Bride of the Moso Prince (22 page)

Dr. Yang was more of a sociologist, and he believed that the walk-marry system was a product of social and economical conditions. In an agricultural society, a large family with a
concentration of labor had a better chance to survive than small families. Therefore it would be better that married couples would live with their natal families. In a patrilineal kinship system, a large family is hard to hold because of the complicated relationship between in laws, while matrilineal families were more harmonious. The Moso’s walk-marry system
eliminated the need for a son-in-law, indeed, what’s the point to lend your son to labor in his wife’s family, and borrow someone else’s son to plough your field? The system must have been working well for the Moso, who lived in such an isolated mountain area, and thus it lasted until today.

Charlene agreed with Dr. Yang, because from what she had seen in the past months, the s
mall households
in nearby villages
of other ethnicities
were indeed poorer than the large
r
Moso households.

Sharon lost interest in the middle.
Humans were creative and flexible. I
t was only natural for people to have different customs
and life styles in order to adapt to
different
environmental conditions
.
What was the need to
speculate?

As her attention on the conversation slacked she was instantly aware of Nobul’s gaze on her. She had in the beginning chosen the seat with her back towards him so she wouldn’t see him, but switched with Dr. Yang because he was finding the glare of the sun unbearable to his aging eye. So now she was sitting next to Dr. Lewis on the narrow bench. The rocking of the boat made it all the more difficult to keep any space between them. More than once the professor’s arm slid around her waist to steady her. She had found it annoying at first and had thought about moving away from him. But then she noticed that Nobul had an expression of a grouchy lion whenever Dr. Lewis did that to her. She could see the flare of his nostrils and she took a cruel pleasure in seeing it. Unknowingly she found herself leaning against Dr. Lewis’ shoulder from time to time. When Dr. Lewis claimed th
at there was eyelash in his eye
, she even took out a piece of Kleenex and helped him to remove it.

If he weren’t Summer’s
guest
, Nobul thought, he would throw that man with pale skin and yellow hair into the lake. How dared he touch his Snow like that! His Snow? Goddess! What had gotten into him? He wasn’t serious about her, was he? The thought annoyed him. He had tamed her the other night after the dance, and had almost had her there in the dressing room. She had surprised him with that passion that he had awoken. And she had confused him. She had urged him to go to her and called him Prince. And he didn’t like the sound of it. She made him feel that she was a female tourist coming to seek pleasure. And he wouldn’t mind if she were one of them indeed. But she wasn’t, at least not to him. He simply didn’t want to be her prince of one night pleasure. The night after the dance he didn’t sleep a wink. Her eyes, her snowy breasts with rosy tips were all he could see when he closed his eyes. Her silky folds were all he could feel. And his erection lasted all night. Knowing he had to get away in order to sort things out, he called his assistant in Chengdu in dawn and told him to send a helicopter over.   

They stopped by various villages. Most of them were tourism-free and thus mostly pristine and charming. The two professors took pictures and spoke to people they saw on their way. Sometimes they even knocked on the doors and made requests to see the interior of the houses.

When they were visiting a Han family’s house, the hosts, an elderly couple in their seventies, invited them to lunch with them. They accepted the invitation gladly. So there they were, seven of them sat around a small round table, having lunch with only
one entrée: fried green peppers with pork. The peppers were from their garden and they were very spicy.
When the dish was still being cooked Dr. Lewis was already coughing and rubbing his nose. He didn’t dare to try and limited his choice to the plate of picked cabbages.

Sharon
didn’t really like spicy food, but was urged by the hosts to try. She
got choked as soon as she swallowed
the peppers.
Dr. Lewis, who was sitting next to her, patted her, “Are you ok?”

“Yes I am.”  Sharon said after she had drunk some water, “It’s
delicious, but
too spicy for me.”

Dr. Lewis finished eating before others. He started to

talk again.
“Spicy food is good fo
r your circulation according to
Chinese medicine theory
. I
s that right, Dr. Yang?”

Charlene translated the sentence to Dr. Yang, who nodded and responded in English, “Right, right. And I
’m
puzzle
d
that people in this regions have mild temperature.”

“I think he means temperament.” Charlene said to Dr. Lewis, who was struggling to understand the comment.

“Maybe it’s the religion.” Dr. Lewis said after a

moment’s consideration, “Buddhist teaching calms you. Doesn’t it?”

Sharon wanted to suggest that it was perhaps because of the cold and humid climate in the region, but decided that Buddhism was just as good a reason.

“Anyway, I think Sharon should get used to eating peppers,” Dr. Lewis continued as he smiled at her, “since they give you such a nice complexion.”

At these words Sharon became self conscious of her cheeks, which began to flush even more, under the burning eyes of Nobul.

About fou
r in the afternoon they got to W
ater
T
own and went into a la
ke-side café that was made of a
log house with tinted glasses, and had a rustic
yet
urbane look. They waited for the arrival of the expected group of anthropologists.

“Let me suggest a great topic for you, Charlene.” Dr. Lewis said, after gulping down some beer, “romance love.”

His suggestion had everyone’s attention. Dr. Yang blinked. Nobul inclined his head as he looked at the American.

“Romantic love had evolved to ensure the care of a male to his offspring. In a Moso society a man is not obligated to take care of his children, so romantic love is rendered useless.”

Dr. Lewis paused after he had said that, and waited for the reaction from his audience. But there was silence for a long time, and he asked Charlene impatiently, “What do you think of my suggestion, Charlene?”

“You’re saying that,” Charlene lowered her voice after glancing at Nobul warily, “the Moso do not have a notion of romantic love?”

“That is indeed my hypothesis!” Dr. Lewis nodded in affirmation.

