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LITTLE SHE

Han Shaogong

CHINESE | ENGLISH

The man nicknamed “Little She” now sat right in front of me. The mention of our naughty behavior at his wedding⁸ helped refresh my memory of him. It must have been the day after the ceremony…Still hungover from the night before, we invited ourselves to his house for some more fun. Our friend Yao Dajia put a nightstool, a dowry gift from the bride’s family, over Little She’s head. He couldn’t remove it because his hands were busy giving candies to us. He looked really funny, because all he could do was to moan pathetically from under the stool, “Help, help…you are suffocating me…”

The mirthful Dajia demanded an account of his consummation and threatened to pull off Little She’s pants if he didn’t comply. Holding onto his underwear, Little She pled for mercy. “Okay, okay…I’ll tell you.”

Someone got impatient: “Tell us now!”

He looked around—there was no way out—so he stammered, “Last night, when she rolled her eyes, drenched in sweat, I thought she was going to die…I didn’t know she was having an orgasm…”

Everybody burst into salacious laughter

He took the opportunity to get free, leaping out of our devilish reach, his face all red. “You city folks,⁹ you are bad, bad…bad…” He couldn’t even come up with anything to call us other than “bad.”

At that moment, the bride happened to enter, carrying the water she’d fetched. When she heard the groom’s shouting of “bad” among our wild laughter, she sensed what had happened. Her pink face turned red with embarrassment. She dropped the buckets and ran out, spilling a lot of the water on the bluestone path.

What happened afterward, I learned partly from others. I salvaged the rest, with help, from the fragments of faded memory. Was it for a dorm or a warehouse at the tea farm? It doesn’t really matter. Our man, a team leader by then,¹⁰ slipped and fell when he went up the beam to build the herringbone structure. He crash-landed on a pile of bricks below; the fall, it is said, crushed his manhood.

As rumor on the street had it, he seldom went back home after that. One day when he did go home, he found his wife making passionate love to another man, their clothes flung all over. The dog barked and startled the two in bed. Uncertain whether he should stay or leave and choking with shame and anger, Little She’s face turned the color of a pig’s liver, and he instantly regretted his trip home for winter clothes.

His wife, however, appeared poised and dignified. She got out of bed, put on her clothes, and arranged her hair before she handed her fellow adulterer his clothes. After he was fully dressed, she saw him off at the gate, despite the presence of her husband. She didn’t say a word to Little She when she came back in. She cooked a meal but didn’t eat any of it herself. She packed some clothes and left for her mother’s with their child in her arms.

A couple of guys in the village urged him to go get her back. He said, his eyes reddening, “It won’t work, it won’t work. She’ll probably come back to me, but her heart won’t.”

Some, enraged, urged him to go beat the crap out of that bitch.

He ran his hand over his face: “It’s not her fault. I’m the one to blame.”

Afterward, he became a very quiet man, except when the subject of his son came up in conversation. He took great delight in talking about the boy, and a bright light shone from his eyes. He told people that his son could write with a pen before he was two and that although nothing was intelligible, with a few strokes in each grid, the page as a whole appeared to have some art of composition to it.

He couldn’t get his mind off his two little sisters either. The younger one was born when the elder one was three. Too poor to raise the girls—whose lot, according to a fortune-teller, was to be adopted anyway because of the dates and times of their births—his parents gave them away together. After his parents died, he often climbed over the Dawang Ridge to visit them, bringing them pastries and a yard or two of material for making clothes. They’d cry the moment they saw him, holding his hands and not letting go. Their faces were dark and thin; their hair messy like knotted hemp; the backs of their hands covered with bleeding frostbites; and the stacked patches of their trousers bunched between their legs. The sight pierced their elder brother’s heart. On his way home, when he had passed beyond their sight and the two little dots on the hillside vanished beyond the horizon with the sunset, he would burst into tears.

He turned thirty that year. After visiting his parents’ grave, he went to his sisters’ foster parents. He dropped to his knees and hit the ground with his forehead. “I’m sorry but I must take them with me,” he said.

The foster parents looked at each other. It felt awkward to say anything, so they asked him to get to his feet. “You are a dear, good elder brother, but they have been with us for seven or eight years. Aside from the 300 jin of grain the two families agreed upon, had they been two sheep, a mountain of additional food would have been consumed…a boatful of grain would have been eaten, just to feed two chickens.”

“Please be assured. I won’t let you suffer any loss. It’s how much you say it is.”

