A Gallop on the Embankment with Spring Breeze

Chapter 26: I am the Head of the Dancing Lion
Translator: Zhou Yang
Proofread by Fu Tianying

Ma Tian’en was not a stranger to the competition of lion dance, because she would go to watch the game each year and practice with them for fun. Hearing from her mother that she would be responsible for the competition, she was relieved. She thought that it was easier for her to do such things than other ones, just doing like what she did in the last year. What’s more, the players had been practicing for quite a while, who were of high proficiency and good teamwork, so they were likely to win.

“Mom, you can be at ease, because I will win back the award in competition for our Ma Family.” Ma Tian’en made a firm promise to her mother.

“Your father had an accident, so many people are waiting to laugh at our family. If you can win this time, you can stand firm and people will recognize you from their heart as you have the potential. Either the people outside or members of our family, do not trust your strength now, but I, your mother, trust you. You can make it.” Mrs. Ma looked at Ma Tian’en firmly, encouragingly.

“I did not expect that you are so optimistic about me, and I will definitely not let you down.” Ma Tian’en felt ardour in her mind. She would prove to everyone that she was not the black sheep but the pride of Ma Family.

Mrs. Ma nodded with relief and gratification. After saying some words of comfort to Ma Tian’en, she got out of Ma Tian’en’s room. While Ma Tian’en, who stayed in room with great excitement, failed to see that her mother breathed a sigh as she went out, and patted her chest, saying, “It doesn’t matter whether you will win the award or not; just don’t get yourself into any trouble.”

Ma Tian’en, if she had nothing to do, she would go to revenge herself on Hu Family, but now the Ma Family was far behind the Hu Family. Her energy must be spread so that she would not get into any danger. Ah, Ma Family could not afford any storms.

Ma Tian’en put herself into the preparations for the competition of the lion dance, because she wanted to win the award to make her mother happy. And she hoped that her father could wake up earlier to see the glory she won back for Ma Family.

Speaking of the lion dance, the cooperation between the head and the tail matters much. In the beginning of the practice, the two persons playing the head and the tail shall step on the side of a jar. The one playing the tail shall hold tightly the belt of the front one to pass the square matrix composed of scores of jars with their feet not landing on the earth and not stepping over the jars, or they shall start all over again. After that, they would practice directly on the plum-piles, so as to watch, stand, walk, run, jump, roll and sleep as a real lion. And they should be able to do jumps on or between the piles, and even back flips to go down the piles. The role of the person playing the head is especially critical. The head of a lion is about 4kg, with which a person shall move around flexibly and avoid being robbed by the opponent. What’s more, the person shall not be too high, because the head should be small while the tail shall be high, so the person in charge of the head needs great skills and strength. In recent three years, the head of lion of Ma Family was played by Ma Laishun, a person at the dock, who would be given a lot of money by Ma Family. The training was quite smooth until something happened.

“What’s wrong with your legs?” Ma Tian’en looked at Ma Laishun who was lying in bed and trying to struggle.

As she took over the affairs of lion dance, Ma Tian’en went to the place where Ma Family trained the lion dance the next day, only to hear that Ma Laishun could not participate in the competition because of his injury. The person playing the head now was an alternative, whose strength was much poorer, and he had not trained seriously because he thought he had no chance to play, so he could not cooperate smoothly with the tail. It could be seen that they would not win the competition.

“Master, I was nearly bitten by a crazy dog which I didn’t know where it came from on my way home after I finished my work at the dock, and then I fell down, and broke my left leg. The doctor in He’ren Tang said that I could not walk in three months, so it was impossible for me to take part in the competition of lion dance, for which I’m so sorry.” Ma Laishun said as he bowed his head.

Looking at Ma Laishun, Ma Tian’en sneered, “I am curious to know what kind of crazy dog it was, which wanted to fight against me.” It was too coincidental that the head of lion had to be changed when the competition was about to start, which meant that they were very likely to lose. It was obviously aimed at her, but she didn’t know whether it was internal or external.

“I, I don’t know. My master, I’m so sorry for that.” Said Ma Laishun with a little trembling voice.

“Forget it, you just heal your wounds.” Ma Tian’en knew that it was of no use to say more, so she did not mind him anymore and turned around and went out.

Looking at her back, Ma Laishun murmured, “Master, I’m so sorry.”

As she went back home, Ma Tian’en shut herself in the study. She refused to see anyone and refused to eat something. She cursed Shun away who he came over several times. She wanted to make the competition of lion dance a full success, but the head of lion had an accident before it started.

“I have said that no one……” Said Ma Tian’en as she heard the door rattle softly, who wanted to throw the book on the desk to the door since she thought it was Shun again.

“You want to bully your teacher?” Wu Zhong came in with peaceful steps. Wu Zhong should go to the Imperial College today and would not come back until the night.

Seeing Wu Zhong, Ma Tian’en was wronged and unwilling, “Sir, I promised to my mother that I would be responsible for the affairs of the competition of lion dance and win back the award. But the leg of the person playing the head was broken. It is obvious that someone wants to do harm to us since it was strange that the accident occurred now. There are only a few days left, and where can I find a person to play the head?”

“As something has not happened, we should do our best to avoid it. But if it was already bad, we should face it calmly. Haven’t you often gone to have training before? Then you can play the head.” Said Wu Zhong in calm voice.

“Me? Can I do it?”

“I think you can do it though you are not good at writing poems.”

“Uh. Sir, are you praising me?” Ma Tian’en thought that they were not good words.

“Just sit down.” Wu Zhong sat and gestured to Ma Tian’en, and then he said in detail.

“In fact, the most important thing in this competition is to prove that you are willing to take the responsibility of the family. So as long as you do it seriously to let everyone know your efforts, you will bring them confidence though you lose the competition. Since the person playing the head had an accident, it is good if you take the place, since we may not win the competition anyway. Just show them the charm and the determination of the young master of Ma Family, and you may not lose.” Wu Zhong said in a gentle voice, just like flowing water, refreshing breeze and fine rain.

Ma Tian’en calmed down finally. Indeed, it was better to fight for it herself since others could not win for sure.

“Right, I’m really skillful at playing the lion dance since I used to train with them before. It is impossible to make me give up; hum, I am the lion head!”

“It’s good to have the determination. Speaking of the lion dance, I have seen your training before. It is much different between the North and the South, but I think they can be combined.” Wu Zhong came from Jiangnan, where he watched the southern lion dance since he was a child, and then he went to Beijing, where he knew the lion dance there, which made him surprised as there were so many differences.

“The southern lion dance focuses on artistic conception, which mainly shows eight expressions of a lion, including joy, anger, sorrow, happiness, dynamic and static state, amazement and doubt. It prefers little steps in joy, distinguished air of elegance in anger, closed eyes in sadness and striding in happiness. While the northern lion dance focuses on skills, which is presented especially in the cooperation between the head and the tail. As the head moves, the tail moves, and as the head stops, the tail also stops. They move at the same tempo as they jump and roll, which shows coordinated dancing posture. So I think we can combine the two styles to integrate the artistic conception of the southern lion dance into the skills of the northern one.”

“Sir, great idea! Well, sir, could you please go with me to the training ground to play the southern lion dance for me?”

“A gentleman uses his tongue but not his fists……”

“If you want to know the essence of something, you shall take practice as the knowledge got in book is shallow. Sir, you also taught me that, right?”

“How amazing it is that you have remembered it!”

“The teacher’s credit. Sir, I want to watch the southern lion dance.”