Yu Hua - Brothers

Grasping on to Li Lan s shirt, Baldy Li and Song Gang followed her into the photography studio. As she received the photograph her hands would not stop trembling; she hugged the photograph close to her chest, along with the black sash and white cloth, and continued her proud journey down the main street. At that moment she had forgotten that Baldy Li and Song Gang were following. Her head was filled with images of Song Fanping, instructing the photographer on how to position the lights and when to press the shutter, and all four of them happily walking out of the studio toward the bus depot. It was at the depot that she last waved goodbye to Song Fanping, and this was the final image she had of him. By the time she had returned from Shanghai, Song Fanping was no longer.

Li Lan pressed on, resisting the urge to take the family portrait out of the envelope she held in her trembling hands. She forced herself to walk proudly until she reached the bridge, where the parading masses blocked her way. She, of course, didn't know that Song Fanping had once stood here, gloriously waving a giant red flag, but once she stopped, she could not control herself any longer and removed the photograph. The first thing she noticed was Song Fanpings open smile, and before she could make out the other three smiling faces, she had collapsed. For three days she had borne this horrible tragedy with dignity and reserve, but now Song Fanpings smile in the photograph completely undid her.

Baldy Li and Song Gang were still holding on to her shirttails when suddenly she disappeared. Standing before them was a man with an astonished expression. The boys then noticed that Li Lan had fallen to the ground, and they cried as they squatted, nudging her. She, however, merely lay there with her eyes closed, unresponsive. Baldy Li and Song Gang burst out in terrified wails as more and more people gathered around. The two boys knelt beside Li Lan, believing that they were now all alone in this world. Weeping, they begged the bystanders to save their mother, not realizing that she had merely fainted. They sobbed as they asked, "Why has Mama fallen down?"

Everyone was talking at the same time, then one suggested, "Flip up her eyelids. Are her pupils dilated?"

Baldy Li and Song Gang rushed to flip open her eyelids. They looked at her eyes but didn't know exactly which were her pupils. Looking up, they answered, "They're very large."

This man said, "If her pupils are dilated, she's probably dead."

When the boys heard this, they clutched each other and cried even louder. Another man bent down, saying, "Stop crying, stop crying. You kids don't even know what pupils are. Feel for her pulse. If you can feel her pulse, then you know she isn't dead."

Baldy Li and Song Gang immediately stopped crying and asked anxiously, "Where do we find her pulse?"

The man extended his left hand and used his right to point it out, "Right here, on the wrist."

Baldy Li and Song Gang each grabbed one of Li Lan's hands and started feeling her wrists. The man asked them, "Do you feel anything?"

Baldy Li shook his head. "Nothing."

Baldy Li looked nervously at Song Gang, who also shook his head. "Nothing."

The man stood back up, concluding, "Then she probably is dead."

Baldy Li and Song Gang now felt that they had lost all hope. They opened their mouths and wailed. After a while they paused, then burst out again. Song Gang sobbed, "Papas dead. Now Mamas dead, too."

At that point, Blacksmith Tong appeared on the scene. He squeezed in through the crowd and squatted down, shaking the two boys and telling them to stop their crying. He said, "What dilated pupils or beating pulse? That's for the doctor to decide. You kids don't know a thing. Listen to me: Put your ear against her chest — do you hear thumping inside?"

Song Gang wiped away his snot and placed his head against Li Lan s chest. After listening for a while, he raised his head and nervously said to Baldy Li, "I think I hear thumping."

Baldy Li also hurriedly wiped away his tears and snot and listened for a while. He also heard her heart beating. He nodded to Song Gang, "I hear it, too."

Blacksmith Tong stood up and scolded the two men who had spoken earlier, "You two don't know crap. You only know how to frighten children."

Then Blacksmith Tong told Baldy Li and Song Gang, "She's not dead. She just fainted. Why don't you let her lie there for a while? She'll come to eventually."

Baldy Li and Song Gang immediately broke into wide grins. Wiping at his tears, Song Gang raised his face to Blacksmith Tong and said, "Blacksmith Tong, you will be rewarded in the next life."

Blacksmith Tong was very pleased with Song Gang's words. He smiled. "Now, that's true."

Baldy Li and Song Gang sat quietly by Li Lan's side. Song Gang picked up the photograph that had fallen to the ground, took a look for himself, and then showed it to Baldy Li before carefully placing it back into the envelope. More and more people gathered on the bridge, and many of them squeezed over to take a look at the boys. After inquiring about them from others, they then squeezed out of the crowd again. The two boys sat there patiently. From time to time they stole a look at each other and smiled. After a very long time had passed, Li Lan finally got up. The boys were so happy they shouted to the bystanders, "Mama's woken up!"

Li Lan had no idea what had just happened, only that she was crawling up from the ground. Embarrassed, she carefully dusted herself off and once again gathered the photograph and the black sash and white cloth to her chest. She didn't say a word the entire way home. Baldy Li and Song Gang didn't dare to say anything either, but they were bursting with emotion. They held on tightly to Li Lans clothes — having regained their mother after believing that they had lost her, they were filled with happiness. From time to time they would crane their necks to look at Li Lans front, at her back, and exchange tiny smiles.

THE FOURTH DAY AFTER Song Fanpings death, an elderly peasant pulling an old, battered cart arrived at Li Lan s front door. Standing outside the door, his shirt and pants covered in patches, the old man didn't say a word, and merely wept as he looked in at the coffin. He was Song Fanpings father, Song Gangs grandfather. He had once owned a few hundred mu of farmland, but after Liberation it had all been redistributed to the other peasants in the village. This old landlord — who was now poorer than the poorest "poor peasant" and no longer owned anything other than his landlord status — had come to take his landlord son home.

The previous night Li Lan had packed up Song Gangs things. Baldy Li and Song Gang sat on the bed and silently watched her remove her own belongings from the gray travel bag with the SHANGHAI logo, including the wrapped bundle of bloodstained earth and a bag of White Rabbit candies. She then placed Song Gangs clothes into the travel bag and also stuffed in the entire bag of milk candies. When she turned around to see Baldy Li's eyes filled with anticipation, she took out the bag of candy and grabbed a handful for him. She also handed a few to Song Gang and stuffed the remainder back into the travel bag. Baldy Li and Song Gang sucked on their candies, not knowing what the next day would bring. Even when Song Gang's landlord grandfather appeared at their door the following morning, they still didn't understand that they were about to be separated.

On this morning, their arms were wrapped in black sash and their waists belted with white cloth. Song Fanpings coffin was loaded onto the battered pullcart, and his travel bag was placed next to it. The old landlord lowered his gray head and pulled the cart. Li Lan followed behind, holding Baldy Li and Song Gang by the hand.