Explore Chapter 5 of 'Dead Water Ripples' with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
Since his conversation with Liu Sanjin that night, Luo Waizui had been unable to free his thoughts from Sister-in-law Cai. A man of untethered spirit by nature, he found her image lingering obstinately in his heart. Liu Sanjin’s words had struck like a stone cast into stagnant water, stirring faint ripples.
In the Xingshun Shop, Sister-in-law Cai too often dwelt on thoughts of Luo Waizui. Her husband, Cai Xingshun, was honest and simple-hearted but lacked any touch of romance. Their life flowed on, flat and tasteless as plain water. Luo Waizui's forthright manner and seasoned outlook, however, stirred in her a fascination she had never known.
After the loss of his wife, Gu Tiancheng seethed with resentment, bent on revenge against Luo Waizui and his ilk. Through his connection with Sister-in-law Zhong, he found Mrs. Zeng, hoping to vent his spleen by leveraging the foreigner's influence. Mrs. Zeng agreed to assist, but on one condition: that Gu Tiancheng convert to the foreign religion.
After much hesitation, Gu Tiancheng finally acquiesced. Now a Christian convert under the foreigner's wing, he carried himself with a new, unyielding swagger. He began to tout the power of the foreign religion in town, and Luo Waizui and his associates felt the pressure mounting.
Though Luo Waizui did not fear Gu Tiancheng, he harbored a wary respect for the foreigner. He knew the foreigner enjoyed privileges before the authorities, and a head-on clash might yield little advantage. Liu Sanjin advised him to lay low for a time, but Luo Waizui refused to show any sign of weakness.
Learning that Gu Tiancheng had become a Christian convert and was targeting Luo Waizui, Sister-in-law Cai grew deeply anxious. She sought Luo Waizui out in secret, urging caution. Their affection for each other, fueled by the looming crisis, rapidly intensified until it finally broke through the rigid bonds of social propriety.
With Mrs. Zeng's aid, Gu Tiancheng filed a formal complaint with the authorities, accusing Luo Waizui and others of gambling and extortion. Since the case involved the foreigner, the officials dared not delay, dispatching constables to Tianhui Town to make arrests. Forewarned, Luo Waizui went into hiding with his men.
In hiding elsewhere, Luo Waizui fretted over Sister-in-law Cai. He sent Zhang Zhankui back to town covertly to gather news, and learned that Gu Tiancheng, grown ever more brazen, was vowing to raze the Gelaohui lodge to the ground. Luo Waizui resolved to strike back, but was hamstrung by the overwhelming influence of the foreigner.
In town, Sister-in-law Cai heard whispers that Luo Waizui had fled to another province and would never return. Her heart ached with a private sorrow she dared not show. Gu Tiancheng often came to drink at the Xingshun Shop, his eyes glinting with provocation, and Sister-in-law Cai could only endure in silence.
One day, Gu Tiancheng got drunk at the Xingshun Shop and insulted Luo Waizui in Sister-in-law Cai's presence. She could bear it no longer and argued back. Gu Tiancheng, emboldened by drink, made to strike her but was restrained by onlookers.
After this incident, Sister-in-law Cai's loathing for Gu Tiancheng deepened. She secretly had a message sent to Luo Waizui, describing her plight. He replied, urging her to endure and promising that he would surely return.
Encouraged by Mrs. Zeng, Gu Tiancheng set out to expand the influence of the foreign religion in town. He recruited local ruffians to serve as enforcers for the Christian converts. Tension gripped the town, and the Gelaohui brothers dared not conduct their activities openly.
From his refuge, Luo Waizui reached out to other lodges for support. But Gelaohui members everywhere shied away from the foreigner, reluctant to intervene. Luo Waizui felt isolated, his heart heavy with frustration.
Sister-in-law Cai endured the agony of waiting, beginning to doubt whether Luo Waizui would ever return. Business at the Xingshun Shop had grown slack amidst the unsettled times. Cai Xingshun sighed all day long, but Sister-in-law Cai had no mind for it.
Gu Tiancheng learned from his informants that Luo Waizui had returned and immediately led men to surround the Yunji Inn. Luo Waizui and his followers put up a fight, sparking a clash. Backed by the foreigner, Gu Tiancheng called in government troops for reinforcement.
Gu Tiancheng strutted about town as the self-proclaimed victor. The influence of the foreign religion swelled, forcing many townsfolk to convert. Tianhui Town was like a pool of long-stagnant water, now roiled by the impact of a massive stone, its surface churning with unrest.
Sister-in-law Cai fell gravely ill at the Xingshun Shop, and Cai Xingshun was helpless. Gu Tiancheng paid a feigned visit, his words laced with mockery. Disheartened, Sister-in-law Cai clung only to the hope of Luo Waizui's safety.
The storm subsided for a time, but the ripples beneath the stagnant water did not cease. Each character's fate had been altered by the conflict. Members of the Gelaohui, Christian converts, and ordinary folk alike struggled to survive in the tide of the times.
Though Gu Tiancheng had won this round, he forfeited the respect of his neighbors. He became a puppet of the foreigner, living alone and arrogantly in town. Tianhui Town regained a semblance of calm on the surface, but the fractures within could no longer be mended.
The Xingshun Shop remained open, and Sister-in-law Cai forced herself to tend to the business. She grew more taciturn, recalling that brief, fervent love only in the deep quiet of the night. The ripples in the stagnant water gradually subsided, returning to an apparent calm. Yet the marks they left upon the surface-and beneath it-would endure.