by Li Rui
Patting him on the shoulder, I said, Kugen’r, work hard. This is an opportunity for you to steel and temper yourself. Work hard when the leaders are around, and work just as hard when they are not. I have to go back to the commune. Walk with me a ways, I want to speak with you.
He just followed behind me. When we got to the earthen cliff at the entrance to the village, he stopped. He raised his eyes and looked at me. I knew what he wanted to say. I took out those blank letters of introduction and handed them to him.
I said, Kugen’r, these blank letters of introduction are not to be taken lightly—they represent the Commune Party Committee’s trust in you, the power given to you by the Party. You are the orphan son of a martyr, and the Party must rely on people like you to take over the work.
He didn’t say anything. He raised his eyes and looked up at me. I knew what he wanted to say.
I said, You’re not called Kugen’r; your name is Zhao Weiguo, Comrade Zhao Weiguo. The great enterprise of purifying class ranks in Stunted Flats is entirely up to you. If in the future you need a transfer, just go to the County Party Office and do the paperwork, and these pieces of paper will come in handy. If you have any other difficulties, do not hesitate to make things known to the commune. The Commune Party Committee knows that you have applied for Party membership. Work hard, achieve something amid these great storms, and I’ll sponsor you.
Still he remained silent. I knew what he was thinking. You think I don’t dare say what’s on my mind? If I don’t dare speak my mind on my own turf, who will? Say something, open your mouth—I want to see what you’re capable of.
I said, Kugen’r, you’re still young; you’ve never been married, so you don’t know how miserable it is without a woman. Nuanyu’s place is neat and tidy, and she’s a good cook. In this poverty-stricken place of ours, when the work of the revolution is accomplished, there’ll be nothing left to do, nothing for amusement. I came to Stunted Flats to work in the countryside and whenever I return, I stay at Nuanyu’s. She has a two-room cave—she lives in one room and I stay in the other. Okay, there’s no need to stare at me, just purify the class ranks.
I finished speaking and left. I really want to see what you are capable of! I want to see what you can do to me! Chairman Mao says, “The force at the core leading our cause forward is the Chinese Communist Party.” Do you know who the force at the core of running the Yellow Earth People’s Commune is? Damn it, it’s me!
40
He dragged along behind me, but I ignored him. I inhaled deeply. Before I entered through the door, I could already smell that heady aroma. I inhaled deeply again. So fragrant, it smelled so good—the smell of candy, tobacco, wine, coal oil, cookies, and hemp rope all mixed together. I never smelled anything so good at home. When I stood on my tiptoes and lifted the money above my head, all I saw was that mouthful of big yellow teeth. He dragged along behind me, but I ignored him.
I stood on my tiptoes and pressed against the counter. Everything was so bright and colorful. I inhaled deeply, lifted the money above my head, and saw that mouthful of big yellow teeth.
I said, I want to buy a carton of Greenleaf cigarettes. One forty. Here’s two yuan, you’ve got to give me six mao in change, not one fen less. My dad said if I’m short, he’ll beat the hell out of me.
Big Yellowteeth smiled. Big Yellowteeth didn’t take my money; he looked down and said, Which village?
I said, Stunted Flats.
Big Yellowteeth said, Which family?
I said, Tianzhu is my dad.
Big Yellowteeth smiled again and said, Oh, you’re two of the idiot’s kids.
Lifting the money above my head, I said, I want to buy a carton of Greenleaf cigarettes.
Still smiling, Big Yellowteeth said, Can’t be short? I guess the idiot’s kid isn’t an idiot too, is he?
I said, I want to buy a carton of Greenleaf cigarettes.
Fucking Big Yellowteeth! My brother dragged along behind me, but I ignored him. He said, Brother, I want a piece of candy, I want a piece of candy. I turned around and gave him a shove and swore, Why are you such a fucking pest? I jerked him toward me and said, Second Dog, we’re not getting any candy. Everything smells so good here, smell, take a deep breath! Rubbing his face, he began to cry, Brother, I want a piece of candy.
Big Yellowteeth smiled and said, You’d dare to eat a piece of candy? If you’re short, your dad will beat the hell out of you. You’d dare to eat a piece of candy? Hurry on home with your brother.
That fucking Big Yellowteeth!
