5/09/2018

My Taoist Career_Chapter 3 My father’s begging


Since my parents decided to ask Widow the older Zhou about my problem, Widow Zhou’s home was my father’s frequent destination for visits. To avoid any gossip, my father often went there after 9 o’clock in the evening.
There was no recreational activity in the countryside. The days in winter got shorter. Widow Zhou lived at the west end of the village, while we were at the opposite end. The whole way from our home to hers consisted of field paths which were narrow and bumpy. My father dared not use a flashlight, fearful of others noticing him. Though he fell down on the paths numerous times, he failed to persuade Widow Zhou to offer help. 
Was my father not considerate? No. Every time he went, bringing a variety of presents, like extravagant at that time, milk powder and preserved meat which my family resisted eating but saved for Widow Zhou, my father even promised to give her half of our harvest.
But every time, Widow Zhou gave the same response: “ah, Chen, we are fellow villagers, if ah, I can, I will, ah help you. How I can I receive your, ah, presents? Ah, now, with the current society, ah, you know better than me, ah, if I am arrested by the government, ah, then who will look after my child? Ah, and my whole family will be implicated, ah, don’t place me in dilemma. Ah.”
Like her burp, Widow Zhou’s reply just disgusted my father, but was there any alternative? My father had to try again and again.
Later, my father’s frequent visits finally drew suspicion from her family, who questioned Widow the older Zhou and finally understood the matter. Widow Zhou`s father-in-law responded: “Chen, your act is not appropriate. You are making trouble for us, aren’t you? We don’t talk about whether my daughter-in-law is able to cure your child. Even if she can manage it, dare we? Your child’s life is cherished, but so are our lives. Leave us, please.”
When my father didn’t give up and went there again, the younger Zhou, not allowing my father to speak a word, took up a hoe to beat him. The matter seemed at an impasse.
My health remained weak. In particular, I cried occasionally as if my throat was seized by someone, which made the whole family overwhelmed by distress.”
Though our house was so warm, with a hot stove in the freezing winter, my family’s hearts didn’t feel bit of warmth. My litter sisters were also worried about me. Every time I cried they would look at my parents. They were afraid to hear my father’s sigh and to see my father’s sorrowful eyes.
Another bout of weeping, I began to cry again, but this time my cry sounded more severe. As per usual, my mother scooped me up and patted me, but it didn’t work this time.
“Maybe he is hungry. Bring some milk for him. There is still some leftover milk that I fetched today, let me heat it up.” When a baby was crying loudly, common sense said that he it was probably hungry. My father felt heart-broken upon hearing my throat-held cry. He stood up to warm the milk on the stove.
My family remained in somber silence, except for my intermittent weeping and my mother’s gentle pacifying words for me.
Finally, the boiling milk broke the gloomy atmosphere. My father took a bowl to pour out some milk, blew at it to help it cool down, and gave it to my mother. And they all expected me to get better after sucking milk.
But after one minute, all of a sudden, my mother shrieked with panic: “Chen, Chen, come here, have a look. What’s wrong with our child?”
My mother’s lips were shivering, and my father hastened to look at me. Instantly, his face turned black.
I couldn’t swallow the milk. The milk was choked out by my coughs. Not like the normal milk choking of other infants; I just couldn’t suck it in.
My whole face turned livid, my coughing sounded like an old man’s, which was the severest condition since my birth. Looking at the swelling blue veins of my neck, my father got panicky for the first time.
Still patting me, my mother tried to make me feel better. My sisters also shed tears in fear but refrained from making any noise to further upset my anxious parents. My father, with tearful eyes, gasped deeply with fury.
Suddenly my father stormed out, and returned after taking up a knife in the kitchen, then brandished the knife in the room madly.
“Damn it, I, Chen Hongjun never has done anything immoral, so why do you possess my son? If you want to do harm to us, just target me, me, but don’t hurt my son. You are so cruel, look at what you are doing to such a tiny baby. Come out, I will kill you,”
My father seemed mad, but it was no wonder that my father became like that, since he went to the clinic and several hospitals in the town, and even the urban hospitals’ doctors found no problem but malnutrition.
But how could my condition be explained, since I didn’t suffer from any respiratory tract disease? According to my sisters’ and my parents’ memory, it was as if my throat was being held by someone.
Initially, my father held some doubt about Granny Liu, but after that he had to believe her. That is why he went crazy that night.
But his mad movements scared my sisters into crying. My mother, showing a woman’s special toughness, turned out to be the calmest one.
Patting me, my mother grabbed my father`s swinging hand, Chen, we don’t only have a son. If you remain like this, who could the two daughters and I rely on? You look at your daughters, how scared they are. Calm down!”
My father seemed to regain consciousness after hearing my mom’s words. However, weirdly, I started getting a little better.
I could breathe better and my heart-broken crying gradually ceased, while my livid face turned pale. My father finally quieted down when he found that I was getting better.
My mother put me on the bed to soothe my sisters, and pacified them enough to go to their room to sleep.
When she returned to the room, looking at my father, she said calmly: “Chen, I will ask for Widow Zhou tonight.”