“It’s not a small amount. Please think it over.”

“There is no need. I won’t get up today until you agree.”

As a result of their settlement, the elder brother tore down two rooms of his house and sold the building materials. He borrowed from here and there and got enough money for 2,000 jin of grain. Eventually, he succeeded in bringing his two little sisters home.

This deed alone got the villagers’ thumbs-up when they talked about him, despite the fact that he’d been made a cuckold. Licentious, wild, and indecent she might have been, but the village gossip about his wife was rather forgiving because the husband and wife were determined to raise the two little sisters and they succeeded. They sent them to school for a few years to make up for what they’d missed. They got the little one cured of a fungal infection and took her to the provincial capital for treatment of her eye disease. When the girls were old enough to marry, their brother and sister-in-law had prepared for each of them a dowry of a big wardrobe, a chest of drawers, two trunks, and four embroidered quilts. The husband and wife dressed them up so the two girls looked like flowers in the mirror and sent them off in style. Both sisters cried their hearts out as they were leaving and caused all the women seeing them off to wipe their tears silently with their sleeves or the hems of their garments.

Little She amassed a lot of debt in doing all this, including money he borrowed from an uncle, which with compound interest over three years became more than 600 yuan. A public outrage almost broke out against his uncle in the village, but Little She insisted on honoring the debt and paid it off to the last cent. Because the uncle was childless, it was Little She who took care of his burial when he died. Little She wouldn’t hear that it wasn’t his responsibility. He provided money and rice for the funeral, attending to every detail. He followed the ritual of “observing the seventh” and brought the seven-day service round to a perfect conclusion. “We are family living in the same compound and using the same gate. He was my uncle—that’s what counts,” he explained to the folks of the village afterward.

When I saw him again not long ago, he was old and crippled. No longer fit to work on roofs, he just watched a gas station for his son, the kind of store that sold liquid gas tanks. He would go fishing by the lake behind the store when business was slack.

“A year for plants, a life for humans, it is all too short,” he said softly.

“Team Leader Liang, life surely hasn’t been easy for you.”

“I don’t know about that. Life treats everybody the same.”

“Not everybody thinks this way.”

“A good man is bound to take a beating.”

“Indeed.”

“Sometimes being good wears me out and gets boring.”

“I hear you.”

“Under its weight every day, I have long felt that I can’t carry on any more.”

“It happens to everyone. Humans are not made of iron; we are not God.”

He suddenly changed the topic. “Do you know how to catch shrimp?”

“Team Leader Liang, it came to me just now that you were the one who saw me off at the entrance to the highway, with my luggage on your shoulder pole…”

“Shrimp get fat and dumb soon after White Dew.”¹¹

He seemed a little hard of hearing. Totally oblivious to my realization and excitement, he simply smiled at me before he cast his line and hook again. I gazed at the surface of the lake for a long time, at the reflections of the green mountains, the white clouds, the blue sky in the water, and the lone egret flying silently across it.

(2013)

