by Yan Lianke
Chapter Six
Fourth Wife You left after lunch. By that point, the sky was high, the clouds were sparse, and vast fields of grain sprouts blanketed the mountains and ravines virtually overnight. There was a pungent odor in the air. Second Daughter escorted her mother to the mountain ridge, whereupon Fourth Wife You told her to return home. She said, “Go back. If you can find your brother a wholer wife, then you will have done your part as a sister. Don’t think that simply making a pair of shoes will do it.”
Second Daughter stood on the ridge as her mother disappeared into the distance. Fourth Wife You did not return to her Eldest Daughter’s home. Along the mountain ridge she glanced in the direction of her Eldest Daughter’s home and began to shout, “Daughter, Mother is leaving. Mother can cure you and your sisters.” She watched as her shout drifted out through the mountain ridge like a piece of silk, then quickly headed home. As Fourth Wife You proceeded through the mountain range, she felt the urge to talk to someone. When it occurred to her that her husband, Stone You, had not accompanied her to her Second Daughter’s house, she felt a pang of loneliness. It was the first time in years that her husband had not accompanied her when she went on a trip. She wondered what was wrong with him. Now that he was no longer among the living, was it still possible for him to get sick? As she walked, she began to cry out, “Dead one, where are you? When I want you to talk to me, you really are dead; but when I don’t want you to keep talking, you come back to life …” She shouted as she continued forward, at which point a man leading a plow ox approached from the opposite direction. He stopped and asked, “Who are you talking to?”
She replied, “Are you going to plow your fields? I’m talking to my husband.”
The man looked around and said, “I’m going to plow a barren field. Where is your husband?”
Fourth Wife You replied, “You’re going to plow a barren field? My husband died twenty years ago.”
The man stared in surprise and said, “Are you sick or delirious? This is crazy talk.”
Fourth Wife You replied, “I’ve never been sick my entire life. My mind has never been clearer than it is now, and I’ve never been happier.”
The man walked away in confusion, but even as he was leaving he kept turning around to look back at her.
By the time Fourth Wife You reached You Village, it was already dusk and the village was bathed in red light. Even the pig troughs and the horse stables outside each house appeared red. Everyone eating their dinner came out to the street holding their rice bowls, gossiping about this and that. An old midwife rushed into the village, whereupon all the villagers realized that they were about to have a new addition. One villager standing at the entrance to the village was holding his rice bowl but he wasn’t eating; instead he was staring at the home of the family that was about to give birth. He asked if the baby was going to be a girl or a boy, and noted that you can predict someone’s fortune based on where they are born. Children born in the county seat may go on to become government officials, while those born in the provincial seat may go on to study at the university. There was also a granddaughter who, before she had even turned ten, went to the district to represent the township in some competition. As he was saying this, he saw the family’s octogenarian grandmother hobble out of an alley, followed by a goat and a dog, and after exchanging a few auspicious remarks with the villagers she proceeded toward the village entrance.
The sunset was warm and tranquil, and the fields were bathed in red light. The grandmother stood motionless in the entrance to the village, gazing out at the road leading into the mountain ridge. The dog and the goat were lying at her feet, as though they were her own grandchildren. At this point, Fourth Wife You came down from the mountain ridge, her face hard, her head and body covered in a layer of dust as thick as a padded jacket. She proceeded quickly, as though she were going somewhere to pick up money or take care of some important business—as though if she were late all would be lost, but if she were on time she could make a fortune. When Fourth Wife You reached the entrance to the village, the elderly woman stopped her, took two red eggs out of her pocket, and handed them to Fourth Wife You. With an embarrassed smile on her deeply wrinkled face, the woman said, “Fourth Idiot’s mother, I’ve been waiting for you. My grandson’s wife is about to give birth.”
Fourth Wife You looked at the red eggs, and said, “Congratulations, Fourth Idiot’s grandmother! Soon you’ll be able to live in a four-generation family.”
The old woman said, “I’m glad I’ve caught you; I think the baby will be a boy. If you agree not to pass in front of our house, my son says he will give you two hundred jin of wheat to help you and Fourth Idiot make it through the winter.”
Fourth Wife You paused for a moment, her face pale as snow. As she shuddered, the dirt and dust from the journey fell to the ground. She asked coldly, “Why would I not go by your house?”
