Wang Chen herself couldn't quite figure out how she had ended up in such a state.
That morning, she and Qiu Yun had each been carrying their own luggage and drawing boards, heading toward the village entrance where the bus was parked. There was a step leading down from their courtyard—it wasn't high, only about a meter or so—and they had walked it countless times. Yet today, for some reason, the moment she stepped out of the gate, her foot found only air. She went tumbling down, backpack, drawing board, and all.
Without a second thought, Qiu Yun dropped her things and rushed down to help. Wang Chen scrambled up, covered in dust, clutching her ankle and grimacing in pain.
Qiu Yun didn't dare move her. They sat there for a full three minutes before Wang Chen finally reached out for Qiu Yun’s hand to help her stand. But the moment she tried to take her first step, her right foot gave way as if it had no strength. Her body tilted, and she sank back onto the ground.
"I can't..." Wang Chen’s expression was pained. "I need to rest a bit more. It hurts so much."
"Is it just your ankle? Does anywhere else hurt?" Seeing her in such agony, Qiu Yun’s heart sank.
Wang Chen gestured toward her left leg and knee. Qiu Yun hissed through her teeth—Wang Chen was wearing thin trousers today, and a tear had been ripped over her left knee. Peeling the fabric back, Qiu Yun saw several abrasions and one deep, bleeding gash. Then she looked at the right ankle Wang Chen was clutching; there were no open wounds there, but the joint was swelling up at a visible rate.
"Auntie Zhu! Auntie Zhu!" Qiu Yun turned toward the courtyard and shouted for help.
Before long, He Ying’s mother, Zhu Lanhua, came running at the sound of her voice. Together, the two of them half-carried, half-dragged Wang Chen to the side of the road to sit. Qiu Yun said to Zhu Lanhua, "Auntie Zhu, could you please go home and get a clean cloth? Wet it with some water so I can wipe my classmate's wounds, and then we can rest it on her right ankle."
Zhu Lanhua nodded and hurried off.
Qiu Yun then turned to Wang Chen. "Dachen, stay here. Don't move, whatever you do. I’m going to the village entrance to get Teacher Liang and Teacher Lin."
With that, Qiu Yun bolted toward the village entrance.
***
Once Qiu Yun found Liang He and Lin Zhongren, she gave them a brief, rapid explanation of the situation. Halfway through, Liang He called over the monitors of the three classes and told them to keep their groups together and wait a moment. He then gathered Chang Huan, Liu Yujin, and He Ying, and hurried toward the scene with Lin Zhongren.
Wang Chen sat miserably by the roadside, watching the group rush toward her.
Liang He knelt to examine her injuries. Although her trousers were torn on the left leg, it seemed to be only a flesh wound. Her right foot only had scrapes, but the ankle was swollen high and she couldn't walk; the situation did not look promising.
"Teacher Liang," Wang Chen was still worried about the time. "I should be fine, right? If we don't leave now, we'll miss the train."
"The train... that's going to be difficult for you." Liang He’s brow furrowed slightly. Based on his years of experience playing basketball, Wang Chen had definitely sprained her ankle. A normal sprain would swell, but one could usually still limp along. Since Wang Chen couldn't walk at all, there was a high possibility she had injured the bone. At this thought, he stood up and pulled Lin Zhongren aside. The two spoke in low voices, glancing at their watches every so often.
Chang Huan and Liu Yujin asked Qiu Yun exactly what had happened. Looking at the meter-high step, they couldn't fathom how Wang Chen had managed to fall so severely. After they spent a few moments comforting Wang Chen, Lin Zhongren walked over.
"Chang Huan, Liu Yujin, Qiu Yun—you three come with me first. The bus is waiting at the gate; we can't delay the other students."
"What about me?" Wang Chen’s eyes widened.
"You need to go to the hospital," Liang He answered. "We don't know if you've damaged the bone in your right foot. Even if you haven't, our train ride back is eighteen hours with standing-room tickets; you definitely wouldn't be able to handle that. I'll stay behind to take you to the hospital, and then we'll decide how to get back based on the situation."
"Oh..." Wang Chen hadn't realized it was so serious. She hadn't cried when she fell, but now tears were pricking her eyes.
"It's okay," Qiu Yun squeezed Wang Chen’s hand. "I'll stay too," she said to Liang He and Lin Zhongren. "I'm a girl, and I've been living with Wang Chen. It'll be more convenient for me to look after her."
Liang He hesitated for a moment, exchanged a look with Lin Zhongren, and agreed.
