Brothers

by Yu Hua

  Then a peasant girl walked by, hawking the same flowers. Carrying her basket in her left hand, she held a string of flowers in her right as she walked back and forth shouting, "Magnolia blossoms for sale!"

  Song Gang followed the girl, similarly holding his basket in his left hand and a string of flowers in his right. Every time she cried out, "Magnolia blossoms for sale," Song Gang would add shyly, "Me, too."

  Seeing a young woman walking over, the peasant girl called out, "Big sister, won't you buy a string of magnolia blossoms?"

  Song Gang leaned over, hesitated, and then said, "Me, too."

  He followed the peasant girl halfway down the street, saying a dozen or so "Me, toos." Displeased, she turned around and said to him, "Don't follow me."

  Song Gang stood still and watched in confusion as she walked away. At that point Popsicle Wang ambled over and started bellowing with laughter. Wang had been sauntering around all day, but upon seeing Song Gang with a basket of flowers and following a little girl peddling flowers, he started laughing so hard his stomach began to hurt. He walked over and pointed to Song Gang, saying, "You can't just follow her around all day."

  "Why not?" Song Gang asked.

  "I used to sell popsicles for a living," Popsicle Wang said proudly. "If you always follow someone else, everyone would simply buy from the person in front, and then who would buy from you? This is like fishing—two people can't fish in the same hole; they have to separate."

  Song Gang nodded and, with flowers in his right hand and the basket in his left, headed in the opposite direction from the girl. Popsicle Wang then thought of something else and called out, "When the girl sees a young woman, she calls her ‘big sister.’ You, however, would need to call her little sister.'"

  Song Gang hesitated and then said, "I can't say that."

  "Then don't say it," Popsicle Wang said. "But you can't go around calling young women ‘big sister.’ You're thirtysomething years old."

  Song Gang humbly nodded and was about to walk away when Popsicle Wang called out to him again. Wang took a one-yuan bill from his pocket and said, "I'll take two strings."

  Song Gang accepted the money and then passed him the two strings of blossoms, saying "thank you" over and over again.

  "Remember," said Popsicle Wang as he accepted the flowers with both hands and lifted them to his nose. "I, Popsicle Wang, was the first person to buy your flowers. If, therefore, you go on to start a flower business, I want to come and invest."

  Popsicle Wang shifted into his role as investment banker and proudly told Song Gang, "I successfully invested in the scrap business and could just as well invest in the flower business."

  Popsicle Wang lifted the two strings of magnolia blossoms and sniffed them greedily as he walked away, looking as if, rather than sniffing flowers, he was actually sucking on two cream popsicles.

  As the day wore on Song Gang learned how to hawk his magnolia blossoms, albeit in an embarrassed tone of voice. He even learned a few tricks of his own, such as how to stand at the door of a clothing store waiting for young women to pass by. He wouldn't go in and disturb the customers as they were picking out clothes but instead would wait patiently for them to come out and then hand them the flowers, saying modestly, "Please buy a string of white magnolia blossoms."

  Song Gang always had a tender smile on his handsome face, and the young women of Liu liked that smile and therefore bought his lovely white flowers. Several of the young women who knew him and knew about his back injury asked in concern how he was doing. Song Gang smiled and replied that his back was healed but that he could no longer do heavy labor. He would then add, embarrassed, "That is why I am selling flowers."

  With his basket in hand, Song Gang visited each of the clothing stores in Liu, standing out front for a long time. Every time he sold a string of flowers, he would break into a grateful smile. He didn't eat anything all day but still didn't feel hungry. As soon as one store would close up for the night he would immediately move on to the next. He lost all track of time, knowing only that it was quite late. He wandered around under the moon and the streetlamps, selling one string of flowers after another. When there was only one string left and the last clothing store was closing up for the night, Song Gang was about to head home when a young woman carrying an assortment of shopping bags approached. When she saw Song Gang's final string of flowers in his basket, she took out her purse and asked how much it cost.

