Yu Hua - Brothers

As a result, Liu's two most eminent literary figures were both quite pleased with themselves, and when they ran into people, they immediately pulled open their jackets, showing off their Mishima and Kawa-bata labels. They informed the towns ignorant masses that these two surnames belonged to extraordinary families, and that Japan s two most accomplished authors were named Mishima and Kawabata — that is, Yukio Mishima and Yasunari Kawabata. While explaining this, their faces flushed bright red as if, in wearing Mishima and Kawabata suits, they had already become the towns own Yukio Mishima and Yasunari Kawabata. Now when Liu's two Men of Talent ran into each other in the street, they would first bow to each other before politely exchanging pleasantries.

One such time Writer Liu nodded his head and smiled as he inquired of Poet Zhao, "You have been well lately?"

Poet Zhao also smiled and nodded. "I have been well."

Writer Liu asked, "Have you penned any poems lately?"

"Lately I haven't been writing poetry," Poet Zhao replied. "Instead I have been planning out an essay. I already have a title: ‘Liu Town the Beautiful and Myself"

Writer Liu shouted his approval: "But for two words it could be Yasunari Kawabata's famous essay ‘Japan the Beautiful and Myself!"

Poet Zhao nodded modestly and inquired of Writer Liu, "And you, sir, have you penned any short stories lately?"

"These days I haven't been writing stories," Liu answered. "Instead I have been plotting out a novel, whose title will be Temple of the Peaceful Heaven."

"That is a great title," Poet Zhao exclaimed loudly. "But for two words it could be Yukio Mishima's masterpiece Temple of the Golden Pavilion."

The town's two Men of Talent bowed to each other once more and then set off at stately paces in opposite directions. Liu's townspeople watched them with amusement, remarking that these two idiots had just been seen chatting with each other, so how was it that an hour later this had become "lately"? And what was up with this business of bowing to each other? The Liu elders who still remembered having seen Japanese soldiers during the war explained that when Japanese meet, they always bow to each other. Some of the townspeople pointed to the departing Writer Liu and Poet Zhao and said skeptically, "But those two are quite obviously Liu town idiots, not Japanese idiots."

Yanker Yu and Popsicle Wang strutted spiritedly through the streets of Liu. Baldy Li had struck it rich with his Japanese junk suits, and since these two had bought in, their boats now rose with the tide, and cash filled their pockets. Yanker Yu tossed out his thick Human Anatomy textbook, put away his dentistry implements, and announced his retirement. He added that from now on there wouldn't be another tooth pulled within a hundred-mile radius of Liu, and even if all the Liu townsfolk were about to die from toothaches, he would still pay them no heed. Popsicle Wang immediately followed Yu s lead, throwing away his icebox and announcing that the following summer there would be no sight of it and that even if the Liu townspeople were all dying of thirst, he would still pay them no heed.

Yanker Yu wore a Matsushita suit while Popsicle Wang wore a Sanyo one, and both strolled idly up and down the streets of Liu. When they ran into each other, they couldn't help laughing, happier than a pair of toads feasting on the succulent flesh of a swan. Then Yanker Yu would pat his pocket and ask Wang, "Do you have any money?"

Wang would pat his own pocket and answer, "Yup."

Yu, intoxicated with his sudden wealth, concluded, "This is what is called reaching heaven in a single step."

Then, out of curiosity, Yanker Yu asked Popsicle Wang which family's suit he was wearing. Wang dramatically pulled open his jacket and displayed the Sanyo name embroidered on the inside of his breast pocket. Yu exclaimed in surprise, "It's the Sanyo family, the electronics kings!"

Wang laughed with satisfaction. Yu, not to be outdone, pulled open his own suit jacket. Wang looked in and saw the name Matsushita and also remarked in surprise, "Yours belongs to the Matsushita family, owners of Panasonic!"

"Sanyo and Matsushita are both electronics kings, meaning that you and I are in the same field." Yu waved his hand and added, "We're not only in the same field; we're fierce competitors."

"That's right." Wang nodded emphatically.

