Chapter 7 Chapter Three Two

There was a light knock on the door.Uncle Heng opened the door to let Lao Mi in, and invited him to sit in the living room. Jing Han picked up the coffee cup that filled the ashtray, followed him to the living room, and sat on the sofa side by side with the guests. Mr. Hu, is your lover here? After exchanging pleasantries, Lao Mi asked him with concern. His wife couldn't decide to come out. The master spoke quickly, answering for his nephew before taking a seat at the desk. oh?Lao Mi was surprised.Did you not find that house? Please pay attention if you have a chance, my son figured it out.

After speaking, he offered a cigarette to Lao Mi. Don't dare to be. Lao Mi leaned over to get one, then took out a match and lit it. It’s fine if you don’t come out, but there are hardships in coming out! Lao Mi's tone of voice was sentimental, and he couldn't tell whether he was sighing to himself or comforting him. This person seems to be a born misanthrope. He wore a dejected face and was unhappy during the two meetings.A thick layer of dark clouds seems to be covering the flat face as if cut by a knife; the eyes are wandering in a trance, giving the impression of being absent-minded.He speaks and behaves so modestly that he almost panics, showing a marked lack of confidence.Seeing that he is still wearing the blue cloth uniform brought from the mainland, he looks rustic and out of tune with the current scene.

The owner of Mrs. Mi hesitated for a moment, and finally made it clear: she asked for a divorce. Divorce again!I can't escape this topic every day.Once the Chinese entered the big dye vat of the United States, they really couldn't maintain their true colors? He was too stunned to express his sympathy. Alas, we were originally a good family, but when we came to America, we were torn apart Lao Mi's tone was mournful, his expression was depressed, and the hand holding the cigarette trembled slightly. The master seemed to have gotten used to his self-pity, and without a word of comfort, he took the opportunity to open and read the letters piled on the table.

Hu Lao just came back, tell us about domestic affairs, your family must be all right? Lao Mi finally remembered his purpose of coming upstairs, so he sat up straight to say hello.Then he flicked the cigarette ash off the cup with his hand, and forced a smile on his face. good!good!Showing you a picture of my granddaughter.Excuse me, I stopped by to change clothes. When Uncle Heng returned to the living room, he had already changed into trousers and slippers, and was holding a wallet in his hand. This is my granddaughter who loves to draw.This is what she drew. After taking out the photos to Lao Mi, he pointed the guests to look at the watercolor paintings on the wall.

Amazing!Beautiful and talented. As Lao Mi said, he handed the photo to Jing Han. With braids, a round face with a high forehead, and a serious look in her eyes, otherwise she is a lively and lovely girl. Much like aunt. He returned the photo to the owner. The owner is very proud: Well, it is more aura than her grandma.Jiujiu, her nickname is quite artistic. Immediately afterwards, the old man took out a group photo of Jing Xian and his son, and showed it to the guests. Uncle Heng has simply changed himself, taking out photos of his children and grandchildren whenever he meets, and talking endlessly.

If this is a characteristic of old age, he himself ages earlier.Since I have photos of my children and grandchildren, I keep them in my wallet, and when my good friends ask about them, I am happy to donate them. Mr. Hu, the Chinese newspaper said in the past two days that there is an anti-spiritual pollution in China. You may know better there, what is going on? Lao Mi is from the mainland, and he is more concerned about the affairs of the mainland. Taking advantage of the master's rest, he hastily changed the subject. When I was in Hangzhou and Wuhan, I heard nothing.It was the first time I heard this term when I returned to Shanghai. It is said that it is against women's hair perm and flowered clothes.Before boarding the plane, I heard that Zhou Yang had checked and denied the alienation theory he put forward; in the literary and art circles, he opposed humanitarianism.That's all I know.

Deng Xiaoping clearly said that political campaigns are no longer involved, so why is there another campaign?Lao Mi had a bitter face, completely unable to figure it out.What the Chinese hate most now is political movements! That's right.I chatted with the waiters in the Shanghai hotel, and they all said that the movement could not go on, and their hearts were exhausted.Are you not allowed to perm your hair today?It will be hot tomorrow.As for writers, they say, no one will know if they don’t get approved, but once approved, they become famous, and there are not enough stores to sell them, and the black market price has risen several times, and the supply is still in short supply!In fact, there are always side effects when we want to reform and open the door.Eliminating side effects is a long-term work, how can it be eliminated by a political campaign?

He wanted to oppose spiritual pollution, and he suddenly felt moved. Then, would he object to material environmental pollution? Good question!Uncle Heng gave him a thumbs up.If you are on the mainland, there are things to do.Those pesticide pollutions, industrial pollutions, deforestation, river pollutions don't make you so busy that you're on your back!The soot in Shanghai is very heavy, and it is said that there is also acid rain.It is said that in addition to acid rain and soot, plus yellow sand, Beijing is shrouded in smog for two hundred days a year.I also went to the countryside, and the farmers were still using a lot of DDT;Some farmers got rich and built large houses, but they lacked planning and were crude and simple, which appeared abrupt and dazzling, destroying the original natural landscape.The river ditches in Suzhou City are muddy and smelly.As for the Yangtze River, do you remember that you could not stop singing Du Fu's poems in the past?I stood on the deck this time, but I could only sigh with endless mud and soup rolling in. The Yangtze River has become polluted into the Yellow River!

