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typical-simplelove · 4 years ago

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Part Three: Mooncakes (T. Jost)

Part Three to Red Envelopes, Dragon Boats, and Mooncakes; a Tyson Jost fic.

Series Masterlist (please read the note at the beginning of the Masterlist if you haven’t already, thanks!)

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Summary: Kayla and Tyson spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with Kayla’s family.

Author’s Note: Here it is! The final! I hope that you’ve enjoyed reading this series thus far. Let me know if you want mini-blurbs? Again, I have somethings linked here and the Pinterest board is linked above for your help! Please, let me know what you thought and thank you for reading!

Word Count: 3.2k

Warnings: Once again, no climax. However, here are the warnings: mentions of death, being Chinese, Chinese holidays, eating meat, very, very, very small insinuation to sex.

Before the Mid-Autumn Fesitval

After the amazing summer that Tyson and Kayla had, it was back to Colorado for the new hockey season. Lining up close to the hockey season was the Mid-Autumn Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival landed at the end of September and was the second most grand and important holiday in the Chinese Lunar calendar. Unlike the Dragon Boat Festival, Kayla is able to go and have a family dinner, and Tyson will be joining them too.

“Look! Look what I found at the Chinese market!” Kayla exclaims whilst walking through the door.

“I’m not sure what it could be, babe.” Tyson responds genuinely confused.

“It’s mooncakes!! For the Mid-Autumn Festival coming up soon!” Kayla responds enthusiastically.

“Yeah? That’s exciting!” Tyson says. Another holiday? Tyson thinks in his head. How many are there?

“It is, we are going to my parents house for dinner that night.”

“Should we bring anything?”

“Just these mooncakes and a book I have about the Festival for Elizabeth that Charlotte asked me to bring.”

Tyson nods as Kayla walks by him, gives him a kiss on the forehead, and heads into the kitchen.

I have to find that book Kayla is talking about, Tyson thinks to himself.

Later that day when Kayla is taking a nap, Tyson was feverishly looking through the bookshelves in their shared apartment for what this book might be. The only problem is that Tyson has no idea what this book looks like or is about. Tyson has made it through the first shelf when he hears Kayla walking out of the bedroom when Tyson has to plant himself on the couch so he doesn’t look suspicious.

This is going to be a long process for Tyson to look for the book that Kayla was talking about.

…

During a team hangout at the Landeskog household, Tyson was feverishly typing and screenshotting on his phone. The constant sighs of frustration that left Tyson signaled to his teammates that something was not going well.

“Tyson, buddy, you good?” JT asks.

“No,” Tyson replied tersely but not explaining what was happening.

“Are you looking for a book?” Andre questions amusingly after looking over Tyson’s shoulder.

“Maybe,” Tyson replies, once again, not choosing to explain.

“Tyson, care to share what’s bothering you?” Gabe asks knowing that Tyson can’t say no to the captain.

“It’s the Mid-Autumn festival coming up and Kayla is supposed to bring a book for her niece to her parents house when we go over to celebrate. I feel bad because I don’t know much about the holidays that she celebrates so I want to find this book and read it so I know what the holiday is all about.” Tyson explains.

“So, what’s the problem?” Gabe says confused.

“I don’t know what the book looks like or what the title is. I’m going in blind here.”

“Why don’t you ask?”

“I don’t want Kayla having to explain everything to me. I should know things about her life, culture, and traditions.”

“I understand, but, this is her expertise, right? If you ask her, then you won’t be this frustrated.” Gabe tells Tyson as a voice of reason.

“I guess you’re right,” Tyson admits.

…

When Kayla came home from work that day, she was greeted with Tyson scanning the bookshelves in a very frustrated manner.

“Hey, Tys, babe?” Kayla asks cautiously. “What are you looking for?”

“That book,” Tyson replies tersely.

“What book are you talking about?”

“The one that you said that you are going to bring to read to your niece. I want to read it, too, so that I know what the holiday is about.”

“You could have just asked me. It’s also not quite about the holiday but a story.”

Tyson doesn’t respond. He is still fiercely staring at the bookshelf. Kayla walks over to him and wraps her arms around him. When Kayla does this, she feels Tyson relax in her embrace.

“Why don’t I tell you the story behind the Mid-Autumn Festival?” Kayla suggests.

“Why can’t I just read the book?”

“Because it’s written in Chinese.”

“Oh,” Tyson replies with defeat.

“How about I make some tea and we can sit on the couch and I’ll tell the story?”

Tyson nods. He wanted to surprise Kayla with the knowledge. However, he loved when Kayla took care of him and spoke to him. There was something about her voice that relaxed Tyson.

“Ok, the tea is ready. I thought, why not make Chinese tea and we can have a mooncake while we sit.”

“Oolong tea? From Chinese New Year?” Tyson asks eagerly not wanting to admit that he liked drinking that tea.

“No, not that tea. A different tea. It’s still a Chinese tea but I don’t know what it’s called. I only look for the packaging in the store to be the same as the tea we had growing up.” Kayla tells Tyson.

“So, you mean to tell me that you are giving me a tea that you don’t know what it's called or even what the ingredients are?”

“Maybe,” Kayla replies without meeting Tyson’s eye. “For what it’s worth, my mum doesn’t know what it’s called either and my grandmother only knows it in Chinese and the translation is something like beet root or licorice root. I can’t remember which one.”

“Just tell me the story, babe,” Tyson says with a chuckle trying to change the topic knowing Kayla was getting uncomfortable.

“The story is about a young, beautiful Chinese woman named Chang’e.” Kayla begins before Tyson interrupts her.

“Not as beautiful as you, though, Kayla.” Tyson says.

“Tyson, I’m trying to tell a story, here!” Kayla scoffs.

“Sorry, sorry, continue the story,” Tyson apologizes.

“Thank you. At the age of 18, Chang’e met Huo Yi, an archer. The pair became friends and later fell in love and got married. One day, instead of one sun rising from the sky, ten suns rose into the sky. The suns in the sky made it difficult for people to live and the heat was destroying the crops and resulting in widespread famine. Huo Yi, being the archer he was, shot nine of the suns out of the sky. To thank Huo Yi for his deeds, the goddess Xi Wang Mu gave Huo Yi an elixir of immortality. Huo Yi was conflicted on whether or not to take the elixir. Huo Yi only received one elixir which meant that his wife, Chang’e, wouldn’t be immortal, too. His decision was to hide the elixir, not take it, and not to tell Chang’e. Despite Huo Yi not telling her about the elixir, Chang’e knew about the elixir. One day, word reached Chang’e that an enemy of Huo Yi was going to steal the elixir and kill her husband. In order to save her husband, Chang’e took the elixir. When she drank the elixir, Chang’e did become immortal. However, because the elixir was not made for Chang’e, she floated up to the moon to where she precedes till this day. On the moon, Chang’e watched her husband grow old and die. To this day, Chang’e is still on the moon dreaming about when Huo Yi may join her again.”

Tyson doesn’t say anything for a few moments.

“Some other stories say that Chang’e took the elixir out of greed and floated to the moon to hide. Other stories say the Chang’e took the elixir and turned into an ugly toad. I prefer the version I told.” Kayla tells Tyson.

“Of course you prefer that version, my hopeless romantic girlfriend,” Tyson jokes. “What did Chang’e look like?”

“She was a very beautiful woman. She had long, silky black hair that shone in the moonlight. She had pale skin and lips the color of cherry blossoms. Chang’e was known throughout China for her beauty. Did you like the story?”

“Yeah! It was great! Do you have any other stories that you can share?”

“There are a few but not any for the Mid-Autumn Festival. How about, the next time these holidays roll around, I’ll tell the stories that come with them?”

“I’d like that a lot. And, one day, you can tell them to our children and grandchildren.”

“Slow down there, Tyson. If you want to put a baby in me, then you’re going to have to put a ring on my finger!” Kayla says.

“I can’t tell if you’re joking or not, Kayla,” Tyson says. Kayla doesn’t respond except for getting up, clearing the dishes, and giggling as she leaves the living room. “Kayla, that’s not an answer!”

Kayla only continues to giggle. “Kayla, I need an answer!”

“I’ll give you an answer. I love you as much as Chang’e loved, actually loves, Huo Yi.”

“That’s a great answer. Well, I love you as much as Huo Yi loved Chang’e.”

中秋節 (zhong qiu jie) - Mid Autumn Festival - September 21, 2021

“What normally happens when your family comes together for this holiday?” Tyson asks Kayla on the car ride to her parent’s house.

“Normally, we eat dinner and then go outside to drink tea, watch the moon, and eat moon cakes.”

“Is that all?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Nothing, I mean, I remember reading that this was the second most grand holiday. I just thought you guys did a lot of stuff for this holiday.”

“Yeah, no. We used to make mooncakes with my grandmother but we stopped when she got arthritis. She never officially taught anyone else to make them so we don’t and can’t. No one wanted to disappoint her so we just buy them now.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring back any bad memories.”

