A-Level Creative Writing On My Master’s Old Home For Free Use

(Retelling the original story ‘My old Home’ by Lu Xun using Jun-tu’s perspective)
This year the winter is back again with a whole new version of snowstorm made from the snow and memories of the good old days. The New Year eve is approaching and I am still worried to get a grasp of some steady money resource for ensuring a full meal for my family of seven, including myself. Suddenly, my fifth, Shui-sheng came running to me and asked if he was going out with me.
“You and I will be going to visit my master Hsun’s old home today and we will try to see if he could be of some help to us”. I told Shui-sheng to keep him calm.
He was normally very shy and extremely reluctant to meet out a bunch of strangers but this visit was an opportunity for him to meet young master Hung-erh, who was the 8-years-old nephew of my master Hsun and also a companion for Shui-sheng on our visits to the old home.
“Ok, I will take a bunch of flowers to greet master Hung-erh today daddy”. Shui-sheng said that with extreme excitement.
His words reminded me of my childhood days with Master Hsun when my father used to serve as a part-timer laborer for their family during the New Year eve. I was generally asked to accompany my father to the place where their family used to perform the celebrations. As I was very shy in my childhood in the company of strangers, master Hsun was my first ever companion in that house. I still remember the first day when I was taken to his home by my father and he left me in the kitchen and went along to some work.
“HeyHi, I am Hsun..It is so good to see you here my friend.I have heard from my mother that we are almost of same age. Would you like to play with me around, I really don’t have any company around here”? These words by master Hsun, as he came near me, staring my face and the necklet, seemed very comforting to me and I almost forgot that he was my master’s son. We eventually developed a great bond. In fact, I never addressed him as master Hsun and nobody other than my father ever objected to it.
“You can play with him till he pleases but do not forget that he is our master’s son”, once my father told me these words. But I ignored them and felt quite relaxed in having his company.
“Jun-to, why you have such a peculiar name and what is its meaning”, Hsun asked me as we were playing around his home.
I was puzzled by this question too and we immediately went to my father to seek an answer. He told us that I was born in the intercalary month and my horoscope was found lacking in the five elements of earth. Therefore, he named me Jun-to which implies ‘intercalary earth’.
He also explained it to us that because of this flaw in my horoscope, I was asked to wear a silver necklet that was meant to astrologically compensate for the lacking earth elements and avoid him from dying by using the necklet as a medium for carrying the blessings of Buddha.
My experiences with Hsun were unique in terms of his ignorance about my side of the world. He used to acknowledge the facts and happenings of my world with great curiosity.
“Jun-to, can you catch some birds from me. I have heard that you and your folks are capable of catching birds with extreme ease”. This was another point of curiosity for Hsun.
I explained to him that although I was very well aware of how to catch them, the season was not an appropriate for this task. The best way of catching the birds was the snow season as it was easy to make a patch of land visible from above by clearing the snow covering the land. Then a big threshing basket was supposed to be kept in the patch with husk grains scattered all over its floor. The basket’s flap was attached to a stick by using a stick. Finally, when the birds came to pick the grains, they could be easily trapped into the basket by a slight push of the stick.
“That seems really exciting Jun-to. I will wait for the heavy snowfall season when you will teach me to catch birds. I really want to have a few birds as my pet”. Hsun used to say with a spark in his eyes.
“Hsun, you should really not try going out in that cold. But you can definitely come to our place in summers and I can teach you how to pick sea-shells. There are different types of them and have beautiful colors like red and green. They even exist in different shapes like the devil scaring shells and those having the shape of Buddha’s hands. Further, once you are there, you can also have an experience of our daily trip at the watermelon farms”.
He was so fascinated with the topic of watermelon farms and used to ask me about what precautions and issues were to be managed related to the watermelon farms.
“Hsun, have you ever heard about the threats to watermelons in their farms. We have a small farm of watermelon harvest and they are bugged by zhas”. I told Hsun once.