so bad? He wondered if his uncle was exaggerating.Dreaming about the beauty of the Yangtze River for decades, the majesty of the Yellow River, the majesty of the Great Wall, and the scenery beyond the Great Wall, it is difficult to accept the destruction of ideals and dreams for a while.The campus song suddenly sounded in my ears: Give me a ladle of Yangtze River water, ah!Yangtze River water!The Yangtze River water is like wine, the taste of drunkenness is the taste of nostalgia The deforestation in the upper reaches has destroyed water and soil conservation, and countless factories along the coast have discharged waste water into the river. How can the water of the Yangtze River be clean?Only half a day after I left Wuhan, I saw a floating corpse.According to a guest, most of them came down from Sichuan. He counted all the way down, and this is already the third one.

Did no one notify salvage? He thought, in Taiwan, this would be the headline news on social media. A young American returned overseas Chinese enthusiastically found a waiter who was cleaning and reported this great discovery to him.Unexpectedly, the waiter said that there were too many such things, and there was no way to deal with them. First, it was difficult to find someone to identify the corpse, and second, the corpse rotted faster and was less hygienic.After finishing speaking, he threw a dustpan of soot, paper scraps and fruit peels gathered in his hands into the river, and left without changing his face.

The three sighed at each other. He glanced at his watch.half past ten.It's 2:30 in the morning in Taipei City.Li Xing was fast asleep, but was about to be woken up by the alarm clock later.He was deeply disturbed.In the past six months, except for exchanging phone calls to express their concern, the two have not seen each other.Now that my wife didn't answer, Li Xing called in a hurry, what should I say to her? He hoped that the alarm clock he was trying to do didn't work. Hu Lao went back half a century later, he must feel that there have been great changes and a lot of progress, right? Uncle Heng weighed Lao Mi's question in his hands before nodding cautiously. Compared with fifty years ago, of course, a lot of progress has been made.However, there is one thing that bothers me.I lived in the Shanghai Concession.You all remember the history of banning Chinese people and dogs from entering the Bund Park.Of course there are no concessions anymore, but many places, such as the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, small such as Friendship Stores and high-end hotels, and reception rooms for foreign guests in scenic spots, are all listed as restricted areas for local residents, which is like a new concession.I feel very sorry about this. Uncle Heng thought that the Chinese government's courtesy to foreigners was close to worshiping foreign things and fawning on foreigners; in this regard, there has been no progress in fifty years. Hu Lao said so, I dare to say.At this moment, Lao Mi spoke from his heart.People in our country are very disgusted with foreign guests, including overseas Chinese.They live in tourist hotels, eat all the good things, and have cars in and out. The most unbearable thing is their sense of superiority, and they look down on the Chinese at all! Foreigners discriminate against Chinese, but I have personal experience. Uncle Heng said that one day he went alone to visit the Yu Garden in Shanghai.At the door, I met a white man with his head held high, who was arguing with a local driver in English.The driver's English is not good, and his face flushed with anxiety.Uncle Heng was so enthusiastic for a while that he volunteered to be his interpreter. It turned out that the driver had sent two other foreign guests to visit Yu Garden. He had agreed on the round trip and was waiting to take them back to the International Hotel, and no other passengers could be picked up in between. This is a very reasonable thing, the same in any country.Unexpectedly, after explaining the reasoning to the foreign guest, the other party yelled at Uncle Heng, saying that all Chinese people don't understand business skills and don't reason, they deserve to be killed. I absolutely support the practice of completely negating the Cultural Revolution advocated by Deng Xiaoping.But facing that arrogant white man, I hope to fly out a few Red Guards, and kill his prestige to relieve my hatred! Is this an isolated case, or is it a common phenomenon? he asked his uncle. Uncle Heng snorted and said: If there are too many examples, it will have a universal meaning. We all know in Xi'an, Lao Mi said, it is best to keep away from foreign guests.If there is a quarrel, the locals will definitely be criticized, and the minimum charge is that they will not unite with international friends.Even if these foreigners break the law, the government will let it go. My old classmate in Shanghai once said that China is now practicing "one country, two systems". There are two legal systems within a country, one for locals and another for foreigners. Uncle Heng told another story he heard from the waiter. A certain hotel in Beijing lived in many foreign students.A black student from Africa fell in love with a beautiful girl from Hong Kong and often went to her room.One night, he kept pestering him until midnight.The female student had no choice but to ask for a waiter.The waiter politely asked the black man to return to the room first, so as not to affect the rest of other guests.Unexpectedly, the black man became angry