light it, then he dragged a bench over and sat down to smoke, hunched forward and staring vacantly before him.
He’d had an argument with his wife today. There were a lot of rumors in the village these few days and many Rich Farmers and Middling Farmers were feeling jittery and trying to give their land to the government. T’ang’s wife had tried to persuade him to offer half of his land to the government. He had said nothing.
“What else can we do?” she had said. “You feel pained—don’t I feel pained? Bought it acre by acre, and now, handing it out in a huge big piece.”
At this she had started to cry and said, “Ai! Not that I’m blaming you, but really—it’s not worth it. All your life you’ve stinted on food and stinted on clothes. All you want is to buy land. And last spring, to buy that piece of land from the Kengs, you had to borrow all that grain—two hundred catties. You haven’t paid that back yet and look what’s happened now!”
Sighing and nagging in an even strain, she had brought out the little wooden box where they kept the land deeds and again the tears had streamed down her face. “In the old days we just wrapped them up with a piece of rag. Then later when we’d got more of them we wrapped them with mulberry-bark paper and then made a little cloth parcel. Then you made this box and I said even then, ‘What for? We’re not like those rich people with their special blackwood box for land deeds.’ I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s this box that’s brought us bad luck—not that I’m blaming you.”
He had just sat there without speaking. When she had sorted out the land deeds and had again put pressure on him to go to the co-operative store and offer them to the government, he had simply stood up, taken his hoe and carrying it on one shoulder had gone down to the field to work.
Now it was evening and everybody was home. His wife was thinking that as long as Liu was here, they might as well try to worm some information out of him. So she said to her husband after a longish silence, “Ai! Such a lot of things are being said in the village these days. Really, you don’t know who to believe. But what I say is: ‘Don’t you worry, Erh Niu t’a tieh . It’s got nothing to do with us. We’ve slaved hard all our lives and have nothing to show for it except those few acres of land. It’s scarcely been three days since we started to eat full meals. Whoever they’re going to Struggle with, it won’t be us, I tell you. Who do you think you are?’”
Though she was addressing her husband, her eyes rested on Liu. Liu remained standing before the stove with his back turned to her.
“Didn’t Comrade Liu tell you not to worry?” the woman said to her husband. “He said it’s got nothing to do with us.”
She meant to engage her husband in conversation and maybe start an argument, forcing Liu to comment on the subject. However, such subtleties were well over T’ang’s head. Even when she coughed and winked at him he failed to take notice. He just sat smoking in silence. When she had gone on talking alone for some time, she had to stop.
Erh Niu brought her washing home. T’ang’s wife was kneading flour. Affecting an air of solicitude but obviously regarding it as a diverting piece of news, she told her daughter about Liu falling into the ditch. Erh Niu could not help letting out a giggle as she turned to glance at Liu. He was in no mood for secret jokes but he had to return her smile as their eyes met. It was probably the consciousness of having a secret between them that made her quickly turn her head the other direction and give way to half smothered giggles.
“What are you laughing at?” T’ang, who had been sitting hunched up smoking all this time, suddenly raised his head and demanded loudly.
“Nothing.” Now she was spluttering with laughter. Liu began to feel worried.
“Silly child!” T’ang glared at her. He was afraid that Liu would feel offended at
He’d had an argument with his wife today. There were a lot of rumors in the village these few days and many Rich Farmers and Middling Farmers were feeling jittery and trying to give their land to the government. T’ang’s wife had tried to persuade him to offer half of his land to the government. He had said nothing.
“What else can we do?” she had said. “You feel pained—don’t I feel pained? Bought it acre by acre, and now, handing it out in a huge big piece.”
At this she had started to cry and said, “Ai! Not that I’m blaming you, but really—it’s not worth it. All your life you’ve stinted on food and stinted on clothes. All you want is to buy land. And last spring, to buy that piece of land from the Kengs, you had to borrow all that grain—two hundred catties. You haven’t paid that back yet and look what’s happened now!”
Sighing and nagging in an even strain, she had brought out the little wooden box where they kept the land deeds and again the tears had streamed down her face. “In the old days we just wrapped them up with a piece of rag. Then later when we’d got more of them we wrapped them with mulberry-bark paper and then made a little cloth parcel. Then you made this box and I said even then, ‘What for? We’re not like those rich people with their special blackwood box for land deeds.’ I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s this box that’s brought us bad luck—not that I’m blaming you.”
He had just sat there without speaking. When she had sorted out the land deeds and had again put pressure on him to go to the co-operative store and offer them to the government, he had simply stood up, taken his hoe and carrying it on one shoulder had gone down to the field to work.
Now it was evening and everybody was home. His wife was thinking that as long as Liu was here, they might as well try to worm some information out of him. So she said to her husband after a longish silence, “Ai! Such a lot of things are being said in the village these days. Really, you don’t know who to believe. But what I say is: ‘Don’t you worry, Erh Niu t’a tieh . It’s got nothing to do with us. We’ve slaved hard all our lives and have nothing to show for it except those few acres of land. It’s scarcely been three days since we started to eat full meals. Whoever they’re going to Struggle with, it won’t be us, I tell you. Who do you think you are?’”
Though she was addressing her husband, her eyes rested on Liu. Liu remained standing before the stove with his back turned to her.
“Didn’t Comrade Liu tell you not to worry?” the woman said to her husband. “He said it’s got nothing to do with us.”
She meant to engage her husband in conversation and maybe start an argument, forcing Liu to comment on the subject. However, such subtleties were well over T’ang’s head. Even when she coughed and winked at him he failed to take notice. He just sat smoking in silence. When she had gone on talking alone for some time, she had to stop.
Erh Niu brought her washing home. T’ang’s wife was kneading flour. Affecting an air of solicitude but obviously regarding it as a diverting piece of news, she told her daughter about Liu falling into the ditch. Erh Niu could not help letting out a giggle as she turned to glance at Liu. He was in no mood for secret jokes but he had to return her smile as their eyes met. It was probably the consciousness of having a secret between them that made her quickly turn her head the other direction and give way to half smothered giggles.
“What are you laughing at?” T’ang, who had been sitting hunched up smoking all this time, suddenly raised his head and demanded loudly.
“Nothing.” Now she was spluttering with laughter. Liu began to feel worried.
“Silly child!” T’ang glared at her. He was afraid that Liu would feel offended at
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