Five Spice Street

The writer definitely isn’t advocating this insipid ascetic life but hopes only that everyone will elevate spiritual love to the first position. Ever since experiencing waves of emotion, our young coal worker has greatly matured. He broke off his sexual relationship with Old Woman Jin and moved into the work shed of Madam X’s husband’s good friend. They became permanent neighbors. This was a priceless example of returning to the fold, even though he was not nearly as perfect as the widow, Madam X’s husband’s good friend, and the lonely old woman. He was a youngster, influenced by unhealthy thinking, who had made mistakes and matured relatively late. He had been controlled by Madam X over a long period and had indulged in the ways of the flesh. Old Woman Jin was even worse. But now the darkness had passed; they awakened and were thoroughly ashamed. Full of self-reproach, they made up their minds to begin anew and struggle against their evil lust. The day he moved, he was very happy. Old Woman Jin ran over, barefoot and with disheveled hair, to help him. She was as energetic as a young girl. Clenching her teeth, she carried a desk on her back and walked as though flying. She said, ‘‘I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time.’’ She also said, ‘‘When he was five, I figured he had prospects. After being tutored by me, he is getting better and better by the day.’’ In order to celebrate the young coal worker’s separate household and the beginning of his new life, everyone squeezed into the work shed and sang songs and-shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand-danced a circle dance. Unexpectedly gaining a companion in the same boat as he was, Madam X’s husband’s good friend wept and wailed. Then he laughed and told everyone: he didn’t have to worry that there would be no one to continue his work. He had crawled inside a long, dark tunnel for years, but now he could see a ray of light!

After the young coal worker moved, the widow stayed five days and five nights at his work shed in order to teach by personal example as well as by instruction. She thought the youth was still thinking erratically, and that this mustn’t be treated lightly. So she abandoned everything to help him. For five days and five nights, the two confided in each other non-stop. When they tired of talking, they slept back to back on the earthen ground (from this time on, the young coal worker slept on the ground) and continued talking in their dreams. They spoke about paradise. After five days and five nights, the young coal worker became a deep thinker. At every sentence the widow spoke, at every imperceptible sigh, he was moved to the marrow of his bones and quivered all over. He wept uncontrollably when she stroked his soft hair with her warm hand. ‘‘My previous life was like a nightmare,’’ he confessed. ‘‘Ah, I wish I could be reborn, I wish I could start over!’’ The widow consoled him: In fact, he had indeed been reborn and had started over. There would still be a lot of time ahead. If he lived as if each day were a year, as she did, he would discover just how clear and rich, and how significant, his life would be. She was now so sublime she was qualified to commune with the gods. When she opened her eyes, she could see things in paradise, but she still wasn’t satisfied. Her greatest joy was to continue remolding herself. She told the young coal worker that as an elder and a mentor, she had to understand all the details before she could suit the remedy to the sickness. If he and Madam X had had a carnal relationship, he should speak of it without omitting anything. If, however, his love was unrequited, he should reveal the details of his lewd thoughts. The more detailed, the better in curing him of his illness. She could understand even the filthiest things and wouldn’t deride him. Rather, this was the first step to starting over. Not until he ‘‘got rid of the stale’’ could he ‘‘take in the fresh.’’