from embarrassment, accused him of racial discrimination, and beat up the waiter.The waiter was not willing to be humiliated, so he fought back, which brought him to court.It was useless for the female student to testify. The black man was fined for nothing, and the waiter was sentenced to five months in prison. Uncle Heng's conclusion is: if there is another Cultural Revolution in China, the CCP itself is certainly responsible, and these foreign guests are also to blame. Uncle Heng's voice was already hoarse, and while speaking, he reached out and stroked his throat. He quickly went to open a bottle of Coca-Cola and sent a glass to the host and guest respectively. When closing the refrigerator, he glanced at the electric clock on the stove.It's eleven o'clock.A heart fluttered faintly. Coincidentally, the phone rang. Uncle Heng went to the kitchen to answer.There was silence for a long time, and when he hung up and went back to the living room, his face was gloomy. Niu Xianli could not come at night. After Uncle Heng announced to him, he shook his head and sighed. I said earlier that he was meddling, but now he is causing trouble! That tone of voice that I knew earlier sounded a little gloating. Advocating doing business with the mainland all day long, being a patriotic capitalist, someone actually took the bait!A friend of his sold computers to the CCP and was secretly followed by the FBI. He is now accused of illegally selling sophisticated technology to the CCP.If convicted of the crime, in addition to a fine, he will be sentenced to more than ten years in prison.No wonder he came back in a hurry as soon as he arrived in Beijing, probably because of some involvement.In the afternoon, the lawyer came to see him. He was afraid that he would not be able to make it to the city, and said that he would make an appointment later. It doesn't matter, let's go out to eat in the evening, and invite him next time. While talking, the phone rang again. who is this The master muttered, and reluctantly went back to the kitchen, obviously forgetting what he had agreed with Li Xing. This time, it really came from Li Xing. He walked over to pick up the receiver and apologized for disturbing his sleep in the middle of the night. Anyway, there is an alarm clock to wake me up.It's the first time you're calling, and your line is still busy. It was Niu Xianli calling. How is his friend's lawsuit going? Niu Xianli's friend's lawsuit, how can he know about it? That's right, he explained it knowingly, and his friend hired the best lawyer in San Jose, who is also the lawyer representing our company. It turned out to be like this.I didn't answer the call, I just heard a little bit about it. Leave him alone, how are you doing? very good.You know, Qihua didn't come out. Yes, your uncle told me yesterday. At this time, he hoped that Uncle Heng would tell about Qihua's request for a divorce, but he suddenly felt uncomfortable. How is she? She is not well. He couldn't even tell about his wife's paralyzed legs. what happened?Are you sick? It's not that I'll go back and tell you the details. You don't have to wait that long, I'm in San Francisco the day after tomorrow! From Lixing's urgent and high-pitched tone, one could hear an irrepressible excitement and joy. oh!But I'm going to Wisconsin. when? No tomorrow. Can't it be delayed for two days? Li Xing had a coquettish tone which was rare. Business, good morning. When are you going back to San Francisco? Come back in five days. That is not bad.I will accompany the boss and his wife to Silicon Valley, and I will persuade the boss's wife to go sightseeing nearby, and maybe stay a few more days. OK, I'll find you when I get back. We booked the Hyatt in San Jose.I'll call your uncle then.When you come back, give me a call first, I'll pick up the plane, okay? good.Go back to sleep, so you won't be listless after work. follow orders.However, if you say something nice, hypnotize me. Looking at the living room, he wished her countless sweet dreams in English, and then gently hung up the earphones. Back in the living room, Mi Zhaosheng got up and said goodbye. He wanted to keep Lao Mi for lunch and help him eat the food in the refrigerator, but Uncle Heng didn't even express politely to let him sit for a moment longer, and he couldn't make his own proposals. Mr. Hu, how about you come downstairs and sit down whenever you have time?I am at home. Before going out, Lao Mi invited him, his flickering eyes fixed on his face, the expression was almost pleading. OK, I will definitely come. After seeing off the guests, he found out the ticket and asked the airline to book a seat.There were few passengers on Sunday, so he picked the 10:00 am flight to leave San Francisco. Uncle Heng didn't care about him leaving tomorrow, but when he heard that he would do what he could and would miss each other, he blamed him. Are you afraid of seeing her? I'm I'd better think alone for a few days, something He muttered, unable to figure out his own thoughts for a while. what ever. The uncle pursed his lips and shrugged disinterestedly, and then patted his stomach with both hands to explore the reality of the abdomen. Who cooks lunch? He agreed: I'll do it. OK, I'll take care of the dishes.Please put less oil and salt, and do whatever else you want. Uncle Heng happily slipped back to his desk. After preparing two dishes and one soup, he went to treat the old man to dinner.It was found that the latter was wearing presbyopic glasses and leaning over his upper body, revising a page of