had not even obscure corners to prolong his illusions. He decided to go out and seek food.
As he walked along the street, he saw the familiar tavern, the familiar steamed rolls. He passed them by, without even thinking about them or stopping before them, for somehow he knew that these were not for him, though he did not know what exactly he was looking for.
Wei was not a large village and Ah Q soon left it behind and found himself among the fresh green of the rice fields, relieved here and there by moving black dots, which were, of course, peasants at work. Ah Q did not stop to examine this picture of rural bliss, for he instinctively felt that it had no direct bearing upon his immediate need. Finally he found himself outside the walls of the nunnery.
It was also surrounded by rice fields, its white walls rising sheer above the fresh green fields. In the rear, a low mud wall protected a vegetable garden. Ah Q hesitated, looked around, and having made sure that no one was looking, climbed up on the wall, steadying himself by holding on to some vines. His legs shook and loosened some dirt from the wall. Then he caught hold of a mulberry branch and swung himself to the ground. Inside the walls, greenery again greeted him, but no wine or steamed rolls or any other form of eatables. Along the western wall in the bamboo grove there were new shoots but they had to be cooked before eating. The rape had gone to seed, the mustard was in bloom, and the cabbage, too, was getting tough.
Ah Q felt as misused and wronged as a student who fails his examinations. As he approached the garden gate he suddenly came upon a few furrows of large radishes. He squatted down and started to pull up some. A head, very smooth and round, stuck out through the gate, but it was
