Chapter 11 Ahe

Ahe This winter vacation, I lived in a relative's villa because I was recovering from illness.The villa is in the country.To the left of the front is a light blue lake, surrounded by endless green hills on the other side.The shadow of the mountain is reflected in the water, and it looks clearer and clearer.The surface of the water is often like a mirror.When the wind blows, there are slight wrinkles; like girls frowning, it will be fine after a while.The rest of the lake formed a small harbor, which slowly and silently flowed past the gate of the villa.There is a small stone bridge in front of the gate, and there are fields all over the bridge.Along the coast here, peach trees and willows are planted alternately, and there should be a lively dream in spring.There is a short bamboo fence around the villa, and there is a small road outside the fence.Inside is a building facing south, with the mountain behind it.To the west are three bungalows, where I live.There are two pieces of grass in the yard, on which two or three stones are randomly placed.In the other gaps, potted plants are lined up, or flowers and plants are planted.There are also several big trees with twisted branches beside the fence, and one of them almost reaches into the water.

My relative Wei Jun only has a couple and a daughter.She was studying outside and had just returned home at this time.She invited three classmates to spend this winter vacation with her; two were relatives and one was a friend.They lived in the two rooms upstairs.Wei Jun and his wife also live upstairs.Downstairs is the living room in the middle, which is often idle, the west room is a place to eat, and the east room is Wei Jun's study, where we chat, drink tea, and read newspapers.I have eaten, even if I am alone, I want to come here to sit around for a while.On the second day after I came, Ms. Wei told me that her mother wanted to find a good maid for them; Aqi, the long-term worker, said that there was a cousin, and his mother asked him to bring it in for a look tomorrow.She seemed very happy, I just agreed casually.

Between the flat house and the upper house is a small kitchen.I live in a house on the east side, and from the window I can see people coming and going in the kitchen.Before lunch that day, I happened to look outside, and saw an unfamiliar maid, carrying two tin pots in both hands, walking into the kitchen; Mama Li from the Wei family was leading the way in front of her, and somehow she was talking to her. What words.Her hair was disheveled like winter grass.He was wearing a black cotton-padded jacket with fringe and trousers, the black had already turned yellow; the padded jacket was knee-length, and the trousers stretched to the instep.The feet are natural feet, wearing black cloth shoes with pointed toes, and there are two "leaf pullers" of the same color on the heel.I thought this was the maid brought by Aceh; when I finished thinking, I sat down and read a book.After dinner, Miss Wei told me that the maid came, her name was "Ahe".I said, "The name is very good, but she's a bit of a scumbag; can she still do it?" She said, "Don't look at her as a scumbag, she's very smart." I said, "Oh." Then I went to read the newspaper in my hand.

From then on, every morning, middle school, and night, I often saw Ah He going back and forth with a kettle; her eyes always seemed to be looking ahead.Two weeks passed quickly.Ms. Wei suddenly told me, don't look at Ahetu, she is very ambitious, she is a poor person.I told my mother, give her the padded jacket and trousers I wore at home the year before last.I thought those two dresses were too fancy, so I gave them to her just right.Niang refused at first, saying that she had only been here for a few days; later she also agreed.Take it out for her to wear today, it's just right.We taught her to play velvet shoes, she is so smart, she can learn it in no time.She said that she would wear a pair when she got paid.I'll wait a few days before talking to my mother.

"She likes it so much! No wonder her hair is so much radiant. So you taught her. Good! If you teach her to be good at it, she might not want to go home in the future." Everyone laughed. The old New Year is past.Because of the military incidents in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, our school cannot open for a while.We were all happy to stay longer at the villa.At this moment, Ah Heru changed into another person.She was wearing navy blue cloth padded jacket and trousers with small flowers; she was wearing tender blue woolen rope shoes with two half blue and half white pompoms adorning the top of the shoes.I think it must have been helped by her ladies.As the old saying goes, "A man needs clothes and a horse needs a saddle." Ah He's attire is really pitiful.Her hair has already been brushed bald, and the hair on her forehead is also combed very snugly.A small round face, like peach and plum blossoms in full bloom; there is no smile on the face, but the brilliance of spring is faintly contained on the face, like a flower house filled with honey.It was almost a miracle to me; I now often stand at the window and watch her.I think I found a cat's eye deep in the mountains; such a pure cat's eye is the only one I have ever seen in my life!I think we have known each other for too long, and I would like to have a word with her—a very ordinary word, just a word.But how can I talk to her plainly?Been so depressed for a week.

