登陆注册
6739900000014

第14章

Someone knocked on his door at dawn. Zhang Yingcai thought it must be Principal Yu, coming to fetch him for the flag-raising ceremony. But he opened the door to find a blushing Ye Biqiu.

"Teacher Zhang, this is my father," she said.

Behind her was a man who looked like he had seen a lot of life.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Teacher Zhang," Biqiu's father said respectfully.

"Oh no, it's me who should be sorry for exploiting your labour like this," Yingcai replied.

"If my father-in-law was still alive, things would be different. He would have made sure there was a cook at school."

Yingcai wondered how on earth Biqiu's grandfather could have had been such powers. He asked, and learned that he had been Jieling's old village head, and that he had fought tooth and nail to get the school built.

"Before my father-in-law died, he liked to tell me that a mud stove lasts eight to ten years at most. But every new word that a child learns from a teacher lasts for generations."

Yingcai didn't understand. "I'm sure it lasts a lifetime—but generations?"

"Take my daughter for example. In a few years we'll find her a husband and she'll get married and have children. Then she will pass her learning on to the next generation. Her grandfather's favourite saying was, 'There's no expiration date on literacy.'"

Yingcai found all this unsettling. "Ye Biqiu is a bright girl, there's no need to marry her off too early. Let her study for a few more years yet."

"Of course. The government has made it clear that everyone must do their bit and not start families too young."

As Biqiu's father worked, Yingcai suddenly realised that he didn't have a wok. He started to hem and haw anxiously. Biqiu's father told him not to worry if he didn't have a wok, he had brought one with him—in fact, it had been Biqiu's idea. As he was explaining this, Biqiu came back in from the flag ceremony and brought over the wok that had been lying by the door. She overheard her father telling Yingcai, "My daughter loves school, but she doesn't have a future of study ahead of her. She's like her youngest aunt: she'll be someone's daughter-in-law soon and will have to look after her husband."

Yingcai couldn't help laughing, and Biqiu was so embarrassed that she dropped the wok. It nearly hit the floor. Luckily Yingcai reacted quickly so there was no damage to the wok, just a small cut on his hand.

Biqiu stopped her father from using dust from the wall to staunch the bleeding. "Teacher Zhang uses plasters, he doesn't use such old-fashioned remedies."

Biqiu's father had finished the stove by the time the afternoon lesson started. He lit a test fire then, satisfied, left. Yingcai's father turned up while the test fire was still burning. He had brought with him a letter for Yingcai, some lard, and a jar of pickled vegetables.

"I was worried that I didn't have anything to cook with, so you've come just at the right time," Yingcai said.

"I thought there would be a school canteen. I never imagined you'd have to cook for yourself."

Yingcai was astonished to hear that Biqiu's father had got someone to deliver a message to his father asking him to visit his son. He knew this must, again, be Biqiu's doing. He almost couldn't believe that Biqiu had done all this for him.

In order to stop thinking about it, he asked, "How's mum?"

"Oh you know my wife; in another four decades there'll be no danger of life."

Yingcai was impressed. "Dad, I had no idea you had such good turns of phrase."

"If you can be a teacher, my son, then your old man shouldn't try to make you eat shit."

Disappointed that his father had lowered the tone, he opened the letter instead of replying. It was, as he had hoped, from Yao Yan. He took his time over the three pages: the first half was full of meaningless phrases like "we shared a classroom for three years" and "you are like a brother to me" . Only the last sentence meant anything. Yao Yan told him that he was the only boy from school she had written to after graduation. Even though she signed off formally, Yingcai still read a lot of meaning into that one sentence. Ignoring his father, who'd travelled so far to see him, Yingcai bent over his table to compose a reply. He told Yao Yan that this was the second letter he had written to a girl from school; she had also received his first, and she would receive his third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth …

Principal Yu was going down the mountain to fetch their wages, and wanted Yingcai to go with him. They headed down the mountain, and when they arrived, Principal Yu, realizing that it was the first time in his life that Yingcai had earned a wage, said he could receive and count the money.