typescript with a pencil. The uncle who looked down on literati the most in his life, and was said to be ridiculed by students for not being paperless because he didn't publish papers, suddenly revises the papers in a serious manner, which is really novel. Uncle Heng is about to publish an article?He asked: Talk about the perception of the mainland? What to publish, bah! The tone is still contemptuous.The glasses are wide and strange in shape, covering most of his face, so that when he stares, he looks like a ferocious owl. These Americans started to study Chinese literature before they learned Chinese well. What kind of eyes are translated into eyes of law? Knowing to ask you to modify it, it can be seen that there is still self-knowledge.Is there a bonus fee? Nothing is free in this world.For the sake of two or three hundred yuan. Uncle Heng has really changed, he is willing to start with a small amount of money, unlike in the past when he dreamed of making a fortune in stocks and ended up losing his fortune. There are many scholars in Taiwan who contribute to English journals, and it is very necessary to find someone to polish the text.He found a way to make money for his uncle: You can use the mail to make a little money without having to go out.If you are interested, I will introduce you. Yes, I am interested in making money.Some people in Chinatown want to run an English newspaper, and I can write about the history of the struggle of overseas Chinese in the United States for them. Well, those like me who have lived in the United States for half a century are very rare! If you can write better, it will benefit the overseas Chinese community. While standing in front of the window talking to his uncle, he made another discovery.When I entered the door the day before yesterday, there was a telescope on the windowsill, but it is gone now.Apparently the old man has no time to be a stealing Tom. I hope that after the new year, I will pick up Jiujiu. During the meal, Uncle Heng revealed his plan. The competition for higher education in mainland China is very fierce, and junior high school students have to take tutoring, hoping to be admitted to key middle schools.Jiujiu is only a freshman in high school, and she also needs tutoring, and is preparing to take the university entrance examination in the future. Not to mention the hard work, her parents are also nervous.To contact tutors, to make room for classes, they call themselves a logistics force, and they do everything for their children's education.If it goes on like this, I don't think it will be long, and elementary school students will have to take tutoring too! This is the case in Taiwan, where even good kindergartens have to take exams.This is especially true in Japan, where students have to prepare for the kindergarten entrance examination at the age of three. People who read it in this way are not nerds, but also half robots.Primary and secondary schools in the United States do not charge fees, so Jiujiu can learn English well if she comes out earlier.The San Francisco Art Institute is very famous. Whether she can get in in the future depends on her own ability. Grandpa can only provide her with an opportunity. Exactly. He is also willing to give his son a chance.I used to think about getting together with my husband and wife, but I ignored the possibility of my children going abroad. Now I really want to make up for it. You have seen Chong Han, he asked Uncle Heng, if he came out, would he be able to go to university right away? why not On the contrary, Uncle Heng found him asking strange questions. There are a variety of universities in the United States, open to people of all ages.I myself have taught several students in their 70s and 80s.Your son looks weak and gentle, but he has a strong personality.In order not to die of old age in Heilongjiang, he would rather not get married.In this regard, your father and son are in the same way, and they are handed down in one continuous line! He smiled desolately: Weird.He is still unmarried, his mother said, people think he is weird. There are so many strange things on the mainland! Uncle Heng put down his rice bowl, wiped his mouth with a paper towel, leaned back, and prepared to make a fuss. Because you were in Taiwan before, Qihua suffered a lot.Now the policy has changed, and because you are in Taiwan, they have become targets of the United Front and receive preferential treatment and courtesy.You are still you, but isn't it strange that your attitude towards your family is completely different? He just smiled wryly. I heard from your daughter that the daughter of the party secretary of his factory is very interesting to him. It is said that the other party is a good-looking talent, but he is not enthusiastic, so angry that the other party married the son of a high-ranking official in the Wuhan Military Region.Not to mention that everyone called him weird, his sister also felt very sorry when she mentioned that girl. he wondered.The daughter of a party secretary, status doesn't matter, but she is really a good-looking talent, wouldn't it be a pity to miss it? I thought the CCP would be the best at propaganda, but this time I went back to live for a month and found out that their propaganda work is actually not very effective.I heard that they advocate late marriage in the United States, and I have heard it for at least twenty years.However, if Chong Han really wants to marry late, everyone points at him and regards him as a monster.In fact, I talked to him, he is