6 沈阳和平房产局 SYHP Housekeeping Bureau

目录 Content：6.0 前言 Preface；6.1 高德新喜欢擦皮鞋 Gao Likes to Polish His Shoes；6.2 工作表现好 Good Work Performance；6.3 考研究生 Going to Graduate School；6.4 贼窝的会议 Meeting in the Den of Thieves；6.5 电击的感觉 Feeling of Electric Shocks；6.6 结界 Tie Boundary；6.7 饿鬼趣 Hungry Ghost Interest；6.7.2 强取豪夺 Robbery；6.7.3 畜生趣 Livestock Interest；6.8 殃 Misfortune；6.9 活见鬼 Seeing Ghost Alive；6.10 不是有关系也不是没有关系 Neither Related Nor Unrelated.

 

 

6.0 前言 Preface

在1994年7月，我到沈阳和平房产局第一建筑分公司工作，生活得挺开心。每天早上到办公室先拖地，中午提前半小时去饭店吃饭，午休时间在大街上下象棋。下午等到公司里没什么人了，就回大伯家了。

前两个月，我只做了一份提料单的工作。我们工程科的付国清科长告诉我，“你应该把提料单上的条目记住，这样等将来工作忙的时候，你两个小时就可以做一份提料单。” 我照着他说的做了。

In July 1994, I went to work in the First Construction Branch of Shenyang Heping Housekeeping Bureau and lived a very happy life. Every morning, I mop the floor when I arrive at the office, go to a restaurant half an hour early for lunch, and play chess on the street during my lunch break. In the afternoon, when there was no one else in the company, I went back to my uncle's house.

In the first two months, I only did one job of “material list abstracted from design”. Fu Guoqing, the section chief of our engineering department, told me, "You should memorize the items on the list of materials, so that when you are busy in the future, you can make a list of materials in two hours." I followed him, did what was said.

在办公室里，我整天没有工作上的事儿。我们办公室里有个前凸后翘，年轻靓丽的小媳妇儿，叫翘翘。她正在读夜大，常在办公室里学习，说话办事儿总是畏手畏脚的。一天我问她：“我觉得我在咱办公室里说话还是挺顺畅的，交流起来没问题，是吧？”

In the office, I have nothing to do with work all day. There is a young and beautiful woman in our office named Qiaoqiao. She is studying at night university and often studies in the office. She is always timid about speaking and doing things. One day I asked her: "I think I can speak quite smoothly in our office and have no problem communicating, right?"

翘翘说：“你说话儿有啥问题！”

我说：“前几天咱朱国俊经理面试我的时候，我好像听不懂咱经理说话似的，反应不过来。”

翘翘说：“咱这个经理，大字不识几个，就是个转业兵出身。他说话，有时候，是听起来不着边儿。”

我才明白，说：“我还以为我的思考有毛病呢！那他怎么当上经理了呢？”

Qiaoqiao replied: "What's wrong with your words?"

I said: "When our manager Zhu Guojun interviewed me a few days ago, I seemed like I couldn't understand what he was saying and couldn't react."

Qiaoqiao said: "Our manager doesn't know a lot of Chinese characters, and he is a discharged soldier. Sometimes his words sound irrelevant."

Only then did I understand and said, "I thought there was something wrong with my thinking! Then how did he become the manager?"

翘翘说：“他和以前咱公司的经理，俩人关系好，好得像是一个人似的。现在，那个老经理升到局里，当局长助理去了。他就当上经理了。对了，虽说是局长助理，在咱们公司里，都管他叫新局长，你可别叫错了。”

我说：“那他们的关系为什么那么好？”

翘翘说：“以后你就知道了。咱这经理实际上就是新局长的打手。你别再问了！”

Qiaoqiao said: "He had a good relationship with the former manager of our company, as if they were the same person. Now, the old manager has been promoted to the bureau and has become the assistant to the director. So, Zhu Guojun has become the manager. By the way, even though he is the assistant director, in our company, he is called the new Bureau Chief, so don’t call him the wrong one."

I said, "Then why are their relationships so good?"

Qiao’qiao said: "You will know later. Our manager is the new Bureau Chief's thug. Don't ask anymore!"

 

6.1 高德新喜欢擦皮鞋 Gao Likes to Polish His Shoes

在办公室里，我发现对面桌的电器技术员高德新总是喜欢看和擦自己的皮鞋。一天，我和他闲聊的时候，发现他又在看和擦自己的皮鞋，就问： “你怎么那么喜欢你的鞋呢？我每次看见你都在琢磨自己的鞋！”

他听了，高兴了，笑着说：“你终于发现了！我喜欢干净，利索；你想知道你为什么老是能看见我擦皮鞋不？”

我回答当然想知道。

In the office, I found that Gao Dexin, the electrical technician at the opposite desk, always liked to look at and polish his shoes. One day, when I was chatting with him, I noticed that he was looking at and polishing his shoes again, so I asked: "Why do you like your shoes so much? Every time I see you, you are pondering your shoes!"

He was pleased to hear this, and said with a smile, "You've found it out at last! I like to be clean and neat; do you want to know why you always see me polishing my shoes?"

I replied of course I wanted to know.

 

 

他突然大声说：“就是因为你！你那火辣辣的眼神（参见3.2节 肉眼通的功能）！一看我，我就感觉肉麻！我真受不了你的眼神！所以，我就看着你，当我发现你要看我的时候，我就看我的皮鞋，擦皮鞋。你想出来没？你的眼睛是怎么回事？”

我听了之后，当然惊奇，说：“我的家人，亲戚和朋友，早就发现我的眼神特别，没人知道是怎么回事。我早就回想过很多次，没发现原因。如果像你说的，我父母请人给做的，那他们怎么会不记得了呢！你说小时候，把眼睛蒙上半年，一年的（参见3.1《肉眼通的作法》），那还不把眼睛蒙瞎了！不合逻辑。”

He suddenly blurted out, "It's because of you! That fiery look in your eyes (see Section 3.2 Functions of Flesh Eye Through)! One look at me and I feel a horrible coquetry! I can't stand the look of yours! So, I look at you, and when I realize you're going to look at me, I look at my shoes and polish them. Did you figure it out yet? What's the matter with your eyes?"

I was certainly surprised to hear that and said, "My family, relatives and friends, have long noticed that I have special eyes, and no one knows what is wrong with them. I've looked back many times long ago and haven't found a reason. If, as you say, my parents hired someone to do it for them, then how could they not remember! You said that when I was a child, someone blindfolded my eyes for six months, a year (see section 3.1 Making Flesh Eye Through). That would have blinded me already, illogical!"

 

6.2 工作表现好 Good Work Performance

1994年10月，经理找我谈话，说局里照顾我是农村来的，家里困难，决定把我列入下一次住房分配的名单。又说，为了方便公司更改设计图纸，他们把我编入了局里的设计院。他们还把我编入了局里的动迁开发办公室。随后，我被安排为遂川十里商住大厦（总造价3.4亿）项目的施工总工程师。局里为了这个项目，成立了局工程委员会；我被任命为这个委员会的秘书。不久，他们又通知我，说是把我编入了局事故调查处理委员会。

一天晚上，同事高德新带着一群人来到了我们办公室，说是对我的身世感觉奇怪，以至于晚上睡不着觉，所以他们决定找我谈谈。

In October 1994, the manager approached me and said that the bureau had taken care of the fact that I was from the countryside and my family was in difficulty and had decided to put me on the list for the next housing allocation. He also said that to make it easier for the company to change the design drawings, they had programmed me into the bureau's design institute. They also organized me into the Bureau's Relocation and Development Office. Subsequently, I was assigned as the chief engineer for the construction of the Suichuan Tenth Street Commercial and Residential Building (with a total cost of $340 million) project. The bureau set up a bureau works committee for this project; I was appointed secretary of this committee. Soon afterward, they notified me that I had been organized into the Bureau's Accident Investigation and Handling Committee.

One night, my colleague Gao Dexin came to our office with a group of people, saying that they felt so strange about my life that they couldn't sleep at night, so they decided to talk to me.

6.2-1

第一件怪事，高德新问我，我的人事档案在哪里？我回答不知道。他对人群说：“局里人事股的XXX股长说，自从卢岩来了，各个局长都向我要他的档案。我去区档案馆五、六次了，都是为了找他的档案。档案记录里有收到他档案的记录，但我就是找不到。后来，再有人向我要他的档案，我就告诉卢岩自己去找。卢岩，他让你去找档案几次了？”

我回答：“三、四次了，我找不着。”

高德新说：“你也别瞒怨谁，局长向他要档案，他也不能没有反应啊，就只能让你跑腿了。”

The first strange thing, Gao Dexin asked me where my personnel file was. I replied that I didn't know. He said to the crowd, "Chief XXX of the Bureau's Personnel Unit said that since Luyan came, all the Bureau Chiefs have asked me for his personnel file. I've been to the district archives five or six times looking for his file. There are records in the archive records of receiving his file, but I just couldn't find it. Later, when I was asked for his file again, I told Luyan to look for it himself. Luyan, how many times did he tell you to find the file?"

I replied, "Three or four times, I can't find it."

Gao Dexin said, "You should not complain! That Bureau Chiefs asked for it, Chief XXX of Personnel Unit can’t be unresponsive, so he had you run for it.”

6.2-2

“第二件怪事，卢岩，局里要给你安排住房，让你付点钱，你不同意。咱经理让我做你的思想工作。卢岩呐！咱可不能说不要房子！这事，你让哥哥我的脸没处搁！”

人们议论：“确实是农村来的，连这都不懂！”

"The second strange thing, Luyan, the bureau wants to arrange housing for you, let you pay some money, you do not agree. Our manager asked me to do your ideological work. Luyan!  We can't say we don't want the house! This matter, you let your brother my face nowhere to put!"

People talk: "It's true that he come from the countryside, he does not even understand this!"

6.2-3

“第三件事” ，高德新说：“卢岩，局里给你安排多少个职位了？”

我回答：“十多个了！不过，那都是临时顶个名头，等到时候，他们就派人换我下来。”

高德新说：“我也没数过，工地办公室墙上都是你的名字。有些名头是临时的，但有七、八个职位是实权职位，可不是临时的。局人事股XXX股长写你档案的时候，去询问了局长和咱公司经理。你的那些职位都是真的，人人都感觉奇怪。”

"The third thing," Gao Dexin said: "Luyan, how many positions has the bureau assigned to you?"

I replied: "More than ten! However, those are just temporary names. When the time comes, they will send someone to replace me."

Gao said: "I haven't counted. Your name is all over the wall of the construction site office. Some of the names are temporary, but seven or eight positions are real positions of power and are not temporary. When personnel chief XXX wrote your file, he went to ask the Bureau Chief and our company manager. All those positions you had are real, and everyone felt strange."

6.2-4

毕姐说：“连我听了都感觉奇怪！咱和平房产局也不是个小地方，全国排名才一百多（这个数字源自公安部的统计报告）。这到底是怎么回事？卢岩的靠山到底是什么人？没把咱和平房产局放在眼里，无法无天了！这整出事了可咋办！”

高德新说：“这你不必担心，我和咱局里的几个明白人讨论过这事。他们给卢岩安排两个职位，再加上分房子，这事就出格了。现在的情况是翻了两翻地出格。所以说，卢岩的那个靠山，人家就不怕出事。出事了，人家能顶住。”

Sister Bi said, "Even I feel strange when I hear it! Our Heping Housekeeping Bureau is not a small place, and it ranks just over 100 in the country (this figure comes from the Ministry of Public Security's statistical report). What's going on here? Who exactly is Luyan's backer? They don't care about our Heping Housekeeping Bureau; they're out of control! This whole thing is going to be a disaster!"

Gao said: "You don't have to worry about this, I have discussed this with a few understanding people in our bureau. They gave Luyan two positions, plus a house, this is out of the ordinary. The current situation is two times over the ordinary. That's why Luyan's backer is not afraid of trouble. If something goes wrong, they can stand up to it."

6.2-5

毕姐说：“这是胡闹！他怎么顶？再说了，咱局长怎么能这么办事呢！”

高德新说：“我爸爸分析，这是可能是这么办的：卢岩的那个靠山同时让几个人各个请咱局长帮卢岩办一件事。结果，咱局长哪个人的面子也推不开，这事就变成现在这样了。”

马队长说：“分析得有道理。那卢岩的靠山是个什么样的人？他为什么要这么干？”

Sister Bi said: "This is nonsense! How can he resist? Besides, how can our Bureau Chief do things like this!"

Gao Dexin said: "My father analyzed that this might be done like this: Luyan's backer asked several people to ask our Bureau Chief to help Luyan with something at the same time. As a result, our Bureau Chief could not ignore each of them. That is what it is now.”

Team Leader Ma said: "The analysis makes sense. Who is Luyan's backer? Why would he do this?"

高德新说：“这要问他了！卢岩，你爸兄妹几个人？”

就这样，他们问遍了我的所有亲戚、朋友，以及我爸爸、爷爷等是否当过兵，有没有战友，或者救过什么人的命。最后，高德新说，这事不是他们干的。

Gao Dexin said: "This has to ask him! Luyan, how many brothers and sisters are there in your father's family?"

In this way, they asked all my relatives and friends, as well as my father and grandfather, whether they had been in the military, whether they had any comrades in arms, or whether they had saved anyone's life. Finally, Gao Dexin said that they were not responsible for this.

6.2-6

马队长问高德新：“你爸爸是怎么看这事的？”

最后，高德新对我说：“我综合了咱局里四十多个明白人的意见。你这事，还得从婚姻方面考虑（参见第一章《儿童婚约》）。你是某个有势力人物的备用女婿，是人家暂时寄养在咱和平房产局的。你记住哥的话吧！等将来，你遇到了那个高干的闺女，高干子女都特性，你就多忍让点儿，娶个好媳妇，一辈子啥也不愁！”

Team Leader Ma asked Gao: "What does your father think of this?"

Finally, Gao Dexin said to me: " I synthesized the opinions of more than 40 sensible people in our bureau. You must consider this from the perspective of marriage ((See Chapter 1 "Children's Marriage Contract")). You are the backup son-in-law of a powerful person, who temporarily fostered you in our Heping Housekeeping Bureau. Just remember what I said! In the future, when you meet the daughter of a high-ranking cadre, all the children of high-ranking cadres have special characteristics, so you should be more tolerant, marry a good wife, and you will have nothing to worry about in your life!"

 

6.3 考研究生 Going to Graduate School

一次在工地，我和一个老工人唠嗑。他评价我：“你干得挺好！全局上下都知道你，但是这就是你人生的颠峰，你这辈子就这样了。”

我不满意地问：“我为什么就不能当个小官儿啥地，也到局里去工作？”

他回答：“你爹不是官，你妈没有钱，你自己不聪明还没文凭，除了憨得可爱，你就没什么特殊的，将来能好到哪里去！？”

Once at a construction site, I was nattering with an older worker. He commented on me, "You're doing pretty well! The whole bureau knows you, but this is the peak of your life, and you will be like this for the rest of your life."

I asked dissatisfiedly: "Why can't I just be a small official or something and work in the bureau?"

He replied, "Your father is not an official, your mom has no money, you are not smart and have no diploma, except for being lovably honest, you are nothing special, how good can you be in the future!?"

