Greenness

◎ Zhu Ziqing

Upon my second visit to Xianyan, I was greatly taken by the color of the Plum-Rain Pool - the greenness.

The Plum-Rain Pool is a cataract pool, consisting of three cascades, and the Plum-Rain Cascade is the lowest．You can hear the gurgling sound as you approach the hill, and, raising your head, you can see that inlaid between the two damp, dark hillsides is a long, bright white screen of water.

The first sight we went to see was the Plum-Rain Pavilion, which was right across from the cascade．Sitting by the pavilion, you didn’t have to raise your eyes to see the entirety of the cascade, and lying deep down below the pavilion was the Plum-Rain Pool itself．The pavilion sat at a projecting corner of a rock, and it was suspended there with nothing above and nothing below, looking like an open-winged goshawk floating in the sky．It was surrounded by hills on three sides, like in the center of half a ring．Thus, the tourists below seemed to be walking at the bottom of a well.

It was a semi-clear autumn day．Above our heads, thin clouds flew, and down here, the moisture gave the rock surfaces and the grass clusters a light touch of oily greenness．All this seemed to have made the cascade sing louder．Rushing from above, the water seemed like a smooth, neat piece of cloth that had been torn into several differently sized bundles of thread．Because of the many bulges and lumps, when the water struck the rocks as it fell, it sent out random splashes like flying flowers or broken shards of jade．Seen from afar, the crystal-clear, sparkling splashes flew up like myriad tiny white plum blossoms and then fell in a drizzle - hence, the name “Plum-Rain Pool”．In my opinion, however, “Poplar Blossoms”might be a better name for the place, because the sprays of water drifted in the breeze just like poplar blossoms．Right at this moment, a few of those poplar blossoms came flying our way, jumping in our warm arms - nowhere to be found.

Enticed by the flashy greenness of the Plum-Rain Pool, we began to trace the magical flickering of its source．After clutching at weeds, grabbing at randomly scattered stones, and carefully leaning forward and bending over to squeeze through a rock passage, we reached the edge of the pool, brimming with green water.

Although the cascade was so close to me as to be within my reach now, my heart was no longer with it, but instead was mesmerized by the rippling greenness of the pool．That intoxicating greenness！It was like a huge lotus leaf spread over the pool - oh, that abundance of extraordinary greenness！

I wanted to open my arms to pull her into my chest, but what a vain attempt that would have been！Standing by the water and looking across it, I thought she looked very wide！This greenness of spread-out flatness and solid deposition was indeed attractive．Loosely pleated, she was like the train of a skirt a young lady would pull behind her; softly ruffling, she was like the palpitating heart of a virginal girl in love for the first time; smoothly bright, it was as though she had been anointed with “nourishing oil”, which was as soft and tender as egg white, inspiring tourists to associate her with the most tender skin they had ever touched; unblemished in any way, she was like a piece of soft, smooth jasper stone, dressed in only one clear color - but you can never see her through．I had once seen the green willows in Beijing’s Shichahai Temple, but that greenness was a little too light since there always remained an undercoat of pastel yellow．I had also once seen the high, thick “green wall”by the Tiger Spring Temple in Hangzhou, but that greenness was a little too exuberant, as it was comprised of lush clusters of green weeds and leaves．As for other places, the greenness of the waves in West Lake was too bright, while that of the Qinhuai River was too dark.

You are so worthy of adoration, but with what should I compare you？How could I compare you with anything？Is it because you are so deep that you are able to maintain such exquisite greenness？Is it because a piece of the sky has melted into you that you appear so fresh and smooth？

That intoxicating greenness！If I could turn you into a ribbon, I would present you to a graceful dancing girl, who could surely wave you in the wind．If I could shape you into a pair of eyes, I would present you to a talented blind singing girl, who, with you, would surely be able to see．However, I have gotten too attached to you to give you up！How can I give you up without regret？I pat you and caress you as if you were a little girl of twelve or thirteen years．I cup you into my mouth, which is like kissing the girl on the cheek．Let me give you a name - from today on, I will call you “Maiden Green”．Do you agree？

Upon my second visit to Xianyan, I couldn’t help being struck by the color the Plum-Rain Pool - the greenness.

1. Zhu Ziqing (1896-1948), educated at Peking University, he was professor of Chinese literature at Tsinghua University and National Southwest Associated University, as well as a renowned essayist.