Chinese Cinderella and the Secret Dragon Society (16 page)

Grandma Wu untied the knot around the bundle of sticks protruding from the pouch next to the
Yi Fing’s
spine and said, ‘You will get out of the
Yi Fing
what you put into it. For thousands of years, we Chinese have considered this to be a Book of Magic and have treated it with reverence.
I will be leaving in a few minutes. When you are alone, cleanse your mind of every distraction and concentrate on what you wish to ask the
Yi Fing
. Unlock the notebook I just gave you and write your question there. Take your time and don’t rush. Remember to leave space on the same page for the
Yi Fing’s
answer.

‘Then take the yarrow sticks from the pouch and start dividing them. Let me show you how. Our ancestors believed that the yarrow plant represents the spirit of nature and considered sticks from this plant to be particularly suitable for divination purposes.

‘While dividing the sticks, be constantly aware of the question you have written to ask the
Yi Jing
. Think of it all the time. When you have finished dividing the sticks you will end up with a number between 1 and 64.

‘There are 64
guas
in the
Yi Jing
. Each
gua
is a separate emblem of divine guidance and wisdom. Between them the 64
guas
contain the answer to every situation that might arise. There is a chart at the end of the
Yi Jing
. Consult this chart after you receive your numbered
gua
from dividing the sticks. Turn to the page corresponding to the
gua
you have been given. Read its meaning and significance. Copy it down in your black notebook below your original question on the same
page. This is the
Yi Jing’s
answer to your question.’

She handed me the
Yi Jing
and I received it with trembling hands. ‘You will see that each
gua
is a symbol made of six parallel horizontal lines, one on top of another,’ she said. ’Some lines are divided in the middle. Others are whole. Think of them as seeds containing all the answers to every question in the universe.’

Gua No. 1 The Creative, or Heaven

Gua No. 2 The Receptive, or Earth

Gua No. 13 Fellowship with Like-minded People

‘How is it possible,’ I asked doubtfully, ‘that a bunch of divided and undivided lines can represent everything in the universe?’

‘A German philosopher named Leibniz, who lived in the seventeenth century, thought.this possible. While reading the
Yi Jing,
he came up with the idea of a new number system and called it “binary mathematics”. He thought of each divided line as o (zero)
or yin,
and each undivided line as 1 (one)
or yang
. He wrote that every situation in the universe can be represented by using the numbers o and 1 only. My son, Master Wu, tells me
that American and British scientists are developing a miraculous new machine called a computer, based on Leibniz’s theories.

‘But now let me show you the proper way of dividing the yarrow stalks. Then I’ll leave you alone.’

Grandma Wu showed me how to start with fifty stalks and to place one stalk in a prominent place on the altar. This was to be the observer stalk, representing Heaven or a person’s conscience. ‘Even though we may think we are alone,’ she said, ‘our conscience is with us at all times. When you’ve finished, always thank the observer stalk for its participation.’

As soon as Grandma Wu left the alcove, I got up and placed the
Yi Jing
back in its box on the altar table. I went back to my cushion, unlocked my black leather diary, inscribed the date and time on the first page, and began to write:

I am going to confide everything to you, including my feelings about my father, Niang and Big Aunt In return, I hope you will give me comfort and consolation.

I closed my eyes and thought of my aunt, wondering whether she would be proud of me for being invited to join the Dragon Society of Wandering
Knights. A pang went through me when I thought of the English lessons at her flat and the delicious snacks she used to make every afternoon, just for the two of us. Then I remembered my stepmother, and the sensation of Niang’s sharp fingernails digging into my throat. This was followed by the memory of my father lifting me by the back of my uniform and throwing me into the street. Last of all I thought of my companions at the academy: Grandma Wu with her wisdom and understanding; Master Wu with his skills and intelligence; and the three boys. Beneath their carefree exterior, how they had all suffered! Marat with his brother, Ivanov, in jail; David witnessing his parents’ murder; and Sam being vilified and expelled from his own country. By becoming a member, would I recover the family I lost when my mother died and my aunt went away?

