Surprised and angry, Jingqiu replied, ‘How can you say that? If he had done it to you would you have thought it was nothing?’
‘I’m an old woman, he wouldn’t waste his energy trying to touch me. I’m afraid you’re going to be the one to suffer most out of this. If you had broken your leg jumping off that wall what insurance would you have to fall back on? My advice is that you rest tomorrow and go back to work the day after. If you don’t go back to work he’ll retaliate. He’ll make sure you can’t get work anywhere.’
‘I don’t ever want to see that man again.’
‘Put your head down, and ignore him. He took advantage of you, but if it means you lose your job as well, isn’t that double the misery? It’s not his job to give you anyway.’
Jingqiu rested at home the next day and went back to work at the paper factory the day after that. Granny Copper had made a lot of sense. The job wasn’t his so why give it up? Next time he behaves like that, she consoled herself, I’ll smash him with a brick.
Wan Changsheng obviously felt guilty because he couldn’t bring himself to look Jingqiu in the eye. ‘Your hand still looks sore, so today you can help the propaganda team organise the noticeboard.’ Then he warned her, ‘I was joking with you, don’t take it so seriously. If I hear you’ve been talking about it to anyone . . .’
Jingqiu ignored him and said, ‘I’m off to the propaganda department.’
Over the next few days Jingqiu helped organise the factory noticeboard, as well as distribute their magazine. The head of the department, Mr Liu, greatly appreciated Jingqiu’s talents. Her writing on the noticeboard was beautiful, as were the characters she etched on to the steel plate for printing. She was excellent at drawing. When he gave her some manuscripts to look over she had so many constructive comments that he asked her to write a few pieces herself.
‘Oh, what a shame the factory isn’t recruiting, otherwise I would definitely have you come and work for us here.’
‘I’m soon taking over my mother’s job, but my brother is still in the countryside and his writing is better than mine. He also plays the violin. If the factory starts looking for workers could you call him back to the city? He can do anything, you wouldn’t regret it.’
Mr Liu took out a small notebook and wrote down Jingqiu’s brother’s name and address saying that if they started looking for workers he would definitely recommend him.
When they finished work Mr Liu was still discussing the possibility of jobs at the factory with Jingqiu and as they both lived in the same direction they left together. Just as they were leaving through the factory gate Wan Changsheng rushed up from behind. ‘Oh, you two are getting on famously, aren’t you? Where are you off to?’
‘We’re going home,’ Mr Liu replied, ‘we’re going the same way.’
Wan Changsheng didn’t say anything else and left them. Feeling uncomfortable Jingqiu rushed to say goodbye to Mr Liu. ‘I’ve just remembered I have to meet a friend, I have to go.’
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jingqiu was entering the school campus by the back gate when she heard someone calling from behind. It was Old Third! She spun round, first checking to make sure they were alone.
‘No need to look.’ Old Third appeared, laughing. ‘There’s no one else here otherwise I wouldn’t have called out.’
‘When did you get here?’ she replied, blushing.
‘In the morning. I thought it best not to look for you at the factory.’
‘It’s a weekday, how come you’re here?’
‘What’s up, not welcome, am I?’ he teased. ‘If not, then I’ll go home. You’ve no shortage of people to walk you home, after all.’
He must have seen her with Mr Liu. ‘That’s the head of the propaganda team, Mr Liu. I was asking him to help my brother get a job, we were just walking for a few minutes together.’ She looked around again in case someone was watching. ‘Wait in the pavilion. I’ll come as soon as I’ve eaten.’
‘Aren’t you afraid your mother will come looking?’
‘My mother won’t be back until around nine o’clock.’
‘Then let’s walk a bit now, we can eat together.’
‘My sister’s at home, I have to go speak to her quickly.’
‘Okay, off you go. I’ll wait in the pavilion.’
Jingqiu floated home in a state of euphoria. Once through the door she no longer had any appetite for dinner but went straight to wash. That day she’d got her period and was afraid that she might be giving off a bad smell. She changed into a dark-coloured skirt that she had made. It had originally been white but she had dyed it red at one point. Then, after it had faded in the wash, she re-dyed it a dark blue and re-sewed it in a different style. She matched it with a short-sleeved nearly new blouse that Yamin had given her. She grabbed her bag and filled it with toilet paper.
She ate distractedly and as she left she said to her sister, ‘I’m going to my friend’s to ask about my teaching job. Will you be all right on your own?’
‘Yes, Zhong Qin is coming soon to play. Which friend?’
Perhaps I’m looking a bit dressed up, she thought, even my sister has noticed. ‘You don’t know them. I’m off. I’ll be back soon.’ She felt guilty leaving her sister all alone, but she comforted herself that Zhong Qin would soon be there.
She walked to the ferry crossing, excited, thinking, this is our first date. Every other time they had met by chance and she had had no time to get changed. Would he like what she was wearing? He knows a thing or two about life, he must have seen lots of pretty, well-dressed people, how can someone like me, not particularly good-looking and not especially well dressed, hope to catch his heart?