“Tys, it’s ok! Don’t worry. No bad memories. My mum always told her to teach Charlotte or me but my grandmother always said no. I think she wants the mooncakes to be something to bring us all together when she dies.”

“That’s kind of gory,” Tyson says with a shudder.

“I guess. I mean, we only get together for this holiday and the Dragon Boat festival because my grandmother wants us to. It’s hard. Everyone has jobs and lives that are hard to put on pause. I know my grandmother understands that. I think she wants to give us a reason to come together other than on Chinese New Year. If we have to come together to remember her by trying to recreate her mooncakes, then that will be it. I mean, the only reason we do a dinner or celebration on the Dragon Boat Festival is because of my grandfather.”

“What do you mean?” Tyson asks.

“What holidays people celebrate are different depending on where in China you come from. My grandfather and grandmother are from different parts of China. My grandfather grew up in a village in mainland China. In his village, the Dragon Boat Festival and Chinese New Year were the two biggest holidays. The rest kind of faded into the back. He grew up learning how to make sticky rice, which we made with your family. When he and my grandmother got married, the sticky rice was what he passed on to my mother and aunties. When they had kids, me and my sister and cousins, that is what he passed on to us. I use his recipe and techniques he taught us. My grandmother grew up in Taiwan and Hong Kong which emphasize more on Chinese New Year and the Mid-Autumn Festival. She grew up learning how to make dumplings and mooncakes. She passed on the dumplings but has yet to pass on the mooncakes.”

Kayla pauses allowing for Tyson to soak in all of the information she just spit out.

“Continue, Kayla.”

“The difference between my grandmother and grandfather is that my grandfather wanted to tell us everything. He told us the same stories over and over again. Every year we gathered to make the sticky rice, he would tell the same stories and tell us the techniques over and over again. My grandmother kind of does that. She did that with the dumplings but refuses to teach us anything about the mooncakes. My grandfather wanted us to have all of the information so we didn’t have to guess when he died. I think my grandmother wants us to have to guess so that we can remember her longer.” Kayla finishes her sentence with a short sniffle. Tyson reaches over and strokes her thigh.

“Whatever the reasons, I can tell you are doing your best to keep up the traditions and that’s what is the most important thing.”

“Yeah, thanks Tys.”

“Of course, my Chang’e.”

This gets a laugh out of Kayla. “Really, Tyson?”

“It made you laugh! That’s what I was trying to do!”

“Thank you.”

“Of course, Chang’e”

“Really?”

“It’s not going away, ever!”

. . .

“Tonight we are feasting like Huo Yi and Chang’e!” Charlotte exclaims from the kitchen. “We have hairy crabs, rice, tofu, cha siu (barbeque pork), and Peking duck.”

“I know they aren’t talking about you as Chang’e” Tyson whispers to Kayla. This gets an elbow in the ribs from Kayla.

“Uncle Tyson, do you know the story of Chang’e?” Elizabeth asks Tyson. This warms Kayla.

“I know it vaguely. Your Aunt Kayla told me a version of the story.” Tyson answers.

“Yee Yee, what version did you tell Uncle Tyson?” Elizabeth asks Kayla. [Yee Yee is aunt]

“The version where Chang’e fell in love with Huo Yi and Chang’e took the elixir to save Chang’e from death.” Kayla answers her niece.

“Boooo! That version sucks!”

“Elizabeth!” Charlotte scolds her daughter but gets a laugh out of everyone.

“Why don’t you tell me your version of the story then?” Tyson proposes.

“Ok! So, the basic part is all the same. Chang’e was a beautiful woman who fell in love with a really good archer named Huo Yi. When ten suns rose into the sky, Huo Yi used his arrow to shoot down nine of them. To thank him, Huo Yi received an immortality potion. Huo Yi decided not to use it so that he could be with his wife, Chang’e. He didn’t tell her he received it. However, Chang’e knew. Chang’e decided to take the potion herself and was turned into an ugly frog because of her selfishness never to be loved again. The end.”

“That’s a good version, Lizzie. But, I think Aunt Kayla’s version is better.” Tyson says.

“If you say so,” Elizabeth says unsure.

“Why don’t we eat and Po Po can tell her version of the story that she learned?” Kayla’s grandmother said.

Everyone agreed and once everyone had food on their plates and began taking their first few bites, Kayla’s grandmother began her version of the story.

“Chang’e was a poor girl working on her family’s farm. Despite being poor, Chang’e was one of the most beautiful women in the Kingdom. Everyone pitied her. They believed that if she had more money, she could marry a prince or emperor. One day, Chang’e’s life changed forever. She met Huo Yi, who proposed to her. Knowing that this was her chance to leave the poor life she only knew, she decided to accept Huo Yi’s marriage proposal. The event that changed the entire kingdom forever was when ten suns rose into the sky one morning instead of one sun. The immense heat killed many crops and famine spread. Deciding he had enough, Huo Yi used his archery skill and shot down nine of the suns. To thank him for his deeds, Huo Yi received a vial of immortality potion. Huo Yi opted not to use it so that he could be with his wife who wouldn’t be able to be immortal. Chang’e found out about the potion and decided to use it for herself. Chang’e was a greedy woman who always wanted more. When she took the potion, Chang’e floated up the moon and lost her beauty. The potion was not made for her and this is her consequence for taking it and being greedy. To this day, Chang’e sits on the moon reflecting on her mistakes.”

“So, Uncle Tyson, what version was your favorite?” Elizabeth asked, stirring the pot.

“All three of you have told very good stories. However, I have to say Kayla’s was best. I like the romantic ending to the story.”

Kayla smiled up at Tyson. Tyson and Kayla both missed the looks that the rest of the adults at the table gave each other.

“Yucky, ew, gross, stop being all lovey dovey.” Elizabeth shrieks.

This gets a laugh out of everyone.

When the meal was finished, everyone put on their jackets and moved outside. It was time for the final activity of the night and dessert -- mooncakes!

“As we sit outside, we will drink tea and eat mooncakes. We have four kinds of mooncakes, taro, red bean, egg yolk, and custard.” Judy explained.

“Which is your favorite, Kayla?” Tyson asks.

“My favorites are the taro and egg yolk. The custard is always very flaky and results in a tickle in my throat.” Kayla responds.

“What do you suggest I try first?”

“Why don’t we share? Cut them in half so that you can try all four?”

“That’s a good idea. Also, is this the tea from the other day or is it Oolong tea?” Tyson asks.

“Nope, this is a red tea. I’m not sure what it’s called but it is made from red tea leaves.”

“This tea is my favorite,” Kayla’s grandmother responds. “It’s not too sweet so it balances out with the sweetness of the mooncakes.”

“And now, we eat and drink and look at the moon.” Charlotte says.

Everyone looks up at the sky. The full moon was shining that night. There was no need for the back porch light to be on; the moonlight illuminated the table and everyone sitting there. Tyson looked over at Kayla and couldn’t help but smile.

“You know, with the moon shining on you, this is how I imagine Chang’e looking like. Her dark black hair shining in the moonlight and illuminating her cheek bones.”

“Yeah?” Kayla responds with a blush forming on her cheeks. Tyson just nods but the redness from his cheeks is evident.

“Wai Po Po, can you tell me what Wai Gong Gong always used to say about the moon?” Elizabeth says.

Kayla whispers into Tyson’s ear that Wai Gong Gong is Elizabeth’s great-grandfather or Kayla’s grandfather. Elizabeth is too young to have a tangible memory of what Gong Gong used to say. She wasn’t born yet. However, the amount of times that Kayla’s mother, grandmother, Charlotte, or Kayla have told her, it makes it seem like Gong Gong was alive in the past five or six years.

“He used to say that how much light the moon shines on the Mid-Autumn festival represents how much Chang’e’s love for Huo Yi overpowers her longing for him. Like your Aunt Kayla, Wai Gong Gong loved the romantic version of the story of Chang’e.” Kayla’s grandmother says.

“This means that she doesn’t miss Huo Yi that much tonight, right? She loves him so much that missing him is not a feeling.” Elizabeth replies enthusiastically.

“Yes, yes, that is right.” Kayla’s grandmother agrees.

The rest of the evening passed with drinking more tea and finishing the mooncakes.

During the past year of celebrating the Chinese holidays with Tyson, Kayla couldn’t help but wonder, can this be tradition? Can Kayla and Tyson be celebrating and honoring these traditions one day as a married couple, one day as parents, and hopefully, one day as grandparents?

