Temple were brought back to life. In the Cultural Revolution it was used as the headquarters of the Municipal Road Department, but since then it’s fallen into ruin.’
‘Which god do you believe in, Tang?’ Meili asks, noticing a picture of the God of Longevity above a potted bamboo tree by the doorway.
‘None of the gods you see in the temples, that’s for sure. I used to believe in another kind of god, but less so since I’ve returned to China.’
‘I want to visit the Golden Flower Mother statue in Foshan and ask her whether she thinks I should give birth.’
‘The baby’s been inside you for five years now, hasn’t it? It’s time you let it come out. You’ve already broken the Guinness World Record for the longest pregnancy!’
‘No, there’s a ninety-year-old woman in this province who was pregnant for sixty years. Anyway, it’s not as if I haven’t tried to give birth to my child. I went into labour and pushed as hard as I could, but she simply refused to come out.’ It’s always a relief to Meili when she’s able to refer to Heaven as a girl.
‘I’ve heard that a strict new director has been assigned to the County Family Planning Association, so Heaven Township might not be a safe refuge for pregnant women for much longer.’
‘As long as I stay near that filthy lake, I should be fine. Officers don’t like having to trudge through all the rubbish down there, and even when they do come, I always manage to send them packing. Did you realise that the lake is the same shape as the womb of an eight-month-pregnant woman? To think that I moved to Heaven so that I wouldn’t have any more babies! I was assured the air here kills human sperm. But the first night I arrived, I got myself knocked up!’
‘Ha! You make me laugh! You’re so fresh and natural.’
‘Coarse and uneducated, that’s what you mean!’ It suddenly occurs to Meili that although she can now buy almost anything she wants, her new wealth has given her no meaningful satisfaction. During the years they were too poor to eat out at restaurants, she, Kongzi and Nannan were much closer. They appreciated each other’s company more and had time to savour the simple pleasures their meagre income allowed.
‘No, you’re strong, invulnerable. You haven’t allowed any of the ordeals you’ve suffered to dent your spirit.’
‘Well, I’ve had to develop a thick skin. Can you imagine the looks I’ve got, walking around town with this belly for five years? Family planning officers stop me in the street and tell me my bulge is bad for the town’s image and that I should hurry up and give birth. But I tell them that little Heaven is living in my womb, eating my food. She’s no burden to the state. She has a right to stay inside me as long as she likes. I told them that as soon as the government repeals the One Child Policy, I’ll give birth to her. As soon as it promises that every child born in China will be given full legal citizenship, I’ll tug her out with my own hands, if I have to.’
‘You should be more careful. Haven’t you read that in other parts of this county, women are dragged off the streets and given forced abortions? It happens every day.’
‘I know. It happened to me too, once. The doctors injected poisons into my fetus hoping to kill it, but when he came out, he was still alive, so they strangled him to death right in front of me.’
‘That’s not an abortion,’ Tang says, his face turning pale. ‘That’s cold-blooded murder! I had no idea you’d experienced such a terrible thing.’ He rubs his chin and casts a concerned glance at Nannan.
‘So, you see, until this government decides to stop killing children, Heaven is safer staying where she is. As her mother, all I can do is provide her with a warm home. Unless someone comes to demolish it and force her out, she can stay inside as long as she likes. She and I will just take each day as it comes.’ She sprinkles some white pepper onto her congee and swallows a small spoonful.
‘You’re like the heroine of a Victorian novel, rebelling against oppressive convention in the pursuit of happiness! Yes, you have that air of stubborn defiance. Have you read Charlotte Brontë?’
Meili shakes her head, blushing at her ignorance. ‘No, I haven’t read that book. But do