故事叙述富有的喜欢生物硏究的英国青年亨利，32年走进神奇的贵州山区，他宣扬真爱，制止血腥与残杀…传播主的福音，受到众多山里基督徒的裸拜和崇敬！
本故亊用基督的仁愛精神与共产党人血腥的“阶级斗争”相对比，彰显仁愛的力量：当共产党人要驱逐亨利牧师时，桀骜的双溪坪教徒爆发了反抗……许多扑朔迷离的山村故事，皆在此书中！
Zongming Zhang
张宗銘 著
Translated by Tangjin Xiao
肖唐金 译
Chapter 10
Dai Min went out with her sons quietly. They walked for about 2 hours and then reached Huaxi where her parents lived.
It was daybreak. It was brighter than usual. There was mist above the winding
Dai Min was not fascinated at the sight. She was a beggar now. She had to beg for herself and her two sons. She cared little about face. She could see her room where she had lived before marriage. She could tell whose water mill it was, smell the cooked rice, and hear her father’s cough in the early morning. She lowered her head for fear of being seen by the people of her parents’ village.
She walked on a path instead of the wide road. As the sun rose high above, they were in Ganyintang, about 5 kilometers away from
Zhang Zhong was tired, too. Was this the first begging for them? He thought. He knew Mom cared much about face, and he was the eldest man in the family now. Without telling Mom his idea, he took out a big china bowl from his basket. Dai Min looked at him in surprise. He walked towards the peddler. She stopped him, saying:
“Let me do it.”
She got the big bowl and walked towards the peddler. For the first time she held out her hands to a stranger for food. The two boys sat under a tree. A moment passed. Then, Dai Min got half a bowl of soybean milk and a few pieces of fried dough. She was about to give the food to Zhang Yong when he said, “Mom, please eat first.”
Dai Min replied, “You have to eat first. It’s Mom’s fault.”
The family cried together for this.
It was really hard to beg in the city. As winter was coming and the land reform was going on everywhere, more and more beggars gathered in
It was a cold icy day with drizzles. Madame Zhao came to Dai Min, telling her that she was going back to Qingyan soon but she would not leave until she had got some more oily food. Madame Zhao said they needed such food in the village. She also asked Dai Min to go back with her, worried about her safety in the city for Dai Min was indeed pretty. For her, a beautiful but poor woman was on the verge of risks at any time.
Suddenly, Madame Zhao cried, “Damn! I forget that it is Christmas Eve tonight. It is a foreigners’ festival. A rich man is going to do kindness on
The two boys looked at their mother in a pitiful way. Dai Min said, “I won’t go there. I’d like to go back to the village. Like you, I don’t want to take any risks. I was told that people like me, if caught, would be punished at an open criticism meeting.”
Madame Zhao replied, “I am not worried about open criticism meetings, but the claims of land tax. You know I’m poor and could not afford that.”
Dai Min remarked in a trembling tone, “You are more familiar with the things in our village. If I had no money for the claims, what should I do?”
“It’s up to Li Qingshan. If you let him take advantage of your sex, then maybe you needn’t worry about the claims. Otherwise, you’ll suffer a lot.”
Dai Min looked at Madame Zhao with a sense of shock. The woman asked her in a strange way:
“You have been begging for 3 to 4 months. Why do you beg in small streets rather than big streets? Why do you go to the south gate instead of the north gate?”
Dai Min answered, “For face.”
Dai Min did not want to beg on
Two or three years ago, Dai Min and her husband came to Zhang Yunxuan’s house during the Chinese New Year. Zhang Jitao, Zhang Yunxuan’s father, was alive then. Dai Min would take a lot of sticky rice cakes, and other rice products there. They were dressed in their best and came for the visit on a horse-wagon.
The horse-wagon left the village with shouts. The whips made a lot of noises and firecrackers sounded for a long time. There they left for
Many adults and kids would come out and shout at Zhang Yunchang, “Congratulations to you on your good luck, Master Zhang!”
Zhang Yunchang seemed very generous at this time. He would give some silver coins to the babies on the way. They left amid laughs and excitement.
The horse-wagon got to Huaxi. Dai Min felt a sense of honor there. She would lift up the wagon curtain and her pretty face appeared rosy in the cold wind. Zhang Yunchang would light more firecrackers and they said “happy new year” to her parents and other relatives.
It was about 8 p.m. when they reached the city. There was an atmosphere of festival everywhere. The horse galloped on the stone streets. Zhang Yunchang was the first person to say “happy new year” to Old Master Zhang. While Dai Min and the wagon driver were busy unloading the things, Zhang Yunchang would light firecrackers, running with his sons towards the closed gate of the courtyard and shouting:
“Zhang Yunchang your nephew is saying ‘happy new year’ to Old Master Zhang!”
“Grandsons are saying ‘happy new year’ to Old Master Zhang!”
Then, Dai Min would shout at the gate, “The wife of your nephew is saying ‘happy new year’ to Old Master Zhang!”
Firecrackers sounded noisily again on
Many adults and kids came to the gate of Zhang’s courtyard. The lion and dragon dances went on to the accompaniment of the firecrackers. It was exciting and smoky.
Then, Old Master Zhang came out. He held Zhang Yan his only grandson with a smile in his arms, pressing their faces together. He covered the little boy’s ears for fear of frightening him. At this time, Zhang Yunchang would shout:
“Happy new year, Old Master Zhang!”
The dragon and lion dancers followed suit.
Old Master Zhang was delighted, laughing all the time. He got some small paper bags with money inside from Chamberlain Song and gave it to the people one by one through the hands of Zhang Yan. The people laughed and so did the little boy. Old Master Zhang was not stingy at all.
The last time the family paid new year’s visit to Old Master Zhang was the first day of the Chinese New Year of 1948. The two boys went into with their daddy after the celebration outside was over.
