Yangzong's family was also poor shepherds and their family's financial situation was far worse than Acuo's. Several years ago her father had left to drive horses for a caravan which encountered bandits. They had not heard any news since, and now Yangzong and her mother depended on each other for survival.
Yangzong's whole body was wrapped up so tightly so that only her eyes were visible. She handed Acuo a still-warm roast potato. It appeared that she had been keeping it warm in her bosom.
"Here, Acuo." Every time they were on the pasture, Yangzong always gave Acuo a little something, a piece of curd cheese, a lump of tsampa[5] or a handful of wild fruit. Acuo didn't know where Yangzong got this food, only that he only needed to see Yangzong's yak herd and his stomach could not help but rumbled. "Yangzong, you should eat." Yangzong licked her dry lips, "I've eaten, Acuo."
Yangzong watched as Acuo finished eating the roast potato and then said, "I'm going over to the mountainside. Acuo, you need to be more careful."
"Yangzong, why don't you stay here?"
"The grass here isn't enough. You have your sheep eat it. Acuo, when I leave, I'll come over and call you."
Acuo looked on helplessly as Yangzong led her herd away. If Yangzong wasn't here, then he would feel like he was the only human in this vast plain. He would be scared, cold, hungry, sleepy …
There were a few eagles soaring between the mountains and the pastures and they seemed to be the only living animals between heaven and earth as they glided proudly in the heights. The wings of an eagle were powerful and strong, and the opened feathers were both soft and solid. It appeared that they wanted to rise to the heavens and block out the sun. Their talons tucked up against their stomach were like sharp steel hooks, ready at any moment to take something into their claws. In this desolate pastureland, what would they seize as food?
The eagles had finally found their prey for today. Moreover, they did not see any shepherds or dogs around the flock. This meant that they were able to mount an attack on the unguarded flock at will.
The eagles swooped down one by one, using their sturdy and powerful talons to grab at the helpless lambs before whistling away. As light as a dragonfly skimming the surface of water, like a horse galloping over flowers, in an instant they finished the slaughter. The lambs were startled and fled in all four directions, but their opponents were in the sky. The eagles swept up to the top of the mountain and dropped the lambs they held, dashing them against the rocks. They then flew back to continue the slaughter.
There were some eagles that actually became tired, so that after they grabbed the lamb they did not fly high again, but engaged in a furious, lopsided battle. This was perhaps both the most difficult and the happiest flight of the eagle's life.
One by one the lambs were borne up into the sky and still the shepherd boy was at that moment in a sheltered mountain cave, clutching a sheep and sleeping sweetly. By the time poor Acuo was startled awake by the pitiful cries of the lambs, seven or eight had already been taken from the pastures. He saw the final lamb in the eagle's talons, its four hooves frantically pedalling and kicking, as if it were about to step on the white cloud which hung so near to it.
"Buddha …" Acuo's mouth hung open with shock. He looked up to the sky, at the black dots growing ever smaller and asked helplessly, "Are you really sent by the spirits in the mountains?"
Just then, Yangzong came rushing over from the mountain slopes, "Acuo, what are you doing?"
Acuo gazed at her blankly, "I …was sleeping." Tears flowed down his dry, cracked cheeks.
Yangzong removed her worn headscarf and helped him wipe away the tearstains on his face. "Let's go back, and ask the master to show mercy. I'll come with you."
It was still long before sundown. Acuo herded the sheep back into Headman Wangzhu's pen. He already knew what would be waiting for him, but Yangzong was beside him and so he did not feel too scared.
Headman Wangzhu was still playing Tibetan cards with a few guests and he was a little surprised to see Acuo standing in the door. "The sun is still so high, so why are you standing there looking as thick as a block of wood?"
"Master, a few lambs … flew into the sky," Acuo replied.
"Were they blown away by the wind?" Headman Wangzhu asked.
"No."
"Ah, so the lambs grew wings?" The headman shouted this question.
"They were eaten by eagles," said Acuo, timidly.
Headman Wangzhu stood up, fixed his gaze on Acuo for a few seconds and then threw his cards on the table in a savage movement and shouted, "My whip!"
Yangzong then flashed out from behind Acuo, and all of a sudden knelt in front of Headman Wangzhu, "Master, I beg you, show some mercy. If eagles wish to eat the lambs, then there is nothing to be done. Master, I beg you to spare him."
"Where did you come from, miserable wretch? Go away!" Wangzhu kicked at her, his foot missing her by inches.
A servant handed the headman a cattle whip, and then helped him pull Acuo into the compound, saying, "Get down on the ground, Acuo. Eagles fed on Master's lambs, so Master's whip will feed on your flesh."
Acuo lay on the ground and his trousers were slipped down, exposing his dark, thin behind. The cattle whip was brandished in the air, and then with a sharp whistling sound hit Acuo's buttocks. It was like the fangs of a wolf, bite after bite scraping over the top of Acuo's heart. But Acuo did not cry out nor did he weep. The strange thing is that it appeared that the whip wasn't striking his body, but was hitting a smooth stone; there was only the sound of its whistling and no splash of flesh or blood. This made Wangzhu even angrier and his blows became increasingly fierce.
As Headman Wangzhu reached over 20 blows with the whip, a figure fell onto their knees with a "splatter" in front of him and said, "Master, Master, I beg you do not hit him. The child is still young, I beg you. Master, if you want to hit somebody, strike me!"