Ah Q and Others/The Cake of Soap
Mrs. Ssu-ming, with her eight-year-old daughter Hsiu-erh, was making paper ingots in the slanting sunlight when she suddenly heard the thump, thump of slow and heavy footsteps of someone wearing cloth-soled shoes. Although she recognized the step of Ssu-ming, she did not stop to look up but went on with her work. When the footsteps drew close and stopped right by her side, however, she could not help looking up, and when she did so she found Ssu-ming engaged in reaching down into the pocket of his long robe underneath a horse jacket.
With a great deal of difficulty he finally succeeded in extricating his hand from his pocket and handed a small, oblong package, palm green in color, to Mrs. Ssu. As soon as she took the package in her hand she smelled an exotic fragrance which was something, and yet not quite, like the fragrance of olives; on the palm-green paper wrapping there was a golden seal and some elaborate patterns. Hsiu-erh jumped up to her and asked to see it but Mrs. Ssu pushed her away.
"Been to town?" she asked, as she examined the package.
"Mm, mm," he answered, also looking at the package.
The palm-green package was then opened, revealing another layer of thin paper, also palm green; and it was not until this thin paper was removed that the object itself was exposed. It was firm and smooth, also palm green in color, with a pattern impressed upon it. The exotic fragrance which smelled something but not quite like the fragrance of olives became stronger.
"Oh, what fine soap," Mrs. Ssu said, as she held the palm-green object up to her nose, as delicately as if she were holding an infant, and sniffed at it.
"Mm, mm, you can use that from now on . . . "
As he said this, she noticed, his eyes were fixed on her neck. Her face felt warm from the cheeks down. She had always felt a roughness whenever she happened to touch her neck, especially behind the ears, and she had realized that it was due to an accumulation of ancient dirt. She had not paid the slightest attention to it, but now under his gaze and before the cake of exotic-smelling soap, she could not prevent the warmth in the face. Moreover, the warm feeling spread and soon reached to her ears. She made up her mind then that she was going to give herself a good scrubbing with that soap after supper.
"There are spots where mere tsao-chia soap won't do any good," she said to herself.
"Ma, give that to me," Hsiu-erh said, reaching out for the palm-green paper. Chao-erh, the younger daughter who had been playing out in the yard, also came running in. Mrs. Ssu pushed them aside, wrapped the soap as before, first in the thin paper and then the palm-green paper, and, reaching up, put it on the topmost shelf on the washstand. She gave it a final caressing glance and then turned back to her work.
"Hsueh-cheng!" Ssu-ming suddenly called, as if he had just remembered something, and sat down in a high-backed chair opposite his wife.
"Hsueh-cheng!" she also called.
She put down her paper ingots and listened but there was no answer. She felt apologetic when she saw her husband waiting impatiently with his head turned upward, and she called again at the top-of her shrill voice, resorting this time to the boy's more familiar milk name.
This produced immediate results. The clap, clap of leather soles neared, and soon Chuan-erh stood before them wearing a short coat, his fat round face glistening with perspiration.
"What were you doing? Can't you hear your dieh calling?" she scolded.
"I was practicing pa-kua-ch'iian," he said and turning to Ssu-ming he stood respectfully and waited inquiringly.
"Hsueh-cheng, I want to ask you this: what is the meaning of o-du-foo?"
"O-du-foo? . . . Does that not mean 'a ferocious woman'?"
"Nonsense! Stupid!" Ssu-ming suddenly burst out angrily. "Do you mean to suggest that I am a woman?"
Hsueh-cheng was scared by the outburst; he withdrew two steps and stood more respectfully erect than before. Though he had secretly felt that his father's gait resembled that of the actors of old men's parts, he had never thought him as having any effeminate traits. But he was certain that he had given the wrong answer.
"Do you think that I am so stupid as not to know that o-du-foo means a ferocious woman and have to ask you about it? This is not Chinese but foreign language, let me tell you. What does it mean? Do you understand it?"
"I . . . I do not understand it," Hsueh-cheng became more and more scared.
