Jia Pingwa - Ruined City

“I can help you out with that,” Zhuang said. “When is your friend coming?”

“I don’t have a specific date yet. I think I’ll wait till after the case is over and I get the job title assignment, though I’d like to find a place as soon as possible. I need to remind you that you and Zhou Min are the only two who know about this. Please promise not to tell anyone else.”

Zhuang had to kick himself, knowing that his recent responses were going to cause problems. He knew he’d have to write another letter in a day or two to tell Zhong that she had broken her leg while going downstairs and would have to postpone the trip. As he worked out the details, he had trouble looking Zhong in the eye and decided not to talk about the case, either. When he saw Wan’er walk in with the noodles, he complimented her on how tasty they looked. He ate fast; soon he was done and put down his bowl.

“You were saying how good the noodles look, Zhidie, so why don’t you have some more?” Zhong asked.

“I had a late lunch, and I’m not particularly hungry. I’m done, but take your time and enjoy the noodles.”

“I will. It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed such delicious handmade noodles.” As steam rose, Zhong removed his fogged-up glasses before having another bowl. Then he took out his dentures to rinse them in clean water. “Zhou Min is so lucky. He can have these every day if he wants.”

When they were leaving, Zhou and Tang walked them to the gate.

“Thank you for this pigeon, Zhuang Laoshi,” Tang said, holding the bird in her hands. “It’s so sweet, it talks to me during the day and sleeps with me at night.”

“You’re like a little girl,” Zhong said. “How does the pigeon talk to you?”

“It looks at me when I’m talking, like it can understand me,” she said. Then she turned to Zhuang. “Are you still not going home? You’ve been away for days. When I went to play mahjong at your house, I saw how much that pained your wife. Why don’t you go home and take the pigeon with you? Keep it for a few days so it will get to know everyone there. Then you can let it go; it knows this place by now.”

Meng had said he’d bought the pigeon to use as a communication tool. Apparently, she had the same idea. “I’ll do that,” Zhuang replied cheerfully. He took the pigeon home for Liu Yue to look after.

. . .

After Liu Yue began caring for the pigeon, Zhuang bought millet for it every day. A few days later, he tied a short note to the ring on the pigeon’s leg, inviting Tang Wan’er to the House of Imperfection Seekers. The letter arrived safely, and she showed up on schedule; they shared a pleasurable time, an experience that made Tang treasure the pigeon even more. For a while after that, whenever Zhou Min was away, she sent the pigeon with a note asking Zhuang over. Emboldened by then, he invited her to his house one day. After reading the note, Wan’er sent the pigeon back with her reply, and then took extra time getting ready. But their affair was doomed to be exposed that day. Liu Yue was putting clothes out to dry on the balcony when the pigeon flew back; puzzled by its speedy return, she spotted the note on the ring. She took it from the pigeon’s leg and read it. “I’ve long wanted to come to your house. I will feel like the lady of the house when we make love there.” Liu recognized Tang’s handwriting.

“I always thought they had an unusual relationship,” she said to herself, “but I didn’t realize it had developed into this. Who knows how many times they’ve already had sex. The mistress is totally in the dark, and I’ve been blind to what they’ve been up to.”

She replaced the note and went into the kitchen.

“Zhuang Laoshi, the pigeon is calling for you.”

He went outside, caught the pigeon, and read the note, then let it fly off before he returned to the kitchen.

“The pigeon? Didn’t we let it out earlier? Liu Yue, my wife went to Shuangren fu today because her cousin came with her family to visit the old lady. There are too many people for her to cook for all of them. Why don’t you go give her a hand? You don’t have to worry about me here at home. Meng Laoshi just called to say an editor has come from Beijing for manuscripts and is staying at the Gudu Hotel. He wanted me to go with him to see the man. We’ll eat at the hotel.”

You fooled me in the past with stories like this, but no more , she said to herself, but to him she replied, “All right. You’re a grown man acting like a little boy who prefers to eat out as long as others pay. But don’t be too greedy and eat too much. They pay for your food, but you’ll have to pay for your health if you don’t watch what you put in your stomach.” She opened the door and left.

Liu Yue did not go far, though. She roamed the streets for a while, her mind a jumble of unhappy thoughts, and came back when she expected that Tang Wan’er would have arrived. Instead of knocking at the door, she went next door and, pretending to have forgotten her key, asked to use their balcony to get back inside. The row of houses had connecting balconies, separated by low walls, which she had climbed over before when she locked herself out. Once inside, she tiptoed into her room before hugging the wall and slinking over to Zhuang’s bedroom barefoot. The door was ajar. She heard soft, wanton laughter inside. ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ [The author has deleted 52 words.]

“Get dressed,” she heard Zhuang say. “Liu Yue’s such a scatterbrain she might turn around halfway and come back for something.”

So you gossip about me to butter her up . Liu was piqued. When was I a scatterbrain?

“No,” Wan’er said, “I want more.”

Liu thought they had to have finished already, so Zhuang must have given her something belonging to the mistress, and she was complaining about not having enough. She peered into the room and saw Tang lying naked on the bed holding Zhuang in her hand. ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ [The author has deleted 55 words.]

“No more. You’re always saying I beg you to do it, so today I want you to beg me.”

“I won’t beg you. Just touch me some more, please.”

So he bent down to suck on her breast as he reached between her legs, making her writhe and ask him to mount her. He laughed but refused. She was soon moaning and groaning.

“Please, I beg you. How much wetter do you want me to be before you’ll take me?”

Liu Yue’s eyes glazed over when she spotted the glistening dampness between Wan’er’s legs. Something was pressing uncomfortably down below, and then it flowed out. She wanted to flee, but her legs were frozen to the spot. She kept watching as Zhuang mounted Wan’er. ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ [The author has deleted 473 words.] Wan’er let out a scream, her head rolled back and forth, and she clutched the bed sheet with both hands, wadding it out of shape. As if drunk, Liu Yue crumpled to the floor and bumped into the door. The noise alarmed the people inside. Seeing that it was Liu Yue, Zhuang covered first Wan’er, then himself with the sheet. “What are you doing here? What in the world are you doing here!” he demanded.

Liu Yue got to her feet and ran off.

“Liu Yue!” Zhuang shouted as he looked for his pants. “This is terrible!” he said. “She’ll tell Niu Yueqing.”

Wan’er took the shirt he had picked up from him. “What makes you think she’ll do that?” She pushed Zhuang, still naked, toward the door, silently urging him to go after Liu, who by then was in her room, leaning against the foot of the bed, breathing hard.

“Are you going to tell, Liu Yue?” Zhuang asked.

“No,” she said.

He went up, wrapped his arms around her, and started taking off her clothes. She briefly tried to stop him, then let him take off her pants. Seeing how wet her panties were, he said, “I’ve always said that Liu Yue didn’t understand, while all along she’s been a ripe persimmon.” They came together on the side of the bed. ☐☐ ☐☐ ☐☐ [The author has deleted 31 words.]