very assertive and dare to go his own way. He didn't get married just to go abroad? Uncle Heng said that this is the proximate cause, and the real reason is that he has a unique view on the population of the mainland. If there are too many people, it will be cheap, and life and dignity will not be valued as they should be.On this point, we feel the same way.I am in favor of the one-child policy, and he opposes coercion and encourages later marriage and celibacy.Alas, our female mayor of San Francisco, who travels to the mainland to do business every three days, wonders why she didn't promote the gay policy to the CCP?I have always felt that this is a shortcut to population control.China has always discriminated against these people. He knew that as soon as Uncle Heng started this strange theory, there would be no end to it, so he hurriedly interrupted: Did Chong Han talk to you about what he missed when he came to America? What I said seems to be farming.Yes, he wants to study agriculture. good! He blurted out unconsciously.There is nothing more gratifying than a son inheriting his father's legacy. It's a pity that he couldn't go to Taiwan to learn agronomy, and he deeply regrets it.Taiwan is very successful in genetic engineering, that is, in breeding.For example, the sweet and crunchy cantaloupe can be produced all year round on the island.If it is further cultivated and promoted to the mainland, the central plains and southern provinces should also be able to produce it. Is there a great chance for him to go to Taiwan? Like his mother, he has to wait five years in a free zone before applying for entry. Another five years!Taiwan's policy is so rigid, when will we know how to change it?If you have to wait five years, I think you can just study agriculture in the United States.The mainland's agriculture is too backward, and it is time to learn from the large-scale mechanical farming method in the United States. He expected it to be impossible. This kind of industrial agriculture in the United States is not suitable for China.It is too wasteful of energy, and the extensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides will pollute the water quality and damage the soil. Although it can produce high yields in the short term, it will definitely bring disaster to future generations. In fact, the gains outweigh the losses. so useless Uncle Heng didn't seem to believe it, and at the same time he yawned uninterestedly. American agriculture is already in crisis. Based on his on-the-spot observations over the past ten years, American agriculture is overly dependent on technology, and technology has become an opium, which has reached the point where it cannot be stopped.Agriculture is inseparable from land. The topsoil in the United States was nine inches thick two hundred years ago, but now it is only six inches thick.For every ton of wheat that the United States exports, it also exports ten tons of topsoil from the Mississippi River.As for chemical pesticides, the more varieties there are, the greater the resistance of pests, and the more difficult it is to control pest disasters. I remember that in the early 1970s, he came to visit the newly popular axial irrigation method.Large tracts of farmland can be automatically sprayed and irrigated by each water pipe at the touch of a switch, which is a spectacle.Once upon a time, a large amount of groundwater was pumped for irrigation, which caused the water level to be low.Arizona fell 450 feet in five years; between the cities of Phoenix and Tucson, entire landslides collapsed, interrupting interstate highways and railroads.Both groundwater and soil are non-renewable substances, which cannot be regained after being lost.America would one day have a water crisis, he predicted, that would make the oil crisis of the 1970s look like nothing. Uncle Heng bowed his head in thought, but didn't say anything. He feels that agriculture in Taiwan and the mainland is at a fork in the road. Should we follow the example of the West, return to tradition, or go our own way? Taiwan is currently promoting the second phase of soil reform, which is similar to the mainland's chanting of agricultural modernization.Reasonable modernization is of course necessary, but Westernization is unnecessary, and it is especially foolish to completely transplant American farming methods.At several recent international conferences, many insightful people in the United States have clamored for the restoration of traditional good farming methods, such as intercropping and crop rotation methods in China, because they are conducive to replenishing the soil and reducing pest damage.Americans want to learn from China, how can the Chinese themselves throw the Great Wall? When it comes to his line of work, he can't stop talking about it. Uncle Heng lowered his eyes, as if he was listening, but in fact he had already dozed off with his head tilted. He sighed and laughed to himself that he had been playing the piano to the cow for a long time in vain.He quietly washed the dishes.When cleaning the dining table, the old man opened his eyes in a startled state. Sorry, I talk too much and I'm tired.I have to take a nap in the mainland to pick up the bad habit, and then I can't keep my eyes open. Go to sleep, I'll go see Lao Mi.He seems to have something on his mind. The old man's expression was indifferent, and he didn't bother to wave his hands: the immigrant has depression and doesn't adapt to life in the United States. I went down to see Lao Mi, and the symptoms really matched. Lao