肉欲，换来大人物的救助 《女人和土匪》（英译本）（51）

  

 

Chapter 51

 

 

This woman was named Wu Jiaxiu, also called Wu Simei. She had a small flat nose, cherry lips, lovely temples, fair skin, a slender waist, plump breasts and sexy bottoms. When she smiled, her temples were visible. That attracted men like Cao Fade. He felt like kissing, touching and fucking her.

In fact, Wu Jiaxiu became a prostitute for living. She was from a worker’s family. She had brothers and sisters, but they died strangely. Her father was a worker in a power plant with a handsome income. But the deaths of his children, especially his youngest son, made him sad. One day he was working on a power pole, but then fell down and died.

Her mother had to shoulder the family. She made brooms for living. She hoped her daughter could get education so that she could have a nice marriage. But the pressures of life made her suffer. She coughed a lot.

Wu Simei felt sorry for her mom, who worked day and night making sorghum brooms. She found her mom thin and could not concentrate on her study. She tried to do some work for her mom, but her mom did not allow her to. In her mom’s eyes and heart, she should become a well-educated girl rather than an ignorant woman. As long as she found her daughter studying, she was content.

When Wu Simei was 16, her mom asked others to arrange a marriage for her. The mother got so tired with the work that she collapsed. She could not get up any more. Wu Simei had to learn to cook and feed her mom. The rice she cooked was not good, and she had to live on preserved vegetables and tofu for dishes. Wu Simei treated her mom well during her illness. She often read stories to her mom, who got proud and said, “Good daughter. It’s nice for you to be knowledgeable.”

The mother died sadly one night.

Wu Simei had little money when her mom died. She mourned her and wanted to bury her in a good way. But she had no money. Thus, she went to Madame Zhao, a match-maker, for help. She offered to do anything for anyone who would give her 100-dollar silver coins for her mom’s burial.

Soon, Madame Zhao came with a man in his fifties. He took her to a bright place in the courtyard, and circled around her. He touched her a while, and went out. A moment later, Madame Zhao came back, saying, “Poor girl, stop crying! It’s lucky for you to be favored. But the man wants to get a real virgin. He will sleep with you first and then pay.”

Wu Simei had no other way but to listen to her. She was reluctant to see her mom lying coldly on the ground. Thinking of this, she sobbed by her dead mother.

Madame Zhao said, “Please get ready for the transaction. It’s a matter of 100 silver coins. Please make yourself clean and fragrant.”

Wu Simei stopped crying. She boiled a big pot of water, and cleaned herself. Madame Zhao even smeared some cosmetics on her. She asked her to lie on a white blanket. In the dim light they were waiting anxiously.

Madame Zhao got impatient. She cursed, “Fuck Han Zidong! You even cheated me!”

Hearing this, Wu Simei would cry. Then, Madame Zhao would stop her by saying, “Stop crying! Don’t greet him in this bad way!”

Wu Simei almost got desperate. Then, they heard footsteps in the lane. Madame Zhao asked Wu Simei to stop crying, and in came the middle-aged man.

He asked Madame Zhao, “Is everything ready?”

“Yes. We’re just waiting for you.”

Han Zidong entered the room, touching Wu Simei’s tender face and saying, “You must have a good service!”

Then, there came the voice of “attention”, and a strong man with a long shirt came. Mr. Han greeted him politely, and pointed at the room inside. The man cast a glance at the corpse in the courtyard, but was not shocked. He looked like an experienced soldier. Mr. Han found 4 guards standing at the gate. They smiled at each other. Han closed the gate and sat outside in the courtyard.

The man with a long shirt came into the room. He held Wu Simei in the light. She did not open her eyes. He undressed her and touched her breasts for long, and rubbed her skin. Then, he took off his dress and trousers and pressed on her.

Wu Simei felt a stinging pain in her vagina. She yelled painfully. The man tried several times but could not succeed. He got annoyed, cursing, “Stop crying, or I won’t give you the money!”

She had to suffer the pains. The man relaxed and pressed inside with force. He played for about an hour, and found the blood under her. He patted her on the ass, saying:

“Good stuff!”

He put on his dress and trousers, and ordered Han happily, “Double the payment!” Then, he went out. The footsteps disappeared.

Han Zidong came back and found Wu Simei still crying and lying naked on the bed. He took out two piles of silver coins (each pile worth 100 dollars), and put them beside her. Then, Madame Zhao came in. She was amazed at this, saying to Han:

“What a smart man you’re! You even got a big man…”

Han shouted, “Shut up! Or I’ll make you suffer. What did you see? How could a great man go whoring? It’s me Han Zidong who came here. Do you know?”

Zhao was scared, and replied, “Yes. It’s you who came here. I am sorry for my word.”

“That’s the way you should behave. Watch your mouth, or you’ll get the lesson!”

 Han got some silver coins for Madame Zhao, who gave thanks to him. Han entered the room and found the blood under Wu Simei. He touched her legs and belly lustfully. Wu Simei stopped crying, and thought it reasonable for her to get this pay for the sacrifice. Then, she sat up but found Han undress his clothes. She knelt down naked before Han, begging:

“Dear brother, please have mercy on me! Let me settle my mom first, and I’ll serve you some day later.”

Madame Zhao said, “Please have mercy on her. Let her bury her mother first. She will serve you later.”

Han had to agree to that, saying that he paid for the burial and Wu should be at his mercy. Then, the four soldiers came in. They stared at Wu lustfully. Wu put on her dress. The five men swore to be her brothers. With their help, Wu buried her mom in a good way. The neighbors praised her for her filial love.

In less than half a year, that is, from the autumn of 1947 to early 1948, the five sworn brothers were transferred to Sichuan Province. Her easy life came to an end. The new republic was founded. Wu thought she should change her way of living. She went to work in a construction site, but the pains made her suffer a lot. She could not bear the heavy work.

She thought she could hardly live on honest work as publicized by the Communists. She went to visit Madame Zhao for help. She became a camouflaged prostitute standing on the streets for business.

Cao Fade was a man that she got and could hardly drive away!