by Li Rui
The atmosphere in the cave became more animated. No one knew that Commune Head Liu could sing or that he had such a ringing voice. Tianzhu said, Sing some more, Commune Head Liu. That was pretty good. If you sing some more for us, I’ll sing a passage from the drama Injustice to Dou E, which is also pretty bitter and tragic. Nuanyu squeezed through the crowd, poured a bowl of water, and carried it to Commune Head Liu. Nuanyu said, Here, have some water. Commune Head Liu, excited and happy, took the bowl and drained it at one go. Commune Head Liu said, Don’t get the idea that I’m drunk. Do you think one bottle is enough for me? One time, at a meeting in the county seat, me and the other commune heads got together to drink, and I downed two fucking bottles by myself. And was I drunk? Not by a damned long shot! Kugen’r, read, continue reading.
“One counterrevolutionary, when working after being made to wear a counterrevolutionary’s hat, saw that the militiamen who were overseeing her were not paying much attention, and rushed to the fourth floor of the women’s dorm and then hurled herself to her death. Of course, suicides by counterrevolutionaries are unavoidable, but one less teacher by negative example….”
Commune Head Liu saw Uncle Gimpy withdrawn off in a corner. Think, everyone, who is our class enemy in Stunted Flats? Uncle Gimpy kept his head lowered, but he clearly felt all eyes pressing on him.
Kugen’r was agitated. Seeing the stern look on Commune Head Liu’s face, Kugen’r thought, You and the class enemy sleep with the same woman. What is your political stand? Agitated, Kugen’r suddenly discovered that Nuanyu was staring at him. After arriving in Stunted Flats, Kugen’r quickly realized that Nuanyu was a special woman. Her husband had died, but she and all the poor unmarried men in the village had a secret relationship. Kugen’r had once resolved to stop her, but he immediately found himself embarrassed. Nuanyu didn’t take him seriously and had easily defeated him with her two breasts. All of Nuanyu’s eccentricities and unrestrained behavior were protected by a strong and secret safety net of the men. The men of Stunted Flats gave her the easiest jobs, but gave her the most work points. The men of Stunted Flats were perfectly happy to support this eccentric and unrestrained woman. Kugen’r couldn’t imagine how many men it would take to satisfy her. After so many men, she still maintained her relationship with Commune Head Liu and seemed to particularly like him. After his defeat, Kugen’r had often discovered her burning hot eyes on him. And every time it happened, he would be filled with shame and anger. Those two snow-white breasts burned amid his shame and anger, causing him to blush furiously. When she saw him blush, a smile would appear on Nuanyu’s face. The moment she smiled, Kugen’r would feel totally different, as if he had fallen to earth from the sky. Kugen’r hated her, hated that smirk of hers that he couldn’t overcome. Kugen’r said, She’s a demon! In the village, Nuanyu frequently told of her sufferings, how her brother nearly starved at first and how later he ate himself to death. She told how she, a sixteen-year-old girl, was exchanged for a bag of corn, and how her brother’s life was exchanged for a donkey. She usually wept as she spoke. Nuanyu said this was all the result of the Great Leap Forward—there was no way that a single mu of land could produce ten thousand jin of grain. When Nuanyu talked of such sufferings, she made no distinction between the old society and the new, and she had absolutely no class stand or class sentiment. Chairman Mao said that educating the peasants was a serious issue. Chairman Mao’s words were uttered with someone like Nuanyu in mind. How could he not educate such masses? How can they understand me? They are entirely different. How can they understand me? I am my father. I am here to change the world for my father. There will come a day when I will teach that smirking woman. Zhao Yingjie fears no difficulty, and there’s no way he’d fear a smirking woman like you!
Commune Head Liu suddenly shouted in anger, Damn it, who was snoring? You don’t want to listen to documents from the central authorities? You don’t want to hear Chairman Mao’s directives? You can just die of drowsiness! If anyone snores again, we will not close the meeting tonight. Let’s see who dies of drowsiness and who doesn’t. Kugen’r, read it to them again, from the beginning.
“This is the best written of all the documents of this type that I have read….”
Smoke, bitter and hot, began once more to rise. Tianzhu slept holding his nose, fearful lest Commune Head Liu hear him snore.
