世上的坏人咋恁多 《女人和土匪》 （英译本）（47）

Chapter 47Zhang Yan decided to give a medium-sized ball to Yan Yuan as compensations.In fact, Yan Yuan kicked the ball hard in order to stand by Zhang Yan. The ball hit a nail on the wall of the classroom and got punctured. Fang Yu got it back but it was too late.Big Black blamed, “What a silly boy!”At that time, Zhang Yan thought Yan Yuan great.Yan Yuan shouted, “Why should we play in this way? Why should we give in to Little Black and Big Black? Why should they kick Zhang Yan on the bottoms? It’s unfair.”“It’s unfair.” Zhang Yan agreed. “Why should the two brothers kick others on the bottoms? What a pair of bullying brothers!” Little Black replied, “What a silly boy, Zhang Yan! Didn’t you agree that anyone interrupting us would be kicked on the bottoms? If I interrupted you, I would be kicked on the bottoms as well.”Zhang Yan remarked, “You don’t practice what you preach. I kicked you on the bottoms that day, and today you just revenged me.”Fang Yu said, “Now that we have lost the big and small balls, what would we do?”Big Black said, “Let’s calm down. I hear that Zhang Yan has a big ball for real games. Right?”Zhang Yan replied, “Right.”Big Black said, “As long as you let us play in your house, I promise we won’t bully you, and won’t curse you as a Kuomintang child. In fact, Miss Wang told us that the Kuomintang generals who took the uprising should be regarded as Communists.”Zhang Yan was glad with the suggestion. Yan Yuan also thought it reasonable. Fang Yu thought it would be better if Little Black could make a promise. The latter gave Fang a curse, saying that his brother’s decision was his and his promise was his, too.Then, these boys of Grade 2 made peace.Zhang Yan did not like others to call him a son of the Kuomintang or landlord. As long as Little Black and Big Black did not call him that way, others would not do that. Then, at the time of supper Zhang Yan could tell his parents about this.Zhang said, “Good son! You have made progress in dealing with public relations.”Tang, who had been quite recently, spoke, “You’re right, son. We should be generous like Jesus.”Zhang Yan was glad that his mom could speak to him, and his gaze met his father’s. Yet, the child was puzzled: Jesus said that the others could eat his flesh and drink his blood; why couldn’t we eat tofu with pig blood at home?Tang said, “The blood that Jesus mentioned is wine, and the flesh is pancake.”Zhang Yan found his father look at him in surprise. He was encouraged and went on, “But Jesus did not ascend to the sky at that time. He was a common person like us. He did not know what would happen to him later. Why isn’t the blood and flesh his?”Tang said, “Please forgive my son, Lord!”Zhang Yan remarked, “Lord asked people to drink his blood, but Mom as a Christian does not allow us to eat blood at home. That’s fun. Great men should practice what they preach. Chairman Mao is a good example.”Tang put down her bowl and lowered her head. Zhang Yan felt sorry for that. He called, “Mom!” He wanted to say sorry to his mother.Tang stopped on the stairs, looking back and saying, “I would not feel annoyed with your words. But there are many things that I can’t explain well to you now.”Tang went upstairs and Zhang Yan felt depressed. Zhang went upstairs to accompany his wife, and he gave his son a dollar (RMB) for candy.Zhang Yan had never been to any shop alone before. He thought he could use this sum of money for a medium-sized ball. He got such a ball, accompanied by Fang Yu. Then, they had some snacks in the streets. Dear! The streets looked dirty, but the snacks tasted so nice! Later, they bought some ice cream and came back, talking and laughing.Fang Yu said he had been visiting the tea house for the stories about the tiger-beating hero. The hero, named Wu Song, was a really great hero, he said. Zhang Yan wanted to get the whole of the story. Yet, he was near his home and had to make a farewell to his bosom friend.Zhang Yan got into the house. He had planned to give this new ball to Yan Yuan. As he passed by his parents’ room, he heard Mom speak to Daddy in an excited voice:“Let them arrest me and put me in the public security office!”Zhang said, “Dear, let’s make some compromise at this moment. I don’t mean you are wrong with your faith. But it is not wise for you to refuse to go the public security office to make the matter clear. We have to do that for our son.”Tang said with a cry, “Dear, don’t push me too hard! Let me tell you: I won’t go to the public security office for any reason. Even if I had to die, I would not allow them to insult me in this way.”Zhang was worried, saying, “Do you think the public security workers dare not arrest you? That’s wrong!”Tang suddenly yelled, “I can’t bear this any more. Dear, please have mercy on me!”Zhang Yan was heartbroken. He had not known about his mom’s plight. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He put the new ball by the telephone in the corridor, and went downstairs quietly.Zhang Yan came to Fang Yu’s home. His mom was tidying up the garbage she had collected. Zhang Yan greeted politely, “Auntie!”Fang Yu’s mom looked up in amazement, and replied, “Dear son, your good friend is coming.”Fang Yu came out of the hut, and took Zhang Yan inside. His mom cleaned a small table and a stool, and asked Zhang Yan to sit down. Then, she got him a cup of bitter tea.Fang Yu asked, “Do you want to hear the story of the tiger-beating hero again?”Zhang Yan nodded quietly.