“Zhas!! What is a Zha, I have never heard of anything like that before. Explain this to me in detail”. Hsun asked me with extreme curiosity in his eyes.
“Zhas are small animals that enter the watermelon farm and tend to destroy them. They need to be warded off by using a steel pitchfork. But these animals are so cunning that once caught, they run back to the attacker and run back to him for intimidating him. However, in order to save themselves, they run right between the legs of humans and escape”. My explanation regarding our usual interaction with zhas was very interesting topic for him, always.
“What other dangers exist for the watermelons and how do you manage with them?”. Hsun asked me this question again.
“Apart from these, you should be very cautious about the hedgehogs and badgers as well. These are more dangerous threats to the watermelons because they can cause more damage to us a well. Apart from these, our people are really not bothered about the passengers who pick watermelons when they are thirsty”. I told him once.
“I understood it all but am still confused about the appearance of a zha in reality. I wonder how a zha might look like in reality”. Hsun was still not getting over with the topic of zha.
“A zha is a small sized animal with very sharp teeth, good speed, and extremely fierce nature. You always need a pitchfork in your hands before you go looking out for them”. I told him recklessly.
“Ok, so I assume that a zha might be similar to a small sized dog with very fierce nature and strong inclination towards watermelons”. Hsun was still far from assessing the actual visual of a zha but I nodded in response so as to get over with the topic.
I wondered why Hsun found my company so interesting when he had a whole lot of rich friends like him. Instead of spending time with them, he used to wait for me and we used to spend hours talking about the experiences me and my people had while managing our maritime ventures and farming.
Apart from these topics, there were all other natural features which were extremely interesting for him while I felt very normal talking about them. All I felt while discussing those topics was the response of very good listening by Hsun and his eagerness to know more about my life.
“Jun-to, I really feel excited about going to the sea shore with you and seeing those multi-colored seashells someday. I had no idea about what risks were born by the farmers who used to grow watermelons because I never came across their story while seeing them at the grocery stores”. Hsun was really fascinated with my world and all the happenings that were a part of it.
Amidst all these good times we spent together, it was very shocking to know one day that my father’s part-time job at their home was over and we were supposed to go back until the next season. One month was over after the New Year eve and I was supposed to return back with my father. I saw Husn that morning as he came sobbing to me.
“Jun-to, I don’t want you to leave this place. We still need a lot to do together like catching fish, birds , and seashells. But I saw your father looking for you to get you along. Please try to convince him and stay here. I am going to talk to my parents too”. He was all tears and I could barely understand everything but it was clear that I had to go back now.
As my father was looking for me, I decided to hide between the stores barrels in the kitchen and turned a deaf ear to all the calls my father made looking for me around the house. Finally, I was spotted and he dragged me out on his shoulders.
Going away, I saw Hsun crying and requesting his parents but it was all in vain. We separated at that point of time and then he went away with his studies and career prospects. I used to ask his mother regarding his return and she gave vague dates in reply as she wasn’t herself sure about his return to his old home.
“Daddy, shall we go to Hung-erh’s place”. Shui-sheng almost broke my world of memories related to Hsun and we decided to go to the old home. In response to my last letter, Hsun’s mother told me that he will be coming for a final goodbye to the place as they were relocating to his place. This was perhaps my last chance of visiting him and seeing his help as a friend.
“Daddy, you used to tell us that master Hsun was your childhood friend. Is he really coming to meet you?” Shui-sheng’s words almost caught my attention and gave a rude shock to my senses.
‘Master Hsun’, I never called him these words as for me Hsun was always my friend and his father was my master. However, I realized that since his father was no more and he was the one making all the decisions for his clan and his old home, definitely he ought to be my master now.
This incident shook my whole world and randomized all my thoughts and feelings which I wanted to share with him when we will meet. I started even wondering whether he would recognize me after such a long span of time.
