Chapter 35
Fang Meiying had a long bamboo broom in her hands. She sent her son Fang Yu to school. She tidied up her son’s patched dress, urging, “Study hard at school. We should give thanks to the government for exempting us from the fees.”
Fang Yu argued, “We paid for the textbooks.”
Fang Meiying patted him on the palm, replying, “Yes, we paid something. We cannot live only on the government.”
Fang Yu was attracted by the hot rice cake on the street. He wanted to eat it. His mom was aware of that, but thought it too expensive. She told him, “Study hard. Later you’ll have enough of such food to eat.”
Fang Yu knew his mother was reluctant to spend on the cake for him. He felt sorry for that. Then, there came a voice from Zhang Yan, “Fang Yu!”
Fang Meiying saw Zhang Yan, well-dressed and accompanied by Uncle Yang, rush to her son.
Fang Meiying felt honored. That boy was from a rich family. Yet he got along well with her son. She was grateful to the new government for making people equal, regardless of their wealth.
Fang Meiying got two cents out and bought two pieces of the hot rice cake. She told her son, “Give one to Zhang Yan, and leave one for you.”
Fang Yu looked at his mom gratefully. As Zhang Yan approached him, he said, “Auntie bought them, one for you, and the other for me.”
Zhang Yan replied, “Mom does not allow me to eat outside.”
Fang Yu pleaded, “You know my mom seldom buys things for me. She bought this especially for you.”
Fang Meiying felt awkward, looking at Uncle Yang and rubbing her hands on her clothes. She asked, “Do you think my hands dirty?”
Zhang Yan shook his head. He had had breakfast. He had no habit of eating outside.
Fang Yu felt sorry, with tears in his eyes.
Zhang Yan said, “Uncle Yang, will you tell my mom that I eat other people’s food?”
Yang patted Zhang Yan on his head, saying, “No. Eat it. It’s given by your good friend.”
Zhang Yan had a bite, and Fang Yu was delighted. Fang Meiying and Uncle Yang looked at each other with thanks.
Fang Meiying said, “Zhang Yan is a polite child.”
“So is your son.”
The two kids went away together. Fang Meiying was embarrassed facing a man. She said, “I have to clean the streets.”
Yang looked at Fang Meiying and nodded with understandings. He was aware that it was still improper for a man and a woman, as strangers, to talk with each other intimately.
Fang Meiying leaned against the surrounding wall of the Zhang’s courtyard with her broom. Her heart still beat quickly. It was strange that she had a particular feeling for Yang. Maybe Yang looked very much like her dead husband. Maybe she needed a man to protect her and her son. She just felt this man close and lovely.
In the new society everybody was equal in status. Fang Meiying was from the countryside. She was poor and little-educated. She did the work of cleaning the streets, a job that few people would like to do. She felt Yang was especially kind to her. He did not think her inferior.
She came to
Fang Yu studied at school, and became a good friend of Zhang Yan’s. She then got the chance to talk to Yang. Yang was really manly and great, she thought. She made a count with her fingers. Her husband had left her for six years. Poor Fang Yu! He even had no chance to meet his father in person.
She was happy that she had a son. It was not easy to have such a nice child given her poor family background and her unhappy marriage as well as the violence in these years. Fang Meiying’s tear rolled down her cheeks at this thought. Suddenly she found a black iron in the grass near the wall. She picked it up, and thought it would be a good thing for her son to donate at school for the Anti-American Invaders War.
The lane was cleaned. She came under the honey locust tree. At the entrance of the lane, she put her broom by the tree and sat there for a rest. The flag-raising ceremony was going on. She could hear the children singing the national anthem. She took out the black iron and cleaned it.
A public security worker ordered, “Lie down!” Then, he rushed to Fang Meiying and took away the grenade by making her fall down to the ground.
One, two, three, and ten seconds passed. All the people got up. The public security worker found himself pressing over a young woman in her 20s, and got embarrassed. He picked up the grenade that had not blown up.
Fang Meiying was a traditional woman that cherished her reputation. It was bad for her to be pressed down by a man in public. She cried under the tree.
Fang still cried without a word.
Cao got impatient, “Why do you just cry? If the public security worker hadn’t saved you, you would have died. Tell me if this thing is yours.”
Fang Meiying still cried without a reply.
A neighborhood committee worker came, remarking, “Dear Fang, please don’t cry. This is a special period against the reactionaries. Anyone who hid weapons secretly would be executed or imprisoned!”
Fang thought: Why did they make a fuss over this iron thing? She had picked up a lot of things, but each time she had given them to the neighborhood committee. This iron thing could not be a weapon, she thought. Wasn’t the neighborhood committee worker bullying her? With this thought she still cried.
A public security worker got impatient, shouting, “let’s arrest her.”
Cao knew the woman had not seen such a grenade and she must have considered it as something common. So, he whispered:
“Dear sister, this is an American grenade, not a common thing. It’s fatal. The public security worker has just saved you. Do you understand what I have said?”
Fang stopped crying at this. She felt worried and frightened. She knew from the others that the American invaders were cruel. If only this iron thing had blown up!
“Is this grenade yours?”
Fang trembled at this word, shaking her head and waving her hands. Then, she said, “No. I picked it up.”
“Where?”
“In the lane.”
Cao ordered, “Let’s have a look at the lane.”
