Chapter 1.1

CHAPTER 2

Nancy was looking out the living room window while she was waiting for Lucas to show up with his scooter. At last she saw him coming up with the vehicle and park onto the sidewalk. To avoid waste of time -and simultaneously limit the possibility that her father appeared and the inevitable meeting with Lucas should occur, a fact that would subject her to an intense anxiety she was trying to postpone- the girl opened immediately the door and waved the boy shaking his hand, which caused the motorcyclist a big surprise.

“This looks like a courtship of 1920.” Said he a little angry.

“I do not want to feed gossip in the neighborhood.”

“Sure, are all the old Chinese matrons peering to blab at home afterwards?”

“My dad would kill me if I make him lose face.”

“Lose face?”

“Be ashamed."

She rode in the back seat, stretching her skirt so that it covered her knees, and they departed. Their destination was a place in the same neighborhood. Uncle Cheng had invited them to have tea at home. It did not take more than ten minutes to arrive.

It was an ancient and spacious house of the same kind and epoch of the Zhang´s home, with a high wooden door with shining brass handles; the size of the door was an anticipation of the height of the rooms; the two windows had iron shutters painted green. The general maintenance state of the old house was very good.

From the descriptions made by Nancy and her mother Lucas expected Uncle Cheng to look like a mandarin with a long coat of loose sleeves, a long beard with a few hairs and a braid longer than the beard. The man who opened the door however seemed quite ordinary and hardly would attract any attention in Buenos Aires, which already had an oriental population of some importance. However, as the conversation of the three moved from mundane matters that followed the introduction of Lucas to other issues, the boy started changing his assessment and understanding the reasons for the attention Cheng´s opinions received in the girl´s family and in the Chinese community at large.

Nancy lead the conversation to what really interested her.

“Uncle, I told Lucas that I am your disciple and that you are introducing me in the knowledge that the I Ching provides. I would like to ask you to broadly explain to Lucas what it is about.” The boy noticed the respectful tone in which she spoke to her relative. The overall environment ended up getting the young man, unaccustomed to ceremonial and formal relationships.

While he was serving tea -Nancy had anticipated Lucas that Uncle Cheng was a bachelor- the old man started giving an introductory explanation to benefit primarily Lucas.

“The I Ching or Book of Changes is an integral part of the Chinese culture, such as Taoism and Confucianism, which base part of their thoughts precisely in the I Ching. So in the same way that those two are not only religions in the Western sense but the basic philosophy that nourishes this culture, the I Ching is not only an oracle but a system of knowledge or wisdom. These three pillars and some other minor traditions determine the actions and behaviors of the Chinese, at least the educated ones. Furthermore, the Book of Changes is the most famous piece of Chinese literary culture, and much of the Western understanding of this culture is based on the study of the I Ching.”

“Then a Westerner like me cannot understand what this wisdom is based upon, since I´m not part of that cultural world.” Said Lucas.

“ Do not believe that. A German as the great translator of the book Richard Wilhelm, the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung -who used it in his studies of synchronicity and archetypes- and the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges were scholars or at least advanced students of the I Ching. It is really not an impenetrable system and on the contrary the I Ching wants to be widely interpreted and used.” Lucas noticed that Cheng attributed intentions to I Ching, as if it were a human being; this characteristic would repeat over time.

“In the beginning, the I Ching was created in the Zhou period as an oracle…” Continued Cheng. “…So it was linked to divination, character that still unfortunately keeps at present and lowers it to the level of the Tarot. But gradually diverse philosophical texts were added forming the so-called Ten Wings that seek to provide a cosmic knowledge and its symbolic use has value as a source for making both moral and practical decisions. Ultimately the book serves to guide human behavior and actions in specific and complex issues, in which it is not easy to discern what is right and what is reprehensible, what course of action leads to the conservation and enhancement of the user´s prestige and welfare and what course of action leads to his discredit and ruin.”

“ I see you are talking of acquiring or retaining prestige and not power, fame or money.” Interrupted Lucas.

“ So it is.” Answered pleased the old man. “You must acquire prestige through your deeds and the rest will follow.”

“I see in my society very discredited people with a lot of power and money.” Insisted the boy.

“Indeed they have succeeded to obtain them, but surely they cannot retain them in the long term. Their ambition leads to discredit and finally to ruin.” Cheng´s tone was emphatic.

