Chapter 16 Chapter Fourteen

It has been six days since Marlena's accident, and she still hasn't left the carriage.August doesn't dine in the kitchen anymore, so it's hard not to notice that I'm alone when I sit at our table.Occasionally I met August while tending the animals, and he was polite and distant. As for Rosie, we parade her in a hippo caravan in every town and then put it in the animal tent for display.It learned to follow August from the carriage to the animal tent, and August stopped beating it violently.It would plod along side by side with him, and August would hold the hook firmly against the flesh behind Rosie's front legs.Once in the animal tent, it stood behind the rope, happily teasing the audience and accepting candies.Although Uncle Ailan didn't say it clearly, it seems that he has no plans to resume the elephant show immediately.

As the days passed, I missed Marina more and more.Every time I go back to the kitchen, I secretly hope to see her.And every time I don't see her, my heart sinks. Another long day in an unknown rotten place.From the railroad the towns all looked alike.The Feitian Brigade is preparing to hit the road.I curled up on the bunk reading Othello, Walter read Wordsworth on the bed, and Queenie curled up next to him. It raised its head and growled, and Walt and I sat up straight. Earl's big bald head poked in through the door frame. "Doctor! Hello! Doctor!" "Hey, Earl, what's up?"

"I need your help." "Sure, what's the matter?" I put the book down and glanced at Walter.He made an awkward Queenie lean against him.Queenie was still humming. "It's Lao Luo, he's in big trouble." Earl said gruffly. "What kind of trouble?" "His feet are weird, limp and unable to use his strength. He won't let others get close to him, and his hands don't work very well." "Drunk?" "It's not drunk this time, but it's no different from being drunk." "Damn it, Earl. He's gotta see a doctor."

Earl frowned. "Yeah, that's why I came to see you." "Earl, I'm not a doctor." "You're a veterinarian." "That's different." I glanced at Walt.He is pretending to read a book. Earl looked at me expectantly. I finally said, "Fine, if he's not doing well, let me go talk to August or Uncle Allan and see if we can get a doctor to see him when we get to Dubeck." "They're not going to get him a doctor." "why?" Earl straightened his back unhappily: "Damn, you don't know anything?"

"If he's really seriously ill, of course they'll—" "Just throw him off the train," said Earl firmly. "Well, if he's an animal . . . " As soon as I thought about it, I realized he was right. "Okay, then I'll find a doctor myself." "How to find it? Do you have money?" "Uh, no." I said shyly, "Does Lao Luo have any?" "If he was rich, do you think he would still drink drinks made of ginger ale and alcohol ointment? Hey, can you go away? Is it possible that you wouldn't even help him look at it? The old guy was desperate at the beginning help you."

I hurriedly said, "I know that, Earl. But I don't know what you expect me to do?" "You are a doctor, just help him see it." A whistle sounded in the distance. "Come on. We're leaving in five minutes, and we've got to go," said Earl. I followed him to the wagon carrying the caravan.The wedge horses were all in place, and every member of the Feitian brigade was dismantling the ramp, climbing into the carriage, and closing the door. "Hey, Luo, I've brought the doctor." Earl yelled at the open car door. "Jacob?" A hoarse voice came from inside.

I jumped into the car, and after a while my eyes got used to the darkness inside, and I saw Lao Luo standing in the corner.He curled up on the feed bag.I went over and knelt down. "What's the matter, old Luo?" "I can't figure it out, Jacob. When I got up a few days ago, my feet were limp, but I didn't feel anything." "Can you walk?" "A little bit, but I've got to keep my knees high because the soles of my feet are gone." His voice dropped to a low murmur. "Not only that, but also the other guy." "What guy?" His eyes were wide open, shooting a look of terror. "Men's guy. I... don't feel the front one at all."

The train jolted forward slowly, tightening the car's hitches. "It's time to start, you have to get down," Earl said, patting me on the shoulder.He went to open the car door for me and waved me over. "I'll sit with you this part of the way." I said. "Can't." "why?" "Because somebody's going to hear you're on good terms with the handymen, and it's probably these guys, and throw you out of the car." "Damn it, Earl, aren't you a bodyguard? Tell them to get out of the way." "I don't control the Feitian fleet, this is Lao Hei's territory." He said, beckoning me over more urgently, "Let's go!"

