CHINESE LITERATIJRE CONTENTS STORIBS The \Tindow Mo Sltett t - 24 Dawn on the River - Chun Cbing Odsor 5' The Distant Gobi - POEMS 7r The Dawn - Hsa Pao-kuei Hearing Chaitman Hua's Repott - Cbao Pu-chu Yi-jen Hailing the People's Congtess - Jung 74 Thinking of Ptemiet Claou - Il[u Cbiao-mu 75 Besieged in His Palace (excerpt ftom a novel - coot'd) - Yao Hsueh-1in 16 T LU HSUN'S \TRITINGS Pteface to "A Collection of \Toodcuts by Amateur Attists" ro4 Lettef to Li Hua rot Letter to Lai Shao-chi r07 Lu Hsun and Chinese \fioodctts- Li Hua r09 NOTES ON ART rr7 "Scaling the Heights" -Yu Feng CHRONICLE 720 PLATES New Paintings 32-33 Pott at Night (woodcut)-Lai Sbao-chi 6+-6: Lu Hsun and Young Voodcnt Attists (woodc*)-Li Hua ro8-ro9 Scaling the Heights (oil paintirg) Sbu-lmg, Li Cben-ltsien -Cbang arrd Tan Yan-teb 116-117 Front Covet: Mynah and Flowets -Li Ka-chatt No. 8, 1978 Stories A,lo Shen The Wimdow In March last year I was in trait heading hornc after finishing ^ my press pssignment in another province. Seated opposite me were two middle-aged peasants deep in a dis- cussion about something. After a u,hiie I rcalized they were going to alight at Sian and were worrying whether or nor they could catch the long-distance bus for l{uhsien that same day. Suddenly a cleat voice from a seat near the window interrupted: "Don't worry! The bus leaves at 2 p.m. fhere'll be plenty of time for you to carch it." \ff/e all looked in the direction of the speaker, a young gid aged about twenty-four, v,ith large shining eyes, plainly dressed. Since she had been quietly reading, nobody had taken any notice of her. She sounded so sure of herseif another comrade then asked: "Do Published by Foreign Languages Press you happen to know if there is a long-distance bus to Yaohsien this Pcking (37), China aftetnoon ?" Printed in tbe People's Repablie ol Cbina "Yes, thcre is one at 3 o'clocli," the girl replied. "What about an earlier one?" A booking clerl< at another starion, she could give the distances "Yes, but. ." she hesitated. "I'm afruid you may miss it." and the fares of journeys between all the main stations in the country, "What time does it leave?" Her supposed passenger making the inquiries was a young man. "At one o'clock." After a moment's thought she adcled, "Look, Glancing disinterestedly at the girl, he asked in an offhand way: this train is due to anive at Sian at rz.11- p.m- I'11 draw a map for "How fat is it from your station to Yinchuan and how much does you. Once you reach the station, continue up that road until you it cost?" come to the number 8 bus-stop. 'Iake a bus from there to the long- $Tithout hesitating the gid promptly replied: "It's r,46o kilo- distance bus terminal. If you hurry, you may just catch it." Then metres, and costs 2 j yuLafl 8o fen." she sketched out the route on a scrap of paper and handed it to the Astonished, the youth became more interested and picking up a mafl. rui\way rnap he inquired: "How about to Chuchou,?" "Thank you very much, comrade," he said with gratitude as he "t,9oa kilometres, and the fare is 29 yvefi 3o fen." looked at the map. "Do you often travel on the long-distance buses ?" The audience applauded. Then an o1d nTan stepped forrvard who The gid smiled and shook her head, "No. Never." for many years had worked as a booking clerk. I{e asked with "Oh, do you live in Sian?" interest: "You certainly know all about the main stations, but what Again she shook het head. about the branch Lines?" P:uzzled the man persisted: "Then you often go there?" "I'm not so sure." Then blushing she adcled shyly: "I'11 try." "Not frequently." "How far and how much to Hsihokou on the Yingtan-Amoy line ?" By then all the listenets were interested and aflothet passenger "ft's r,682 kilometres and costs z8 yuan 3o fen." place asked out of curiosity: "Hovr can you know the so well?" "To Janchialin on the Kweiyang-I{weilin line ?" This made the girl blush. Then she smiled modestly and mur- "r,roo kilometres at 2j y\ai 6 fen." mured: "I . I just know it, that's all." At this she lowered her Silenced, the old man, his head to one side, asked delighteclly: head and resumed het reading. "$7hat's your namc?" Since everyone's curiosity had been aroused, we all hoped she "Han Yu-nan." would say more, but she remained silent until she got off the tmin "And how long luve you been working?" thirty minutes