The old woman said, “I apologize, but what if you pass him some sickness as you go by? If you agree to circle around the other end of the village, then I’ll also give you a basket of corn in addition to the wheat.”
Fourth Wife You didn’t say anything else, and instead she simply stared at the old woman. Fourth Wife You’s gaze was hard and her face was dark purple. It seemed as though she could devour the old woman with her gaze or drive her away with her face. But the old woman was, after all, merely an old woman, and she said, “Fourth Wife You, if you agree not to pass in front of our house, I’d be happy to have my children give you some extra money.” At this point, all eyes in the street had turned their way, and several were coming over to watch the excitement. Along the mountain ridge, the setting sun sounded like water running over dry desert sand, and in the peace of the village there were explosive sounds of wood burning. The dog and goat stood behind the old woman, gazing expectantly at Fourth Wife You, who slowly shifted her gaze away from the old woman and toward the blood-red street. Without saying a word, she walked past the old woman and down the street, taking large strides that seemed out of proportion with her slight body, as she headed to the entranceway of the old woman’s home.
The old woman looked deathly pale, and said, “Fourth Idiot’s mother, besides the grain, how about if I give you some more money?”
Fourth Wife You took several more steps, then turned around and threw the red eggs to the dog and the goat.
The old woman said, “Fourth Son’s mother, shall I call you Sister, Mother, or Grandmother?” Fourth Wife You didn’t look back, and instead looked straight ahead as she walked faster.
Several men approached and stood in the middle of the road, blocking her way.
Fourth Wife You said, “If you don’t let me pass this evening, I’ll hang myself at your doorstep.”
The men slowly stepped aside to let her pass.
With her head up, Fourth Wife You passed through the crowd of men as if pushing through a half-open door. The village street was uncommonly quiet. The chickens, ducks, pigs, and cattle had all returned to their pens, leaving only a handful of villagers still eating in the streets, in the canteen, or in their own doorways. Fourth Wife You’s footsteps were loud and heavy. They echoed as she walked down the street, and the afterglow trembled in that sound like a silk sheet. The elderly woman stood blankly behind her, watching as she receded into the distance. Eventually, she approached that old woman’s tile-roofed house, and by this point the screams of the woman about to give birth reverberated through the village, like a whirlwind of sand and rocks. The old woman was startled, and she rushed after Fourth Wife You, shouting, “Fourth Idiot’s mother, Fourth Idiot’s mother!” Just before Fourth Wife You reached the doorway to the old woman’s house, the old woman grabbed her and said, “I’m eighty years old, and in another six months I’ll be eighty-one. But I’m still willing to kneel down and beg you not to pass by my house.” Fourth Wife You turned around and saw that the old woman, her eyes full of tears, was indeed in the process of kneeling down in front of her.
Fourth Wife You’s heart softened and she grabbed the old woman, as though grabbing a pole that was about to topple over. She held the woman in front of her, looked at her coldly, and suddenly spat in her face. Then she spun around and walked away. The entire village was silent, and even the dog and the goat stared at Fourth Wife You in surprise. Fourth Wife You’s spittle flew like bullets in all directions, splattering the villagers nearby. The old woman stood there in confusion, with phlegm dripping down her face. The other villagers also stood there blankly, and by the time it occurred to them to wipe their faces and curse Fourth Wife You, she had already turned a corner and disappeared from view.
The rivers dried up and the earth had been overturned in the blink of an eye. Fourth Wife You walked stiffly, like a statue carved out of stone. In the alley, a couple of chickens and ducks saw her corning and squawked as they hid by the side of the road, leaving her ample room to pass. She stood for a while at the door to her house, looking toward the center of the village. She heard the new wife’s screams as they rippled her way like water, and proceeded to spit a gob of snow-white spittle in their direction—after which she followed the screams into the courtyard.
