Jia Pingwa - Ruined City

Embarrassed, she got up off the floor and tidied her hair at the mirror. “It was a terrifying dream.”

“What was it about? The Japanese devils coming to your village?” Meng asked.

“I don’t remember now.”

The others laughed again; she shook her head.

“I do recall bits and pieces. It seemed like Zhidie and I were on a bus when we saw smoke. Someone was shouting about explosives and everyone was jumping off, including us. We ran. He was so much faster, so I told him to wait up, but he wouldn’t. Eventually I reached a cliff and was safe; then he came up to say we were lucky to escape. I refused to talk to him, since he’d cared only about himself when we were in trouble.”

Wang’s wife and Xia looked over at Zhuang.

“What are you looking at me for? Do you think I’m really that bad?”

They all had a good laugh, and Niu Yueqing added: “So I shoved him away, and guess what: I pushed him off the cliff.”

“Great. So you got even. He left you behind, so you pushed him off the cliff,” Xia Jie said. “In my opinion, you were embarrassed about getting drunk in front of your guests and falling asleep, so you made up a story to save face when you woke up.”

“I was scared witless, don’t make fun of me. I wasn’t really drunk. I’m good for another round.”

“We all know what you’re good for,” Zhuang said. “It’s not every day that we’re all together, so why don’t we take some pictures?”

Tang Wan’er was the first to concur. Zhao first took a picture of Zhuang Zhidie and Niu Yueqing, after which Wan’er stood behind the couple and rested her head on Niu Yueqing’s shoulder.

“One of the three of us. Just like this.”

Photos of various combinations followed, and they quickly finished a roll of film. After enjoying the lively scene for a while, Zhou Min got anxious and left, telling his hosts he shouldn’t spend too much time away from the office, since he was new there.

His face was burning from too much alcohol and from his rush to get to work now that he was already late. He stopped midway to buy a bottle of sour plum juice, which refreshed him. Groups of people were gathered in the yard talking about something when he reached the office. Being a newcomer, and a temporary hire at that, he had made up his mind to form a solid base from which to begin a new life. He was fast on his feet and amiable in his speech, treating everyone with respect.

“Speak of the devil,” someone said. “That’s him.”

Zhou smiled and started to walk away when someone came up to him.

“You’re quite something, Zhou Min.”

“Not really,” he said. “I still need help from all of you.”

“You’re too modest. Is that something you got from Zhuang Zhidie? He’s always telling people he has nothing to write about, and yet he can produce a novel after disappearing for only a few days. The more you praise his work, the more he says he just knocks it out. To be honest, he may be a good writer, but he has yet to give us something the people in this office want to read first and then argue about. This article of yours is explosive.”

“Have you all read it?” he asked.

“We have. Even illiterate Old Shi in the boiler room asked someone to read it to him. We hear that Jing Xueyin did not go straight home after getting off the plane, that she and her husband went to see the department head. She was crying and made a scene, though we had no idea why. She looks so prim and proper every day, but now we know she once tried to seduce a writer! But why didn’t she marry him? Because she thought he wasn’t a good match. Now she regrets her choice, and her shame has turned into anger now that the truth is out. She can’t recognize a person’s true worth, so she lost the gold ring. All she knows is how to climb the official ladder, just like her parents.”

Zhou stormed up the stairs before the man was finished. He opened the door to the office and saw that everyone in the editorial section, except Zhong Weixian, was there, screaming and cursing.

“Are we in trouble?” Zhou asked.

“We won’t go if that’s what the woman wants.” Li Hongwen was still fuming. “She’s only mid-level leadership, what can she do to us?”

“Just because her old man was a high-ranking cadre doesn’t mean she can lord it over us like that,” Gou Dahai said. “She should look at the reactions of the masses. Our magazine is for society at large, not for her alone.”

Zhou realized that Jing Xueyin had been to the editorial office to vent her anger, and that this was something that would not easily be smoothed over.

“When did she come back? Zhuang Laoshi said that we should keep an eye on her return schedule and take a copy of the magazine over to explain to her the moment she got back. Did anyone go?” he asked.

“When the magazines arrived yesterday afternoon, Wu Kun grabbed one as if it had been sent down from heaven, and then he went to see Jing’s husband last night. Who knows what evil wind he stirred up, but the husband came to see the department head early this morning. Then he returned with his wife after her plane landed. The guy kept saying that as Jing’s husband, he was taking the matter very seriously even if no one else was. Hell! Who knows what was going on with Wu Kun and his wife, but he puffed out his chest as if he were a real man.”

Zhou felt like a deflated balloon, while the good food and liquor he had consumed at lunch rose up. You see a ghost when you’re afraid of ghosts , he said to himself. A rope breaks at the weakest spot . He realized not only that he had caused a major headache for Zhuang, but that, as a temporary hire, he might not be able to keep his job.

“Where’s Mr. Zhong?” he asked Li.

“The department head summoned him.”

Zhong returned a short while later, and when he saw Zhou, he said: “So there you are.”

“I’m so sorry I’ve let everyone down, Mr. Zhong.”

“Nonsense. This is not about who you’ve let down. Now that it’s come to this, there’s no need to assign blame. We must think about our writers and the magazine first. Besides, this impacts Zhuang Zhidie’s reputation. He’s a celebrity, and we need for him to submit manuscripts in the future.” When Zhong took off his glasses, his eyes were bloodshot. He rubbed them but failed to remove the sleep in the corners before putting the glasses back on.

“I know all this, but now it’s gotten out of hand. Jing came at noon to raise hell, but I refused to acknowledge any wrongdoing on our part, so she immediately went to see Lieutenant Governor Qu, who is in charge of cultural affairs. He turned the matter over to the propaganda chief, who sent her to our department head with a letter that included three directives: One, the author and the editorial office must admit that the romance between Jing and Zhuang was pure fabrication and slanderous gossip that seriously damages Jing’s reputation, and they must apologize to her in person, in addition to clarifying the matter at a department meeting. Two, the magazine will be suspended and restructured, while the issue will be recalled. An announcement in the next issue will publicize the serious lack of truth in the article and forbid any reprinting. Three, the author will not be paid for the article and will receive no bonus for the present quarter.”

“What kind of leadership is that?” Li was outraged. “Did he investigate before giving these orders? And the department accepted the judgment?”

“Who would dare argue with the order, no matter how unhappy they might be?”

“They’re afraid of losing their jobs,” Gou said. “So the magazine will do what they say. You have to speak up, Zhong Weixian. You’re not afraid of losing your position, are you? It’s a shitty position anyway, not even at the section level, more like a county head.”