Just one look at Tyson proved to Kayla that there are many years to come with traditions and holidays celebrating their first shared red envelopes, dragon boats, and mooncakes.

end

#hockey imagine #hockey fic #tyson jost imagine #tyson jost x reader #hockey fanfiction #nhl imagine #tyson jost #nhl fic #colorado avalanche imagine #colorado avalanche #chinese culture fic #mid-autumn festival #red envelopes dragon boats mooncakes #woc oc!#claudia writes

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agapaic · 4 years ago

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tianshan drabble. 💞 created for Fay @nightfayre following her matched donation to Communities United Against Police Brutality. see here for more information. thank you so much to @fantasiapegasus for proofreading! 🌸 synopsis: guan shan receives an unexpected birthday present.

‘We’ll be late,’ He Tian says, the reminder only a little impatient.

Guan Shan’s lip curls. ‘I’m not rushin’ anywhere,’ he says. ‘Not today.’

He Tian holds his hands up, like catching his fingers on a burner, and says nothing. He’d bought them both bubble tea from the café in the apartment’s lobby that morning, and now he watches Guan Shan finishing his, which is cold and sweet. Guan Shan gives it a shake. Small tapioca balls drift around at the bottom, the colour and shape of pomegranate seeds, strangely tacky on He Tian’s tongue when he accepts the proffered remnants of the cup and tips his head back. He Tian puts the empty cup on the side of the kitchen counter.

‘Now can we go?’

Guan Shan narrows his eyes. ‘You know I fuckin’ hate birthdays.’

‘I know.’

‘You know I fuckin’ hate bein’ told what to do.’

A wry smile. ‘I’m very intimate with the concept.’

‘Bein’ told what to do or me hatin’ it?’

He Tian says, ‘Yes.’ He hands Guan Shan a light jacket; the day will be warm, but the mornings are still cool, and He Tian had bought the jacket for Guan Shan’s twentieth birthday a few years ago and still admires its fit.

The café they’re going to for brunch doesn’t take bookings, but they’ve made an exception for He Tian, and Guan Shan’s mother will be meeting them there. Ordinarily, they would spend the morning fucking and He Tian would fetch a box of hot sweet bread and fresh baozi from a breakfast stall down the street. They would watch Li Ziqi on Weibo for half the day, pretending they were somewhere beautiful in Sichuan, and Guan Shan wouldn’t mind if He Tian got crumbs on the sheets.

‘We can go there,’ He Tian would say. ‘Right now—I’ll take you.’

And Guan Shan would explain, in his own way, that there was no real desire in him for it; the want was brief and insubstantial. He wanted to live Li Ziqi’s life like he wanted mushroom jiaozi instead of shrimp, a bland preference. He wouldn’t mind either way which he got.

Today, He Tian hasn’t allowed for the simple pleasure of sex and food. Today, after a year, he can offer something more. He checks his messages on his phone as they ride the elevator down to the lobby, and Qiu has sent him a thumbs-up emoji. They’re good to go. He Tian feels a little sick, and his smile feels warped on his lips when Guan Shan catches his eye in the ceiling mirror.

‘What?’ Guan Shan murmurs. They’re alone in the elevator, but the need to lower their voices is instinctive. ‘You look funny.’

‘I’m just happy,’ He Tian says. ‘It’s your birthday.’

Guan Shan looks away. ‘Fuckin’ weirdo,’ he mutters, but the corner of his mouth is tight, like he’s holding in a smile.

‘You’re not excited to see your mother?’

‘We see her every week for dinner.’

He Tian shrugs. The elevator dings; the doors slide open. They walk out into the complex’s underground car park, and He Tian’s black sports car bleeps as he raises the keys. It doesn’t fit his emaciated salary of being a nightclub bartender, but the car is an element of He Tian’s family wealth to which Guan Shan doesn’t object.

Guan Shan argued once that it defeated the point of the underprivileged image He Tian has been working on cultivating since his father struck him off—which is true, in a fashion—but money still leaks from somewhere, and He Tian wears the marks of it like an oil stain.

They get in the car, and He Tian pulls out from the car park and into the bright mid-morning air, busy with gnats and birds and the muted twang of far-off city construction work. A blackbird flits across the windshield, and He Tian is careful as he eases onto the street.

‘So,’ he says, ‘if you could have anything—’

‘Have we gotta do this every fuckin’ year?’

‘—anything, Mo Guan Shan, what would it be?’

Guan Shan sighs. ‘A pony. Buy me a fuckin’ pony.’

‘Where would we keep it?’ He Tian asks, laughing.

‘I dunno. Where do the rich fuckers in this city keep them?’

‘In stables out of the city.’ Grimacing, He Tian adds: ‘They go riding on weekends, but hire an ostler for most of the year.’

Guan Shan’s expression is comical. ‘Tell me you haven’t.’

He Tian laughs again. ‘I haven’t, I swear. I only know ‘cause friends of the family used to have horses. Still do, I suppose. It’s the kind of thing you never leave, right?’

‘Like working for the mob?’

There’s a collective pause, and then He Tian says, ‘Wow, you really do hate birthdays.’

He catches Guan Shan wince, a token of regret. He hasn’t lashed out in a while, and they don’t talk about He Tian’s family—or its business—unless they can help it. Usually, it’s He Tian remarking on some old pastime he had to endure on his father’s orders. On even rarer occasions, Guan Shan mentions it when he's indulging in a particularly foul mood and their disparate upbringings become a tool only to set them further apart.

They drive for ten minutes in silence, and Guan Shan chews on a hangnail and flicks through radio channels before switching the system off entirely.

‘You know why I hate them,’ Guan Shan says. And then: ‘Sorry.’

He Tian knows. It was only revealed to him on a night out for Guan Shan’s eighteenth birthday. Guan Shan had been drunk, and cried in the taxi on the way back to his mother’s apartment, then threw up onto the pavement with his head hanging out the doorway after the driver stopped the car.

The story went like this: it had been his birthday when his father was arrested for fraud and associated gang activity; his parents had planned to close up early and make him a cake together in the kitchens, which they’d eat slice after slice until they felt sick. Instead, police had swarmed into the restaurant in riot gear, and Guan Shan had hidden under a table in a cleaning cupboard, memorising the labels on bottles of bleach until he had a headache from the chemical fumes and a uniformed woman with a face visor pulled him out by the wrist. He’d been five, and didn’t see his mother for four days. After everything, she’d known nothing.

‘Seriously,’ He Tian says. ‘Tell me what you want.’

‘Brunch with you and my ma.’ He Tian doesn’t look at him; he sounds frustrated. ‘I’m not gonna say I want him there ‘cause he’s not gonna be there.’

He Tian checks his mirrors. ‘Guan Shan—’

‘Yeah, yeah. Don’t wish for things you’re never gonna get. I’ve learnt my lesson, whatever.’

‘Actually, sweetheart, I was going to say we’re here.’

Guan Shan blinks. Gravel crunches beneath the tyres as He Tian eases the car into a parking space in the city hall’s car park. He pushes the pedal for the parking brake, and the engine turns off automatically. Obviously, they’re not at the café.

‘I don’t understand,’ says Guan Shan, and then he looks at He Tian. ‘I swear to fuckin’ god, if there are marriage papers waitin’ in there…’

He Tian laughs loudly, startled. The thought hadn’t occurred to him, but now he wishes it had. ‘No,’ he says. ‘Not today.’

Guan Shan glowers at him, and He Tian opens his car door. ‘Come on,’ he says, nodding his head. ‘Quick detour.’

He can hear Guan Shan muttering in furious debate with himself as he unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out the car, slamming the door a little too hard. His grip is white-knuckled in He Tian’s hand when he reaches his side, and He Tian smooths his thumb across Guan Shan’s knuckles.

‘You’re sweating,’ He Tian says.

‘I don’t like surprises,’ Guan Shan grinds out, then swipes at the sheen on his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket. ‘What the fuck are we here for?’

‘I told you—’

‘That was bullshit.’ Guan Shan only looks ahead, approaching the steps with a vague grimace of contempt. A woman and man stand at the entrance in bullet proof vests, cradling guns in their arms. ‘Sorry, but it’s bullshit.’

He Tian shrugs. He flashes a badge to the officials standing at the main entrance, and says, ‘Magistrates’ hearing.’

They’re allowed in.

‘What the fuck,’ he hears Guan Shan whisper, and then pulls him through when the officials step aside, wearing sunglasses and looks that are equal in severity. Inside, the glossy hallways are cool, and He Tian becomes aware of the swiftness of his own pulse, a staccato metronome. Guan Shan looks sharply at him as they head towards a part of the building that is marked out by signs on polished chrome stands that read ‘Magistrates’ Court & Legal Offices’. Everyone they pass wears a suit; the click of women’s heels on the marble tiled flooring is loud.

Eventually, they walk through a final hallway and out into a brightly lit atrium. Mid-morning sun filters down like they’re in a church, and it makes Qiu’s hair look bright and see-through.

‘The hell is he doin’ here?’ Guan Shan asks, voice wavering with nerves. ‘He Tian—’

‘It’s alright,’ He Tian soothes. ‘Trust me.’

