Chapter 43: A Firm Stance
The man Li Guizhen had an affair with was named Li Mingyi, a former educated youth who had been sent to their village during the Down to the Countryside Movement (1960s-70s). He had gotten along well with both Li sisters. Later, when educated youth were allowed to return to the cities, Li Mingyi also went back. Later he was assigned a job and started a family.
Li Mingyi’s son was two years older than Yang Jiabo and, by all accounts, a good student. His wife was an elementary school teacher, said to be mild-tempered. Yang Jiabo couldn’t understand, Li Mingyi already had a decent family, so why did he have to keep messing around with his mother?
Distracted, Yang Jiabo parked the car and walked into the living room, only to find the table overturned and shattered porcelain scattered across the floor. His parents stood far apart, both visibly furious. His aunt hovered by the door, looking awkward and hesitant.
“Jiajia, you’re finally back! Talk some sense into your parents,” his aunt said, relieved at the sight of him.
Yang Jiabo ignored her. His face darkened as he grabbed a stool by the door and slammed it down in front of Li Guizhen. Glaring at her, he roared, “Tell me, what’s that man’s name?”
“What’s with the aggression from you two? I told you, he’s just a friend! And yet you keep pushing. Don’t think I don’t know, you took that little bastard to raise at the farm!” Li Guizhen snarled, claws out.
Yang Jiabo kicked the stool aside violently, his eyes bloodshot. “Did I ask for your useless rambling? Tell me, what’s his name?”
“Jiajia, don’t be like this,” his aunt said fearfully.
But Yang Jiabo paid her no mind. His reddened eyes stayed fixed on Li Guizhen, wide and unblinking. His gaze was hollow, as if he were looking through her at some distant, nameless place.
Fragments of the past flooded his mind, his father’s weak voice, rambling before his death:
“Jiajia, your mother was my enemy in a past life. She took the money I borrowed for your tuition and used it to pay her gambling debts.”
“Jiajia, I’m sorry. You begged me for a Walkman, but I couldn’t even afford a new one, I had to get you a secondhand one from the pawnshop.”
“Jiajia, when you had to leave school because we couldn’t pay for your tuition, I only found out after going to the school. It’s my fault. I was useless, couldn’t afford your education, couldn’t give you a better life. If there’s a next life, find yourself a capable father.”
“I never wanted to marry your mother. Most girls in their early twenties have clear, unblemished skin. Only those who’ve had abortions get those patches so young. But your grandfather insisted, forced me to marry her.”
“When your uncle’s younger brother got married, I came home early to freshen up before going. But your mother forced me to work in the fields and only gave me 20 yuan for the gift. Everyone else gave 50 yuan, and it was family! I couldn’t show my face, but she controlled the money, I had no extra to give.”
“After we split from the family, we had more rice than we could eat, but your mother refused to give any to your grandparents. Your grandfather had to beg relatives in the countryside, making me a laughingstock.”
“Your mother’s been seeing someone. I caught her twice alone with a man, behind closed doors. If it were just an old classmate or friend, why lock the door?”
“She’s all smiles for outsiders but curses me at the drop of a hat. Sometimes I really just want to strangle her.”
“When you were little, she’d yell and hit you constantly. I told her it would scare you, but she wouldn’t listen. That time you got so frightened, you bolted upright in bed at the slightest noise at night. It broke my heart.”
…
Yang Jiabo’s mind was a chaotic whirl of these memories and scenes from the past. His father, covered in mud, wearing a straw hat, a red sleeveless shirt, rolled-up pants, and cheap plastic sandals, rushing to the school in a panic because he’d skipped class.
Back then, Teacher Jin had berated his father like a scolded child by the school garden, his father hanging his head in shame. Meanwhile, his mother was off playing mahjong, indifferent to everything. The shame should have been his and hers, not his father’s.
From second grade onward, his mother had barely taken care of him. He washed his own clothes and shoes, whether he did it well or not. For larger items like bed sheets, which he couldn’t handle, his father stepped in.
By fourth grade, he was bigger and could manage the sheets himself. If they were too heavy, he’d stomp on them in a basin. If he couldn’t wring them out, he’d drape them over the clothesline and spin them until the water was gone.
That year, they bought a bicycle, so he no longer needed to be picked up from school. After that, unless he was too sick to get out of bed, Li Guizhen would just give him money to see the clinic doctor himself. Terrified of needles and bitter medicine, he always asked for syrup.
When his father went to the capital for work, Yang Jiabo had asked for a Walkman. Yang Jianjun had promised confidently but returned without even enough for bus fare. Back then, Yang Jiabo hadn’t understood, his father had no choice but to buy him a used one. But Yang Jianjun hadn’t come back empty-handed, he’d brought a kilo of Yang Jiabo’s favorite raisins.
