Brothers

by Yu Hua

  Baldy Li and Song Gang both rushed inside and dumped all the treats in their hands onto the bed. The fava nuts and melon seeds were all soggy with sweat, but the boys were so famished that they immediately stuffed their mouths full of nuts, seeds, and candy until their cheeks were round like buttocks. Finally, unable to move a muscle, they discovered that they couldn't eat another bite. From the living room, Song Fanping called out for the boys. A crowd had gathered outside, and now that they had examined the second-time-around newly-weds, they wanted to examine the two sons.

  Baldy Li and Song Gang rushed outside, their mouths stuffed so full that their eyes squinted and their cheeks puffed out, making everyone burst out laughing. "What treasures do you have in there?"

  The boys first shook and then nodded their heads, but they couldn't utter a word. One man said, "Don't think that just because their mouths are as full as balloons they won't be able to stuff more in."

  The man walked into Song Fanpings house and rummaged around until he found two white porcelain teacup lids. Then he made Baldy Li and Song Gang latch onto the nibs on their lids as if they were nipples. The kids did indeed manage to latch on, prompting everyone to burst out laughing again. They laughed until their bodies shook, producing tears, snot, saliva, and even an occasional fart, remarking on how it looked like the boys were latching onto Li Lan s nipples. Li Lan blushed furiously as she turned to look at her new husband. Appearing completely discomfited, Song Fanping walked up to the two boys, removed the lids from their lips, and suggested, "Why don't you go back inside?"

  Baldy Li and Song Gang returned to the room and climbed up once again onto the bed. They exchanged despairing glances—their mouths were full of treats, but they couldn't swallow. Baldy Li was the first to think this through and quickly started to dig out a bit at a time from his mouth. Song Gang followed his lead. They spread out the newly extracted nuts, seeds, and hard candy on the bedsheet. The treats were gummy and sticky and glistened like snot, and they made an absolute mess of their parents’ bed. Having had their jaws propped open for too long, the boys now found that they couldn't shut them. They stared at each other's cavelike mouth, both at a complete loss. Meanwhile, they could hear Song Fanping and Li Lan outside calling for them again.

  Li Lan's old neighbors had brought along their children and had walked through the alleys looking for Song Fanping's home. When they showed up, Li Lan felt a wave of pleasure that lasted only as long as a sneeze and then immediately fell into disappointment. It turned out that the neighbors weren't here to congratulate them on their marriage but, rather, to look for their missing chickens. The birds had trailed Baldy Li and Song Gang through the streets, but after that no one had any idea where they had gone. The neighbors started making a ruckus, cursing at Li Lan and Song Fanping: "What about our chickens? Where are our goddamn chickens?"

  The newlyweds had no idea what they were talking about. "What chickens?"

  "Our chickens…"

  In a hubbub, they tried to describe what their chickens looked like. They said that lots of people had seen the chickens follow Baldy Li and Song Gang into the street. Song Fanping was perplexed. "Chickens aren't dogs. Why would they follow people into the street?"

  The neighbors insisted that lots of people had seen Baldy Li and Song Gang dropping a trail of seeds and nuts, and the chickens had followed behind them and ended up in the street. Song Fanping and Li Lan called out to the boys and asked them, "Chickens? Did you see any chickens?"

  Their jaws still locked open, the boys could only shake their heads.

  The chicken search party consisted of a trio of men, a trio of women, and a trio of middle-school students, as well as a couple of boys slightly older than Baldy Li and Song Gang. The eleven of them surrounded Song Gang and Baldy Li, clucking at them angrily, "Where are our chickens? Did they follow you?"

  Baldy Li and Song Gang nodded, and the mob turned back to Song Fanping and Li Lan. "See! The little bastards admit it."

  They turned again to Baldy Li and Song Gang. "Where are our goddamn chickens?"