我认为这是真心话，没事干，就想去读夜大，混个本科毕业，有个文凭。

我回到东北大学找夜大，刚好遇到王刚大姐。她听我想继续上学，回答：“对！这是好事。我想给你介绍个女朋友。你是大专毕业，我都说不出口，没办法帮你。不过夜大的本科毕业，还是说不出口；那也得辛苦两三年。我看你还是念研究生吧。”

I think this is sincere, nothing to do, just want to go to night university, to get a bachelor's degree, or at least to get a diploma.

I returned to Northeastern University to look for a night school and happened to run into Big Sister Wang Gang. She heard that I wanted to continue my schooling and replied, "Yes! It's a good thing. I want to introduce you to a girlfriend. You graduated from a college, so I am too embarrassed to say it, there's no way I can help you. But a bachelor's degree from a night university is still too embarrassed to say; and that would take two or three years of hard work also. I think you'd better go to graduate school."

我没那种想法，说：“我可考不上。”

大姐说：“你不懂。考研究生跟考大学不一样；考一考你就明白了。相信我，你就照着考研究生准备吧！”

当然，相信她没什么用；1995年春，我没考上。她却说：“今年刚好有几个厉害的考生；明年说不定，参加考试的人水平就低，那你不就考上了，继续准备明年的考试。”

I didn't have that idea and said, "I can't pass the entrance exam."

Sister Wang said: "You don't understand. Taking the postgraduate entrance exam is different from taking the university entrance exam. You will understand after taking the exam. Trust me! Just prepare for the postgraduate entrance exam!"

Of course, there was no use trusting her; in the spring of 1995, I failed the exam. But she said: "This year there are just a few excellent candidates; next year, the level of those taking the exam may be lower, so you can pass the exam, continue to prepare for next year's exam."

在1995年夏，我决定参加全国统一的研究生考试。大姐听了： “哎呀！我弟弟长志气了；那我这当姐姐的得支持啊！有许多博士研究生在八舍有床位，房租都交了，却很少在那儿住。我给你在那儿找个房间。那儿两个人一个屋，肃静。” 就这样，我住进了东北大学的博士生宿舍。

In the summer of 1995, I decided to take the national unified postgraduate examination. My elder sister Wang heard: "Oops! My younger brother has grown in ambition; then I, as the older sister, should support it! There are many doctoral students who have beds in the eight dormitories, the rent is paid, but they seldom stay there. I'll find you a room there. There are two people in a room there, and it's quiet." In this way, I moved into the doctoral dormitory of Northeastern University.

 

6.4 贼窝的会议 Meeting in the Den of Thieves

本章下面讲我在和平房产局工作时经历的几件事。

1994年秋，我们的科长付国青得知我住在一个远亲大伯家，说： “那不行，咱遂川工地留了一栋小楼，是将来做工地办公室和工人宿舍用的。如果你愿意，可以先搬去那里住。” 我回答愿意。他却说等他安排我们科的水暖技术员小马送我去。我对此不理解，但没说什么。

The following parts of this chapter are about affairs I experienced while working at SYHP Housekeeping Bureau.

In the fall of 1994, our office chief, Fu Guoqing, learned that I was living in the house of a distant uncle and said: "That won't do; we have left a small building at the Suichuan site for future use as a site office and workers' dormitory. If you are willing, you can move there first." I answered yes. But he said he would arrange for Little Ma, a plumbing technician in our section, to send me there. I didn't understand this but didn't say anything.

这栋楼是第二次世界大战时日本人在沈阳建的慰安所，“一”字型走廊，从两端进出。小马先帮我选了进门第一间比较大的房间，然后告诉我：“你到公司各个科，把规章制度要来，贴在墙上。这屋就是你的办公室了。过几天雪下大了，你就在这儿办公，别去公司了。” 然后，他带我去见其他的人，却没找到人。他带我去见了楼门口一个在生火烤土豆的流浪汉，叫老楼，并且拜托他照看着我，说别让人吓着我。

This building is the Second World War the Japanese built in Shenyang “Comfort Home” (i.e. military brothel), "I" form corridor, from both ends in and out. Little Ma first helped me choose the first larger room and then told me: "You go to each section of the company, the rules and regulations to come, posted on the wall. This room is your office. In a few days when it snows heavily, you'll work here, don't go to the office." Then he took me to see other people and found no one. He took me to a homeless man in front of the building who was roasting potatoes over a fire, called Old Building, and asked him to look after me, saying that he didn't want anyone to frighten me.

我的房间里，白天总是有很多人，不知什么时候，来了一个二百多公斤重的大胖子，人们叫他老熊，躺在我的床上。我们的打更人（保安人员）告诉我：“你可别惹他。如果他推你一把，我们就得把你送去医院了”。我心里不高兴，但也没说什么。我的房间旁边就是一个早市，工地有很多部门的人我都不认识，我分不清他们谁是谁。

In my room, which was always full of people during the day, at some point a big fat man weighing over two hundred kilograms, whom people called Old Bear, came, and lay on my bed. Our night watchman (security officer) told me, "You don't want to mess with him. If he pushes you, we'll have to take you to the hospital." I was upset but didn't say anything. My room was next to a morning market, and there were so many departments at the site that I didn't recognize, I couldn't tell who with them was.

一天早晨，屋子里来了很多人。忽然我们的水暖技术员小马来了。他看满屋的人，惊讶地说道：“哎呀！今天人怎么这么全。正好，该来的都来了，咱们开个会，我们公司经理有话让我传达给你们。”

一个人（贼人）不满地抗议：“你们经理给我们开会！要卖房子吗？外面的广告牌子上不是写得很清楚，用不着你来说。”

One morning there were a lot of people in my room. Suddenly our plumbing technician, Little Ma, came. He looked at the room full of people and said in surprise, "Oops! Why are there so many people here today? It's just as well that everyone who should be here is here, let's have a meeting, our company manager has something for me to convey to you."

One man (a thief) protested in dissatisfaction, "Your manager is giving us a meeting! To sell apartment? Isn't it clearly written on the advertising sign outside, there's no need for you to say it."

小马说：“我们经理和付科长都嘱咐了，让我告诉你们每一个人，若不然出了事，他们让我负责。” 说着，他指着墙上的板报说：“你们看看，这墙上有多少个卢岩的名字？” 说着，他开始解释。屋子里肃静了，开始问：卢岩是谁？

小马指着我回答：“他就是！”

人们议论纷纷：“这么年轻！他是市长的侄子！？”

Little Ma said, "Our manager and Chief Fu have instructed me to tell each and every one of you that if anything happens otherwise, they hold me responsible." Saying that, he pointed to the board on the wall and said, "Look, how many Luyan’s names are on this wall?" With that, he began to explain. The room went silent and began to ask: Who is Luyan?

Little Ma pointed at me and replied, "He is!"

People murmured, "So young! He's the mayor's nephew!?"

小马说：“别问了，我们都研究多少遍了，没人知道。他是农村来的，大学刚毕业，什么都不懂，所以我们经理让我告诉你们每一位领导。” 接着，他就挨个问：听明白了没？只有老熊不回答。小马让我问他。

老熊说：“卢岩是老大，我是老二，以后我们就靠他了！” 屋里的人都愣住了。

贼甲对小马说：“我们都听清楚了，你听清楚没！？”

Little Ma said, "Don't ask, how many times have we all researched this, no one knows. He's from the countryside, just graduated from college, and doesn't know anything, so our manager asked me to tell each of you leaders." Then he asked one by one: do you understand? Only Old Bear didn't answer. Little Ma told me to ask him.

Old Bear said, "Luyan is the boss, I'm the second, we'll rely on him from now on!" Everyone in the room froze.

Thief A said to Little Ma, "We all heard you clearly, did you!?"

小马自信地说：“我当然明白！”

贼甲愤怒地反问：“明白了！你还站在这里干啥！？”

我眼看着小马的脸色变了，他惊讶又气愤地嘟囔：“我才知道！这屋里就我一个是外人。” 他一边往外走，一边嚷嚷着抗议：“你们等着！我回去告诉我们经理：我们的慰安所又被鬼子占领了！”

贼甲喊道：“顺便也告诉你们局长一声！真是的，我们什么时候怕过你们和平房产局！”

Little Ma said confidently, "Of course I understand!"

Thief A angrily asked back, "Understood! What are you still standing here for!?"

I watched Little Ma's face change as he muttered in surprise and exasperation, "I just realized! I'm the only one in this room who's an outsider." He yells a protest as he walks out the door, "You guys wait! I'll go back and tell our manager: our ‘Comfort Home’ has been taken over by the Hungry Ghosts again!"

Thief A shouted, "By the way, tell your Bureau Chief too! Really, when have we ever been afraid of your Heping Housekeeping Bureau!"

注6.4，当时，我并不理解发生了什么事。我以为这栋楼是空的，实际是贼窝，二楼以上住着200多人。他们是从楼的另一面，二楼的一个窗户进出的。老楼是他们看家的人。老熊是老大，上面他的话是让 “王位” 给了我。这引起了贼群的骚乱，启动了下文 “传位” 的程序。

Annotation 6.4, at the time, I did not understand what was happening. I thought this building was empty, but it was a den of thieves, with more than 200 people living above the second floor. They entered and exited through a window on the second floor on the other side of the building. Old Building is their housekeeper. Old Bear is the boss, and what he said above is that the "throne" was given to me. This caused a commotion among the thieves and started the process of "passing the throne" below.

 

6.5 电击的感觉 Feelings of Electric Shocks

贼乙说：“咱们就按顺序来说说今天的事，由我来协调话题。先说说卢岩是什么人。老楼！你认识他最久，你先给大伙儿说说吧！”

老楼说：“卢岩来这儿那天，是房产局的小马送来的。小马对我说：卢岩是我们房产局新分配来的大学毕业生，什么也不知道，麻烦你照看一下，可别让什么人吓着他。卢岩过来跟我握手，看了我一眼。哎呀我地妈呀！他这一眼看得我倒吸一口气，就感觉像是被电击一样；一股感觉冲向全身，我退了回来。我心里想：你小马什么也不知道！他可知道得比你多多了！”

Thief B said: "Let's talk about today's events in order, and I will coordinate the topic. First, let's talk about who Luyan is. Old Building! You have known him for the longest time, so tell everyone first!"

Old Building said, "The day Luyan came here, he was sent here by Little Ma from the Heping Housekeeping Bureau. Little Ma said to me: Luyan is our new employee, just graduated from college, does not know anything, please keep an eye on him, do not let others scare him. Luyan came over to shake hands with me and glanced at me. Oh my god! This glance made me choked by cold air, and it felt like I was being shocked; a feeling Rushing all over, I stepped back. I thought to myself: You Little Ma knows nothing! He knows a lot more than you!"

老楼接着说：“他们走了，我就糊涂了。我都20几年没害怕了，见着公安局长我都脸不红心不跳，咋被这个年轻毛头小子吓成这样！从他来，我每天都观察他。第二天早上，他起床后去早市东头吃筋饼，回来后在咱楼南侧的早市上，挨个跟小商贩唠磕。他研究他们是怎么做生意的。我一连观察了他两周，发现他确实什么也不知道。我怎么也琢磨不明白，咋就被这个什么也不懂的吓成这样？”

屋里的人开始讨论这是怎么回事。

Old Building continued: "When they left, I was confused. I haven't been afraid in more than 20 years. When I saw the police chief, my face didn’t turn red, and my heart didn’t beat faster. How could I be so frightened by this kid? Since he Come, I observe him every day. The next morning, after he gets up, he goes to the east end of the morning market to eat glutinous rice cakes. When he comes back, he chats with the vendors one by one at the morning market on the south side of our building. He studies how they do their Business. I observed him for two weeks and found that he really didn’t know anything. I couldn’t figure it out, why was I so frightened by this person who does not know anything!?”

People in the room started discussing what was going on.

 

 

注6.5，上面描述了贼看见我的肉眼通（参见3.2节《肉眼通的功能》）的眼睛后的反应和感受。插图2是中国三星堆出土的青铜面具，笔者我认为那就是传说中的 “触目” ，是对 “肉眼通” 的一种描述。插图4是古墨西哥的雨神特拉洛克，他的眼睛是对肉眼通的另一种描述。

Annotation 6.5, the above describes the thief’s reaction and feeling after seeing my non-dazzle eyes. The Non-Dazzle Eye is the first eye of God’s five eyes (cf. Section 3.2 Functions of Non-Dazzle Eye). Illustration 2 is a bronze mask unearthed in Sanxingdui, China. The author me believes that it is the legendary "Touching Eyes", which is a description of the “Non-Dazzle Eye ". Illustration 4 is Tlaloc, the rain god of ancient Mexico. His eyes are another description of the “Non-Dazzle Eye".

6.5-2

贼乙说：“卢岩的话题晚些再说。我先问老熊：你怎么想让位了呢？”

老熊说：“我从来没说过我是老大。”

贼甲说：“你怎么不是老大呢？”

贼乙对他说：“你加入我们晚。这些年来是我们自愿跟着老熊的，老熊没自称过他是我们的老大。” 他转过来又问老熊：“你怎么看上卢岩了呢？”

Thief B said: "We will discuss Luyan's topic later. Let me ask Old Bear first: Why did you give up your position?"

Old Bear said: "I never said I was the boss."

Thief A said: "Why aren't you the boss?"

Thief B said to him: "You joined us late. We have followed Old Bear voluntarily these years. Old Bear never claimed to be our boss." He turned to Old Bear and asked again: "Why do you like Luyan?"

老熊说：“一个月前，我第一次遇见他的时候，他看了我一眼。那一眼！把我吓得一蹦，一股感觉像电流一样，涌遍我的身体。我回过神来后，想不明白那是什么感觉。”

人们问：“卢岩看了你一眼，就把你吓了一跳！这是咋回事儿？”

贼乙说：“谁也别说话！我问，大伙听着。然后呢？”

老熊说：“这我就奇怪了！这小子是咋回事儿？我就到他这屋来了，想观察观察他。”

Old Bear said: "A month ago, when I met him for the first time, he glanced at me. That look! I jumped with fright, and a feeling surged through my body like an electric current. I turned around After my God came back, I couldn’t figure out what it felt like.”

People asked: "Luyan took one look at you and scared you! What's going on?"

Thief B said: "No one speaks! I ask, everyone listen. What happens next?"

Old Bear said: "I'm surprised! What's going on with this kid? I came to his room and wanted to observe him."

老熊说：“第一天，小卢看见我，就说，‘你咋不找工作挣钱呀？’我说，‘挣钱干啥？’他说，‘买饭，买衣服。’我说，‘我有朋友给我饭和衣服。’他说，‘那看病呢！看你有病咋办？’我说，‘我不生病。’小卢说，‘人吃五谷杂粮，哪有不生病的！’小卢气得就不吱声了。”

贼乙说：“老熊接着说。你还记得多少？”

Old Bear said: "On the first day, Little Luyan saw me and said, 'Why don't you find a job to make money?' I replied, 'What am I going to do with money?' He said, 'Buy food and buy clothes.' I replied, 'I have friends who give me food and clothes.' He said, 'What about medical treatment? What should you do if you are sick?' I said, 'I do not get sick.' Little Luyan said, 'People eat five grains mixed with vegetables, whoever never gets sick!” He was so angry that he stopped talking.”