Big Yellowteeth handed me the cigarettes as he spoke. I took the cigarettes and the change. I counted it—six mao. That fucking Big Yellowteeth. I took out one bill and lifted it in front of his face.
I said, I want one mao’s worth of candy.
Big Yellowteeth said, Really? If you’re short one mao, won’t your dad beat the hell out of you?
I said, I want one mao’s worth of candy.
Big Yellowteeth said, Are you sure?
I said, I want one mao’s worth of candy!
Big Yellowteeth grabbed a handful of candy and said, Two fen apiece, five pieces for one mao.
I took the candy and counted it—five pieces. That fucking Big Yellowteeth. I handed it to Second Dog and said, Here, eat up.
Second Dog finally smiled. Second Dog stuck a piece of candy in his mouth. Second Dog said, Brother, it’s sweet.
I scolded him, What do you mean, sweet? You didn’t even take the wrapper off of it!
Second Dog spit out the candy, unwrapped it, and stuck it back in his mouth. Second Dog said, Brother, it really is sweet! Second Dog handed me a piece and said, Here, you try one too.
I said, You eat it. I don’t want any. That fucking Big Yellowteeth. I said, Second Dog, hurry up, Uncle Gimpy’s waiting for the cigarettes so that things can get done.
Coming out the door, Second Dog said, Brother, what are we going to do if Dad beats us?
I said, Don’t worry, it’s just some candy.
Second Dog said, Dad’s going to beat us.
I said, Don’t worry, I’ll just tell him I lost a mao.
Second Dog took another piece of candy and said, Brother, you have one too.
I took it and stuck it in my mouth. Fuck, it really was sweet!
I said, Second Dog, remember, Big Yellowteeth is a jerk. When we grow up and have money, we won’t buy his stuff, not even one fen’s worth.
Second Dog said, Okay, Brother. Brother, it’s really sweet.
I said, Second Dog, remember that all adults are bad. When we grow up let’s not be bad, we’ll be good to piss them off.
Second Dog said, Okay, Brother. But we’re all cripples and won’t grow up. Brother, it’s really sweet!
41
There’s a lantern hanging on the left column. There’s a lantern hanging on the right column. Two lanterns to illuminate the stage at the Earth God’s temple. Today is the last performance of Little Five. The two lanterns make the freshly cut poplar coffin boards look so white. Little Five is still lying in the stable, waiting for me to make this coffin for him. When I came, I knew I’d be up all night, so I had Erniu bring the lanterns along. There’s one lantern hanging on the left column, there’s one lantern hanging on the right column. Two lanterns hanging there to illuminate the last performance of Little Five. You have to listen if you want to; you still have to listen even if you don’t want to. Little Five, why were you in such a hurry? Were you afraid that you’d die after me and not be able to lie in one of my coffins? You’re twenty years younger than me. Why were you in such a hurry? First the big saw, then the little saw, then the adze, then the plane, then the auger, then the axe. You have to listen if you want to; you still have to listen even if you don’t want to. Two lanterns hanging there to illuminate the last performance of Little Five. Tianzhu asked me where I wanted to work. Need he ask? Who wants to have a coffin in their courtyard? Where else but here at the temple? I’ve done two things in this life—build houses
for the living and build coffins for the dead. I’ve done it my whole life. Why were you in such a hurry?
Erniu! The line! Watch the black line! If you don’t use your eyes, what sort of crooked mess will you end up with? Are you fucking sawing your way back to Nanliu Village? Are you sawing boards or swaying to the rice sprout song? Can’t you see with two lanterns hanging there? Are you blind?
If you tell them, they don’t get it; if you don’t tell them, they still don’t get it. Do they have a clue as to what a coffin is? Is a coffin just a couple of poplar-wood boards with a top nailed on? They’ve never seen the likes of that coffin I made. The coffin I built for the Second Grandma of the Di family, now that was a real coffin. Clear cypress wood, three cun thick; I made it wide at the head and narrow at the foot. It was so shiny I didn’t need to lacquer it. Before I nailed on the lid, I peeped inside at her. Her face was powdered, her eyebrows painted, and she was dressed entirely in red silk embroidered with auspicious Buddhist symbols. She wore gold earrings, gold bracelets, and a pair of embroidered shoes for her bound feet. It was as if a living actress from the stage had been placed in the coffin. She had led a comfortable and boring life, and ended her days by swallowing opium. What do you have? Nothing but a few poplar-wood planks. So why were you in such a hurry?