“Oh, I’m not sure about that,” Charlene mumbled, “In fact there are many Moso legends on romantic love. For example, Goddess Gemu was a romantic goddess….”

“Oh it might be just a story to promote tourism. Ask this guy! As
k
him whether he knows what romantic love is, or whether he has experienced it!” Dr. Lewis said, confidant that the answers would be as he had expected.

Sharon looked at Nobul nervously as Dr. Lewis was urging Charlene. The assertion had sounded nothing but an insult on the Moso and the confrontation would only humiliate him further.

Charlene was hesitating when Sharon said to Dr. Lewis, “Oh please, let’s forget theories and enjoy the moment of serenity.”

But Dr. Lewis was excited by his speculation, “Why, it’s just a harmless question. It won’t hurt for people who don’t know what it is.”

Sensing her sister’s dilemma and the darkening face of Nobul, Sharon said bravely, “I’m sure they experience love. Fifty years ago the chief of Moso fell in love with the picture of the daughter of an army captain and crossed mountains and plains to propose marriage to her…”

“Oh those were just legends.” Dr. Lewis interrupted, “I want to hear what the Moso say.”

“You want to know? I will tell you,” Nobul spoke slowly and clearly in English as Dr. Lewis’ face turned from pink to crimson and his mouth fell open. “Why I didn’t know you
could speak
…”

Nobul ignored him and went on, “You’re right. Moso do not believe in love. Love is a useless emotion. If you ask
Naruma
, the eldest person in the village and she will tell you that love is a disease like the syphilis.”

Sharon was shocked by his haughty response. How could he speak of love in such a contemptuous way? Clearly he was lying! The other day when he was telling her the romance between his grandparents his eyes were full of respect and piety! It must have been his reaction to Dr. Lewis’ humiliating speculation. She knew how sensitive the Moso was to an outsider’s judgment on his culture.

But Lewis didn’t get it or pretended he didn’t. He smiled and said to everyone, “
Did
you hear that?”

Sharon was about to tell him to shut up when a group walked towards the café, and Charlene shouted with relief, “There they are.”

A group of four people, three students including a Chinese and two Americans, entered the café.

“Becky! How are you?
I’ve missed you
!” Charlene gave one of the American girl a big hug. Becky was from University of Washington and they had met at a conference last year.

“
Me too
.
How is your vertigo? Are you feeling better?
”

“Yes I’m much better. Thanks. But too bad I couldn’t go to the conference.”

“I know. I learned about so many interesting researches. This region is the paradise for anthropologists!”

When Charlene decided to stay the night in Water Town with the others, Sharon strongly opposed. For one thing, she worried about her sister. Besides she wanted to avoid going back with Nobul alone. But Charlene insisted, saying that it was a rare chance to be with her friends outside the U.S., and she wanted to chat with Betty. Dr. Lewis took it as an opportunity to encourage Sharon to stay with them.
But Sharon knew that she wouldn’t be able to tolerate him a moment longer, so she let Charlene have her way.

At sunset
Charlene walked her sister and Nobul to the dock.

             
Nobul said to Charlene, “
Just give us a call. Either me or Urcher can pick you up.”

“It’s all right. I’ll hire
a
boat instead.”

“Are you sure you’re all right?” Sharon asked Charlene before they split.

“I’m positive, sister.” Charlene pulled Sharon aside, “are you all right, though?”

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. You don’t seem to be yourself today. You haven’t spoken a word to Nobul…”

That was the trouble of having an anthropologist sister. You couldn’t escape her observant eye.

“Don’t you worry about me.” Sharon said nonchalantly, “enjoy your evening.”

When Sharon was about to walk towards the boat, Dr. Lewis, who had been talking with one of the students, ran to her, “Sharon, don’t tell me you’re
really
leaving?”

“Actually I am.” Sharon smiled politely.

“No you’re not!” Dr. Lewis put his hand on her arm, “We’ve just met! Spend the night with us! We’ll go
Moso
dance together!”

Sharon was trying to think of a reason to refuse when Nobul grabbed Dr. Lewis’
wrist,
removed it from her arm
, and said to him coldly,
“She doesn’t know how to dance.” Then he put his arm tightly around Sharon’s shoulder and led her to the boat.

“Sharon!” Dr. Lewis shouted in her back, “Email me when you’re back to the States.”

“Sure!” Sharon rolled her eyes.

             
As soon as they were on the boat Sharon shook off Nobul’s arm. “Let go of me,” she protested while rubbing her shoulder, “
it hurts
.”

             
The muscles on his face were tense when he said, “Perhaps you would rather be in the paws of that yellow-haired wolf.” Then he went to the cabin without another word.

             
Sharon sat stiffly on the bench, expecting worse storms from him. Remembering the insulting remarks of Dr. Lewis, she felt sorry for the Moso. The American professor deserved a beating for that, not just for judging a person’s culture so arrogantly, but also for treating love as a dispensable object so logically and theoretically. She wanted to say comforting words to Nobul but was afraid that he wouldn’t appreciate her effort. After all, she had wounded the pride of the Moso, no, his ego somewhat, by her intimate gesture with Dr. Lewis throughout the day. If only she hadn’t allowed herself to give away to the tyranny of revenge. She resented the fact that he had seduced her and left her in the middle of burning desire. She wanted to prove to him that what had happened between them the other night didn’t mean much to her at all.  She was trying to teach the Prince a lesson, to show him that she wasn’t his prey. The memory of that night again sparked her resentment, and erased much of the sympathy she had felt earlier for Nobul. No, she would not say nice words to him. Let him suffer. After all, he himself was as arrogant a man as Dr. Lewis. And she couldn’t stand either of them! Half nervous and half excited, she lifted her chin and embraced herself for a storm.