Thief B said: "Old Bear continues, how much do you remember?"

老熊说：“第二天，小卢看见我，就说，‘看你这么胖！你咋不减肥？这么胖多难受！’我说，‘咋减肥呀？’小卢说，‘少睡点儿，少吃点儿，水是好东西，但也是能不喝就不喝。’我说，‘我这一辈子就是爱吃爱睡；少吃少睡我活着没意思。’小卢，气得就又不吱声了。”

贼乙问：“那第三天呢？”

老熊说：“第三天，小卢看见我就瞧不起我了。”

Old Bear said: "The next day, Little Luyan saw me and said, 'Look how fat you are! Why don't you lose weight? It's so uncomfortable to be so fat!' I said, 'How do I lose weight?' Little Luyan said, 'Sleep less. Eat less, water is a good thing, but if you can hold, don't drink it.' I said, 'I love eating and sleeping all my life. If I eat less and sleep less, my life would be meaningless.' Little Luyan was so angry, then became silent again.”

Thief B asked: "What about the third day?"

Old Bear said: "On the third day, Little Luyan looked down on me when he saw me."

贼乙问：“他瞧不起你，你还喜欢他？”

老熊说：“谁要是高看我，我还瞧不起它呐！我就是个让人瞧不起的人！”

贼乙又问：“那小卢又说啥了？”

老熊说：“你说你这一天天的，溜溜逛逛，除了吃就是睡；你可咋整？连我都替你愁疼！”

贼乙说：“我看这是老熊的真心话！老熊！接着说。”

Thief B asked: "He looks down on you, but you still like him?"

The old bear said: "If anyone thinks highly of me, I will look down on him! I am a person who is looked down upon!"

Thief B asked again: "Then what did Little Luyan say?"

Old Bear said: "Look at yourself! Wandering around all day and every day, just eating, and sleeping. What can do with you? Even I feel headache for you!"

Thief B said: "I think this is the truth from Old Bear! Old Bear! Go on."

老熊说：“这一个多月，我是天天来这儿；小卢见着我，不是劝就是骂。我真是这么想的：我小时候，我妈我爸也没对我这样啊！”老熊说着，就又躺下了，好像哭了。

贼乙说：“我看老熊真是动了心了。我没啥问的了。”

大伙儿都说，“没啥说的了，老熊是真心的。”

Old Bear said: "I have been coming here every day for more than a month. When Little Luyan saw me, he would either persuade or scold me. I really think this: when I was a child, my mother and father did not do this to me!" Old Bear after saying that, he lay down again and seemed to cry.

Thief B said: "I see that Old Bear is really moved. I have nothing more to ask."

Everyone said, "There's nothing more to say, Old Bear is sincere."

贼丙问老熊：“卢岩什么都不知道，也不能融入咱们的生活，这怎么办？”

老熊说：“他的本质好，你没有。他不会，可以学。他的本质，你学不来。如果这么快他就融入咱们了，那他没有我说的那种本质。今后，你们跟着他，就有福了。”

Thief C asked Old Bear: "Luyan doesn't know anything and can't integrate into our lives. What should we do?"

Old Bear said: "He has good nature, but you don't have it. He doesn't know, he can learn. You can't learn his nature. If he integrates into us so quickly, then he doesn't have the nature I said. From now on, you follow him, then you are fortunate.”

6.5-3

贼乙说：“卢岩这妈似的劝说可真是第一了，连老熊都受不了，别人谁还能受得了。现在咱说说卢岩的眼睛。你的眼睛是怎么回事？”

我回答：“我的眼睛从小就这样，眼神有点特别，很多人对我的眼睛有不同的反应和感受，谁也没发现原因。”

人们问老熊：“老熊你琢磨他的眼睛，琢磨了一个月，他的眼睛是怎么回事？”

Thief B said: "Luyan this motherly persuasion can be really the No.1, even Old Bear can not stand it, others who can stand! Now, let's talk about Luyan's eyes. What's the matter with your eyes?"

I answered, "My eyes have been like this since I was a child, are a little special; many people have different reactions and feelings about my eyes, but no one has found the reason."

People asked Old Bear, "Old Bear you pondered his eyes for a month, what's the matter with his eyes?"

老熊回答：“我没琢磨出来。”

人们问我：“别人都怎么说你的眼睛？”

我回答：“许多人发现我的眼睛特别，都没说出什么来。我在佛经里看到对神眼睛的描述和我的眼神相似：不炫光，不眩眼，就是反应迟钝一些，看东西时看得时间长。”

Old Bear replied, "I didn't figure it out."

People ask me, "What do people say about your eyes?"

I replied, "Many people find my eyes special, and none of them say anything about them. I read in the Buddhist scriptures that the description of God's eyes is similar to mine: no dazzle, glary, just a little less responsive, and a long look when I look at something."

贼甲说：“明个儿，我给小卢整一副好墨镜！”

贼丁说：“你咋想起说这个？”

贼甲说：“这没说小卢眼睛的时候，我还真没注意。说过后，小卢看我一眼，我就激愣一下子；看我一眼，我就激愣一下子。这时间长了，我非被吓出精神病来不可。我给他整一副墨镜，以后咱们再聚会的时候，让他带上墨镜，把眼睛遮上。”

Thief A said, "Tomorrow, I'll get a pair of good sunglasses for Luyan!"

Thief D asked, "What make you to talk about that?"

Thief A said, "When you didn't say anything about Luyan’s eyes, I didn't really notice. After you said that, when he looked at me, I froze for a moment; once he looked at me, I froze for a moment. If this goes on for a long time, I would be shocked into mental disorder. I give him a pair of sunglasses, so when we get together again in the future, let him put on the sunglasses to cover his eyes."

贼丁说：“你那是做贼心虚！那可不行！他就这双眼睛有点儿贼样儿。要是被遮上了，那他还哪有贼样儿了！贼老大连个贼样儿都没有，那能行吗！”

贼甲问：“嗨！我做贼心虚！你们为啥都做贼心不虚？”

贼丁说：“你看老楼面朝哪坐着呢！你看我们都面朝哪儿坐着呢！谁让你看他来的！”

Thief D said, "You are a thief with a faint heart! That's not right! Those eyes are the only thing that makes him look like a thief. If they were covered, he wouldn't look like a thief! The boss of thieves doesn't look like a thief. How can that be?"

Thief A asked, "Hey! I'm a thief, so I have a faint heart! Why aren’t all you thieves’ hearts faint?"

Thief D said: "You see where the Old Building is sitting face to! You see where we all sit facing to! Who told you must look at him!"

这时我才注意到，满屋子的人，有人面对墙，有人背对着我，大部分人低头看着自己的脚尖。

贼甲说：“我说今天老楼怎么背对着我！你们是什么时候想起这招来的，怎么不告诉我一声！”

That's when I noticed that the room full of people, some facing the wall, some with their backs to me, and most looking down at their toes.

Thief A said, "I wondered why the Old Building had its back to me today! When did you guys think of this trick? Why didn't you tell me about it?"

 

6.6 结界 Tie Boundary

注6.6-1，结界，如插图6.6.1-3，是电影电视等媒体故事里的神秘场力。结界的结字是领带义、心衣义，参见14.2 《烦恼的名》中的九结。界是界分、极限，是种子义，参见11.2《四大种》中的界地。结界的本质是贪嗔痴慢疑和恶见的集结所形成的心理的吸引力和排斥力。

贼乙说： “谁还对卢岩有问题？没问题，进行下一个话题” 。

Annotation 6.6-1, Tie Boundary, such as Illustration 6.6.1-3, is the “magical force field” in media stories such as movies and television. The word Tie means "clothes of heart”, please refer to "Nine Ties" in section 14.2 "Names of Annoyances”. Boundary means limit, seed, see the “Boundary Land” in section 11.2 Four Basic Elements. The essence of the “Tie Boundary” is the psychological attraction and repulsion formed by the accumulation of greed, irritation, ignorance, arrogance, suspicion, and ferocious views.

Thief B says: "Who still has a problem with Luyan? No problem, proceed to the next topic”.

 

老楼转过身来问我：“卢岩！有件事儿，我始终不明白。你在这儿住一个多月了，也没进楼里看看。我看你一直都想进去看看，有几次，我看见你进去了，走半道儿，又回来了。这是咋回事儿？”

我回答：“我不知道楼里有很多人住，听说这是二战时日本人在沈阳建的三十几个慰安所中，这是最豪华的一个，就想进里面看看。我走进去，在我房间门口右手边，看见一只手杖斜立在我隔壁房间的屋门外。我仔细看，那是一只盲人的硬木拐棍，握柄处磨得反光。我想：盲人怎么把手杖放在门外，他是在扮瞎子，什么人要扮瞎子！？我感到恐惧，鼓起勇气走进了这间屋。屋里空无一物，地板上连一点儿垃圾都没有。我感觉怪异！”

Old Building turned to me and asked, "Luyan! There's one thing I never understood. You've been living here for more than a month and you haven't gone inside the building to look. I see that you have always wanted to go in to look, and a few times, I have seen you go in, walk halfway, and then come back. What's going on here?"

I replied, "I didn't know that there were a lot of people living in the building, and when I heard that this was the most luxurious of the three dozen “Comfort Homes” built by the Japanese in Shenyang during World War II, I wanted to go in and look. I walked in, to the right of the doorway of my room, I saw a cane standing diagonally outside the door of the house in the room next to mine. When I looked closely, it was a blind man's hardwood walking stick, the grip worn to a reflective finish. I thought why a blind man leaves his cane outside his door, he is pretending to be blind, what kind of person would pretend to be blind! I felt fear and gathered courage to enter the room. The house was empty, not even a bit of trash on the floor. I felt weird!"

“我出来后继续往里走，地上有一个棉袄。我仔细看，那是一件二战时日本军官的棉大衣，不旧，还很干净。我想：什么人匆匆忙忙地离开，这件还有价值的衣服都顾不得带上。”

“我继续往里走，前面一只倒了的水桶，几米处一个拖布平躺在地上。拖布的麻布笔直，显然是被人拽着移动一段距离后丢下的。我向左面，向一间门开着的房间里看去，看见一只干净的红色女鞋。我不敢再看了，被吓回来了。我几次鼓起勇气，都这样被吓得退了回来。”

"I came out and continued inside and there was a cotton coat on the floor. I looked closely and it was a Japanese officer's cotton coat from World War II, not old and still clean. I thought what kind of person leaves in such a hurry that this still valuable piece of clothing can't even be bothered to take it with them."

"As I continued in, an overturned bucket was in front of me, and a few meters away a mop lay flat on the ground. The burlap of the mop was straight and had obviously been dropped by someone tugging and moving some distance. I looked to my left, into a room with an open door, and saw a clean red woman's shoe. I dared not look any further, being frightened back. Several times I plucked up courage and was thus frightened back."

人们问：“你怕什么呀？”

我回答：“我害怕看见死尸。”

贼甲大声说道：“嗨！死尸有什么好怕的！发现尸体，你报警不就得了！”

贼乙神秘地对他说：“卢岩不是怕尸体本身，他是怕杀人犯或者搬运尸体的人。你报警了，杀人犯怎么想：那我移动死尸的时候，他是不是也看见了！？他怕杀人犯惦记他！”

People ask, "What are you afraid of?"

I replied, "I'm afraid of seeing dead bodies."

Thief A exclaimed, "Hey! What's there to be afraid of with a dead body! If you find a dead body, just call the police!"

Thief B said to him mysteriously, "Luyan is not afraid of the corpse itself, he is afraid of the murderer or the person who moved the corpse. If you call the police, what does the murderer think: ‘then when I moved the dead body, did he see it too!’ He's afraid the murderer will miss him!"

贼甲问：“那他就住在这儿，就隔几个房间；他没看见，怎么，他就不害怕呀！？”

贼乙说：“他没看见，就不害怕。我举个例子说。假如说咱们这帮人在楼上闹，把天捅了个窟窿。警察来了，把咱们这二百多人都铐走。看卢岩那表情，那样儿，警察问都不问他，就不怀疑这天上的窟窿是他捅的。卢岩没看见死尸，杀人犯和卢岩的关西就和别人一样，对他没有威胁。这就是他知道和不知道的区别。”

我说：“我都感觉奇怪一个多月了。那根棍儿和那件破棉袄总是放在那儿，一直没变样儿。”

Thief A asked, "Then he lives here, just a few rooms away; he didn't see it, why, he's not afraid!?"

Thief B said, "If he doesn't see it, he's not afraid. Let me give you an example. Let's say that our group of people are making a scene upstairs, and we poke a hole in the sky. The police came and handcuffed all 200 of us. Look at Luyan's face, like that, the police don't even ask him, they don't suspect that he made the hole in the sky. Luyan did not see the dead body, the murderer and Luyan’s relationship is just like anyone else, no threat to him. That's the difference between what he knows and what he doesn't know."

I said, "I've been feeling strange for over a month. That stick and that raggedy cotton-padded jacket are always sitting there, and they've never changed."

老楼笑得直不起腰了，说：“那几件破东西是我门摆在那里的。还总也不变样儿！每天都有人碰，我得经常把那些东西摆回去！”

我听后，也笑得直不起腰来了：“哎呀妈呀！你们整得也太专业了！”

全屋子里的人都面面相觑地看着我和老楼笑得说不出话。

Old Building laughed so hard that he couldn't straighten up and said, "Those broken things were placed there by my door. And they never change their appearance! Every day someone touches it, I must often put those things back!"

When I heard that, I couldn't straighten up from laughing either, "OMG! You guys are too professional!"

The whole room looked at me and Old Building in disbelief and couldn't say anything as we laughed.

 

 

注6.6-2，前文述说了那些贼在贼窝周围设置了 “结界”， 而那 “结界” 成功地阻挡了外人作者我的进入。2014年，我写完回忆录后，认识到了他们的结界的做法实际是《奇门遁甲》中的 “玉女守门”。在《奇门遁甲》中，是这样解释 “玉女守门”的：要陷害女主与人通奸，容易！你只要贿赂她的丫鬟没事时在门口看门。学习 “玉女守门”，这门上帝的艺术，你这么想，就已经走在了正确的道路上。

Annotation 6.6-2, the previous section describes how those thieves set up a "Tie Boundary" around the thieves' lair, and how that "Tie Boundary" successfully blocked the entry of the outsider author, I. In 2014, after writing my memoirs, I realized that their practice of setting up the “Tie Boundary” is the “Jade Girl Guarding Door” among “Strange Doors of Shields and Armors” (i.e., godly shields and armors). In “Strange Doors of Shields and Armors”, this is how it explains "Jade Maiden Guarding the Door": it's easy to frame the heroine for adultery! You just need to bribe her maid to watch the door when she is nothing to do. Learning "Jade Maiden Guarding the Door", the art of God, if you think so, you are already on the right path.