  Song Gang looked down at those final two blossoms and replied apologetically, "I can't bear to part with them."

  The woman stared at him in confusion and asked, "But aren't you here selling flowers?"

  "Yes," Song Gang explained. "But I'm keeping these last two for my wife."

  The woman nodded, put away her purse, and walked off. Song Gang followed her and asked solicitously, "Where do you live? I could bring you one tomorrow, at no charge."

  "No need," the woman replied without turning around.

  By the time Song Gang got home, it was past ten o'clock. He saw that the front door was open and Lin Hong was standing there peering out. When she saw Song Gang approach, she let out a deep sigh of relief and then reprimanded him, "Where did you go? I've been worried sick."

  With a huge smile, Song Gang grasped her hand and accompanied her into the house. After they closed the front door, he didn't even pause to sit down before launching into a detailed description of his day. It had been a long time since Lin Hong had seen him so excited. Still holding his basket in his hand, Song Gang pulled a handful of change out of his pocket as he spoke and continued describing how he had sold his flowers while at the same time counting his money. He happily announced that he had earned twenty-four yuan and fifty cents, then handed Lin Hong the money, saying, "I could have made it twenty-five yuan even, but I couldn't bring myself to earn those last fifty cents."

  Song Gang removed the final two blossoms from his basket and placed them in Lin Hong's hand, recounting how that young woman had wanted to buy them and how he had refused. He told Lin Hong, "I was saving these for you and couldn't bring myself to sell them."

  "You should have sold them," Lin Hong quickly replied. "I don't want any…"

  Seeing the light in Song Gang's eyes immediately dim, Lin Hong didn't continue. Instead, she took his basket and urged him to sit down and eat. It was then that Song Gang realized that he was actually quite famished, and therefore he took a bowl of food and wolfed it down. Lin Hong walked to the mirror and placed the string of blossoms in her braid, then draped the braid over her chest and sat down next to him, hoping that he would notice the flowers. Song Gang, however, paid no attention to her braid, focusing instead on her happy smile, which in turn made him more contented than ever—inspiring him to once again launch into a detailed description of his day. Finally he sighed, saying that he had never imagined that he could make as much with such light work as he had while working the docks. At this point, Lin Hong pretended to get angry, nudging him and asking, "Don't you see?"

  As he noticed the blossoms in her hair Song Gang's eyes lit up. He asked, "Do you like them?"

  "I do." She nodded.

  That night Song Gang slept peacefully. Hearing his rhythmic breathing, Lin Hong felt that it had been a long time since he had slept so soundly. She, on the other hand, couldn't sleep. She placed the magnolia blossoms on her pillow and smelled their fragrance, sighing over Song Gangs loyalty and love for her. At that moment the humiliation she had endured from Director Liu meant nothing. Then she began to feel anxious about Song Gangs future prospects, realizing that no one could sell flowers their entire lives. Especially for a grown man like Song Gang, carrying around a basket every day was a humiliating job.

  Lin Hongs fears quickly became a reality as her workmates at the knitting factory began to mock Song Gang all day long. They said that they had never seen a man selling flowers, especially not someone as big and tall as Song Gang, and remarked that when Song Gang was hawking flowers his voice became quite soft, more like a
young woman's than a man's. They said these things not only behind Lin Hong's back but also to her face, making her blush with embarrassment. When she returned home, Lin Hong exploded at Song Gang, telling him not to continue humiliating himself. Song Gang, however, stubbornly refused to stop, even though his profits were steadily declining. Many of the young women in Liu knew Song Gang, and rather than pay for their flowers, they asked him to give them to them for free. Song Gang couldn't bring himself to turn them down, and as a result, they took all the flowers he had gone to such trouble to obtain and thread together. Even the workmates who mocked Song Gang to Lin Hong's face nevertheless shamelessly demanded blossoms from him and wore them in their braids draped over their chests. Then, when they saw Lin Hong, they taunted her, saying, "Your Song Gang gave these to us."

