Bai Fumei in the ’70s Chapter 25
Translated by Serena Love
Edited by Atlas S.
Proofread by Soupysuspicions
Chapter 25
He Songbai was afraid his grandmother would worry herself sick. So the next morning, after everyone else had left for work, he dragged his two injured legs to her room to chat with her. When Sister He returned from work, she carried Grandmother outside to soak in the sun. Both siblings had been frightened by her anguished cries the night before. Over the following days, the old woman felt the special care and attention from her grandson and granddaughter, and her mood brightened considerably.
One day after work, Zhao Lanxiang returned to the He family home and stopped by the well to wash her hands. She then rubbed a bit of snow cream between her palms. The soft, rich lotion melted smoothly into her skin, moisturizing it deeply while releasing a faint, pleasant fragrance.
After He Songbai was injured, she had no choice but to work more diligently. This grueling work–worth 10 work points–was especially taxing on her frail shoulders. After she was done moisturizing with the snow cream, Zhao Lanxiang suddenly heard He Songbai’s grandmother–Grandma Li–call out to her in a cold voice.
"Come!"
Zhao Langxiang was startled. Pointing at her own nose, she meekly asked, “Me?”
Grandma Li answered with an impassive expression, but Sister He smiled and beckoned her over.
Zhao Lanxiang hurried towards them, and Grandma Li instructed her granddaughter to carry her back into the house.
Zhao Langxiang gingerly followed them into the room. Grandma Li opened the cupboard and took out a piece of paper. Her hands trembled as she wrote a line of words. When she finished, she tossed the paper at Zhao Lanxiang, then said a simple, “Go.”
Her voice was extremely hoarse.
Zhao Lanxiang studied the old woman's clouded eyes, which had narrowed into two small slits, and sensed both apathy and keen insight lurking behind those discerning pupils. She suddenly felt that He Songbai's grandmother possessed quite a formidable personality.
Zhao Lanxiang wondered, if she were to confess right now to being in a relationship with her precious grandson, would the old woman still maintain such a cold expression?
But… it was only a passing thought. Without He Songbai’s consent, she would never reveal such a secret to his respected grandmother.
Zhao Lanxiang stepped forward to pick up the note and stuffed it into her pocket.
“Grandma, would you like some porridge, or anything else to eat?” Zhao Langxiang gently asked.
In response, Grandma simply lay back down with her back facing Zhao Langxiang, and closed her weary eyes.
On the bed, the old woman seemed little more than a frail mound beneath the covers. The thin quilt had slipped, exposing her legs. Her deformed, bound feet—usually hidden year-round beneath cloth in quiet shame—were left bare after she drifted off to sleep. The tiny, three-inch “golden lotus” feet were covered only by a pair of children’s socks, worn thin and heavily patched. Faced with such a pitiful elder, Zhao Lanxiang found herself unable to feel even the slightest trace of resentment.
That evening, after bathing and washing her clothes, Zhao Lanxiang took out the note. Under the dim lamplight, she read it over carefully, pondering its meaning, but was still unable to make sense of it.
Go one hundred steps northeast of Niujiao Mountain, beneath the locust tree.
She frowned for a long while, absently drying her damp hair with a towel. At last, she tossed the note into the cabinet.
...
Time passed quickly, and He Songbai’s long, monotonous recovery period was nearing its end. The splints on his hands and feet had already been removed, and at last, the long-delayed self-criticism meeting over the disturbance caused by Pan Huayu had begun.
That day, the Hezi Brigade’s party branch leaders and the executive administrators of the committee sat rigidly in their seats, backs straight, while the villagers gathered behind them. Li Hongde, the branch secretary, tapped a sheet of paper with his thumb, rolled a cigarette, and smoked silently. Li Dali also sat with a dark expression, staring fixedly at the table.
It was a humiliating affair.
People from both the First and Second Production Brigades were present. The crowd surged restlessly below the stage with varied demeanors; some craned their necks eagerly for a better view, while others watched with resentment, wishing they were still in bed beside their wives instead of attending this early-morning assembly. Most, however, sat with detached expressions on their faces, silently gloating.
Zhao Lanxiang’s anxious gaze followed He Songbai as several individuals in front of him finished reflecting on their crimes. When she arrived, it was Pan Huayu’s turn to deliver his self-criticism.
The man in his thirties spoke in a loud but perfunctory tone, his so-called “reflection” sounding hollow and insincere.
“I have reflected on my actions. I promise never to fight again without reason, nor will I grow angry at those with backward thinking. We should influence them to be better with a progressive spirit. Here, I apologize to Brother He for striking him inappropriately.”
After he finished speaking, there was sparse applause in the crowd.
He Songbai was ready to go up on stage, but Zhao Lanxiang felt a surge of irritation. Motherf*cker! This kind of insincere apology lacked both accountability and genuine contrition.
He Songbai stepped onto the stage without a word.
