The Many Meanings of Meilan: Chapters 1–4

“Long ago,” I start, “there was a fènghuáng who lived in a tall — ”
“Měilan,” Tiffi whines and pokes my arm. “I thought you were going to tell me the story about the phoenix and the bakery.”
“I am,” I say, moving my arm out of my youngest cousin’s reach. “Fènghuáng is the name of the Chinese phoenix. Anyway, the fènghuáng lived in the top of a tall paulownia tree — ”

“The paulownia tree is also called the Chinese parasol tree. The leaves grow as big as dinner plates, and fairies like to use them as parasols to shade them from the sun.” That last part isn’t true, of course, but what’s the point of telling tales if you can’t add fairies to them?

“So, back to that parasol tree,” I begin again. “The fènghuáng lived at the very top, so she could see all of China, from the mountains whose peaks wore crowns of clouds, to where the mighty Yellow River flowed into the deep blue sea, where dragons lived. But it had been months since she had seen a dragon, and the fènghuáng knew that she had to leave her beloved home.”

“She looked to the east but only saw enormous plumes of choking dark fog, creeping out in all directions from the big cities the way a drop of calligraphy ink spreads in water...."

“She didn’t have enough life energy, unfortunately. Instead, the fènghuáng decided it was time to return to her original celestial home near the sun. Celestial means in the heavens. The fènghuáng had the power to give blessings to human beings. Before she left, she wanted to reward one more human — the most deserving person she could find. That meant finding a person who possessed all the Five Virtues: benevolence, honesty, wisdom, integrity, and propriety.”

“She didn’t have enough life energy, unfortunately. Instead, the fènghuáng decided it was time to return to her original celestial home near the sun. Celestial means in the heavens. The fènghuáng had the power to give blessings to human beings. Before she left, she wanted to reward one more human — the most deserving person she could find. That meant finding a person who possessed all the Five Virtues: benevolence, honesty, wisdom, integrity, and propriety.”

“She didn’t have enough life energy, unfortunately. Instead, the fènghuáng decided it was time to return to her original celestial home near the sun. Celestial means in the heavens. The fènghuáng had the power to give blessings to human beings. Before she left, she wanted to reward one more human — the most deserving person she could find. That meant finding a person who possessed all the Five Virtues: benevolence, honesty, wisdom, integrity, and propriety.”

“She didn’t have enough life energy, unfortunately. Instead, the fènghuáng decided it was time to return to her original celestial home near the sun. Celestial means in the heavens. The fènghuáng had the power to give blessings to human beings. Before she left, she wanted to reward one more human — the most deserving person she could find. That meant finding a person who possessed all the Five Virtues: benevolence, honesty, wisdom, integrity, and propriety.”

“She didn’t have enough life energy, unfortunately. Instead, the fènghuáng decided it was time to return to her original celestial home near the sun. Celestial means in the heavens. The fènghuáng had the power to give blessings to human beings. Before she left, she wanted to reward one more human — the most deserving person she could find. That meant finding a person who possessed all the Five Virtues: benevolence, honesty, wisdom, integrity, and propriety.”

“The fènghuáng flew on, determined to find the young woman and give her a gift to honor her for her character. Her golden-yellow wings glowed in the sunlight as she flew over mountains and plains and, finally, another wide, turbulent ocean. She came to rest on the crimson awning above a small shop on a busy street in a foreign land.

On the sidewalk below, a woman stood as still as a stone in a stream as people flowed around her. She stared at the vacant shop, hope and longing on her face.

The tug that the fènghuáng had felt ever since she’d left her home suddenly disappeared, washed away by a surge of love. That’s how she knew that this mother was the young woman she had been searching for.

“The fènghuáng spread her golden wings wide and, with her beak, plucked out a feather. She trilled a short song — five musical notes that only the young woman seemed to be able to hear. The woman turned around, her eyes growing large with wonder as she saw the colorful bird perched on the edge of the awning...."

"...The fènghuáng released the golden feather, which floated softly down into the woman’s outstretched hand. The moment it touched her palm, the feather curled and spun itself into a heavy gold coin. Her task complete, the fènghuáng leaped into the air, the wave of gratitude from the woman buoying her up toward her heavenly home.”

“Story, dream, same same.” Third Aunt finally releases my arm so she can wave both bejeweled hands simultaneously. “I always knew Dà Gē was hiding something from me.”

She ignores my logic. “I think maybe YOU think have dream, but I think you have vision. You see the truth.”
“The truth?” I stammer.

My knees feel as wobbly as the custard in the dàntà in my hand.
I peek through the doorway of the office from a couple of feet away. Bàba is behind his desk, leaning over it, his left hand placed firmly on top of a thick bound ledger. That must be the book Third Aunt wants to examine.

I wish the boba café was open this early — a matcha slush would calm me down.

“Nàonào and I were afraid you weren’t coming today. What did you bring us?” he says in his rolling Beijing dialect.

The brindled brown dog, who looks like a Labrador retriever-pit bull-dachshund mix, trots over and pushes her snout against my hand.

“Your Nǎinai looked up and saw me staring at the dàntà through the window. The bakery wasn’t open yet, but she unlocked the door and beckoned me inside. I could not resist following my nose even though I had very little money. But your grandmother would not let me pay...."

“I do not! I know when something is made-up. Especially if I’m the one who made it.”
Xing puts her hands up as if conceding. “Okay, okay. I’m just saying your stories are really convincing.”

“Don’t bother beseeching his conscience, Lǎo Èr. If Dà Gē has been stealing money from us, do you think he will admit it? He has always been arrogant, thinking he knows best how we should spend our money. I bet he got tired of us having different ideas, so he started saving it for himself. He kept us chained to the bakery for his own selfish desires.”

“Don’t bother beseeching his conscience, Lǎo Èr. If Dà Gē has been stealing money from us, do you think he will admit it? He has always been arrogant, thinking he knows best how we should spend our money. I bet he got tired of us having different ideas, so he started saving it for himself. He kept us chained to the bakery for his own selfish desires.”

I know Gōnggong is mourning, but I wish he would talk to the whole family, tell everyone that my bedtime story isn’t real and there isn’t any hidden gold.