第四十二章 (Chapter Forty-Two)

Wang De had left his job at the Newspaper Office, his heart heavy with discontent. He wandered the streets alone. The autumn wind rustled the tree leaves. He felt like those fallen leaves, drifting with nowhere to call home.

He thought of going to talk with Li Ying. However, Li Ying was busy all day at the Salvation Army and would not return until evening. Then he thought of Li Jing, but her aunt kept a strict watch over her. He could not easily meet with her either.

Wang De walked aimlessly to the northern part of the city. Unconsciously, he found himself again in front of the gate of that Dong the Philanthropist. Gazing at the two small black doors, he wondered, "Such spiritual practice—does it truly save people, or does it merely let one fritter away a lifetime to the sound of wooden fish clappers?"

Lost in thought, he heard a creak. The door opened. A woman in her thirties stepped out. She wore a blue cotton jacket and carried a basket of greens in her hand, as if going out to buy vegetables. She glanced at Wang De, lowered her head, and hurried off to the west.

Wang De suddenly felt she looked somewhat familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before. He thought hard. Suddenly, he remembered. Wasn't she the woman who served tea and water for the Foreigners at Long Shugu's house? What was she doing here?

His mind was filled with doubts, but he had no heart to inquire further. He turned and started back. On the road, he met Zhao Si, the one who pulled rickshaws for the Salvation Army. Zhao Si grabbed Wang De's arm and whispered, "Wang De, let me tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Officer Long has sent his daughter to live and study at the Salvation Army's Girls' School," said Zhao Si. "On the surface, it's for schooling, but to my eyes, there's more to it. The Foreigners at the Salvation Army sometimes persuade people to send their family members in. They call it 'Spiritual Cultivation'. But..."

"But what?" Wang De asked urgently.

"But it's easy to get in, hard to get out." Zhao Si shook his head. "The inside dealings are beyond me. I'm just telling you, if you know Miss Long, try to find time to see her. The poor girl."

Wang De thanked Zhao Si, his mind now even more troubled. To shut a lively person like Miss Long in a Girls' School, mixing with those who knock wooden fish and chant sutras—what kind of affair was that?

He decided to go discuss it with Li Ying. Arriving at the Salvation Army compound, he found Li Ying just coming out from a sermon. Li Ying's face was flushed, as if excited. Wang De pulled him aside to a quiet spot and repeated what Zhao Si had said.

After listening, Li Ying frowned. "I thought it was strange too. The day before yesterday, I saw Officer Long whispering with the Foreigners in a room. They stopped as soon as I entered. Could he really have sent his daughter..."

"We must go see Miss Long," Wang De said.

"Men aren't allowed into the Girls' School," Li Ying said with difficulty. "Unless it's visiting day for family, and that's only on Sundays. But if Officer Long is determined to keep visitors away, our going would be useless."

As they were discussing this, they suddenly saw Lao Zhang swaggering over from across the street. He wore a new satin mandarin jacket and had a cigarette dangling from his mouth, looking utterly self-satisfied.

Lao Zhang spotted them too. He deliberately crossed the street, his pig-like eyes narrowing into a smile. "Hey, you two university scholars! Discussing affairs of state, are we?"

Wang De turned his head away, ignoring him. Li Ying gave a stiff nod.

Lao Zhang leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "Let me give you some news. Long Shugu is about to get a promotion! The Foreigners at the Salvation Army are recommending him for a clerk position at the 'Sino-Foreign Relief Association'. That's dozens more silver dollars every month. Tell me, these days, isn't it true that things go smoother with Foreigners backing you?"

Having said that, he walked off with a loud laugh. His laughter sounded like a screech owl's cry, raising goosebumps all over.

Wang De and Li Ying exchanged a look. Both understood in their hearts. Long Shugu must have sent his daughter to the Salvation Army to obtain this "recommendation". Trading his daughter's future for a clerk's post—it was too cruel a bargain.

"We can't just stand by and watch," Wang De said.

"But what can we do?" Li Ying sighed. "Officer Long is her father. A father decides what his daughter must do. We're outsiders. What weight do our words carry?"

The sun was setting in the west. The sky was a wash of dark crimson, as if someone had carelessly splashed a large basin of rouge. Wang De and Li Ying stood silently, neither speaking again. The autumn wind swept dust into their faces. Both felt their hearts were colder than this wind.