Time to get off, ladies."

Xu xian is invited to visit them
They said goodbye to each other.
"Oh, it is still raining!" Xiaoqing said. "Does it ever stop?"
"I have an umbrella here with me, please take it," Xu Xian offered.
"No, I can't do that," Suzhen said. "You need it yourself when you get off."
"Please take it," Xu Xian said. "I'm quite sure it won't rain when I get to Zhouzhuang. Anyway I live only a few steps from the pier. I'm alright, really."
Xiaoqing took the umbrella from Xu Xian, saying, "It's very kind of you, Master Xu. I'll return it to you tomorrow. Just tell me where you live now."
Xu Xian suddenly thought of his sister. She would ask a lot of unpleasant questions if she met Xiaoqing. He knew his sister could be very unkind sometimes. She would scold him for talking to strange girls. She would scold him for..
"No, that'll be too much trouble for you," he said. I'll pick it up myself tomorrow."
"You're indeed very kind, sir," Suzhen said. "We live just around the corner. A short walk from here." She pointed out the direction for him. "It's a red house. Very easy to find. Although we've just met, you're already and old friend to us, so please come to pay us a visit tomorrow if you're free."
"Yes, I will," he said quietly, long after the boat had started for Zhouzhuang.