读者可能意识到了，这是正宗的学术问题，为什么被命名成了 “玉女守门”？玉女是谁？答：世界上只有一位玉女，即夏娃。这涉及到了上帝的三和合（如图6.6.2；参见10.9节）。本案例中，作者我看见他们走廊的中的布置后心生恐惧和迷惑以至于不敢进入，退了出来。那些恐惧和迷惑产生于前意识（古做夏娃识），按照古人的说法，是玉女（即夏娃）阻挡了我的闯入，故这种结界被称作玉女守门。

Readers may realize that this is a genuine academic issue. Why is it named "Jade Girl Guarding Door"? Who is the Jade Girl? Answer: There is only one Jade Girl in the world, Eve. This involves Godly Trinity (see figs. 6.6.2; Cf. V. 10.9). In this case, author, I saw the layout of the corridor and felt fear and suspicions, so I didn't dare to enter and retreated. Those fears and confusions were generated in the preconscious (anciently Eve-sense). According to the ancients, it was the Jade Girl (Eve) who blocked my entry, so this “Tie Boundary” (barrier) was called “Jade Girl Guarding Door”.

6.6-2 结界的设计者 Designer of the Tie Boundary

贼甲对老楼说：“就是老大夸你两句呗！看把你高兴的，你为什么乐？”

老楼说：“哎！聪明人就是不一样！人家几分钟就把这东西学会了！你说那点儿东西我学了多长时间？”

贼甲说：“走廊里那几样儿破东西，你走哪儿带到哪儿，我也感觉奇怪，一直没好意思问。你是从哪学来的？”

老楼说：“我是从老刘那儿学来的。”

Thief A said to Lao Lou: "It's just the boss who complimented you a few words! See how happy you are, why are you happy?"

Old Building said: "Hey! Smart people are different! He learned this thing in a few minutes! How long did it take me to learn it?"

Thief A said: "Those junk things in the corridor, you carry them wherever you go, I felt strange, but I never had the nerve to ask. Where did you learn them?"

Old Building replied: "I learned it from Old Liu."

贼甲问：“哪个老刘？我认识不？”

老楼说：“就前几天，咱在西面街上碰见的那个老刘。”

贼乙转身对他使了个眼色，意思是：别说，卢岩在这里呢！然后他对贼甲说：“人家和咱们可不一样！”

老楼说：“这事儿有二、三十年了。那时候，我们还在万柳塘呢！一天，他就来了，说这贼窝应该有个贼窝的样儿，明儿个我帮你们布置布置。结果，没过多久，他就抱来了这些破东西，教我怎么摆。我也没在意。过了些日子，他又来了，看那些东西都乱了，他又教我摆放那几样东西。后来，我就习惯了。每次搬家，我都带着这些东西，布置新家。过去二、三十年，我都不明白这事，也没发现这东西有什么作用。直到卢岩来了，今天我才明白，原来这东西只对聪明人有作用。”

Thief A asked: "Who is Old Liu? Do I know him?"

Old Building replied: "Just the old Liu we met on Western Street a few days ago."

Thief B turned around and winked at him, meaning: Don't tell him out, Luyan is here! Then he said to Thief A: "He is different from us!"

Old Building said: "This has been going on for twenty or thirty years. At that time, we were still in ‘Ten Thousand Willows Pond’! One day, he came and said that this den of thieves should look like a den of thieves. Tomorrow, I will help you arrange the decoration. As a result, it didn’t take long for him to bring these broken things and teach me how to arrange them. I didn’t pay attention. After a few days, he came again and saw that the things were all messed up, taught me how to place those things again. Later, I got used to it. Every time I move, I take these things with me to decorate my new home. In the past 20 or 30 years, I didn’t understand this, and I didn’t find out any use of this things. It wasn't until Luyan came that I realized today that this thing only works on smart people."

注6.6-3，万柳塘是中国东北军区总部所在地。此时的二、三十年前，刘团长是沈阳军区文工团的副团长。他有这知识和方便条件取得那些道具。2014年我写回忆录时，发现在8.4节《大惊失色》，我被刘团长严重地创伤了。那个布局与这个慰安所结界的布局类似，我才注意到了这个结界的设计者是我的神父刘团长。

Annotation 6.6-3, ‘Ten Thousand Willows Pond’ is the location of the headquarter of Chinese Northeast Military Region. At this time, twenty or thirty years ago, Troupe Leader Liu was the deputy leader of the “Northeast Military Region Art Troupe”. He has the knowledge and convenience to obtain those props. When I was writing my memoirs in 2014, I discovered that in section 8.4 "Great Shock", I was severely traumatized by Troupe Leader Liu. That layout was like the layout of the “Tie Boundary” at the “Comfort Home”. Only then did I notice that the designer of this “Tie Boundary” is my godfather, Troupe Leader Liu.

 

6.7 饿鬼趣 Hungry Ghost Interest

在前文《贼窝会议》几天之后的一个早上，到处都有很厚的霜。我看见工地南边遂川十里早市上人山人海的，非常热闹，就又过去逛早市儿了，却走进了另一个世界：我看见到处都有小偷在偷东西。

在一辆卖海鲜货车的一面拥挤着一群贼。前面的小偷假装买鲜虾，在那里用身体挡着后面的。后面的小偷儿们站着排，像是排队似的，实际上一袋儿，一袋儿的向外边传递着鲜虾。别的地方的小偷们，也是三五成群地配合着。他们的面目表情和手脚的动作迥然不同，使用的招法各异。谁都看不见我，好像我这个观众是一个透明的幽灵。我四处看，处处感觉惊讶，感觉像似到了世界末日。我突然意识到：我的目光呆滞，说不定会惹出什么乱子来，就不看了；低头快步走向我常去吃饭的地方。

One morning a few days after the "Meeting in the Den of Thieves" talked in section 6.4 above, there was thick frost everywhere. I saw that the morning market in Suichuan, south of the construction site, was crowded with people. It was very lively, so I went there to visit the morning market again, but I entered another world: I saw thieves stealing things everywhere.

A group of thieves crowded on one side of a seafood selling truck. The thieves in the front pretend to buy fresh shrimp, where they physically block the ones behind them. The thieves at the back stood in rows, as if in a queue, and passed the shrimp outward, bag by bag. The thieves elsewhere, too, were cooperating in groups of three or five. Their facial expressions and hand and foot movements were very different, and they used different tricks. No one could see me, as if I, the audience, is a transparent ghost. I looked around, feeling surprised everywhere, and it felt like the end of the world. I suddenly realized that my eyes were dull and might cause some trouble, so I stopped looking. I lowered my head and walked quickly to the place where I often eat.

 

 

卖筋饼豆腐脑的老板和伙计都是以前熟悉的人，可是当时在我眼里，他们对我像是对待陌生人。我问：“今天你们是怎么了？怎么这么不友好呢！” 那个老板冷漠地回答：“怎么了！你不是常来这儿吗！” 我注意到：在这里所有的人都对我表现出麻木情绪，对我不感兴趣，不欢迎我；不像往日，都有说有笑的。

吃完早餐，我绕路回到了住的地方，工地办公室。这里的气氛仍然和以前一样，很多人在吃海鲜：生吃螃蟹，活吃虾。我就试着吃了一只活虾：像是水似的，什么味道也没尝出来。大伙儿高兴地议论着。以后咱们就有海鲜吃了。不知道怎么的！那几个搞海鲜批发的都喜欢上咱这个小市场了。这个早市场的商贩比以前增多了几倍。

The owner and the man selling bean curd dumplings were people I used to know well, but at that time, in my eyes, they treated me as if I were a stranger. I asked, "What's wrong with you guys today? Why are you so unfriendly!" That boss replied indifferently, "Why! Don't you come here often!" I noticed: all the people here showed numbness towards me, disinterested and unwelcoming; unlike in the old days, when we all talked and laughed.

After breakfast, I took a detour back to where I was staying, the site office. The atmosphere was still the same as before, lots of people eating seafood: crabs raw and shrimp live. I then tried a live shrimp: it was like water; I couldn't taste anything. The group talked happily. Surprisingly, those who engage in seafood wholesale like our small market, so we'll have seafood to eat from now on. The vendors in this small morning market are several times more than before.

八点钟后，我们工程科的小马忽然来到了工地，告诉我这天放红线（注，红线是建筑物轮廓的基准线，是由测量局给出的）。小马对我说：“你是这工地的土建技术员。我是水暖技术员。这是你的工作。我是来帮你的。”

测量局的车来了，人员却不下车。我和小马过去敲门。很长时间后，车里的人才打开车门，却表达了两个抱怨。一，有几个点，设计和实际不相符，最多的差一米。二，我们工地没有红线就开始施工了，他们得像上级汇报。他们让我和小马商量商量。

After eight o'clock, Little Ma from our engineering section suddenly came to the site and told me that the red line would be put in on this day (Note, the red line is the datum line on which the building outline is based and is given by the Survey Bureau). Little Ma said to me: "You are the civil construction technician at this site. I am the plumbing technician. This is your job. I'm here to help you."

The bus from Survey Bureau arrived, but the personnel didn't get out. Little Ma and I went over and knocked on the door. It was only after a long time that the people in the bus opened the door but expressed two complaints. First, there were a few places where the designs do not match the actual, with a difference of up to one meter. Secondly, the construction had started at our site without the red line, and they had to report it to their superiors. They asked me to discuss it with Little Ma.

我跟着小马到一边，他说：“这是老城区，测量地图都更新多少次了，所以数据总差，不是什么大毛病。”

我回答：“咱提前施工与他们没有关系！”

小马说：“对！这是人家朝咱们要下车钱”。

我听了感觉新奇：“啥！下车钱！咱这是结婚迎接新娘子下车呢！还要给下车钱！那得给多少钱？”

I followed Little Ma to the side, and he said: "This is an old city zone, how many times have the survey maps been updated, so the data are always not matching, not a big deal."

I replied: "It's not like they have anything to do with our early construction!"

Little Ma said, "Right! This is that they are asking tips for getting off their bus.”

I felt strange when I heard, "What! Money for getting off the bus! Are we welcoming Bride? Must pay for bride getting off the bus! How much do we have to pay?"

小马说：“我不知道，看他们这个架势，我看四千元差不多。” （注，那时我的月薪是330元）

我说：“四千块钱！没人告诉我，我做不了主。等咱科长和经理来，让他们处理吧。”

小马说：“等他们来，你别傻了！这事儿，咱们不办完了，他们就不会来。咱俩把事办完了，他们立刻就到。事儿咱办；活儿咱干；错误咱犯；功劳是人家的。钱！你给不给？”

Little Ma said: "I don't know, look at their posture, I think 4,000 RMB at least.” (Note, at that time, my salary is 330 RMB/Month).

I said: "4,000 RMB! No one told me, I can't decide. Let's wait for our section chief Fu and manager to come and let them handle it."

Little Ma said: "Wait for them to come, don't be silly! If we don't finish this, they won't come. If we finish the job, they'll be here right away. We'll do the work, and make the mistakes, they'll get the credit. Money! Are you going to pay or not?"

我意识到了同事们在整我，要看我丢脸，就和小马吵起来了。这时，测量局的人打开了车窗、车门透气，听我们说话，看热闹。

我大声说，：“咱这地基坑不是市长儿子和公安局长儿子挖的吗！他们要是把咱提前施工的事儿报上去了。这事儿好说，不好听！市长肯定就不高兴了。”

I realized that my colleagues were screwing with me to see me lose face, so I argued with Little Ma. At this point, the people from the Survey Bureau opened the windows and doors to get some air, listen to us and watch the fun.

I said loudly, "Didn't the mayor's son and Police Bureau director's son dig this foundation pit!? If they report our early construction to the mayor. That's a good thing to say, but not a good thing to hear! The mayor will not be happy to hear this."

小马说：“这有啥用？”

我回答：“还有啥用！他们不敢上报！”

小马说：“你说话儿小点声儿！他们的车门开着，能听见咱说话。”

我大声嚷道：“你以为我说给你听呐！市政府和公安局里没人听他们说话！”

Little ma said: "What's the point?"

I replied: "What's the point! They don't dare to report us!"

Little Ma said: "Keep your voice down! Their doors are open, and they can hear us."

I yelled: "You think I'm talking to you! No one in the city hall and the Public Security Bureau listens to them!"

小马问：“你想怎么办？”

我回答：“这不是整我呢吗！谁这么缺德？打架能解决问题！咱们不怕出事，他们怕！他们要整事，找错地方了！”

小马说：“如果咱跟他们打起来，他们局长得赶紧把事儿压下来。没等市长知道呢，他就把咱工地上的事儿全部解决了。但是，这不是也给咱局长找麻烦么！咱局长今天晚上就得去找市长道歉。”

Little Ma asked: "What do you want to do?"

I replied: "This is screwing me! Who's so mean? Fighting will solve the problem! We're not afraid of trouble, they are! They're looking for the wrong place to get into trouble!"

Little Ma said: "If we fight with them, their Bureau Chief will have to quickly suppress the affair. Before the mayor finds out, he'll have solved all the problems at our construction site. However, isn't this also causing trouble for our Bureau Chief? Our Bureau Chief will have to go to the mayor tonight to apologize."

我回答：“没事儿，咱局长哪有机会去见市长，巴结人家！他上礼拜还骂咱们科呢：就窝里斗能耐！见着外面的人，连个响屁都不敢放。今天，咱俩就放个响屁给咱局长听听。” 我说着，就开始到处看，找棒子，假装要去砸他们的车窗玻璃。

小马急了，说：“站住！别动！他们让我帮你，就是让你跟着我学。出事了都是我的错，谁还能责怪你一个刚毕业几个月的学生。你站这儿，别动。我去跟老马（马鸿光，工地生产经理）商量商量。”

I replied: "No issue. Our Bureau Chief doesn't have a chance to meet the mayor and flatter him! Last week, he scolded our section for being so good at fighting among ourselves! Dare not to fart when dealing with outsiders. Today, we're going to have a sounding fart for our Bureau Chief to listen." I said, began to look around, looking for a stick, pretending to smash their bus windows.

Little Ma got anxious and said: "Stop! Don't move! They asked me to help you so that you could learn from me. If something goes wrong, it's my fault. Who can blame you, a student who just graduated a few months ago? You stand here, don't move. I'll talk to Old Ma (i.e. Team Leader Ma, site production manager)."

 

6.7.2 强取豪夺 Robbery

过了一会儿，小马高兴地拉我来到测量局的人旁边，让我听着看着别说话。他对老曹说：“想要什么礼物，得赶快买；这个早市该散了，要不就先买几斤海鲜？”

老曹说：“在这个地方买海鲜，得有明白人才行。若不然，买五斤，他们能给四斤半就不错了。回去后，还得挑，最后能吃着两斤就算是好的。浪费几块钱是一回事；这惹气浪费时间，咱可犯不着。”

After a while, Little Ma happily pulled me to the side of the people from Survey Bureau and told me to listen and watch and not to speak. He said to Old Cao: "What gifts you want, you must buy quickly; this morning market should be dispersed, or buy a few pounds of seafood first?"

Old Cao said, "If you want to buy seafood in this place, you have to have someone who understands it. Otherwise, buy five pounds, it is good that you can get four and a half pounds. When you go back, you still must pick; in the end you can eat two pounds even if it is good. It's one thing to waste a few dollars; we can't afford to waste time."

