Old Wang next door
A bright, clear moon hangs high in the deep blue night sky, and countless stars twinkle and sparkle. Tomorrow should be a beautiful day.
Tap tap, tap, tap tap, tap tap tap...
In front of the Shikumen gate, Qingcheng, carrying a large cloth bag, rhythmically knocked on a large, blackened wooden door. Finally, the black door opened a crack, revealing Ai Ruirui's usual serious face.
Just as she was about to get closer to Rui Rui, a pungent sour smell assaulted her nostrils. The smell of aged vinegar and seaweed mixed with a strong fishy odor made Qing Cheng retreat repeatedly. She took a deep breath and held it in, then said in a teasing tone, "Dear Sister Ai, are you making pickled vegetables? It's so late to open the door, I was almost falling asleep waiting."
Rui Rui glanced coldly from behind the door, ignored her, and walked into the courtyard on her own. Qing Cheng, feeling snubbed, made a face at Rui Rui's back, then closed the door and followed Rui Rui into the hall, carrying a large bag. There were two large leather suitcases on the floor, and a gentleman sat quietly in a grand chair on the left.
When Kiyosumi saw the new comrade, she couldn't help but take a few more curious glances. The man was thin, of medium height, and around forty years old. He also had a pungent odor about him. Although he was now disheveled and wearing dirty, broken glasses, one could still make out his originally handsome face.
When Qingcheng walked up to him, he hurriedly pulled his leg back, looking around as if searching for the source of the sound. He seemed to be severely nearsighted, and now that his glasses were covered in dirt, he was probably no different from a blind man.
"Comrade, hello, I'm here to deliver your clothes. Just call me Xiao He." Qingcheng spoke up first, handing him the change of clothes. When the new comrade received the new clothes from Qingcheng, he politely said "thank you" in the direction she was standing, showing that good manners were ingrained in his bones.
Ai Ruirui also introduced, "This is Comrade Qi Kejun from Beiping. Sir, we've brought your clothes. Please go and wash up first."
After Rui Rui led Comrade Qi to the washroom, Qing Cheng looked around the room with boredom. It was a very simple one-bedroom apartment. There should be a master bedroom upstairs. The decoration was the same as most homes, without any special features, but something felt strange.
After circling around a few more times, Qingcheng realized that there were no photos in the room, not a single one. Could it be that it was rented specifically for Comrade Qi? There were men's leather shoes on the shoe rack, and the room was very clean. You could even sense that the previous owner had a bit of OCD, especially since the quilt was folded too neatly.
Judging from the fact that Rui Rui and the others had just returned and hadn't even opened their suitcases, it didn't seem like they had cleaned it themselves. Qingcheng was still speculating about how such a kind landlord would give away leather shoes. Meanwhile, Comrade Qi had already washed up and changed into new clothes, and the dirt on his glasses had been cleaned, but the broken parts couldn't be repaired.
Qingcheng couldn't help but marvel at how quickly men could shower. After washing up, Qi looked refreshed and instantly ten years younger. He was wearing a light camel-colored suit, a white turtleneck sweater with overalls, and a pair of pointed-toe brogues. His hair was still wet, making him look like a young master going to the Jingjing Ballroom.
"Comrade Xiao He, you probably don't know my age. I'm thirty-seven. It's nice to wear clothes that look like those of young people at my age, but it's also a bit embarrassing," Comrade Qi said somewhat shyly.
"Thirty-seven is the prime of life, not old at all. Comrade Qi, you should have confidence in yourself. If you go to the dance hall like this, I guarantee many girls will ask you to dance." Qingcheng blinked and praised Qi Kejun.
“Dressed like a petit bourgeois, buy less of these undignified clothes in the future. A revolutionary should look like a revolutionary.” Rui Rui’s blunt remark made Comrade Qi look embarrassed.
"I'm just that indecent, you know that, I'm even indecent enough to buy underwear for people," Kiyosumi teased.
