Chapter 1

The miserly woman had never doubted the promises made to her, nor had she considered that one day he might change his heart and abandon her. Although her father always opposed their relationship, constantly striking the ground with his cane and scolding her, saying: "All outsiders are untrustworthy! He might spend his whole life as a lowly farmer, making you suffer alongside him, or he might truly become a shaman, and at that time, he will surely abandon you!"

"1. '啬' refers to harvesting, specifically the management of grain harvests by minor officials known as '啬正'."

The wish of the woman of modest means is that her desires may be fulfilled. This is not only a beautiful blessing for her beloved to realize his ideals and ambitions, but also a hope for the opportunity to change her impoverished life. He once embraced her so tenderly, expressing his deep love with heartfelt words, promising: "I will definitely marry you and make you my wife; I will bring you a life of abundance and health!" If he finally achieves his wish and becomes a shaman, even if only the lowest-ranking shaman, she, as his wife, would surely be free from worries about food and clothing. He once embraced her so tenderly, expressing his deep love with heartfelt words, promising: "I will definitely marry you and make you my wife; I will bring you a life of abundance and health!" If he finally achieves his wish and becomes a shaman, even if only the lowest-ranking shaman, she, as his wife, would surely be free from worries about food and clothing.

However, one day, Lai left the village without any prior indication or notification to the Se woman, quietly departing. That night by the river, the Se woman waited alone by the banks of the Qi River, feeling an unprecedented sense of disappointment and worry for the first time, her heart aching so much that she almost fell into the surging waters of the Qi. She consoled herself, thinking that Lai had quietly left out of fear of the sorrow before their separation, afraid to see her lover's tears. Although this explanation was not entirely reasonable, it barely provided her with a glimmer of hope and courage to continue living

The meeting before parting grows increasingly tender and poignant. The girl would sneak out of her home almost every night to embrace her lover by the banks of the Qishui River. Despite facing her father's scoldings and even beatings, she remained undaunted. The Qishui flows endlessly; can their love also remain eternal like the river? The girl firmly believes this, as does her lover, for they are still young and have yet to experience the vicissitudes and helplessness of life.

The girl of the Se is filled with a glimmer of hope, yet there is also a faint sense of unease. She is not afraid of going and not returning, of forgetting herself; she is merely concerned about how to spend this lonely winter during her stay in the Great Chen. He holds her tightly in his arms, comforting and assuring his beloved in the most steadfast and reliable tone: "Becoming a disciple is merely a formality; I have already learned all the characters and will soon become a true shaman. At that time, I will send someone—yes, by then I will surely have servants to send—I will send someone to come and marry you. Do not be sad or cry, my dearest Se girl. When spring arrives and flowers bloom, we will be able to embrace each other once more and truly become a couple that will never be separated!" Do not be sad or cry, my dearest Se girl. When spring arrives and flowers bloom, we will be able to embrace each other once more and truly become a couple that will never be separated!

The territory ruled by the Shang Dynasty is divided into "internal governance" and "external governance"; the former is directly administered by the royal family, while the latter is granted to feudal lords.

However, he never appeared again, not even when the promised spring arrived. The following spring, due to unforeseen changes and disasters, the frugal woman was also forced to leave this barren village. ... The reunion of these lovers occurred a full seven years later ...

"5 'Wu' refers to a priest, 'Yin' is a senior official, 'Chen' is an internal official of the royal family, and 'Shi' is an elder of the royal clan"

After Ban Geng forcibly relocated to the current capital, intermarriage between the various tribes and the Xia was officially permitted. Although secret unions had occurred frequently before, Ban Geng and the scholars had no choice but to accept this established fact. Moreover, due to the relocation of the capital, there was significant unrest among the tribes. It is said that Ban Geng, including the shaman, Yin, ministers, and teachers, killed many high-ranking officials of his own clan, and the Jishui River was stained red with blood. If he did not quickly win over the Xia, he would be unable to consolidate his position and power. Although the intermarriage between the tribes and the Xia was legally recognized, not everyone regarded it as a matter of course. Many tribespeople wished to maintain the purity of their bloodlines, and many Xia people, who had been ruled for many years and whose glory had faded, were also unwilling to allow their descendants to mix with the blood of other tribes. The father of the girl from the Se tribe held such views, creating yet another insurmountable obstacle between the young lovers deeply immersed in their affection.

"2 'Yi' generally refers to the ancient Eastern ethnic groups, distinguishing them from the Xia people who originally inhabited the Central Plains"

However, he does not hold much hope for regaining his rightful position on a certain day, nor is he willing to resign himself to dying in this remote and impoverished place by the Qishui River. Although this location is only about one hundred miles in a straight line from the royal capital, the barren land is neither suitable for farming nor for livestock, being the only inferior land surrounded by the wealthy inner provinces. His aspiration is to become a mid-level shaman alongside the books, as the higher positions are monopolized by the three hereditary clans of diviners, historians, and priests. Every day after returning from work, he takes advantage of the remaining daylight to read and practice writing. "One day, my talents will be discovered by the shamans," he said to the priestess, "In two years, no, perhaps one year will be enough. Once I have learned all the characters, I will go to the royal capital and seek apprenticeship under a certain shaman..."

Time passes swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, we have arrived at the twenty-ninth year of the current king's reign. He has learned all the characters and has become quite proficient in the art of engraving on tortoise shells and ox bones—though he cannot afford genuine tortoise plastrons and ox scapulae. He has been saving provisions and preparing his belongings, deciding to take advantage of the winter farming lull to travel to the royal capital to fulfill his aspirations, seeking to become a disciple of a shaman and step into the ranks of the supplicants.

She is without a name, yet she has a surname, which indicates that her lineage is relatively noble—although she does not know how to write that character. Of course, perhaps noble lineage holds no significance for her, as it neither guarantees her daily sustenance nor ensures that she can marry into a good family in the future. She and the father of *Tu* *Shu* once served as the clan's steward in their youth (though it is indeed somewhat strange to have a steward in such a barren region), and thus she is habitually referred to by the villagers as "Stewardess".

He, who also claims to have no name, said: "Regardless of whether I can regain my rightful status in the future or die in this remote and impoverished place, having a name is meaningless." The woman did not understand the meaning of his words, and he seemed unwilling to elaborate further. Unlike other ethnic groups, he was originally an exiled outsider, and everyone had gotten used to calling him "Lai," which likely means: a person from outside.

However, true love is indifferent to worldly obstacles, or rather, it is like a blind person who cannot see the worldly hindrances at all. The girl always believes that as long as her sincerity is genuine, one day her father will accept her marriage to Lai. Although Lai is not as optimistic as his lover, he does not take his future father-in-law's opposition to heart. "As long as I become a shaman, I will have the right to choose my own wife within the limits of the law," he reassured the girl, saying, "Your father is merely a retired shaman; how can he go against my wishes?" Although Lai is not as optimistic as his lover, he does not take his future father-in-law's opposition to heart. "As long as I become a shaman, I will have the right to choose my own wife within the limits of the law," he reassured the girl, saying, "Your father is merely a retired shaman; how can he go against my wishes?"

The meaning of "4 'Zhen'" is diviner