第十一章 没有面子 (Chapter Eleven Losing Face)

They didn't send festive gifts to Teacher Wang, and he gave no sign. This made Mrs. Niu pessimistic: some people must be told directly, they don't understand hints and scheming! She had to tell the teacher plainly: this teaching method won't do! She really didn't want to do this, but there was no alternative.

Teacher Wang didn't even remember about the festive gifts; what worried him was Old Niu's dawdling. Old Niu fully agreed with his plan to open a shop and promised to provide the capital, but never set a date. He had to wait patiently; asking others for money is no easy matter. For now, he would just string Tianci along; as soon as the money arrives, he would move his bedding. He was anxious, but determined. Whatever Mrs. Niu said, he would agree amiably: "Right! Must beat him! Right! Must study more! Rest assured, Mrs. Niu, no mistake!" He knew he couldn't beat Tianci, he couldn't bring himself to do it. He also knew this was almost a scam, and blushed at the thought, but there was no alternative. Money was not easy to come by, and he couldn't easily let go of Old Niu.

He managed to get through until the end of the year, and he and Tianci became good friends. The *Three Character Classic* progressed very slowly, but Tianci gained a lot of knowledge. Teacher Wang told him many things: Shandong has Jinan Prefecture, where Qin Qiong the Second Master, known for pawning his mace and selling his horse, once lived; there was also the Jia Family Tower, where the heroes swore brotherhood. From there he digressed to the *Romance of Sui and Tang*, and Teacher Wang went out and bought a stone-printed edition for reference. Tianci admired Li Yuanba the most, who shook Mount Siping with his hammer. In addition, the teacher said Shandong had Mount Tai, Qingdao, Yantai... all of which fully stimulated Tianci's imagination. Mountains, seas, Yantai apples... So the world wasn't just the courtyard with two crabapple trees! "How many apples does Yantai have?" "When they bloom, for miles on end, beyond the horizon, like white clouds piled on the earth in summer!" "!!!" Tianci was speechless, he wished he could fly to Yantai right away to see the endless apple blossoms. He didn't want to eat them, just see so many flowers! "Is it longer than from the gate to Old Hei's shop?" "Much longer! All flowers; come July, look at those fruits, green and half-red, like a floral carpet when seen from afar." "How beautiful!" "And how fragrant!" "How do you get to Shandong?" "By train. From here, third-class ticket, just over six dollars, to Jinan Prefecture. Two hundred li from Jinan is Mount Tai, where even in summer you have to wear a padded gown, it's so cool!" "What is a train like?" Tianci asked with rapt attention. Unfortunately, Teacher Wang's scientific knowledge was pitifully poor; he couldn't explain what a train really was. He could only describe: "A string of little iron houses, with seats inside; when the whistle blows, they all pull each other and run straight ahead." As descriptions went, it was still more interesting than the *Three Character Classic*.

This half year passed like this. Tianci didn't learn much, but his mind felt wider. He often thought of those endless, beautiful, fragrant apples; and the cloud-high Mount Tai, the train like little running houses, and the hammer shaking Mount Siping... He also gained some understanding of human feelings. He found Teacher Wang endearing. The teacher had already bought him two copies of the *Three Character Classic*. He would lick his fingers to turn pages, and the corners would become frayed; then with another turn, a piece would fall off. As he turned, more and more fell out. The teacher bought a new one! Tianci felt sorry: "This lousy book tears apart with every turn!" He was actually reproaching himself. "You should gently lift the tip of the page, see, like this, and it won't tear." Sure enough, that method was light and interesting; the third copy of the *Three Character Classic* didn't have a single damaged character. Occasionally, when he wanted to go wild and flip pages frantically, he would restrain himself, because this new book was given by the teacher: "Teacher, can I flip through the old one quickly? See how fast I can do it!" So waste was turned into use; the two old copies were used exclusively for the thrill of flipping, making a rustling sound as he turned them extremely fast, very satisfying.

That bamboo slap was still there, but he was no longer afraid of it. Sometimes he even asked the teacher, "Teacher, why don't you ever use the slap?" "Does your palm itch?" The teacher laughed. "I don't like hitting people; I have a child at home too!" The teacher stopped laughing. "San'er is the same age as you. Which month is your birthday?" "After the Mid-Autumn Festival; that time, didn't you give me a day off?" "Right; San'er is born in April, older than you." "Where is he?" "At home." The teacher paused for a long time before saying, "Doing business is really not easy!" Tianci didn't quite understand what that meant, but he could see the teacher was a bit unhappy, so he stopped asking. He quickly inked the inkstone and wrote, splattering ink everywhere. Even behind his ears there were a pair of black spots.

