主耶穌的信徒 《女人和土匪》 （英譯本）

 

 

Chapter 39

 

In the afternoon, Tang knelt down before Jesus on the cross, praying, “Lord, please lead us away from evils and disasters and Satan’s temptations.”

At this time Dai Min entered. She looked worried and scared. Tang felt sorry at this, asking:

“Do they ask me to go there?”

Dai nodded sadly.

Ever since Zhang was put under house arrest, Tang had been upset and painful. They used to suffer from the farmers’ pestering for compensations, the public security workers’ questioning and the workers’ claims for compensations, and now her husband was suddenly pushed to the bottom of his career by his colleague Chen.

Now both Yang and Zhang were segregated. There was no man at home. Worse still, public security workers visited their home from time to time for the matter of religion. That made her sad, too.

Dai felt sorry and sobbed. Tang felt her heart stung. She had chest pains. She did not remember when she began to have such symptoms, but the pains seemed to be worsening.

Dai sobbed, “It’s my fault. I made you suffer.”

Tang was a generous woman, replying with a smile, “How can I find faults with you? Everything is arranged by God. Don’t think that way, dear sister-in-law!”

Tang felt relieved. She was doing what Lord asked her to do: Generosity, frankness and fraternity!

Dai was a miserable woman. She had suffered a lot in the village before she came to stay in the Zhang’s house. She was from a poor farmer’s family, but because of her marriage she was condemned as a landlady!

In fact, she was innocent and her dignity was lost because of her husband. It was her husband’s wrongdoing that made her suffer a lot.

Now, Dai felt sorry for Tang. Did Dai worry about losing her or the living conditions? Tang thought: If Dai believed in Jesus, she could live a calm and full life.

If Dai had God in her heart, she would not worry about killing or deception. Lord had set a good example for them, hadn’t He? It was a pity that Dai was not a Christian. Tang held Dai’s hands, saying:

“Dear sister-in-law, the public security workers ask me to go there for the matter of church. It has nothing to do with you.”

Tears rolled down Dai’s cheeks. She replied, “How come it has nothing to do with me? My coming has brought a lot of trouble to you and your husband. I am aware that I am a symbol of misfortune. I haven’t paid back your kindness!”

Tang heaved a sign. She was aware that religion and missionary work were not allowed during this period. The new government told people that church was a tool for the American imperialists to deceive the people. So, all the disciples in Christianity, Catholics and Islam had to be registered as an announcement of resisting the imperialist temptations.

Tang did not sign her name for that. She just thought that religion was personal freedom. She did not mean to oppose the new government. For her, God’s message was a sign of salvation to the world, especially to those people in trouble.

Tang was from a wealthy family in Guiyang. And her husband Zhang was a famous Kuomintang general who took the uprising for the Communists. But the frequent visits by the public security workers did upset her.

Tang wanted to stay at home for prayer, but the public security workers asked her to go there for self-examination. Tang sometimes thought: Had she done anything wrong by worshipping Jesus? Why didn’t the new government give her human rights?

Tang calmed down, and said to Dai, “Dear sister-in-law, please stop crying. Don’t worry about us!”

Dai knelt down before Tang like a guilty person. Tang had a sense of sadness and frustration each time Madame Wang and Dai saw her off at the gate. Dai was a kindhearted woman. She cared about Tang.

Every time Tang went out to the public security office, she would pretend to be all right, telling Dai, “Dear sister-in-law, stay at home and don’t worry about me!”

Dai would stop and reply, “I know. Please take a rickshaw for the journey.”

Tang did not want to take a rickshaw. She thought it would be better for her to walk in this new society. She was glad that Dai cared about her so much. She was warm in her heart.

Now, Tang was about to go to the public security office again. Dai felt sorry for that. She blamed herself. She thought she had brought the trouble to this family. Sometimes she even wanted to kill herself by beating her own head against the wall. Maybe this could be a way of redemption for her sins! But she still wanted to live. She dreamed of a happy future!