I looked straight into Lao Luo's eyes.His eyes were full of fear and pleading.I said, "I've got to go. I'll come back to you when we get to Dobeco. We'll get you a doctor, and you'll be fine." "I don't have a dime." "It's okay, we'll figure out a way." "Go!" cried Earl. I put my hand on the old man's shoulder. "We'll figure it out, okay?" Lao Luo's eyes filled with gum were filled with tears. "OK?" He nodded, just once. I stood up and went to the door. "Damn." I stared at the fast-moving scene, "I thought the train wasn't accelerating so fast."

"And it's going to get faster and faster," Earl said, putting his hand on the center of my back and pushing me off. "What the hell!" I yelled, windmilling my arms, hitting the gravel and rolling on my side.With a bang, another fell beside me. "Look." Earl stood up, brushing the dust off his back. "I'm just telling you he's not doing well." I looked at him in surprise. "What?" He looked puzzled. "It's nothing." I said, got up, and brushed off the dust and fine stones from my body. "Come on, better get back before anyone sees you coming here."

"Just tell them I'm here to check the work horses." "Oh, good excuse. Yeah, no wonder you're a doctor and I'm not, huh?" I shook my head violently, but his expression remained open.I give up and start walking towards our train. "What's the matter?" Earl called after me. "Why are you shaking your head, Doctor?" "What's the matter?" Walter asked me when he saw me coming in. "Nothing." I said. "Yeah, when he came, I was beside him. Call me, 'Doctor'." I hesitated. "It's a worker from the Feitian Brigade, he's not feeling right." "Obviously. What do you think of him?" "Afraid, and, frankly, no fault of his. I tried to get him a doctor, but I didn't have any money, and neither did he." "You will have money soon, and it will be paid tomorrow, but what symptoms does he have?" "His hands and heels... well, the other stuff is numb." "WTF?" I looked down, "You know what?" "Wow, hell," said Walter, sitting up straighter. "I knew it. No need for a doctor. He's got a drugged leg." "What did you get?" "Drugged wine legs, medicinal wine legs, lameness, no matter how you call them, they are all the same symptom." "Never heard of it." "Someone made a lot of rotten medicinal wine, that is, plasticizers were added to the medicinal wine or something. This batch of wine is sold all over the country, and once you drink a bottle, you are finished." "'Fucked'? What do you mean?" "Paralyzed, that damned thing that comes on within two weeks." I was stunned. "How did you know?" He shrugged. "It was written in the newspapers. People have just discovered where this disease comes from, but many people have already suffered, maybe tens of thousands. Most of them are from the south. On our way to Canada, we passed through the south, Maybe that's where she bought the medicinal wine." I paused before asking the next question. "Is it okay?" "no." "Totally helpless?" "I told you, he's screwed. But if you want to pay a doctor for nothing to make sure there's no cure for this disease, that's up to you." Black and white sparks exploded before my eyes, changing and flickering shapes so that I could see nothing.I plopped down on the bedding. "Hey, are you okay? Wow, friend, you're a little blue, don't you feel like throwing up?" "Nope." My heart was pounding and my blood was rushing through my ears.I just remembered that on the first day I came to the circus, Lao Luo once held a small bottle of disgusting liquid and asked me to drink it. "I'm fine, thank God." The next day, just after breakfast, Walt and I joined the line in the red ticket van.At exactly nine o'clock, the people in the van beckoned the first person to come forward, a handyman.Moments later, he paced out in a rage, spitting on the ground, cursing.The second person was also a handyman and left angrily. People in the queue looked at me and I looked at you, covering their mouths with their hands and whispering. "Not good," Walter said. "What's wrong?" "It seems to be Uncle Ailan's method of deducting money." "Most circus troupes will deduct a little salary when they pay their salaries, and make up for it at the end of the season. But when Uncle Ailan is short of money, he withholds all the salary." "Damn it!" I said.The third person rushed out in a rage.Two workers left the line with sullen faces and hand-rolled cigarettes in their mouths. "Then why do we keep queuing?" "Withdrawals can only be deducted from the workers' money. Artists and foremen are not deducted as a rule." Walter said. "But I'm neither an artist nor a