小马说：“我就是想让你见识见识。你自己去买，我找个人跟着你。你买五斤，它们给你十斤，而且，价钱公平，海鲜质量还保正好。”

老曹就说：“这可是新鲜事，我都这么大岁数了，还没听说过。你瞢我！咱们可是低头不见抬头见。”

小马说：“我不敢瞢你！就是想让你开开眼界，见识见识！”

Little Ma said: "I just want you to experience it. You go and buy it yourself, and I will find someone to follow you. If you buy five kilograms, they will give you ten kilograms. Moreover, the price is fair, and the quality of the seafood is still good."

Old Cao then said: "This is something new, I'm living this old, I've never heard of it. If you fool me, you will feel sorry for me! We see each other unavoidably."

Little Ma said: "I don't dare to feel ashamed of you! I just want to open your eyes and let you see!"

老曹说：“我还真没见识过这个！如果我去买五斤，他们能给我七斤好的。今天，我们这些人就什么别的也不要了；咱这活儿，保准两个小时之内干完。你输了怎么办？”

小马说：“我输了！咱干完活后就去凯莱大酒店。你们几个随便吃，随便玩儿。”

老曹说：“我还真就不信邪！一言为定！” 他下车就往市场里走，走了几步，站住了，说：“别说我出鬼！买哪家的，谁告诉我？”

小马说：“你想买什么就买什么；但是人家要是不卖给你，你就不能买。” 又对我说：“小卢！跟上，跟着去！”

Old Cao said: "I've never seen this before! If I go and buy five pounds, they can give me seven pounds of good ones. Today, we people don't want anything else; let's do this job and make sure it's done in two hours. What if you lose?"

Little Ma said: "I lose! After we finish the job, we will go to Kailai Hotel. You guys can eat whatever you want and play whatever you want."

Old Cao said: "I really don't believe it! It's a deal!" He got out of the bus and walked toward the market, but after a few steps, he stopped and said: "Don't say I'm tricky! Who's going to tell me which one to buy?"

Little Ma said: "You can buy whatever you want. But you can't buy it if they don't sell it to you. And to me he said, "Little Luyan! Follow, follow up!"

我一边走一边大声叨咕：“这就是你的招儿啊！买五斤给十斤，那不是出鬼了吗！这些人去凯莱大酒店，四千块钱能够吗！”

小马跑过来对我小声说：“我告诉你了，别说话！你跟着去就行。快！跟紧点儿！”

老曹和我很快就把东西买回来了。称量的结果是七斤半，称量的人还问：“你们打得是什么赌？是多好？还是少好？”

I chattered loudly as I walked: "That's your trick! Buying five pounds to give ten pounds, that's seeing ghost alive indeed! These many people go to the Kailai Hotel, can four thousand dollars enough!"

Little Ma ran over to me and whispered: "I told you not to talk! You just go along. Quickly! Stay close!"

Old Cao and I quickly bought the stuff. The weighing result was seven and a half pounds, and the weigher asked: "What kind of bet did you make? Is it better to have more? Or less?"

老曹走过来对我和小马说：“今天，我可是被你们俩给整瞢了。这到底是怎么回事儿？” 他瞪了我一眼之后，对小马说：“是不是你事先安排好了？”

小马说：“我不是告诉你了么！卢岩是这儿的老大！可有面子了！”

老曹又瞪了我一眼，说：“他是老大！我还是皇上呢！我可真不明白你们是怎么回事儿！你们敢整我，就不怕以后有麻烦！”

这时，走过来一个小孩儿要和我说话。我们俩就往旁边走了几步，对他说：“你就说吧！没事儿！”

Old Cao came to Little Ma and I and said: "Today, I've been blindsided by the two of you. What the hell is going on here?" After glaring at me, he said to Little Ma: "Did you arrange this beforehand?"

Little Ma said: "Didn't I tell you! Luyan is the boss here! He's got a lot of face!"

Old Cao glared at me again and said: "He's the boss! I'm still the emperor! I really don't understand what's going on with you guys! If you dare to screw me, you're not afraid of trouble in the future!"

At that moment, a kid came over to talk to me. We both just took a few steps to the side and said to him, "Just talk! It's okay!"

那个小孩儿就对我慢声慢语地，大声说：“小卢，你碰上麻烦了！需要帮忙不？”

我反应了一会儿，说：“没有麻烦！我在上班，干活呢！”

小孩儿问：“你是在上班？干活呢？你就是这样干活的呀! 怎么像似在打架！”

我说：“啊！我上班就是唠唠嗑！这是在研究怎么放红线。”

The kid then spoke to me in a slow, loud voice: "Little Luyan, you've run into trouble! Do you need help?"

I reacted for a moment and said: "No trouble! I'm at work, working!"

The kid asked: "Are you at work? Working? That's how you work! Why does it look like you're fighting!"

I said: "Ah! My work is to chatter! This is discussing how to put the red line."

小孩儿说：“往天，光是你看我们干活了。你来了两个来月了，我们就没看见过你干活儿。今天，我们都不干活，一起来看你是怎么干活儿的。啊！你干活就是像这样，就只是唠唠嗑。你的工作可真好！”

我很着急，就说：“你愿意看，就看着吧。我得回去了。”

小孩儿说：“那，我就站在这儿，看着！”

我向回走，注意到那个小孩儿就愣愣地站在路的中间，就回去说：“你不能站在路中间，站这儿不安全，你得向后站。”

The kid said: "In the past days, you've been the only one watching us work. You've been here for two months, and we haven't seen you work. Today, we're not going to work, and we're going to see how you work. Ah! You work just like this, just chattering away. What a job you have!"

I was in a hurry, so I said: "Watch if you want. I've got to get back."

The kid said: "Well, I'll just stand here and watch!"

I walked back and noticed the kid just standing frozen in the middle of the road, so I went back and said: "You can't stand in the middle of the road, it's not safe to stand here, you have to stand back."

小孩儿说：“那，我和我们的人站在一起。”

我这才注意到，路对面看热闹的人群，可能有一百多人，就问：“这都是你们的人？”

小孩儿说：“是啊！我就站在这看着。”

The kid said: "Well, I'll stand with our people."

I then noticed the crowd of people watching from the other side of the road, perhaps more than a hundred people, and asked: "Are these all your people?"

The kid said: "Yeah! I'm just standing here watching."

 

6.7.3 畜生趣 Livestock Interest

我回来时，老曹对小马说：“这回，我可信了！我看出来了：这帮人都是真心的！”

我说：“什么真心假心的！小马他就这样！见着谁就跟谁说我是这儿的老大。”

老曹对小马说：“哎呀！他是真不知道哇！” 又问小马：“你是怎么知道他是老大的？”

小马说：“他们开会时，我听着的！”

When I came back, Old Cao said to Little Ma: "This time, I believed! I can see: these people are sincere!"

I said, "What are you being sincere about? That's what Little Ma is like! Telling everyone he saw that I am the boss here."

Old Cao said to Little Ma: "Oh! He really doesn't know!" Then asked Little Ma: "How do you know he is the boss?"

Little Ma said: "I listened when they had their meeting!"

老曹瞪大了眼睛：“他们开会，你也在场？”

小马说：“开始时在，后来，让他们给赶出来了（如前文6.4节所述）。”

老曹说：“现在，我搞清楚了。你这玩笑可是开的过了头了。那帮人不会认为我是来抢地盘儿的吧！你看，我可不是爱占小便宜的人，是不是应该把虾给人家送回去？”

小马说：“我看，还是赶紧把你们的车开到工地里去，别让人给弄坏了。”

Old Cao's eyes widened: "They were having a meeting, and you were there too?"

Little Ma said: "I was there at first, but later, I was kicked out by them (as mentioned in Section 6.4 above)."

Old Cao said: "Now, I've figured it out. You've gone too far with this joke. Those guys won't think I'm here to steal the land! Look, I'm not one to take advantage of small gains, shouldn't I send the shrimp back to them?"

Little Ma said: "I think it's better to hurry up and take your bus to the construction site, so that they don't crush it."

他们去保护测量局的汽车了。我们公司的经理朱国俊来了，问马鸿光经理：“今天的事怎么这么顺？我还以为没有四万块钱办不成呢！”

工地的人告诉了他刚刚发生的事，人们还在笑。朱经理在马路上走了一圈军人的正步，转回来后大怒：“你们还笑！” 对马经理说：“你赶紧给他换个地方住！” 说完，他离开了。

They went to protect the bus from Survey Bureau. Zhu Guojun, the manager of our company, came and asked Manager Ma Hong Guang: "How did things go so smoothly today? I thought it couldn't be done without 40,000 RMB!"

The people at the construction site told him what had just happened, and people were still laughing. Manager Zhu walked around the road in a soldier's marching step, turned back and became furious: "You guys are still laughing!" To Manager Ma, he said: "You hurry up and find Luyan a new place to live!" After saying that, he left.

人们在议论，“没事，卢岩家是农村的，不懂这个。” 有人说，“那他二大爷也许明白呢！人家找咱房产局来理论，这咱可说个啥!?”

我和小马跟着测量局的老曹做记录。老曹问我，我告诉他，我是东北大学辽宁分院刚毕业的，才来和平房产局四个月。他又问我：“他们是什么人？”

People are talking, "It's okay, Luyan's family is from the countryside, they don't understand this." Someone said, "Then his second uncle might understand! What can we say if they come to the Heping Housekeeping Bureau to argue with us!?"

Little Ma and I followed Old Cao from the Survey Bureau to make records. Old Cao asked me, I told him that I had just graduated from the Liaoning branch of Northeastern University and had only been with the Heping Housekeeping Bureau for four months. He asked me again: "Who are they?"

 

我回答：“他们当中，聪明的，邪见严重的属于饿鬼趣（或称饿鬼道），愚鲁成性的属于畜生趣（或称畜生道，如图，参见13.1.2节）。”

老曹哎呀一声，说：“现在的大学毕业生可真了不得！我50来岁才明白这个，就觉得自己觉悟很高了。你说得对，但是你的社会经验不够，理解得不深。这帮人不在光天化日下做事，他们做事正常人看不见，所以现在的人叫他们黑社会，古代叫饿鬼道。” 他问小马：“这帮人知道这工地今天放红线，所以他们来看他们的新老大来了，是不是？”

I replied: "Among them, those who are intelligent and have serious heretical views belong to the Hungry Ghost Interest (or Hungry Ghost Path), and those who are foolhardy belong to the Livestock Interest (or Livestock Path; cf. section 13.1.2)."

Old Cao let out an ouch and said: "College graduates nowadays are really something! I was 50 years old before I understood this, and I thought I was highly enlightened. You're right, but you don't have enough social experience to understand it. These people don't do things in broad daylight, they do things normal people can't see, that's why people nowadays call them triads, and in ancient times they were called the Hungry Ghost Path." He asked Little Ma: "This gang knows that this construction site is laying out the red line today, so they came to see their new boss coming, didn't they?"

小马一听就不高兴了：“我和他们没关系！他们干什么，我怎么会知道！” 说着，他走到一边去了。

老曹对我说：“谁说他和他们是一伙儿的来的！他还不爱听了。他们那种人和咱们不一样。现在看，你是真不懂。那帮人的老大，就像过去的土皇帝一样，金口玉牙，说了就算数。这我从那帮人的眼神看出来了，他们看你，就像看神一样。用不了两三年，他们就跟着你赴汤蹈火，两肋插刀，就像电影电视里演的似的。他们就是那样的人，我和小马都不是那样的人。我和小马就是和你的关系再好，我们也不干那种事儿。”

Little Ma got upset when he heard that: "I have nothing to do with them! What they do, how would I know!" Saying that, he walked off to the side.

Old Cao said to me: "Who said he was in league with them! He didn't like to hear it. Their kind of people are different from us. Now you see, you really don't understand. The leader of the gang is like the old emperor of the land, with Golden Mouth Jade Teeth, and his word is his bond. I can see it in their eyes. They look at you like you're a god. Within two or three years, they'll be following you into the fire, just like in the movies and TV. That's who they are. Little Ma and I aren't like that. Little Ma and I are just as close to you as we can be, we don't do that kind of thing."

过了一会儿，小马回来了，说：“凯莱饭店负责订餐的人都等着急了，问咱们这活儿什么时候能干完？”

老曹大笑：“又给我个惊喜！大约还需要两个小时。” 对小马说：“都说你们和平房产局局长有头脑，能算计，今天我才见识着。他们让小卢在这儿负责工程。不说别的，就这工程，单是礼物钱，至少给你们房产局节省下来三十万。”

After a while, Little Ma came back and said: "The people in charge of ordering food at the Kailai Hotel are waiting anxiously, asking when we can finish this job!?"

Old Cao smiled broadly: "Another surprise for me! It will take about two more hours." To Little Ma, he said: "They say that the Bureau Chief of your Heping Housekeeping Bureau is smart and calculating, but I've just seen it today. They put Little Lu in charge of the project here. Not to mention anything else, for this project, the gift money alone will save your Heping Housekeeping bureau at least 300,000 RMB."

小马说：“这事儿和我们局里可没关系，我们局长没这头脑。”

老曹说：“还没关系！小卢不懂这个！他咋就到这儿几个月就把这事儿整成这样？三年四年小卢也当不上老大呀！这老大，得起早趟黑、累死累活，拼命几十年才能被选上呢！肯定是你们局里有人给那帮人出主意，教唆它们干的。你不这样想，是你没这头脑，不是你们局长没这头脑。”

我问：“什么礼物，能省那么多钱？”

Little Ma said: "This has nothing to do with our bureau, our Bureau Chief doesn't have the brains."

Old Cao said: "how can this be unrelated!? Little Luyan doesn't understand this! He's only been here a few months and he's made a great deal. Even in three or four years, Little Luyan won't be the boss! This boss must work hard for decades to get elected! Someone in your department must have given them the idea and abetted them. If you don't think so, it's you who doesn't have the brains, not your chief."

I asked: "What kind of gift that would save so much money?"

老曹说：“工程开工了，你们局就该买很多礼物了，你负责往外送。那帮人该说话了：我们老大不喜欢给别人礼物！我看你用哪只手接！用左手接，我们就打折你的左手，右手接就打折他的右手。他们这种人有三件事分得特别清楚，就是老大，左手和右手。他们对这三样东西绝对不马虎。”

我听了好笑，说：“这可坏了，没人敢来我们这工地了。”

老曹说：“谁敢不来！不来，那帮人该说话了：我们老大打电话叫你，你不来；你还想让我们老大去你那儿请你去啊！他们就呼呼地，去一帮人，把他们的玻璃砸碎。”

Old Cao said: "When the project starts, your bureau should buy a lot of gifts, and you'll be responsible for sending them out. It's time for that gang to speak up: our boss doesn't like giving gifts to others! I'll see which hand you pick up with! Catch it with your left hand and we'll break your left hand, catch it with your right hand and we'll break his right hand. There are three things that people like them distinguish particularly well: the boss, the left hand, and the right hand. They are absolutely not sloppy about these three things."

I laughed at this and said: "This is bad, no one dares to come to our construction site."

Old Cao said: "Who dares not come? If you don't come, the gang will talk: our boss called you and you didn't come; you want our boss to come to your place and invite you! So, they hooted and hollered, and went to a bunch of people, and smashed their glasses."

