明天 (Tomorrow)

"No sound-what's wrong with the little thing?"

Red-nosed Old Gong, holding a bowl of yellow wine, said this while jerking his chin toward the next room. Blue-skinned Ah Wu then set down his wine bowl and gave him a hard slap on the back, mumbling:

"You... you're daydreaming again..."

For Luzhen was a quiet place with some old-fashioned ways: before the first watch, everyone would close their doors and go to sleep. In the dead of night, only two households were still awake: one was Xianheng Tavern, where a few drinking buddies were gathered around the counter, eating and drinking merrily; the other was the next-door neighbor, Widow Shan Si, who, since becoming a widow the year before last, had relied solely on her own hands to spin cotton yarn to support herself and her three-year-old son, so she also stayed up late.

These past few days, indeed, there had been no sound of spinning. But since only two households were awake late at night, any sound from Widow Shan Si's home was naturally heard only by Old Gong and his like, and the absence of sound was also heard only by them.

Old Gong, having been slapped, took a large gulp of wine as if it felt good, and began to hum a ditty.

At this time, Widow Shan Si was holding her Bao'er, sitting on the edge of the bed, with the spinning wheel standing quietly on the floor. The dim lamplight fell on Bao'er's face, flushed with a hint of blue. Widow Shan Si thought to herself: she had sought divine lots, made vows, and tried folk remedies-if these still showed no effect, what should she do?-Then she would have to consult He Xiaoxian. But perhaps Bao'er's condition was lighter by day and heavier by night; by tomorrow, when the sun rose, the fever would subside and the wheezing would calm down: this was indeed common for the sick.

Widow Shan Si was a simple woman who did not understand the dread of the word "but": many bad things indeed turned better thanks to it, yet many good things were also ruined because of it. Summer nights were short; not long after Old Gong and his like finished humming, the east began to pale; soon, silvery dawn light seeped through the cracks in the window.

Widow Shan Si awaited daybreak, but unlike others, she found it agonizingly slow; Bao'er's breathing seemed longer than a year. Now it was finally bright; the brightness of the sky overpowered the lamplight-she saw Bao'er's nostrils flaring in and out.

Widow Shan Si knew things were dire and silently exclaimed "Aiya!" while thinking: What to do? The only way was to consult He Xiaoxian. Though she was a simple woman, she had resolve. She stood up, took out the thirteen small silver dollars and one hundred eighty copper coins she had saved daily from the wooden cabinet, put them in her pocket, locked the door, and, holding Bao'er, rushed straight to He Family.

It was still early, but He Family already had four patients sitting there. She took out four jiao of silver dollars, bought a number tag, and Bao'er was the fifth in line. He Xiaoxian extended two fingers to feel the pulse, his nails over four inches long. Widow Shan Si marveled inwardly, thinking: Bao'er should survive. But she couldn't help being anxious and, unable to restrain herself, asked haltingly:-

"Doctor-what illness does my Bao'er have?"

"His middle burner is blocked."

"Is it serious? He..."

"First, take two doses."

"He can't breathe, and his nostrils are flaring."

"This is fire overcoming metal..."

He Xiaoxian said half a sentence and then closed his eyes; Widow Shan Si felt too embarrassed to ask further. A man in his thirties sitting opposite He Xiaoxian, who had already written out a prescription, pointed to a few characters at the corner of the paper and said:-

"For this first ingredient, the Baby-Saving Vitality Pill, you must go to Jia Family's Jishi Old Pharmacy to get it!"

Widow Shan Si took the prescription and, as she walked, pondered. Though she was a simple woman, she knew that He Family, Jishi Old Pharmacy, and her own home formed a triangle; naturally, it was cheaper to buy the medicine and return home. So she hurried straight to Jishi Old Pharmacy. The shop assistant, also with long nails, slowly examined the prescription and slowly wrapped the medicine. Widow Shan Si held Bao'er and waited; suddenly, Bao'er lifted a small hand and tugged hard at a stray lock of her hair-a move never made before-and Widow Shan Si was struck with fear.