11
Grumbling, they all stared at me. All he has to do is show up and they all stare at me, just wishing they could have me. Watch, watch as I carry this bowl of water to him. You bunch of weaklings, even bound together you’d not dare raise a finger against him. You don’t dare do anything but stare at me. The moment he leaves, you all become heroes. You all curse him, railing with all kinds of dirty language. Just after he left, Tianzhu brought that braying donkey and hitched it at my door. That fucking Tianzhu said, Hey, Nuanyu, it’s here for your pleasure tonight. Its thing is much bigger than Commune Head Liu’s. If you don’t believe me, just give it a try. I threw a basin of water I’d used to wash the rice over him. Your auntie will sleep with whoever she wants. If any one of you can supply the betrothal gifts, then he can marry me. A whole village of men can’t stop one guy, but sure can come here and give me trouble. You’re all men; your things are all kneaded by his woman. You guys can go service the sows. Wiping the water from his face, Tianzhu opened his mouth in a toothy smile. Tianzhu said, Okay, woman, why such a bad temper? What about leaving this hired donkey to be at the beck and call of that fool wife of mine? Men are all good for nothing. I want to see if anyone dares step forward to contradict him. I’ll marry the man who does, first thing tomorrow morning. A bunch of good-for-nothings—even in their dreams they dare not say no to him. Just stare with your eyes wide open. I’ll marry him just to piss you all off.
I carried the bowl of water to him and said, Here, have some water.
He started to smile. What are you smiling at? You can’t even keep up appearances. What sort of commune head are you, laughing like that?
I glanced at them and I said, Hurry and drink up. I’ll get you more if you want it.
Every last one of them raised his head. Their eyes were all fixed on the ground. It was the same the day my little brother died—a whole courtyard full of runts with their heads raised, not saying a word; a whole courtyard full of staring eyes.
When he put his face in the bowl, I turned and looked at Kugen’r. He suddenly blushed and I smiled. I wonder when you’ll become a real man.
When he put down the bowl, Kugen’r’s face was no longer red. Kugen’r said, A moment ago, Commune Head Liu called upon everyone to speak. I would like to express my own view. I believe that although our Stunted Flats is a small village, the situation of class struggle is actually extremely complicated. Kugen’r glanced at him and said, Some comrades have departed from the correct stand, confusing the issue of work style and class enemies. Chairman Mao guides us in saying, “We should support whatever the enemy opposes and oppose whatever the enemy supports.” But some comrades persist in mixing their support with the enemy. Chairman Mao says, “Who are our enemies? Who are our friends? This is a question of the first importance for the revolution.” Saying this, Kugen’r glanced at him again. Kugen’r spends all day beating around the bush saying things no one understands. Never in his life will Kugen’r guess the issue of Stunted Flats; never in his life will he observe those staring eyes.
Listening to Kugen’r, he smiled and said, Kugen’r has tempered himself well in the last few years and has finally made progress. That is why the Commune Party Committee has agreed to have Kugen’r assume the position of head of the Stunted Flats Political Team. He smiled again and said, What does the second paragraph on page 3 of the quotations of Chairman Mao say, Kugen’r? “We must have faith in the masses and we must have faith in the Party. These are two cardinal principles. If we doubt these principles, we shall accomplish nothing.” Isn’t that what it says? Therefore, you must have faith in the Party. If you fail to do so, you “shall a
ccomplish nothing,” right?
As he finished speaking, he handed me the bowl and said, Nuanyu, pour a bowl of water for Kugen’r. He can read again after he’s had a drink of water.
I took the bowl and looked at Kugen’r, and then I looked at him once more. I saw all the eyes in the cave fixed on the two of them.
I poured the water, but did not give it to Kugen’r or to him. I walked to the corner and offered it, saying, Uncle Gimpy, have some water. Without looking, I knew how wide the eyes of the two of them were. Both of them must have hated me right then. Served them right!