supervisor." Walt looked at me for two seconds. "Indeed, I don't know what you are supposed to be. I only know that whoever sits at the same table as the manager is definitely not a worker." "Do they often withhold money?" "Yeah," said Walter, idly kicking the dust with his foot. "Has Uncle Ailan reissued it?" "I've heard, but I don't think anyone's ever tried, and I've heard that if he hasn't paid you for four weeks, you'd better not show up on payday." "Why?" I saw another dirty man yelling and walking away.The three workers in front of us also left, and returned to the train with their shoulders over their shoulders. "Simply put, Uncle Ailan can't feel that you are his financial burden, otherwise, you will disappear one night." "What? Will you go to the red light?" "You're so fucking right." "It feels kind of outrageous. I mean, let them stay where they are and it's over?" "If he owed the workers money, how nice would it be to get word out?" There was only one person in front of me, and that was Lotte.Her blond hair was pulled into finger-thin curls and glistened in the sun.The person in the window of the red boxcar beckoned her to come forward, and the two chatted happily.The man took out a few banknotes from the stack and handed them to her. She counted the banknotes with her saliva-wet fingers, rolled them up, and stuffed them into her clothes from the neckline. "Next!" I go forward. "Name?" said the man without looking.He was a small man, bald with only a fringe of wispy hair, and wore a pair of iron-rimmed glasses.He stared at the ledger in front of him. "Jacob Jankowski." I glanced behind him.The interior of the caravan is paneled with carved wood and the ceiling is painted.There is a desk and safe at the back, and a sink is attached to one wall.On the back wall is a map of the United States with colored pushpins, presumably our tour route. The man's fingertips slid across the ledger, and moved to the rightmost column when it reached the end. "Feel sorry." "What does 'sorry' mean?" He looked up at me with sincerity. "Uncle Allen doesn't want anybody broke at the end of a season. He's always withholding four weeks' pay. You'll get paid when the season is over. Next!" "But I need money now." He stared at me with a non-negotiable look. "You'll get paid at the end of this season. Next!" Walter walked to the window, and I spit on the floor and walked away quickly. I thought of a way to raise money while cutting fruit for the orangutans.An image flashed across my mind, a notice: No money? what do you have We charge everything! I paced up and down in front of the No. 48 carriage at least five times before climbing up and knocking on the door of the No. 3 compartment. "Who is it?" August said. "It's me, Jacob." A moment's pause. "come in." I open the door and step in. August stood in front of a window, and Malena sat in a plush chair, her bare feet resting on a step stool. "Hi," she said, blushing, and pulled her skirt down over her knees, smoothing it over her thighs. "Hello, Marina. Are you feeling better?" "It's better, you can walk a little bit, and it will be as good as before." "What's your business? It's not that we're unhappy to see you. We've missed you, haven't we, dear?" August interrupted. "Uh... yeah." Malena said, looking up at me.I blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry, would you like a drink?" said August, with a surprisingly stern look and a stiff mouth. "No, thank you." His hostility was beyond my expectation, "I can't stay too long, I just want to ask you something." "What's up?" "I need to find a doctor." "why?" I hesitated. "I'd rather not say it." "I see, I see." He winked at me. "What?" I panicked. "No, it's not me." I glanced at Marlene, who turned her head quickly to the window. "It's my friend who wants to see a doctor." "Yes, yes, of course." August smiled. "No, really, and it's not... Hey, I was just wondering if you know any doctors. Forget it, I'll go to the city and look for it myself." I turned to leave. "Jacob!" Marina called me. I stopped at the door, looked out the window in the download corridor, took a deep breath, and then turned to face her. "A doctor is coming to see me when I arrive in Fenport tomorrow. Shall I send for you when he sees me well?" she said quietly. "Thank you so much." I said, raised my hat a little, and left. Early the next morning, people queuing up in the kitchen chattered endlessly. "It's all because of that stinky elephant. It can't do any tricks anyway," said the man in front of me. "Poor thing. Human life is not as valuable as an animal's