Fengxia’s tears fell one by one onto her leg. Fengxia
knew she was going to leave. I took my hoe and walked out. When I got to the door I said to Jiazhen, “I’m going out to the field. When they come to get Fengxia, you just let her go. Don’t come looking for me.”
When I got to the field, I took my hoe in hand and tried to get to work, but I just couldn’t get my energy up. Looking around and not seeing Fengxia there cutting the grass made me feel empty inside. Realizing that I would no longer have Fengxia there next to me as I worked the field, I could hardly stand it. I felt like all my energy had drained away. It was then that I saw Fengxia standing on the ridge, with a fifty-year-old man beside her holding her hand. Fengxia’s tears flowed down her face; she cried so hard that her body began to shake. Fengxia’s tears were silent. From time to time she’d raise her hand to wipe her eyes, and I
knew she was doing it so she could see her daddy clearly. The man smiled to me and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her.”
Finishing his sentence, he tugged Fengxia away, and she left with him. As Fengxia’s hand was being pulled away, she
kept her body twisted in my direction, so she could keep looking at me. Fengxia walked farther and farther away until I could no longer see her eyes, and after a while I couldn’t even see her arms, which she
kept raising to wipe the tears from her eyes. By then I couldn’t take it—with my head cocked to one side, the tears began to fall. When Jiazhen came by I blamed her. “I told you not to let them come over. I told you not to let them come see me.”
Jiazhen said, “It wasn’t me. Fengxia wanted to see you.”
After Fengxia left, Youqing stopped listening to us. When Fengxia was taken away, Youqing just watched, not
knowing what was going on. Only after Fengxia had gotten far away did Youqing scratch his head and slowly make his way home. I saw him looking over at me a few times, but he didn’t come over to ask what was going on. When he was still in Jiazhen’s stomach I had hit him, so he was scared of me.
Without Fengxia at the table during lunchtime, Youqing took two bites and refused to eat any more. His eyes moved back and forth from Jiazhen to me. Jiazhen said to him, “Hurry up and eat.”
He shook his little head, asking his mom, “And Sis?”
As soon as Jiazhen heard him she lowered her head and said, “You hurry up and eat.”
This little fellow put his chopsticks right down and loudly demanded that his mother tell him. “When is Sis coming back?”
I was already a mess with Fengxia leaving. When I saw Youqing going on like this, I hit the table and said, “Fengxia’s not coming back.”
Youqing was so scared his body shook. Then, seeing that I hadn’t really lost my temper, he twisted his mouth, lowered his head and said, “I want Sis.”
Jiazhen told him we had given Fengxia away to somebody else to save money so he could go to school. Hearing that Fengxia had been given away, Youqing opened his mouth and began wailing. He screamed through his tears, “I’m not going to school, I want Sis!”
I just ignored him, thinking, if he wants to cry then let him cry. I didn’t expect him to start up again: “I’m not going to school!”
His whining was starting to make me crazy. I yelled at him, “What the hell are you crying about?”
Youqing was terrified, and his body recoiled. When he saw me lower my head and go back to eating, he got up from his stool and walked over to the corner. Suddenly he screamed out again, “I want Sis!”
This time there would be no getting around a beating. I grabbed the broom from behind the door, walked over to him and said, “Turn around.”
Youqing looked at Jiazhen and obediently turned around with his two hands resting against the wall. I said, “Take off your pants.”
Youqing turned his head to look at Jiazhen, then after undoing his pants he turned around again to look at
knew she was going to leave. I took my hoe and walked out. When I got to the door I said to Jiazhen, “I’m going out to the field. When they come to get Fengxia, you just let her go. Don’t come looking for me.”
When I got to the field, I took my hoe in hand and tried to get to work, but I just couldn’t get my energy up. Looking around and not seeing Fengxia there cutting the grass made me feel empty inside. Realizing that I would no longer have Fengxia there next to me as I worked the field, I could hardly stand it. I felt like all my energy had drained away. It was then that I saw Fengxia standing on the ridge, with a fifty-year-old man beside her holding her hand. Fengxia’s tears flowed down her face; she cried so hard that her body began to shake. Fengxia’s tears were silent. From time to time she’d raise her hand to wipe her eyes, and I
knew she was doing it so she could see her daddy clearly. The man smiled to me and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her.”
Finishing his sentence, he tugged Fengxia away, and she left with him. As Fengxia’s hand was being pulled away, she
kept her body twisted in my direction, so she could keep looking at me. Fengxia walked farther and farther away until I could no longer see her eyes, and after a while I couldn’t even see her arms, which she
kept raising to wipe the tears from her eyes. By then I couldn’t take it—with my head cocked to one side, the tears began to fall. When Jiazhen came by I blamed her. “I told you not to let them come over. I told you not to let them come see me.”
Jiazhen said, “It wasn’t me. Fengxia wanted to see you.”
After Fengxia left, Youqing stopped listening to us. When Fengxia was taken away, Youqing just watched, not
knowing what was going on. Only after Fengxia had gotten far away did Youqing scratch his head and slowly make his way home. I saw him looking over at me a few times, but he didn’t come over to ask what was going on. When he was still in Jiazhen’s stomach I had hit him, so he was scared of me.
Without Fengxia at the table during lunchtime, Youqing took two bites and refused to eat any more. His eyes moved back and forth from Jiazhen to me. Jiazhen said to him, “Hurry up and eat.”
He shook his little head, asking his mom, “And Sis?”
As soon as Jiazhen heard him she lowered her head and said, “You hurry up and eat.”
This little fellow put his chopsticks right down and loudly demanded that his mother tell him. “When is Sis coming back?”
I was already a mess with Fengxia leaving. When I saw Youqing going on like this, I hit the table and said, “Fengxia’s not coming back.”
Youqing was so scared his body shook. Then, seeing that I hadn’t really lost my temper, he twisted his mouth, lowered his head and said, “I want Sis.”
Jiazhen told him we had given Fengxia away to somebody else to save money so he could go to school. Hearing that Fengxia had been given away, Youqing opened his mouth and began wailing. He screamed through his tears, “I’m not going to school, I want Sis!”
I just ignored him, thinking, if he wants to cry then let him cry. I didn’t expect him to start up again: “I’m not going to school!”
His whining was starting to make me crazy. I yelled at him, “What the hell are you crying about?”
Youqing was terrified, and his body recoiled. When he saw me lower my head and go back to eating, he got up from his stool and walked over to the corner. Suddenly he screamed out again, “I want Sis!”
This time there would be no getting around a beating. I grabbed the broom from behind the door, walked over to him and said, “Turn around.”
Youqing looked at Jiazhen and obediently turned around with his two hands resting against the wall. I said, “Take off your pants.”
Youqing turned his head to look at Jiazhen, then after undoing his pants he turned around again to look at
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