The Myth of the Jade Cabbage
In ancient times，there lived several families on Pigu Mountain in Eryuan county.Among them，there were two lovers of the Bai people.The boy's name was Ah Liu and the girl's name was Ah Hua.Ah Liu liked wearing clothes that were greener than leaves；and Ah Hua liked wearing clothes that were whiter than wool.One in green and the other in white，the two lovers were particularly attractive.People all admired them and loved them.And the two families were planning for their wedding.
One day，a gust of demon wind came and blew away the roots of all houses.Ah Liu and Ah Hua were scraped together.They floated over thousands of mountains and rivers，and passed thousands of villages in sleepy and dizzy state.
After they were blown to the East Sea，they were driven away by shrimps and crabs.The general of crabs said to them，“This is not a place for people to live in.Go back to your hometown.”
After they were blown to the South Sea，they were hit by the stormy waves.The god of the sea said to them，“You can't survive here.Go back to your hometown.”
After they were blown into the Western Regions，they were struck out by demons and ghosts.The god of the earth said to them，“Here is a place where humans are eaten.Go back to your hometown.”
After they were blown to the North Pole，they were blocked by the snow and the icebergs.The god of the mountain said to them，“You may be cold to death here.Go back to your hometown.”
After they were blown to the Temple of Heaven，they were driven out by the heavenly soldiers and generals.The heavenly general said to them，“This is not a place where ordinary people can survive.Go back to your hometown.”
Until they were blown back to Cibi Lake，the dragon king regarded them as old neighbors and was very sympathetic for them.The king tore two leaves off the jade cabbage of“Dragon Treasure”and gave the two leaves to them.Ah Liu got the green leaf，and Ah Hua got the white leaf.Then，the dragon king ordered the prince to send them ashore.
Ah Liu and Ah Hua lay on the beach，bathed in the morning light，and gradually came to life.They sat up and gradually remembered what had happened.They took out the leaves and found the leaves turned out to be two beautiful scrolls.They looked at it，losing in thought for a long，long time...
Ah Liu said，“What a beautiful house！We must build a house like this.”Ah Hua nodded.
“What a good crop！We must plant it as it is.”said Ah Hua.Ah Liu also nodded.
Ah Liu and Ah Hua started a new life.Ah Liu went to work every day，and Ah Hua wove brocade and silk according to the paintings on the scroll day after day，month after month，year after year，and without a break.In the evening she lit up the oil，and the smoke was so heavy that it smothered her eyes，but she did not stop.Three years later，Ah Hua's tears fell on the silk，and she wove a clear river and a round fish pond on the tears.Six years later，Ah Hua's blood from eyes dripped on the silk.She then knitted a red sun on the blood mark and wove bright flowers.After nine years，she finished the painting on the scrolls.On the woven silk were a row of tall houses，blue tiles，red pillars，and yellow gates.In front of the door was a large garden with colorful flowers and ponds，where the fish were wagging their tails.On the left side of the house was an orchard，where the fruit trees were covered with red fruits and various birds.On the right side of the house was a large grassland，where cows and sheep were eating grass，and chickens and ducks were eating insects.At the foot of the hill not far from the house，there was a large field full of golden rice and grain.In front of the village，a lucid river was flowing into the placid Cibi Lake.The golden sun was shining the earth from the sky.
Ah Liu and Ah Hua looked at the woven silk and smiled merrily.
Suddenly，a gust of demon wind came and blew the beautiful silk out of the door into Cibi Lake and directly went into the dragon palace.The dragon king got the silk and admired it so much that he hung it in his palace.Ah Liu and Ah Hua chased it into the lake，desperately looking for the silk.Ah Liu ran all over the east side of the lake and could not find it though he dyed the lake green.Ah Hua ran all over the west side of the lake and could not find it though she bleached the lake.They kept searching for a long time and finally found the dragon palace and saw the fine silk.The dragon king praised them highly and hosted them enthusiastically.He said，“You are very great！I will give you the entire jade cabbage and you should weave a dragon palace like it.After you finish it，you can live in the dragon palace.”Ah Liu and Ah Hua thanked the dragon king for his kindness and agreed.
Ah Hua wove it again，and Ah Liu served her by her side.
Ah Hua kept weaving days and nights，and had been weaving for ten years.Her hair and eyebrows fell out，so did Ah Liu's.She embroidered colorful forests and aquatic grasses.The smallest tree could be seen with a dragon ball，and the largest one was more than 600 zhang（zhang，the Chinese unit of length）.
Ah Hua kept weaving without any rest for another ten years.Her eyes were blind，so were Ah Liu's eyes.30,000 species of fish had been woven in strange shapes：deep-water fish swimming sparkly，sea cucumbers crawling slowly，barracuda marching，and squids and octopuses spraying water forward.
Ah Hua kept weaving days and nights by feeling it for another ten years.Her voice grew dumb，and so did Ah Liu's.But she wove out all kinds of mouths to speak：some buzzing like the little bee's mouth，and some chirping like the little bird's mouth，some barking like the dog's mouth，some snoring like elephant's snoring.
Ah Hua continued to weave days and nights silently，and felt to weave for another ten years.Her inside body was broken，so was Ah Liu's.But she kept weaving，and wove out high mountains，deep valleys，white iron...
The silk was finished.It was exactly the same as the dragon king's jade cabbage.But Ah Liu and Ah Hua both died，leaving two bones，one green and the other white.
The dragon king knew about it and he could not stop admiring the fine silk they wove.With the dragon ball's shining，the bones of Ah Liu and Ah Hua turned into two jade cabbages.One is a green jade cabbage in the east，and the other is a white jade cabbage in the west.
From then on，these two jade cabbages have shone the dragon palace and have remained in Cibi Lake forever.