Chapter Thirty

  In Li Huaying's room, which was like a study and a boudoir, all sorts of books and delicate antiques were on display. The glass bookcase held set after set of finely bound English books, with a pot of lush green pampas grass placed on top. On the snow-white walls hung several famous Western paintings. "The Last Supper" was framed in a pale green frame and hung on the wall above the small iron bed.

  At a little past six in the evening, the electric light with green silk lampshades was casting soft rays. When Dao Jing walked into Li Huaiying's room, there were already three classmates here. And she saw at a glance that Hou Rui was also here.

  Those other two classmates - a boy and a girl - she didn't recognize. She also pretended not to know Hou Rui. She only exchanged greetings with Li Huaiying before sitting down on the small iron bed covered with a crisp white sheet.

  "Let me introduce!" Li Huaiying waved her hand lively and lightly, like a swallow, and smiled: "This is Lu Fang, my old friend. These are all classmates from Beida." She introduced them one by one, "Wu Jianzhong, Zhang Lianrui, Hou Rui."

  Lu Fang's Dao Jing and they all shook hands. Then sat down, smiling and said: "You talk, don't disturb you." Before Dao Jing came in, they were talking about something, as soon as she came, they stopped. She hoped they would continue to talk.

  Li Huaiying continued to laugh and said, "Lu Fang, you've come just in time! These people have been making so much noise that they're deafening me. They all oppose my reading Shakespeare. One says 'the country is doomed' and another says 'the situation is tense'... but what's the use of saying these things? Let's talk about something else."

  "Alright, 'Flower' King! Don't just indulge in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'!" Zhang Lianrui was a plump and robust female student with rosy cheeks. She blocked Li Huaying and spoke rapidly like popping beans. "I'm not concerned about national affairs, but I see you're even more indifferent than me. Are you unaware that the ancient artifacts in the Forbidden City have begun to be transported south? Are you unaware that Japanese planes are circling above our heads every day? Our principal Jiang Menglin is still asking the Japanese to send someone to 'talk' for three hours at a Japanese military camp... All of this - what does it all mean? Isn't this a sign of national subjugation?"

  "Alright, alright!" Li Huaying covered her ears with both hands and shouted, "Zhang Lianrui, you little fatty, what are you doing stirring up trouble when you have nothing better to do? If you say one more word, I'll chase you out! Save the nation! Save the nation! Can't I say it a hundred times for you?" Li Huaying laughed. Zhang Lianrui also laughed. But just as one wave subsided, another rose up. Just as Li Huaying had stopped Zhang Lianrui, Wu Jianzhong and Hou Rui started arguing on the other side. Wu Jianzhong was a quiet and calm young man, who slowly asked Hou Rui, "These past few days, people's hearts have been in turmoil. I heard that Song Zheyuan is working with the Japanese again on some 'autonomy' scheme. Old Hou, don't you think the development of the situation is quite frightening?"

  "Ah, it's very tense..." Hou Rui smiled and said distractedly, "The situation is indeed very tense." Dao Jing saw that Hou Rui didn't seem to want to continue, so he went on to say, "You must have also heard that a few days ago, Tianjin Mayor Cheng Ke telegraphed the Nationalist government, openly demanding 'Five Province Anti-Communist Autonomy'; Japanese troops began large-scale exercises on the North Ning and Pinghan railways yesterday, taking Beiping as the 'hypothetical enemy', so Qinghua is scared and wants to move to Changsha; Northeastern University also has plans to move to Taiyuan... In fact, our education sector is preparing for its final lesson..."

  "What! Tsinghua is going to move?" Li Huaying opened her eyes wide and hastily interjected.

  "Ah, you're worried about this! Because 'he' is there...” Zhang Lianrui smiled and blushed Li Huaiying's face. "The Abyssinians, a small country with a population of 55 million, dared to resist the powerful Italy and even won a victory. But our China - humph, the Northeast is lost, and we don't want the North China either. Look at how Japan is rampaging in Beiping City, it's really infuriating!"

