businessman and never got round to repaying the money you lent me. But last year I managed to save up a bit, and I have to repay you before anything else. There's three thousand in there. Count it, won't you?’
Shen Gang laid the envelope on the table in front of Mother and stepped back. Taking a seat on our bench, he fished out a pack of cigarettes, took out two, and, with a little bow, handed one to Father, who was sitting on the edge of the kang. After Father accepted it, Shen offered the second one to Mother; she declined. Her red turtleneck sweater matched her ruddy cheeks and gave her a youthful look. Charcoal briquettes burned brightly in the belly of the stove and kept the room toasty. Father's return had meant the return of the good times to our house as well as of Mother's good mood. No more scowls; even the timbre of her voice had changed.
‘Shen Gang,’ she said cordially, ‘I know you suffered losses, which was why the loan dragged on so long. The reason I was willing to lend you this hard-earned money was because I figured you to be an upright man. In all honesty, you've caught me by surprise. I never thought I'd see the day that you'd come on your own. I'm touched, really touched. I said some things that weren't very kind. Ignore all that. We're old friends, fellow villagers, and now that the boy's father has returned we won't be strangers any longer. If there's anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to ask. After what you've done today, I'm convinced that you're a dependable person…’
‘I'd feel better if you counted the money,’ Shen said.
‘All right,’ Mother said. ‘Bang the gong face to face, beat the drum the same, as the saying goes. Make a loan and repay a loan. I won't mind if there's too little here, but just in case you've given me too much…’
She removed the notes from the envelope, wet her fingers with saliva and counted them. Then she handed them to Father. ‘Now you,’ she said.
Father counted the notes and laid them in front of Mother. ‘Three thousand exactly.’
Shen Gang stood up, looking slightly uncomfortable: ‘Good Sister-in-law, could I trouble you to return the IOU?’
‘It's a good thing you mentioned it or I'd have forgotten all about it. Now where did I put it? Do you remember, Xiaotong?’
‘No.’
She jumped off the kang and searched everywhere until she found it.
Shen Gang read the IOU several times, until he was convinced it was the right one. Then he tucked it carefully into his pocket and left.
All the while the worker is slapping his face I continue with my narrative to the Wise Monk. At first I'd thought the four carriers would find my story fascinating, but their interest in the meat outstrips anything I might say. I'd thought of revealing that the Meat God was modelled after me, but I swallowed the words. I didn't think the Wise Monk would approve. Besides, even if I told them, they wouldn't believe me.
On the second night of the new year, Yao Qi, who had a very high opinion of himself and who had long dreamt of picking a fight with Lao Lan, dropped by with a bottle of Maotai liquor. We were sitting round a newly acquired dining table when this unexpected visitor arrived. Yao Qi had never stepped foot in our house, and Mother gave me a look because I hadn't obeyed her instructions to shut the gate before we began our meal. An open gate was an open invitation. Yao Qi stuck his head in through the door. Seeing us at dinner he said, ‘Ah, a real feast!’ but in a tone of voice that immediately annoyed me.
Father's lips parted as if he was about to say something, but he didn't.
Mother did, however: ‘We're no match for you and your family, with our coarse tea and bland rice. We just eat to survive.’
‘No longer,’ Yao Qi remarked.
‘These are leftovers from last night,’ I chimed in. ‘We had prawns, crab, cuttlefish…’
‘Xiaotong!’ Mother cut me off and glared at me. ‘Isn't food enough to stop that mouth of yours?’
‘We had prawns,’ Jiaojiao said, throwing out her arms. ‘And they were this big…’
‘If you want the truth,’ Yao Qi said, ‘listen to a child. Youngsters, things have got a lot better since Luo Tong returned, haven't they?’
‘They're the same as they've always been,’ Mother said. ‘But you