He began to speak, “To the party branch and the Revolutionary Committee: I am He Songbai of the Hezi Brigade. Today, I come to make a deep self-criticism. I was born into a backward landlord family…”
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd, and someone threw a rotten leaf that struck him. He was unfazed and continued steadily, “I am grateful that the Party has not abandoned me, giving me a chance to reform and work alongside other members of the brigade. I cherish this hard-earned opportunity and will strive to repay the Party with lifelong diligence…”
As he spoke, more debris, such as wilted leaves and bits of refuse, were thrown at him again and again. Were this not a time of scarcity, there might even have been a few rotten eggs thrown in there. It’s fortunate he wasn’t targeted with rotten eggs; even without them, a foul stench soon clung to him.
He Songbai calmly wiped his face and continued cheerfully, “As Chairman Mao once said, ‘A house must be cleaned regularly, or it will gather dust; a face must be washed regularly, or it will become dirty.’ I have reflected deeply on my mistakes and am grateful for the organization’s tolerance. I am willing to accept punishment and devote myself fully to the production team in the future. Thank you, Comrade Li Dali, for your guidance.”
His clear, youthful voice carried across the crowd—respectful, steady, without a trace of resentment. Listening to his words, many listeners grew thoughtful. His speech was quite good; he even quoted the Chairman’s wisdom. Li Dali was among those who were impressed by him.
After he finished, there was sparse applause once again, though it was slightly louder than before.
Zhao Lanxiang, though not short, had to jump up in the dense crowd just to see the stage. Despite this, she still couldn’t catch a glimpse of him. This left her uneasy and distressed.
He Songbai quickly stepped down from the stage and disappeared into the crowd, his hurried pace revealing a slight limp.
Zhao Lanxiang didn’t dare follow immediately. Instead, she turned and walked slowly in the direction of the He family home. Once she was sure no one was paying attention, she lifted her skirt and ran after him.
Despite having two healthy legs, she couldn’t catch up to the injured man.
After a long chase, she finally spotted him and called out breathlessly, “Why are you walking so fast?”
At her voice, the figure ahead paused briefly then sped forward, moving even faster than before.
Grinding her teeth, Zhao Lanxiang forced her tired legs onward until she finally reached He Songbai’s side. “Why won’t you say anything?”
He stopped and said helplessly. “Don’t follow me.”
Before she could respond, he suddenly dashed forward towards the riverbank and dove in, plunging his entire body into the clear water and sending up a huge splash.
Startled, Zhao Lanxiang paused briefly before stepping forward to crouch by the bank. She stared at the crown of his dark head bobbing above the surface. “Why jump into the river? Your self-criticism just now was very good—”
Her words caught in her throat as a faint, putrid odor drifted up, filling her nostrils.
He Songbai scrubbed his face roughly in the water, then swam towards the shore. His brows knit sharply as he snapped, “If I didn’t leave quickly, did you want to watch me bathe? I still need to undress…”
Seeing him actually start to undress, Zhao Lanxiang flushed, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She stood up, stomped her foot, and turned away.
He Songbai let out a sigh of relief; he truly didn’t know how to deal with her.
After the woman left, he quickly stripped off his clothes and washed himself thoroughly, scooping water in his palms to clean his face and hair. He scrubbed his entire sun-browned frame until his skin turned red and raw, as though he could scrub away an entire layer of skin. The filth on his body disgusted him.
Just as he finished and lifted his head, wiping water from his face with one hand, his eyes flew open in shock. His limbs stiffened, and he nearly sank beneath the surface.
The woman had come back. With a blushing face, she stood by the riverbank and asked calmly, “Where did you leave your clothes? I brought some soap; I’ll wash them for you.”
He Songbai froze under her gaze, as if burned. He was speechless for a while before managing to squeeze out the words, “Little scoundrel...”
His ears flushed red as he hurriedly crouched deeper into the water to hide his thin body.
Unbothered, Zhao Lanxiang looked around and quickly found his worn clothes. She didn’t think they were that smelly or dirty. Ignoring their condition, she lathered them with soap and washed them carefully by the river.
He Songbai watched her silently, his gaze dark and unreadable. In truth, he had already finished washing and was only waiting to put his clothes back on.
When she was done, she wrung them out, smoothed them carefully, and laid them flat on the grass to dry. Without another word, she turned and left.
The moment she disappeared, He Songbai hurriedly grabbed his clothes and put them on at lightning speed.
...
After finishing the review, Pan Yuhua followed his wife home in disgrace.
Aunt Pan spoke smugly, “You should thank me, I helped you vent your anger. Li Er and Li San brought a bucket of urine, and then…hehehe! Did you see it? Don’t you feel better now?”
Her gloating did nothing to improve his mood. Having just made a public self-criticism and faced punishment from the branch secretary, his heart still burned with humiliation. The more he thought about it, the more resentment he felt toward He Songbai.
He had maintained a clean reputation for nearly half his life, only to be branded a troublemaker.
“Enough,” he said darkly. “Let’s go home.”
Aunt Pan continued, “Your second sister has no conscience at all. I don’t know where she’s been hiding. She came back from school, and I saw her at the meeting. You, her elder brother, were suspended for her sake, and she doesn’t even come to comfort you!”
Pan Huayu sighed heavily. “Go find her. If she dares go near that He boy again, I’ll break her legs.”
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