Without thinking, Yingcai asked, "Do we each get the same pay?"

"The money is divided equally between all community teachers," Principal Yu replied.

Yingcai did some mental calculations, but said nothing. When they got back to the school he wrote another letter to Station-Head Wan to ask him why they were getting five people's pay when there were only four community teachers at the school. He gave both the letters to his father, repeatedly reminding him that the letter to Yao Yan had to go by registered mail.

同类推荐
  • 把沉睡的时光摇醒

    把沉睡的时光摇醒

    《把沉睡的时光摇醒》精选了梭罗、海明威、罗斯金、莫里斯、里尔克、笛福、兰姆、马克·吐温、托尔斯泰、毛姆、戴克、怀特、艾默生等50多位全球公认的文学巨匠,近百篇最美的散文,100多幅精美插画。全书精致雅美,传承名家之灵气,有如万般激流在心中翻涌,又似气吞山河的力量,抑或万物如谜般沉默静美,给人无限的想象和心灵滋养。
  • 诺桑觉寺(纯爱·英文馆)

    诺桑觉寺(纯爱·英文馆)

    《诺桑觉寺》,与其他五部奥斯丁的长篇不同,采用了公开的叙述者和外露的作者型的叙述声音,展现了作者权威。它是奥斯丁打算出版的第一部小说,定稿完成于1797年左右,即奥斯丁大概22岁的时候。在这部小说中,作者初露锋芒,文风初步成形,就是以“一个村镇上的三、四户人家”为生活背景,以极具讽刺的笔法叙述一个婚嫁故事。
  • 黎明踏浪号(纳尼亚传奇:中英双语)

    黎明踏浪号(纳尼亚传奇:中英双语)

    《黎明踏浪号》讲述了暑假里,爱德蒙和露西住在哈罗德舅舅家,和表弟尤斯塔斯住在一起。尤斯塔斯是个令人讨厌的家伙。有一天,墙上的一幅画有帆船的油画忽然将他们拉进了画中,他们在船上遇到了凯斯宾国王,他正出航寻找被叔叔驱逐的骑士们。航行的另一个目的是希望找到雄狮阿斯兰的王国。一路上他们经过了各种神奇的岛屿,如孤独岛、声音岛、黑暗岛等等,历尽种种艰险。他们解除了魔法,唤醒了三位沉睡着的爵爷,最后又都回到纳尼亚。爱德蒙、露西也回到剑桥舅妈家。
  • The Last Chieftain 妹娃要过河

    The Last Chieftain 妹娃要过河

    故事发生在兵荒马乱年代长江三峡边的一个土家山寨。伍娘是一个哑女,但聪颖过人舞技绝世;无意中撞进山寨的外乡人李安因偷吃土家祭祀的供品受到重罚;土司覃尧看似罚他却是救他,并许诺将伍娘许与李安。伍娘出嫁前夜按照祖先赋予的初夜权,将自己奉献给了神。土司覃尧作为神的化身得到了伍娘但与此同时才发现自己原本深爱着这个女子,从此陷入深深的痛苦。李安不能接受山寨的习俗,将对伍娘的喜爱化成了厌恶和仇恨,不断给纯洁无辜的伍娘以伤害,土司覃尧却因信义而只能默默地忍受煎熬无法相助,火焰一般的爱恨情仇之间,美丽的伍娘以她的生命完成了最后的舞蹈。李安逃离山寨,覃尧在长江边堵住了他,命运将指向何方?
  • 英文疑难详解

    英文疑难详解

    《英文疑难详解》采用问答模式,对读者提出的英语疑难问题进行详细的解答,具有极强的针对性、实用性。书中将200个问题分为13大项,从各种词类的使用方法上升到语法及表达方式,再到中英语言差异和成语研究等语言的文化层面,有利于读者由浅及深地学习。虽然作者针对的是具体问题进行解答,但每一个问题都会举出大量的例句,穷尽问题所涉及知识点的方方面面,填补读者的知识鸿沟。
热门推荐
  • 社交女达人:交友建议,教你如何吸引男人找到男友