我说：“还无法无天了呢！那公安局不管？”

老曹说：“公安局有话说：我们说说、教育、教育就行了呗！就砸你几块玻璃，你想让我们咋处理？把他们都抓起来，饭钱你出啊！小卢，那帮人办事，那分寸拿捏得才精准呢！大错误不犯，小错误不断。”

我说：“这么打架，这工地不就得停工了？”

I said: "It's lawless! Doesn't the Public Security Bureau care?"

Old Cao said: "The Public Security Bureau has something to say: we can just talk, educate! What do you want us to do with crushing a few pieces of glasses!? Arrest them all and who will pay for their meals! Luyan, those guys are precise in their approach! They don't make big mistakes but keep making small ones."

I said: "If we fight like this, won't the construction site be shut down?"

老曹说：“谁敢不来！你的电话一打过去，他们马上就来了。这活儿保证干得又快又好！不来，他们就去砸它们的玻璃；不来，还去砸。

那帮人认上什么事，一年，两年不忘；三更半夜喝点儿酒，生气了，就去砸玻璃了。公安局还真不管，有说的：那帮人就不干什么大坏事，为啥就偏偏看不上你呢！肯定你是没干啥好事！他们是缺心眼儿，你也缺心眼儿啊！”

放完红线，他们就去凯莱饭店吃饭去了。小马说：“经理吩咐了，卢岩不能去。他去了，费用经理不给我报销。”

Old Cao said: "Who would dare not come! As soon as you call, they'll come right away. The work is guaranteed to be done quickly and well! If they don't come, they'll smash their glasses; if they don't come, they'll smash it again.

Those people recognize something, a year, two years will not forget; drink some wine in the middle of the night, angry, go to smash the glass. The Public Security Bureau really doesn't care, and they say: those people don't do anything greatly bad, so why can't they like you? I'm sure you didn't do anything good! They are retarded and stupid, are you too!?”

After the red lines were laid, they went to the Kailai hotel to eat. Little Ma said: "The manager ordered, Luyan can not go. If he goes, the expense manager won't reimburse me."

 

6.8 殃 Misfortune

以前，我就看到我们工地北面的一条街总是很热闹，三更半夜还是灯火通明，人来人往。我就去那里吃饭，顺便看热闹。可是，我到那里之后，就不热闹了。

这天中午，风很大，我到那里后，这条街就没什么人了。我失望地坐在了一家理发店前的台阶上，无所事事。

忽然，坐在店前的中年妇女喊我过去，问我：“你干什么来了？”

I used to see a street to the north of our construction site that was always bustling with people coming and going in the middle of the night. I went there to eat and watch the fun. However, after I got there, it was no longer lively.

At noon that day, the wind was very strong. When I got there, there was no one on the street. I sat in despair on the steps of a barber shop, doing nothing.

Suddenly, a middle-aged woman sitting in front of the store called me over and asked me, "What are you doing here?"

我回答说：“吃完中午饭，没事儿做，遛哒遛哒。”

她生气地说：“你当我是白痴呐！遛哒遛哒还用带二十来人！”

我听不懂，问：“人在哪呢？我怎么看不着！” 这时，整条街总共才有四、五个人。

I replied: "After lunch, I have nothing to do, just take a walk."

She said angrily: "You think I'm an idiot! You take twenty people with you for a walk!"

I didn't understand, so I asked: "Where are the people? Why can't I see them!" At this time, there were four or five people on the street in total.

她说：“别装了！别看你的大姐我年轻，我在这条街上混了二十来年了，天天坐在这儿看。我这双眼睛，什么人，从哪儿来的，要干什么，我一眼就能看出来。你都把便衣警察招来了。你整事儿也不看看，这是什么地方！我们是什么人！”

我什么也听不懂，问：“你是什么人？一个剪头发的。人都不来了，不是警察在搞严打吗！与我有啥关系？”

她说：“什么搞严打，有严打我还能不知道。从你来这条街上晃悠，这条街上的人就越来越少。到现在，你看，都没人了！你还不走？你就直说吧！你干啥来了？有啥目的？”

She said, "Don't pretend! Don't look at your big sister I'm young, I've been on this street for twenty years or so, and I sit here every day and watch. With these eyes of mine, I can tell briefly what kind of people, where they come from, and what they want to do. You've brought in plainclothes cops. You don't even look at what kind of place this is when you're organizing things! What kind of people are we?"

I couldn't understand anything and asked: "Who are you? A hair cutter. People aren't coming, aren't the police engaged in a crackdown! What does it have to do with me?"

She said: "What's with the crackdown! If there's a crackdown, how come we do not know!?  It is you! From the time you came to hang around on this street, there have been fewer and fewer people on this street. Now, look, there's no one left! Why don't you leave? Let's get to the point! What are you doing here? What's the purpose?"

我如实回答：“我看这儿热闹，来这儿吃饭，顺便看看漂亮姑娘，不是白看么！违法啦？”

中年妇女说：“那你光看，不违法！你是从哪来的？”

我指着身后的工地说：“我从那儿来的！”

中年妇女看了看我指的地方，脸色立刻变了，结结巴巴地说：“你是人是鬼？从那儿来的！？”

我立刻生气的不得了，向前走了两步，说：“你是怎么说话呢！”

I answered truthfully: "I saw that there was a lot of activity here, so I came here to eat and look at the pretty girls! Is it illegal?"

The middle-aged woman said: "It's not illegal for you to just look! Where are you from?"

I pointed to the construction site behind me and said: "I'm from there!"

The middle-aged woman looked where I was pointing, her face immediately changed, and she stammered: "Are you a human being or a ghost? Where did you come from?"

Immediately angry as hell, I took two steps forward and said: "How are you talking!"

她站起来了，转身走到了门口，用手指着工地，说：“你从那儿来的！你是怎么从那儿来的？”

我回头看了看，意识到我指的地方是我们工地的地基坑，说：“那不是建筑工地吗！”

她想了想，放松了下来：“你吓我一跳，我还想呢：那地方两年前就没人住了；上个月还挖了这么大一个坑，怎么就把你给挖出来了呢！？”

我被逗笑了，说：“你别看我笑了，你说的话可是不受听！”

She stood up, turned to the door, pointed her finger at the construction site, and said: "You came from there! How did you get out there?"

I looked back and realized that where I was pointing was the foundation pit of our construction site and said: "Isn't that a construction site!"

She thought about it and relaxed: "You startled me, and I was thinking: no one has lived in that place for two years ago; and such a big pit was dug last month, so how did you get out of there!?"

I was amused and said: "Don't look at me laughed, but what you say is not to be listened to!"

她笑了笑，走回来，又横起来了：“我也是顺嘴就说出来了。那你遛哒遛哒，还带这么多人干啥？”

我觉得奇怪，问：“刚才你就说，我带来了二十多人，我怎么一个都看不着？”

她回答：“这还没打起来呢！一动手，一个个的都不知道从哪儿冒出来了！”

She laughed, walked back: “I said it in passing, too. Then why did you bring so many people with you when you were walking around?"

I felt strange and asked: "Just now you said that I brought more than twenty people, how come I can't see any of them?"

She replied: "The fight hasn't started yet! As soon as we started, one by one appeared out of nowhere!"

我问：“那你看我是什么人？我要干什么？”

她回答：“我没看出来！这我才问你呢！”

我们吵了一会儿，我什么都听不懂，觉着没意思，就生气地离开了。

I asked: "Then who do you think I am? What do I want to do?"

She replied: "I didn't see it! That's why I'm asking you!"

We argued for a while, but I couldn't understand anything and found it boring, so I left angrily.

6.8-2

我自己坐在地基坑边上，呆了一会儿，想：还是干点正事吧！我开始沿着地基坑边上找裂缝儿，看看有没有地方存在塌方的危险。

当我走到工地的东南角，听见围墙外有人在广告牌子旁边说话：“你看！就是这个大楼。我们老大刚毕业，就全负责。你说那门子硬不硬！？”

I sat on the edge of the foundation pit and stayed for a while, thinking, “Let’s do something serious!” I started looking for cracks along the edge of the foundation pit to see if there was any danger of landslides.

As I walked to the southeast corner of the site, I heard someone outside the fence talking next to the advertising sign, "Look! This is the building. Our boss just graduated and is in full charge. Do you think that his sponsor is powerful!?"

我走到附近的院门看是什么人在说话。那是两个小孩儿。一个小孩儿又说：“那天，我们看我们老大干活。那人家算计的，他们那么多人谁也没听明白，不怎么的！？如果把那辆车砸了，他的事儿就办成了（参见6.7节）！？”

另一个小孩儿问：“你们老大说得对吗？”

那个小孩儿回答：“他们都相信，事儿是肯定是那么回事儿，就是不知道为什么！现在，他还不行，刚毕业，没经验。他们说，再培养两年，多说三四年，那我们老大就谁也比不了了！到那时候，我就求他，在这工地里给我安排个活儿。我就不在这小市场上混了！在这小市场上干活儿，让人瞧不起！”

I went to the nearby yard gate to see who was talking. It was two kids. One kid added: "That day, we watched our boss work. That he counted, so many of them who didn't understand, not so ever! If we smash that car, his thing is accomplished (cf. section 6.7)!?"

Another child asked: "Is your boss correct?"

The child replied: "They all believe that it must be that way, but they don't know why! Now, he is not good enough. He has just graduated and has no experience. They said that he will be trained for two more years, or four more years., then no one can compare with our boss! At that time, I will beg him to arrange a job for me in this construction site. I will not hang out in this small market! Working in this small market, it makes people look down upon!”

另一个小孩儿问：“你跟你们老大说过话儿吗？”

那个小孩儿回答：“没有！他的办公室就在那儿！那几个大头儿常去和他唠嗑，去培养他。他的眼睛可特别了，看谁谁受不了！”

我看着那俩孩子走远了，也没心思找裂缝了，开始往办公室走；边走边落泪。我对自己说：我应该和这俩孩子谈谈，教导教导他们！不行！那样的话，一失足成千古恨！我又不能收养他们；现在，我自己还靠父母的接济呢！

Another kid asked: "Have you talked to your boss?"

The kid replied: "No! His office is over there! Those big bosses often go to chat with him and train him. His eyes are special, and all other can't stand it!"

I watched the two children walk away, and I no longer had any intention of looking for cracks. I started walking towards the office, crying as I walked. I said to myself: “I should talk to these two children and teach them! No! In that case, one mistake will lead to eternal hatred! I can't adopt them; now, I still rely on my parents' support!”

6.8-3

这天晚上，我就回到了东北大学找老同学。第二天晚上，我搬家到了东北大学第四宿舍，住进了老同学张利民的房间。

That night, I returned to Northeastern University to look for my old classmate. The next night, I moved to the fourth dormitory of Northeastern University and stayed in my old classmate Zhang Limin's room.

 

6.9 活见鬼 Seeing Ghost Alive

测量局给出红线几天后的一个下午，我被从遂川工地招唤到了公司。同事们都在，说是测量局的老曹回家后，一连三、四天吃不下饭，睡不着觉，不能上班工作了。他还说了许多话，人们都听不懂。

测量局的局长打电话到和平房产局询问：“那天在遂川工地发生了什么事？他看见什么了？（注，参见6.7节）被吓成那样！” 两天内，和平房产局收到了二十多个电话，市长办公室也打来电话，询问工地发生了什么事。所以局里决定调查，明天局长带着调查资料去向市长汇报。

One afternoon a few days after the Survey Bureau laid out the red line, I was summoned to the company from the Suichuan construction site. My coworkers were all there, saying that the Old Cao of the Survey Bureau had gone home for three or four days in a row, unable to eat and sleep, and unable to go to work. He also said a lot of things that people could not understand.

The chief of Survey Bureau called Heping Housekeeping Bureau to ask: "What happened at the Suichuan site that day? What did he see? (Note, cf. section 6.7) Being scared like that!" Within two days, the Heping Housekeeping Bureau received more than twenty phone calls, and the mayor's office also called to ask what had happened at the construction site. So, the bureau decided to investigate, and tomorrow Bureau Chief will take the investigation information to report to the mayor.

6.9-2

这时我自己并没有意识到这事件的严重性（注，实际上，那时我就根本不懂），就如实说了。在我们的办公室里，工会主席问我们的工程科科长付国青：“卢岩自己都说了，但他怎么就不明白呢！？”

付科长回答：“咱局四千人，明白这事儿的可能只有几个！社会上的人，懂的就更少了。不过，卢岩是真不懂。多次，事情发生的时候，他都是似懂非懂的；过一两个星期，他就明白了，还懂得特别清楚。他刚来的时候，说话掩我，我观察了他这半年了，发现他懂得比别人慢两个星期。”

At this time, I did not realize the seriousness of this incident (annotation, in fact, I just didn’t understand at that time), so I told the truth. In our office, the union chairman asked Fu Guoqing, our engineering section chief: "Luyan said it himself, but why doesn't he understand!?"

Section Chief Fu replied: "There are 4,000 people in our bureau, and only a few may understand this matter! There are even fewer people in society who understand. However, Luyan really doesn't understand. Many times, when things happened, he seems to understand it; after a week or two, he understands it, and understands it very clearly. When he first came here, he pinched me by words, so, I have been observing him for half a year, and I found that he understands slower than others, two weeks slower than others."

工会主席说：“我听说过，有这种人。他自己不认为是老大，那就不是呗！那你看咱这事该咋办？”

同事高德新说：“咱这是要出大事了，但大事还没出来呢！”

The union president said: "I've heard that there are such people. If he doesn't think he's the boss, then he's not! So, what do you think we should do about this?"

Coworker Gao Dexin said: "Something big is going to happen to us, but the big thing hasn't come out yet!"

6.9-3

同事电器技术员翘翘对我说：“你应该生气！我就不信黑社会老大还能看出来，这是测量局的老曹在整你呢！”

我回答：“我和他一个测量局的，八竿子也打不着的关系，他整我干什么！就是事赶事，偶然发生了，我有什么可生气的！”

翘翘说：“这是在调查你。人人都知道，“无风不起浪”。就这一个调查，两三年之内，你找不着女朋友了。谁给人介绍对象都先问问在公司里干得怎么样。不论今天调查的结果怎么样，在外人看来，你和黑社会有关系。这会影响你十年。”

My colleague Qiaoqiao, an electrical technician, said to me: "You should be angry! I don't believe that the triad boss can be found out by looks! The affair is that the Old Cao of Survey Bureau is bullying you!”

I replied: "He works in Survey Bureau; we have nothing to do with each other. The affair is incidentally happened sequentially; what should I be angry about!"

Qiaoqiao said: "This is an investigation of you. Everyone knows that ‘there is no smoke without fire’. Just this investigation, you will not be able to find a girlfriend within two or three years. Whoever introduces a partner to someone should ask someone in the company first Well done. No matter what the results of today's investigation are, in the eyes of outsiders, you are related to the underworld. This will affect you for ten years."

我迷惑地叨咕：“有那么严重！”

翘翘说：“这就是事实！我以前说给你介绍那个女孩儿的事，过几年再说吧！”

我顿时生气了，着急地说：“咋还过几年呢！你就直接说不给我介绍了！”

翘翘说：“你跟我生什么气！前些日子，我听人们说你是黑社会老大，她妈问我什么时候安排你俩见面，我回答，卢岩现在很忙，等几天吧！”

I mumbled in confusion: "It's that serious!"