It felt like everyone she met on the way was looking at her as if they knew she was going to meet a boy. She was extremely nervous, and couldn’t wait to get across the river where no one knew who she was. As she stepped on to the bank on the other side of the river she caught sight of Old Third standing near the pavilion. As she had done last time, Jingqiu walked on ahead before eventually stopping to wait for him.
Old Third rushed up and said, ‘You look amazing today, I hardly recognised you. Pinch me, I want to know if I’m dreaming. Is such a beautiful girl really waiting for me?’
‘I’ve got used to your sweet-talking, it doesn’t give me goose pimples any more,’ she teased. ‘Live with a fishmonger and you no longer smell the stench of fish. Let’s walk by the river. That way if my mother gets home from work early she won’t see us, she walks home this way.’
‘Have you eaten?’ she asked. He hadn’t, he was waiting for them to eat together. She had learned her lesson from last time, there was no point in refusing politely, he always found a way.
They returned to the pavilion after they had eaten, but as it was summer, and still early, some people were milling around, so they escaped to an empty part of the river, and sat on the bank.
‘It’s not Sunday today, how come you’re free to visit?’ she asked.
‘I’m here trying to get work. I want to move to Yichang.’
She was surprised and delighted, but asked pointedly, ‘You’re doing so well at the geological unit, why would you move to Yichang?’
‘You have no idea why I want to move to Yichang?’ He laughed. ‘Then I’m just wasting my time going to all this trouble, aren’t I?’
‘Which work unit do you want to move to?’ Jingqiu asked.
‘I’m still contacting people. Maybe the performance troupe, or another would be fine, wherever they need me as long as it’s in Yichang. I could be a street cleaner, or better yet a street cleaner on Jiangxin Island, as long a
s I got to clean outside your house.’
‘What do you mean, outside my house? It’s a passage about a metre wide, there’d be no room for you to dance your broom through there. Try for the performance troupe, you could play the accordion for them. But as soon as you’re one of them you’ll forget all about your old friends.’
‘Why would I do that?’
‘Because the girls in the performance troupe are beautiful.’
‘I used to be in the army’s one, but I didn’t think the girls were that beautiful.’
‘You used to be in the army performance troupe?’ she asked in amazement. ‘How come you don’t walk like the performers do, with their toes pointing outwards?’
He chuckled. ‘Does everyone in the performance troupe walk with their feet pointing outwards? Anyway, I wasn’t a dancer, I played the accordion. I think you’re the one that walks with their toes pointing out, you danced in the model opera The White-haired Girl , didn’t you?’
She nodded. ‘When I was at primary school. At first I was one of the leading dancers in the paper-cut dance, and then I got to play the lead, Xi’er. Then after that I didn’t like dancing so I played the accordion while the others danced. Will you teach me to play when you get into the Yichang performance troupe?’
‘Once I move to Yichang, are we going to be spending our time together with me teaching you the accordion?’
Jingqiu didn’t understand what he meant. ‘What else would we be doing?’
He didn’t reply to her question, but said instead, ‘If I move to Yichang we can see each other all the time. Once your job is sorted out we can meet every day, in the open. We can take walks in the street. How does that sound?’
The scene he was describing sounded as alluring, and far-fetched, as Communism. She saw things more realistically. ‘Once my job is organised I’ll be working in the kitchens, or I may even be a teacher, and you’ll be in the performance troupe. Will you still want to meet me every day?’
‘Even if you were the canteen’s pig I’d still want to meet you every day.’
‘You dog, are you calling me a pig?’ She laughed, and gave his forearm a pinch. How could I do that? I’m just like one of those bad girls in books, showing off and flirting, she thought. Worried that he might think her loose she explained, ‘I didn’t do that on purpose, I—’
‘What are you apologising for?’ he laughed. ‘I like you pinching me, here, do it again.’ He took her hand, put it on his arm and told her to pinch.
‘Pinch yourself.’
Seeing that she was embarrassed, he decided not to tease her any more, and instead asked about her brother. ‘Where was your brother sent?’
She told him the story of her brother and Yamin, although she left out the part about the bed. Somehow she couldn’t bring herself to talk about that.
‘Your brother is very lucky,’ he said, ‘to have found such a good girl. But I’m even luckier, because I found you.’
Although she said she was used to his flirting talk, she was still embarrassed. ‘Me? What’s so good about me? I haven’t protected you the way Yamin has my brother.’
‘You would, if it was necessary, it’s just that up until now it hasn’t been, that’s all. I would do the same for you. I would do anything for you, I would agree to anything. Do you believe me?’ Then, changing the topic suddenly, he asked, ‘How’s your hand?’
Unconsciously she put her right hand behind her back. ‘What do you mean?’
‘I’ve already seen it. Tell me, what happened? Was it that Wan guy? Did he take advantage of you?’
‘No, how could he? Cut my hand with a knife? I was using a small knife to scrape the old notices off the board when I hurt myself.’
‘It has nothing to do with him?’
‘Really.’
‘But if you were holding the knife with your right hand, how could you cut your right hand?’