“Where have I just gone in the story?”“You said Wu Song had 18 bowls of wine and was almost drunk. He went up the mountains…”In fact, Fang Yu heard the story from the tea house. He did not get the whole of the story, so he could not tell Zhang Yan about what happened next in the story. Then, Fang Yu said, “I listened to the story for five days and nights, but you want to get the whole story in two minutes. What a big difference!”Zhang Yu said, “How could you stay in the tea house for five days and nights? You’re at school in the daytime.”Fang Yu replied, “I mean I got a seat in the tea house before it got dark outside. That’s why I say 5 days and nights. They didn’t charge me anything.”Zhang Yan said, “I’d like to visit the tea house, too.”“Uncle Yang goes there every day!”“Ok. When they plan to tell the story of the tiger-beating hero, please inform me of it. Then, I’ll let Yang take me there.”Fang Yu said, “The person who tells the story would spend at least 10 days on the whole plot.”Zhang Yan thought it took too much time. Then, he asked Fang Yu to tell him the whole story some day, and in return he would invite him to a movie in a cinema. Fang Yu agreed. Fang Yu thought the story-telling in the tea house took too much time as well.Zhang Yan seemed to forget the trouble at home for the time being. Both he and Fang Yu were absorbed in the story-telling in the tea house.Then, Comrade Gao and Comrade Li from the public security office came. Comrade Li said, “Fang Meiying, we come to your house for residence registration.”Zhang Yan knew there was only a table in Fang Yu’s home, and he did not like the two public security workers. Thus, he said to Fang Yu, “Let’s move inside.”They entered a small room inside. Fang Yu told the story of the tiger-beating hero. Zhang Yan found Fang Yu liked to repeat his plots over and over. They laughed for a while. Then, Zhang Yan noticed the conversation between Fang Meiying and the public security workers:“You’re a person of the Shuijia nationality from Libo County. I am from Dushan County. I once ate your preserved fish. It tasted nice. We’re almost country fellows. How old are you?”“I am 23.”“Then, you were born in 1928. What date?”“September, I can’t remember the exact date.”“Then, just have a guess.”“Ok. About September 9. It is a festival of my nationality.”“What family background?”“What do you mean?”“Are you a poor farmer, a land-renting farmer, a rich farmer or a landlord?”“Nobody has told me what background I am from.”“How much land do you have at home?”“Do you mean my parents’ home or my husband’s parents’ home? My parents are dead.”“Of course it’s your husband’s parents’ home.”“But my husband died.”“When did he die?”“March 3, 1945.”“How much land did you have at that time?”“Two or three acres of corn land.”“Did you rent it to others or till it by yourself?”“I tilled it by myself.”“Then, you’re a poor farmer. What’s your son’s name?”“Fang Yu.”“Why is he named after your surname?”“My husband died, and I was taken away by a rich family. Sorry, my husband was beaten to death.”Comrade Gao said, “What a bad society!”Comrade Li stopped asking, but said, “Comrade Gao, you may not know the custom of the Shuijia nationality. The rich families could get away the women they liked. Right, Madame Fang?”“Right.”“When was your son born?”“On February 3, 1945. He is a poor child.”“This child was born in the rich family. When were you taken away by that family?”“In July, 1944.”“Then, how could you prove your child was your husband’s?”“I am not sure.”“What’s the surname of the rich family?”“Pan.”“What surname did they give your son?”“Pan.”“How long did you stay in that rich family?”“We stayed there until the end of 1949 when the PLA came. Master Pan became a bandit, and took me and my son with him. We escaped from him.”“What happened to Master Pan later?”“I just escaped with my son. I don’t know anything about that.”All of a sudden, Comrade Gao shouted, “Fang Meiying, you’re a hiding landlady or wife of a bandit!”It was quiet in the house. Zhang Yan cast a glance at Fang Yu, who was shocked at the shout.Then, Fang Meiying cried, “Don’t call me that way, comrades! I am a poor person. Master Pan took me away from my husband, and killed my husband. I was treated like a slave. I was even forced to feed Master Pan’s one-year-old daughter breast milk. I am a poor person, comrades!”“Shut up! Who is your comrade?”Zhang Yan could not recall when he left Fang Yu’s house. He just saw Zhang Zhong rush to him. His cousin said, “Uncle Yang, uncle, aunt, my mom and my brother have been looking for you. Please come back home. Auntie is crying before Jesus on the cross.”Zhang Yan got back to the house. He found his mom kneeling down before Jesus on the cross and praying tearfully. He went into her arms and cried.Zhang Yan did not stop crying until a long time later. Then, he hugged his mom, asking, “Why are there so many evil people in the world?”Tang just heaved a sigh and wiped his tears, saying nothing.