Erniu! The line! Watch the line! If your hand is off by one cun, the board will be cut crooked by a cun. Did I waste my time teaching you? Did you forget? I’m going to chop off that hand of yours!
The glue pot is on the fire. Smoke is spurting out from under the lid, one ring after another spins over the stage, as if they must separate the stage from the night sky or as if they were afraid of the night sky rushing in. A lantern on the left, a lantern on the right, two lanterns make Little Five’s coffin shine so bright. I have to boil the glue thoroughly. I have to firmly seal the boards and nail them tightly together. It has to be buried in the ground for ten or twenty years without cracking, the glue splitting, or the joints separating. No cracks, splits, or separations make a coffin? Made even better, it’s still a coffin. Everyone is the same—sooner or later we all lie down in a coffin. I’ve built them my whole life. Why were you in such a hurry?
Erniu! Sharpen your saw. Can’t you hear the sound it’s making? You simpleton, don’t you find it hard going? Even a donkey knows how to pull a light cart. You’re worse than a fucking donkey! Fetch the file.
Oh, everyone’s in a hurry, everyone. In a hurry to be born, in a hurry to die. In a hurry to move into a house, in a hurry to lie down in a coffin. In a hurry to chop down trees. It’s as if everyone were born afraid to let something slip by. But the Old Man in Heaven has already arranged things. For every living person, there is a tree. If you live eight years, that’s a tree. If you live eighty years, that’s a tree. Everything is arranged by the Old Man in Heaven. Oh, everything is chopped down. It’s nothing but chop, chop. No one thinks about it, but if everything is chopped down, then what? It’s just chop, chop. A mountain, a mountain is clear cut and all that’s left is people, a mountain full of people. Only when the people fall do you think about the trees. You want to snatch something from the Old Man in Heaven, but there’s nothing left. Where do you go to search? Now a tree is scarcer than ginseng. Everything’s gone. What’s left to snatch? Nothing. Why the big hurry? Are you snatching something from the Old Man in Heaven? Or from yourself?
Erniu! Oil the saw! Saw with skill. The oilcan is in the pack. Go get it.
There’s a lantern hung on the east column, there’s a lantern hung on the west column. Two lanterns clearly illuminate Little Five’s last performance. Two lanterns make the coffin boards shine white. Dazzling white. There’s nothing but these few coffin boards. There’s a fire, and on the fire is the glue pot. Smoke is spurting out from under the lid, one ring after another spins on the stage, as if they must separate the stage from the night sky or as if they were afraid of the night sky rushing in. Second Grandma has gold earrings, gold bracelets, and clothes covered with auspicious Buddhist symbols. She also had opium. What did you have, Little Five? You had nothing but a few donkeys to feed for the team and these few coffin boards.
Erniu! Add some oil, saw with skill. A little more oil.
Two lanterns illuminate Little Five’s last performance. There’s nothing on the stage save a few coffin boards. If it weren’t for Tianzhu, you wouldn’t even have these few poplar boards. You’re twenty years younger than me! Little Five, why were you in such a hurry? Keeping me and Erniu up all night for you. There’s nothing to your final performance save these few poplar coffin boards.
42
I never worked on a stage. I never made a coffin on stage. That’s what she said, she said I look like her brother. How could you two be so alike! She was bundled up in that quilted print jacket, red, tight, like that painting of Li Tiemei. That’s what she said. I just ate. I never ate such tasty dumplings. Once the two oil lanterns were hung, the stage was very bright, making these few poplar coffin boards of Uncle Gimpy’s shine ever so white. I just saw, chi-la, chi-la, chi-la. I never worked on a stage. I never made a coffin on stage.
My master just swore at me, Erniu! The line! Watch the line, or everything will end up crooked and such. Are you fucking sawing your way back to Nanliu Village? I told you to saw the boards. Did I tell you to sway to a rice sprout song? Can’t you see with two lanterns hanging there? Are you blind?
