Читать книгу The Pearl Jacket and Other Stories - Shouhua Qi - Страница 34

Bai Xuechu

When his father’s funeral was over, Cheng Gang asked his mother to leave the village and come with him to Changsha. Mother wouldn’t say yes no matter what. I’m used to the quiet in the countryside, she said, and won’t feel comfortable in the hustle and bustle of the city. Cheng Gang knew only too well that mother didn’t want to leave his buried father behind. When he was ready to leave, Chen Gang said to his mother: You never let me send you any money. From now on, however, I’ll send you 200 yuan support money a month. Mother said: It’s not expensive living in the countryside. One hundred yuan is plenty if you really want to send.

Cheng Gang’s home village is quite out of the way. The rural mailman comes only once or twice a month. Since in the recent years many young folks have left to be migrant workers elsewhere, their elderly parents are waiting for news from faraway places every day. That’s why the day the mailman comes is as big a deal as a holiday. The moment he steps into the village he will be surrounded by a crowd of elderly aunties and old grannies, asking if there is any mail for them. Then, they will form groups of three or five to share their latest happy tidings and each other’s joy.

On this particular day the mailman came again. Mother was cutting vegetables in the garden behind the house. Her neighbor Auntie Zhang had to call out several times before mother realized what was going on. She hurried to where the mailman was and was handed a slip of paper: a money order. Mother’s face blossomed with joy right away: It’s from my son Cheng Gang. Auntie Zhang took over the money order, stared at it over and again, and said, enviously: Oh my, 2,400 yuan! At this everyone swarmed over. The money order passed from one hand to another like some precious treasure until all the aunties and grannies had seen it, their faces lit with envious smile.

It was the first time Mother received money from her son and it was such a big sum! Mother was too thrilled to sleep that day. She got up in the middle of night and wrote her son a letter. Although mother didn’t go to school, both father and the village school teacher had taught her a few words. Mother’s letter had only a few lines asking Cheng Gang why he had sent so much money. Hadn’t she said 100 yuan a month would be plenty? In his reply letter Cheng Gang said that since the mailman came to the village only once or twice a month, he was concerned that mother would not receive his support money in time. He said his salary was good and he had promised 200 yuan a month. Whatever money mother couldn’t spend, she could put it aside for a rainy day.

Mother smiled happily when she read Cheng Gang’s letter.

Months passed before Cheng Gang received another letter from Mother. It was short as before: Cheng Gang, you shouldn’t send a whole year’s support money in one sum. Beginning next year, be sure to send it once a month.

Before long another year had passed. Cheng Gang had wanted to go back to visit his mother but had got caught up working on a project against a deadline. He had wanted to send the support money once a month, as instructed, yet, out of concern that he might forget, he sent all 2,400 yuan in one big sum again. About 20 days later, Cheng Gang received a 2,400 yuan money order: It was sent by his mother. He was surprised and was just about to write his mother when he received another letter from her.

Mother said in this letter: Be sure to send money by the month. Otherwise, I don’t want a cent from you!

One day Cheng Gang ran into a migrant worker from his home village and took him to a restaurant. In the course of the meal Cheng Gang inquired about his mother. The man said: Although your mother lives alone, she is quite happy. On the day the mailman comes, your mother is joyous beyond anything, as if it were a big holiday. And when she receives your money order, her joy will last for several days.

Cheng Gang’s eyes were filled with tears. He knew now that mother had insisted he send her money once a month because she wanted to experience that kind of joy twelve times a year. It was not the money that she cared about, but the love of her son so far away.

(2002)