"Huh, I have spent a lot of money in sending you to school and you tell me that you don't understand even this? So this is what they call 'emphasis on both ear and mouth'? The speaker of those foreign words was only about fourteen or fifteen years old, younger than yourself, and yet he was able to chatter glibly away, while you do not even understand it. Shame on you! Now go and look it up for me!"
Hsueh-cheng answered with a throaty "yes" and backed out respectfully.
"The students are getting more and more impossible every day," Ssu-ming said indignantly after a while. "Even as far back as the Kuang Hsu period, I was one of the most outspoken advocates of modern education. But I never, never thought that schools would come to this: it is emancipation this and freedom that, but they never learn anything. I have spent lots of money on Hsueh-cheng, and it has all been spent in vain. It was with considerable difficulty that I got him into one of these schools where both Chinese and Western learning are given equal attention. You would think that he ought to learn something there, wouldn't you? And yet after a year he cannot even understand o-du-foo. They must be still teaching them by rote. What sort of school do you call this? What have they turned out? I say they should be closed up, every one of them!"
"You are right, you can't do better than to close all of them," Mrs. Ssu said sympathetically, still engaged in making paper ingots.
"We don't need to send Hsiu-erh and Chao-erh to school. 'What's the use of sending girls to school?' Great Uncle Nine used to say, and how I attacked him for his opposition to girls' schools! But now I am inclined to think the old people are right after all. Just think, isn't it bad enough to have women parading about the streets, without their bobbing their hair? There is nothing I hate more than girl students with bobbed hair. In my opinion soldiers and bandits are more forgivable than they, for it is they that have corrupted and subverted morality. They should be punished . . . "
"That's right. It is bad enough to have men cut their hair off like monks without the women trying to imitate the nuns."
"Hsueh-cheng!"
The boy had at that moment come in with a small, thick volume with gilt edges, which he held up to Ssu-ming and said pointing to some page: "This looks like it, this one here."
Ssu-ming took the book, which he knew to be a dictionary, but the print was very small and the lines ran sidewise. He took it over to the window and squinted at the line which Hsueh-cheng had pointed to and read: "'The name of a coöperative society founded in the eighteenth century.' Mm, that's not it—How do you pronounce this?" he asked, pointing to the foreign words.
"O-do-fo-lo-ssu."[1]
"No, no, that's not it," Ssu-ming became angry again. "Let me tell you that it is a bad word, a curse word, something applied to one like myself. Do you understand now? Go and try to find it!"
Hsueh-cheng looked at him but did not move. "What sort of riddle is this? You must explain it more clearly so that he can look it up," Mrs. Ssu interceded, taking pity upon Hsueh-cheng's helplessness and showing some dissatisfaction at her husband's behavior.
"It happened while I was buying the soap at Kuang Yun Hsiang's," Ssu-ming responded, turning to her. "There were three students besides myself in the shop. From their point of view I was, of course, somewhat troublesome. I looked at six or seven different kinds without taking any as they were all over forty cents. I finally decided to take some medium-priced variety and bought the green piece over there at twenty-four cents. The clerk was one of those snobs that toady to the rich, with his eyes growing upward on his forehead, and he assumed a doggish snout soon enough. In the meantime the students were winking at one another and jabbering in the foreign devil's language. Later I wanted to open up the package and take a look before I paid, but the snob not only would not let me do it but became unreasonable and said a lot of unnecessary and unpleasant things, at which the students chimed in with their jabber and laughter. That particular sentence came from the youngest of them. He was looking at me when he said it and all the others laughed. It is clear that it is bad language." Then turning to Hsueh-cheng he said "You'll have to look for it under the category of 'bad language'!"
Hsueh-cheng answered with another throaty "yes" and withdrew respectfully.
"They are always yelling and yelling about the 'new culture' but what has the 'new culture' brought them to?" Ssu-ming went on, his eyes fixed on the roof. "Now there is no longer any morality among the students, no morality among society in general. If nothing is done about it China will certainly vanish from the earth. Just think how terrible that would be . . . "
"What's that?" his wife said, indifferently.