“As Hsun had almost forgotten his old home for twenty years now, it was probably obvious that he must have forgotten his childhood days and me as well. I should not make the mistake of not addressing him as ‘Master Hsun’ and be in my limits of servitude.” I thought this as a conclusion for my dilemma as we entered the gardens of the old home.
As we walked in, I saw quite a different person than what I was expecting. Hsun was grown in not only the size but he looked a lot more matured and mannered than he was in our childhood days. Seeing him rather made me freeze and I couldn’t muster any courage to call him by his name.
Hsun stood there looking straight at my face. I thought of a suitable way of reminding him of our friendship but could not recollect the best one at the moment. I was too overjoyed to see him but equally distressed about my inability to remain the same old friend.
“Master!..”. This was all I could say to catch his attention. He seemed rather surprised to see me and gave a quick glance at my state in terms of stature and clothing. I felt more embarrassed. In order to avoid any more uneasiness, I brought Shui-sheng to the front and introduced him. Hsun gave a familiar expression on seeing him. It seemed as if he recollected my childhood in my son. Shui-sheng didn’t bow to him and I begged his pardon for the kid being so shy and awkward.
His mother came downstairs and I expressed my happiness for getting her letter regarding his arrival back in the place. Mother asked me to be not so formal.
“Were you people not the playmates earlier, why are you so formal then. You can still call him brother Hsun as before”. She probably said those words to break the widened social and economic gap between us.
Mother let Hsun’s nephew, Hung-erh to play with Shui-sheng and both of them went to play. Seeing them together reminded me of my own childhood days with Hsun at the same place. Quite surprisingly, things were mostly changed and yet same on some fronts till now. I handed him the packet of dried beans I have packed for the occasion as nothing else was easily available during the winters.
“So, Jun-to how are things going on in your life”. Hsun asked me this question as if he was trying to empathize with my current state.
I shook my head in despair, expressing the true misery which I was experiencing over the years. I explained to him that there were no fixed rules in the market regarding selling and trading practices. The powerful people like police, democrats, army, etc. all were looking for a chance to extort poor and helpless people. There were bad harvests and whatever things were somehow grown faced trouble in sales due to taxes and money problems. Not selling the grown crops was a bigger problem anyhow.
In our discussion regarding my state, I gradually started feeling the old vibe that existed between us. As the discussion continued, I expressed more of my concerns and explained my bad situation. I also told them that we would go back the next day and that I and Shui-sheng were hungry since the morning.
“Jun-to you should go to the kitchen and fry some rice for yourself and Shui-sheng.” The mother said after she heard the entire discussion.
As we went inside I overheard Hsun and mother discussing how bad was my situation in terms of getting exploited by all the established powers in the society. They came to a conclusion regarding the things that they were not going to take away with them should be given to me.
“So, Jun-to you can pick any or all of this furniture as we do not need them anymore.” Said Hsun and he pointed towards a set of the furniture. I chose two tables, four chairs, a few candles, and a balance. I also asked and collected the ash heap from their stove as well as that was used to improve the fertility of sandy soil at my place.
I and Hsun had more of casual conversation later that night and I decided not to discuss any other hardships of my life. Hsun really enjoyed talking to me after a long time and we kept discussing things until we dozed off. The next morning I went back with Shui-sheng with a promise that I will be returning after nine days when they will be finally leaving the place.
“Daddy, nine days are over today and we should go to Hung-erh’s place today. He has called for me specifically to meet him before they leave forever”. Shui-sheng said to me in an eager voice.
I knew that things might get uneasy for Shui-sheng quite similar to the way they did for me 20 years ago. So, I decided to take my little daughter along as I took my boat to the old house. Hsun and mother were almost occupied for the day as many visitors came and went by. The day was quite hectic until finally the moment of grand farewell came again for me and Hsun. Hsun, mother and Hung-erh were all set to leave forever and I was there, left again in my world.
After their images went hazy in the waters I drove back to my place and gave a good hug Shui-sheng who was asleep. I really felt happy seeing that my best friend’s wishes were all fulfilled.