The yellow silk banner appeared again in front of my closed eyes and I saw the final message left by Sam’s mother: ‘You are in China at this moment in history for a reason. You are here to make a difference. The future belongs to you.’

I turned to the second page of my diary and slowly wrote my question:

I would like to join the Dragon Society but I don’t want to leave my aunt I can’t live with my stepmother but I’d like to see my father again. I want my aunt and my father to be proud of me. Should I take the oath and become a member?

Then I placed one yarrow stalk in front of the Future Vision Box, took the other forty-nine into my hands and divided them the way Grandma Wu had done, thinking of my question the whole time. During the forty-five minutes it took to arrive at the number of my
gua,
I tried to visualize the faces of Big Aunt, my stepmother and my father. I thought of leaving home permanently, becoming an expert in kung fu and accompanying Grandma Wu and the three boys on their missions throughout China. Would my aunt and father be proud of me then? What if I was arrested? Would I cause trouble for my relatives?

Eventually, I arrived at the final number. The answer to my question was
gua
number 13. I took the
Yi Jing
from its box and turned to the last page, where I found the meaning
of gua
number 13. With mounting excitement, I copied the
Yi Jing’s
comments in the space I had reserved for it.

Gua
number 13 (Tong Ren (
)). Like-minded people are gathered together to be trained. Surroundings are dangerous and wild. Nevertheless, it is favourable for you to join with the others and undertake this worthy endeavour.

I felt the hair rising at the back of my neck as I read and reread the
Yi Jing’s
answer to my question. It was clear and definite. The
Yi Jing
was advising me to take the oath, join my friends and become a member of the Dragon Society.

I thanked the observer yarrow stalk and bowed three times to the scroll marked Tao of Buddha, hanging behind the altar. Then I stashed all the yarrow sticks back in the
Yi Jing’s
pouch. I changed into my normal clothes, blew out the candles and went back to my room with my black diary.

Grandma Wu was waiting for me there. She smiled. ‘What have you decided?’

‘I would like to join.’

‘No doubts at all?’

‘None whatsoever!’

‘Good! It’s getting late. But before you go to sleep, I want to tell you something. Do you remember the day we first met?’

‘At your bookstall in the bazaar behind the park? Of course I do.’

‘If you had come to the stall one day later, we would not have met.’

‘What a coincidence! How is that so?’ I asked.

‘Members take turns staffing the society’s businesses around the city. After twelve months, my term of duty at the bookstall was over. The bookseller who replaced me is Grandma Wang, a
wonderful artist. The day we met was my last day there.’

‘How lucky I am! One day later and my life would have been different!’

‘That’s called fate, CC,’ said Grandma Wu, ‘and there is nothing you can do about it. However, consulting the
Yi Jing
is a different matter entirely. Can you tell the difference now?’

‘Yes! When I consulted the
Yi Jing,
I had the opportunity to make my own choice and decide my own future.’

‘That’s right! Have a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow is Saturday. There is no school, but I have called a meeting at seven sharp.’

She did not ask and I did not tell what had transpired between the
Yi Jing
and me.

11

The Password

Next morning, after a quick breakfast of steamed bread and soya milk, Grandma Wu called a meeting around the kitchen table.

‘I wish to congratulate CC on becoming the newest member of our Dragon Society,’ Grandma Wu began. The boys clapped and cheered while Master Wu leaned across the table to shake my hand. ‘All four of you have suffered through no fault of your own. CC has been thrown out by her father and you three boys have been orphaned by the war.

‘Unfortunately, there is a lot of prejudice in Shanghai against Eurasians and orphan girls. But should any of you encounter hostility or rejection, seize the negative energy you feel coursing through your veins and use it for a positive goal.
Prove to the world that you are worthy of respect. Don’t mess up your lives by being bitter and self-destructive!