The sun had long risen. Widow Shan Si, holding the child and carrying the medicine package, felt the burden grow heavier with each step; the child kept struggling, and the road seemed to lengthen. Helpless, she sat on the threshold of a mansion by the roadside to rest for a while; her clothes gradually felt cold against her skin, and she realized she had broken into a sweat; Bao'er seemed to have fallen asleep. She got up again and walked slowly, still unable to bear it, when suddenly she heard someone say by her ear:-

"Widow Shan Si, let me carry your little ‘Bolo’!" It seemed to be Blue-skinned Ah Wu's voice.

She looked up and saw it was indeed Blue-skinned Ah Wu, following her with sleepy eyes.

At this moment, Widow Shan Si, though she dearly wished a celestial general would descend to lend a hand, did not want it to be Ah Wu. But Ah Wu had a chivalrous streak and, no matter what, insisted on helping; after some polite refusal, she finally gave permission. He then stretched out his arm, reaching straight down between Widow Shan Si's breast and the child, and took the child. Widow Shan Si felt a heat spread from her breast, instantly flushing her face and ears.

The two of them walked side by side, about two and a half feet apart. Ah Wu said a few things, but Widow Shan Si mostly did not reply. After walking not long, Ah Wu returned the child to her, saying that the time for a meal appointment with friends from yesterday had come; Widow Shan Si took back the child. Fortunately, home was not far; she soon saw Auntie Wang Jiu from across the street sitting by the roadside, speaking from a distance:-

"Widow Shan Si, what's wrong with the child?-Have you seen the doctor?"

"I have seen him.-Auntie Wang Jiu, you have age and experience; perhaps you could take a look with your wise eyes, how..."

"Hmm..."

"How...?"

"Hmm..." Auntie Wang Jiu examined for a while, nodding twice and shaking her head twice.

Bao'er took the medicine; it was already afternoon. Widow Shan Si watched his expression closely and he seemed much calmer; by afternoon, he suddenly opened his eyes and called out "Ma!" then closed them again, as if falling asleep. He slept for a while, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead and the tip of his nose; Widow Shan Si lightly touched them, and they stuck to her hand like glue; in a panic, she felt his chest and could not help but sob.

Bao'er's breathing went from calm to nothing, and Widow Shan Si's voice turned from sobs to wails. By then, several groups had gathered: inside the door were Auntie Wang Jiu, Blue-skinned Ah Wu, and the like; outside were the proprietor of Xianheng and Red-nosed Old Gong, and the like. Auntie Wang Jiu then gave orders: burn a string of spirit money; and, using two benches and five pieces of clothing as collateral, borrowed two silver dollars for Widow Shan Si to prepare meals for the helpers.

The first issue was the coffin. Widow Shan Si still had a pair of silver earrings and a gold-wrapped silver hairpin, which she gave to the proprietor of Xianheng, asking him to act as guarantor to buy a coffin half for cash and half on credit. Blue-skinned Ah Wu also extended his hand, eager to volunteer; but Auntie Wang Jiu would not allow it, only permitting him the task of carrying the coffin tomorrow. Ah Wu cursed "old beast" and stood there sullenly, pursing his lips. The proprietor then left; he returned in the evening, saying the coffin had to be made to order and would be ready after midnight.

When the proprietor returned, the helpers had already eaten; because Luzhen still had old-fashioned ways, before the first watch, they all went home to sleep. Only Ah Wu was still leaning against Xianheng's counter drinking, and Old Gong was humming.

At this time, Widow Shan Si sat on the edge of the bed crying, Bao'er lay on the bed, and the spinning wheel stood quietly on the floor. After a long while, Widow Shan Si's tears ran dry; her eyes wide open, she looked around and found it strange: all of this could not be happening. She thought to herself: It's just a dream, all these things are a dream. Tomorrow, when she woke up, she would be sleeping soundly in bed, and Bao'er would be sleeping soundly beside her. He would wake up too, call out "Ma", and leap up to play, full of life.