  At this time, Hou Rui looked at the few people in the house and said heavily: "Yesterday on East Chang'an Street, I saw with my own eyes two Japanese soldiers grabbing a young girl onto a car. The girl was crying and shouting, and the people on the street were furious, but the Chinese police just stood by and pretended not to see..."

  "Stop talking nonsense!" Li Huaying curled up her small mouth, which looked like it was carved out, and rebuked Hou Rui, "You're exaggerating everywhere to create a tense atmosphere. How could such a thing happen in broad daylight?!... Hey, let's not talk about this, okay? I'll treat you to some sweets, and let me take a break. Liu Li just came by and chatted with me for a while, and now you're bothering me again."

  "So you don't want to hear about Tsinghua's moving either?" Zhang Lianrui retorted.

  "You little fatty, you're really shameless! Is Tsinghua University really moving? How could I not have heard about it? Why are they moving? Even if the Japanese did occupy Beijing, they wouldn't dare to harm a world-renowned institution like that!" Li Huaiying leaned against the bed railing, listlessly yawning.

  "You, 'Flower' King! The queen's throne has you so infatuated that you've lost even your national consciousness!" Li Huaying's nonsense triggered a fierce rebuke from Zhang Lianrui. She stared at Li Huaying with a serious expression, her words popping out like fried beans. At this point, Li Huaying got angry. She sank her face, flipped her loose curls, picked up an English book, and leaned against the bed railing to read, ignoring everyone.

  The air in the house was very tense. Although, Hou Rui and Wu Jianzhong's relationship with Li Huaiying was not as close as Zhang Lianrui's, they didn't dare to say anything. Dao Jing took this opportunity to tell a joke. She calmly told the people in the room: "This year, the Ministry of Education ordered a return to the classics, and for a while, there was a strong trend of reading Confucius in Beiping."

  There was a university that responded enthusiastically to the Ministry of Education's call, and during the summer vacation, it held an unprecedentedly grand examination for students. The Chinese language test questions were two: one was "Scholars first recognize the instrument and then discuss literature and art"; the other was "Imitation of Emperor Wu of Han's letter to Zhao Tuo, King of Nanyue". When university students did these two questions, some people wrote on the paper in big bold letters -

  "What's written there?" Li Huaiying forgot her anger, put down the book and turned her face to look at Lin Daojing with curiosity.

  "There was a person who wrote in big letters: 'The three characters of Emperor Wen of Han are familiar, but I don't know which generation of virtuous grandson of Gaozu of Han he is? As for answering the King of Nanyue Zhao Ta——note: this student wrote Zhao Tuo as Zhao Ta——I have never met him before, and there's nothing to talk about. Go back and work hard, see you next year!' The examiner saw this paper and immediately picked up a red pen and wrote a five-character poem: 'The father of Emperor Wen of Han is not "Ta", but "Tuo". This year you won't pass, come again next year!' Dao Jing said it word by word, sentence by sentence, which made the four university students in the room laugh loudly. Zhang Lianrui and Li Huaiying, two 'female' students, laughed so hard they bent over. But at this time, Dao Jing was very calm, she didn't laugh, and when they finished laughing, she continued to say: 'Another student answered the first question "Scholars should recognize their tools before discussing literature" even more briefly. He wrote 14 big characters on his paper: "If you see a beautiful woman, bow down; if you hear of a mistake, turn back." After finishing writing, he threw down his pen and left. The examiner saw this paper and was so angry that he wrote with a red pen: "Should be beaten with 40 big sticks, kicked out of the examination room!" How interesting, the fate of the Kuomintang's retroism is like this..."

  "Lin Daojing! Lin Daojing! How did you become so talkative!" Li Huaying laughed and patted Daojing's shoulder, absent-mindedly calling out her old name. But as soon as she called out, the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.

  Lin - "Dao Jing?" Zhang Lianrui quietly gave Wu Jianzhong a look, and then leaned over to his ear and said something. Then the two of them turned their heads and stared at Daojing as if she had suddenly become a terrifying thing, so that they couldn't hide the look of horror on their faces.