  The boys shook their heads, which angered the mob. "You little bastards, you just nodded, now you're shaking your heads…"

  The crowd insisted that roosters and hens were not fleas and ticks, and therefore they had to be somewhere in plain sight. They walked into Song Fanping's house, searching, opening cabinets, looking under the bed and into pots. The long-haired middle-school student, Sun Wei, even started sniffing Baldy Li and Song Gangs open mouths to see if he could detect any chicken on their breath. Sun Wei sniffed for a while but couldn't decide, so he called Victory Zhao over. Victory Zhao also sniffed for a while but couldn't tell either, so he asked Success Liu to come take a whiff. Success Liu smelled for a while and also concluded, "I don't think so."

  After failing to find so much as a single feather, the search party came back outside, cursing and swearing. Song Fanping was no longer beaming with pride but, rather, had turned steely-faced. His bride was pale with terror and tugged at his clothes to hold him back, afraid that her new husband would start a fight. Song Fanping had been suffering silently, and even when these people barged out of his house saying all sorts of foul things, he still restrained himself, just glaring at them with firmly set eyes.

  The search party started looking around the outside of the house. A few of them even took turns peering into the well, but they didn't see any hens and roosters, just the reflections of their own faces. The three middle-school students clambered up the tree like monkeys to see if the roosters and hens were hidden on the roof. They didn't find any chickens, though they did see a few sparrows.

  Unable to find anything, the search party continued uttering proanities, fwhereupon one suggested, "Maybe they fell into the toilet and drowned while sneaking a peek at women's butts."

  "Chickens also look at women's butts?"

  "Roosters."

  The men guffawed and the women tittered. By this point Li Lan was shaking all over. She no longer dared to even hold on to Song Fanping's clothes, feeling that she was bringing her own misfortunes onto her new husband. Song Fanping couldn't bear another word, and these people were still chattering as they walked away, "How about the hens?"

  "The hens wait till the roosters drown and then remarry."

  Song Fanping pointed to the man who was talking and bellowed, "Get back here!"

  All of them turned back. Three men plus three middle-school students, three women and two boys. Song Fanping saw that they had stopped in their tracks, and he yelled again, "Get back here!"

  All of them started cackling. The three men and three middle-school students walked up to Song Fanping and surrounded him, while the three women took the two boys and stood to one side, as if watching a good show. They knew they had him outnumbered and sneeringly asked him, "Do you want to treat us to a wedding banquet?" Song Fanping retorted, "No banquet, just my fist." He then pointed to the man in the middle and demanded, "Repeat what you just said."

  The man sneered, "What did I say?"

  Song Fanping hesitated, then said, "You were saying something about a hen…"

  The person said, "Oh!" as he remembered, then asked, "You want me to repeat that?"

  Song Fanping said, "If you dare say it again, I'll smash your mouth."

  The man looked at his companions and the three students. "And what if I don't?"

  Song Fanping, stunned for a moment, eventually sighed. "Get out of here."

  The group started laughing. The three middle-school students blocked Song Fanping and chanted in unison, "After the rooster drowns, the hen remarries?"

  Song Fanping raised his fist, then lowered it again. He shook his head at the three students and pushed them out of his way. He was going back in when the first man said, "What does the hen remarry? Another rooster!"

  Song Fanping turned around and punched him. His punch was swift and devastating, and the man promptly toppled over like an old blanket being tossed aside. Baldy Li and Song Gangs mouths suddenly bot
h snapped shut.

  When the man got up off the ground, his mouth was full of blood, and he spat out a mouthful mixed with saliva and snot. After Song Fanping threw his punch, he leapt out of the circle the group had formed around him. When they came at him, Song Fanping crouched down and kicked his right leg straight out. Baldy Li and Song Gang at that moment learned what a "sweeping leg kick" was; Song Fanping knocked down the three men with his one leg and made the three students stumble over one another.

  When they got up to leap at him again, Song Fanping shot out his left leg, catching one man in the stomach. The man fell back to the ground with a howl and also dragged down the two men behind him. The men and middle-school students stared at one another in astonishment, trying to absorb what had just happened.

  Song Fanping stood facing them with clenched fists. One of the men started hollering that they were going to surround him. The six of them immediately crowded around and started pummeling him. The moment he rushed out of the circle, he would be trapped in the middle again. It became a mêlée. No one could see what they were doing anymore. Sometimes the men seemed squashed together like steamed buns, and at other points they scattered like popped corn.