At that point Song Gang, who was also wearing a Japanese junk suit, walked over. When all the men in Liu started wearing suits, Lin Hong rushed over to Baldy Li's warehouse and spent a couple of hours rummaging around for a suit for her husband. Song Gang's handsome figure in a handsome black suit was a sight to behold as he strutted through town. Everyone who saw him in his suit shouted out their approval, saying that Song Gang was even more commanding than the Warring States period poet Song Yu and even more dashing than the Western Jin Dynasty gallant Pan An. Yanker Yu and Popsicle Wang heard everyone's shouts of approval and made a show of also nodding their heads, although in reality they were a bit envious. Yu gestured for Song Gang to come over, and when he approached, Yu asked him, "Whose is yours?"

Song Gang pulled open his jacket and said, "The Fukuda family's."

Yu looked at Popsicle Wang, and Wang said, "I've never heard of them."

"I haven't heard of them either," added Yu with satisfaction. "Compared with the Matsushita and Sanyo families, the Fukuda are clearly quite insignificant. However," Yu suggested, "if you change a single character in Fukuda, then you have Toyota, which is a huge car manufacturer."

Song Gang smiled. "Well, this Fukuda suits me fine."

Yu shook his head regretfully at Wang, who did the same. Even though their physiques and appearance could not compare with Song Gang's, the lineage of their suits was obviously far superior. Yu and Wang therefore continued to strut proudly though the streets of town, then entered the little alley where they both lived and walked right up to Tailor Zhang's little stand. At that moment, Zhang, also in a junk suit, was sitting on the bench where his customers usually sat. Yu and Wang laughed as they stood in his doorway, but Zhang merely stared at them blankly, completely lost in thought. Yu asked Zhang, "Whose is yours?"

Zhang snapped out of his reverie and saw Yu and Wang standing there. He laughed bitterly. "Baldy Li is such a bastard. Now that he's brought all these imported suits here, no one wants me to make them anything."

Yanker Yu had no interest in Tailor Zhang's woes. He repeated, "Whose is yours?"

Tailor Zhang sighed and waved his hands. "No one will ask me to make them suits anymore."

Yanker Yu shouted impatiently, "I'm asking you which family's suit are you wearing?"

Finally understanding, Tailor Zhang peeked inside his jacket: "Jiushan."

Yanker Yu and Popsicle Wang looked at each other, and Wang asked Tailor Zhang, "Is that the same Jiushan who was one of the Japanese enemies in the Cultural Revolutionary model opera The Red Lantern?"

Tailor Zhang nodded. "Yes, that's the one."

Somewhat disappointed to discover that Tailor Zhang wasn't wearing a no-name suit, Wang asked, "Does this also count as a famous name?"

"It is indeed a famous name," Yu replied. "But in famous." Popsicle Wang nodded emphatically. "Yes, definitely infamous." Yanker Yu and Popsicle Wang felt as if they had survived a close call at Tailor Zhang's. They smugly continued forward, finally reaching Little Scissors Guan's stand. Little Guan had found himself two junk suits, one black and the other gray, whereupon he abruptly decided he no longer wished to keep sharpening scissors. He stood in front of his stand flaunting his exquisite sense of style, wearing his black suit in the morning and his gray suit in the afternoon. Whenever he encountered anyone, he would start chattering endlessly while lightly brushing the dandruff off his shoulders — using his left hand to brush his right shoulder and his right hand to brush his left. Ever since the men of Liu started wearing these junk suits, at every occasion they would open each other's jackets and ask, "Whose is yours?" This quickly became a fad, and Little Scissors Guan finally noticed that his own suits were not name brands, which left him depressed for several days. Eventually he plucked off the no-name labels from the breast pockets of his suits and stitched the names Sony and Hitachi in their place. Little Scissors Guan was thinking that Sony and Hitachi were famous electronics brands, but what he didn't realize was that they were brand names, not surnames. When Yanker Yu and Popsicle Wang approached, Little Scissors Guan, wearing his black Sony suit, proudly leaned over and eagerly asked, "Whose are yours?"