Chapter 12 relative

For two days Timofey Vasilyevich had been looking everywhere for his nephew Seryoka Vlasov.On the third day, when he was about to leave here by train, he found it.It happened by chance on the train. Timofey Vasilyevich got on the tram, took out ten kopecks, and was about to hand it to the conductor, looked up—and was dumbfounded.What a strange thing, this conductor is so familiar.Timofey Vasilyevich glanced again.That’s right: it was he—Seryuk Vlasov—who had been working as a tram conductor. "Oh!" cried Timofey Vasilyevich, "Seryuka! It's you, my boy?" The conductor was so embarrassed that he didn't know what to do. He sorted out the ticket folder for a long time without need, and then said, "Uncle, wait... wait until I sell out the tickets."

"Okay! All right." Uncle said overjoyed, "I'll wait." Timofei Vasilyevich smiled and explained to the passengers: "He is my relative, Seryoka Vlasov, the son of my brother Peter... I haven't seen him in seven years. Look... this brat..." Timofey Vasilyevich looked at his nephew excitedly, and said to him in a loud voice: "Seryuka, my dear boy, I have been looking for you for two days. I have traveled all over the city, and you are here Here, I became a conductor. I searched for the address and went to Raznotchin Street. They said that there is no such person, and I don’t live here. I said, tell me where he is. I am his relative. They said they didn't know... so you are here, the conductor, right?"

"It's the conductor." The nephew replied in a low voice. The passengers looked at the relative curiously.The uncle was so happy that he couldn't close his mouth, he looked at his nephew with joy.But the nephew seemed a little embarrassed, feeling that he was in class and didn't know how to treat his uncle or what to say to him. "So," said the uncle again, "you have become a conductor. Are you on the tram?" "It's the conductor..." "What a coincidence! Seryoka, my good boy, I got on the tram and saw what was going on? The conductor looked familiar, and it was you. I'm so glad you said it was a coincidence... How wonderful..."

The conductor hesitated for a while, then suddenly said: "Uncle, you have to pay. You need to print a ticket...how many stops do you sit at?" The uncle smiled smugly, and patted the conductor's purse. "I was going to buy a ticket, really! If I took another tram, or someone else's car, I would have to pay for it, so there's no reason to be reluctant. This time it's just a coincidence. My dear, Seryoka. Boy, I'm going to the train station." "Two stops." The conductor turned his face away and said helplessly. "What, what's the matter with you?" Timofey Vasilyevich felt strange. "What do you mean, are you serious?"

"Uncle, you have to pay the fare." The conductor whispered, "Two stops...you can't sit for nothing, you have to pay for the ticket..." Timofey Vasilyevich bit his lip in anger, and gave his nephew a hard look. "What do you do, ask your uncle for money? Want to extort money from your uncle?" The conductor looked out the window sadly. "You're blackmailing people." The uncle said angrily, "You son of a bitch, I haven't seen you for seven years. What are you doing? Ask your uncle for the car money? Don't rush at me. I'm being aggressive. Even though you are close relatives, I'm not afraid of your fists. Don't point fingers, and don't be brave in front of the passengers."

Timofey Vasilyevich took out ten kopeks, played it in his hands a few times, and put it back in his pocket. "Look, does that make sense?" Timofey Vasilyevich said to the passenger, "asking for money from my uncle, and talking about two stops... Listen!" "You have to pay." The nephew almost cried. "Don't be angry, comrade uncle, because this is not my own tram. This tram belongs to the country and the people." "Whether it's a people's car or not," said the uncle, "it doesn't matter to me. You bastard, you don't know how to be polite to your uncle. You should say: Uncle, your money is earned by labor, don't you?" Yes, you can sit on this train, the tram won’t be overwhelmed because of this. A few days ago I took the train...the conductor was not my relative, but he said: You can sit, there is no money for anything. Timofey Vasilyevich...you get in the car...I just sat here...He is not my relative...just a fellow countryman! You are better, ask your uncle for money ...will not give you money."

The conductor wiped his forehead with his sleeve and suddenly rang the bell. "Please get out of the car, uncle," said the nephew solemnly. Seeing the seriousness of the matter, Timofey Vasilyevich clapped his hands together, took out the ten kopecks again, and then put them in his pocket again. "No," he said, "I can't, I can't give you money, you bastard. I'd better get out of the car." Timofey Vasilyevich stood up in a valiant manner, went to the door of the carriage, and turned his head again. "Get your uncle out of the car... your dear uncle," said Timofey Vasilyevich angrily, "you wretch... you bastard... I'll kill you for that." I have a lot of acquaintances in the Morni Palace..."

Timofey Vasilyevich gave his nephew a hard look, wishing he could eat him, and got off the rolling cart. (1923)① Translated by Gu Yaling and Bai Chunren