Beneath the shade of a poplar tree Shen lifted her conical hat and wiped her brow. She tucked a lock of long black hair behind her ear then she reached into her pocket and fed some apple to the ox. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure walking up the road beyond the field, the silhouette dark against the afternoon sun. She looked up but did not recognise the gait. Not Chang, not the travelling pot mender or the vet with his bag of instruments and medicines. She put her hand to her forehead to shade her eyes better. The man walked closer. He waved and called out in a strange accent. “Ni hao.” Hello.
Village house, Shaanxi, China (Photo: M Griffiths)