  "What's wrong with you?" Li Huaiying exclaimed in surprise, Zhang Lianrui pulled up Wu Jianzhong's arm and ran out of the door without looking back, as if escaping a plague.

  The three people left in the house did not speak for a while.

  Hou Rui wanted to say something to Dao Jing, she nodded at him and he didn't speak.

  Li Huaiying gently patted her hand and smiled knowingly at Dao Jing, "I understand! They suspect you are... right?" Her agile big eyes turned a few times, then she twisted her slender waist and said, "I've always said it, 'Good people don't join parties!' I just hate the mutual intrigue and struggle between this party and that party. Politics is really just a contest for fame and profit."

  "Li Huaiying, your views are not correct!" Dao Jing said calmly, without showing any anger or frustration from the unexpected blow earlier. She looked at Li Huaiying with her moving big eyes and continued, "You oppose politics, but can anyone - whether consciously or unconsciously - exist outside of politics? You may not have realized it, but a few years ago when you helped me by covering for me, when you hated Hu Meng'an, Li Huaiying, did you know that at that time you had already become involved in the political struggle?"

  "Alright!" Li Huaiying pouted her small mouth and said coquettishly to Lin Daojing, "You politicians are always talking big, I won't bother telling you these things. Lin Daojing, what have you done to make Zhang Lianrui and the others treat you like this? I heard you even got beaten up by Wang Zhong?... Why suffer so much, it's really unjust!"

  Dào Jìng didn't answer her, casually flipping through the books on the bookshelf. Except for some foreign literary books, there were also some American and French fashion magazines.

  After flipping through a few pages, I saw a large color photo of a blonde 'girl' wearing the most fashionable Parisian clothes. Dao Jing raised her head and smiled at Li Huaying: "I heard that Beida chose you as the 'Flower King' this year. You really look beautiful. It's happy to have a beautiful appearance; if you also have a beautiful soul, it's even more beautiful."

  Li Huaying's pale face turned slightly red, but she didn't get angry. She just lightly patted the table and said, "Lin Daojing, no, Lu Fang - I'm not used to calling you by this new name, so I got into trouble. So, you can become a perfect person with both inner and outer beauty! You're always talking about teachings, it's endless! Today is really unlucky, for three whole hours, Liu Li, Zhang Lianrui, and now you, took turns lecturing me, it's simply headache-inducing." She playfully glared at them with big eyes and smiled, then said to Daojing and Ruirui, "However, no matter what, I still like you guys. I'm just a soft-hearted person. Lu Fang, my Peking University classmates not only crowned me as the 'Flower' Queen but also as the passionate 'Flower'. Do you know why? Because I treat everyone equally, regardless of their background."

  Li Huaying laughed again with a "heh heh" sound. Her laughter was innocent and lovely. She was indeed a passionate and kind-hearted girl.

  "The 'Flower' King, the passionate 'Flower' King, no fake, no fake." Hou Rui saw two "women" chattering away in a strange and lively manner, he couldn't get a word in edgewise, so he flipped through a book for a few moments, smiled casually, and then got up to take his leave. Just as he had walked out not far, Dao Jing followed closely behind him.

  As they walked side by side on the quiet, dark street, Hou Rui slightly impatiently said to Dao Jing: "I don't understand, why are you so patient and willing to spend so much effort to pursue someone like this - a 'flower' king or queen? Can people like that still be within our work scope? I've been waiting here for half a day just to meet with you, but my heart really isn't in it."

  Dào was silent for a moment, then turned her head and gazed at Hóu Ruì with her passionate eyes that shone brightly in the dark night: "Hóu Ruì, do you understand the essence of the Party's anti-Japanese stance? We can't just close our doors like we used to! Lǐ Huài Yīng is essentially a good girl, she has a sense of justice and passion. Of course, due to her background and her friendship with that 'female' poet Huáng Méi Shuāng from Fǔ Rén, she was influenced by many bad bourgeois ideas, so she's confused about politics. But you have to see another side: she has influence among our classmates..."

