Song Gang sighed again, shook his head, and said, "I don't want to."
"These are meat buns!" Baldy Li said.
Baldy Li then noticed that a large pool of water had accumulated on the floor underneath Song Gangs bench and was flowing in all directions, with several rivulets almost reaching the bed. The water kept dripping from Song Gangs soaked clothes, and only then did Baldy Li notice that Song Gang was not simply soaked from the rain but, rather, looked as if he had been pulled out of the river. He asked in surprise, "How is it that you are as wet as a dog?"
Then Baldy Li noticed that Song Gang was still grasping a handkerchief in his right hand, and the handkerchief was also dripping water. Baldy Li pointed to the handkerchief and asked, "What is that?"
Song Gang looked down at the handkerchief in his right hand and jumped in surprise. He remembered that he was holding the handkerchief when he jumped into the river to rescue Lin Hong, but he hadn't realized that he still had it in his hand. Baldy Li climbed out of bed and stared at Song Gang suspiciously, asking, "Whose handkerchief is this?"
Song Gang placed the handkerchief on the table, wiped the water from his face, and said gloomily, "I went to see Lin Hong."
"Fuck."
Baldy Li saw Song Gang sneeze three times in a row; therefore, he cut his curses short and instead told him to quickly go change his clothes and get under the covers. As he was saying this he himself started to sneeze and immediately returned to bed. Song Gang nodded, stood up from the bench, and took off his soaking-wet pants. When Song Gang climbed under the covers, he suddenly remembered something. He climbed back out of bed and retrieved Lin Hong s note from his pants pocket, though by now it was merely a crumpled wad of paper. Song Gang handed the soaked mass to Baldy Li, who accepted it with a suspicious look, asking, "What is this?"
Song Gang answered with a sneeze, "Lin Hongs letter."
When Baldy Li heard this, he half got out of bed and very carefully unrolled the ball of paper. The ink had bled, creating an indistinct landscape painting. Baldy Li immediately jumped out of bed, stood on the table, and placed the unfolded note under the bright lightbulb. Even after the bulb had dried it, Baldy Li still couldn't make out what it said and so he had no choice but to ask Song Gang, "What did Lin Hong write?"
Already in bed, with his eyes closed, Song Gang said, "Turn off the light."
Baldy Li quickly did, then lay down in his own bed. With the two brothers each in their respective beds, Song Gong, amid spasms of coughing and sneezing, narrated in fits and starts the events of that evening. Baldy Li listened silently, and after Song Gang was finished he whispered, "Song Gang."
Song Gang replied with a "Huh?" and Baldy Li carefully asked, "You didn't escort Lin Hong home?"
Song Gang wheezed, "No."
Baldy Li smiled silently in the darkness and again said softly, "Song Gang." Song Gang once again replied with a "Huh?" Then Baldy Li said earnestly, "You really are a good brother."
Song Gang didn't respond, and Baldy Li called out his name several times until Song Gang finally replied, "I want to go to sleep."
Song Gang spent the entire rainy night coughing and sleeping fitfully. While sleeping, he felt befuddled, as if he were still under water. While awake, he felt that he couldn't breathe, as if there were a heavy stone resting on his chest. When the morning light finally streamed in his window, he opened his eyes and realized that he had actually fallen asleep. Song Gang saw that it was a clear morning after a night full of rain. The eaves were still dripping, and rivulets were running down the outside of the window, but the room was bathed in bright sunlight. Outside, sparrows were singing and the neighbors chatted loudly with each other. Song Gang sighed, having made it through the difficult night. This beautiful morning made him happy and at ease. He sat up in bed and saw that Baldy Li was still sleeping soundly, so he called out, as was their custom, "Baldy Li, Baldy Li! Time to get up!"
Baldy Li's head poked out from under the covers, and Song Gang laughed. Baldy Li rubbed his eyes, not sure what Song Gang found so funny. Song Gang explained that Baldy Li looked like a turtle sticking its head out. He then acted out the motions, covering himself with blankets and then, with a muffled voice, asking Baldy Li if he looked like a turtle. Then he suddenly poked his head out and held it there. Baldy Li rubbed his eyes and laughed, saying, "You do! You really do look like a turtle."
Later Baldy Li remembered the events of the previous night and looked at Song Gang with surprise. Song Gang, acting as if nothing had happened, jumped out of bed and got a clean set of clothes from the closet. He then put some toothpaste on his toothbrush, picked up his cup and basin, threw his hand towel over his shoulder, and walked to the well to wash his face and brush his teeth. Baldy Li heard Song Gang chatting with several neighbors over by the well, occasionally emitting bursts of laughter. Baldy Li scratched his head suspiciously and cursed, "Fuck."
Song Gang had a peaceful day, occasionally remembering the previous nights incidents under the bridge and in the river, as well as the image of the soaked Lin Hong walking up the road. These memories left him momentarily shaken, but he immediately recovered his equilibrium and did not dwell on them. After his difficult night, Song Gang had finally achieved some peace. The life-or-death experience with Lin Hong the previous night was like the conclusion of a story, and this story, which had taken his breath away, was now over, and a new story could begin. As the sun follows rain, Song Gangs mood brightened.
After work that afternoon, Baldy Li brought home some big red apples. Song Gang had already prepared dinner, and Baldy Li, with a grin, placed the apples on the bench, then laughed mischievously throughout dinner. Baldy Li's laugh disquieted Song Gang, because he didn't know what Baldy Li was plotting. After dinner, Baldy Li suddenly announced that he had gone to the knitting factory to investigate and discovered that Lin Hong had not shown up at work because she was sick with a fever, having spent the entire day in bed. Baldy Li tapped the table with his finger and said, "You should go to her house immediately."
Astonished, Song Gang looked suspiciously at Baldy Li and then at the apples, thinking that Baldy Li wanted him to take the apples to Lin Hong. Song Gang shook his head and said, "I can't go, and even less can I take these apples."
"Who said anything about you taking the apples? The apples are for me to take." Baldy Li pounded the table and stood up. He handed Song Gang the handkerchief, which was now dry, and said, "This is what you should take with you, to return it to her."
Song Gang continued to watch Baldy Li suspiciously, still not knowing what he had up his sleeve. Baldy Li enthusiastically explained his plan. First Song Gang would take the handkerchief into Lin Hong's room while Baldy Li waited outside with his apples. When Song Gang walked up to Lin Hong's bed, he would stand there without saying a word, and when she awoke and saw him, he would say coldly, "This time you should give up all hope." He would throw the handkerchief onto Lin Hongs bed and immediately turn and leave. After Song Gang emerged, it would be Baldy Li's turn to go in with the apples to console her. After Baldy Li finished explaining his plan, he wiped his spittle and said proudly, "This way Lin Hong s feelings for you will finally be extinguished and she will begin feeling true affection for me instead."
Song Gang bowed his head. Baldy Li was completely intoxicated by his master plan and excitedly asked Song Gang, "Is this not a truly diabolical plot?"
Seeing Song Gang sitting silently and with a bowed head, Baldy Li waved and said, "Okay, you should go."
Song Gang shook his head sadly, unwilling to go. He said, "I can't say what you're asking me to say."