“ A key feature of the I Ching...” Continued Cheng.“ …is the notion of change or mutation, in fact, the book attempts to describe the situations and crossroads for which it is consulted as they are, but noting that in the next moment they have already begun to change in some of its components and therefore further consultation on the same subject will give at least partially different results, because the situation itself has evolved.”

At this point Nancy and Lucas were completely absorbed in the explanations; the boy even without realizing it had already begun to think along the furrows opened by the I Ching through Cheng´s exposure who perceived the changes produced by his words in his listeners.

At one point the old man realized that the brains of his young disciples had already absorbed enough for once, and decided to stop there and let the unconscious of each process and assimilate the teachings already given before proceeding. Imperceptibly he shifted the talk to other everyday issues and eventually offered another cup of tea, which he served the same following the usual ritual.

“These cups as well as the ones your niece Huan uses are very old and worn. What intrinsic value have they got?” Asked Lucas.

“The patina that covers them is a witness to our family history, as the cups have been with us for generations and it has required great care of them to allow fragile objects as porcelain come into our possession.”

Nancy and Lucas Cheng left the house when it was already dark. Approaching the scooter Lucas was dominated by an impulse and took the girl by the waist. He approached and bowed slightly to put their faces at the same height, then he put away the hair that covered part of her face; his lips got in contact and joined in a lingering kiss that filled them with pleasure. The breasts of both were close to each other and Lucas could feel the accelerated heart rate of the woman. Hormones began beating at the temples and the young man placed his left hand on the girl´s buttocks. She withdrew it gently and whispered into his ears.

“Do not force me to do something that I´m not ready for. I want to be ready when it happens.”

Lucas replied smiling “Well, I will treat you with the same delicacy that receives Uncle Cheng´s porcelain.”

Days after Nancy went to visit his uncle in the course of their usual meetings to discuss the Book of Changes. Cheng was slightly surprised that she came alone.

“Uncle.” The girl said with a rueful gesture . “I desire to apologize for the contradictory comments Lucas he made as he came here. He did not mean to be rude.”

“On the contrary, I interpret them as a sign of real interest. A system so alien to Western thought as the I Ching must overcome some obstacles at first.”

“It´s true that Lucas is very interested in your teachings and already told me that he wants to come back. I will ask him to behave with more respect.”

“In no way you do that. I am well aware that you have a real interest in him and that you are reciprocated. Westerners have highly developed critical thinking and Argentineans in particular become mavericks and rebels. But you must accept him as he is.”

“The truth is I´m a little puzzled.”

“What happens is that you have not had previous experience with deep Western culture, and you are under a culture shock. Look, if we really believe in the I Ching, why don´t you formulate an appropriate question to it?”

“You mean ask right now? And what would the question be?”

“What is the right way to introduce someone you are very interested in the wisdom of the Book of Changes itself? That is to say, we request the book to open the avenue leading to it.”

Nancy was ready to consult the oracle under the watchful eye of his teacher. Cheng brought the old Chinese coins with which he normally performed consultations, circular metal objects with a square hole in its center with front and back characters almost unreadable for use.

Nancy threw the coins in the form prescribed by the style that was already familiar to her; the result obtained was the hexagram marked 9, Hsiao Ch´u, called The Taming Power of the Small. Cheng made a sound of pleasure with his tongue.

“Very appropriate, my little Liang, very adequate.” When Nancy and Cheng were alone they spoke in Mandarin and the uncle called the young woman by her Chinese name. “Now please read me what´s the verdict according to the book.”

“ The Taming Power of the Small succeeds. Dense clouds, no rain from our western region. ”

“You know that in our tradition small is associated with the feminine. Note that in the hexagram, the upper trigram is Sun, gentle, wind, which are essentially feminine features, while the lower trigram Ch´ien represents the creative, the sky, that is to say the male principle. In this sign then the feminine ends imposing her criteria. Read me now the associated image.”

“ "The wind crosses the sky ... so the noble refines the outward form of nature."

“And how you interpret that, little Liang?”

“The woman blows on man ...”

“And what else?”

“And refines his nature and outdoor manners.”

“Very well. This is exactly the correct interpretation of the sign. Now, tell me how you adapt it to your specific question?”

“I must blow strongly on the person of my interest to achieve refining his nature.”

“Right. Now you have a mission that has been assigned personally to you by the I Ching. All you need to figure out now is how “to blow strongly on that person””