ENG
Born to a fate of trials and woes,
Who pities the ebb and flow of those?
Better to live in nature's embrace,
Freely to wander, freely to repose.
After delivering her homework to her mother, Pingping went to the Height of Ember. Her brother had asked her to meet him there, saying he had something important to discuss.
When she arrived, she saw Red Boy standing with his hands on his hips, directing Quick as Fire and Fast as Wind to burn the bull guais to flee as his way of training them. Amused at the scene, he laughed loudly and boisterously.
"Brother," Pingping called softly. Ever since Red Boy returned from Guanyin's tutelage, she felt he had changed. Every time she spoke to him, a subtle fear tugged at her heart.
Upon seeing her arrival, Red Boy waved to halt the training and turned to her, "Pingping, let's engage in a game," he proposed, "You will run, and I shall chase you. Let us see if I can catch you before an incense stick burns out."
In the past, Pingping would transform into a little fox, leaping through rocks and crevices, always having the upper hand. Yet this time, Red Boy shattered her hiding rocks with a single spear thrust, scorched her standing deadwood with a breath of fire, and flew over the cliffs she jumped across as a red cloud.
In less than half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Red Boy effortlessly caught her and sighed, "Mother's teachings are still too gentle."
Seeing his sister's gloomy face, Red Boy took her to rest by the cliff in the Furnace Valley. To cheer her up, he twirled his Firepoint for her entertainment.
Seeing his little sister clapping and cheering, Red Boy asked, "How do you think my skills compare to Father's?"
Pingping couldn't answer. She had never dared to make such a comparison. She took out the Fire Dates her mother had rewarded her and shared them with Red Boy, changing the subject to talk about anecdotes in the mountains. Seeing this, Red Boy didn't press further and responded perfunctorily.
Pingping cautiously said, "Brother, you and I have always been the closest. If you have something on your mind, you can tell me. It's not easy for our family to be reunited. I just want to live peacefully in these mountains, away from worldly strife."
Gazing at the burning clouds, Red Boy said, "Sister, you should see more of the outside world. There's no such thing as living away from worldly strife. It's just self-deception of losers!"
Pingping wanted to ask him who he was competing with and why he had to compete. But before she could speak, she felt a blow to the back of her neck and fainted.
The passage opens with a short poem that sets up a contrast: some people are born into hardship and trials, while others choose a quiet, natural life away from the world. Then we jump into the scene. Pingping finishes her homework, goes to a place called the Height of Ember because her brother asked to meet her there, and finds him training two creatures named Quick as Fire and Fast as Wind by ordering them to burn the bull guais so the beasts will flee.
The key characters are Pingping and her brother, Red Boy. Their mother and father are mentioned, and Red Boy has previously been trained by Guanyin. Pingping used to feel comfortable around Red Boy, but since his return from Guanyin’s tutelage she has noticed a change in him and now feels a little afraid when she talks to him.
Red Boy challenges Pingping to a simple game: she will run, he will chase, and he’ll try to catch her before an incense stick burns out. In the past Pingping could escape easily by turning into a little fox and slipping through rocks and crevices. This time Red Boy outmatches her: he breaks her hiding rocks with a spear thrust, scorches places she stands with fire breath, and flies over cliffs as a red cloud. He catches her in far less than the time of an incense stick and comments that their mother’s teachings are still too gentle.
After catching her he takes her to rest on a cliff in Furnace Valley and entertains her by twirling something called the Firepoint. He asks how his skills compare to their father’s. Pingping won’t answer that; instead she shares Fire Dates—treats their mother had rewarded her—with him and talks about mountain stories. She tells him she wants a peaceful life in the mountains and that family reunions are hard to come by. Red Boy replies that hiding from the world is self-deception and calls it the refuge of losers, saying she should see more of the outside world.
The scene ends on a sudden, unresolved moment. Pingping is about to ask who Red Boy is competing with and why he feels the need to compete, but before she can speak she feels a blow to the back of her neck and faints. The narrative stops there, leaving the immediate danger and Red Boy’s true motives unresolved.