  She is the 'queen of flowers', a hardworking good student, enthusiastic about helping others, and has some prestige not only among English department classmates but also throughout the school. For someone like her, shouldn't we try to win her over? Don't you also agree with winning over the middle ground?"

  "Alright, you understand it better than I do. But I think it's all in vain!" Hou Rui sighed helplessly with a bitter smile. They walked down the sandy road in the dark night, facing the biting cold wind. After a pause, he spoke again in a slightly heavy tone, "Lu Fang, the situation is not good. Our plan to reorganize the student union and participate in *** has resulted..."

  "What was the result?" Dao Jing hurriedly asked another question.

  "In the end," said Hou Rui slowly, "the result will be that it's open, but after a fierce struggle, only a small number of classmates agree to participate."

  "Be more specific!" Jing turned her head and looked at Hou Rui lightly, saying, "The process, why did it fail?"

  He nodded. His smiling Buddha-like appearance was gone, and he spoke in a low and slow tone, without any enthusiasm: "We first united with a few progressive classmates, like Zhang Lianrui and Yu Zili, although they were not many, but they saw the tense situation and were all very active. However, they encountered strong enemies, that small bunch of Trotskyites and nationalist factions, who attacked from both sides - the Trotskyites used 'left' deception, while the nationalist faction used right-wing threats, saying whoever advocated participation in *** was deceived by the *** party... The progressive classmates opened up a struggle with these reactionary and deceptive speeches at the meeting, and the struggle was very fierce. As a result of the debate, some middle-of-the-road classmates, like Wu Jianzhong you saw earlier, came over to our side; however, more classmates were: disgusted by the fierce debate, turned around and walked away from the scene. Moreover, those reactionary guys had even prepared thugs beforehand, when the meeting was in full swing, suddenly big stones flew in from outside the window, making the scene chaotic."

  "What is the subjective reason for this outcome?" Dao Jing walked slowly with Hou Rui, they bypassed the Red Building of Beida and headed north.

  "Subjectively speaking, the reason is that we were not well-prepared and did not fully mobilize and organize all forces. When we made the plan, our original intention was to hold a new student union election at this plenary meeting of all students, and then use the name of the new student union to participate in ***. However, when it came time to open the meeting at San Yuan Hall, there were less than half of the total number of students present. The re-election of the student union was not possible, so we had to make a temporary motion for the old student union to participate in ***. At that time, some people agreed and others disagreed. In the end, some classes that agreed decided to send representatives to participate in ***; while those classes that disagreed declared that they would resolutely not participate. That's how things turned out."

  Dao Jing didn't make a sound, and Hou Rui also fell silent. As they walked through a cold and desolate alley, Dao Jing suddenly stopped, looked around to make sure no one was listening, then gently took hold of Hou Rui's hand and said excitedly: "Hou Rui, don't be discouraged, we will win! I think you're right, our preparations were not good enough, too hasty. The majority of students have not been mobilized yet, so it's natural to have such a result when the meeting was hastily convened." Dao Jing seemed to have transformed into an older sister at this moment - in fact, she and Hou Rui were about the same age. She didn't say a single dissatisfied word, but instead tried her best to comfort Hou Rui: "I always feel that the students of Beida are advanced, they are aware, it's just that there is no good way to organize them, to mobilize them, so some students have to bury their heads in books to comfort their painful hearts. But Hou Rui, if we can mobilize all of them, then what do those few reactionaries count for?" She smiled as she said this. Her voice was so gentle and full of confidence. This changed Hou Rui's mood. He also smiled. The two pairs of eyes that were far apart blinked a few times, looking at Dao Jing smiling: "Lu Fang, I really appreciate you. When people are in trouble, they need support and encouragement."