This is the night before the Lantern Festival.I ate and sat in the room for a while, feeling a little bored, so I wandered into the study.Picking up the newspaper, I want to take a closer look.Suddenly the door knob rang, and Ah He came in.She had three or four colored pencils in her hand; approached me unexpectedly.She stood in front of me, smiled quietly and said, "Mr. Bai, do you know where the pencil sharpener is?" She showed me the pencil she was holding.I stood up involuntarily, and hurriedly replied, "Here;" I pointed to the south pillar.But I immediately felt that this was not enough.I led her closer to the pillar.Then I hesitated like lightning, and said, "I... I..." She handed me a pencil without saying a word.I put it in the plane and showed her.After planing twice, I wanted to give it to her; but I finally finished planing one and gave it back to her.She took the pen and took a look, but still turned her face up to me.I was so embarrassed.In an instant, I turned my thoughts around several times; finally I dared to strike up a conversation and said, "That's it." I quickly glanced outside the door, and then walked back to the original place to read the newspaper.But as soon as my head was lowered, my eyes were raised.So she asked calmly from a distance, "Can you do it?" She didn't turn her head around, she just let out a "beep" and didn't speak.I watched her back for a while.I think I should bow my head.When I looked up again, she had already walked out silently.She always seemed to be looking ahead; I wanted to ask her another word, but I couldn't say it.I put down the newspaper, stood up and walked for a while, then went back to my room.

I've been thinking of something, but nothing comes up. When I saw her walking into the kitchen the next morning, I swore my eyes would always follow her shadow!Her shadow is so good.Her steps were swift, well-proportioned, and slender, just like a cute kitten.She is holding a water jug ​​in each hand, which reminds me of a woman walking vigorously on a thin rope.It's all because of her waist; her waist is so soft, in Bai Shui's words, it's so soft that it makes me feel like eating Suzhou brown candy.Not only her waist, my diary said it well: "She has a set of curves that are as beautiful as clouds and clouds, and the water and the moon are competing for spirits, weaving into a big net of confusion!" And the curves of those cheeks are especially sweet and lovely. .Her cheeks are white with reddish, moist as jade.Her skin is so tender that water can be squeezed out; I said in my diary, "I really want to pinch her!" Her eyes are like a pair of little swallows, always circling on the twinkling spring water.Her smile is what I remember most, floating in my mind like a flower.Didn't I say that her little round face is like a peach blossom in full bloom?Then, when she smiles, it's time to bloom: the flower house is full of honey, which looks like it's about to flow out.Her hair is not very thick, but it is black and shiny, soft and smooth, like pure silk.It's a pity that I never smelled some fragrance.well!I used to see her many times at the window, and I got so little; if I hadn't seen her last night--though it was only a few minutes--I would have been so sorry for such a person.

After lunch, Mr. Wei went to take a nap as usual. Only me, Ms. Wei and three other ladies were in the study.I intentionally or unintentionally talked about Ahe.I say: "How do you know her ambition is good?" "That day we taught her to tie velvet shoes;" a Miss Cai replied, "Seeing that she is very smart, we asked her why she didn't study? When we asked her, she became sad.  …" "Yes," Miss Wei snatched it up with a smile, "she cried afterwards; there was a fool who shed tears with her." Miss Huang over there was in a hurry, so she came over and gave her a push.Ms. Cai hurriedly stopped her and said, "You guys are just joking around! Let me finish—" "I'll say it for you," Ms. Wei still rushed to say, "—she said she only had one Father, no mother. Married to a man in his thirties, uncouth, with blisters all over his face! He is Mama Li’s neighbor, and I’ve seen it before...” “Okay, now I’m Tell me." Miss Cai continued, "She doesn't want a good man, she loves to gamble; when she got angry, she moved to her mother's house and didn't go back for more than a year."

"How old is she?" I asked. "I don't know if I'm seventeen or eighteen? I got married the year before last and went home after a few months," Miss Cai said. "No, eighteen, I know," Miss Wei corrected. "Oh. Did you ever persuade her to divorce?" "Why don't you persuade me?" Miss Wei replied, "She said she would go back to eat her cousin's wedding at eighteen, and she wanted to talk to her father." "You taught her good things, what should I do!" I laughed. They all laughed too. On the morning of the nineteenth, I was reading a book in the house when I heard noises outside; this had never happened before.I immediately went out to look; I saw two countrymen outside the door wanting to come in, but they were stopped by Aqi.They just begged, but Ah Qi just refused.At this time, Wei Jun had already walked out of the courtyard and said to them,

"Go back. It doesn't matter if people are here with me. Go back quickly and don't make a fuss!" The two looked at each other, but couldn't say a word; after a while, they had to leave.I asked Wei Jun what happened?He said, "Ah He! It's just a quarrel." I think he has always been too lazy to talk about matters between men and women, so I'd better go back and ask his lady well; we will talk about other things. After dinner, I hurriedly asked Ms. Wei, and she said, "She told Mother, you can ask Mother." I thought this was a bit embarrassing, so I went to the west room and asked Mrs. Wei; she was watching Mama Li clean up the dishes.When she saw me asking, she smiled and said,