The front gate, which had been locked, swung open. It turned out that her husband, Stone You, was home waiting for her. Fourth Wife You stepped through the front gate and found Stone You sitting on the doorstep watching Fourth Idiot, as though watching a calf trying to break free of its rope. In the courtyard, there was also a snow-white lamb, and under the tree Fourth Idiot was staring intently at the animal, unable to see that his father was at his side. Fourth Idiot wanted to hug the lamb, kiss it, and caress its head, body, and belly. He also wanted to stroke the animal’s tiny red bean-like teats, and touch it where it shouldn’t be touched. In the end, however, Fourth Idiot decided the lamb must be very clever, because it would always wait until he was almost in front of it before slipping away. As a result, even though Fourth Idiot chased it like crazy through the courtyard, he could never catch the lamb. What he didn’t realize was that Stone You was right next to him, and each time Fourth Idiot was about to catch the lamb, Stone You would go up to the animal and scare it, causing it to run away. Fourth Idiot chased the lamb all afternoon, and by evening he was exhausted. He sat in the middle of the courtyard trying to catch his breath, and Stone You watched over him as Fourth Idiot stared at the lamb. It was at this point that Fourth Wife You arrived. She stood in the doorway, and Fourth Idiot turned pale.
He said, “Ma, I can’t catch the lamb. I want to sleep with it.”
Fourth Wife You stood in the entranceway. Her eyes had a greenish tint, and, like a block of ice in winter, she immediately chilled all the warmth from the courtyard’s evening sunlight.
Stone You asked, “What’s wrong?”
Fourth Wife You bit her purple lips, but didn’t respond.
Stone You said, “I originally wanted to go with you to visit Eldest and Second Daughters, but after lunch Fourth Idiot kept chasing someone’s heifer all around the village. The villagers began cursing and beating him, and the other village kids picked up rocks and clumps of earth and threw them at his head.”
Fourth Wife You shifted her icy stare toward Stone You.
The screams of the woman giving birth once again wafted over, and in the quiet dusk they resembled an early autumn wind scattering red and yellow leaves everywhere.
As Fourth Wife You looked in the direction of those screams and then back at Fourth Idiot, her face gradually acquired a trace of warmth.
She said, “Fourth Idiot, come here.”
Like a famished infant who sees a stranger, Fourth Idiot cautiously approached and hid in the embrace of Fourth Wife You, who smoothed down his hair and saw that his head was in fact so swollen and lacerated that it resembled tree bark. Several of his wounds had scabbed over, though the blood continued to flow out from beneath. Fourth Wife You asked, “Why were you chasing the village cattle? Didn’t I tell you to stay home and not leave no matter what?”
Fourth Idiot said, “I want to sleep with that cow.”
Stone You said, “He was also chasing the chickens and ducks in the village.”
Fourth Wife You asked, “Did the chickens and ducks ever bother you?”
Fourth Idiot said, “I want to sleep with the chickens and ducks, and have a baby with them.”
As he was saying this, wave after wave of the new bride’s cries swept toward them, pushing the setting sun’s last rays back over the mountain. In the end, a final bloody scream rent the sky, and the sun disappeared in silence. The village immediately fell quiet, and there wasn’t the lightest breath of sound. It was as if the woman about to give birth had fallen asleep, or had passed out from the pain. The entire world had fallen quiet.
Fourth Wife You asked, “Fourth Idiot, why do you want to have a baby?”
Fourth Idiot said, “I want to have a baby so that it can cry for milk.”
Fourth Wife You said, “If Mother really does find you a wife, will you be able to give her a baby?”
Fourth Idiot said, “If Ma finds me a wife to hold while I sleep, I’ll give Ma a baby, and also make her a black coffin.”
Stone You turned pale.
Fourth Wife You said, “Do you want me to find you a wholer wife?”
Fourth Idiot said, “I’ll make Ma a coffin out of cypress wood.”
Stone You stared at Fourth Idiot and stamped his foot.
Fourth Wife You said, “A wholer wife, and a pretty one, too?”
Fourth Idiot said, “I’ll make the coffin from cypress wood, one inch thick.”
Stone You turned completely white and kept stamping his foot in front of Fourth Idiot.