“Jiajia, sometimes I really want to strangle her.”
The words echoed in his mind. Lowering his head, Yang Jiabo muttered, “Yeah… strangle her.”
Suddenly, he looked up and reached for Li Guizhen. Yang Jianjun grabbed him from behind, panicked. “Jiajia! What’s wrong? Don’t scare me like this!”
Yang Jiabo turned to him, his face lighting up with a sweet, childlike smile. “Dad! Daddy!”
“I’m here, I’ve got you.”
“Let me strangle her, I’ll do it for you.” His expression darkened again as he struggled.
Yang Jianjun held him tightly, murmuring, “Jiajia, let’s just ignore her, okay? Let’s go back to the farm.”
“Right… the farm. Dad wanted to plant fruit trees and raise ducks.” The anger faded, replaced by a frown.
“Yes, let’s go plant trees and raise ducks,” Yang Jianjun coaxed.
“Okay! And fish, lots of fish, so we can catch them whenever we want to eat.” The chaos in his mind shifted to a peaceful farm scene.
“Sure, we’ll raise whatever fish you like.”
Like an innocent child, Yang Jiabo pouted, “I love braised carp. Dad, let’s raise braised carp, okay?”
“Okay, we’ll raise braised carp.”
Yang Jianjun led him away, leaving a stunned Li Guizhen and a worried aunt behind. It took Li Guizhen a long moment to recover. “He wanted to strangle me… My own son wanted to kill me.”
“Third Sister, wake up! Can’t you see Jiajia isn’t well?” the aunt shouted.
“Right… he’s insane. The doctors already said he’s crazy,” Li Guizhen muttered.
“You’re the one who’s crazy, throwing away a good life!”
____
Back at the farm, Yang Jiabo’s mood improved. Under Yang Jianjun’s watchful gaze, he wearily washed up and went to bed. Yang Jianjun stayed by his side until he fell asleep.
When Yang Jiabo woke up, he was lucid but exhausted, a weariness that seeped from his soul. Yang Jianjun avoided mentioning Li Guizhen, and Yang Jiabo didn’t bring her up either.
Yang Jianjun hired a motorized rickshaw to take Yang Qing to and from school. With Yang Qing living at the farm, Yang Jiabo tutored him daily, diverting some of his focus. To liven up the farm, Yang Jianjun bought two ducks, two black mutt puppies, a tabby cat, and four carp.
At the sight of the fish, Yang Jiabo flushed, remembering his demand to raise “braised carp.” Well, he’d made the request, now he had to live with it.
Yang Qing was thrilled. No more dorm life! And with Yang Jiabo’s tutoring, his grades improved rapidly. His teachers praised him, his classmates admired him, and his little ego swelled - fueling a virtuous cycle of motivation.
Seeing Yang Jiabo playing with the animals or teasing Yang Qing, his spirits lifting day by day, Yang Jianjun finally felt secure enough to confront Li Guizhen about divorce. Before, family pressure had kept him trapped. Later, despite her poor attitude, Li Guizhen had cared for his mother, so he’d resolved to endure for the family’s sake.
But that day had made it clear, staying would only hurt Jiajia the most. For both their sakes, the marriage had to end. Maybe with less contact, Jiajia wouldn’t be so tormented.
Yang Jianjun had secretly consulted a doctor. Yang Jiabo’s condition wasn’t severe, but it couldn’t be ignored. The family had to avoid triggering him, keep him happy. If he liked animals, more interaction would help. And if he took interest in something, they should encourage it.
When Yang Jianjun brought up divorce this time, his eldest sister-in-law tried to mediate, but he shut her down.
“Eldest Sister, save your breath. If she loves another man, she shouldn’t cling to me. She never saw me as a husband, just a ticket into the city, a long-term meal ticket for life. I’m a man. I’ve tolerated this long enough. She’s the one who messed up, not me. Every time, you come pleading with me, but has she ever truly changed? Instead of lecturing me, discipline your sister and daughter.”
[长期饭票 (chángqī fànpiào):lit. "long-term meal ticket"; fig. A derogatory term for someone (often a spouse) relied on for financial support without reciprocation.
The eldest sister-in-law flushed, embarrassed and resentful. Still, she pressed, “You’ve been married so many years, Jiajia’s grown up... think of him!”
“Don’t you dare use Jiajia against me!” Yang Jianjun snapped. “I know most rural folks raise kids that way, but Jiajia’s sensitive, that method doesn’t work for him. He has suffered enough. No more shocks. And don’t go dragging him into this, he’s just stabilized. He doesn’t need to see you.”
This time, Yang Jianjun’s stance was unshakable.
No comments:
Post a Comment