Chapter 42
Yan Yuan, Zhang Yan and Fang Yu became good friends in a short time. Zhang Yan went to and came back from school without his family’s escort. He thought this great. One day after school, at the invitation of Yan Yuan, Zhang Yan and Fang Yu visited his home inside the building where the Christianity Association used to be located.
On the way, Fang Yu asked Yan Yuan, “Do you know who used to live here?”
Yan Yuan replied, “The American imperialists.”
“Are you afraid of living here?”
“Why afraid? The Americans are timid but have the courage to stay here. Why should I be afraid?”
Fang Yu said, “You may not know what happened here.”
Yan Yuan asked, “What happened?”
Fang Yu remarked, “I hear that hundreds of children were killed here, including those babies who started to talk.”
Yan Yuan was shocked at this, asking, “Is that true? What devils!” He could hardly believe this. The building was well decorated, and in its courtyard, the lawn was well mowed. How could the Americans have killed those toddlers here? He wondered.
He asked, “Why did the Americans kill the babies?”
Fang Yu answered, “My auntie says she hears from the neighborhood committee leaders say: The Americans killed the babies for flesh. If you did not believe, you could wake up at night and listen hard.”
Fang Yu and Zhang Yan were scared at this thought. So was Yan Yuan. He was frightened at keeping listening to the story.
At this time, a peddler carried some tomatoes and green peppers on his shoulders with a pole and two baskets, shouting, “Hairy pepper! New pepper!”
Yan Yuan wanted to shake off the fear he had, yelling, “Tomato is tomato. Why do you call it ‘hairy pepper’? Green pepper is green pepper. Why do you call it ‘new pepper’? You people like to speak in a wild manner!”
The children went inside the church. There was a path with some evergreen bushes on either side. A man was carrying a girl on his back, and he was crawling on the ground. The girl shouted happily on his back. The man worked as her horse.
In the distance Yan Yuan saw an old woman doing needlework in the lobby. He shouted, “Grandma, I’m coming with my classmates.”
The old woman replied, “Good! Enjoy yourself!”
The little girl was named Li Li. She said happily, “Dear brother, Uncle Cao is a nice horse. Come and ride on him.”
Yan Yuan gave his schoolbag to his grandma, replying, “Ok. I’m coming.”
Yan Yuan sat on Uncle Cao’s back. He made him walk like a horse. Uncle Cao happily carried him on the back.
The church was not far from Zhang Yan’s school. This place used to be a dormitory for those missionaries. Zhang Yan recalled his mom came here often to meet new priests and see old priests off. He was familiar with the things here. The kids came to a villa-like house here, with stone steps outside.
There were no expensive flowers and plants here, but the flowers and plants looked great. The lawn was tidy and Zhang Yan recalled the priests and Christians used to have celebrations here. But now these people were described as man-eating foreigners. What a difference!
God seemed to like children. At Christmas the children used to have celebration parties here, and those poor kids could receive nice gifts on such occasions. The priests used to sing with the kids:
Jesus likes children, and all the children in the world.
Amen!
Then, the priests would lead the kids in prayer, “Dear Lord, please bless us with food and happiness!”
What did “amen” mean? Zhang Yan did not know that even now. Mom told him that it meant “I hope so.” Zhang Yan felt it meant “over.” Why? Everybody said this when the prayer was over. Then, the kids could get their favorite food and gifts.
Everybody, regardless of wealth, would be happy to stay here and get their gifts. They enjoyed God’s gifts.
Inside this villa-like house there were six rooms. The priests used to stay here. There was a big sitting-room downstairs, where Jesus on the cross was placed. Lord seemed to be staring at people all the time, caring about their happiness and the world’s situation of poverty, war and illness.
Zhang Yan used to ask his mom whether Jesus had no way in dealing with the world, or he could not have been plotted against by the Jews.
Mom told Zhang Yan, “Don’t think in this way. Lord just wanted to save the world by His sacrifice.”
Zhang Yan was not a Christian. He asked, “Jesus was aware that Judas would betray him, but why was he not afraid of death?”
Tang answered, “You’ll know this later.”
Nevertheless, Zhang Yan thought Jesus a nice man. He thought he should be a king, or emperor, or president. Jesus was qualified for such a position.
Zhang Yan thought few people in this world could match Jesus. Jiang Jieshi was aware that the Kuomintang was not the rival of the Communist. But why did he still fight a civil war? Why didn’t he negotiate with Chairman Mao and end the war? If so, the Kuomintang would not have to escape to
Zhang Yan recalled that one day the priests’ children talked with other kids about the stories of Jesus. Some kids said, “Let’s not talk any more. If the PLA caught us telling these stories, we would be regarded as reactionary agents!”
John was a church worker’s child. He said, “Don’t you want to listen to the stories?”
Fang Yu replied, “Yes, we do. But please tell us how the PLA uncles caught the agents, will you? And when you mention the PLA, please omit the salutation of ‘uncle’ so as to save time.”
Little Black would shout at this time, “Fuck! I think you are making trouble. Keep telling us the stories, and don’t interrupt!”
More children gather around them. John wanted to have a rest. He said, “I’m thirsty.”