By the end of the year, Teacher Wang's position could no longer be maintained. Mrs. Niu said nothing explicit; "On the twenty-third, when we offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God, you may take your leave, teacher!" That was sufficient. On the evening of the twenty-second, he met with Old Niu, who lent him a thousand dollars behind his wife's back. Without letting Tianci know, he moved his bedding. Before leaving, he gave Sihu a dollar: "Spend two or three jiao to buy a toy for Tianci, and the rest is for you. I tell you, buddy, Tianci is smart!"

Knowing that Teacher Wang had left, Tianci paced back and forth in the study, muttering to himself for a long time. Apart from his family, Teacher Wang was his first friend. And now this friend was gone! He didn't like studying that lousy book; he preferred listening to Teacher Wang talk about Qingdao and Yantai apples in Shandong. He remembered those things vividly. But Teacher Wang was gone, and he could only pretend to be Teacher Wang, staring wide-eyed, with a half-smile, pulling his sleeves, and telling Tianci: "Tianci, beyond the horizon, all apples!" Tianci imitated very well, but when he looked at the teacher's chair, it was empty, nothing at all; as if Teacher Wang's laugh and "Yin'er" lingered somewhere, just unfindable! "Whatever you love, you're never given it; whoever you love, they're taken away!" he said to himself.

After the New Year, a new teacher arrived, also an old Shandong native--Sihu called him "that unlucky Shandong fellow." This gentleman was a real educator; he had taught in Cloud City for over twenty years, and everyone wanted him but couldn't get him. In Cloud City, few people didn't know Teacher Mi. Teacher Mi was even taller than Teacher Wang, with a big belly, a head that was all flesh and oil, and his body always had a certain odor. Put him anywhere, and he could survive; give him any child, and he would knock them senseless. He had no wife, seemed born not to like women, and specialized in hitting children.

When Tianci heard the new teacher had arrived, he wasn't as scared as when he first started school. Based on Teacher Wang's friendliness, he concluded that the new teacher must also be a friend. He had no little friends to play with, so he could only seek warmth from adults. He went to school happily. But as soon as he saw Teacher Mi, his heart chilled. Teacher Mi sat there, making the chair creak, his face oily, his breathing loud, his mouth chewing and smacking, just like an alligator that had just emerged from the water.

"Bring me the book!" Teacher Mi's mouth opened wide, and he smacked again a few times. Tianci tremblingly handed the book over. "What part have you read up to?" Tianci flipped a couple of pages and pointed with his little finger. "Recite!" The teacher's smacking went on and on, as if waiting to bite someone. Tianci recited a few lines, then stumbled. The teacher's big hand swept the book off the table: "Take it and study! If you can't recite it next time, ten slaps, hear me?" Having said that, he smacked his lips, closed his eyes, and sat motionless, like a tub of lard.

According to mother's rules and discipline, Tianci could not pick up that *Three Character Classic*; it would be an insult. According to father's method, he could simply swallow his pride and pick it up. Tianci didn't know what to do. But he was sure of one thing: he hated this teacher, who was no friend. Seeing the teacher's eyes closed, he thought of slipping out to consult with Sihu. As soon as he took a step, the teacher's eyes snapped open: "Where are you going?!" Tianci instinctively wanted to run. He was already bewildered, just wanting to get away from this old thing. He hadn't run two steps before his thin arm was caught by a fat hand and yanked back, nearly causing him to fall. "Study!" The teacher's smacking became very fast, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corners of his eyes. Tianci decided to resist. He knew this thing was certainly tougher than his mother, but he couldn't think further. Sometimes he unreasonably resisted his mother because she liked to meddle. But this thing that had grabbed and thrown him, he couldn't accept. He decided immediately: he would leave, and see what this old thing could do! He had wanted another friend; who knew such an old thing existed in the world? He must resist; it wasn't his fault. He bit his lip, rolled his little eyes and looked at that pile of flesh. He walked forward slowly; running was useless, his legs weren't strong enough. The teacher thought he was coming to pick up the book, and the smile in his eyes grew bigger. Well, he was still walking forward! The teacher's fat leg blocked the door. Tianci pushed with his hand, bumped with his chest, but it wouldn't budge. The teacher laughed smugly; it was a cat teasing a mouse, which pleased him greatly. Tianci hated him even more, and bit him. The teacher's smiling face instantly changed; with one hand he grabbed Tianci by the collar, and with the other he picked up the bamboo slap. Tianci stiffened; he didn't make a sound, but tears kept falling.