There were many traders with their wives in the big sitting room. They praised Old Master Zhang, saying that he was blessed for he was born on the first day of the Chinese New Year. That meant everyone in
The chairs were carved with beautiful pictures. There was a big antique table in the middle of the room. Old Master Zhang sat on a grand magnificent chair with a carved dragon on it.
Zhang Yan stood behind Old Master Zhang. There were some nice toys on it. Zhang Yan was busy playing those toys. Seeing Old Master Zhang sit down, Zhang Yunchang took his two sons ahead and knelt down.
He said, “Happy new year! Happy birthday! Dear Uncle, I wish you a long life and a lucky new year!”
Zhang Zhong said, “Happy birthday and happy new year to dear grandpa!”
Zhang Yong followed, “Happy birthday and happy new year to grandpa!”
Dai Min seldom appeared on such big occasions. She said in a hurry, “Happy new birthday to dear uncle!”
The people present laughed.
Zhang Yunchang scolded her, “What a silly woman. Happy new year to dear uncle! Happy birthday to dear uncle! Don’t know that? You silly woman!”
Dai Min apologized, “I’m sorry for that, dear uncle.”
The people present laughed again. Dai Min was still kneeling down when she heard Zhang yan say:
“Grandpa, I’d like to play with my two elder cousins.”
Old Master Zhang seemed to remember something, saying at once, “Please go to play with them.” Then, he said to Zhang Yunchang, “My servants are impolite. Please forgive them. Mr. Song, give the money bags to them one by one!”
Zhang Yan pointed at Zhang Zhong and Zhang Yong, saying, “Grandpa, I want to play with them.”
Dai Min got up, holding out her hands and replying, “Dear Zhang Yan, let me carry you out to play with them.”
Zhang Jitao shouted, “Madame Wang, come over. My grandson could play with two cousins today. Take good care of him while they are playing outside.”
Madame Wang held Zhang Yan in her arms and went out to the courtyard with the two boys. Then, Zhang Jitao remarked, “I have only one son and one grandson. My brother and I had the same father, but we are in two families. In my childhood, I liked to play hide-and-seek with my brother, but my parents were worried that we would get hurt by cats or dogs. So we dared not play with pets, but we were allowed to play with other children. My grandson is lonely in this sense.”
Zhang Yan was unwilling to be carried in Madame Wang’s arms. He got down and went out to the courtyard with his cousins.
At this time, Mr. Song gave 50 silver coins to Zhang Yunchang and Dai Min each, and 20 silver coins to their two sons each.
Zhang Zhong was happy and patted the money inside his pocket. So did Zhang Yong.
Zhang Yan patted his pocket but found it makee no sounds. He asked, “Grandpa, why didn’t my pocket make any sounds? I have no silver coins, why?”
The people present laughed loudly. Zhang Jitao laughed with tears. Then, he said, “Why doesn’t my grandson have any New Year’s gift money? Why, Mr. Song?”
Zhang Yan stood before Mr. Song politely and searched in his pocket.
Mr. Song was Zhang Jitao’s country fellow, chamberlain and tutor. He enjoyed a high status in the family. He wanted to show the qualities of a teacher, saying, “Take it easy. Anything here you can take. But let me teach you ‘the Three-character Primer’ first. Would you please recite it to the others later?”
Zhang Yan recited, “At the beginning people are kind-hearted…” He was eager to play outside. So he turned to his grandpa, pleading, “Grandpa!”
Old Master Zhang said happily, “Mr. Song, today is the first day of the Chinese New Year. Let him play.”
The guests all praised Zhang Yan, saying he was intelligent though he was only three years old and he would surely become a great man with Mr. Song’s meticulous teaching.
Mr. Song put some silver coins into Zhang Yan’s pocket, saying, “Good memory! You should recite more essays and poems later. Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year. Go and enjoy yourself.”
Zhang Jitao saw Zhang Yan go out with his cousins. Then he said to the guests, “This child isn’t afraid of anything and anybody except Mr. Song. Don’t you think it interesting?”
The guests nodded.
The two little brothers came to a big garden with their little cousin. They lit up firecrackers there. Wow! It was really exciting. Zhang Yan was dressed in a lovely way, and many girls wanted to kiss him. Even the two boys wanted to do that, too. Madame Wang guarded him against excessive kisses.
At noon, they had a rich meal in the courtyard. Zhang Yan was carried by Madame Wang away for a nap. Zhang Yunchang went out of the house with his wife and sons. Together they sat on the horse-wagon for the journey back home.
Zhang Yunchang held out his hands to his sons, asking them to give the money to him.
Dai Min guarded her pocket, pleading, “Master Zhang, please take pity on us. I have to pay for the children’s schooling and dresses with it.”
Zhang Yunchang was angry. He yelled, “Shut up! What a silly woman! You only know savings.” Then, he did not insist on getting the money from her. He gave the pay to the wagon driver, and bought some firecrackers for his two sons and gave two dimes to them each. He asked Dai Min and their sons to go back to the village. Zhang Yunchang stayed in the city, though. He spent his time in his uncle’s house, teahouses, restaurants, theaters, and whorehouses.
Zhang Yong and Zhang Zhong knew their mom would not like to lose face in front of their relatives.
Madame Zhao mentioned the rich man who was giving charity acts at the north gate. Dai Min guessed it was Zhang Jitao, her husband’s uncle. Zhao persuaded Dai and her children to have enough food there and probably receive some presents before they went back to the village. Qingyan was a long way from
Dai Min just moved a few meters. They were under a honey locust. She refused to move ahead. Zhao glared at her for a second. Then, she dragged Zhang Yong, saying, “Hey! Let’s go, kids! Your mom cares too much about face.”