Qiaoqiao said: "This is the fact! I told you to introduce that girl to you before, let's talk about it in a few years!"

I immediately became angry and said anxiously: "How come it's still a few years away! Just say you won't introduce me!"

Qiaoqiao said: "Why are you angry with me! A few days ago, I heard people say that you are the boss of the underworld. Her mother asked me when I would arrange for you two to meet. I replied, Luyan is very busy now, just wait a few days!"

我说：“我不忙！”

翘翘说：“我知道你不忙，但今天调查你这事。如果我告诉他们，那肯定不行，但我又不能对他们隐瞒这么大的事。”

电器技术员老吕说：“我第一次看见卢岩就认为他是黑社会的，但是我从没跟人说。你要介绍谁给卢岩？”

翘翘鄙夷地对他大叫：“你看谁都是黑社会的，因为你窝囊！XXX家的YYY。”

付科长大声说道：“你们俩要唠嗑，回家唠去！这儿在开会呢！”

I said: "I'm not busy!"

Qiaoqiao said: "I know you are not busy, but the affair is investigating you today. If I tell them, it will definitely not work, but I can't hide the big affair from them."

Electrical technician Old Lu said: "When I first saw Luyan, I thought he was from the underworld, but I never told anyone. Who do you want to introduce to Luyan?"

Qiaoqiao yelled at him with disdain: "Look, everyone is a member of the underworld, because you are a coward! YYY from the XXX family."

Section Chief Fu said loudly: "If you two want to chat, go home and chat! There is a meeting here!"

6.9-4

工会主席打断了付科长，说：“等等！我们搞调查的有义务减少给调查对象造成的损失。翘翘，你说的那个女孩儿是怎么回事？你一说，卢岩就被气得变了脸色。还有，你怎么看人们说卢岩是黑社会的？”

老吕在一边叨咕：“净瞎操心，XXX家的YYY怎么能看上卢岩！我怎么看，卢岩都是黑社会的。”

The union chairman interrupted Section Chief Fu and said: "Wait a minute! We who are investigating are obliged to reduce the losses caused to the subjects of the investigation. Qiaoqiao, what happened to the girl you mentioned? As soon as you said it, Luyan his face changed with anger. Also, what do you think about people saying that Luyan is from the black society? "

Old Lu muttered on the side: "Net blind worry, how can the XXX family's YYY look at Luyan! I think Luyan is a triad member."

翘翘说：“前几个月，我上夜大考高等数学，卢岩给我押题，全压对了。这说明他明白高等数学，在学校是个好学生。另外，他要考研究生。如果他是黑社会老大，他还能考研究生吗！你不能因为谁跟那帮流浪汉有点来往，就说人家是黑社会的！”

老吕说：“高数考试押题，全押对了？数学老师也押不那么准啊！”

工会主席对付科长说：“你们工程科的人有学问，我就爱听你们工程科的人说话！翘翘，你继续说那个女孩儿。”

Qiaoqiao said: "A few months ago, I took the advanced mathematics test at Night University, Luyan gave me the questions, and he got them all right. This shows that he understands advanced mathematics and is a good student in school. In addition, he wants to take the postgraduate entrance examination. If He is the boss of the underworld, can he still take the postgraduate entrance examination! You can't say someone is from the underworld just because he has some association with those homeless people!"

Old Lu said: "Is it correct to bet on all the questions in the advanced mathematics exam? The math teacher is not so accurate either!"

The chairman of the union said to the section chief: "You people in the engineering department are knowledgeable, and I love to listen to what you people in the engineering department talk about! Qiaoqiao, keep talking about that girl."

翘翘说：“那是你那么认为的！事后，我就想给卢岩介绍对象，就把这事跟那个小姑娘的爸妈说了。那小姑娘今年19岁，人长得很漂亮，在沈阳大学读大一。家里人都是老干部，都会看人。我说，那个卢岩拿我的数学书一翻，就说，你这本数学书是这么编的，就给我指出来了。这四个地方是难点，你学会了，能多得15分，就不要学了。这四处是基本面，必须学会，占70分，因为你们夜大学生的素质参差不齐，所以这部分的比重大，让学懂这些内容的人都能通过。剩下的那15分是简单的概念。这三种考题的比重可能变动5、6分，不会太多。”

Qiaoqiao said: "That's what you think! Afterwards, I wanted to introduce someone to Luyan, so I told the little girl's parents about it. The little girl is 19 years old and very beautiful, is a freshman at Shenyang University. Her family are all veteran cadres, and they know how to judge people. I said, Luyan took my math book and flipped it through, and said, this is how your math book is compiled and pointed it out to me. These four points are difficult. If you learn it, you can get 15 points more, so don’t learn it. These four points are the basics, you must learn them, and they account for 70 points. Because the quality of your night college students is uneven, this part the weighting is so heavy that anyone who has learned these contents can pass. The remaining 15 points are simple concepts. The weighting of these three types of questions may vary by 5 or 6 points, not too much."

翘翘说：“人家的几个老干部一分析，押题，对于明白人来说，可不就是这么回事。他们就跟我打听卢岩的情况，我说了几件事，当然我是挑好事说。人家全家人讨论，分析的可不一样，认为卢岩看问题有门道，兴趣面宽而且思想活跃。他们还跟我谈论了卢岩的许多别的特质，我都听不懂。他们说我和他们闺女从小一起长大，性格也合得来，我看好的，他们闺女会喜欢的可能性大。他们说，找对象结婚最怕单调的人；卢岩是个多重性格的人，内心世界丰富，不单调。那小姑娘她妈就惦记上了，几次问我什么时候介绍卢岩跟她闺女认识。这回让你们一调查，我的努力全白费了。”

Qiaoqiao said: "They several veteran cadres analyzed that betting questions for exam, for people who understand it, is just like that. They asked me about Luyan's situation, and I told a few things. Of course, I picked the good things. The whole family discussed and analyzed those affairs differently. They thought that Luyan has his own ways of looking at problems, a wide range of interests and an active mind. They also talked to me about many other characteristics of Luyan, but I couldn’t understand them. They said that I I grew up with their daughter and have compatible personalities. I am optimistic that their daughter will like her most. They say that when looking for a partner to marry, they are most afraid of monotonous people; Luyan is a person with multiple personalities and a rich inner world, is not monotonous. The little girl's mother is obsessed with Luyan and asked me several times when I would introduce Luyan to her daughter. This time, you had an investigation on him, all my efforts are wasted."

6.9-5

我气愤得脸上发烫，叨咕：“这我要是不把老曹家的玻璃砸了，整个房产局也没人瞧得起我呀！我得鼓起勇气扮流氓！”

这时，屋外传来话：调查到此为止；以后的事，让警察去查吧！

工会主席对付科长说：“咱们的事好像有谱了，但把小卢的对象给搅黄了。我感觉事情不妙，卢岩要去砸老曹家的玻璃，警察听了也得觉得有道理！你得说几句！”

My face burned with anger, and I muttered: "If I don't smash the glass of Old Cao's house, no one in the Heping Housekeeping Bureau will look up to me! I must pluck up the courage to play the hooligan!"

At this time, outside the room came the words: the investigation ends here; the future, let the police to investigate!

The chairman of the labor union said to the section chief: "We seem to have a plan for our affairs, but we've spoiled Little Luyan’s girlfriend. I don't feel good about it. Luyan is going to smash the glass of Old Cao's house, and the police might feel justified when they hear about it! You have to say something!"

付科长说：“在沈阳六百万人中找到老曹的家可不是件容易的事，谁也不能告诉他。他的研究生考试就在下个月，他得选择是跟警察忙，还是跟研究生考试忙。”

Section Chief Fu said, "Finding Old Cao's home among the six million people in Shenyang is no easy task, and no one shall tell him. His graduate school exams are next month, and he'll have to choose whether to be busy with the police or with his graduate school exams."

6.9-6

人们走后，我自己坐在办公室里算计这事。直到午夜，我的气消了，觉得去砸老曹家玻璃的工作量太大，事后免不了还得应付警察，还真就把我的研究生考试给耽误了。我决定，少惹气，准备考试。

After everyone left, I sat in my office and figured it out. By midnight, my anger had subsided. I felt that the workload of smashing the windows of Old Cao's house was too much. I would inevitably have to deal with the police afterwards, which really delayed my graduate examination. I decided to stop being angry and prepare for the exam.

6.9-7 众贼要游行示威 Thieves Wanting Demonstration

随后的星期一，我到公司上班，整栋楼就只有我一个人。中午的时候，高德新和小马来了。他们看见我就笑：“咱和平房产局的人都在忙，就你一个人闲着！”

我问：“发生什么事了？”

高德新说：“那帮流浪汉对咱和平房产局关于你的处理不满意，让和平房产局把你给他们，不然他们就来砸咱局。”

我感觉这话说得新奇，没头绪，问：“这是什么和什么呀？”

The following Monday, I went to work and was the only one in the building. At noon, Gao Dexin and Little Ma came. When they saw me, they laughed: "Everyone in the Heping Real Estate Bureau is busy, but you are the only one free!"

I asked: "What happened?"

Gao Dexin said: "Those homeless people are not satisfied with the handling of you by the Heping Housekeeping Bureau; they want the Heping Housekeeping Bureau give you to them, otherwise they will come and destroy our bureau."

I felt that this was a novel statement and had no clue, so I asked: "What is this; what is it?"

高德新说：“哥给你解释！那帮流浪汉想的可跟咱们不一样。这次因为你，他们对咱和平房产局有意见了。你想，都知道他们是贼，要是他们来几百人到咱局的院子里来闹，临走再生几堆火，砸几块玻璃，那咱局的政治问题可就大了！咱们是国家政府部门，怎么能和贼群有来往呢！还打架！以前出过类似的事，三四个局长被撤职，三十多人受到了处分。”

我说：“政治问题，性质严重，要界限分明（注，那时，我根本没把这事当回事，实际就是不懂）。”

Gao Dexin said: "Brother, allow me to explain it for you! Those homeless people think differently from us. This time, because of you, they have a problem with our Heping Housekeeping Bureau. Think about it, we all know that they are thieves. If they come for hundreds of people to the yard of our bureau to cause trouble, and before leaving, they start a few fires and smash a few pieces of glass, then our bureau will have a big political problem! We are a national government department; how can we have contact with thieves! And fighting with them! Similar things have happened before, three or four bureau chiefs were dismissed, and more than 30 people were punished."

I said: "Political issues are serious in nature and the boundaries must be clearly defined (note, at that time, I didn't take this matter seriously at all. In fact, I just didn't understand)."

高德新大叫：“对喽！明白点儿就行！哥跟你说过吧！你的那个靠山有眼光，不是一般人，选择和平房产局来培养你，别的地方可遇不到。就这事儿！明白的人很少。”

我问：“我怎么办？”

高德新说：“虽说这事儿是因你而起，但咱们局长的官帽是大事，你就自己找个地方准备你的研究生考试去吧。谁问你什么，你都说不知道，或者不出声。活该他们出事！谁让他们把你放进了贼窝。”

Gao Dexin shouted: "That's right! Just understand it! I told you! Your backer has a vision and is not an ordinary person. He chose the Heping Housekeeping Bureau to train you. You can't find it elsewhere. That's it! Very few people understand.”

I asked, "What should I do?"

Gao Dexin said: "Although this matter happened because of you, the official title of our bureau chiefs is a big deal. Just find a place to prepare for your postgraduate examination. Whoever asks you something, you always say you don't know, or you don't speak up. They deserve what happened to them! Who let them to put you into a den of thieves!?"

6.9-8

他们俩走后，付经理来了，告诉我：“遂川工地停工了，因为投资方怀疑房产局的领导班子不稳定，让我以后不要去那里了。” 他又说，冬天我们这建筑公司就没什么事，如果我愿意，可以休假，去准备研究生考试。我决定休假两星期。

After the two of them left, Manager Fu came and told me: "The Suichuan construction site has been suspended because the investors suspected that the leadership team of the Heping Housekeeping Bureau was unstable and asked me not to go there in the future." He also said that our construction company must stop in winter. There is nothing wrong. If I want, I can take a vacation to prepare for the postgraduate examination. I decided to take two weeks off.

6.9-9

后来，我听人们说，材料科长王宝山跟人们评论这事。如果卢岩真去砸老曹家的玻璃。他扔个小石头，那就是令箭。随后不知道有多少石头飞进他家屋子里了。即便老曹没被当场打死。沈阳爱看热闹的人多，随后进屋就把他杀喽。这卢岩就得跑路哇！那就谁也不知道他到哪儿念研究生去了。几年后，沈阳就又多了个祸害。卢岩是个老实人；他当贼，活不了几年。就因为他考研究生，不能贪事，老曹捡了条命。

Later, I heard people say that Wang Baoshan, the material section chief, was commenting on this matter. If Luyan really went to smash the glass of Old Cao's house. He throws a small stone and that is the commanding arrow. Then an unknown number of stones flew into his house. Even though Old Cao was not beaten to death on the spot. There were many people in Shenyang who liked to watch the excitement, so they entered the house and killed him. Then, Luyan must run away! Since, no one knows where he went to graduate school. A few years later, Shenyang suffers one more misfortune.  Luyan is an honest man; he will not live for a few years as a thief. Just because he was preparing his exams for graduate school and could not be greedy on affairs, Old Cao’s life is saved.

 

6.10 不是有关系也不是没有关系 Neither Related nor Unrelated

一九九五年春，我研究生没考上，没事干了，就问付科长： “我该做些什么？” 他告诉我，得主动去和施工队的队长搞好关系，那样他们有事才会找我。

我到了马洪光队长的工地，他看我闷闷不乐，就开玩笑地对人们说： “喂！你们谁也猜不着小卢在想啥呢！”

人们说：“你知道，就说说呗！”

In the spring of 1995, I failed the postgraduate entrance examination and had nothing to do, so I asked Section Chief Fu: "What should I do?" He told me that I had to take the initiative to build a good relationship with the leaders of the construction teams, so that they would be able to do business with me.

When I arrived at team leader Ma Hongguang's construction site, he saw that I was unhappy, so he jokingly said to people: "Hey! None of you can guess what Little Luyan is thinking!"

People said: "You know, just tell us!"

马队长说：“小卢是在怀念几个月前他在遂川当老大的时候呢！那老大当的，可比咱局长威风多了。”

人们问：“那件事儿，到底是真的还是假的？”

马队长说：“人家兄弟都要围攻咱房产局了，要跟咱们争小卢；弄得局长们都愁眉苦脸的，一连开了三四次秘密会议。咱马凯华局长说，‘这卢岩是咋回事儿呢！？才两个多月，就整成这样儿；要是他在遂川那儿干上四五年，沈阳也不够大儿呀！’你们想一想，那是真的还是假的！”

Team Leader Ma said: "Little Luyan is nostalgic for the time when he was the boss in Suichuan a few months ago! That boss was much more powerful than our bureau chief."

People ask: "Is that affair true or false?"

