Yu Hua - Brothers

Though he was bruised and battered, Song Fanping proudly held his ground, while the others were equally unwilling to leave. They felt that they had strength in numbers and were not about to give in. They said this wasn't over and insisted on getting something before they left: "At the very least we need compensation and apologies."

Eventually, it occurred to one of the peacemakers to propose to the tormentors that they each accept a cigarette from Song Fanping. According to the code of the time, to offer a cigarette after a fight was to admit defeat. The others considered this and agreed that it would be a good way of saving face. They said, "Fine, then we'll let him off the hook."

The peacemaker then walked up to Song Fanping. He didn't say the cigarettes were for admitting defeat but, rather, suggested that Song should pass out some auspicious wedding cigarettes. Song Fanping knew what cigarettes would signify and shook his head. "No cigarettes. All they'll get is my fist."

After saying this, Song Fanping looked over at Li Lan s tear-swollen eyes and at Song Gang and Baldy Li's faces covered with their own tears and other peoples spit. Suddenly he was filled with sadness. He stood for a while, then walked into the house, his head bowed. When he returned, he had a pack of cigarettes. Ripping it open, he walked over to the three men and three middle-school students and took out one cigarette after another, handing one to each of them. After he was finished and turned to walk away, the men called out, "Not so fast! Light them for us."

Song Fanping's sadness was immediately transformed into fury. He threw the cigarettes to the ground and was about to turn back and hurl himself into battle again when Li Lan leapt up and restrained him. She pleaded with him, "Let me do it. Let me go light them."

Li Lan went over to the men. She initially stood there wiping her eyes, then lit the match and used it to light the cigarettes dangling from their mouths. The middle-schooler named Sun Wei took a drag and then deliberately blew smoke into her face.

Song Fanping saw this, but this time he didn't fly into a rage. Instead, he simply lowered his head and walked into the house. Baldy Li saw that his stepfather was weeping as he walked in. This was the first time that Baldy Li saw Song Fanping cry.

After Li Lan lit their cigarettes, she placed the matches back in her pocket and walked over to Baldy Li and Song Gang. She used the corner of her blouse to wipe the tears and spittle off the boys’ faces. Taking them both by the hand, she walked inside, then closed the door behind them.

Though he usually didn't smoke, Song Fanping sat on a bench in the corner of the main room and smoked five cigarettes in a row. His coughing sounded like retching, and he spit blood-tinged saliva and phlegm all over the ground. This terrified the boys as they sat huddled on the bed, their legs trembling as they dangled off the edge of the bed. Li Lan covered her face with her hands and stood by the door. She was still weeping, her tears leaking through her fingers. After he finished smoking the five cigarettes, Song Fanping finally stood up. He removed his tattered clothes, wiped the blood off his face, and then with his sandaled foot he smudged the bloody spittle on the ground and proceeded into the inner room.

After a while Song Fanping emerged looking like a new man. He was wearing a clean white shirt, and although his face was bruised and swollen, he was smiling. He thrust out his fists toward Baldy Li and Song Gang and said, "Guess what I have?"

Both boys shook their heads. Song Fanping opened his hands, and when he had spread his fingers, they saw two hard candies in his palms. They laughed with delight as Song Fanping unwrapped the candies and placed them into their mouths. How sweet they were! The boys had been wanting to sweeten their mouths since this morning, but only now that the sun was almost setting were they finally able to savor the sweetness.

Song Fanping walked up to Li Lan, a smile on his swollen face. He patted her back, caressed her hair, and leaned over and whispered in her ear for a long time. Baldy Li and Song Gang sat on the bed eating the sweet hard candy. They didn't know what Song Fanping said to her, but after a while they saw that Li Lan was smiling, too.

That night the four of them sat together. Song Fanping cooked a fish and stir-fried a plateful of greens, and Li Lan brought out of her bag a bowl of braised pork that she had cooked earlier. Song Fanping got a bottle of yellow rice wine, pouring a cup for himself and another for Li Lan. Li Lan protested that she didn't drink, but Song Fanping replied that he didn't either and that after today no one would drink, but tonight they had to. "This is our auspicious wedding wine."

Song Fanping lifted his wine cup and waited for Li Lan to lift hers. He tapped his cup against hers, and she smiled bashfully. Song Fanping downed the yellow wine in one gulp, and the wounds in his mouth caused his face to contort in pain. He fanned his open mouth as if he had eaten a very hot chili pepper, then told Li Lan to drink up. She also drained her cup, and he waited until she put it down before setting his down as well.

Baldy Li and Song Gang sat next to each other on a long bench, their heads barely reaching the table. They rested their chins on the table-top, level with their parents’ elbows. Song Fanping and Li Lan piled the boys’ rice bowls high with meat, fish, and greens. Baldy Li took a bite of meat, a bite of fish, and a bite of greens and rice, then decided he didn't want any more. He turned to look at Song Gang next to him and said softly, "Candy."

Song Gang was relishing his mouthful of fish and meat, but when he heard Baldy Li, he decided he didn't want any more either. He also said softly, "Candy."

The children were already acquainted with the wonderful taste of fish and meat and enjoyed them a few times a year. But what they wanted now was candy. The sweetness in their mouths had disappeared quickly, so now they started to repeat over and over — first softly, then loudly, and finally at the top of their voices — the single word: "Candy, candy, candy …"

Li Lan explained that there wasn't any more, that she had already passed out all that she had. Song Fanping chuckled and asked the boys what kind of candy they wanted. The boys took up the wrappers on the table and said together, "This kind."

Song Fanping made a big show of reaching into his pockets, asking the boys, "So you want some hard candy?"

They nodded vigorously and craned their necks to peer into his pockets. But Song Fanping shook his head and said, "There isn't any more."

Both kids were so disappointed they almost wept, whereupon Song Fanping said, "There isn't any more hard candy, but there is soft candy."

The boys’ eyes opened wide. They had never heard of something called soft candy. They saw Song Fanping stand up, feeling through all his pockets as if looking for the soft candy, and their hearts pounded with excitement. He emptied each pocket in turn, saying, "Where's the candy?"

When Song Fanping emptied his last pocket and there was still nothing, the boys both burst into tears. Slapping his forehead, Song Fanping exclaimed, "Now I remember!"

Song Fanping turned and tiptoed into the inner room, as carefully as if he were about to go catch a flea, making Li Lan giggle. When his bruised and swollen face reemerged, Baldy Li and Song Gang saw that he was carrying a bag of milk candy in his hand.

The boys cried out in surprise. This was the first time they had tasted soft candy — chewy, cream-flavored candy. The wrapper had a picture of a big white bunny, and the name was White Rabbit. Song Fanping explained that his sister in Shanghai had sent these as their wedding present. He let Li Lan have one and took another for himself. Then he gave Baldy Li and Song Gang five each.