life." His friend said. "Excuse me, let me cut in. You said it was about the elephant, how do you say that?" I said. The first person stared at me.He was broad-shouldered, wore a dirty brown coat, his face was deeply wrinkled, weather-beaten, and his skin was as dark as a raisin. "Because it's so expensive and they bought elephant carriages." "No, I mean something that was done by the elephant." "A lot of people disappeared last night, at least six, maybe more than that." "What, just disappear from the car?" "Exactly." I put half a plate of food on the warming table and walked towards the Feitian brigade.After taking a few strides, I started to run. "Hey, friend! You haven't eaten yet!" the man called me. "Leave him alone, Jake! He'll probably have to see if his friend's gone," said his companion. "Lao Luo! Lao Luo, are you there?" I stood in front of the carriage, trying to see clearly the dark interior of the carriage. "Old Luo! Are you there?" no answer. "Old Luo!" There was no sound. I turned around and faced the camp. "Damn!" I kicked the gravel, and kicked again. "Damn!" When it was too late and then quickly, there was a low hum in the carriage. "Old Luo, is that you?" A muffled voice came from a dark corner.I jumped into the car.Lao Luo was lying leaning against the innermost wall. He was unconscious, still clutching an empty bottle.I bent down and took the bottle from his hand.It's lemon juice. "Which number one are you, and what do you think you are doing?" A voice behind me asked me, and I turned around.It's Grady.He stood outside the open car door, smoking a cigarette. "Oh—hey, I'm sorry, Jacob. I didn't recognize your back just now." "Hi, Grady. How's he doing?" "I can't see it. He has been drunk since last night." Lao Luo snorted and wanted to turn over, but his left arm was limp on his chest.He clicked his tongue and began to snore. "I'll get the doctor over today. You watch him first, okay?" "It's up to you to say. What kind of person do you think I am? Old Hei? How do you think he passed last night safely?" Grady retorted. "Of course I don't think you're—well, fuck it, forget it. Listen, if he's sober, find a way to keep him from drinking, okay? I'll bring the doctor over later." The doctor took my father's pocket watch with his fat hand, turned it over and over through his pince-nez, and opened the cover to inspect the face. "Okay, this is fine. What's wrong with you?" He said, putting the pocket watch into his vest pocket. We're in the hallway outside August and Marina's room.The wing door was still open. "Let's get somewhere else," I said, in a low voice. The doctor shrugged. "No problem, let's go." Once we were outside, the doctor said to me, "Where are we going to see a doctor?" "I don't need to see a doctor. It's a friend of mine. There's something wrong with his hands and feet, and other things. When you see him, he'll tell you." "I see. I heard from Mr. Rosenblower that you have some . . . personal problems." The doctor followed me along the railroad, a strange look on his face.He seemed wary when we left the shiny painted cars behind.When we got to the dilapidated carriage full of Feitian, his face was full of disgust. "Here." I jumped into the car. "Excuse me, how do I get up there?" Earl emerged from the shadows, jumped out of the car with the wooden box, put the wooden box in front of the car door, and slapped it hard twice.The doctor stared at the wooden box for a moment, then climbed up, proudly hugging the black leather box to his chest. "Where is the patient?" He squinted his eyes and scanned the interior of the car. "Over here," said Earl, and the old Luo huddled in a corner.Grady and Bill were by his side. The doctor walks up to them. "excuse me." They dispersed, murmuring in surprise.Once they reached the other end of the carriage, they craned their necks desperately to see the doctor's every move. The doctor approached Lao Luo and squatted beside him.I couldn't help noticing that he didn't let his knee touch the floor. After a few minutes, he stood up and said, "Jamaica ginger ale paralyzes, can't be wrong." I gasped through my teeth. "What? What kind of disease is that?" Lao Luo asked hoarsely. "The cause is ginger wine." The doctor especially emphasized the last four words. "But... how? Why?" Lao Luo said, his eyes frantically searching the doctor's face, "I don't understand, I've been drinking for years." "Yeah, I guess so," said the doctor. Anger rose like bile in my throat.I walked up to the doctor. "I don't think you have answered his question yet." I tried to keep my tone as calm as