Chapter 48

Dai Min tidied up the washed clothes in the back of the courtyard at dusk every day. She put away the dresses and gave them to Madame Wang, who then ironed them. She chose this heavy work in order to signal to Liu Lijing about the potential danger. Liu could see what Dai was doing as he approached the Zhang’s house. The bamboo pole she used for hanging clothes was the instrument for sending signals of warning. Before the event of the grenade, Dai had not used this signal.

Dai was under guard after the event of grenade. In fact, everybody in the house was under strict guard. The public security workers and PLA soldiers wanted to catch the criminal or bandit. Tang was asked to visit the public security office. Dai accused herself of having brought trouble to the Zhang’s.

Dai had been annoyed and frustrated recently. She used to hate the Zhang’s, but now she felt she had wronged them. The Zhang’s had suffered a lot in these days. It was her as a bad woman who had made them suffer so much.

She was also aware that her affairs with Liu had brought trouble to the Zhang’s. In the villagers’ eyes her affairs with Liu would be regarded as lusty. Sometimes, Dai did have a sense of guilt for her own sons and the Zhang’s because of her affairs.

Now, Tang had to suffer so much. If the sister-in-law could admit wrong to the government, maybe she would not suffer so much. But she was faithful to Lord, and kept silent. Dai was sorry for her.

Dai realized that she was guilty and owed much to the Zhang’s. She was worried about Liu’s safety. She missed him a lot though she was aware that her affairs were troublesome to the Zhang’s. That was frustration to her.

The frustration made Dai uneasy. She was tortured between love for Liu, and sympathy and guilt for the Zhang’s.

Dai put away the washed clothes, and hung them on a bamboo pole. She looked at the stadium in the distance. It was empty there, with a few white clouds above and green mountains nearby. Dai was frustrated.

It was 3 p.m. The kids were at school and the other people were resting in their rooms. Dai went out, pretending to buy some food. She went around the stadium and did not find Liu there.

Dai came to a basketball court. She went up the stone bleachers, and looked in the distance. She could see the Zhang’s house clearly in this position. She thought the bamboo pole she put up in the Zhang’s courtyard could serve as a signal of warning to Liu.

Dai sat down, and felt depressed. She was worried about Liu’s safety. They had been separated for three months. That day, he was so brave and lusty as to climb over the surrounding wall to enter the Zhang’s house! How was he now? Did he escape with the other bandits? Did he decide to abandon her? He could find a young pretty girl easily. Dai was over 30. She was eager for his love.

Liu said Dai was his favorite woman. She was from a farmer’s family, but cared little about money. She needed passions and love.

Liu said women needed care and love like flowers, or they would wither. He was right! Dai was a woman with strong feelings. She would pay back his love with her heart and mind. She would cherish his love all the time.

The trees in the Zhang’s courtyard looked lush. She hoped Liu could live happily like the trees. She was sorry for his exile life. Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Why are you crying here?” A man approached her and asked in a caring tone.

Dai turned back and found a young man at least 10 years younger than her. He asked her, “Did anyone mistreat you?”

Dai made no response but planned to leave. The young man dragged her, saying, “Can’t you sit down? Let’s make friends.”

Dai’s face turned red from ear to ear. She had a hunch that some bad man came. She began to run, and wanted to get back home by the lane, where a plain-clothes man stopped her, saying:

“We’re from the public security office. Make no protest and follow us!”

Dai got weak at this word. She recalled Zhang Yunchang was taken away in this way. She was shocked.

Dai was a minority woman. She was superstitious. She thought it was her dead husband playing a practical joke on her for her affairs with Liu. She thought she would suffer a lot.

The public security office was a long distance from the lane. Dai hoped that she could meet an acquaintance on the way. So, she moved slowly deliberately. But it was ironical that she did not meet any acquaintance when she wanted to. Then, she found the fruit-selling old man named Mr. Yuan. She wanted to tell him about her situation. Nevertheless, the public security worker ordered:

“Follow me quickly. Don’t play any tricks!”

Dai had to do as required. An old farmer came with a bamboo pole on his shoulders. He carried a lot of cages of grasshoppers, which howled all the time. Dai thought, “Even the grasshoppers in the cages dared to shout, why not me?”

She met an acquaintance on a street. She wanted to tell the latter about her situation. But she dared not. Then, she came to the public security office.