  Lin Hong turned and walked away, then exploded at Song Gang when she saw him that evening. With the door closed and in a low voice, she said furiously, "I won't permit you to continue selling flowers."

  For Song Gang, that night seemed to go on forever. Lin Hong was exhausted and went straight to bed after just a few bites of dinner. Song Gang also ate very little, then sat at the table for a long time, finally coming to the conclusion that selling flowers was not a viable solution. He was depressed to have to quit his new job so soon. That night he quietly lay down beside Lin Hong and, listening to her light breathing, gradually grew calmer. He didn't know about the humiliation she had endured at the factory as the result of chain-smoking Director Liu's advances.

  When Song Gang woke up the next morning, he saw that Lin Hong had already gotten up and was in the bathroom brushing her teeth and washing her face. He quickly got out of bed, got dressed, and walked toward the bathroom. Lin Hong looked at him silently, her mouth full of toothpaste, and Song Gang announced, "I'm not going to sell flowers anymore."

  He hesitated a moment, then headed to the door. Lin Hong came out of the bathroom and called out to him, asking him where he was going. He turned and said, "I'm going to go look for work."

  Holding a towel in her hand, Lin Hong asked, "Have you eaten breakfast?"

  "I'm not hungry." Song Gang shook his head and opened the door.

  "Don't leave."

  Lin Hong then stuffed some money into his pocket, telling him to go buy himself something to eat. Looking up and seeing Song Gang's smile, she felt a stab of sadness and bowed her head. Song Gang smiled as he patted her back, then turned around and walked out. Lin Hong walked him to the door, as if he were about to embark on a long journey. She quietly told him, "Take good care of yourself."

  Song Gang nodded, then continued on. She called out to him, "Go see Baldy Li."

  Song Gang paused, then shook his head firmly, saying, "I won't go see him."

  Lin Hong sighed, watching her stubborn husband walk down the street under the morning sun. Song Gang began the slow process of looking for a new job, and for the next year he would head out early every morning and return late each night, searching determinedly for a way to earn money. His face quickly grew pallid, and after dragging his exhausted body home every evening, he would merely sit silently at the dinner table. Lin Hong couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye, knowing that he was once again returning empty-handed. With a shamed expression, he would silently eat his dinner and go to bed, and when the sun woke him the following morning, he would optimistically set forth again. Over the course of that year, he did succeed in finding some part-time jobs, such as occasionally filling in for the gatekeeper at the warehouse. Similarly, when the clerks at the market, movie theater and bus and ferry terminals had to take time off, Song Gang would fill in for them as well. He became Liu Town's chief sub, with up to twenty-four different jobs waiting for him to come and step in at a moments notice. Despite that, the total number of days he worked over the course of the year added up to less than two full months.

  Lin Hong grew increasingly worried, frequently sighing and sometimes even cursing. Though her sighs and curses actually weren't directed toward Song Gang—rather, they were because she was reminded of the disgusting Director Liu—Song Gang assumed that they were because of him. Therefore, every day when he returned home, he bowed his head and became increasingly silent. Even though he earned very little money, he nevertheless gave it all to Lin Hong. What made him feel worse was that when he handed her the tiny sum of money that represented the culmination of his efforts, she would always shake her head, turn away in disappointment, and say quietly, "Why don't you just keep it?" This comment pierced Song Gang's heart like a dagger.

  Two years after he twisted his back, Song Gang was finally able to find a permanent job, at the concrete factory. He would be able to work year-round, and if he wanted, he could even work overtime on weekends. With this, a smile returned to his face, and he regained the confidence he used to have while riding his Eternity bicycle. After finding his new job, Song Gang didn't return home but went directly to the gate of the knitting factory, waiting there for Lin Hong to get out. As the other women rushed out on their new bicycles, motorized bicycles, and mopeds, Lin Hong fell behind, pushing the antiquated Eternity bicycle out the front gate. When she emerged, a flushed Song Gang greeted her, announcing, "I have a job!"