"I have in mind," he said seriously, "a filial maid. There were two beggars on the street, one of them a girl, about eighteen or nineteen—not a very suitable age to be begging on the street, I must say, but that was what she was doing. She was with a woman about sixty or seventy, white haired and blind, and they sat under the eaves of a cloth shop begging for alms. People all say that she was a filial maid, the old woman being her grandmother. Whenever she got anything she gave it to her grandmother and willingly went hungry herself. But did anyone give anything to such a filial maid?" he asked with his eyes turned on her as if testing her.
She did not answer but kept her eyes on him as if waiting, in turn, for him to explain what happened.
"Heng, none," he answered the question himself finally. "I watched them for a long time and in all that time only one person gave her a small copper, while the rest looked on them as objects for their amusement. Moreover, a ruffian went so far as to say to his companion thus: 'Ah-fa, do not overlook this piece of goods just because it happens to be dirty. All you have to do is to buy two cakes of soap and k-chee, k-chee, give her a thorough scrubbing and she will be as nice a piece of goods as you'll ever find.' Now just consider what sort of world this has become!"
"Heng," she said looking down at her work and then asked casually after a long while, "Did you give her anything?"
"I? No. I couldn't very well give her just a copper or two. She was no ordinary beggar. At least . . . "
But she got up slowly without waiting for him to finish his sentence and went to the kitchen. Dusk was falling thick and it was supper time.
Ssu-ming also got up and went out into the yard. It was lighter outside than in the room. Hsueh-cheng was practicing pa-kua-ch'iian at a corner near the wall in accordance with the admonition that he should utilize the space where day and night met for this particular purpose since there was not light enough to read but enough to exercise by. Ssu-ming nodded slightly in approval and began to pace back and forth with his arms crossed behind him. Presently the only potted plant—a ten-thousand-year green—became lost in the darkness, a few stars twinkled through the fleecy clouds, and night began its reign. Ssu-ming became more vigorous and acted as if he was about to do great things, to declare war against the corrupt students and the evil influences of society. The braver and more vigorous he felt, the longer grew his strides and the louder sounded his footsteps, until the hens and chickens, which had been roosting peacefully in their cages, became frightened and started to cluck and twit.
The appearance of lamplight in the hall served as a beacon summoning the family to supper and all flocked to the table placed in the center of the room. At the head of the table was Ssu-ming, who was fat and round faced like Hsueh-cheng but had a thin moustache. Sitting alone on one side of the table and seen through the cloud of vapor from the hot soup, he looked very much like the god of wealth across the altar in his temple. On the left sat Mrs. Ssu and Chao-erh; on the right Hsueh-cheng and Hsiu-erh. The chopsticks clattered on the dishes and bowls like raindrops, and made supper a very lively affair, though no one spoke.
Chao-erh upset her bowl, spilling its contents over half the table. Ssu-ming glared at her with a fixed stare and did not relent until she was about to cry. Thereupon he turned to pick up a piece of tender vegetable which he had previously spotted in the communal bowl. But it had disappeared. He looked around the table and caught Hsueh-cheng in the act of stuffing the prized morsel into his wide-open mouth. There was nothing for him to do but to content himself with a chopstickful of vegetable leaves.
"Hsueh-cheng," he said looking at him, "have you found out the word yet?"
"What word?—Oh, that? No, not yet."
"Heng, just look at him. He has learned nothing but eat and eat! It would be better if you learned something from the filial maid, who, though she is only a beggar, gives everything to her grandmother and willingly goes hungry herself. But, of course, you students know nothing of these things. You have no fears and beliefs; you'll turn out exactly like that ruffian . . . "
"I did think of a word, but I don't know whether it is right or not. What he said was perhaps 'o-erh-de-foo-erh.'"[2]
"Yes, yes, that's it, that's exactly it. But the way he said it sounded more like o-du-foo. Now what does it mean? You are of the same tribe as they and you ought to know."
"It means—I am afraid that I don't know what it means."
"Nonsense! You are concealing it from me. You are all bad eggs!"
"Even 'Heaven would not strike one who is eating.' What has come over you today that you act like this, 'striking the chicks and cursing the dogs' even at the supper table? What can you expect from them when they are only children?" Mrs. Ssu suddenly remonstrated.