Team Leader Ma said: "Luyan’s brothers wanted to besiege our Heping Housekeeping Bureau and competing with us for Little Luyan.  This made those bureau chiefs all nervous and held three or four secret meetings in a row. Chief Ma Kaihua said, ‘What's going on with this Luyan!? It's only been two months, he managed the Suichuan site like that. If he works there for four or five years, the Shenyang city wouldn’t be big enough for him!' Think about it, is that true or false!?"

毕姐问：“后来咋没事了呢？”

马队长开始给我们讲，这事情最终是局长们找来了一位说客。那人把和平区的名人们（贼老大们）召集到了一起，为卢岩开了个 “正名儿大会”；事情就结束了。

人们问：“那么多的亡命徒聚在一起，不乱成了一锅粥了，还怎么开会？”

Sister Bi asked: "Why did everything get better afterwards?"

Team Leader Ma began to tell us that in the end, the bureau chiefs hired a lobbyist. The lobbyist called together the celebrities (thief bosses) in Heping District and held a "name-rectification meeting" for Luyan, so the affair was over.

People asked: "How can the meeting hold so many desperadoes together and it did not become a mess?"

 

 

马队长说：“咋说，人家那位说客是异人呢！与会的那些名人对说客的行为表现和说辞，无不惊奇，各个称赞（注，刘团长具有三千威仪八万四千细行）。那帮人见了说课，就跟小学生见了老师似的，会场秩序井然。他们说，名人们是陆续到场的，开始的时候有二三百人，后来越聚越多。那个说客把他们组织起来了，坐成了一个圈，像是八卦阵（如图6.10右）似的。外面被上万人包围着，把周围的小街道都给堵塞了。咱这么想：那肯定有几千人，但是大部分人是看热闹的。”

Team Leader Ma said: "What to say, that lobbyist is an extraordinary person! Those celebrities who attended the meeting were amazed at the behavior and speech of the lobbyist; all praised him (note, Troupe Leader Liu has “3,000 Majesties 84,000 Enchantments”). Those people saw the lobbyist, just like an elementary school student saw the teacher, the meeting was in order. They said that the celebrities arrived one after another, at the beginning there were two or three hundred people, and then more and more people gathered. The lobbyist organized them, sitting in a circle, like a Bagua Array (see fig. 6.10 right). The outside was surrounded by tens of thousands of people, blocking the small streets around them. Let's think of it this way: there must have been thousands there, but most of them were watching."

人们问：“几百人和一个人谈话，怎么谈？”

马队长说：“那帮贼也是有组织的，都是一组一组的，一伙儿内部互相商量，然后由发言人提问。那个说客就在八卦阵里走来走去的，随问随答，想都不想；说话声大，一句是一句，三两句，就扣题，联系到小卢的终身幸福上去了。而且，很多组同时发问，他不混淆，比如说，他在那说话呢！别的事发生了。他处理完回来后，接着说，没有反问，比如 ‘我们刚才说什么来的？’‘说到哪儿了？’没这事！” 注，这是说刘团长具有念无失（参见15.1.3-3节）。

People asked, "How can hundreds of people talk to one man?"

Team Leader Ma said: "That gang of thieves is also organized, all in one small group or one small gang. A small gang discusses with each other internally, and then a spokesman asks questions. That lobbyist just walked around in the Bagua formation, answering questions as they were asked, not even thinking about it. Speaking loudly, a sentence is a sentence, three or two sentences, and then buttoned up the topic, linking it to the lifelong happiness of Little Luyan. With many groups asking questions at the same time, he doesn't confuse. Say, he's talking there! Something else happened. He comes back from processing and then goes on, without rhetorical questions, like 'what were we talking about?' 'Where was it said?' None of that!" Note, this is saying that Troupe Leader Liu has “Spells without Loss” (Cf. V. 15.1.3-3).

人们问：“那还随便听啊，外人不也混进去了？”

马队长说：“你认为那些名人的名儿都是虚的！咱们这么想，外人肯定是进不去，只是在远处看着，听不清楚他们在说什么！”

人们惊讶地问：“这人可少见！他是哪的人？多大岁数了？长得什么样？”

People asked: "People can listen at will!  Aren't outsiders also sneaking in?"

Team Leader Ma said: "You think the fames of those celebrities are all false! We think this way, outsiders will not be able to get in. They can just watch from a distance and not be able to hear what they are saying!"

People asked in surprise: "This man is rare! Where is he from? How old is he? What does he look like?"

马队长回答：“他们都认为说客是沈阳人。也奇怪，就那帮人的观察力，愣是谁也没看出他有多大岁数。有说三十多岁的，有说四十多岁的，五十、六十、七十多岁的，说什么的都有。许多人回想起来都不一样儿，说那人长相不特殊，但是干净利索，举手投足都让人爱看。” 注，刘团长具有三千威仪八万四千细行。

毕姐说：“这是什么呀！怎么连多大岁数都没个谱！”

马队长郑重地说：“我可不怀疑那帮人的观察力；咱还就得依据在场人的观察。应当说，那人就是那种看不出年龄的长相（注，这个说客是刘团长，具有 “百变神通”，参见7.12节）。”

Team Leader Ma replied: "They all thought the lobbyist was from Shenyang. Strangely enough, no one could tell how old he was based on the observative capability of those people. Some said he was in his thirties, and some said he was in his forties. Some said he was in his 50s, 60s, and 70s, you name it. Many people think it’s different in retrospect, saying that the person looks not special, but clean and neat, and everyone loves to watch it.” Note, Troupe Leader Liu has “3,000 Majesties 84,000 Enchantments”.

Sister Bi said: "What is this! Why cannot people even know how old he is!"

Team Leader Ma solemnly replied: "I don't doubt the observation skills of those people; we should rely on the observations of those present. It should be said that that person has the kind of appearance that cannot tell his age (annotation, the lobbyist is Troupe Leader Liu, has the capability of “Hundred Godly Transformations”; cf. section 7.12)."

（问题1 Question 1）

人们问：“他们都谈什么了？”

马队长说：“我也是听这个说，听那个说的。名人们说，卢岩是我们按照在沈阳流传了两百多年的老规矩挑选出来、立为老大的。所有的规矩程序都如实做了，核实了。另外，我们也在他身上做了很多工作，所以他是我们的人。”

“说客说：这都解放多少年了，你们还用那些陈规旧习。那些规矩在法律上都不承认。再说，按老规矩，卢岩是房产局的人，不是你们的人。我就不相信哪个房产局的干部能同意把他给你们！另外你们认为卢岩是你们老大，人家卢岩同意不？”

“那帮人讨论了一会儿，回答：卢岩没说同意，也没说不同意，没表态。”

“说客说：没表态就是还没接受；这就是你们一厢情愿！”

People asked: "What did they talk about?"

Team Leader Ma said: "I also heard this and that. Celebrities said that Luyan was selected and established as the boss by us according to the old rules that had been passed down in Shenyang for more than two hundred years. All the rules and procedures had been done and verified as they were. Also, we have done a lot of work on him, so he is our man."

"The lobbyist said: it's been many years since liberation, and you still use those old rules. Those rules are not even recognized in the law. Besides, according to the old rules, Luyan is a member of the Heping Housekeeping Bureau, not one of you. I don't believe any cadre of the Heping Housekeeping Bureau can agree to give him to you! Also, you guys think Luyan is your boss, does he agree?"

"The gang discussed it for a while and answered: Luyan didn't say he agreed, didn't say he didn't agree, didn't take a stand."

"The lobbyist said: no statement means he hasn't accepted yet; this is your wishful thinking!"

（问题2 Question 2）

“名人们说：如果卢岩嫌他的地盘小，我们可以把他的地盘儿划大点儿。”

“说客张嘴就答：你们给卢岩的地盘儿越大，他就死得越快！”

"The celebrities said: if Luyan thinks his territory is small, we can make his territory bigger."

"The lobbyist opened his mouth and replied: the bigger the territory you give Luyan, the faster he will die!"

（问题3 Question 3）

“名人们说：我们让卢岩当老大，是因为我们喜欢他，只是给他个名儿，不用他干活。”

“说客立刻回答：你们还认为那是对卢岩好呢！你们那是在害他呢！那片儿老大是个贼名儿，就是贼。人家卢岩还年轻，虽然没什么文凭，但也说不定将来还能挠个一官半职的。有了你们给他的这个贼名儿，他这一辈子就别想当官儿了。有了这个贼名儿，他一辈子见不得人，一辈子也没有出头之日了。”

"The celebrities said: we made Luyan the boss because we liked him and just gave him a name and didn't need him to work."

"The lobbyist immediately replied: you guys still think that's good for Luyan! You are doing him a disservice! The “boss of that piece of land” is a thief by name. Luyan is still young, although not much of a diploma, but may also be able to sequentially succeed a position in the future. With this thieving name you gave him, he can't be an official for the rest of his life. With this thief's name, he would be shamed to see anyone for the rest of his life, and he won't be able to get ahead in life."

毕姐问：“那个说客就敢这么的对那帮人说话，骂那帮人？”

马队长说：“人家就这么说了。”

毕姐问：“那帮人听了之后，不生气？”

马队长说：“那帮人听了之后就不生气，还听高兴了呢！各个竖起大拇指，称赞：没想到咱沈阳还有这样的人物，今天真是长了见识，大开眼界！感到荣幸能和这个说客见一面。”

Sister Bi asked: "That lobbyist dared to speak to and scold those people like that?"

Team Leader Ma said: "That's what people said."

Sister Bi asked: "Aren't those people angry after hearing this?"

Team Leader Ma said: "The group of people were not angry after hearing this, and they were even happy! Everyone gave a thumbs up and praised: I didn't expect that there are such people in Shenyang. Today I have gained a lot of experience and opened my eyes! It's an honor to meet this lobbyist."

人们问我：“那个说客是谁？”

我回答：“不知道！马队长说的这些事，我根本不知道。”

毕姐问：“那个说客能是谁？他不说他和卢岩是什么关系，名人们能同意他代表卢岩吗？”

People ask me, “Who is that lobbyist?”

I replied: "I don't know! I don't know anything about what Team Leader Ma said."

Sister Bi asked: "Who can that lobbyist be? If he doesn't say what his relationship is with Luyan, can celebrities agree that he represents Luyan?"

马队长说：“他们的议题还真就集中在说客和卢岩的关系上。开始的时候，那些名人不同意。说客也不同意公开他和小卢的关系。他们僵持了很久。后来，名人们就一个、一个关系地问，你是他舅舅？你是他叔叔？你是他的干爹？什么的。说客都回答不是。名人们也说，你不给我们个明确的答复，我们也不好向下面交代呀！”

Team Leader Ma said: "Their agenda really focused on the relationship between the lobbyist and Luyan. At first, the celebrities did not agree. The lobbyist also did not agree to disclose his relationship with Little Luyan. They were in a stalemate for a long time. Later, the celebrities asked one by one, "Are you, his uncle?” “Are you, his godfather?" and so on. The lobbyists all answered no. The celebrities also said, "You won't give us a clear answer”, it’s hard for us to explain to the people below!”

“说客就说，让我好好想想，给你们个确切的说法。他就坐在那儿，瞪着眼睛，一动不动，面无表情地想。有人说他想了半个小时，也有人说他想了能有一个小时。我认为那就是很长时间呗！”

“名人们开始担心了：这老爷子这样想下去，不得累晕过去呀！他们又怕惊吓着老爷子，就假装在他身边打架，大声吵吵：咱们这些人就这样欺负一个老爷子！这叫别的区的人听说了，咱们多丢人呐！有人说：我们在这儿摆几辆救护车是为了掩人耳目的，也不是真想把老爷子送医院去！”

"The lobbyist said, let me think about it carefully and give you a definite explanation. He just sat there, staring, motionless, thinking expressionlessly. Some said he thought for half an hour, others said he thought about it for an hour. I think that’s a long time!”

"Celebrities began to worry: This old man will faint from exhaustion if he keeps thinking like this! They were afraid of frightening the old man, so they pretended to fight beside him and made loud noises: We people bully an old man like this! People heard about it, what a shame for us! Some people said: the purpose that we put a few ambulances here is to cover up other people’s eyes and ears, and we didn’t really want to send the old man to the hospital!"

“说客听了之后，笑了，说，我决定了，我这么说，我不说我和卢岩有关系；我也不说我和卢岩没有关系。”

“当时与会的名人们猜了六十几种关系，谁也没想出来这是什么关系。最后，名人们对此的决定是：考虑到个人隐私和宗教秘密的原因，允许他不公开他和卢岩之间的关系，同意他代表卢岩。”

人们问: “他们怎么看出那个说客和卢岩有深厚的感情?”

"After hearing this, the lobbyist laughed and said, I have decided. I say this way that I do not say that I have a relationship with Luyan, and I also do not say that I have no relationship with Luyan."

"The celebrities present at the meeting guessed more than sixty relationships, but no one could figure out what the relationship was. In the end, the celebrities decided on this: considering the reasons of personal privacy and religious confidentiality, the lobbyist was allowed not to disclose his relationship with Luyan and agreed that he represents Luyan.”

People asked: "How did they know that the lobbyist had a deep relationship with Luyan?"

马队长说：“这个还得听在场的人说。他们说，如果他和小卢没有深厚的感情，他不可能回答问题反应得那么快，张嘴就答；三两句就联系到小卢的终身幸福上去。也有人说，这是说客的策略。我个人认为，还是得以在场人的说法为主。”

人们开始盘问我，帮我猜想谁和我的关系是“不是有关系，也不是没有关系”（参见4.7节《灵魂转世的故事》）。可那时我的生活和记忆中没有说客这个人。

人们问：“最后，他们的结论怎么样？”

Team Leader Ma said: "We should listen to the people present. They said that if he and Little Luyan didn't have a deep relationship, he wouldn't be able to respond so quickly to questions and answer questions as soon as he opened his mouth; he could connect to Little Luyan’s lifelong happiness in just a few sentences. Some people say that it is a lobbyist's strategy. Personally, I think it is better to rely on the opinions of those present."

People began to interrogate me and help me guess who was "neither related nor unrelated" (Cf. V. 4.7 Stories of Soul Reincarnation) to me; but there was no lobbyist like person in my life or memory at that time.

People ask: "In the end, what did they conclude?"

马队长说：“人家那些名人，谁也没把咱房产局放在眼里，说：说客与卢岩的感情深厚，有关系在先，看在说客的面子上，饶了咱和平房产局。名人们同意了，承认卢岩是咱房产局的人；并且同意如果卢岩不去找他们，他们就不主动找卢岩。那个说客还说：我已经跟和平房产局的领导同志们（注，这用词很陈旧，在当时只在老电影中使用）说好了，以后他们不派他去你们那地方了。”

Team Leader Ma said: "The celebrities, who didn't take our Heping Housekeeping Bureau seriously, said: the lobbyist and Luyan had a deep bond and a relationship in the first place, so for the sake of the lobbyist, they spared our Heping Housekeeping Bureau. The celebrities agreed, recognizing Luyan as a member of our Heping Housekeeping Bureau, and agreed that if Luyan didn't go to them, they wouldn't take the initiative to find Luyan. The lobbyist also said: I've made a deal with the leader comrades (Note, this terminology is archaic and was only used at the time in old movies) of the Heping Housekeeping Bureau that they won't send Luyan to your place in the future."

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