It began with a text message and a challenge. My husband wanted to know if I could read the “junk text” that the phone company had just sent him.
The characters were basic and I slowly puzzled it out. “Can we ever see the dark side of the moon? Reply 1 for “Yes” and 2 for “No.””
My husband beamed – I had read the text, then he said, “Of course we can’t see the dark side of the moon. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to see the old man chopping down trees every night.”
I looked at him blankly. This required further explanation.
He then told me some of the legends of Wu Gang, the man in the moon.
In the first legend Wu Gang offended the gods who then sent him to the moon to chop down trees as punishment. Every night he almost finishes and every day the trees grow back. He is continuously trying to finish his sentence but has been chopping down the same trees now for thousands of years.
In another legend Wu Gang is actually a god himself and he was dating the goddess of the moon Chang E. Unfortunately the two of them got into an argument with the head God who sent Wu Gang to the moon to chop down the trees and keep him from his true love. Each time he was nearly done a raven was sent to distract him- first by snagging his clothing, then with a loud noise, then with other ways. In the moment he was distracted the trees grew again.
Legend has it that each year on the 16th of the Eighth lunar month a single leaf will fall to earth from the tree on the moon. He or she who finds it will be blessed with treasures.
I have never heard these stories, they belong to a culture that I am just figuring out, but one may argue that I have found my treasure already.
This post is in honor of my husband. It was five years ago today that he came back to Shanghai to start a new career after living in the UK. It also is the day that the 2008 Olympics began in Beijing. Eight is an auspicious number – it brings good luck and good fortune. I don’t necessarily believe in the superstition, but if he hadn’t made that move we never would have met, so perhaps 8 is a lucky number for me as well?
What stories have you learned from your partner or friends that change your view of how the world should be? Is it the man in the moon or the best cure for a cold or what children should or shouldn’t do?
These local customs are the things you never find out unless you happen to be in the right place at the right time. Or, you get a strange text message.
中国 Jumble 
That’s a great story. I love how such strange things (like text messages) can lead to interesting revelations!
It is interesting how if you pay attention you can discover how things all become interconnected.
Here’s to you & hubby! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Glad to share! Happy 8-8!
Sure do love that picture!
Me too, I knew I would use it again when I thought about this post!
sorry, just wondering, what language do you speak with your husband at home? Is your Chinese that good or does he speak English?
He speaks English better than my Chinese, but at this point we are about 50-50, leaning towards whomever is more tired. Most of the conversation here was in Mandarin.
What an interesting tale about the moon. I haven’t heard that one, I’ve only heard the story of the “moon goddess” during lunar new year.
i haven’t learned a lot of stories like this from my husband, but i did from my mother in law before she passed. she taught me a few of the 4 character chinese proverbs (like “frog in a well”) and I learned so much from them, i wish she was still alive to teach me more.
Yes, the story stuck with me. I don’t know many chengyu (the four character phrases), but I am learning them slowly. The stories behind each can be fascinating.
Gorgeous photo! I have never heard that story about the moon, very interesting. My daughter was fascinated by the moon when she was little and would love for me to push her in her swing in the dark while she looked up at it and I would sing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ to her. Over and over again 🙂
Thank you, this is one of my favorite photos, taken at our summer house on the lake last year. The hammock and moon path are something I could gaze at for hours.
Huh. Chinese phone spam is so much more lyrical and pleasant sounding.
(I’m guessing you’re not posting about the spam for Hot Singles in Your Area or the great deals you can get.)
Very true, I don’t post on the new car offers or deals for bank CDs. My readers get the “filtered” version!