12
How quiet it was. It was so quiet that not the slightest sound was heard, no wind, no clouds—only the sun sizzling on the back of your head. I led the milk goat through the woods and heard nothing save the sun sizzling on the back of my head. No gunfire, no cannons, no crying, no shouting; the Japanese blood-spotted bandage flag was nowhere in sight. But Mom? Dad? Grandpa? Grandma? I was so thirsty, I could have died. I pulled the milk goat toward me and said, Lanzi, don’t move. I knelt down and drank her milk. Nuanyu was behind us. I said, Nuanyu, aren’t you thirsty? Won’t you have some of Lanzi’s milk? Nuanyu said, No, I have too much milk and no place for it. I said, Then I’ll drink yours, okay? Nuanyu said, No. Where’s Mom? Dad? Grandpa? Grandma? I pulled Lanzi toward me and said, Let’s go home, Lanzi. The sun sizzled on the back of my head. The first thing I saw on the threshing ground was Huatou. The lower part of Huatou’s body was covered with blood, dyeing the ground red. Huatou cried. I asked her, Huatou, Huatou, where are your legs? Who cut off your legs? Huatou said not a word; Huatou turned her two horns toward me and bleated, Moo-moo. Beneath Huatou the ground was all red. Then I saw the flies. A huge mass of them on the sacred old tree, like a living hemp bag spread there. I walked over and the flies buzzed, taking flight, hitting me in the face. I saw Grandpa; he was covered with blood. Grandpa had no eyes and no tongue; his stomach was slit open; his guts hung to the ground. Grandpa’s pipe had been tossed on the ground, its copper stem shining. I ran; I shouted, Mom! Mom! I saw my mom in the courtyard of Ugly Baby’s house; I saw my grandma; I saw Ugly Baby’s mom and her sister; I saw all the women of the village in the closed courtyard. They were all naked and standing white under the sun. All I heard was the sun sizzling on the back of my head. Lanzi butted me from behind. I said, Nuanyu, there’s my mom and grandma. I suddenly heard all the women in the courtyard crying. Mom and Grandma called to me, Tianzhu! Tianzhu! What about your grandpa? The women were all crying, all shouting, It’s the end, it’s the end. How can we go on after this? It’s over, it’s the end….
As the women cried, the sun became the moon.
The moon slowly came out of the clouds and said, Don’t cry, don’t cry, you’ll only do yourselves harm.
Ugly Baby’s grandpa appeared; Ugly Baby’s grandpa walked around the village, my brass gong in his hand. He struck the gong as he walked and he struck the gong as he gave everyone heart. The year the Japanese came was a disaster; my fellow villagers, there’s nothing strange about it. Holding the gong, Ugly Baby’s grandpa sat on the stone roller, crying. He said, Women, don’t think of suicide. If you all kill yourselves, who will have babies for us at Stunted Flats? Who will have babies at Stunted Flats? Women, don’t take it so hard, okay?
Pointing at a mound, I said, Nuanyu, look, that’s the grave of Ugly Baby’s grandpa. Over there are the graves of my grandpa, my grandma, my dad, and my mom. Later my grave will be here too.
Nuanyu nodded and said, These are the graves of my brother and my Little Cui. When I die, I’ll be buried with them.
I pushed open the door and entered Nuanyu’s cave; Nuanyu didn’t even look up. Nuanyu said, Come here. I said, Okay. Nuanyu said, The guys who come to my place don’t have wives; you have a wife, but you still come. Why are you so greedy? I said, Nuanyu, is that wife of mine a wife? Is she even human? Nuanyu said, Yes or no, you married her, so who’s to blame? I climbed up on Nuanyu’s kang and took off my clothes. Nuanyu’s kang was really warm; Nuanyu’s body was really soft, so comfortable you’d like to fuck it all to hell forever.
I said, Nuanyu, marry me.
Nuanyu said, No. You have a fool wife at home and you want to marry again? You’re dreaming.
I said, I really regret it.
Nuanyu said, Regret what?
I said, That you’re not my wife.
Nuanyu said, You’re dreaming!
I said, Dreaming? Wish I were, so that I might be satisfied. Fuck it all to hell.
Lanzi butted me from behind again. I pushed her away and said, Lanzi, why do you keep butting me, it hurts!
Commune Head Liu swore at me, Tianzhu, Tianzhu, what kind of damned production team leader are you? The caves are all about to fucking collapse! How much more do you want to sleep? How damned low can your political consciousness be?
Everybody laughed at me. What the fuck are you dreaming about, snoring so loudly? Are you dreaming about taking another wife?
I just smiled. I was just discussing marriage with Nuanyu. If you’d woken me later, there might have been a baby.
