Chinese Literature

Li-ho made no reply to his wife. He kept after Chun-mei.

“I was just out digging in the back garden and I saw him go by with his hookah. A whole crowd of people were tailing behind him. He went into your house. I put down my hoe and rushed over. He was lecturing your mother.”

“Oh!” Chun-mei gave a startled gasp. “And my Ma?”

“Your Ma didn’t ery or answer him back. She sat there like a block of wood and let him talk.” Li-ho threw his pipe on the table with annoyance, scattering ashes. “After he came out is when the row started.”

Wang Kai, the deputy mayor of the village, had roused the Elder’s ire, said Li-ho. “Wang Kai said something the old man couldn’t answer. He got so mad his beard stood out crooked. On top of that, Yang Lichia, Iron Hammer and some of those other young fellows added a couple of quips. The old man was like one of those play actors on the stagehe stamped and swore and waved his hands!”

Deputy mayor Wang Kai was also the secretary of the local Youth League branch. He was a short young man, with a very humorous way of talking. Hearing that Wang Kai had been present, Chun-mei felt better immediately. Like sunlight breaking through the dark clouds, she smiled for the first time that day.

“When the old man started swearing, who did he swear at?’ she asked. “At our Youth League secretary?”

“Hah!” Li-ho frowned. He felt the girl was quite immature after all. She didn’t understand much. “You ean still ask that? Every bit of his swearing was at you! He said you were disobedient, that you insist on freedom; that on account of you, your mother hung herself!”

Chun-mei was unperturbed. “Why should I worry about him Swearing at me? I’m ready for it. Maybe he thinks he can hit me too!”

“Now, now, you shouldn’t talk like that... 2’ Li-ho’s voice trailed off. He picked up his pipe again and rapped out its remaining ashes. Finally, he recommended what he thought Chun-mei should do. He said she ought to admit her refusal to marry Tseng had caused her mother’s

attempted suicide. Ag to whether or not she should marry Tseng, that was another question.

“If you don’t want to, we don’t have to settle that right away.

anyhow. The thing to do now is take the blame from your mother’s shoulders. No one must know that she had a lover. That’s a disgrace for a widow. There are a couple of gossips in this village with mouths like ducks’ rump holes—you ean never cork them shut. Why should you...

hi-ho paused. He could see that his niece was displeased. “Chunmei, you trust your uncle, don’t you?” he urged. “Your uncle is a just

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