He Tian nods at Qiu, who is standing before a huge set of closed wooden doors with metal rivets studded down each side. Briefly, He Tian entertains the possibility that Qiu is the gatekeeper to some celestial doorway, and he squeezes Guan Shan’s hand tighter.

‘They’ve just made the ruling,’ says Qiu. ‘It’ll only take a minute.’

He Tian nods.

As a three, they stand in silence. It is the silence of men who know that something is about to happen, but don’t know exactly what. Beside He Tian, Guan Shan is shaking. He Tian has lost some of the sensation in his hand, and his pulse aches at his wrist. When he glances at Guan Shan, he can see a bead of sweat run from the crop of red hair at his temple, and down the soft slope of his ear.

Please don’t throw up, He Tian wants to say, jokingly, but then he thinks that might trigger it.

Eventually, there’s sound behind the doors, like the scraping of chairs, and a man’s voice. The three of them stand to one side as they eventually open, and a strange breath of air flows from the room, cool and hot all at once. Inside, the courtroom is disappointingly small, and there are only a handful of people: a jury, the judge, the necessary legal representatives, and a man in a suit that might once have fitted him.

He can take the jacket off, He Tian thinks, and roll up the sleeves. It’ll do for brunch.

‘Oh, you fuck,’ Guan Shan says, the words an exhale. He’s not looking at He Tian. Really, the words could be directed at anyone. There’s a bubble of hysteria welling in He Tian’s throat, and he’s not sure if he wants to laugh or cry. He does nothing, and lets Guan Shan’s hand fall from his.

‘We got him a lawyer,’ he tells Guan Shan, standing at his shoulder, speaking quietly. ‘A better one. They won the appeal.’

Guan Shan nods, but He Tian knows he’s only half listening. His mouth has fallen open. There’s a taut line between his brows where they’ve drawn together and made a ridge. He looks like he’s in pain, and He Tian supposes he probably is. How many years has he looked at his father behind a grate, or smeared glass? Fifteen? Sixteen? He Tian knows it’s more.

He watches the moment Mr Mo’s gaze meets his son’s. There’s fear there—shame, too. Mr Mo’s lawyer whispers something in his client’s ear, pats a hand to his shoulder, then walks from the hall with his briefcase and a courteous nod in He Tian’s direction. His job is done; in an hour, he’ll send an invoice. Alone, the space between them some unchartered territory, Guan Shan takes an uncertain step forward.

Like a child, He Tian thinks.

After a moment, Guan Shan takes another, and another. He’s started crying. When they’re only a foot apart, he and his father stare at each other. It lasts a few seconds, until they both smile at the startled realisation: they’re the same height. Staying where he is, He Tian watches the embrace; he can’t hear the words that follow. Their mouths move the same; their eyes are deceivingly soft. He Tian presses down his envy. He catches the words birthday and red. Mr Mo’s hands gesture to Guan Shan’s hair, appraise his clothes with pride and something like fear.

He Tian waits a few minutes before he begins to move forward. He expects Qiu to hold him back, but Qiu doesn’t. Up close, the similarities between them are unnerving.

‘Dad, this is He Tian,’ Guan Shan says when He Tian reaches his side. He Tian doesn’t touch him, but he wants to.

‘I know,’ says Mr Mo, his voice gravelly with disuse and too many cigarettes. ‘We’ve already met.’

🌸 in the footsteps of @nightfayre ‘s wonderful initiative, i’ll be filling any drabble requests following a donation to help the fund for george floyd, the black lives matter movement, or any similar cause. please read here if you would like more information! ✨

#19 days #tianshan #he tian #mo guan shan #please REBLOG #old xian #george floyd drabble

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bookofjin · 6 years ago

Text

Annals of Gaozu of Song, Part 4

[Punishing the thieving Xianbei and their false Yan. From Songshu 001]

[Yixi 2, 4 February 406 – 24 January 407]

2nd Year, 3rd Month [4 April – 3 May], supervised Jiao and Guang provinces.

10th Month [28 October – 26 November], Gaozu sent up words saying:

Formerly Heaven brought calamity on the August House, the immensely wily were free to usurp. Your Subject and others, righteous but only old servants, content simply with the state's kindness [?], raising the head to certify the tokens of trust and obedience, bowing down to hone the subjects' resentment [?]. Even the providence of the altars of soil and grain pressed down to likewise serve and carry out the multitudes' relief. Their assistants of safeguarding encouraging the loyal and earnest, the gentlemen of civil and martial with all their strength, the humble of setting forth and taking charge of being themselves [?], the great of employing the waning state's body [?].

They straight-away stretched out to administer the multitude armies first going up, together planning to raise up righteousness. [We] started with pacifying Jingkou and Guangling cities. Your Subject and the General who Consoles the Army, Yi, and others, 272 people, combined afterwards to hasten to righteously set out for the capital and hem the roads for great battles, with more than 1 566 people. Also the General who Assists the State, Changmin and the former Serving within the Palace, Wang Yuande and others, 10 people, gathered 1 848 people. [I] requests [there be] correct enfeoffment and rewards. Their multitude armies of the western conquest, [we] must discuss to assemble and continue upwards [?].

Hence the Masters of Writing memorialised to enfeoff and commend the master of the righteous plan, the General of the Garrison Army, taboo, as Duke of Yuzhang commandery, with a revenue estate of 10 000 household, and bestowed 30 000 bolts of tabby silk. The remainder were enfeoffed and rewarded each proportionally. The assistant personnel of the Garrison Army office were brought down [below?] the former Grand Tutor, Xie An's office by 1 grade.

11th Month [27 November – 25 December], the Son of Heaven repeatedly repeated the previous order, concurrently [made] Gaozu Palace Attendant, advanced his title to General of Chariots and Cavalry, Opening Office with the Same Ceremonies as the Three Ministers. He firmly declined. A decree dispatched the hundred companions to genuinely urge.

[Yixi 3, 25 January 407 – 12 February 408]

3rd Year, 2nd Month [23 February – 24 March], Gaozu returned to the Imperial Capital, and was about to pay visit to the Commandant of Justice. The Son of Heaven first decreed the prison officials did not get to accept. He paid visit to the palace to argue to yield, and then saw and heard. He went back to Dantu.

Intercalary Month [25 March – 22 April], the office general Luo Bing planned to make chaos, wanting to put on [armour] and hold [weapons]. He fled on a single horse, the pursuit beheaded him. Executed Bing's father, the Grand Warden of Yongjia, Qiu. Qiu was originally a clerk of Dongyang commandery. At the chaos of Sun En, he rose up righteously at Chang Mountain, and for that reason was selected and employed.

Earlier, at the defeat of Huan Xuan, since Huan Chong [had been] loyal and true, appointed his grandson Yin. Arriving at this point, Bing planned to use Yin as ruler. He an the Grand Warden of Dongyang, Yin Zhongwen, secretly joined together. Therefore executed Zhongwen and Zhongwen's two younger brothers. Everyone of Huan Xuan's remaining partisans at this point were all executed and eradicated.

The Son of Heaven dispatched the Combined Grand Minister of Ceremonies, Ge Ji, to confer a record as Excellency, saying:

When Youhu overflowed Heaven, Yiyi made use of blood oaths. Chaotic junctures [?] interferes with the norms, and as a result disturbs the august pinnacle. The traitorous subject Huan Xuan relied on favour to carry out disobedience, and therefore broke apart and overturned [Mounts] Hua and Huo, upended and uprooted [Mounts] Song and Dai. The Five Peaks wholly exterminated, the Six Lands were changed.

The Duke instructed the generation's prominent to straighten up [?], stored up receptacles and waited for the time. Following that his heart counted on [?] reverence, and pledged to wipe away the state's shame. Sighing with resentment over the levelling of the mounds, [he] sincerely issued out in the dead of night. Soon a few months after repeated moves, the divine receptacles were already distant, the loyal and filial were in deep-held confidence [?], as a result linked up the three intelligences.

So then [he] with stone resoluteness exploited the moment, circulated the covenant to all of them begin, decrying [?] azure Heaven to consider it as proper, to signal the righteous journey and spur on alone. The racing spear-point were several hundred, [their] power and zeal fervent lightning. A million were not able to withstand and hinder, arranging to travel daily straight to towards [?] the city.

Thereupon he sent charging whales in overwhelming flows [?], the tyrant fish ran to Han, the temple surpassed the distant more and more [?], the heavy vapour began to cleanse [?], the Two Principles broadly purified, the Three Lights turned around to shine, serving thereupon for perpetual eras, achievements lofty breaking open, managing the subtle and assessing speech, righteous feelings in Our heart.

As for the Way being an aid for ourself [?], still fettering his feudal rank, furthermore given [his] sincerity and virtue are altogether extreme, his deeds are the best of Heaven and Man! Thus [he] makes use of establishing this nation and state, perpetually blessing the mountains and rivers. Words and thoughts begins in the breast, no speech are sufficient recompense. Depart and be reverent!

