Ignoring him, I opened the kitchen door, hitched up my belly with both hands and walked out with a pronounced sway. ‘Tomorrow, my young friend,’ his voice followed me out, ‘you don't have to crawl in through the sewage hole. I'll leave some meat here for you at noon.’
My legs grew rubbery and my vision blurred, my protruding belly slowed me down. Struck by a feeling that I existed solely for the benefit of my stomach, I actually sensed the meat that lay in it. What an amazingly joyous feeling that was, flickering through my head as if I were sleepwalking. I strolled aimlessly round Father's plant, from one workshop to the next. All the doors were tightly shut, in order to keep prying eyes away from the secrets within. That did not stop me from peeking through every crack, but I saw only spectral movements in the darkness, most likely beef cattle awaiting slaughter. I was later proven right, for the buildings did in fact house beef cattle. Four buildings in the plant were devoted to slaughtering animals, one each for cattle, pigs, sheep and dogs. The two reserved for cattle and pigs were quite large, the one for sheep small and the one for dogs smaller still. I'll delay descriptions of the four buildings for the time being, Wise Monk. What I want to say now is that while I was walking through Father's plant, I forgot all about what had happened at school, thanks to a belly filled with meat. More than that, my plan to pick up Jiaojiao from her preschool and take her to Lao Lan's for lunch had been swept from my mind.
I simply enjoyed a leisurely stroll that took me up to an elegant table groaning under the weight of many, many plates and bowls filled with meat, along with an array of colourful things.
POW! 29
That plump, golden goose is now nothing but a pile of bones. The boy leans back his corpulent body and exhales loudly, the expression on his face one of intoxicating, after-meal contentment. Bright sunlight falling on his face paints an enchanting image. Lan Laoda walks up to him, bends over and asks lovingly: ‘Have you had enough, dear?’ The boy rolls his eyes and belches. Then he closes his eyes and Lan Laoda straightens up. At his signal, a nanny approaches meekly to remove the bib from under the boy's chin while her workmate gently wipes the grease from the corners of his mouth with a clean white handkerchief. Annoyed, the boy brushes her hand away and makes a few short indecipherable noises. The bearers lift the chair and head back to the highway, the nannies trotting along awkwardly, trying to keep up with the bearers’ longer strides.
Father stood up, held his glass out to Great Uncle Han, and said: ‘Here's to you, Station Chief Han.’
What was that all about? I quickly figured it out. Only months before, the man had been Township Dining Hall Manager Uncle Han but he now ran the meat-inspection station. He was wearing a light grey uniform with red epaulettes and a wide-brimmed hat that sported a large red insignia. Seemingly reluctant to stand up, he raised his body slightly, clinked glasses with Father and sat back down. He looked funny in those clothes, like a paper cut-out.
‘Station Chief Han,’ I heard Father say, ‘we'll need you to keep an eye out for us.’
Han took a drink before picking up a long slice of dog meat with his chopsticks and stuffing it into his mouth. ‘Lao Luo,’ he sputtered as he chewed, ‘don't you worry. This plant may be located in your village but it serves the township, even the city. Your meat products can be found in all corners of the land, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that samples of it might even show up on the provincial governor's table when he entertains foreign dignitaries. So, how could I not give you all the help you need?’
Father glanced at Lao Lan, in the seat of honour, as if seeking help. But the man responded with what appeared to be a confident smile. Mother, who was sitting next to him, refilled Lao Han's glass, picked up hers and stood up. ‘Station Chief Han,’ she said, ‘Elder Brother Han, please don't stand. Congratulations on your promotion. Cheers.’
‘Young sister,’ Lao Han replied as he got to his feet, ‘I can remain sitting with Luo Tong but not with you.’ He continued meaningfully, ‘Everyone knows that Luo Tong has got this far because of you. He's the nominal head of this plant but you're the one in charge.’
‘Chief Han,’ Mother replied, ‘please don't say that. I'm just a woman, and, even though we can make a difference here and there, important matters are best left to you men.’
‘You're much too modest!’ Lao Han said as he clinked glasses with her—loudly—and then drained his. ‘Lao Lan,’ he said, ‘while we're all here together, I want you to know exactly what's going on. The township government did not decide to assign me to this position lightly, but only after careful thought. Interestingly, they did not have the authority to appoint, only to recommend. The municipal government had the final word.’ He stopped and looked round the table, then went on self-importantly, ‘So why did they choose me? Because I know Slaughterhouse Village inside and out, and because I'm an authority on meat. I can tell good meat from bad, and if my eyes can't spot the difference my nose can. I know precisely how Slaughterhouse Village got rich and know all about your shady deals. And it's not just me. People in the township and municipal governments are well aware that you injected water and chemicals into your meat. You also treated meat from diseased animals and sold it in the city. Have you made enough off your unlawful earnings by now?’ Lao Han looked at Lao Lan, who just smiled. ‘Lao Lan,’ he went on, ‘you've succeeded where others have failed because of your ability to see the big picture—you realized that these underhand tactics were no good for the long haul. So you took the initiative of doing away with independent butchers and founded this plant before the government stepped in. It was a wise and clever move. You scratched the leaders where they itched. Their blueprint is for us to become the largest meatpacking enterprise in the province, the industry's base from where meat is sent everywhere in the province, in the country, in the whole world. Goddamn it, Lao Lan, like a gangster's gangster, you never do anything small. I could see you stealing from the Emperor's treasure house or taking liberties with the Empress herself. Go small, and it's like a mouse stealing a bit of grease, not worth talking about. So I want to thank you. If there were no United Meatpacking Plant, there'd be no inspection station, and without that, obviously, there'd be no department-level position of Station Chief. Here's to you!’ Lao Han stood up and touched glasses with everyone round the table. Then he tossed down his drink. ‘Good stuff!’ he complimented.
Huang Biao walked in with a steaming platter containing half a pig's head covered in a reddish brown sauce. The aroma filled nostrils at the table, although the taste had been overwhelmed by spices and would not have appealed to a true connoisseur.
Lao Han's eyes lit up. ‘Has this pig's head been injected with water, Huang Biao?’
‘Station Chief Han,’ Huang Biao replied respectfully, ‘what you see here is the head of a wild boar the manager sent me to buy in South Mountain. Not a drop of water has been added. Taste it and see for yourself. We might be able to pull something over your eyes but not your mouth.’
‘I like the sound of that.’
‘You're the expert where meat's considered. I'd never show off in front of you.’
‘All right, I'll give it a try.’ Lao Han picked up his chopsticks and stuck them into the flesh; it immediately fell away from the bones. He chose a piece of lean meat from the cheek, about the size of a mouse, and put it in his mouth. He blinked, he chewed, he swallowed. ‘Not bad,’ he said, dabbing his lips with a napkin, ‘but no match for Wild Mule's.’