She looked back at him, unable to come up with a reply.
He didn’t ask her again. ‘I’ve always thought you shouldn’t do that temporary work,’ he sighed. ‘You should let me look after you, but I’m too scared to say it to you in case you get angry.’ He looked at her. ‘I worry about making you angry. Do you worry about making me angry?’
‘Yes, I worry about making you angry and that you will then stop liking me.’
‘Silly! How could I? Whatever you say, if you snub me or treat me coldly I could never be angry with you, never stop liking you, because I believe that whatever you do you must have your reasons. I’ll do whatever you want me to, even the things I can’t explain. So you absolutely mustn’t tease, because I take everything you say as the truth.’
He took her injured hand and rubbed it lightly. ‘Does it still hurt?’
She nodded.
‘If I hurt my hand, if I wore myself out, would it upset you?’ She couldn’t say the words, but nodded. ‘Then why do you always do this work, injure and exhaust yourself?’ he asked. ‘Don’t you know how much it upsets me? It hurts, as if someone has stabbed my heart with a knife. Have you ever experienced that kind of pain before?’ His expression was solemn and she didn’t know how to respond. ‘You can’t have, you don’t know what it is like. Forget it, I don’t want you to know how it feels.’
Why hasn’t he held me in his arms today? she thought, slightly petulantly. He just talks and talks and talks. That day she was especially hoping that he would hold her close, although she didn’t know why. Not far away she could see people, some swimming while others were strolling around. Perhaps it’s not quiet enough here, that’s why he’s not holding me. ‘There are lots of people around here, let’s go somewhere else.’
They stood up and walked along the river to find a new spot. As they walked Jingqiu kept casting glances at him to see if he could read her feelings, or if secretly he was laughing at her. But he looked serious, as if he was still thinking of what they had been talking about. They had walked a long way before they found a place empty of people and sat down shoulder to shoulder on a rock.
‘What time is it?’ she asked.
‘Past seven,’ he said, looking at his watch.
We’ll be heading back soon, and still he hasn’t tried to hold me. Is it because it’s too hot? The last times he had embraced her, the weather had been cold. ‘You don’t like the heat, do you?’
He looked at her without replying, as if trying to work out what she really meant by this question. Her face was burning. He sees right through me, she thought. The more she wanted to hide it the hotter her face felt.
He pulled her to her feet and took her in his arms, whispering, ‘I don’t mind the heat, I’m just too scared . . .’
‘Why? I didn’t mind last time.’
‘I know, I’m just afraid—’ but he didn’t finish his sentence and instead leaned close to her ear and whispered, ‘Do you . . . like me doing this?’
Her blood felt as if it was circulating quicker than usual and then indeed something gushed. Damn! she thought. I need to go to the toilet to change the paper.
He continued to pull her in tight. ‘Do you like this? Tell me, don’t be afraid, do you like me holding you like this?’
His breath felt scalding hot in her ear. She couldn’t wait any longer and whispered, ‘I need to go to the toilet.’
He took her by the hand and they went together but all they could find was a very old, filthy toilet. She had no choice, however, and bracing herself, went in. Quickly, she replaced the thick pile of toilet paper and ran outside.
This time he took her in h
is arms without any need for hinting from her, and he didn’t let go again.
It was strange, usually when she got her period for the first few days it was very light, but uncomfortable. Her back would ache and it would feel like she had a horrible weight in her belly and the pain would only ease once her period was coming to an end. Today, however, it was different. As he held her close the pain seemed to disappear.
Were boys like medicine that could cure period pains? However, it was now obvious to her that she hadn’t taken enough toilet paper. ‘I . . . need to buy something,’ she faltered.
She found a grocery shop which sold toilet paper, but a young man there made her too embarrassed to buy what she needed. She hesitated at the door worrying that it would stain her clothes but felt unable to move.
‘You wait here, I’ll buy it.’
She didn’t even have time to ask Old Third ‘Buy what?’ before he entered the shop. When he came out swinging two bundles of toilet paper she rushed up to him, and tried to stuff them in her bag. She managed to fit in one bundle and she pushed the other underneath his shirt. Once they were some distance from the shop she said, ‘Why aren’t you hiding it under your clothes? How can you be so brazen?’
‘What do you mean, brazen? It’s natural, it’s nothing people don’t know about.’
Chapter Twenty-Five
The next day Jingqiu went back to work at the paper factory, and although she knew that Mr Liu’s propaganda department still had work she went straight to see Wan Changsheng to await instruction, as the rules determined. She went to Mr Wan’s office-cum-tool cupboard but he pretended not to see her and busied himself assigning tasks to the other temporary workers. Only once he had finished with all the others did he turn to Jingqiu and say, ‘There’s no work for you today, why don’t you go home. And there’s no need to come back.’
‘What do you mean? Are you sacking me? Mr Liu says he wants me to carry on with the magazine today.’
‘If Mr Liu wants you why didn’t you go straight to him? What are you doing here?’
Under the Hawthorn Tree Page 22