Mi said that he had already had lunch, but there were half-baked sandwiches left on the kitchen table, the ashtrays were full of dead bodies, and the air was very smelly of smoke.The hair was combed neatly just now, but now it is messy and curled up, as if it has been torn by hand.His face was pale yellow, and the collar of his blue jacket was oily and loose and wrinkled, which showed that he was much thinner than before. He sat down at the table, insisted on not drinking tea, and only accepted the offer of cigarettes from the host. You must eat. He advised Lao Mi, look at my uncle, no matter how busy he is, he will eat three meals and sleep when he is sleepy. How healthy he is!Tougher than us sixty-year-olds! I'm not used to sandwiches. Lao Mi got up and emptied the ashtray when he was about to knock the ashtray. Why don't you cook some noodles? Amidst the smog, the owner smiled wryly and shook his head, as if he was not good at this. In the evening, the two children were at home, and I barely made a meal for them.A person has no appetite at noon! I heard that men on the mainland were trained by the Communist Party to be able to be fathers and mothers, and to be as proficient in seven things as women, but I didn't expect Lao Mi to be so weak and despondent. In fact, it’s not difficult. He encouraged Lao Mi, you can even cook more meals at a time, and just heat them up at noon alone. Lao Mi still stubbornly shook his head and sighed. My first love didn't work, so I had three hot meals on hand.After marrying Duanmukai, when she is not at home, I can eat in the cafeteria and I don't need to cook.Never imagined that the United States would become like this He didn't know if Lao Mi meant cooking by himself, or contacted his wife to ask for a divorce, and he couldn't persuade him for a while. Mr. Hu, the laws in California are too sloppy!As long as one party makes a request, they can get a divorce. Why is it so unreasonable?In mainland China, the street committee can decide and judge for you in this kind of matter without hiring a lawyer to defend you. He didn't understand the divorce procedures in mainland China, nor the laws in California, but he nodded vaguely out of comfort.In fact, the relationship between the husband and wife is the crux of the matter, and when it comes to divorce, legal procedures and so on are secondary. When you were in Xi'an, didn't your relationship get along? He hopes to enlighten in this regard. No, I think it’s okay for Chinese couples, that’s how it is.She was so ruthless, it was only after she came to the United States. Lao Mi narrated the whole story of marrying his wife and coming to America.Judging from his tone, being the head of the personnel security section in Xi'an is quite prestigious.He came from the countryside, graduated from middle school, and joined the party during the land reform.Although her education is not as good as that of her wife, her political and social status make up for this shortcoming. It is said that she has been living in peace in mainland China after marriage. I treated her wholeheartedly, but in the end I was taken advantage of by someone! Lao Mi expressed remorse, stroking his hair frequently with his hand that did not hold a cigarette, as if trying to heal his wounds. Now I can see clearly that she married me to move back to Xi'an.This time the whole family immigrated, in fact, she only wanted the children to come out.I heard that the judge will award the child to the mother, Mr. Hu, is that true? Not quite.In Taiwan, most of the children go to the father; in the United States, most of the children go to the mother. Why are American judges so unreasonable?Father loves children too!Such a heartless woman, such an unreasonable society, how can I let go and hand over my child?quit! Lao Mi took a puff of cigarette resentfully, and immediately puffed it out, and his two thin lips suddenly twisted into a ball like electric wires, trembling non-stop. You want to drive a bit, Lao Mi.If the relationship between husband and wife is broken, there is no need to forcefully get together.Parents love their children, and children's affairs should be discussed and handled carefully. too late, too late Lao Mi shook his head sadly, his voice almost choked. Have you considered going back to Xi'an again? He tried to find a way out for this broken man. What are you doing back home?Work is handed over. Otherwise, you can read English here first.If you have mastered the language, you need to study or find a job I am fifty years old this year! Lao Mi almost groaned and reported his age. Fifty Promising, American Universities He was about to bring out what his uncle had just said to persuade him, but was interrupted by the ringing of the phone. The sound of the bell startled the master.He raised his head and opened his mouth wide, but could not make a sound; his eyes were terrified, and his hands shook so that the ash fell down. After the bell rang for the third time, Lao Mi went to the living room to pick it up. yes no no no! Hearing Lao Mi's answer, he couldn't help turning around to take a look. Do you want me to listen for you? Lao Mi's eyes bulging like goldfish made him uneasy.It was the expression of a primary school student who was caught by the teacher on the spot when he did something bad, panicked and frightened, and at a loss. You told her that when the master handed him the earphones, he hurriedly warned: Don't call them here! The caller was a female social worker, who said she had no other intentions, but just wanted