無法接受的誘惑《女人和土匪》（英譯本）

 

 

Chapter 28

 

Zhang Yan had donated two taels of gold, but that made him disappointed and puzzled. Why did the gold attract so much attention? How much was the gold worth? Zhang Yan became famous overnight. Even the school master and public security workers asked him to tell stories. How strange it was!

He was asked to come to the school master’s office. There the man would ask, “Zhang Yan, your family is rich. You have a lot of gold, don’t you?” “My mom said the money was left by my grandparents. My mom didn’t exploit anyone.”

“I know your mom isn’t a capitalist or landlord. I don’t mean she is bad. Tell me if that pot where you got the gold is full of gold.”

“I don’t know.”

“Didn’t you tell the teacher that you got the gold from an envelope? And there are a few pots beside it, aren’t there?”

“I did see a few pots. My mom doesn’t allow me to tell a lie.”

“That’s right. Then, think about how many pots there are and how large they are.”

“I have told you about it for times.” Zhang Yan was unwilling to repeat the story. He was thinking about the soccer-playing on the sports ground and the playing of tops there as well as the girls’ laughs. He had talked with the school master for four times and with the class master for six times. He was sorry to find that the school master was a pestering woman. He was puzzled at hearing that the school master was about to praise him and give his parents a surprise. What was it? He asked her. She then replied:

“What do you want to be at school?”

“A young pioneer.”

The school master smiled and said, “You have to be 9 years old in order to be a young pioneer.”

“Then let me be a student on duty.” Zhang Yan said without hesitation.”

“No, it doesn’t work. You are still in Grade One. I don’t think you can control the others.”

“Then let me be a flag-holder, like Big Black and Little Black.”

Zhang Yan thought that was a big honor. He would be happy at seeing the others singing the national anthem before him. That was a great honor, wasn’t it?

The school master said, “I can consider your request.”

Zhang Yan went to school early each day for fear of losing this honor. He hoped that the school master would announce one day, “Zhang Yan will be a flag-holder from now on.”

He waited day after day. But there was no positive response. He got disappointed. Then, on Tuesday, it was almost the time for school to be over. The school master asked Zhang Yan to come to her office. He found Comrade Gao from the public security office sit there.

Comrade Gao tried to be friendly to him. He held his little hands, saying to the school master, “This boy looks like his mom. Pretty!” Then, he asked him to sit down on a chair.

Zhang Yan was aware that the man would not like him. He recalled that the man forbade his aunt to call him “comrade.” The man was cruel at that time. Now his family was a family of landlords. He was worried that people would regard him as the son of landlords. That was a bad name in his eyes. He was frightened when he saw Comrade Gao.

Zhang Yan felt uneasy at the sight of this stranger. He looked outside, but the school master shut the door.

Comrade Gao sat beside Zhang Yan and spoke gently, “Dear Zhang Yan, let me tell you a story. In Soviet Union there is a little boy whose father is a landlord and a reactionary. His father wanted to fight against the new power…” Zhang thought: the title of “landlord” for his family was an imposed one not one based on fact. “His plot was exposed by the little boy. This little boy was then killed by his father. The little boy is an example for national interests. What do you think of this story?” Comrade Gao went on.

Zhang replied, “Good.”

“Then you should learn from him.”

“But my daddy isn’t a bad man.”

“No, he isn’t. But the Anti-American Invaders War is going on. We should contribute our money and work to this just cause. You have donated two taels of gold, haven’t you?”

Dear! Gold again! Why did people love gold so much? All the people seemed mad with it.

“I bet you ‘stole’ the gold from your home, didn’t you?”

Zhang lowered his head. He was sorry to hear the word “stole.” His mom told him that all the things belonged to him and his parents were just taking good care of them for the time being. How could he “steal” the things at home given this logic?

“Look! I am right. That night you got the gold from a paper bag. How big is it? Is it as big as a cake box? Is the pot as big as a pumpkin?”

Zhang replied, “Yes.”

“Is it so? Maybe bigger than a cake box? How big is the pot? Tell me.”

“Oh, as big as you say.”

“How many bags and pots have you seen?”

“I didn’t count.”

“I think you should know the number just by a glance. If you’d like to be a hero, tell us the truth.”

At this time, a shout came from Big Black on the sports ground, “Raise your bottoms, fuck! You have lost by two goals. I’ll kick the bottoms of each of you twice.”

Fang Yu yelled, “We didn’t arrange so before. Otherwise I wouldn’t have played with you.”

Zhang got impatient. Why did the people ask so many questions about the gold? He wanted to play soccer. He even could not get the honor of being a flag-raiser. Could he have the honor of becoming a hero? Definitely not! He wanted to go out as early as possible. So, he wanted to answer, “I don’t know.”

“Tell me how many bags and pots.”

“I don’t know.”

“Didn’t you tell the school master the other day that you had seen quite a few bags and pots?”

“I don’t know.”

Zhang turned his face to the window. He saw through the paper on the window that Fang Yu had just scored a goal and was shouting happily for it. He cared nothing about what the school master and Comrade Gao had said. He just answered, “I don’t know.”

Suddenly, Zhang felt his left ear caught by someone. It was Comrade Gao, who yelled, “Why did you say ‘I don’t know’? Are you making fun of us or bullying us?”

Zhang had never experienced such impoliteness. He cried sadly. He cried, “You have hurt my ear. Why did you beat me?” The school master was sorry to see this. She said, “Comrade Gao, please loosen your hands.” Comrade Gao found himself doing the indecent thing. He felt so embarrassed that he just stared at the crying Zhang in a puzzled way.

The school master said something nice to calm down Zhang. But he got even sadder. He had donated the gold, but why did they still pester him?

The door of the office was pushed open, and Fang Yu, Little Black and other students stood at the door, staring at Zhang in surprise. Zhang cried, “Fang Yu, will you please ask Uncle Yang and my mom to come here?”

Fang Yu was about to leave when the school master asked him to come in. She asked the other students to go back to their classroom.

Zhang told Fang Yu, “He caught my ear hard and it still aches.”

Comrade Gao almost knelt down before Zhang, saying, “It’s my fault. Please give me a few slaps on my face, will you?” He put his face close to Zhang.

Fang Yu replied, “This sounds fair.”

Zhang Yan raised his hands. But then he remembered his mom’s word, “Don’t do bad things. When you feel hateful for someone, please think of God’s love, kindness and care. Love others as you love yourself.” Thinking about this, Zhang lowered his hands. He did not treat Comrade Gao as an enemy any longer.

At this time the school master announced, “Zhang, you’re responsible for flag-raising from tomorrow on.”

Zhang was glad at this. This honor made him smile. Then, the school master asked Fang Yu to go out. She and Comrade Gao mentioned nothing more about the gold, but told Zhang not to tell today’s event to his parents and the others.

The next morning, Zhang stood below the flag. In the music of the national anthem, he proudly raised the flag. This was great for him indeed.

Now, Comrade Gao was at Zhang’s home again. Zhang felt sorry for his parents. He had cheated them. He had not told them the truth. Was Comrade Gao here for the matter of the gold? He wondered.