[He] caused the shielding of I the One Man, long aiding August Jin, the flowing wind handing down blessings, radiant and ardent without end. Thus submit to receive the auspicious record, respond by lifting up Our instructions.

12th Month [14 January – 12 February], the Minister over the Masses, Recording the Masters of Writing, and Inspector of Yang province, Wang Mi, passed away.

[Yixi 4, 13 February 408 – 31 January 409]

4th Year, 1st Month [13 February – 12 March], compelled [?] His Excellency to enter and assist, conferred Palace Attendant, General of Chariots and Cavalry, Opening Office with the Same Ceremonies as the Three Ministers, Inspector of Yang province. Recording the Masters of Writing and Inspector of Xu and Yan provinces like before. He petitioned to remove Yan province.

Before this, dispatched the Best of the Army Liu Jingxuan to attack the Shu traitor Qiao Zong. had no merit and came back.

9th Month [6 October – 3 November], since Jingxuan had been checked and withdrawn, he yielded his rank. It was not permitted. He was therefore lowered to be General of the Central Army, Opening Office like before.

[Yixi 5, 1 February 409 – 19 February 410]

Earlier, the bogus King of Yan, the Xianbei Murong De had usurped the title in Qing province. When De died, his elder brother's son Chao inherited the rank. From beginning to end several times there were border troubles.

5th Year, 2nd Month [3 March – 31 March], [he] greatly plundered north of the Huai, carried off the Grand Warden of Yangping, Liu Qianzai and the Grand Warden of Ji'nan, Zhao Yuan, and drove and took away more than a thousand families.

3rd Month [1 April – 30 April], His Excellency unyieldingly petitioned for a northern punishment campaign. Used the Intendant of Danyang, Meng Chang, to oversee the Central Army and to stay behind with the office affairs.

4th Month [1 May – 29 May], the naval host issued from the Imperial Capital, sailed upstream the Huai and entered the Si.

5th Month [30 May – 28 June], they arrived at Xiapi, and halted the warships and supply wagons. The foot army advanced to Langye. Whenever they proceeded, the always built forts to stay and defend. The Xianbei's Liangfu and Jucheng guard posts ran and fled.

Murong Chao heard the kingly host was about to arrive. His great general Gongsun Wulou advised Chao:

[We] should decisively [?] occupy Daxian [Mountain], reap and remove the grain sprouts, make strong the barricades and clear the countryside to thereby wait for them. That one's away army is without supplies, and will seek battle but not get it. Within ten days to a month, [we can] snap bamboo and beat him with it, that is all.

Chao did not follow, but said:

That one when comes from far away will be tired with the toil, in the circumstances [he] will not be able for a long time. Only draw out to cause [him?] go beyond Xian. I will use iron cavalry to trample him, [I] am not anxious about not routing [him]. Why make preparations to mow the sprouts and crops, and first urgently weaken myself!

Earlier, when His Excellency was about to move, opinion considered that when the traitors heard a great army had set out for far away, in their hearts they would not dare to battle. And if they did not decide at Daxian, the would firmly defend Guanggu, reap the grain and clear the countryside, to thereby cut off the supplies of the Three Armies. Not only would it be difficult accordingly to have good results, but they might not themselves be able to turn around. His Excellency said:

I am familiar with the calculations. The Xianbei are greedy and do not come up with far-reaching plans. [When] advancing they take advantage to overcome and capture, when withdrawing they preserve the grain sprouts. [They will] say our lonely army is coming from far away, and will not be able to sustain for a long time. They will not go beyond advancing to occupy Linqu, but will withdraw to defend Guanggu.

If I only get to enter Xian, people will have no heart for withdrawing, drive away the multitudes of certain death, and turn to being of two minds about capture [?]. What is the fear of not vanquishing! That one will not be able to clear the countryside to strengthen the defences, and will make the various lords protect it.

When His Excellency had entered Xian, he raised his hand to point to Heaven and said:

My aid in affairs!

6th Month [29 June – 27 July], Murong Chao dispatched Wulou and the King of Guangning, Helai Lu to first occupy Linqu city. When he heard a great army had arrived, he kept the weak and old to defend Guanggu, and then fully set out. Linqu has Jumie River, 40 li distant from the city. Chao announced to Wulou, saying:

Quickly go and occupy it. If the Jin army obtains the river, it will be difficult to strike.

Wulou swiftly advanced. The Galloping Dragon General Meng Longfu had led cavalry to stay there first, and ran to go and contend with him. Wulou therefore withdrew.

The multitude armies' march advanced. They had 4 000 chariots, split the chariots to be the two flanks, and marched slowly on parallel paths [?]. The chariots stretched fully out as a screen, and the drivers held lances. They also used light cavalry as a patrolling army. The army's orders were strict and severe, the marching squads were equally orderly.

They would not yet reach Linqu for several li, when the traitor's iron cavalry, more than 10 000, from van to rear altogether arrived. His Excellency instructed the Inspector of Yan province, Liu Fan, his younger brother the Inspector of Bing province, Daolian, the Consultant Army Assistants Liu Jingxuan and Tao Yanshou, and the Army Assistants Liu Huaiyu, Shen Zhongdao, Suo Miao, and others, to act together and strike them.

With day turning to afternoon, His Excellency dispatched the Consultant Army Assistant Tan Shao to straightly hurry forward to Linqu. Shao led the General who Establishes Power, Xiang Mi and the Army Assistant Hu Fan to swiftly depart. By then end of the day [?], they had taken the city, cut down its serrated banners and fully captured Chao's supply wagons. Chao heard Linqu had already fallen, drew out the multitudes and fled. His Excellency personally drummed him. The traitors then were greatly routed.

Chao escaped and turned back to Guangu. They captured Chao's horse, bogus imperial carriage, jade signet, leopard tail etc., and sent them off to the Imperial City. They beheaded his great general Duan Hui and others, more than ten people. The remainder who were beheaded or captured numbered a thousand.

Next day, the great army advanced to Guanggu, and fully slaughtered the greater city. Chao withdrew to guard the lesser city. Hence [they] build a long encirclement to guard him. The encirclement was 3 zhang tall, outside they dug three major [?] moats. They stopped transportation on the Jiang and Huai, and made public [?] the grain in the lands of Qi. They consoled and accepted [those who] surrendered and adhered, the Hua and Rong were happy and pleased. They aided the talents and conferred feudal rank, and because of that they then served them.

7th Month [28 July – 26 August], a decree added to His Excellency Inspector of Beiqing [“North Qing”] and Ji provinces. Chao's great general Yuan Zun and Zun's younger brother Miao both led multitudes to revert to obedience.

His Excellency was just then putting into order assault implements. A person atop the walls said:

You have not got Zhang Gang. How [will you] be able to do it.

Gang was Chao's Gentleman of the Masters of Writing. That person was quick-witted.

It happened that Chao dispatched Gang to declare allegiance to Yao Xing, beg for a host and request relief. Xing pretended to allow it, but in truth dread His Excellency, and did not dare to dispatch. Gang consequently turned back from Chang'an. The Grand Warden of Taishan, Shen Xuan seized and sent him off. Then they mounted Gang on top of a storied building, as a display to within the city. Within the city they could not but lose colour.

Hence they made Gang greatly put in order assault implements. Chao sought to rescue but did not acquire [him], and Gang turned around to captivity. He turned anxious and afraid, and therefore requested to declare allegiance. He sought to cede Daxian ans the border, and presented a thousand horses. They did not listen, but the siege became urgent [?]. Those people living north of the He who came shouldering halberds and carrying provisions daily were several thousand.

The Army Assistant for Recording Affairs Liu Muzhi had a talent and facility for organizing and planning. His Excellency used him as chief planner, when acting or desisting he certainly consulted with him. At the time Yao Xing dispatched envoys to announce to His Excellency, stating:

The Murong are neighbours on good terms with me, and also when impoverished informed of the urgency. Now [I] will dispatch 100 000 iron cavalry to straight-away occupy Luoyang. The Jin army, if it does not withdraw, [I] readily will dispatched the iron cavalry on a long gallop and advance.

His Excellency shouted at Xing's envoy, in reply saying:

Tell your Yao Xing, after I have settled Yan, and rested the armour for three years, [I] will pacify Guan and Luo. Now [if he] is able to issue out himself, [he] readily can quickly come.

Muzhi heard there was a Qiang envoy and swiftly entered, but His Excellency had sent out and dispatched [him] and had already departed. Due to the words from Xing and what's more the answer, he arranged to talk with Muzhi. Muzhi reproached His Excellency, saying:

The affairs of regular days, great or small, are certainly granted and given [me] to plan them. This [so we] ought to well examine them. Why then so sudden to readily reply? [?] The reply by His Excellency to Xing's word, [while] not yet able to dominate the foe, are just sufficient to enrage that one, and that is all. Suppose Yan is not yet possible to uproot, and the Qiang's aid soon arrive, [if we] are not careful how [will we] accordingly receive them?