"What's that?" Ssu-ming was about to continue his tirade, but he took a look at his wife and thought better of it, for her cheeks were puffed out, her color changed, her triangular eyes flashing an ugly light. He said instead, "Nothing has come over me. I am only trying to impress Hsueh-cheng that he must try to learn some good traits."
"How can he learn since he cannot read your mind?" She was angrier than ever. "If he could read what's in your mind, he would have long ago lit the lantern, sought out the filial maid and brought her to you. Fortunately you have already bought a cake of soap for her. All you have to do now is to buy another cake and . . . "
"Nonsense! that's what the ruffian said."
"I am not sure of that. All you have to do is buy another cake and k-chee, k-chee, give her a good scrubbing, and set her up on an altar and peace will reign in the world again."
"What are you talking about? What has that got to do with it? It was only because I happened to remember that you did not have any soap . . . "
"That has everything to do with it. You have specially bought that for the filial maid. You go and give her, k-chee, k-chee, a good scrubbing yourself. I am not worthy of it, I I don't want it, I don't want anything that was intended for the filial maid."
"Now what are you talking about? You women . . . ," Ssu-ming parried, his face covered with a greasy sweat, just like Hsueh-cheng's after he had finished his pa-kua-ch'iian exercises, although it might have been due to the heat of the rice.
"What's wrong with us women? We women are much better than you men. You men are either cursing eighteen- or nineteen-year-old girl students or praising eighteen- or nineteen-year-old beggar girls. You haven't a decent thought in your heads. K-chee, k-chee! Shameless wretches!"
"Did I not say that it was a ruffian who said that? Have I . . . "
"Brother Ssu!" a loud voice sounded in the darkness outside.
"Is that you. Brother Tao? I'll be with you directly." Ssuming recognized the voice of Ho Tao-tung, known for his loudness, and welcomed him as if he were a messenger bringing an unexpected reprieve. "Hsueh-cheng, light a lamp right away and show Uncle Ho to the study!"
Hsueh-cheng lit a candle and led Tao-tung into a side room to the west, followed by another guest by the name of Pu Wei-yuan.
"Pardon me for not going out to meet you, pardon me, pardon me," Ssu-ming came out and said, raising his clasped hands in greeting and still chewing his last mouthful of rice. "Would you deign to have a bite with us?"
"We have already selfishly preceded you," Wei-yuan said, also shaking his own clasped hands before him. "We have come to disturb you at night because we want to discuss with you the themes for the literary contest of the Ethical Literary Society, for don't you realize that it is a 'seventh' day tomorrow.?"
"Oh, is today the sixteenth already?" Ssu-ming exclaimed.
"See how stupid of us!" Tao-tung shouted.
"Then we must send the themes to the newspaper office tonight and make sure that they get into tomorrow's edition."
"I have already drafted a theme for the essay contest. Take a look at it and see if it is all right," Tao-tung said, as he fished out a strip of paper from the carry-all improvised with a handkerchief and handed it over to Ssu-ming. The latter took it over to the candle light, unfolded the strip of paper and read slowly the following:
A proposed petition to be sent by the citizens of the entire Nation to His Excellency the President requesting him to promulgate a mandate commanding the study of the Confucian Canon and the Canonization of the mother of Mencius as a means of saving the declining morals and preserving the National essence.
"Excellent, excellent," Ssu-ming said. "But is it not too long?"
"It does not matter!" Tao-tung said loudly. "I have counted it over and found that we do not have to pay anything over our reserved space. But how about the theme for the verse contest?"
"The verse contest?" Ssu-ming was suddenly reverential in manner. "I have one that I would like to suggest. It is: 'Ballad of the Filial Maid.' It happens to be a true incident and we ought to give it a wider acknowledgment. Today as I was walking on the street . . . "
"That will not do," Wei-yuan interrupted, shaking his hand in disapproval. "I have seen her myself. She must be a stranger in these parts, for I could not understand her and she could not understand me. I don't know where she comes from. Everyone said that she is a filial maid, but when I asked her whether she could write poetry, she shook her head. It would be much better if she could write poetry."