***
Hearing that the university student’s situation was urgent, Director Huang mobilized the village's only tractor. He drove Wang Chen, Qiu Yun, and the others non-stop to the town’s medical clinic. Once there, the doctor provided basic bandaging, but since they lacked X-ray equipment, he suggested they go to the city. The group hurried onward to Datong City. At the city hospital, they registered at the emergency department and had X-rays taken. The doctor said the results wouldn't be ready until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. Wang Chen’s leg was wrapped in a plaster bandage, making movement extremely difficult. Seeing they were out-of-town students, the doctor kindly arranged a hospital bed for her.
By the time they finished everything, it was already four in the afternoon.
Only then did the group realize they hadn't eaten lunch; hunger suddenly gnawed at them.
Director Huang bought two steamed buns and explained that the tractor was needed the next day, so he had to drive it back immediately. He promised to return for them the following evening after the farm work was done. After a hasty goodbye, he departed. Liang He and Qiu Yun grabbed a quick bite at a noodle shop outside the hospital and brought a large savory pancake back for Wang Chen. By the time that was settled, the sky had darkened. Only then did Qiu Yun realize: Wang Chen had a hospital bed for the night, but where would she and Liang He stay?
In this era, hospitals didn't provide companion beds. Family members usually brought their own folding cots to place beside the patient or made do for the night on the wooden benches in the hallway. Liang He felt that sleeping on a hallway bench was fine for him, but Qiu Yun certainly couldn't do that. After thinking it over, he said, "I saw a guesthouse outside the hospital."
***
It was the only guesthouse near the hospital, and unfortunately, because Liang He and Qiu Yun were checking in so late, only one room remained.
This was a bit awkward...
The middle-aged woman at the front desk stared intently at Liang He for a moment, then glanced at Qiu Yun, whose face was slick with sweat and oil. "Do you have a marriage certificate?" she asked.
"Huh?"
"What?"
Both of them were stunned.
"You can't stay without a marriage certificate..." The woman’s eyes darted over Qiu Yun, her gaze filled with a fair amount of disdain.
Qiu Yun: "..." Fine, it seemed the 1980s were indeed quite strict.
But Auntie, your preconceived notion is a bit too... accurate, isn't it? Haha.
"It's alright," Liang He clearly understood the implication. He confirmed again, "Is there really only this one room?"
"Yes."
"Then she will stay here alone," Liang He said, gesturing to Qiu Yun.
"What about you?" Qiu Yun asked, surprised.
"I'll find another way."
No way...
Qiu Yun couldn't imagine what other ideas Liang He could have. In this day and age, hotels weren't everywhere like they would be in 2018. To stay in a slightly better place, you needed an official letter of introduction from your work unit. This was the only guesthouse near the hospital; where else could he go?
Liang He comforted her. "Take out your household registration booklet and book this room first, otherwise even this one will be gone."
He was right. Qiu Yun followed his instructions and produced her booklet.
The woman at the front desk didn't even look up. "Fifty yuan for the night. Another fifty for the deposit."
"What? Why is it so expensive?" Qiu Yun cried out. An average worker’s monthly salary was only fifty or sixty yuan. For this run-down guesthouse to charge fifty for one night—why didn't she just commit highway robbery?
The woman began cracking melon seeds. "How else do you think this one room is still left? We usually charge by the bed, three yuan a spot..."
"Then we'll take individual beds..."
"Long gone."
Qiu Yun: "...We're not staying."
Liang He caught Qiu Yun’s sleeve. Although he detested this kind of price gouging, they were currently at the woman's mercy. He couldn't let Qiu Yun sleep on the street. Fortunately, the cash in his pocket gave him enough confidence.
"Forget it," Liang He said to the woman. "Qiu Yun—make sure you don't misspell the name."
"You..." Qiu Yun was fuming, glaring at Liang He. "You're too easy to push around!"
The woman happily took the money.
Qiu Yun felt that spending fifty yuan was a total waste, a loss as vast as the Pacific Ocean. She had to claw back some value. "Then... put an extra small cot in the room and give us an extra quilt."
The woman stared at Qiu Yun with wide eyes, as if she had heard something inconceivable. "My goodness, the 'Sweep Away Pornography' campaign is so strict lately, and yet you're being so blatant... young people these days..."
Her words caused the people nearby to stare.
Liang He frowned, pulled Qiu Yun behind him, and said bluntly, "Don't misunderstand. She is staying in this room alone. We are university students from out of town here for a sketching trip. We're only staying for the night because a classmate was injured and taken to the hospital across the street. Are you done with the registration? What's the room number? Give me the key."
The woman blinked and handed over the key. "203..."
Liang He took Qiu Yun’s hand and headed upstairs.
Only after the two had disappeared into the stairwell did the woman snap out of it. She curled her lip and shouted toward the hallway in a snide tone, "Come down quickly, or I'm calling the police!"
***
The moment they entered the room, Qiu Yun slammed her bag onto the bed.