  The two boys, who were about three or four years older than Baldy Li and Song Gang, then took the opportunity to grab the brothers and slap their cheeks, kick their shins, and spit in their faces. At first Baldy Li and Song Gang didn't give an inch and tried to slap, kick, and spit back. But they were short and couldn't reach the faces or the legs of their tormentors, and furthermore they had less spittle to spit out. After a few rounds, Baldy Li and Song Gang realized they were done for and started wailing.

  Song Fanping heard their cries, but he was fighting one against six and couldn't get over to help. Baldy Li and Song Gang had to hide behind Li Lan, who at this point was crying even harder than they were. She appealed to Song Fanping's neighbors and to the passersby who had gathered around to watch the show, begging them to help her new husband. She appealed to them one after another, as Baldy Li and Song Gang clutched at her clothing. The two older boys followed behind, continuing to slap, kick, and spit. Baldy Li and Song Gang wailed for Li Lan to help them as Li Lan begged the spectators to help her husband.

  Eventually, a few of the neighbors and spectators rushed up and separated Song Fanping and his six tormentors, pulling them off to either side as they themselves stood in the middle. Song Fanping's eyes were swollen, blood was dripping from his mouth and nose, and his clothing was in tatters. The other six were equally bad off, though at least their clothes were still intact.

  The peacemakers started to work on both fronts. They reasoned with Song Fanping, explaining that anyone would naturally be upset if they had lost their chickens, and when people are upset they can't help but say ugly things. They also reasoned with the tormentors, explaining that today was not just any day but, rather, was Songs and Li's wedding day, and that they should take that into consideration. The peacemakers pushed Song Fanping into his house and the others back into the street, urging them, "Forget it, forget it. It's easier to make friends than enemies. Song Fanping, go back to your house, and everyone else go home."

  Though he was bruised and battered, Song Fanping proudly held his ground, while the others were equally unwilling to leave. They felt that they had strength in numbers and were not about to give in. They said this wasn't over and insisted on getting something before they left: "At the very least we need compensation and apologies."

  Eventually, it occurred to one of the peacemakers to propose to the tormentors that they each accept a cigarette from Song Fanping. According to the code of the time, to offer a cigarette after a fight was to admit defeat. The others considered this and agreed that it would be a good way of saving face. They said, "Fine, then we'll let him off the hook."

  The peacemaker then walked up to Song Fanping. He didn't say the cigarettes were for admitting defeat but, rather, suggested that Song should pass out some auspicious wedding cigarettes. Song Fanping knew what cigarettes would signify and shook his head. "No cigarettes. All they'll get is my fist."

  After saying this, Song Fanping looked over at Li Lan s tear-swollen eyes and at Song Gang and Baldy Li's faces covered with their own tears and other peoples spit. Suddenly he was filled with sadness. He stood for a while, then walked into the house, his head bowed. When he returned, he had a pack of cigarettes. Ripping it open, he walked over to the three men and three middle-school students and took out one cigarette after another, handing one to each of them. After he was finished and turned to walk away, the men called out, "Not so fast! Light them for us."

  Song Fanping's sadness was immediately transformed into fury. He threw the cigarettes to the ground and was about to turn back and hurl himself into battle again when Li Lan leapt up and restrained him. She pleaded with him, "Let me do it. Let me go light them."

  Li Lan went over to the men. She initially stood there wiping her eyes, then lit the match and used it to light the cigarettes dangling from their mouths. The middle-schooler named Sun Wei took a drag and then deliberately blew smoke into her face.

  Song Fanping saw this, but this time he didn't fly into a rage. Instead, he simply lowered his head and walked into the house. Baldy Li saw that his stepfather was weeping as he walked in. This was the first time that Baldy Li saw Song Fanping cry.

  After Li Lan lit their cigarettes, she placed the matches back in her pocket and walked over to Baldy Li and Song Gang. She used the corner of her blouse to wipe the tears and spittle off the boys’ faces. Taking them both by the hand, she walked inside, then closed the door behind them.