Old Gong's singing had long ceased, and Xianheng had extinguished its lights. Widow Shan Si lay with eyes open, refusing to believe all that had happened.-The rooster crowed; the east gradually paled, and silvery dawn light seeped through the cracks in the window.

The silvery dawn gradually turned rosy, and sunlight followed, shining on the roof ridge. Widow Shan Si sat with eyes open, dazed; hearing a knock at the door, she started, ran to open it. Outside was an unfamiliar man carrying something on his back; behind him stood Auntie Wang Jiu.

Oh, they had brought the coffin.

In the latter half of the day, the coffin lid was finally closed: because Widow Shan Si would cry, then look, and refused to let it be sealed firmly; luckily, Auntie Wang Jiu, growing impatient, ran up angrily, dragged her away, and then they hastily closed it.

But Widow Shan Si had truly done her utmost for her Bao'er, with no further shortcomings. Yesterday, she burned a string of spirit money; in the morning, she burned forty-nine scrolls of the "Great Compassion Mantra"; when laying him out, she dressed him in his newest clothes, and placed his favorite toys-a clay figurine, two small wooden bowls, two glass bottles-by his pillow. Later, Auntie Wang Jiu counted on her fingers and pondered carefully, but could think of no shortcomings.

That day, Blue-skinned Ah Wu simply did not show up all day; the proprietor of Xianheng hired two porters for Widow Shan Si, at two hundred ten big coins each, to carry the coffin to the paupers' cemetery for burial. Auntie Wang Jiu also helped her cook, and everyone who had lifted a hand or spoken a word ate. The sun gradually took on the hue of setting; those who had eaten also unconsciously showed signs of wanting to go home-and so they all finally went home.

Widow Shan Si felt very dizzy; after resting a while, she actually felt somewhat steady. But then she felt very strange: she had encountered something she had never experienced in her life, something that seemed unlikely, yet it had indeed happened. The more she thought, the stranger it seemed, and she felt another odd thing:-the room had suddenly become too quiet.

She stood up, lit the lamp, and the room seemed even quieter. She drowsily went to close the door, returned to sit on the edge of the bed, with the spinning wheel standing quietly on the floor. She composed herself, looked around, and felt even more unable to sit or stand; the room was not only too quiet, but also too big, and things too empty. The overly large room surrounded her on all sides, the overly empty things pressed on her from all sides, making it hard to breathe.

She now knew that her Bao'er was truly dead; unwilling to see the room, she blew out the lamp and lay down. Crying and thinking, she recalled that time when she was spinning cotton yarn, Bao'er sat beside her eating aniseed beans, stared with his small black eyes for a moment, and said, "Ma! Dad sold wontons; when I grow up, I'll sell wontons too, make lots and lots of money-I'll give it all to you." Back then, even the spun yarn seemed every inch meaningful, every inch alive. But now, what had happened? As for the present, Widow Shan Si could really think of nothing.-As I said before: she was a simple woman. What could she think? She only felt the room was too quiet, too big, too empty.

But though Widow Shan Si was simple, she knew that resurrection was impossible, and her Bao'er could indeed never be seen again. Sighing, she said to herself, "Bao'er, you should still be here; appear to me in a dream." Then she closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep quickly to meet her Bao'er, her labored breathing passing through the quiet, bigness, and emptiness, clear to her own ears.

Widow Shan Si finally drifted drowsily into sleep, and the whole room was quiet. By then, Red-nosed Old Gong's ditty had long ended; staggering out of Xianheng, he then raised his voice shrilly and sang:-

"My dear!-Poor you,-all alone..."

Blue-skinned Ah Wu then reached out and grabbed Old Gong's shoulder, and the two of them, laughing and stumbling, squeezed their way along.

Widow Shan Si was already asleep, Old Gong and his like had left, and Xianheng had closed its doors. At this time, Luzhen was completely enveloped in silence. Only the dark night, wishing to become tomorrow, still rushed about in this silence; and a few dogs, hiding in the shadows, whimpered.