  Seeing Song Gang's excited appearance, Lin Hong felt a twinge of sadness. She let him ride the bicycle while she sat behind him as she used to, hugging his waist with both arms and pressing her cheek into his back. That night she noticed that Song Gang had aged a lot: His forehead and eyes were now full of wrinkles, and his thick hair was now sparse. She felt bad for him, and while lying in bed, she massaged his back for a long time. That night they hugged each other tight as though it were their wedding night.

  Those days Song Gang worked especially hard, afraid that he would be fired again. His job at the factory was one that no one was willing to do: pouring the cement powder into bags. Even with a face mask, he would still inhale tremendous amounts of cement dust, and within two years his lungs were completely ruined. Lin Hong wept many bitter tears over this. Once again Song Gang lost his job, but he didn't go to the hospital for treatment because he couldn't bring himself to spend the money.

  Song Gang again assumed the position of Liu Towns chief sub. After his lungs were ruined, he wouldn't sleep in the matrimonial bed anymore, afraid that Lin Hong would catch his illness. He asked to sleep on the couch, but Lin Hong refused, saying that if Song Gang wasn't willing to sleep in the bed with her, then she would be the one who would sleep on the couch. As a result, Song Gang had no choice but to sleep at Lin Hong's feet. On the days that he had a job, he would leave wearing a face mask in order not to pass his lung disease on to others. Song Gang was the only person in Liu who wore a face mask all year long, even during the hot summer, and even the town's youngest children recognized him instantly when they saw him slowly walking down the street, hailing him: "The chief sub has arrived."

  CHAPTER 56

  BALDY LI had put Song Gang out of his mind. He held up two fingers, saying that during the day he raked in the money while at night he raked in the women. He said that he was insanely busy and apart from money and women he didn't know anything about anything. Baldy Li never did get married, and slept with so many women that even he couldn't keep count. When someone asked him exactly how many women he had slept with, Baldy Li pondered for a while, calculated, and finally responded, not without regret, "Not as many as I have workers."

  Baldy Li not only slept with the local women; he also slept with women from all over the country, from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other overseas Chinese communities, including more than a dozen foreign women. He slept with all sorts of women—tall and short ones, fat and thin ones, beautiful and ugly ones, young and old ones. Everyone said that Baldy Li was very broad-minded: that as long someone was female he wouldn't reject her, and if a sow was led to his bed, he would probably sleep with it as well. Some of the women slept with him on the sly and also accepted money from him on the sly, while others would sleep with him and then take his money an
d brag openly. They bragged not about the fact that they had slept with him but, rather, about how fabulous and amazing he was in bed. They said that he was an animal in the sack, like a machine gun firing endless rounds, and that he would screw you until your legs went into spasms and you could barely walk the next day, leaving you amazed that you made it off the bed alive.

  The salacious rumors concerning Baldy Li were more numerous than explosions on a battlefield. Some of the women he slept with had their eyes on his wealth. The first to make a move was a young woman in her twenties who had come from the countryside to find work in Liu Town. She brought her newborn baby to Baldy Li's office and asked him happily what they should name it. Baldy Li stared at her blankly but couldn't place her. He asked skeptically, "What the fuck does this have to do with me?"

  The young woman started bawling, asking how a father could fail to recognize his own son. Baldy Li looked at her and pondered for a moment, but for the life of him he couldn't remember ever having been with her. He asked, "Did you really sleep with me?"

  "How could you even ask that?" The woman brought the baby over for Baldy Li to take a look. Still bawling, she said, "Just look, he has your eyebrows, and your eyes, your nose, your mouth, your forehead, your chin…"

  Baldy Li glanced at the baby and decided that, other than looking like a baby, it really didn't look like anyone in particular. The woman then pulled down its diaper, saying, "Even his penis looks just like yours."

  Baldy Li was furious that this woman would have the gall to speak of his enormous member and this baby's tiny, soybean-size penis in the same breath. As he howled in fury several of his assistants helped usher the hysterical woman out the door.