VOCABULARY AND USAGE

绰号	chuòhào	nickname	他来自东北，绰号“北大荒”。
眼下	yănxià	at the moment	你没看她眼下正忙着呢？
胡闹	húnào	mischief	婚礼“胡闹”是个习俗，为的是喜庆和热闹。
略	lüè	slightly	他的死因我略知一二。
意犹未尽	yìyóuwèijìn	not yet content; reluctant to leave	精彩的表演已结束，我却意犹未尽，不愿离开。
起哄	qĭhòng	jeer, boo and hoot	新娘子来了，闹婚的人开始起哄。
整	zhĕng	make someone suffer; persecute	就是他妈妈做错了你也不能整孩子呀！
困(于)	kùn (yú)	be stranded	这只受伤的鸟被困于笼中。
腾出	téngchū	free oneself; make way	我今天太忙，腾不出空送你去打球。
摘	zhāi	take off	她只有晚上睡觉时才摘下假发。
好笑	hăoxiào	laughable	他这是拿别人的痛苦开心，有什么好笑的ĭ
瓮声瓮气	wèngshēng wèngqì	growled; in a low, muffled voice	他说话瓮声瓮气的。
乐颠颠	lèdiāndiān	joyfully	听了我的解释他乐颠颠地回家了。
强令	qiánglìng	force	老板也不能强令员工周末加班。
勾当	gōudàng	dirty business	他的那些非法勾当跟我没关系！
死死	sĭsĭ	tightly	我死死抓住小偷不放。
一个劲	yīgèjìn	persistently	我已经道歉了，你为什么还一个劲地哭呢？
央求	yāngqiú	beg	女儿再三央求，爸爸还是不同意。
吞吞吐吐	tūntūntŭtŭ	haltingly	你说话吞吞吐吐，心里一定有鬼。
晓得	xiăodé	know	你哪里晓得这事儿的重要性呀！
浪	làng	dissolute	说女人“浪”也是说她放荡的意思。
涨红	zhànghóng	reddened	人害羞的时候脸会涨红。
崽	zăi	young (of animals)	“城里崽” 是指从城里来的年轻人。
拐	guăi	crook	这里“拐”有“不厚道”和“骗人”的意思。
不已	bùyĭ	endlessly	这事我是做错了，已经后悔不已了。
羞	xiū	bashful	她羞得满脸通红。
经	jīng	through; after	这事儿经她一提醒我就想起来了。
遗忘	yíwàng	forget	他为人处事的真诚让人无法遗忘。
生产队长	shēngchăn duìzhăng	a production team leader	生产队长是一个生产队的负责人。
踩空	căi kōng	make a misstep	他一脚踩空掉到井里。
坊间	făngjiān	in the streets	坊间传闻不可信。
打滚	dăgŭn	roll	他肚子疼得直打滚。
丢	diū	mislay	他的房间很乱，丢满了脏衣服。
进退两难	jìntuìliăngnán	in a dilemma	我对他又爱又恨，进退两难。
羞恼万分	xiūnăowànfēn	extremely ashamed and angry	他虽然羞恼万分却没有责怪妻子。
憋	biē	suppress	他强憋着自己的怒火，脸都憋紫了。
野汉子	yĕhànzi	male adulterer	“野汉子”跟“野小子” 的意思不一样。
吭	kēng	utter a sound	我跟你说话呢，你为什么不吭声？
后生	hòushēng	young man	说这话的后生不太懂事。
怒气冲冲	nùqìchōngchōng	ablaze with anger	他怒气冲冲地问我，“你怎么能把孩子丢了？”
鼓动	gŭdòng	instigate; stir up	他一定是受人鼓动才动手打了妻子。
狗婆子/狗东西	gŏupózi/gŏudōngxi	bitch/son of a bitch	你说她是狗婆子，那你就是个狗东西。
(打一)顿	(dăyī) dùn	a measure word	我玩游戏赢了十块钱，你为什么还打我一顿？
津津乐道	jīnjīnlèdào	take delight in talking about	如今喝茶时髦，很多人对茶文化津津乐道。
陶醉	táozuì	be infatuated with	他一说起儿子就一副陶醉的样子。
光辉	guānghuī	radiance	谁不喜欢太阳升起的光辉呢？
小崽子	xiăozăizi	a term of endearment, usually for small children	这小崽子眼睛里有故事。
满(纸)	măn (zhĭ)	full of; covered with	这满篇的废话是谁写的？
天书	tiānshū	abstruse writing	你在读天书吧，我怎么一句都听不懂。
章法	zhāngfă	orderly ways	他年纪不大，做事却很有章法。
惦记	diànji	be concerned about	他惦记的不是妻子的过失，而是自己的过错。
阴阳先生	yīnyáng xiānsheng	geomancer	算命要请阴阳先生。
生辰八字	shēngchénbāzì	date and time of birth and their interpretation	我生辰八字不好，所以运气才这么差。
过继	guòjì	adopt	你们自己不能生，就过继一个孩子吧。
叠	dié	one on top of another	他说话的时候低着头，双手叠在胸前。
结(成)	Jié (chéng)	form	天冷时水会结成冰。
裤裆	kùdāng	crotch (of trousers)	这种裤子的裤档太短了。
心痛如割	xīn tòng rú gē	hurting badly	两个妹妹过得不好，哥哥心痛如割。
避人处	bì rén chù	a place where no one could see	楼梯拐角是个避人处，她常躲在那儿打电话。
融入	róngrù	integrate; merge into	你想融入主流社会吗？
泪如泉涌	lèirúquányŏng	tears gushing forth	“泪如泉涌” 是说眼泪就像泉水一般流出。
上坟	shàngfén	visit someone’s grave	清明节是给亲人上坟的日子。
扑通	pūtōng	sound of falling into water; plop; thump	他毫不犹豫，扑通一声跳进了湖里。
有情有义	yŏuqíngyŏuyì	kind and just	他是个有情有义的好大哥。
(说)妥	(shuō) tuŏ	ready; settled; finished	放心吧，你的事儿我已经都办妥了。
(东)讨(西借)	(dōng) tăo (xījiè)	ask for; beg for	在这里，“讨”和“要”的意思差不多。
凑	còu	pool (money)	她夏天必须打很多工才能凑齐下一年的学费。
凭	píng	by reason of; rely on	他们凭自己的行动和业绩赢得尊敬。
戴绿帽子	dài lǜ nàozi	be a cuckold	在他的家乡，妻子给丈夫戴绿帽子就是伤风败俗。
伤风败俗	shāngfēngbàisú	immoral
恶语	èyǔ	abusive expressions	乡亲们理解她，没有用恶语伤害她。
硬是	yìngshì	just; simply; obstinately	明明是他干的，可他硬是不承认。
昏天黑地	hūntiānhēidì	(feel) dizzy	这药劲儿很大，吃得我昏天黑地。
撩	liāo	lift up	看到地上有水，她撩起了裙子。
拭	shì	wipe (away)	“拭泪” 就是“擦去眼泪”的意思。
张罗	zhāngluo	get busy about	每个周末回家，爸妈都为我张罗一桌好饭。
力排众议	lìpáizhòngyì	against all the odds	她有理有据，所以能力排众议，得到支持。
扛	káng	shoulder; endure	房租再涨我就扛不住了。
关	guān	shut; lock up; catch	我今天在树林里关了两只兔子。
耳背	ĕrbèi	hard of hearing	他不想接我的话，所以就装耳背没听见。
甩	shuăi	cast; swing	他大鞭子一甩，马就跑了起来。