  Though he usually didn't smoke, Song Fanping sat on a bench in the corner of the main room and smoked five cigarettes in a row. His coughing sounded like retching, and he spit blood-tinged saliva and phlegm all over the ground. This terrified the boys as they sat huddled on the bed, their legs trembling as they dangled off the edge of the bed. Li Lan covered her face with her hands and stood by the door. She was still weeping, her tears leaking through her fingers. After he finished smoking the five cigarettes, Song Fanping finally stood up. He removed his tattered clothes, wiped the blood off his face, and then with his sandaled foot he smudged the bloody spittle on the ground and proceeded into the inner room.

  After a while Song Fanping emerged looking like a new man. He was wearing a clean white shirt, and although his face was bruised and swollen, he was smiling. He thrust out his fists toward Baldy Li and Song Gang and said, "Guess what I have?"

  Both boys shook their heads. Song Fanping opened his hands, and when he had spread his fingers, they saw two hard candies in his palms. They laughed with delight as Song Fanping unwrapped the candies and placed them into their mouths. How sweet they were! The boys had been wanting to sweeten their mouths since this morning, but only now that the sun was almost setting were they finally able to savor the sweetness.

  Song Fanping walked up to Li Lan, a smile on his swollen face. He patted her back, caressed her hair, and leaned over and whispered in her ear for a long time. Baldy Li and Song Gang sat on the bed eating the sweet hard candy. They didn't know what Song Fanping said to her, but after a while they saw that Li Lan was smiling, too.

  That night the four of them sat together. Song Fanping cooked a fish and stir-fried a plateful of greens, and Li Lan brought out of her bag a bowl of braised pork that she had cooked earlier. Song Fanping got a bottle of yellow rice wine, pouring a cup for himself and another for Li Lan. Li Lan protested that she didn't drink, but Song Fanping replied that he didn't either and that after today no one would drink, but tonight they had to. "This is our auspicious wedding wine."

  Song Fanping lifted his wine cup and waited for Li Lan to lift hers. He tapped his cup against hers, and she smiled bashfully. Song Fanping downed the yellow wine in one gulp, and the wounds in his mouth caused his face to contort in pain. He fanned his open mouth as if he had eaten a very hot chili pepper, then told Li Lan to drink up. She also drained her cup, a
nd he waited until she put it down before setting his down as well.

  Baldy Li and Song Gang sat next to each other on a long bench, their heads barely reaching the table. They rested their chins on the table-top, level with their parents’ elbows. Song Fanping and Li Lan piled the boys’ rice bowls high with meat, fish, and greens. Baldy Li took a bite of meat, a bite of fish, and a bite of greens and rice, then decided he didn't want any more. He turned to look at Song Gang next to him and said softly, "Candy."

  Song Gang was relishing his mouthful of fish and meat, but when he heard Baldy Li, he decided he didn't want any more either. He also said softly, "Candy."

  The children were already acquainted with the wonderful taste of fish and meat and enjoyed them a few times a year. But what they wanted now was candy. The sweetness in their mouths had disappeared quickly, so now they started to repeat over and over—first softly, then loudly, and finally at the top of their voices—the single word: "Candy, candy, candy …"

  Li Lan explained that there wasn't any more, that she had already passed out all that she had. Song Fanping chuckled and asked the boys what kind of candy they wanted. The boys took up the wrappers on the table and said together, "This kind."

  Song Fanping made a big show of reaching into his pockets, asking the boys, "So you want some hard candy?"

  They nodded vigorously and craned their necks to peer into his pockets. But Song Fanping shook his head and said, "There isn't any more."

  Both kids were so disappointed they almost wept, whereupon Song Fanping said, "There isn't any more hard candy, but there is soft candy."

  The boys’ eyes opened wide. They had never heard of something called soft candy. They saw Song Fanping stand up, feeling through all his pockets as if looking for the soft candy, and their hearts pounded with excitement. He emptied each pocket in turn, saying, "Where's the candy?"