later. "Three years." Shordy aftermy returfl to the press, we were contacted by the railway "$7e11 I'11 be damned! T'hree years!" Amazed he turned to the bureau abott a mass emulation efficienry drive. They had orgaruzed head of the group who confirmed it. Then, facing the audience and a team of highly skilled workers ,to demonstrate various aspects of raising his arms, he exclaimed: "Marvellous! This is the first time their work and the opening demonstration would be that day. They in my life that I've met someone who can challenge me." would like to have it reported in the press to help boost their campaign. Before the audience could clap, the director announced: "Com- 'llhe demonstration had aheady begun when Old Shih and I arrived rade Han can also tell us the arrival and depatture times of trains at at the large hall which was packed full. The audience cnthusiastically all the flrst and second class stations administered by our bureau. clapped or praised the performers, who were the best chosen from So let's carry on now with the demonstraiofl." among fleady ten thousand workers and stafl of the tailway bureau. Another round of applause rang out. Some v-ere elderly, others middle-aged. The last to be introduced Flan's petformance flot only astonished us lavmen, but also the old was a girl, whom to my surprise I recognized as the one on the train. rall:way workers, I:Ier knowledge weflt far beyond the lirnits of her 4 iob. Everyone could imagine how many hours she had spent learntng Such incidents were not uncommon and I grew more and more all those hundreds and thousands of dull numbers. We wondered fed up with the passengers. Gtadually my attitude towards them also hovr she had done it and ifthe long-distance buses in Sian had anything got worse. to do with her work? fn the summer of that year, a rniddle-aged man wanted to book a Inquisitive to finci out more, OId Shih and I returned to our office. ticket to Huahsien. I informed him that ttain 14 did not stop there. $7e repoted all this to our director and discussed our plan with him. "Eh?" he replied as if deaf. STith his approvaT, we visited Han a fortnight later. I repeated the information, but his response was the same. After Old Lei, secretary of the station Party committee greeted us warmly the foutth or flfth time, I was fuming: "$7hat's the matter with you ? and took us to the booking office where the clerks were busy at wotk. Please move aside." A s we watched young Han, we discovered that she was exceptionally He looked rather takefl aback and then handing over his money fast selling tickets and that her method was rather unusual. Apart again said: "f want a ticket fot Huahsien." from her answering normal inquiries, she would somedmes hold out I almost lost control of myself, but seeing all the passengets lining a card fot a passenger to read. Once she even aflswered a passenger up, I simply tilted my head and said: "Eh?" in his own dialect which we found very difficult to understand. "A ticket for Huahsien, please." ..Eh?" After an hout she closed herurindow for a break. I(nowing that 'we were reporters from the press made her very shy. It was only Everyone butst out laughing. after our tepeated assurances that we would not publish anything Flushed with anger the man complained: "\)Vhat a terrible atti- vzithout her apptoval that she relaxed and talked to us. tudel" "Nonsensel My attitude to you is good,,' I retorted. .,you She began: acted like that several times, f only said it twice. Yet see how im- I stated work as a booking clerk in i974. lVlany comrades thought patient you arel" And so saying I slammed the window shut. it was a good job when I began learning, but I wasfl't satisfied. T'here I-honestly felt he was in the wrong and sat sulking behind my were ail sorts of little things to attend to and I was tetrified of making window. mistakes with so much money passing through my hands each day. Three days later I had a row with a passenger going to Szechuan, Flowever, that rvas the work. As I was completely green and slou, who wanted to pay his fare in srnall coins wrapped up in a handkerchief. at the iob, the passengers would get exasperated. Trains and pas- I told him to go to a shop and get banknotes, but when he refused I sengers pass through here from all patts of the country and by night would not sell him the ticket.