"Come! Hold out your hand!" Tianci bit his lip, hesitated for a long time, then said, "You dare!" This shout was very loud. He had intended not to cry, but he couldn't help it. Old Niu was at home and heard the shout. He ran over. "Teacher Mi, the child is still young!" Old Niu pulled Tianci over. Sihu also arrived and carried Tianci away. Mrs. Niu came too, and she scolded Old Niu for being too protective. Old Niu, seeing Tianci in that state, decided to resist his wife. This time he could no longer listen to her; he couldn't hire a Shandong fellow just to beat his own child. His attitude not only surprised his wife but also angered Teacher Mi: "Then I quit! If you don't beat, can you teach anything? I've taught for over twenty years and never been treated like this!"

Mrs. Niu could not give up such a responsible teacher, but today the old man seemed to have eaten something that made him defiant; he wouldn't give an inch. Just then, Sihu and Nanny Ji were both in the courtyard. Sihu spoke up in defense of Tianci: "Who dares to hit him? I'll break his legs!" In all her history, Mrs. Niu had never experienced such a reversal of fate. Though she tried her best to maintain her dignity, she couldn't stop everyone's mouths. The most hopeless part was that Old Niu had taken the lead this time; she couldn't slap her husband's face in front of the teacher, she couldn't. Since she couldn't control her husband, Sihu and the others naturally ran rampant. Even Nanny Ji took Tianci's side? This reminded her of Old Mama Liu. Nanny Ji wasn't necessarily taking Tianci's side; but seeing the child bullied reminded her of her own child, and she felt children should be loved while they were alive; it would be too late to love them after they died. Mrs. Niu found it inconvenient to quarrel in front of the teacher and the men, so she went to Nanny Ji: "What business is it of yours? Everybody's chattering in like chickens and ducks! Go about your work!" She scolded Nanny Ji to the back courtyard, then herself returned to the north room. She had stumbled, but couldn't lose her official demeanor; she waited in the north room for Old Niu. Old Niu was also very determined, sitting in the study motionless. Teacher Mi was experienced; conflicts between teacher and employer were common, but if the teacher remained calm in his position, the employer wouldn't immediately kick him out. He sat there like a tub of lard, waiting for the employer to apologize. Old Niu had no intention of apologizing. He chain-smoked "Hademen" cigarettes and kept saying: "Leave if you want! Leave if you want! Beating my son? No way!" Sihu and Tianci were still listening in the courtyard. Sihu kept muttering: "Let's throw a dart at him!" Teacher Mi packed up his books, including the 'Er Lun Dian Gu' and the dictionary: "All right, Mr. Niu, we'll meet again! Take good care of your child; don't blame me if he dies!" Old Niu was no good with words; he couldn't respond on the spot. Sihu took over: "Go on, watch your belly; don't blame me if you spill your oil!"

After Teacher Mi left, the wife and the master started a fight. Old Niu said not a word, only savored the lingering triumph of victory in his heart. The wife declared she would no longer take charge of hiring a tutor: "Whether he studies or not, whatever he does, I don't care! I'm done! Don't blame me if he grows up useless; I've done my part." Toward Tianci, she adopted a most polite severity: if he called her mother, she would answer; if he didn't, she wouldn't even look at him-her eyes would slide right past him. She showed that she no longer cared about him. This was extremely awkward, but it had to be done; no one appreciated her goodwill, so why bother?

Old Niu also felt bad in his heart. He truly loved Tianci, but long-term resistance against his wife for the sake of his son was not a solution. To calm his wife's anger, he didn't take Tianci out much. So Tianci became Sihu's child. Half a year passed, and no one mentioned hiring a tutor again. He forgot every bit of the *Three Character Classic*, but he did not forget the Yantai apples and Teacher Mi's smacking mouth.