His Excellency replied, saying:

This was a military opportunity, not resolved by you Sir [?], for that reason [I] did not tell, that is all. This was him seeing us attacking Yan, on the inside he already fear in his breast. An explanation to bolster himself, that is all. [?]

9th Month [25 September – 24 October], advanced His Excellency to Grand Commandant and Overseer of the Palace Writers. He firmly declined.

The bogus Inspector of Xu province, Duan Hong, had previously ran to the Forlorn Caitiffs.

10th Month [25 October – 22 November], he reverted to obedience from north of the He.

Zhang Gang's putting in order the assault implements was complete, he prepared various unusual cleverness in the categories of soaring towers and wooden screens, they could not but fully prepared. On top of the walls [they had] fires, stones, bows and arrows, but nothing were of use to them.

[Yixi 6, 20 February 410 – 8 February 411]

6th Year, 2nd Month, dinghai [25 March], slaughtered Guanggu. Chao went over the walls to flee. The Officer of Board of Banditry to the [General who] Conquesr the Caitiff, Qiao Xu [?], captured him. They killed his absconders and below [?] and took more than 10 000 people and 2 000 horses. Sent off Chao to the Imperial City. He was beheaded in the market of Jiankang.

#ss001

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olko71 · 5 years ago

Text

New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on http://yaroreviews.info/2019/08/china-warns-of-retaliation-after-trump-threatens-fresh-tariffs

China warns of retaliation after Trump threatens fresh tariffs

By Andrea Shalal, Alexandra Alper & Huizhong Wu

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – China on Friday said it would not be blackmailed & warned of retaliation after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to slap a 10% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese imports from next month, sharply escalating a trade row between the world’s biggest economies.

Trump stunned financial markets on Thursday by saying he plans to levy the additional duties from Sept. 1, marking an abrupt end to a truce in a year-long trade war that has slowed global growth & disrupted supply chains.

Beijing would not donate an inch under pressure from Washington, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

“If America does pass these tariffs then China will have to take the essential countermeasures to protect the country’s core & fundamental interests,” Hua told a news briefing in Beijing.

“We won’t accept any maximum pressure, intimidation or blackmail. On the major issues of principle we won’t donate an inch,” she said, adding that China hoped the United States would “give up its illusions” & return to negotiations based on mutual respect & equality.

Trump in addition threatened to further raise tariffs whether Chinese President Xi Jinping fails to move more quickly to strike a trade deal.

The newly threatened duties, which Trump announced in a series of tweets after his top trade negotiators briefed him on a lack of progress in talks in Shanghai this week, would extend tariffs to nearly all Chinese goods that the United States imports.

The president after said whether trade discussions failed to progress he could raise tariffs further – even beyond the 25 percent levy he has already imposed on $250 billion of imports from China.

Senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi told reporters on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Nations event in Thailand that additional tariffs were “definitely not a constructive way to resolve profitable & trade frictions”.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was in addition in Bangkok, decried “decades of offensive behavior” by China on trade & said Trump had the determination to fix it.

The news hit financial markets hard. On Friday, Asian & European stocks took a battering & safe-haven assets such as the yen, gold & government bonds jumped as investors rushed for cover.

Retail associations in the United States predicted a spike in consumer prices, hitting consumer stocks on Thursday on Wall Street, where Target Corp tumbled 4.2%, Macy’s Inc fell 6% & Nordstrom Inc was down 6.2%.

Asked approximately the impact on financial markets, Trump told reporters: “I’m not concerned approximately that at all.”

Moody’s said the new tariffs would weigh on the global economy at a time when growth is already slowing in the United States, China & the euro zone.

The tariffs may in addition force the Federal Reserve to again cut interest rates to protect the U.S. economy from trade-policy risks, experts said.

CHINESE RETALIATION?

One Chinese official told Reuters it was not the first time Trump had “flip-flopped”, & that though the time between the talks being declared constructive & Trump’s threat of new tariffs was short, officials in Beijing were already prepared.

“Discussion followed by a fight has become the normal pattern,” the official said.

Possible retaliatory measures by China could include tariffs, a ban on the export of rare earths that are used in everything from military equipment to consumer electronics, & penalties against U.S. companies in China, analysts say.

So far, Beijing has refrained from slapping tariffs on U.S. crude oil & huge aircraft, after cumulatively imposing additional retaliatory tariffs of up to 25% on approximately $110 billion of U.S. goods since the trade war broke out final year.

China is in addition drafting a list of “unreliable entities” – foreign firms that have harmed Chinese interests. U.S. delivery giant FedEx is under investigation by China.

Chinese & U.S. flags flutter near The Bund, before U.S. trade delegation meet their Chinese counterparts for talks in Shanghai, China July 30, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song

“China will deliver each retaliation methodically, & deliberately, one by one,” ING economist Iris Pang wrote in a note.

“We believe China’s strategy in this trade war escalation will be to slow down the pace of negotiation & tit-for-tat retaliation. This could lengthen the process of retaliation until the upcoming U.S. presidential election,” Pang said.

FRUSTRATED

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer & Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin briefed Trump earlier this week on their first face-to-face assembly with Chinese officials since Trump met Xi at the G20 summit at the end of June & agreed to a ceasefire in the trade war.

“When my people came home, they said, ‘We’re talking. We have another assembly in early September.’ I said, ‘That’s fine, yet until such time as there’s a deal, we’ll be taxing them,” Trump told reporters.

A source familiar with the matter said Trump grew frustrated & composed the tweets shortly after Lighthizer & Mnuchin told him China made no meaningful movement on its position.

Previous negotiations collapsed in May, when U.S. officials accused China of backing absent from earlier commitments.

American commerce groups in China expressed disquiet over the latest round of U.S. tariffs. The U.S.-China Business Council said on Friday it was concerned the action “will drive the Chinese from the negotiating table, reducing hope raised by a moment round of talks that ended this week in Shanghai”.

“We are particularly concerned approximately increased regulatory scrutiny, delays in licenses & approvals, & discrimination against U.S. companies in government procurement tenders,” said the U.S.-China Business Council’s President Craig Allen in an e-mail.

Ker Gibbs, the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, said that as market access in China “remains unnecessarily restricted”, the United States should continue its dialogue with Beijing, & “also work with like-minded countries to persuade China that fair & reciprocal trade & investment benefits all.”

CROPS AND DRUGS

Trump said Beijing had failed to fulfil promises to stop sales of the synthetic opioid fentanyl to the United States, which U.S. officials say was to blame for most of more than 28,000 synthetic opioid-related overdose deaths in the United States in 2017.

Slideshow (2 Images)

He in addition said Beijing had not followed through on a goodwill pledge to buy more U.S. agricultural products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday confirmed a small private sale to China of 68,000 tonnes of soybeans in the week ended July 25.

The United States in addition has yet to ease restrictions on U.S. companies’ sales to Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, which Trump had pledged as a goodwill gesture to Xi after assembly at the G20 in Osaka.

Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Alexandra Alper, Steve Holland, David Lawder, Tim Ahmann, Susan Heavey, Makini Brice, Nandita Bose & Jonathan Landay in Washington; & Huizhong Wu, Xu Jing, Stella Qiu, Se Young Lee, & Min Zhang in Beijing; & Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Writing by Ryan Woo & Michael Martina; Editing by Grant McCool, Shri Navaratnam & Alex Richardson

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

#affiiate marketing #article marketing #business online #businessNews #internet marketing #make money online #mobile marketing #video marketing #web marketing

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fullspectrum-cbd-oil · 5 years ago

Text

China Warns of Retaliation After Trump Threatens Fresh Tariffs

China on Friday said it would not be blackmailed and warned of retaliation after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to slap a 10% tariff on $300 billion of Chinese imports from next month, sharply escalating a trade row between the world’s biggest economies.

Beijing would not give an inch under pressure from Washington, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said.

“If America does pass these tariffs then China will have to take the necessary countermeasures to protect the country’s core and fundamental interests,” Hua told a news briefing in Beijing.

“We won’t accept any maximum pressure, intimidation or blackmail. On the major issues of principle we won’t give an inch,” she said, adding that China hoped the United States would “give up its illusions” and return to negotiations based on mutual respect and equality.

Trump also threatened to further raise tariffs if Chinese President Xi Jinping fails to move more quickly to strike a trade deal.

The president later said if trade discussions failed to progress he could raise tariffs further – even beyond the 25 percent levy he has already imposed on $250 billion of imports from China.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was also in Bangkok, decried “decades of bad behavior” by China on trade and said Trump had the determination to fix it.

The news hit financial markets hard. On Friday, Asian and European stocks took a battering and safe-haven assets such as the yen, gold and government bonds jumped as investors rushed for cover.

Asked about the impact on financial markets, Trump told reporters: “I’m not concerned about that at all.”