possible. The doctor turned his head and looked at me through his glasses.After pausing for a few beats, he said, "This sickness is a problem with a cresol compound added by a manufacturer." "My God," I said. "Exactly." "Why did they add that stuff?" "It's to circumvent the legal requirement that ginger ale wine must be hard to swallow." He turned back to Lao Luo and said with a raised voice, "In this way, people won't use medicine as a substitute for alcohol." "Will this disease get better?" Lao Luo's voice was high-pitched and his voice was broken. "No, I'm afraid it won't get better," said the doctor. Everyone else behind me gasped.Grady stepped forward and didn't stop until he was shoulder to shoulder with mine. "Wait a minute—you mean you can't help with anything?" The doctor straightened up, thumbs in pockets. "Me? I can't help at all." His facial features were huddled like a fox, as if he wanted to close his nostrils solely by the strength of his facial muscles.He picked up the suitcase and walked towards the door. "Wait a minute. If you don't know how to treat this disease, is there a doctor who can?" Greg said. The doctor turned away and only spoke to me, probably because I paid for the consultation. "Well, there are a lot of people who will charge you money to tell you how to treat, what's soaked in oil, electric shocks, but those treatments don't help. After a while, he may regain some function in his limbs, but that is also limited . Seriously, he shouldn't have been drinking that stuff. You know, it's against federal law to drink." I am speechless.I thought, my mouth might be open. "Anything else?" he said. "Could you please say something else? I didn't hear you clearly." "Is-is-anything else-thing-?" He sounded like I was an idiot. "No more." I said. "Then I'll take my leave." He lifted his hat a little, stepped cautiously out of the wooden box, and stepped onto the ground.After walking about ten meters, he put the suitcase on the ground, took out the handkerchief from his pocket, and wiped his hands carefully, not letting go of a finger.Then he picked up the suitcase and left with a sigh of relief, taking away Lao Luo's last hope and my father's pocket watch. When I turned around, Earl, Grady, and Bill were all kneeling beside Luo.Tears trickled down the old man's cheeks. "Walter, I have to talk to you." I rushed into the room of the sheep house.Queenie looked up, saw me, and put her head back on her paws. Walter put down the book. "What's the matter? What's the matter?" "I have to ask you for help." "Then tell me, what's going on?" "A friend is in trouble." "Is that the one who got the medicine wine leg?" I pause, "Yes." I walked to the bedding, but was too anxious to sit down. "Well, go on." Walter urged me impatiently. "I'm bringing him here." "what?" "Otherwise he'd go to the red light. His friends saved him last night by hiding him behind a canvas." Walter looked at me in horror. "You must be joking." "Look, I know you weren't happy when I moved in. I also know he's a worker, but he's old and not doing well. He needs help." "Then what are we going to do with him?" "Just don't let Old Hei see him." "How long do you want to hide? For a lifetime?" I plopped down on the edge of the bedding.He has a point.We can't hide Lao Luo forever. "Damn." I hit my forehead with the heel of my palm, over and over again. "Hey, stop hitting," said Walter, leaning forward and closing the book. "This is a very serious matter, what should we do with him?" "have no idea." "Does he have any family?" I looked up at him sharply. "He mentioned having a son." "Okay, now there's some clues. Do you know where this son lives?" "I don't know. I don't think they have contacted." Walter glared at me and tapped his fingers on his leg.After half a minute of silence, he said, "Well, bring him here. Don't let anyone see you, or we'll be out of luck." I looked up at him in surprise. "How?" he said, flicking a fly from his forehead. "Nothing. Troop, I mean thank you, thank you so much." "Well, I have a conscience, too," he said, lying back and picking up his book. "I'm not like some of our favorites." Walt and I were relaxing between the afternoon show and the evening show when there was a light knock on the door. He jumped up, kicked over the wooden box, cursed, and hurriedly caught the kerosene lamp so that it would not fall to the ground.I went to the door and glanced nervously at several large suitcases.The suitcases are stacked, from left to right, near the back wall. Walter straightened the kerosene lamp and nodded slightly to me. I open the