  I also believe that Peking University will soon have a new look. For now, we can only endure and wait for the opportunity... Hou Rui's voice suddenly changed as he spoke, and after hesitating for half a day, he said, "Lu Fang, there is something I want to tell you, but..."

  "Hou Rui, what's on your mind?"

  Hou Rui hesitated for a moment before saying: "Lu Fang, it's not very convenient for you to appear openly at Beida now. Are you leaving here? Because... because among many classmates, there is a rumor that there is a 'female' spy - a traitor, disguising herself as a student and active at Beida..."

  So Zhang Lianrui heard Li Huaiying call you and was scared away... Lu Fang, do you think you should hide for a while?

  Silence. The way is quiet for a long time and all are silent without words.

  "No, Hou Rui, I cannot leave Beida!" After a while, Dao Jing said firmly, "The party has given me this task, no matter how difficult it is, I must persist!... Of course, my actions will be more cautious - I can avoid attending classes, not attend certain public gatherings. But the work among students I still have to do..." She paused for a moment, thinking, and then said, "At present, it is precisely the most difficult period of our work, also the turning point that determines victory or defeat, I cannot leave you all. I want to contribute my share of strength to help you... Hou Rui, there are only three party members left in Beida, but the work is so complex and difficult!" She suddenly stopped talking.

  "Alright, I'll do that. Just be careful." After a while, Hou Rui's eyes blinked several times from afar, and suddenly 'exposed' a mischievous expression, "Lu Fang, I want to ask you, how did you become like this?"

  "What? Your words are making me confused." Dao Jing stopped in her tracks and looked around.

  "Weren't you a sentimental and introverted person in the past? How come I see that you're completely different now!"

  Dào Jìng slightly surprisingly stared at those kind eyes.

  "It's really strange, how did you know my past 'personality'? We haven't been working together for long?"

  "It's interesting to say. The name Lin Daojing, I'm extremely familiar with it."

  "When I was in middle school, I often went to my aunt's house. My cousin at that time was a good friend of yours and she would often mention you, saying what kind of person you were, so it left a deep impression on me. She described you as if you were a character from a novel, it was quite interesting. This time when you came, I didn't think that Lin Daojing was actually you. Tonight, when Li Huaiying mentioned it, I suddenly remembered that you were probably the classmate my cousin had talked about."

  "Who is your older female cousin?"

  "Do you still remember Chen Wei Ru?"

  "How is she doing now?"

  "He's already dead."

  "Dead? What disease?"

  "Suicidal!"

  Dào jìng de xīn tū dì dòng le yí xià. Tā xiǎng qǐ tā yòu nián shí dài xíng yǐng bù lí de nà ge nóng méi xiù mù de 'nǚ' háizi, màn màn zhuàn guò tóu lái wèn: "Tā zěn me zì shā le?——bú shì jià le rén dàng le kuò shǎo 'nǎi' 'nǎi' ma?"

  Across the street, there were police officers' footsteps. Hou Rui gently took Dao Jing's arm: "Her husband has a new lover and doesn't want her anymore, she took sleeping pills in anger."

  What a pity! She left behind two young children. It happened last year."

  For half a day, neither of them spoke again. As if mourning for that unfortunate, weak 'woman'.

  "Hou Rui, in the past I was indeed like your sister said, a sentimental and arrogant 'girl', until today my progress is still not great, with many 'problems'... Just now when Zhang Lianrui came, it was really unbearable, at that time my tears were churning in my stomach. I tried to endure... But Hou Rui, dear comrade..." Dao Jing suddenly grasped Hou Rui's hand tightly, "How difficult it is! The higher-ups haven't sent anyone to contact us for many days; many classmates misunderstand me and scold me; but all of this can't compare to the lack of progress in our work at Beida, nor to the fact that our party's ideology isn't unified, which makes me even more anxious... Hou Rui, let's take action positively! I really hope you can help me more."

  Silence. Hou Rui looked at Dao Jing for a long time, and there was no sound. Dao Jing glanced at Hou Rui with painful eyes, but didn't say anything else, and they parted ways.