“It is said that ghosts are afraid of villains, Xiu Yun. I have understood what is happening to our son, and I have the same opinion as you. We are going tonight. Our son may lose his life if we cannot solve this problem promptly.” my father agreed with my mother.
As they had made the decision, they held me in their arms and set off without any hesitation. My father even used a flashlight, regardless of anyone’s notice. They only tried to reach Widow Zhou’s home as soon as possible.
In the chilly wind, it took a little over ten minutes for them to complete the journey, which usually took about twenty minutes. After I grew up, I often imagined that if they hadn’t brought me, they would have taken even less time.
Humans’ potential is unlimited. The mountain in metaphysics highlights the cultivation of one’s morality. To put it simply, it tends to inspire one’s potential.
When they reached Zhou’s residence around eight or nine o`clocktheir gates had already been shut, since there was no creational activity in the countryside at that time.
Instead of shouting from outside, my father just banged on the gate anxiously, which sounded extremely ear-piercing in the quiet night.
Soon someone replied from the courtyard: “who is that?” it was the younger Zhou’s voice.
My father, knocking on the gate more harshly, didn’t speak, nor allowed my mother to, for fear of the younger Zhou not opening the gate. Since my father’s persistence irritated the Zhou family.
“Who is that? Why aren’t you speaking?” The younger Zhou got angry, raising his voice.
My father still kept on knocking, and the younger Zhou roared: “If you don’t speak, I won’t open the gate.”
Getting anxious, my mother whispered to my father: “Chen, you’d better talk.”
“Nonsense! The younger Zhou definitely won’t open for us if he recognized our voices, due to his personality. If I just keep knocking; he will open the gate when he can’t stand it anymore. As you know, he is bold, (if he was timid, how did he dare to go to west wing room at night).” at that time, my father acted differently from his usual modest behavior.
As my father expected, after 10 minutes of persistent banging, the younger Zhou, holding a chopper in hand, opened the gate furiously.
As soon as the younger Zhou opened the gate, my father rushed in without a word, which gave The younger The older Zhou shock. He couldn’t figure out what happened.
“Stop, what are you doing here? Why are you intruding into other’s residence?” screamed the younger Zhou, as he could barely hold back my father.
Instantly my father pulled my mother into the yard, and slammed the gate. Then he was relieved and started to reply: The younger Zhou, it is me, Chen.”
“You, Chen, what are you doing?” The younger Zhou breathed with relief, he knew my father was coming for a bad purpose.
The younger Zhou was angry, but resisted bursting out laughing, thinking it was somewhat amusing.
“The younger Zhou, we are fellow villagers. Let us enter the room to talk, ok? You know I cannot force you to do something, but please listen to me explain. Please tell me whether I am an honest man in the village, whether I have once treated you without a consideration before?” well, it was not very easy for him, a country man, to make such a speech embodying affection and reasoning.
My father’s speech apparently worked. Given my father’s everyday honest behavior, the younger Zhou softened his voice and replied: “Ok, come in, you win.”
My father breathed in relief, considering that maybe he would succeed tonight, since the younger Zhou, the toughest person of the Zhou family, had allowed them in.
So my parents, carrying me, entered the main room. The whole Zhou family was crowded around the stove in the room. There were some roasted sweet potatoes on the stove.
Zhou’s father looked up and gave a sniff, recognizing my father. When he found my mother carrying a baby in her arms, his grim face softened. He couldn’t help to heave a sigh.
Widow Zhou, though she wanted to say something, only emitted 2 burps instead.
Biting a cigarette holder, Zhou`s father took a deep drag of tobacco, said: Yue Shuangtake Zhou Qiang and Zhou Hongjun to sleep.”
Yue Shuang was the wife of the younger Zhou. At the request of their father, Yue Shuang, with a quick obedient response, took Zhou Qiang and Zhou Jun out of the room. Zhou Qiang was the posthumous son of the older Zhou while Zhou Jun was The younger Zhou’s son. They both went to primary school.
“No, grandfather, I will go to bed after I eat a roasted sweet potato.” Zhou Qiang didn’t want to leave.
“Me, too.” Zhou Jun followed his elder brother.
Glaring at them, the younger Zhou reproached them loudly: “Roasted sweet potatoes cannot fly. Hurry up and go to bed, or I will give you a sound beating.”
In the face of their father and uncle’s authority, the two kids were obediently taken away by the hand by the younger Zhou’s wife.
“Chen HongjunI clearly understand your purpose. But I have made it clear that you cannot place us in this dilemma.” Said Zhou`s father, tapping on his pipe. 
It was not that they were ruthless. Besides not being able to ensure they would cure me, as for the political atmosphere, they would be risking too much in doing this.
With imploring eyes looking at Zhou’s father, my father didn’t mention a word, but his tears welled up instantly. He knelt down before Zhou’s father, and my mother, hugging me, also knelt down.
A man doesn’t shed tears until he is broken-hearted.
My father rarely shed tears in his whole life. For the sake of his only son, he had to kneel down before others.
For what they did for me, I am so grateful, and whatever I do to them will not be sufficient to repay them. Filial piety tops all virtues. Not treating one’s parents with kindness is equal to committing the most serious sin.
“Chen Hongjun, you needn’t do this. What are you kneeling down for?” said Zhou`s father, standing up as he saw my father kneeling down.
The old generation in rural areas was most concerned about the custom that accepting other’s kneeling without giving them favor would be bring bad fortune.

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