‘‘It makes the heart quake,’’ she said with a silly solemnity that elicited amused guffaws from the crowd.
‘‘Who needs her to advertise this?’’ someone sneered. “You can’t believe a word she says-like in a quack medicine show. Does she think we can’t see through it? Magic ability? My ass! A person’s brilliance has to be demonstrated at some point or it’s just rubbish, words, a silver tongue. Special ability has to be shown. People have to see it. Are we blind? We’ve observed her closely for a long time. Where have we seen any fairyland? It must have been stage fright that made her pretend to be in a trance in order to fool people. Perhaps it’s simply that she was sleepy and some muddle-headed persons among us mistook her sleepiness for a magic trick and started spreading nonsense. People can sense magic. If they can’t perceive it, then it doesn’t exist. We can’t believe a certain foolish girl’s boasting.’’
The crowd’s indifference wasn’t groundless. The floating ice or the region beyond the highest heavens was a private concern, with no connection to the outside world or influence over them. Why should we want to trouble ourselves with thinking about this? Didn’t we have enough to do in a day? If Madam X enjoyed it and was infatuated with it, fine. But if she wanted to attract our sedate, serious attention with it-no way!
6. WHO MADE THE FIRST MOVE?
After Madam X and Mr. Q snuck undetected into the dark granary, we imagined what happened next. There’s just one major unanswered question: who took the offensive-that is, who made the first move?
At the meeting in the dark room, our elites approached this sensitive subject from three different perspectives. After vehement debate, the group finally agreed with the first speaker. They reached their conclusion through a systematic analysis based on comparative studies in the context of a grand historical vision. Several major scholars and sociologists, with important roles in Five Spice Street’s ideological realm, took part. The third speaker (Dr. C) impatiently asserted his viewpoint, never imagining that this would lead to a fiasco: the elites of our community shouldn’t be underestimated!
The first speaker’s (Dr. A) opinion was that the one who took the initiative was Mr. Q, although on the surface, Madam X was a lot more active (for the moment, let’s hypothesize that the two persons were two factors) and also seemed constitutionally to be an aggressor, and it appeared that Mr. Q was very passive, as if he were an idiot who had fallen into her trap. Mr. Q-this factor-appeared to be so simple and innocent that it was absolutely plausible that Madam X-this factor-accosted him and tore his clothes off, toying with him as if with a puppet and treating him in a way he didn’t deserve. But this scenario describes the way average people would think. It could not delude our Five Spice Street’s elites. They’ve read widely and think profoundly. They don’t jump to a superficial conclusion. The debate matured us. We applied the scientific method to history and made strict distinctions and deductions before confirming our agreement with Dr. A. The writer presents excerpts from the three speakers’ comments:
Dr. A: From the standpoint of physiology, it is categorically impossible for a woman to have taken the initiative. Even less can it be said that she took the offensive. Despite being aggressive, combative, and energetic on the surface, Madam X couldn’t have contravened natural law. Unless she is physiologically abnormal or isn’t a woman at all, she is essentially passive. If that’s so, who made the first move is even less of a question. Only inexperienced boys and impotent men welcome the myth of the aggressive female. No normal male can accept this kind of sexual experience. Even thinking about it makes them uneasy. Some find it monstrous and frightening.
No, we needn’t waste more time on it. The problem is nonexistent. Only because this woman has an abnormal character do we vacillate and abandon common sense. Our premise is that she is a woman. Therefore, we can look at her only as a woman. If, however, she is a monster, then our premise is false. I’ve seen a lot of women who are aggressive and powerful, but once they’re in bed, don’t they act the same? Can they turn the world upside down? In fact, they themselves don’t wish to. They realize that only by making themselves more feminine can they achieve the joy they seek. Their behavior during the day is intended simply to raise their status in the eyes of the crowd, to create a good self-image, as if they were above men. Men understand their psychology and smile a little with tolerance and understanding. Men don’t puncture this little drama, because it’s a trivial matter-irrelevant and insignificant. The only thing that matters is what occurs at night. A man might even allow his beloved to show off a little in public, because this expresses the woman’s ‘‘character.’’ Men are vain: they want their women to have character. They welcome it. The finer a figure a woman cuts, the prouder her spouse feels.
Women have been like this through the ages. They need to be cherished and also pampered. Men know this. Madam X was unusual in actually challenging men, but how could she escape the destiny of being a woman? I assure you that in the first second in the dark granary, she was panicky and weak, as any other woman would have been, and felt compelled to submit. It goes without saying that the one who took the initiative was Mr. Q. In considering problems, one must not look at the surface, but must pierce to the essence with blade-like eyes. Regrettably, most people can’t do this: all they know is blind belief and surveillance. They create bizarre stories. Our people’s inertia is too strong and deficient in conscious activity! Yesterday, a simpleton ran up to tell me that Madam X’s supernatural ability had a bewitching power that would make our Five Spice Street women the dominant gender. This fatuous ignorance is laughable. Unfortunately, many people support it.
I want to illuminate the issue with an example. Let me talk about my wife. Everyone knows ‘‘what she’s like,’’ quite an individual sort of woman. Once, during the day, she smashed a chamber pot on my head. I’m not particularly strong in sex; my sex life is disciplined. Was everything simply turned upside down? Did I become cynical and impotent just because my wife had character? Certain people might wish this, but we can deal with women. This is innate. We don’t need to contend with them over position: who is superior and who is subordinate is determined by physiology. It can never be changed. A real man should be calm, steady, and properly modest. Women are often impatient and conceited. They aren’t comfortable with their passivity and always have to rebel a little. There’s certainly nothing wrong with this. Their liveliness increases male libido and makes our sex life even happier, more animated, and so we appreciate life even more. I have to say that marrying a woman with character (as long as it isn’t someone like Madam X, who goes to extremes and is involved with magic) is a lifelong blessing for a man. Every quarrel enhances mutual feelings. After the dark clouds have passed, the sky is lucid and blue, and the golden sun shines brightly. I am precisely this sort of lucky man. After twelve years of this fortunate life, I’m still in good health. I have a ruddy face and am in good spirits. Practice has given me a profound understanding of a woman’s essence, and I never have any doubts. I’m an expert on this subject. At this point, I must also talk about abstinence. In general, men have limitations in sex. It directly affects our constitution. We are weak in comparison with certain ‘‘know-how-to-do-it’’ women. Thus, abstinence becomes essential. Every happy relationship depends on it. Not only is abstinence good for one’s body and mind, but it can also control one’s partner, thus letting one reap an even greater pleasure. An overfed person won’t appreciate food. A man should always keep his partner half starved so that she’ll continue to be interested in sex and will be grateful for what she gets. This is the key to a quality sex life. My wife, for example, often beseeches me with tears. At such times I feel so manly, while she becomes nothing more than a ball of feminine flesh.