"Loyalty and filial piety are cardinal virtues and we must overlook the inability to write verse . . . "
Nay, it is not so, that is in no wise true," Wei-yuan said with affectation, as he shook his hand vigorously and going up to Ssu-ming. "It would be much more interesting if she could write poetry."
"We'll use this theme," Ssu-ming said, brushing aside his objection. "We'll add an explanatory note and have it printed in the newspaper. In the first place this will give her some deserved acknowledgment; in the second place it will furnish an opportunity to give the public a few shots of a much-needed needle of criticism. What has the world come to? I watched the two women a long time but I did not see anyone give any money. Does that not show that people have no heart any more?"
"But Brother Ssu," Wei-yuan again objected, "you are now 'cursing a bald head in front a monk.' I was one of those who did not give anything. It happened that I did not have any money with me."
"Don't be so sensitive, Brother Wei. Of course it is another question with you. Let me finish: a big crowd gathered before them, but no one showed any respect. Instead they made fun of them. There were two ruffians who behaved especially badly. One of them said, 'Ah-fa, go and buy two cakes of soap and k-chee, k-chee, give her a good scrubbing. She'll be very good then.' Just imagine . . . "
"Ha, ha, ha! Two cakes of soap!" Tao-tung suddenly burst out in his loud guffaw, which vibrated in every one's ear. "You buy—ha, ha, ha-a . . . "
"Brother Tao, Brother Tao, please do not shout like that," Ssu-ming was frightened and spoke hastily.
"K-chee, k-chee, ha, ha, ha-a . . . "
"Brother Tao," Ssu-ming said seriously, "why do you insist on joking when we have business to discuss? Listen, we'll use these two themes and send them to the paper right away and make sure that they get in tomorrow's edition. I'll have to impose this errand on you two gentlemen."
"We'll be glad to do it, of course," Wei-yuan said eagerly.
"Ah, ah, a good scrubbing, k-chee . . . he, he . . . "
"Brother Tao!" Ssu-ming said with annoyance.
This quieted Tao-tung at last. Then they drafted the conditions of the contest. After Wei-yuan had copied everything out on letter paper, he went off to the newspaper office with Tao-tung. Ssu-ming escorted them to the gate with the candle and as he approached the hall on his way back he began to feel uncomfortable again, though he ended up by stepping inside after a moment's hesitation. The first thing to come under his observation as he entered the hall was the package of soap in green wrappers in the center of the table. The golden seal glittered in the lamplight and the delicate patterns could be seen.
Hsiu-erh and Chao-erh were playing, squatted on the ground in front of the table, while Hsueh-cheng was looking up words in the dictionary on the right side of the table. Farthest away from the lamp Mrs. Ssu sat on the high-backed chair in the dimness, her face immobile and expressionless and her eyes staring vacantly at nothingness.
"K-chee, k-chee, shameless wretches . . . "
This seemed to have come from Hsui-erh, but when Ssu-ming looked back he only saw Chao-erh scratching her face with her two little hands.
Aware that the atmosphere was none too favorable, he extinguished his candle and strolled out again into the yard, where he began to pace back and forth. The minute he forgot himself, the hens and chicks would begin to cluck and twit, whereupon he would make his steps lighter and walk farther away from the chicken cage. After a long time the lamp in the central room was shifted to the bedroom. Moonlight covered the ground like a sheet of seamless white muslin, while overhead the jade disc of the full moon shone between white clouds and showed not the slightest imperfection.
He was a little sad and felt himself a lonely man, as forgotten and neglected as the filial maid. He did not go to bed until very late that night. But the services of the soap were enlisted early the following morning. He got up later than usual that day and found his wife bent over the washstand scrubbing her neck. The soap lather rose in billows behind her ears, as foamy as water bubbles that form over the mouth of huge crabs. The difference between this and ordinary tsao-chia was as great as the difference that exists between heaven and earth. From then on there was always an exotic fragrance about the person of Mrs. Ssu which was something and yet not quite like the fragrance of olives. It was not until almost half a year later that she began to have a different odor, which, according to those who noticed it, smelled of sandalwood.