Little Black yelled, “Fuck! Keep telling us the stories, or I’ll beat you!”
John went on, “It was night. We heard knocks on the gate of the church. We woke up. And there we found many PLA soldiers with guns. I went out to check the situation…”
Little Black said, “Cut the story short.”
John asked, “Then what should I say?”
Little Black replied, “Tell us the important things.”
John thought Little Black was pressing him. He rubbed his feet on the ground and did not want to say any more.
Zhang Yan remarked, “Dear John, please tell us something more.”
John was familiar with Zhang Yan. He said, “Give me some time to recall, will you?” The kids were interested in the stories and could not wait to listen to them.
“Then my mom shouted at my daddy: Get up! The PLA soldiers are coming with trumpets. Why not get up!”
Little Black asked, “Did the PLA blow the trumpets?”
In fact, John made up the detail of blowing the trumpets. He replied at once, “No, they didn’t.”
Little Black said, “The PLA must have blown the trumpets. Maybe you were sleeping heavily and did not hear them.”
John answered, “I didn’t sleep heavily. I even saw the PLA climb up the ladders. They did not blow their trumpets!”
Little Black said, “They must have blown their trumpets. The films told us so. There must be trumpet blowing in battles.”
Zhang Yan was interested in the stories. He said, “Why? Didn’t you say that we should not interrupt? And didn’t you say those who dared to interrupt would be kicked on their bottoms?”
Little Black raised his bottoms, saying, “Kick me.”
“Let me do it.” Zhang Yan gave him a light kick.
“What a Kuomintang! You even dared to kick me!”
“Didn’t you tell me to kick you?”
“Should you do as I said?”
“I am asking others to kick, not you.”
Miss Wang, their teacher, came at this time. She said, “Please don’t quarrel.” Then, she asked John, “Did this thing happen last night?”
John heaved a yawn, answering, “Yes. I didn’t have a blink of sleep last night.”
“Ok. Tell us the remaining part of the stories. It’s almost time for class.
John might be afraid of his teacher. So he said, “Then my daddy opened the gate and came in many PLA soldiers. They got away a few foreign agents.”
“Did the foreign agents shoot? Who are they?”
“No, they didn’t shoot. I know two of them.”
Little Black cast a glance at the teacher and said, “You just made up this part? How could you know the agents? If they were agents, they would have killed you.”
Miss Wang stopped Little Black, asking, “Then what happened next?”
“That’s all.”
“That’s all? Didn’t you tell us the stories in a good way?”
“That’s all.” John left. The teacher and the students were eager to know the remaining part of the stories.
The American priests were arrested. That made Tang sad. Then, it was said that hundreds of babies’ bones were found under the ground of the church. The Americans were regarded as man-eating foreigners.
The Americans were hateful. The Chinese wanted to build their socialism, but the Americans sought to fight against them. If the PLA soldiers had not gone to
Zhang Yan was puzzled. He knew his mom was sad that so many priests had to leave
“What nonsense! How could the priests have experimented on the babies? They knew nothing about medicine, and they liked philosophy and literature only. I can only tell you the truth. I can’t slander against the church.”
Now the church had changed somehow. There was no Jesus on the cross here. The prayer-room became the sitting-room of Yan Yuan’s family. Zhang Yan had a sense of loss. In the vision he seemed to see the man-eating Americans, and hear the babies cry. What hateful Americans!
Zhang Yan was shocked at the vision. He held up Fang Yu’s hands tightly. Then a fat man in a public security uniform came. Zhang Yan recalled that this man once came to his home for inviting Uncle Yang to attend a party held by the provincial leadership. Then, Zhang Yan asked Yan Yuan in surprise:
“Are you Director Yan’s son?”
Yan Yuan nodded. The fat man asked, “Who is your father? Why do you know Director Yan?”
Zhang Yan looked at him, replying, “I also know you. You came to my home once.”
The fat man was eager to know who the child’s daddy was. Thus, he asked, “Who is your father?”
Zhang Yan replied shyly, “My daddy is Zhang Yunxuan.”
The fat man gave a pat on Zhang Yan’s head, remarking, “It was I who was required to accept and reform your daddy’s army.”
Zhang Yan felt painful with the pat. He stayed away from the man, worried that he would pat him on the head again.
“Yes, I went to your house. But why didn’t you call me Uncle Cao just now?”
“Uncle Cao.” Zhang Yan greeted with a bow.
Uncle Cao caught Zhang Yan by his sleeves, telling Yan Yuan’s grandma, “This is the only son of the Kuomintang army leader Zhang Yunxuan.”
Zhang Yan cast a glance at him, wondering why he added the word “Kuomintang.” Wasn’t he bullying him? What a fat man!
Then the fat man said, “Mr. Yang, the sworn brother of Zhang Yunxuan, saved Director Yan and me on the battlefield.”
The granny held up Zhang Yan’s hands, saying with love, “Great! Your daddy is great.”
Zhang Yan felt relieved at this. He even thought Cao a good man. Uncle Yang was a hero, Zhang Yan thought. And even the Communist leaders knew that. Zhang Yan felt proud of that.