Moody’s said the new tariffs would weigh on the global economy at a time when growth is already slowing in the United States, China and the euro zone.

The tariffs may also force the Federal Reserve to again cut interest rates to protect the U.S. economy from trade-policy risks, experts said.

CHINESE RETALIATION?

One Chinese official told Reuters it was not the first time Trump had “flip-flopped”, and that though the time between the talks being declared constructive and Trump’s threat of new tariffs was short, officials in Beijing were already prepared.

“Discussion followed by a fight has become the normal pattern,” the official said.

Possible retaliatory measures by China could include tariffs, a ban on the export of rare earths that are used in everything from military equipment to consumer electronics, and penalties against U.S. companies in China, analysts say.

So far, Beijing has refrained from slapping tariffs on U.S. crude oil and big aircraft, after cumulatively imposing additional retaliatory tariffs of up to 25% on about $110 billion of U.S. goods since the trade war broke out last year.

China is also drafting a list of “unreliable entities” – foreign firms that have harmed Chinese interests. U.S. delivery giant FedEx is under investigation by China.

“China will deliver each retaliation methodically, and deliberately, one by one,” ING economist Iris Pang wrote in a note.

“We believe China’s strategy in this trade war escalation will be to slow down the pace of negotiation and tit-for-tat retaliation. This could lengthen the process of retaliation until the upcoming U.S. presidential election,” Pang said.

FRUSTRATED

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin briefed Trump earlier this week on their first face-to-face meeting with Chinese officials since Trump met Xi at the G20 summit at the end of June and agreed to a ceasefire in the trade war.

“When my people came home, they said, ‘We’re talking. We have another meeting in early September.’ I said, ‘That’s fine, but until such time as there’s a deal, we’ll be taxing them,” Trump told reporters.

A source familiar with the matter said Trump grew frustrated and composed the tweets shortly after Lighthizer and Mnuchin told him China made no significant movement on its position.

Previous negotiations collapsed in May, when U.S. officials accused China of backing away from earlier commitments.

American business groups in China expressed disquiet over the latest round of U.S. tariffs. The U.S.-China Business Council said on Friday it was concerned the action “will drive the Chinese from the negotiating table, reducing hope raised by a second round of talks that ended this week in Shanghai”.

“We are particularly concerned about increased regulatory scrutiny, delays in licenses and approvals, and discrimination against U.S. companies in government procurement tenders,” said the U.S.-China Business Council’s President Craig Allen in an e-mail.

Ker Gibbs, the president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, said that as market access in China “remains unnecessarily restricted”, the United States should continue its dialogue with Beijing, and “also work with like-minded countries to persuade China that fair and reciprocal trade and investment benefits all.”

CROPS AND DRUGS

He also said Beijing had not followed through on a goodwill pledge to buy more U.S. agricultural products.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday confirmed a small private sale to China of 68,000 tonnes of soybeans in the week ended July 25.

The United States also has yet to ease restrictions on U.S. companies’ sales to Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, which Trump had pledged as a goodwill gesture to Xi after meeting at the G20 in Osaka.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Alexandra Alper, Steve Holland, David Lawder, Tim Ahmann, Susan Heavey, Makini Brice, Nandita Bose and Jonathan Landay in Washington; and Huizhong Wu, Xu Jing, Stella Qiu, Se Young Lee, and Min Zhang in Beijing; and Brenda Goh in Shanghai; Writing by Ryan Woo and Michael Martina; Editing by Grant McCool, Shri Navaratnam and Alex Richardson)

from IJR https://ift.tt/31cODJc via IFTTT

#IFTTT #IJR

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flauntpage · 6 years ago

Text

Primer: Qiu Jianliang, the Spectacular Knockouts of China's Kickboxing Tank

Kickboxing has been having something of a rebirth in Japan over the last few years. The birthplace of K-1 has been slowly returning to the sport with a new wave of spectacular Japanese kickboxers to replace the heavyweight heroes of K-1’s best days. Then there are the lesser Japanese kickboxing organizations like RISE and KNOCK OUT that continue to sell out smaller venues. But the curveball for old time kickboxing fans has been the explosion of interest in China. Kunlun Fight began promoting in 2014 and has hosted many of the best kickboxers in the world. Most recently Glory of Heroes—with their eight sided ring—have put on over 30 events in the space of a couple of years.

Where Kunlun Fight used to be willing to put the attention on novelty acts like the “Shaolin Monk” Yi Long, a decent crop of Chinese kickboxers is now running amuck on the world stage and chief among them is Qiu Jianliang. Jianlang was ranked by LiverKick as the number four featherweight in the world on their last round of rankings back in March, and Combat Press has him at number one in the October 2018 rankings, also including him in their pound-for-pound top ten. There’s a good chance you have heard of some of the featherweights ranked below him such as Robin van Roosmalen and Masaaki Noiri, and yet Qiu Jianliang seems largely unknown even in the niche world of kickboxing. That seems pretty unfair as he is a man who routinely delivers the most spectacular kind of violence, so let us familiarize ourselves with the style of Zhengzhou’s 147-pound "Tank."

Jianliang fights something like the protagonist of a kickboxing anime; all Spike Spiegel wheel kicks and Ippo Makunouchi head movement. Jianliang is known as “Tank” because of his stocky build and terrific strength and if you watch one of the few matches where Jianliang’s opponent doesn’t have some height and reach on him, you will be able to see him simply ragdoll his man. Every inside low kick he hit against Yukihiro Komiya or Sudsakorn had them falling out into the splits and lowering their head onto his uppercut, and every flurry of blows saw them covering ineffectively and swaying back into the ropes like a man in the rigging.

When you cut away the flash, Jianliang is somewhat reminiscent of the Nak Muay turned boxing great, Khaosai Galaxy. He’s a stocky, powerful guy who hits hard in ones and twos, and grinds his man down or turns them passive with the threat of his power. But other times he is more like Alexander Shlemenko, the Bellator old timer who got so famous for spinning techniques that he basically eschewed everything else. Attempting a wheel kick might catch a fighter by surprise, attempting a second when the first fails might catch him laughing about the missed wheel kick. A third wheel kick? Well that’s just the kind of fighter Qiu Jianliang is, for better or worse.

In recent years, Jianliang has actually added some very interesting quirks to his game. We likened him to the protagonist of Hajime no Ippo, but Jianliang might be the only person you will see in high level kickboxing laterally weaving his way in.

It is certainly a confusing look for the kickboxers he fights because bobbing and weaving is not really a part of the kickboxing game to any real degree. The threat of kicks and knees is supposed to make it a high risk/low reward tactic. Yet Jianliang is out there using lateral steps and ducking under returns like it’s no big deal.

In living up to his "Tank" nickname, Jianliang does a lot of walking his opponents down even if they have some size on him. Combining these little lateral steps with a high guard, Jianliang draws and anticipates kicks, then times his own cut kick on the standing leg. While these aren’t devastating strikes, the opponent falling to the mat certainly doesn’t hurt in the eyes of the judges and counter kicks into the standing leg are a great way to put an opponent off kicking as often as they might like.

Jianliang is also a big fan of throwing the right kick immediately off the right straight. Using the right hand to square the shoulders and hips can result in a loss of force, compared to a kick straight out of the stance with the arms fully employed in counterbalancing the motion, but the right straight often draws a defensive reaction from the opponent and hides the kick well. Typically this is less common among Muay Thai purists and more common among traditional martial artists. The simple right straight to the body into the right high kick, so that the knee almost goes over the arm, is spazzy to look at but a Jianliang staple.

I long for the day that we see more fighters with the flexibility and dexterity to do the Anthony Pettis overhead kick, but Jianliang’s ugly, effective effort is close enough.

Generally, Jianliang’s best work comes along the ropes. Mauling in those short infighting combinations, Jianliang will punish the body and then spin out of the clinch.

This is where the tremendous strength of Tank can be seen best. He whips his kick around with such force that he can often knock an opponent down by hitting them on the arm. This kick against Yukihiro was ruled to not be a knockdown because it basically threw Yukihiro off his feet when it hit his guard.

In his recent fights, Jianliang seems to have been hitting the books: his fight IQ is looking substantially higher than just a couple of years ago. Against taller opponents he will now take the pressure off momentarily and draw them forward onto counter right hands before returning to the infight. Against the top ten ranked Kaew Weerasakreck, Jianliang was able to balance aggression and evasion, flash and function, and take a clean decision. Perhaps the best example of a surprisingly sharp fighting mind to leave you with is Qiu’s knockout of the respected Kem Sitsongpeenong. Jianliang got to the inside with the taller fighter and landed a shot to the liver that made the crowd gasp. As the two broke from the clinch, Sitsongpeenong played it off well, but Jianliang drove in from long range with a back kick to the body—something he very rarely does—finding the exact same spot and earning the knockout.

