The Ninth Widow

By Douglas Cruz

They all became widows on that summer night in the year 44. From then on, Shi Dun had nine widows in their prime. The oldest was only twenty. The youngest was fourteen, named Wang Po Tao. Afterwards, all the widows were given the title of "heroic widows," except for Po Tao. Every year, when the barley and grain harvest was coming, the villagers would contribute five or ten bushels to the widows, but Po Tao had no share. After that, the government helped the young widows find good places, but Po Tao was still alone, wrapped in a blanket and sleeping alone. That summer, at dusk, the men in the village all went to the market to watch the young girls compete on the swing with Old Lady Wei. Old Lady Wei was seventy years old, and every year she set up a stage for the competition. Her small legs could no longer stand, so she knelt on the plank and stepped on it with both knees. When she got excited, she could shake the swing rope so that it swung in a circle. Just when Old Lady Wei shook until her pomegranate skirt fell backwards, covering her upper body and face, a gunshot rang out. While she was still choking on a scream, Old Lady Wei was crushed under their feet, turning into a pile of flesh and blood. No one had time to see if Old Lady Wei was still breathing. In the blink of an eye, the street was empty, except for Old Lady Wei's pale green pomegranate skirt waving back and forth a few times.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0F5P1LSB9
• ISBN13: 9798280384606
• Release Date: April 2025
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 384 Pages
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.9" x 5.8"