Free Naked Earth by Eileen Chang

being made such a figure of fun. Frowning deeply, he lifted his long pipe and knocked her on the head with the little brass bowl at the end of it.
    Erh Niu cuddled up to him, rubbing her head hard against his shoulder. She seemed to be specially fond of her father today, so full of affection for him that she did not know what to do about it.
    “The bigger you grow, the sillier you get,” T’ang grumbled as he caressed her hair. Then he sighed for no reason.
    It pained Liu to see them so happy together. Soon it was suppertime. After supper T’ang’s wife washed the bowls and chopsticks in a wooden bucket. After wiping the table Erh Niu went out to the courtyard and took Liu’s uniform off the washline—the suit she had washed today. It was already half dry. She spread it on the table and smoothed her palm slowly across it, pressing down hard so that the blue-gray cloth looked almost like it had been ironed.
    Liu went and got a spare lamp and lit it by tilting it against the oil lamp hung above the stove. He went back to his own room, taking the lamp with him. He thought he would sleep early to avoid talking with the Tangs. He was just going to lie down on the k’ang when T’ang’s wife shouted, “Somebody to see you, Comrade Liu!”
    “Who is it?” He came out buttoning his jacket.
    He never expected to see Su Nan standing in the middle of the room. She had her hands in her coat pockets and was slapping herself idly, puffing out and deflating the pockets in turn. The dim lamplight lengthened the shadowy deep cut of her eyelids and accentuated the porcelain thin rim of her pink lips.
    “Have you people finished supper?” she asked.
    “We’ve just eaten,” Liu said smiling. “Please sit down.”
    “This comrade here—what’s your honorable name?” T’ang’s wife said conversationally.
    “My name is Su. Is this your young miss?” Su Nan asked T’ang’s wife, putting her hand on Erh Niu’s shoulder.
    “Yes, this is our slavegirl,” T’ang’s wife answered.
    Erh Niu bowed her head still lower as she continued to smooth Liu’s uniform with her palms, working with greater concentration than ever.
    “What’s your name?” Su Nan stopped to look at her.
    Erh Niu smiled faintly but she kept her eyes riveted on the clothes spread flat over the table. A flushed, stubborn look had come on her face.
    “Name of Erh Niu,” her mother answered for her. “Already seventeen this year, and still an absolute idiot,” she said smiling.
    “You’re just saying that out of modesty,” Su Nan said. “I’ve seen her around. Liveliest girl in the village.” She suddenly noticed Liu’s shoes, covered with yellow mud. “Why, where have you been today?” she said in surprise. “You’ve waded in water?”
    “Just now on my way back I was walking along the ditch and I slipped and fell inside and got all wet,” Liu explained. As he spoke, somehow his eyes strayed toward Erh Niu as if in guilt. This was the second time that Erh Niu had heard the story. This time she was far from amused. From what could be seen of her lowered face, her cheeks were puffed out with pique and her eyes were dark and unhappy.
    Liu thought it was so unreasonable of her. What made her think that he was afraid of telling Su Nan the truth? He had just told her mother the same thing. He couldn’t very well go back on his story in front of everybody. But though he reasoned thus to himself, he felt unaccountably ashamed and apologetic.
    Su Nan went to the door that led to the inner room and peeped in. “Is this your room?” she said smiling.
    “Yes, come in and have a look.”
    As soon as she entered she took a folded sheet of letter paper out of her pocket and handed it to him after unfolding it. “I wrote a letter,” she whispered. “If you agree to what I say there, sign your name at the bottom. I hope to get as many signatures as possible.”
    Liu needled the lampwick into giving more light and ran his eyes hurriedly over the