I sat with my master on the kang in the cave. My master sat at the head, I sat to the side. She brought a huge bowl of mutton dumplings over. She said, Uncle Chuandeng, you two hurry and have some. Then she turned and smiled at me. She was bundled up in a quilted print jacket and looked like Li Tiemei in the painting.
She said, Why do you look so much like my brother? You two look so much alike. Even your names are similar. My brother’s name was Huniu and you’re called Erniu. Why do you look so much like him? We just butchered the sheep this afternoon, eat up, enjoy.
I just ate. I never ate such tasty dumplings.
Master said, Erniu!
I put down my bowl. I knew my master is going to complain about how noisily I eat, how I wolf down my food.
She smiled. She said, What’s wrong? A person should be able to eat any way they want. As long as it tastes good! Eat up, Erniu.
I picked up my bowl again. I ate. I never ate such tasty dumplings.
She said, You even eat the same way. You really look like him. You two really look very much alike!
I ate. My master ate. She didn’t eat. After we finished eating, she cleaned up.
Master asked her, Why don’t you eat?
She said, The meat and flour all belong to the team. It was prepared to take care of Uncle Gimpy’s business. Only those who work are entitled to eat.
Master said, Didn’t you make his burial clothes for him?
She said, That wasn’t work assigned by the team. I did it on my own.
I said, You’re such a nice person, so why do you want to live in this village of cripples?
Master said, Erniu!
She was angry. She didn’t lift her head, but I knew she was angry. Head lowered, she scrubbed the pot, scrubbing harder and harder. I don’t even use so much force when I cut wood with an axe.
She didn’t lift her head to look at me. She said, Aren’t Beijing and Taiyuan better than here? Why is it that a good person like you doesn’t move to Beijing or Taiyuan? Why live in this poor area of ours?
She had me right away with her question. She left me feeling pretty bad. I couldn’t even answer her.
Master said, Erniu, let’s go. He’s still in the stable waiting for us.
I left with my master. I had no idea why she was so angry. I wouldn’t have opened my mouth if I’d known it was going to make her mad.
She said, Uncle Chuandeng, I’m boiling water. I’ll bring it to you guys when it’s ready.
I quickly said, That’s okay, there’s no need. I’ll come and get it, I’ll come and get it.
She still paid no at
tention to me. I said, I didn’t know you’d get angry; otherwise I wouldn’t have opened my mouth. Actually, Stunted Flats isn’t all that bad. I wouldn’t mind living here myself. Really. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have opened my mouth.
She smiled and said, Is such a young fellow already capable of such nonsense? If Stunted Flats was such a nice place, it wouldn’t be called Stunted Flats. Actually, people are just like trees. A tree has no choice as to where it sprouts and grows—it’s fate.
Master called me from the courtyard, Erniu!
She said again, You really look like my brother. I never knew two people could look so much alike!
Master called again, Erniu!
I hurried out into the darkness. She stood in the doorway, the light streaming from behind her. She stood in the light, red and bundled up, like the painting of Li Tiemei.
This was the first time I worked on a stage, and it was the first time I ever built a coffin on a stage. The first time was to build a coffin for Uncle Gimpy. Master kept pressing me, and I worked my ass off with the saw, chi-la, chi-la, chi-la, chi-la. Why would such a nice person like her want to live in a rotten, sick place like this?
Master scolded me again, The line! Watch the line! If your hand is off by a cun, your sawing will be off by a cun. Did I waste my time teaching you? Did you forget? I’ll chop off your hands!
I drank two bowls of soup and I’m still thirsty. I wonder if the water has boiled. Why would such a nice person like her want to live in a rotten, sick place like this? Want to live in Stunted Flats? Uncle Gimpy was born here and grew up here, but why did he do himself in? I wonder if the water has boiled? Why hasn’t she come yet? Bundled up in that quilted cotton print jacket, she looked like that painting of Li Tiemei.
43
I sat on the cattail mat and held a bundle of stalks with my legs and arms, feeding it in little by little. He cut it with a hay cutter, gecha-gecha-gecha. The finger-thick millet stalks were cut in lengths crosswise, in cracker-thin disks that fell outside the cutter. His hand was wrapped in a handkerchief and each time he cut, he frowned; cut and frowned, cut and frowned. Drops of sweat dripped from his brow as he cut, cut and dripped, cut and dripped.