"Why do you want to ask these things? When she went back yesterday, she borrowed Agui's clothes and wore them. She was dressed up delicately. It's no wonder that her man saw him, so he made an appointment with some irrelevant people. She snatched it back and spent the night. This morning, she lied to her man, saying that she would come here to pick up her luggage. Her man would believe her and send two people to follow. But when she got here, she asked Aqi to stop him She herself knelt down in front of me and cried, saying that she would not go back to her man's house even if she died. What can I do? I have to let the person who came with me go back first. Fortunately, they will go to school in a few days Well, I will leave it to her father in the future. Alas, people nowadays are really getting bigger and bigger; a country woman will make such an earth-shattering thing!" "That's not it," Li Ma interjected, "Ma'am, you don't know; my third uncle came here, and I heard him say it. I shouldn't have said it, Amitabha! Ma'am, you think she doesn't want to go back to her husband's house Why do you always want to live in your natal family? There is only one single old man in the family; think about that damned old bastard! He is reluctant to let her go back!" "Lower, really?" Mrs. Wei asked in surprise. "They're absolutely true. I've wanted to tell my wife a long time ago, but I've always been a little suspicious; looking at her today, she's quite right. Ma'am, what kind of world do you want to be now!" "This shouldn't be the case." I interjected lightly. "Young master, how do you know!" Mrs. Wei sighed, "—fortunately, it's only a few days, let her go quickly; don't ruin our luck. Let's not talk about her in the future Bar." The announcement of the start of school came, and I was scheduled to leave on the twenty-eighth.On the night of the twenty-sixth, Ah He suddenly stopped fetching water from the kitchen.Ms. Wei came over and told me in a low-key manner, "My mother called Ah Qi to send Ah He back; I was upstairs and didn't even know." I responded without saying a word.Just like a person who has three full meals a day suddenly runs out of food, but he can't tell anyone!And I think the front of her is dark, there may be some good or bad going here!I didn't sleep well that night, I just dreamed tossing and turning, and when I woke up, I was dazed again.On the morning of the twenty-eighth day in a daze like this, I lazily bid farewell to Wei Jun and his wife and Miss Wei. Wei Jun and his wife insisted on coming back during the spring break, and I had to vaguely agree.When I go out, I really want to look back at the kitchen; but many people are standing at the door to see me off, how can I look back? When I went to school to inquire, my old friend Lu had already arrived.I didn't have time to pack my luggage, so I found him and told him everything about Ah He.He was a kind person; when he listened to me, he would frown, sigh, and rub his hands.When he heard that she was only eighteen years old, he suddenly stuck out his tongue, jumped up and said, "It's a pity that I already have my wife! Otherwise, I must find a way to marry her!" "Just marry her; now who will win?" We met each other silently for a while, Lu suddenly patted the table and said, "Yes, didn't Lao Wang lose his love last year? He doesn't have a master now, why not match them up." I was about to answer that he had gone out.After a while, he and Wang came, and when they entered the door they yelled, "I told him that he didn't believe me; I want to ask you!" "There are things, and people are really good. It's just their business, why should we take care of it!" I said. "Think of it!" Lu shouted. "What method? Tell me!" "Okay, you all play jokes on me, so I don't care about you!" Wang laughed. We talk about Ahe almost every day, but no one has ever seriously "thought of a way." In a blink of an eye, it's spring break.When I went to Wei Jun's villa again, the water was green and the peach cheeks and willow eyes were attractive.But I only think about Ah He, I don't know what happened to her.At that time Miss Wei had been back for two days.I asked her behind her back, and she said, "It's so strange! Aqi told me that she came to beg for her mother in February. She said that her man has given up her heart and doesn't want her to go back; she just won't let it go for nothing." She. He taught her father to come up with 80 yuan, and the man would belong to her father; She! You know my mother’s temper. She is an old-fashioned person; she gave Ah He a meal without paying any money! I am now telling Ah Qi to send her a letter when he goes to town. I can give her five dollars. I think you can help her, and I'll tell Azzie to tell her. It's a pity that she may not come to us again!" "I'll take ten yuan, you tell Aqi." I saw that Ah Qi was free, so I went to ask about Ah He again.He said, "Her father is looking here and there for her to find the master. I'm afraid it will be difficult, eighty yuan!" I suddenly felt uncomfortable and didn't want to ask any more questions. Two days later, Aceh came back from town and said, "I saw Ah He today. Damn, I'm getting tidy. I put on a skirt and become a lady boss! It is said that I picked it by myself; this year!" I immediately felt that it was all over!He just stared at Aqi blankly, as if he wanted to find the shadow of Ahe on his face.Cough, what can I say?May the god of fate protect her forever! The next day I excused myself and left the villa; I didn't want to see the lake and mountains, let alone that small kitchen! Made on January 11, 1926 (Originally published in the 200th issue of "Literature Weekly" on November 22, 1926)