"What kind of attitude was that?" Qiu Yun demanded, hands on her hips. "What is wrong with that woman? Price gouging, extortion, filthy-minded... it makes me so angry! What's so great about staying in a place like this?"
Liang He had been feeling a bit frustrated himself, but hearing Qiu Yun rattle off a string of idioms made him unable to suppress a slight curve of his lips. He comforted her, "Alright, don't be angry. We're already checked in."
Before Qiu Yun could think of another appropriate four-character idiom, Liang He said obediently, "I was wrong..."
Qiu Yun froze, her fire suddenly extinguished.
"Then... then tell me, what did you do wrong?" She couldn't let him off the hook too quickly.
"Wrong..." Liang He thought hard. "Wrong because... I shouldn't have brought so much money..."
Qiu Yun: "..."
"I just thought... it's fine to spend a bit more money as long as you don't have to suffer." Liang He walked to the window to check it, then closed it and slid the bolt shut. "It's a bit expensive, but it looks decent enough."
Qiu Yun paused, a trace of sweetness rising in her heart. She asked again, "But what about you?"
Liang He said, "I saw a small restaurant attached to the guesthouse when I came in. I'll make do there for the night."
"That won't work," Qiu Yun jumped up from the bed in concern. "How can you 'make do' there? Sit upright all night? I'll go talk to that menopausal woman again. We've paid so much; what's the harm in an extra bed..."
"Xiaoyun," Liang He interrupted her. He picked up the bag she had thrown on the bed and hung it on the clothes rack before saying slowly, "It's not a matter of money."
Qiu Yun understood instantly.
Men and women were different.
In the 1980s, social attitudes were still very conservative. The fact that the front desk woman had immediately asked for a marriage certificate said it all.
Of course, Qiu Yun wasn't a reckless person, nor did she have any experience sharing a room with a man. She had full confidence in Liang He’s character. Furthermore, even if something were to happen between them, it would be a matter of mutual consent and affection; outsiders had no right to criticize. She simply wanted Liang He to have a good rest, but Liang He was thinking more thoroughly than she was—he understood the importance of a girl's reputation and how devastating public gossip could be.
Yes, just like that time in Qiu Zhenghong’s courtyard house, he was the same.
That time, there had been shyness and tension; this time, there was more protection and cherishing.
A complex mix of emotions welled up in Qiu Yun’s heart. She pouted and said with intentional fierceness, "Come here."
Liang He walked over.
Qiu Yun gestured to the spot on the bed beside her. "Sit down."
Unsure of her intent, Liang He complied and sat.
Suddenly, Qiu Yun opened her arms and hugged him.
She pressed her face against his chest and looked up at him; Liang He looked down at her in return. She tucked her head back into his embrace and said muffledly, "Thank you."
Liang He gently patted her back. "What are you saying that for?"
Qiu Yun wrapped her arms around him, his chin brushing against her hair.
They lingered in that sweet moment for a short while before Liang He said, "I have to go."
"Oh," Qiu Yun said, but she didn't move.
Liang He smiled. "I really have to go."
Qiu Yun decided to be stubborn. "Don't go."
"If I don't leave now, I won't be able to."
His breathing grew heavy, and his voice turned low and raspy.
Realizing something, Qiu Yun pulled back from his embrace. Liang He looked at her without a word.
At that moment, a streak of red suddenly flowed from beneath Liang He’s nose.
"You..."
Liang He noticed it too. He wiped it with his hand; it was indeed blood.
Qiu Yun let out a low laugh, her teeth lightly biting her lower lip, laughing somewhat wantonly. "I'll get you a tissue."
Liang He gave a light cough. "...No need, it's nothing. I'm leaving now. Lock the doors and windows, and stay safe."
***
The moment Liang He stepped out, he went to the washroom, tilting his head back and splashing cold water onto his neck and the bridge of his nose. He hadn't had a nosebleed in over a decade, yet one had suddenly paid him a visit in such a situation, leaving him utterly embarrassed.
He calmed his emotions, feeling that it should be over. But when he lowered his head, a drop of bright red blood fell directly into the sink.
He had no choice but to tilt his head back again. The taste of blood flowed down his nose into his mouth; he tasted the flavor of rusted iron.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
朱兰花 | Zhu Lanhua | He Ying's mother.
大同市 | Datong City | A major city in Shanxi Province.
扫黄打非 | Sweep Away Pornography and Strike Down Vice | A long-standing Chinese government campaign against illegal publications and "obscene" materials/activities.
户口簿 | Household Registration Booklet | Also known as a Hukou, an essential identification document in China.
招待所 | Guesthouse | A basic lodging facility, often run by a state-owned enterprise or government unit.
结婚证 | Marriage Certificate | Required for couples to stay in the same room in 1980s China.
