Cheng, whose name means “long journey” in Chinese, lived in a small village in the Zhejiang province. Primarily a hilly province, valleys and fields were found along the coastlines and rivers.
Cheng was a poor man who lived in an ancient dwelling, made of mud and clay. Despite the fact that his dwelling was simple, Cheng had adorned the walls with some poems he had written when the Muses visited him.
Cheng also had a small farm. Here, he grew vegetables to sell at the bazaar. He had a donkey, Natusi, that stayed with him. Cheng was poor but got by.
One day, Cheng had an idea. “I’ll buy saffron and sell it to traders who travel the Silk Road. I will make a lot of money.” He knew saffron was considered the costliest of medicinal plants, a premium spice, and the best dye that yielded a yellowish-golden color.
Cheng and his donkey made their way to the Silk Road to buy saffron. Upon arriving, he met a merchant named Fan who insisted he sold only the best saffron. Fan explained, “I have traveled long and hard to find the best saffron. This saffron comes from Great Persia which produces the greatest saffron.” Fan said, “I will sell it to you for a bargain price.”
Cheng was excited and bought all the saffron. The next day, he set up a stand to sell his saffron, but no one would buy it.
Suddenly, a provincial official, Yanghou, came and wanted to buy saffron. He looked at the saffron and told Cheng, “You are selling fraudulent saffron. This is a serious crime.” Cheng cried and cried, trying to tell the official he had no idea. Yet, Yanghou dragged Cheng to prison. Cheng said, “I bought it from a merchant.” Yanghou did not believe Cheng and put him in a detention cell where he wept and wailed.
Biso, a good demon, heard Cheng’s wails and came to his detention cell. Biso listened to Cheng’s story and promised to help. That night, Biso visited the official in his home and, scratching his ear, he whispered, “You have put an innocent man in prison.” Yanghou was shocked and said, “If this is true, we must make repairs.”
Yanghou and Biso hurried to the detention cell where Cheng was. He had become gaunt and was still weeping. Biso picked him up and told him to tell the official only the truth. Cheng told his story: he had come to the market to purchase saffron, and he found a merchant who had sold him the fraudulent saffron. Yanghou asked if he remembered if the merchant had any prominent markings. Cheng told him he recalled a sun blemish on his face.
Yanghou screamed, “Fan caught you.” He immediately dispatched police to find the merchant and to put him in jail. The official ordered Cheng’s release and paid him some Chinese money as compensation for being in prison. Yanghou explained to Cheng how to identify fake saffron, "Fake saffron sold in bulk, sells cheaply. The original saffron is high in cost and comes closed in a box with a wax seal. Fake saffron is great in thickness compared to original saffron. I know that you didn't know this."
The official asked Cheng, “What is your profession?" Cheng answered, “I have a farm, but the living is hard." Yanghou asked Cheng, "What hobby do you have?" Cheng answered: "I like to write poems." The official thought and told Cheng, "I am inviting you to be my poet."
I will give you a home where you can write poems. Once a week, you will hold a cultural meeting of Poets and Philosophers. These meetings developed and many great people came to participate in them.
One day, Yanghou told Cheng, “I see you are a good man, clever. I will give you my daughter to marry. Cheng answered, "I can't. I am a simple man, and you are leader of the region." The official answered,
“God makes the connection between people."
The wedding took place with many cultured people and leaders. Cheng and his wife, White Wing, live until this day in the same small village in Zhejiang. They have one daughter Blue Moon.
My reader, if you will come to the province of Zhejiang, please come to The Cultural Center.
Bio.
Isaac Cohen is an international poet. His poems were translated into many languages. His work has been published in many anthologies and literary periodicals. He has received several prizes for his works.