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  1.  Write a character sketch of Little She.

  2.  Why didn’t his wife feel ashamed of her transgression?

  3.  Why didn’t he divorce his wife? What sustains their marriage?

  4.  What signifies Little She’s maturation at thirty?¹²

  5.  How is his expression of manhood an embodiment of xiao?¹³

  6.  Is there a “Big He” in Little She? How does the unity of the two fully flesh out the title character?

  7.  What do you think of the ending, especially as a comment on the status of xiao culture in contemporary China?

  1.  请描述一下秀鸭婆这个人物。

  2.  为什么他的妻子不对自己的出轨感到愧疚？

  3.  为什么秀鸭婆不跟妻子离婚？是什么维系了他们的婚姻？

  4.  什么证实了秀鸭婆的三十而立？

  5.  从什么意义上说他成熟男人的标志也是对孝的一种表达？

  6.  秀鸭婆也是个铮铮男子汉吗？故事怎样用 “秀女人” 与 “铮男人” 的重合塑造了主人公丰满、有血有肉的形象？

  7.  你对故事的结尾有何感想，尤其是把它看成中国孝文化现况的脚注时？

AUTHOR BIO

Born in 1953, Han Shaogong has published four full-length novels, eight collections of novellas and short stories, and seven volumes of prose and essays, some of which have been translated into Dutch, English, Italian, French, Korean, and Vietnamese. As a representative writer of the “roots-seeking” (寻根文学 xúngēn wénxué) school of the 1980s, Han Shaogong has written such major works as the novellas Ba Ba Ba (爸爸爸), Nü Nü Nü (女女女), and Gui Qu Lai (归去来). Other of his well-known works include Yuelan (月兰), A Dictionary of Maqiao (马桥词典 mǎqiáo cídiǎn), Shannan Shuibei (山南水北), Riye Shu (日夜书), and Geming Houji (革命后记).

The writer and his work have been the subject of many academic forum discussions and scholarly articles in China and abroad. Julia Lovell, the translator of A Dictionary of Maqiao, nominated Han for the 2011 Newman Prize for Chinese Literature, which he subsequently won. Her opening lines summarize Han’s achievements and importance in contemporary Chinese literature: “[Han Shaogong is] a Chinese writer who intertwines, with exceptional artistry and originality, human perspectives of the local and the global, and whose career exemplifies the creative revolution that has taken place in Chinese writing since 1976.”¹⁴ Written from the perspective of a sent-down youth, many of the 115 entries in A Dictionary of Maqiao have their roots in the everyday life of people like Little She. Because of his depth of thought and uniqueness of expression, Han Shaogong is a phenomenon of contemporary Chinese literature.