Stolen Treasures

All these days and nights while I’ve been thinking, I have also been listening. The bustling sounds of China are almost impossible to ignore. The horses, the people, not to mention, the smells. My mother’s cooking, the fishermen next door, and some other not so pleasant odors. I’m not quite sure what sparked my thinking, but something did, and now I’m here looking at this thing I’ve made.

“Lihua, you better not be working on that gadget of yours, especially when your husband is expecting dinner!” 

My thoughts were abruptly disrupted by my dear mother. In 627, my role as a human is to respect my husband, and cook. Oh, and birth many strong sons. But I’ve always been curious, there’s no helping that and I must act on my curiosity. I think that is the real reason I have this “gadget” in my basement.

“Coming mother” I said, very exasperated.

As I climbed the stairs to the kitchen, my mind was racing. Well, I thought it takes ink, and stamps words. A word stamper? No. Thats a very foolish name. Hmm. What about printer? I know, Wood block printer. I dashed back down the stairs and titled my blueprints “Wood-Block Printer” and smiled at the prototype next to me.

“Lihua!” a gruff voice shouted my name. Gao was home...

I ran up and smiled brightly, feigning innocence.

“What were you doing down there? I want my dinner!” he growled “ After a long day of work, I deserve food. That is why my family chose you! I need a wife who will heed my every order and not run off and do unlady like things” I sighed and started cooking.

“Oh mother! I want to build and learn! Not cook!” 

She sniffled “I know dear,” she stirred a boiling pot of noodles, “we have about 30 minutes before these are finished. Why don’t you show me how your device works?”

I grinned. My little old traditional mother wants to see my “new-fangled gadget”!

“I call it… the Wood-Block Printer! It works like this, you take this piece of wood, that has this image carved away, so that it is sticking up, roll ink over it, then stamp it on to a piece of paper. Then, you have this image on your paper. You can also carve characters on the wood, then line it up to make words and you will get sentences on your paper.” My mothers eyes were wide

“I have never seen anything like this!” I smiled,

“Oh Mother-”

“Wife! We are out of my favorite tea! Fetch it from the market NOW!” Gao shouted. “Yes dear” I grabbed my hemp cloak and rushed to the market. Once I was there I bought one pouch of Gaos favorite tea, Jasmine. There were booths selling meat, vegetables, even portraits of our emperor, Taizong, for people to hang in their houses. The newest inventions, compasses, gunpowder, and steel, were up front and center field, because everybody loved these sensational inventions.All the women had painted dai onto their eyebrows, and dark yellow on their foreheads.I have always thought this practice of painting oneself was distasteful, and costed too many yuan. I returned as quickly as I could because it was very cold outside.

When I arrived at home, I heard sobbing.

“Mama! What is wrong?” I cried “Gao… he… he, stole your printer” I was crestfallen, How could this happen? I thought He didn't even know about it. “I tried to stop him,” she touched her cheek, it was red and swollen. He struck her! I surged with anger

“How?-” I stuttered 

“He said he knew you were up to something because you were spending all this time in the basement and I guess he thought that he could get a profit from your invention” Mama explained.

We walked to the basement, tears streamed down my face. A sheet of paper floated to the ground. I snatched it up.

“My blueprints!” I cried. 

“What difference does that make?” Mama asked. “I can prove that the invention belongs to me now!” I said, ecstatic.

“I know what to do!” she said, “You can wear your father’s old clothes, and chase after him! I bet he went down to the market to sell it. Not the Silk Road, because he probably wants money, not to trade it.” 

“Why must I dress as a man?” I asked, 

“Because dear, no one will give you a second glance, much less believe you, if they know you are a woman.”

Mama and I prepared for the next day by hemming my fathers clothes, so their bulky size would come close to fitting my slim body. Mother told me,

“You musn’t tell a soul about any of this, execution is the punishment for impersonating.” “Yes,” I started, “but must I keep up this act for forever?”

“Perhaps, dear, but it would be a small price to pay for the fame and fortune you would get for your glorious invention”

“Yes, but- nevermind” I stopped talking, not wanting to disappoint Mama.

So I spent several days at the market trying to think of a way to convince these people, that I was Gao’s brother, Lee, and the invention truly was mine. Then suddenly I had an idea!

“Gao dear brother, why don’t you show us where your blueprints are, I would really love to see, what great mechanical engineering spurred this great invention.”

“Well, I er… don’t exactly have them….” Gao sputtered. “And why is that, because you forgot to take them from my house when you stole the invention?!” Everyone gasped.

A villager ran up to see my blueprints, 

“But wait, these prints say ‘Lihua’, thats a woman’s name and you’re no woman” 

 I’m going to have to reveal myself! But this is better than dying as an unknown housewife!

“I am a woman! And Lihua is my name, and this scoundrel,” I pointed to Gao, “Can vouch for me, because he is my husband!” 

Everyone growled, but this unveiling, had the opposite effect of what I expected, they were angry at Gao!

I was in the imperial palace explaining to mother, that I would not got into any trouble, as long as I sold the printer to the emperor, for five thousand yuan. I would get into no trouble with my illegal impersonation. The reason they spared me, was because Gao dishonored his family, because he stole, especially from a “less capable” person. Well it was fine with me! Gao’s next stop was Prison!