Fourth Wife You continued asking questions, and each time she heard Fourth Idiot’s answers, her face would lighten. Eventually, she looked as peaceful as a bowl of water tucked beneath a wall so that it is never touched by the wind. In the entranceway a woman walked forward quickly. She said, “Third Auntie, can you guess what she gave birth to? It’s a boy! Quick, bring your family’s scale. People say that if you hang your scale outside your door for three days, then when the boy grows up and finds a wife, he will end up with the beautiful daughter of the county mayor.” Fourth Wife You agreed, and the other woman departed, leaving the You Family courtyard as quiet as the rest of the village. In the mountains, this period just before sunset was the quietest moment of the day, like a cloud fading in the distance. Stone You stamped his feet in front of Fourth Wife You and screamed, “You must beat Fourth Idiot. Slap him! If you don’t, he’ll only get stupider, and will keep flying in the face of Heaven and Earth.” But Fourth Wife You ignored him. Instead, she pushed Fourth Idiot away from her and stared at him for a long time. She saw that he had a clownlike smile on his face, as though Fourth Wife You really was about to find him a wife—as though his new wife was about to appear before him.
The woman who wanted to borrow a scale returned. The banging of the scale’s chain and weight sounded like music as she came nearer.
Fourth Wife You said, “Fourth Idiot, repeat to Mother what you just said.”
Fourth Idiot said, “If Ma finds me a pretty wife, I’ll give her a baby boy, and also make her a coffin from cypress wood.”
Fourth Wife You said, “The coffin should be made without any cracks, so that my bones won’t decay for decades.” She added, “There is something else—tomorrow Mother will prepare some packages, and you should take them to the families of your eldest and third sisters.”
Fourth Idiot said, “What am I taking them? The road to their homes is as long as the sky is high.”
Fourth Wife You said, “If you deliver the packages, I’ll make you a fried bun.”
Fourth Idiot said, “I want five fried buns.”
Fourth Wife You said, “Then I’ll fry five of them.”
Fourth Idiot said, “Use extra oil, and also some scallion blossoms.”
Fourth Wife You said, “I’ll use all of the oil we have left in the barrel.”
Fourth Idiot said, “After I finish eating I’ll go to sleep and won’t go anywhere.”
Fourth Wife You paused in surprise and stared at Fourth Idiot’s face as though it were a wooden board. A predusk glimmer of sunlight shone down, and Fourth Wife You hurried into the kitchen, grabbed a cleaver, and reemerged. She held it up in front of Fourth Idiot and said with severity, “What am I making you the buns for?”
Fourth Idiot turned pale, and his pupils shrunk until his eyes appeared almost entirely white. He stepped back several paces, saliva dribbling from his trembling lips. He said, “Ma, don’t chop me. Let me make you a cypress-wood coffin without any cracks. Then I’ll take the two packages to my sisters’ families.”
Fourth Wife You threw the cleaver down next to a whetstone in the kitchen doorway, and said, “Fourth Idiot, don’t be afraid. Mother is going to fry you some buns.”
The white receded from Fourth Idiot’s eyes and he licked the saliva from his face while watching his mother.
Fourth Wife You headed into the house. After a while, she walked into the kitchen carrying a grain jar with a broken mouth and a barrel full of used oil. She began kneading the dough, and proceeded to dump all of the grain onto the table, whereupon she broke open the bottom of the jar by smashing it against the table. After removing all of the remaining grain, she threw the broken jar to the ground. The sky was almost black by this point, and the village was once again filled with the sound of people walking back and forth. These were men who, after eating, would congregate in the entrance of the village to chat. The women were still at home washing up after dinner, and the bright clinking of dishes circulated through the night. Fourth Wife You lit a lamp, and as she was kneading the dough, her face became covered in white flour. At this point, Stone You walked in, stood in front of her, and said, “If you eat all of the grain you borrowed, what are you going to have tomorrow?” She didn’t see him, nor did she answer. The dough in the bowl was a little stiff, so she got two handfuls of water from the water basin. Stone You said, “Something seems to be on your mind. What happened today?” She placed the dough on the table and spread it out, then dumped out the oil in the barrel. She rubbed the inside of the barrel with some dough to remove all of the remaining oil. When the inside of the barrel was finally so clean you could see your reflection in it, she threw the barrel to the ground next to the broken grain jar. She added a pinch of salt to the dough, then another. She hesitated a moment, then added an entire fistful of salt. Stone You cried out, “You’re making it too salty! Do you want Fourth Idiot to die of thirst after he eats it?” Fourth Wife You still didn’t answer, and instead glanced at Stone You and proceeded to dump all of the remaining salt onto the dough. She was about to throw the salt bucket under the table as well, but hesitated. She turned it upside down and looked at it, saw that there were two cracks in it, then tossed it aside.