I start sobbing wildly. "Liang Wen!" I call. 

No response. I hear the howl again and smell fresh blood. Is it him?

The howls get closer to me. I understand. I must run. I can't look for him now. These wild dogs are savage and will eat anything. Anyone. I make my way back into the hut, where I lie on the floor again. I can't sleep. I keep thinking of Liang Wen, worrying about him. Is he alright? 

----the next morning----

First thing I wake up, I smell the blood again. Mother smells it too. She hurries out and her terrified scream rings through the village in the early morning. I put on my grass slippers and rush out. 

Oh...no...no...no...please...

Liang Wen lies dead on the ground. His body has scratch marks on them, likely from the dogs. I see a part of his flesh, pure flesh. The blood oozing out. It's obvious they bit him.

"Liang ah!" Mother yells, shaking him. He doesn't respond. His soul is gone.

I can't do anything except stare. It's horrible. How could the lao tian ye (god) just take him so mercilessly?

Retribution. No evil sins are forgiven in this world, Wang Min. Always remember that.

And then Li Tai rushes in, with Liang Wen's mother. His mother, Liang Tai, turns pale and falls to the muddy ground, crying out in pain. 

"No time, no time. Go, Wang Min!" Li Tai says anxiously.

Mother looks at me. She knows how I feel. She knows that Liang Wen and I were best friends. Yes, we were. But our feelings for each other went so much deeper. 

I have no choice but to go back into the house and put on the yellow dress. After that, I wash my face and Mother comes in. Her face looks worn and haggard. She braids my hair and then I pick up my small bag, containing only three items: a folded handkerchief, a leaf, and a small jade pendant the size of a tooth from Mother. The only thing she could spare me. 

Right then, the carriage draws up. Li Tai rushes in, her face glowing. Does she have no feelings? What about Liang Wen?

"Have fun, Wang Min. If you can write back, I will help your ma read."

I hug Mother and glance around at our hut. Then I look in the direction of Liang Wen's lifeless body, lying just a distance away. 

Mother smiles sadly. "My daughter. I love you."

I want to say bye to Liang Wen.  But the Chancellor is calling "Hurry, hurry!"

Hating myself, I leave the hut. The last memory I have of the village is of Liang Wen's mother, wailing for her lost son. 

----

The carriage is boring. A hard yellow seat, and it keeps shaking as the horse trots. Behind me is another carriage, no doubt carrying another girl like myself.

I pull out the leaf Liang Wen gave me and read it.

In shaky Chinese characters reads "I love you. You are so pretty and perfect."

Finally, the tears come. I read it again and again, mourning him.