door. "Marlena!" I pulled the door, and the door opened wider than I had planned. "What are you doing here? No, I mean, is your foot all right? Do you want to sit down?" "No need." You said, your face was a few centimeters away from me, "I'm fine, I just want to tell you a few words. Are you alone?" "Uh, no, not really," I said, glancing at Walter, who was shaking his head and waving his hands furiously. "Then can you come to our wing? Just a moment." "Okay, of course." She turned around and walked cautiously to the door of the carriage.She was wearing loafers, not formal shoes.She sat on the edge of the carriage and slowly lowered her body.I watched for a while and was relieved to see that her limp was not obvious. I close the door. "Damn. Nearly gave me a heart attack. Fuck, man, what the hell are we doing?" Walter said. "Hey, old Luo, are you okay behind the box?" I said. "Very good, did she see me?" came a whisper from behind the suitcase. "No, you're safe, for now. We've got to be very careful, though." Malena sat on a plush chair with her legs crossed.When I first entered, she was leaning over and rubbing the arch of one foot.When she saw me, she stopped and leaned back in her chair. "Jacob, thank you for coming." "Where is it?" I said, taking off my hat and clutching it uncomfortably on my chest. "Please sit down." "Thank you." I sat down next to the edge of a chair.I looked around the room and said, "Where's August?" "He and Uncle Allan are talking to people from the railway company." "Is that so, what's the big deal?" "Just a rumor that we're sending people to red lights. I'm sure they'll figure it out." "Rumours, yes," I said, clutching my hat in my lap, playing with the brim, waiting for her to speak. "I...er... worried about you," she said. "yes?" "Are you healthy?" she asked quietly. "Of course it's okay." I suddenly realized what she was asking, "My God—it's not what you think. I'm not the one who saw the doctor. I asked him to see a friend, and the disease was not... Not that kind of disease." "Oh." She smiled dryly. "It's good to know that. I'm sorry, Jacob, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I was just worried about your body." "I'm fine, really." "What about your friend?" I hold my breath for a moment. "not too good." "Is your girlfriend getting better?" "Girlfriend?" I looked up at her, startled. Malena lowered her eyes, resting her hands on her thighs, twisting her fingers. "Is it Barbara?" I coughed and choked. "Why, Jacob—Earth, I've made a mess of asking questions. I shouldn't have asked, really, please forgive me." "No, I don't know Barbara at all." I blushed until my scalp itched. "It's okay, I know she's a..." Marlena twisted her hands awkwardly, and didn't finish her sentence, "Well, even so, she's not a bad woman, in fact, she's pretty nice, but you have to— " "Marlena." My voice was so loud that she stopped talking.I cleared my throat and continued, "I'm not dating Barbara. I barely know her. I probably haven't said more than ten words to her in my life." "Ah, Xiao Ao said..." We sat in an unbearable silence for nearly half a minute. "So your feet are better?" I asked. "Yes, thank you for your concern." She clenched her hands so tightly that her knuckles turned white.She swallowed, staring at her thighs. "There's one more thing I want to talk about, and that's about the alley in Chicago." I hurriedly said, "Everything is my fault. I don't know what went wrong with me. It's probably a temporary obsession. I'm really sorry. I assure you, that kind of thing will never happen again." "Oh." She said quietly. I looked up, startled.Unless I mean it wrong, I really offended her just now. "I don't mean...not that you don't...I just..." "You mean you didn't want to kiss me then?" I let go of my hat and raised my hands. "Marlena, please help me, I don't know what you want me to say." "It's easier if you don't mean to." "No intention of what?" "No intention of kissing me," she said calmly. I move my jaw, but it takes several seconds to make a sound. "Marlena, what are you talking about?" "I...I don't know. I don't know what to think anymore. I can't stop thinking about you. I know I shouldn't have this feeling for you, but I just...well, I was just thinking... " When I looked up, her face was as red as a cherry.She clenched and loosened her hands, her eyes fixed on her thighs. "Marlena." I got up and took a step forward. "I think you should go," she said. I stare at her for a few seconds. "Please go," she said without looking up. So I left, but every bone in my body screamed that I would not go.