to book a time to talk to Mr. Mi, and asked him if tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. would be suitable. He didn't understand what Mr. Mi meant, so he could only express it tactfully, not to talk about it. Please tell him that we are serious about talking to him to examine the aftermath of the incident for the welfare of our children. The other party was very persistent. Lao Mi finally reluctantly agreed. The matter was originally very simple. Last Monday morning, when the father and son were having breakfast, they quarreled over a trivial matter. The second child, Mi Ming, uttered a dirty word learned in school, and his father slapped him loudly. When the school teacher found the claw mark on Mi Ming's face, he questioned him immediately. He thought it was a serious case of child abuse and reported it to the social worker. They came to investigate in the afternoon. Due to the language barrier, another Chinese person was called in. The translation made Lao Mi feel ashamed. The father admitted his mistake on the spot and promised to restrain his temper and never beat the child again. Unexpectedly, a week later, the social workers are still chasing after him. The United States, why is such a society Lao Mi panicked and annoyed.Husbands have no status, and don’t even have the right to discipline their sons, so they let women and children have the final say. Alas, what kind of society! Lao Mi was very distressed, and stretched out his hand to pull his hair again. These social workers are really making a fuss out of a molehill, so don't take it too seriously. He tried his best to comfort the father whose dignity was damaged.I don't have the experience of being a father myself, but I reluctantly try to persuade the other party. The child still needs to be disciplined, just pay attention to the method, not to use the hands Will you come with me tomorrow afternoon?I'm afraid to meet that American woman! Lao Mi interrupted him hastily, and stretched out his hand to grab his shoulder, like a life buoy caught in the water, and held on tightly. He shook his head apologetically: I have already booked a plane ticket to leave tomorrow, so please ask Uncle Heng to accompany you. Will he? Let me talk to him. After another cigarette, the second child, Mi Ming, came back from school. Obviously hungry?Would you like a glass of milk?There are cookies and an apple Mi Ming's body and appearance resembled his father's, short and shy, with a pair of small eyes that flickered, like a lost rabbit.He was obviously shy of strangers. Under his father's instructions, he hid in the living room after greeting the guests. His father followed him all the way, offering all kinds of food in a fawning manner. Lao Mi, you are busy, I will come to see you another day. He took the opportunity to say goodbye. It's still early, and I intend to go outside for a walk.On second thought, the streets of the United States on Sundays are the most desolate and desolate, and I feel boring walking alone.Let’s sit in the park, the scene of yesterday’s concert hall is vaguely in front of our eyes: water drops from the fountain splashing on the flock of seagulls, the old woman being led around by the dog, and the lonely old man, who has nothing to do but doze off can do He came upstairs again. Uncle Heng is in the process of revising the draft.Hearing him enter the door, he took off his glasses, turned around and informed him: What's in the fridge has to be eaten.I cook and wash dishes in the evening, and don't go out to eat. also good. You want to treat me. Please treat me when you come back from a business trip. yes. This is Uncle Heng, with clear division of rights and responsibilities. He told what happened to Lao Mi.Uncle Heng seemed to be prejudiced, but still showed no sympathy. What he needs is a therapist, not a translator. Having said that, Uncle Heng reluctantly agreed to go down to have a look tomorrow on time. He wrote a letter to his son Chonghan, hoping that father and son could meet in the United States as soon as possible. He also copied the phone numbers he had contacted along the way on a card and nailed it to the wall next to the telegraph. Uncle Heng, I'll use your phone to send a telegram to Qihua and ask her to call me.I'll leave my number and just tell the operator to pass it on to me when the time comes. Can. He telegraphed.After asking for the telegram fee, I returned the amount to Uncle Heng. Well, you should have called directly, and they could have sent her to listen. Uncle Heng tapped his head with a pencil, regretting not reminding him first. It's easier for her to call. He told his uncle that the telephone system in mainland China was too outdated. He called once two years ago and it took eight hours to get through.It's okay for him to be woken up in the middle of the night, but it made Qihua wait at the telegraph office for more than two hours.I didn't know that she had a leg problem at the time, but now I can't bear to make her suffer. Calls from the mainland are said to be connected within half an hour. In Taiwan, this is already common knowledge. So, when did she receive this telegram? Within two days. He wasn't sure either. Well, after two days, I will try my best to go out as little as possible and keep an eye on your phone. Uncle Heng unexpectedly cooperates and agrees readily. However, for three consecutive days, there was no call from Qihua. At dusk on the fourth day, he flew back to Chicago from the Twin Cities.After checking into the reserved hotel, I checked the