Qiu Jianliang is another one of those fighters who is somewhat obscured not only by being involved in a niche combat sport, but also by a different culture and time zone. If you want to keep up with what he is doing you are going to need to find publications with their ear to the ground on the Chinese kickboxing scene, or simply give his name a search once in a while on YouTube. But on a slow week, or simply a night when you have the bloodlust but there are no good fights on, remembering Jianliang’s name will reward you with some spectacular and unique knockouts.

Jack Slack wrote the biography Notorious: The Life and Fights of Conor McGregor, and hosts the Fights Gone By podcast.

Primer: Qiu Jianliang, the Spectacular Knockouts of China's Kickboxing Tank published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

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hcinteract · 8 years ago

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International Understanding Week: RE:Fuge 2017

From 27 Feb – 3 Mar, Hwa Chong Interact Club organized our annual International Understanding Week which serves to highlight and expose Hwa Chong’s student population to greater and pertinent issues beyond the local domain. And this year, it returns under the title of “RE:FUGE 2017” which revolves around the issue of the global refugee crisis. The name is unique and significant as the “RE:” denotes an idea of repetition which effectively captures the essence of the refugee spirit – one where the past has to be left behind in search for a new and more promising future. Organized by me along with the help of my Assistant OIC Helen Tan Qiu Jin, as well as the rest of the IU Week OT, we managed to execute our plans as best as we could despite the many challenges and crises which had cropped up during the planning and execution phase, breathing a new lease of life into the school publicity events as the theme of refugees is one which had not been explored to great extents in Hwa Chong’s publicity events.

Prior to the day itself, there were many difficulties met in the planning, as many scheduling conflicts and administrative problems had arisen which led to persistent changes in the dates, venues and nature of our activities. As the week arrived, we saw more issues due to the poor weather conditions, especially with respect to our photobooth props, yet I am glad that our committee members had remain flexible as they adapted the structures to make the best out of the situation.

The week first began with the banner announcement, in which our event was announced at the JC bridge during flag-raising to the student population along with the revelation of our event banner which had garnered a resounding applause from the students, and this could not have been possible without our designers Barry and Serena, as well as the entire club who volunteered to help out in the banner painting. Following that, the first of our line-up of activities was the setting up of the photographic exhibition in the Inner Plaza from Tuesday to Friday, which showcased a carefully-curated selection of emotionally-charged photos representing the daily struggles of refugees, aiming to pique interest of students in the issue so as to develop greater empathy which is the bedrock for action. Students and teachers alike had taken interest in the photo posters, with which there were QR codes that can be scanned for further learning at a website which we had prepared. I would like to thank the Activities Committee led by Yuhan for their relentless effort in preparing for the exhibition and website.

Up next, we had the photobooth set up on 2 days of the week where students can take photos with our props designed by the Publicity team, and request for photo-printing services directly from us! We had taken hundreds of photos during the short duration of our booth, which was indicative of the enthusiastic response our students had for our booth especially towards the Block Letters spelling “RE:FUGE” which Publicity IC Amy along with revered member Dillon had dedicated a phenomenal amount of time and effort towards its creation. Thus I sincerely thank them along with the other members for their remarkable performance in the team. Other publicity items include posters which had been set up around the school compound for reminder and informational purposes, as well as a movie screening activity in the Inner Plaza where renowned film “The Book Thief” was screened, as the movie involves the hiding of a Jewish refugee during the Nazi era, and we wanted to highlight the historical nature of the refugee crisis which transcends time. With our publicity efforts, the student population had become more aware of the problem and gained further insight with regards to the crisis.

Last but not least, despite the small 2-man size of the Logistics team led by Xuan Ting with member Minh, they have showcased great effectiveness and commitment towards the management of administrative and liaising issues, serving as the behind-the-scenes workers which were crucial for the execution of the event. They were the backbone for the realization of many plans prepared by the Activities and Publicity committees, as they helped in things like the ordering of stickers and the booking of photobooth equipment and props, as well as the roster arrangements for Interactor volunteers for the manning of photobooth. I must say that they had displayed exceptional efficacy in their systematic management, and hope that they had learnt a lot from the multi-disciplinary process.

Throughout this experience, I can definitely say that I have learnt a lot with regards to management and planning, as the different ideas and knowledge of my committee members had enlightened me a lot. Without this dedicated team, it would not have been possible hence I would again like to sincerely thank all of them, and I wish that the next batch of Interactors can bring IU Week to greater heights in 2018!

Written by Wei Sern, International Understanding Director

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my-mommaknowsbest-blog · 8 years ago

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Asia's Deadly Secret

Media captionCindy Sui reports from Taiwan on the moves to end betel nut use It is used by almost a tenth of the world's population. It gives people a buzz equivalent to six cups of coffee and is used variously as a symbol of love, marriage and a cure for indigestion and impotence. But it is also leading tens of thousands to an early grave. The culprit? The humble betel nut. Found across Asia, these nuts are harvested from the Areca palm and are chewed for their warming glow and stimulating properties. Such is its effectiveness, that alongside nicotine, alcohol and caffeine, betel nuts are believed to be one of the most popular mind-altering substances in the world. ADVERTISEMENT Although used by women and children, the nuts are especially popular among working-age men, who chew to stay awake through long hours of driving, fishing or working on construction sites. But the short-lived benefits come at a terrible cost. High rates of oral cancer are destroying the lives of many who buy betel nuts, often decades after their first taste. Now in Taiwan, where the nuts are affectionately known as 'Taiwan's chewing gum', the government is taking action to curb this centuries-old habit and reduce the thousands of lives lost each year. Dangerous combination Betel chewer's teeth and lipsImage copyrightSCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY Image caption Regular betel nut chewers stand out from the crowd with their red-stained lips and teeth The betel nut is a key part of many Asian cultures and can be consumed dried, fresh or wrapped up in a package known as a quid. Although the exact preparation varies across countries and cultures, the quid is usually a mixture of slaked lime, a betel leaf and flavourings such as cardamom, cinnamon and tobacco. Worryingly, the International Agency for Research on Cancer lists each ingredient, with the exception of cardamom and cinnamon, as a known carcinogen - or cancer-causing agent. The slaked lime is seen as a particular problem as it causes hundreds of tiny abrasions to form in the mouth. This is thought to be a possible entry point for many of the cancer-causing chemicals. "About half of the men here still don't know that betel nuts can cause oral cancer," says Prof Hahn Liang-jiunn, an oral cancer specialist at the National Taiwan University Hospital. "[This is despite] Taiwan's incidence or mortality rates for oral cancer ranking among the top two or three in the world." 'I started chewing because everyone else did' Qui Zhen-huang with photo of oral cancer lesion Image caption Qui Zhen-huang now warns others about the dangers of betel nuts. Like most people, Qiu Zhen-huang, 54, was completely unaware of the risks. A former gravel company worker, he chewed for ten years. Twenty years after quitting, he developed the disease. "I started chewing betel nut because everyone at work did it," says Mr Qiu. "We shared it with each other to build good relations." Three years ago, a small hole developed in his left cheek and in just three months, the tumour grew to the size of a golf ball and completely changed his life. "Whatever I ate flowed out. I had a gauze pad over it. It hurt," he said. "It affected me a lot. I was so ashamed I avoided going out." Each year, 5,400 Taiwanese men like Mr Qiu are diagnosed with oral cancer or pre-cancerous lesions and an estimated 80 to 90% of those also chew betel nuts. An early symptom includes white or red lesions inside the mouth, but this can rapidly progress to grotesque flesh-eating tumours. Unlike other cancers, these are difficult to hide, leaving sufferers physically and psychologically devastated. "It's miserable for them," says Prof Hahn. "Sometimes, even after surgery, they still can't perform basic functions, including expressing emotions through their face because the lower jaw also has to be cut depending on the scale of the cancer." Tackling the scourge Betel nut palms Image caption The Taiwanese government is offering subsidies in return for cutting down betel nut palms Luckily for Qiu Zhen-huang, his cancer was treated and his cheek reconstructed. But the Taiwanese government is helping people detect the disease more quickly by providing around one million free screenings and funding programs to help people quit betel nuts for good. In 2013, these measures helped cut the usage rate among men by nearly half. Critics argue that action should have been taken much sooner as the cancer risk of betel nuts has been known since 2003. However, pressure from those working in the industry has provided strong opposition to change. Now the government is trying to reduce the domestic supply of betel nuts by offering subsidies to farmers to cut down their trees and plant alternative crops. Other countries such as India and Thailand have also launched campaigns to discourage betel nut chewing. But there is still a way to go. At a recent presentation to elementary school children of fishing industry workers, nearly all raised their hands when asked whether their parents or relatives chewed betel nuts. And as the cancer can take up to 20 years to appear, the current changes will have come too late for many people - a fact that Mr Qiu keeps close to his heart. "I'm one of the luckier ones." Reference: bbc.com

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