    社交女达人:交友建议,教你如何吸引男人找到男友

    本书将帮你找到自己,让你了解你真正想要的是什么样的男人,并在他们出没的地方遇见他们;让你做你热衷的事,同时又能认识好男人;帮你重树信心!简单四步,立即执行!让你成为社交达人!
  • 马克·吐温短篇小说选集(纯爱·英文馆)

    马克·吐温短篇小说选集(纯爱·英文馆)

    《马克·吐温短篇小说精选》中收录的作品,以幽默的语言,表达了对人民、尤其是对被压迫被剥削人民的热爱和对伪善者、剥削者、压迫者的愤恨。
  • 孔子全书

    孔子全书

    《孔子全书》旨在针对当代人的精神境遇,有侧重地选择思想大师孔子的言论,阐释他闪烁着智慧光芒的人文思想。
  • 说妙法决定业障经

    说妙法决定业障经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 珏印

    珏印

    她有一个名字,叫婉月。是十八世纪顾氏家族里不受待见的四小姐。她逃出古宅,在旧小巷子昏迷,醒来后,竟然成了异世――圣珏大陆的一个女子。她身体的心脏处被“珏”印上代表身份和力量的月牙印。并其他三位王储――掌管北面的斯塔·皓邪,掌管西面的斯塔·辰,以及掌管南面的格·擎苍,有所不同,她的心脏背面,多出一个印子。而这个印子,与亿万年前被珏选出的主――魅月,有着千丝万缕的联系。诅咒还在婉月失忆的时候继续祸害平民。奇怪的白面书生,时而出现,守护婉月。他是谁?神秘的龙神男子,虽不是王储,却在婉月和地位间游离不定。斯塔辰,与婉月打闹千年!究竟谁会成为主?婉月究竟是魅月之后,还是魅月转世,她究竟是谁?
  • 随身幸福空间

    随身幸福空间

    有空间,你的第一反应是什么,有空间,你心里想的是什么,有空间,你会做什么? 某一天,乌朵朵人品大爆发的有了一个空间,乌朵朵的第一反应就是我发了,我发了,我大发了,想的是以后吃穿不愁,没工作也饿不死,可以当米虫了!做的是一份混日子的工作,闲暇种种田,养养花,多余的再来卖卖菜,最后,利用好菜勾搭个好老公!^_^ 想要空间无比强大的慎入,想要女主从此呼风唤雨的慎入,本文只有平淡的温馨的自娱自乐的空间生活!-_-||| 天使建的作品群:180633925敲门砖是天使任何主角的名字!
  • 重生之轮回证道

    重生之轮回证道

    落魄散修莫名穿越回少年时代,一路觅仙缘,斗诸妖,灭群雄,于乱世之中杀出一条问鼎至尊的长生大道。喜欢本书的小哥哥们请多多支持哦!有兴趣的可以加书友群啦~~~【欢迎加入喵喵喵,群聊号码:795477975】
  • 明伦汇编宫闱典外戚部

    明伦汇编宫闱典外戚部

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 皇后很倾城

    皇后很倾城

    一场风驰电掣,雷霆万钧的无间道战役,她为国家光荣牺牲,葬身黑海。这个她可以忍受,可是为什么让她模糊的看到无数身穿白大褂,蒙脸的医师日在奋战抢救了了几十个小之后,醒来时却发现自己已成一个襁褓婴儿,正被一个眉目刚毅,丰神俊朗的小男孩抱在怀中,只见他凝视着自己,剑眉一挑,面目天真,眼底却深邃的道:“她是朕的皇后?”皇后?靠,老天爷,你跟我开什么玩笑!
  • 冥王游戏

    冥王游戏

    神马!冥王是个猥琐老头?我靠!系统是我爸爸?