Peacock Tomb and Liujiashan

　　The Peacock Tomb is situated at the confluence of the Mei River and the Wan River, fifteen li southeast of Qianshan County at the border between Qianshan and Huaining counties, in Xiaoligang, Huaining County. Passing through the old street of Xiaoligang and reaching the new street, one can soon spot the turtle-shaped Peacock Tomb. Although a grain storage warehouse of the Xiaoligang Grain Station has been built here, the landform still retains the features of an ancient tomb. Two li further southeast from here lies Liujiashan, the hometown of Liu Lanzhi, the heroine of China’s first long narrative poem, “The Peacock Flies Southeast.”

　　In Liujiashan, clusters of village houses are tucked among green trees and bamboo. Not far in front of the village is a pond overgrown with bulrushes. Legend has it that Liu Lanzhi drowned herself here. Generations of residents here know that Liu Lanzhi’s elder brother, Liu Da, ran a tavern in Xiaoligang — a slick-talking, opportunistic ruffian. Three or four li farther on stands a stone bridge, known as Lanqi Bridge, referenced in the poem as the place where she “lingered every five li.” Some local elders not only know the story of Liu Lanzhi but also pass down many legends and customs related to “The Peacock Flies Southeast.” For example, a cruel mother-in-law who torments her daughter-in-law is called “Jiao Bacha”; a lazy, good-for-nothing man is called “Liu Da”; a suffering daughter-in-law is referred to as “Kuzhizi”; and a clever, dexterous young girl is called “Qiaojie’er.” On every Mid-Autumn Festival night in August, a needle-threading competition is held under the moonlight. An elderly woman of high esteem acts as the judge — the fastest threader is called “Qiaojie,” and the slowest is called “Zhenshimei.” It is said that Liu Lanzhi was once honored as Qiaojie in one such competition. The line in the poem, “On the seventh and the nineteenth, let’s not forget our games,” refers to this story.