1914: Conflicts without, fears within

Climb High by Tang dynasty poet Du Pu

Wind fast, high sky, monkeys sound forelorn,*
Riverbanks clear, white sand, birds fly around.
Without cease, shedding trees, clitter-clatter down,
No end, long river, pitter-patter flow.

Ten-thousand miles, saddened by autumn, often a guest,
Hundred years, much illness, alone upon the outlook,
Hardship, bitterness, and regret burden frosted hairline,
Depressed and lost, newly quit drinking cloudy wine. 

*The place he wrote about was in Changjiang--Three Gorges area

Note: this was written when he was quite old, at 54, four years later, he died. 

1914 - age 13

Three or four miles southwest from our home was a place called the Dai Family Community. This area was a big village with everyone of the family name Dai. There, a rich man lived named Dai Zonghuan. He was very generous and upright. He gained the agreement of Mr. Wu Guanggui to invite Teacher Li Xiqiao and moved the school from the Wu Family area to the Dai Family Community. A lot of the students moved with the school, and I was one of those students. 

A neighboring family with the name Cai and my family's land was next to each other. One day, one of my cousins, Wenya, fought with a member of the Cai family, Nianxi. They were working in the field and had a disagreement and then had a big fight. Nianxi hit Wenya's ankle with a plow. No one could judge this quarrel. They went through several layers of government to try to settle their dispute and asked some people to write papers of claims. They went to the district government to present their case. In the end, Cai Nianxi was imprisoned and Wenya's ankle healed. After Nianxi served his time and was released, the families reconciled. During the time of trial, I was sent by my parents and uncle to accompany Wenya to the district government, and helped with all the procedures. This was the first time I went to the district office. I also visited my famous ancestral shrine which was located near the district office.