Read Online Mulberry and Peach by Hualing Nieh - Free Book Online

I’ll raise hell, that’ll show you. Mountains, waters, animals, crows. Can you destroy the human race? You can destroy a man’s body, but you can’t destroy his spirit. Ships capsize, people drown, mountains are still mountains and water is still water. Millions of people are being born, millions of people have survived these rapids. The world belongs to the young. Don’t you know that, you bastard? People won’t die out. Don’t you know that? They won’t die out.’
    The old man claps his hands. ‘Attention, please. Everybody. This is a matter of life and death. I have something to say that I can’t hold back any longer. I think the captain has been playing a game with our lives. This gorge is even more dangerous than Hundred Cage Pass. Of course he knows this danger. He’s been sailing these gorges all his life. This boat should only carry freight; they shouldn’t allow passengers. He certainly shouldn’t take our money before we arrive safely at our destination. The ticket for this old wooden boat costs as much as a paddlewheel. But since he has taken passengers and taken our money, he is responsible. First, he ought to ensure our safety; next, he ought to take care of feeding us. When we cracked up on New Landslide Rapids, we were delayed four days in Tai-hsi. We trusted the captain. We didn’t ask him to return our money. We got back on the boat. Then the tow-line broke at Yellow Dragon Rapids. We’ve been stranded here since then. The Yangtze River, several thousand miles long, is the greatest river in Asia, and we have to ration drinking water. What a
joke. From that day on, he took no emergency measures. Not only that, but when we were screaming for help at the top of our lungs, he made sarcastic remarks. The captain and the crew know how to handle boats. In case anything happens, they’ll know what to do and how to escape. We don’t know what to do. The passengers and the crew make thirteen people, but there are only six of us, and we are all either too old or women and children. We’re outnumbered and we can’t fight them. And so, I want to stand up and be counted and speak out for justice. I represent the six passengers, including the baby, and I demand that the captain do something.’
    The oarsmen and the passengers are silent.
    The captain, squatting on deck, blank expression, sucks the empty pipe in his mouth. ‘You people just don’t understand the difficulties in sailing these Gorges. We boatmen make our living by relying on the water and the sky. If it doesn’t rain, the water won’t rise and there’s nothing we can do about it. Whether it’s sailing the river or riding a horse, there’s always danger involved. There’s a slippery stone slab in front of everyone’s door. No one can guarantee you won’t slip on it and crack your skull. For human beings there is life and death, for things there is damage and destruction. It all depends on the will of Heaven. If you want someone to die, the person won’t die. But if Heaven commands it, he will die. All I can do now is ask that you passengers calm down and wait patiently a while longer.’
    â€˜God, wait for how long?’
    â€˜If we have to wait, we at least ought to have food to eat and water to drink!’
    â€˜There’s plenty of water in the river, and plenty of fish.’ says the captain. ‘If there’s no more firewood, then eat raw fish. If there’s no more alum, then drink muddy water. We boatmen can live like that. Can’t you?’ He sucks hard on his pipe. ‘When our tobacco is gone, we smoke the dregs; when that’s gone, we smoke the residue.’ He reaches down and strikes the drum. ‘Those who can’t eat raw fish can chew the leather on this drum.’
    Refugee Student spits at the captain. ‘I’ll chew on you.’
    The captain throws his head back and laughs.