service desk, but there was still no phone message. He began to feel uneasy.I don't know if the telegram made a mistake or Uncle Heng was negligent. He called Uncle Heng. So far there is no news from the mainland.Uncle Heng said that only one person called Ren Jueming called from New York in the morning. This person named Ren said that he knows you very well, and he got my phone number from a consumer foundation, um, Professor Cai.He said, be sure to talk to you.So I gave him your number. Yes, I have met him several times, and he is a friend overseas who is most concerned about Taiwan's environmental pollution. Oh, so it's your comrade. Hey, have you gone to Jiegesen Park for a walk? No need to go, the hotel faces the park, I live on the eighth floor, condescending, and the scenery is unobstructed. No, through the glass, it's looking at flowers through the fog!Now is the time when the maple leaves are the reddest. When there is a gust of wind and rain, your face will be completely changed immediately. I advise you to go quickly. He couldn't cheer up.For several days, I met with experts and scholars non-stop, read reports, visited laboratories, caught cars and planes, and listened to every ringing of the phone, only to be disappointed again and again.He has exhausted his physical strength, and he has no more spare time to go to Hongye's call. The evening at the hotel was the hardest, but luckily a bottle of whiskey was given to me by a friend from the University of Wisconsin.He sat by the window, lit a cigarette, and poured himself a drink facing the lake and park outside the glass window. I have never seen such a vast and magnificent lake, reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun, sparkling, and the water is boundless and boundless.Only the impression of Taihu Lake when I was young is comparable.It is also a vast expanse of mist, but with little fishing sails on the water, it feels relatively close, unlike Lake Michigan, which is out of reach. Jiegesen Park is like a beautiful velvet carpet spread along the lake. Natural skillful hands weave the clusters of golden yellow and chestnut red into clusters; cars and pedestrians intersperse among them, helping to thread needles and threads, wrapping the autumn colors in a rich and beautiful way. , more vibrant. 樹林中忽然飛起一群鴿子，白的、花的、灰色、黑如烏鴉的它們在空中優遊盤旋了一陣，便前呼後擁地飛向左方，沒入積木般林立的高樓大廈中。 鴿子，紅葉，此情此景，何其嫻熟！ 他飲到第三杯威士忌時，終於記起了聞一多的另一首詩，寫到這個公園裏的情景： 幾片剪形的楓葉， 彷彿硃砂色的燕子， 顛斜在水面上， 旋著，掠著，翻著，低昂著 肥厚得熊掌似的， 棕黃色的大橡葉， 在綠茵上狼藉著。 松鼠們張張慌慌的 在葉間爬出爬進， 蒐獵著它們來冬底糧食。 成了年的栗葉， 向西風抱怨了一夜， 終於得了自由， 紅著乾燥的臉兒， 笑嘻嘻地辭了故枝。 他額頭貼上玻璃，希望從樹叢的顏色逐一辨認著這些樹。 他但願找到一棵栗樹，和那栗葉一般安然地辭了故枝，並得了自由。 然而，一片金黃燦爛先是耀眼奪目，繼而迷離模糊，哪是楓？哪是栗？根本無從分辨。 他從褲袋中掏出綺華的信。質地差的紙張，禁不起幾番閱讀，已經出現破損。信上的字句已熟記在心，然而，內中的含意如遠處的景致，也逐漸陰黯模糊起來。想攤開信，無奈手已沉得舉不起來。 須臾，眼前一片迷濛。 電話鈴響時，他以為在做夢。聲音非常遙遠，眼前一片黑暗。掙扎著伸手抓到耳機，聲音忽然放大，轟得人頭昏腦脹。 胡大哥嗎喂，你怎麼樣，不舒服嗎？什麼人如此聒噪嚕囌？ 我是任覺明呀，剛才給你打過一次電話，沒人接，是吃飯去了吧？Hello, hello! 吃飯現在幾點？ 他知覺到自己躺在床上，於是伸手摸索，終於摸著床頭櫃前一個電燈開關。一下子撳亮了三個燈泡，床頭，走道和梳粧台上一起放出光明。 床頭櫃前的電鐘指著九點。床罩揉皺了，窗旁的小几上信紙散亂，酒瓶半空，原來自己喝醉了。 胡大哥你要不要我等一下再打來？ fine.就是口乾得厲害，嗓門冒煙似的。胃也陣陣緊縮，悶得慌。不該喝酒，醫生已經警告過，提防十二指腸再度潰瘍。 胡大哥，我告訴你一個消息，聽聽即可，不必緊張。蔡民收到一封恐嚇信，警告他放棄消費者基金會的工作，否則要他死無葬身之地 等等，覺明，我喝了點酒等一下。 他跑去浴室，扭開水籠頭先喝了兩口，又用水撲打自己的臉，覺得夠清醒了，才跑回來聽電話。 覺明說，蔡民是三天前收到恐嚇信，已經報警，正在偵查中。原因相當明顯，基金會公佈了許多不合規定和損害消費者健康的產品，打擊了某些廠商的利益，招致他們採取不法手段來威脅報復。最近，蔡民又要求把二溴乙烯列為不許進口的農藥，在臺灣引起震撼，他要景漢小心一些。 早在一九七四年，美國國家癌症研究所用老鼠為實驗，已提出二溴乙烯有致癌性的報告，並警告，每年在美國，會有三千人因二溴乙烯引發的癌症而死亡。由於美國的化學農藥廠商勢力龐大，形成極強的壓力團體，進而影響了國會的立法。雖然學界和環境保護人士一再呼籲，也只通過了所謂安全限量。美國廠商為了自身利益，將二溴乙烯處理過的農產品，如小麥、玉米、雜糧和柑橘果類等，大量輸往第三世界。臺灣為了解決外交困境和平衡對美貿易，每年派遣採購團向美國大量買進農產品，遂成為美國公害傾銷的對象。 今年九月十日，美國環保局終以緊急命令禁止使用二溴乙烯。農藥局在群眾的壓力下，正著手抽檢超級市場的食品，準備向消費者提出報告。 任覺明和一批關心臺灣環境保護的朋友，在紐約成立了環境與發展研究會。他代表研究會寫了文章，配合蔡民向臺灣的國貿局呼籲，立即管制二溴乙烯的進口；並勸告消費者，不要吃美國來的食品，改吃本地產的糧食和水果。景漢此次出差，蔡民便託他順便收集農藥局抽檢食品的資料和結果。 胡大哥，你最好遲兩天回去，覺明勸他，回去最好改換個筆名寫文章。 基金會過去也接過恐嚇信。起先確是很緊張，但是一而再的，也就沒啥了。到目前為止，他們只止於恐嚇而已。 但願如此，不過，你們還是小心些好。我打算明年初返台度舊曆年。你告訴蔡民，我們要推動一下輿論工作。到時，我代表環境與發展研究會給國貿局丟一顆氫彈！ 好，我告訴他。 蔡民說，你這次要來會嫂夫人，她出來了沒有？ 沒有她要離婚。 oh? 我也想離婚，但是覺得不該離婚，矛盾啊！ 幾天來壓抑著自己，努力要排斥力行的影像，極力去想像綺華的殘缺和完美，但是罪惡感竟拂拭不去，如同附在腿上的螞蟻，提醒他一點微微的麻癢。每次經過十字路口，心便一陣顫抖，該左轉，還是右轉？ 他愛著力行，知道今生再也找不到這樣志同道合又對自己一往情深的女子。他也不能背棄髮妻，當年有情，今日有義，又為自己殘廢了一隻腿。然而，即使捨棄力行以求夫妻重逢，又有人為的阻梗。從此還需要隔洋苦候五載，到垂垂老矣之年才得聚首。到底是誰的錯，讓他在苦熬了卅四載之後，仍要忍受這種煎熬呢？ 他但願找個曠野，四望無人，可以吶喊幾聲，聽聽自己痛苦的呼號也好。然而汽車、實驗室、飛機他都被侷限在死板板的體積內。如今獨處客房，覺明的聲音宛如來自曠野的一聲呼喊，他別無選擇地回應著。 他和覺明只見過幾面，不曾談過私事，也不知對方知道多少情形。好在越陌生越安全，他需要傾吐心事。 於是，耳機成了洩洪道，他打開了心閘，清出了肺腑的鬱積。 覺明顯然是第一次聽到他進退維谷的情況，一再表示同情。 你怎麼選擇呢，胡大哥？這個年輕自己十來歲、已入籍美國的朋友竟反問他。愛情與婚姻，情與義，唔，看來是個難題 給我公道，我們這一代人缺的是公道！ 他對著聽筒叫喊。 我想我了解你的心情，你們這一代，和上一代的中國人，唉，真是不幸的一代！這種事，我想離婚比較可行，但是我主張兩人先當面談一談。我是你的話，一定親自跑一趟大陸，對，只有這一條辦法可行！ 直到掛上電話前一秒，覺明還在勸他偷潛回大陸去探親。 他抱著肚子在斗室中蹀躞。錯過了餐飲時間，胃餓得發疼。只有飛機上捨不得丟棄的一包花生米可以充飢。此外是香菸，燒得人更加煩悶空虛，但卻走火入魔般，一根根點燃下去。 一包菸快抽完，電話鈴聲又響起。 接線生問他，願否負擔柯綺華的電話費？ certainly! 他熄了菸頭，備好坐姿，貼緊了耳機期待。 可惜線路不佳，聲音很微弱，聽來很吃力。紛亂了一陣，才弄清楚，綺華在向他祝壽，原來今天是他六十歲生日。她專等到今天才來電話，而他卻在苦等中忘了自己六十大壽的事。 綺華，你來美國一趟好嗎？他央求妻子。我一定要見你一面，當面談談我們 我也要見你呀！ 聲音尖細高亢，給人心有戚戚焉的緊迫感覺。 景漢，你回來一趟吧！我去問過了，可以悄悄辦手續，保證秘密來去，有人這麼做過了，你千萬來啊！ 綺華那聲拖長的尾音，有如指尖，在他心的鍵盤上撩撥了一通。上次通電話，她哭得語音模糊；這次，輪到他眼眶蓄滿了淚水。 綺華，他們會查出來的，我知道。你能坐飛機嗎？唉，你的腿，我一直不知道綺華，我真對不起你 他努力克制自己，但淚水如大雨傾盆，從臉頰氾濫而下，很快浸濕了睡衣領子。 我可以旅行。你真不能回來，我一定要過去，我會過去，但要帶著老二才行。 我已經寫了要求探親的信，可那又要等兩三年 現在好了，照顧親人在海外相會，護照下來特別快。崇漢昨天已經去照了相。倒是美國的簽證難。最近，武漢一批出去留學和探親的，凡是單身的都被批駁回來。這方面，漢哥給想想辦法 我明天回去和恆叔他們商量一下，你放心吧。 我放心，漢哥，我從來對你都放心！電話太貴，我們寫信吧，你千萬保重身體我一定會來！ 我一定會來。 他相信。 黑夜裏躺在床上，這聲尖細的應允一直縈繞耳際。猶記得她嗓門輕柔，說話細聲細氣，唯恐驚嚇了人似的。電話裏語聲尖細如泣，宛若發自肺腑深處，可見她企盼之殷，渴望之切。她一定會來。就像等了他卅四載一樣，這個諾言也必信守。 忘了向她解釋自己和力行的關係，她也沒提起。也許她不在意。三十八年的婚姻關係，七年只是分子，並非分母。 我從來對你都放心。 想想也不必解釋。當初取消了和力行預定的婚宴，其實便已作了決定。眼前的困擾，只因綺華有讓賢之意，忽然間給自己嚴加閉鎖的心啟開了一條縫。如果綺華愛丈夫而願意放棄婚姻，自己愛力行又何必堅持婚姻呢？他但願力行能了解他的心，不致怨他負心或寡情。 他沒有給力行電話，決定悄悄回到恆叔家。