Nuanyu swore. Everyone laughed.
I said, Uncle Gimpy, the year my grandpa died by a Jap sword, was that the third day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar?
Uncle Gimpy nodded and said, Yes, that was the third day of the seventh month.
I said, My mom said I was seven years old that year.
Uncle Gimpy said, Yeah, seven years old. That day, your grandpa looked all over the village for you but couldn’t find you. No one knew you had taken the goat up to the mountain slope. Your grandpa hadn’t been dead more than a couple of weeks when the Japs arrived again. You couldn’t run, so I carried you on my back for your mom….
Commune Head Liu said, Cao Yongfu!
Uncle Gimpy looked at Commune Head Liu but said nothing. I knew that Uncle Gimpy was afraid.
13
The steam from that bowl of water rose to strike my face. I rubbed my hands on my pants. I looked up.
I said, Nuanyu …
Nuanyu said, Take the bowl.
I said, Nuanyu … Commune Head Liu told you to pour a bowl for Kugen’r.
Nuanyu said, I heard him. This is my house, and I’ll pour a bowl for whomever I want. If Kugen’r wants a drink, he can pour it himself.
Beyond Nuanyu, I could imagine how many people were staring at this terrible bowl of water. I said, Nuanyu, Commune Head Liu told you to pour a bowl for Kugen’r.
She suddenly thrust the bowl to my mouth; the hot steam from the bowl assailed my face.
Nuanyu said, Drink up.
I drank. The water ran from my face into the bowl.
When I finished drinking, I stood up at once, went over to the stove, and quickly poured a bowl of water and carried it over to Kugen’r. I said, Kugen’r, have some water; Commune Head Liu ordered that you be given some water.
Kugen’r did not take the water. He said, I don’t want any, and I didn’t ask you to pour any for me.
Holding the bowl, I smiled at Kugen’r and chuckled, He-he, he-he….
I handed the bowl of water to Commune Head Liu and said, Well then, Commune Head, won’t you have a drink?
Commune Head Liu said, Cao Yongfu, how can I drink water you pour?
I stood like a beggar amid the crowd, holding that bowl of water. I chuckled, He-he, he-he….
No one paid any attention to me. I again chuckled, He-he, he-he.
Beneath the oil lamp, I faced so many expressionless faces. Behind each face was a long black shadow. I wondered where I was.
Beneath the oil lamp, my brother said, Little Brother, it’s decided, you stay here and look after the land. I said, Older Brother, when will you, my sister-in-law, and the kids come back? My brother said, Don’t worry about when we’ll be back; someone has to look after the Cao family land. It is the Cao family roots, and people can’t leave and take their roots with them. Those who pull up their roots and leave become rootless gh
osts. I nodded and said, Older Brother, I’ll look after our roots, but come back soon. My older brother nodded but said nothing. My sister-in-law didn’t say anything either, but her face was covered with tears. My sister-in-law said, Kids, come here and kneel before your uncle….
Beneath the oil lamp, I faced so many expressionless faces. Behind each face was a long black shadow. I wondered where I was.
My sister-in-law said, Kids, come and kneel before your uncle…. Beneath the oil lamp, I was encircled by the faces of the children looking at me. I cleared my throat, Ahem, stood up. What’s this all about? What’s this for? Ahem. Tears rolled down my face.
Beneath the oil lamp, I faced so many expressionless faces. Behind each face was a long black shadow. I wondered where I was.
I stood amid the crowd, holding that bowl of water. No one paid any attention to me. I looked like a beggar.
I chuckled, He-he….
14
I was awakened by the cold. I reached out and felt a wet patch in the bedding. I threw off the blanket, sat up, and pushed her away. How could you wet the kang again? How can I sleep when it’s so wet? Do you motherfucking have to wet the kang? See if Dad doesn’t beat you when he gets home.
She just cried, Wa-wa-wa.
I quickly shook Second Dog, Third Dog, and Fourth Dog. Hurry and get up. Move over, don’t sleep in her piss! Hurry up!
I lit the lamp and jumped down off the kang, and from the stove at the head of the kang took several handfuls of ash and threw it over the place where she had pissed. I shivered when I crawled back under the covers.
Wait till I grow up and spend my life as an unmarried man. I’ll never take a motherfucking idiot for a wife! Not for my whole life!