She gets angry just thinking about it. If she hadn't dragged her older cousin to the mall and bought a ton of stuff, and then tricked him into thinking she was buying clothes for her uncles who were visiting Shanghai, she wouldn't know how to buy these personal items. If Xu Qiao's fake reporters had photographed her buying men's underwear alone, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"You throw a tantrum when I ask you to do something simple that you're capable of. I don't even know why Sister Cai recommended you to join the Party in the first place," Ai Ruirui said, frowning.
"Comrade Xiao Ai, you've gone a bit too far," Comrade Qi quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Comrade Xiao He is clearly unmarried, so buying men's personal items is indeed inconvenient. People will gossip if they see it."
"But she still bought it, which shows that difficulties are just an excuse for laziness. She's just too lazy to think. She doesn't deserve to be a revolutionary unless she gets rid of her petty-bourgeois vices," Rui Rui said, pointing at Qing Cheng's nose.
This action was somewhat insulting. Qingcheng suppressed her anger and retorted sarcastically, "Yes, only you, Comrade Ai Ruirui, are a Bolshevik who truly loves the Party and the people. Everyone else is a petty bourgeois and an opportunist. They are not worthy to be in the same organization as you. Why don't you go solo? Our organization is too small."
“What do you mean? Who gives you the right to criticize me? When I joined the revolution, you were still in the bourgeoisie.” Emerald suddenly raised her voice. “I’m writing to my hometown today and asking them to reassess your abilities. You’re completely disobedient; the Shanghai station can’t afford you.”
"It's not that serious, it's not that serious. Misunderstandings between comrades can be resolved by talking them out." Comrade Qi tried to separate the two, but he couldn't hold them back at all.
“Our organization has always emphasized equality between officers and soldiers. Don’t think that just because you’re a cadre from the Shanghai station, you’re something special. Cadres like you who flaunt your years of revolutionary service should relearn what equality means. I am your comrade, not your slave,” Qingcheng said righteously, his eyes wide.
"Fine, you've got some nerve. Even now you're still not repentant. Get out of here!" Ai Ruirui shouted, her neck stiff.
"Why should I? You bought this house, didn't you? Or are all the cadres at the Shanghai station as dogmatic as you, preferring to make their own decisions?" Kiyosumi said sarcastically, propping her arm up with her hand.
Ai Ruirui snorted coldly: "You're determined to make yourself infamous, aren't you? I was originally going to give you some face, but if you're still so stubborn, I'll play along to the end."
"Why are you the only one with a mouth? I'm going to complain to the higher-ups and have you removed from all your posts. Your rigid personality is not suited to the complex work behind enemy lines. You'll only drag us down." Qingcheng had wanted to say this for a long time.
"You...get out!!!" Rui Rui's face turned pale, and she was so angry that she couldn't speak coherently.
With a creak, the wooden door opened, and a man in a dark blue overcoat tossed his keychain aside and said expressionlessly, "Keep making noise. How about I open the door so your noise can carry further?"
The room was so quiet you could hear everyone breathing. Although they had only met a few times, Qingcheng recognized the man as Mr. Wang, the gallery owner; it turned out he was also a member of the organization.
With a loud bang, the wooden door slammed shut, revealing Wang Renyong's current mood. Qi Kejun immediately went up to shake hands with the man, saying, "Comrade Renyong, you've finally arrived. They've had a small misunderstanding; please try to mediate."
“No need to persuade them, the ladies want to see the spies. Let’s retreat first.” Wang Renyong said as he said retreat, but he plopped down in the armchair and said to Comrade Qi, “Just kidding, if this room hadn’t been specially soundproofed, you would have all been wiped out long ago.”
It seemed that she was the only one in the room who didn't know Wang Renyong. Before Qingcheng could figure out Wang Renyong's rank, Ai Ruirui couldn't hold back and rushed forward to accuse her: "I want to apply to transfer He Qingcheng away. She is not obedient at all. I want to find someone who is obedient."
"Ugh, you smell really strong. Go wash up, it's making my eyes water." Wang Renyong waved his hands wildly, making it sound as if the whole room smelled terrible.
“What do you know? This is the taste of revolution,” Ai Ruirui said angrily.
"Bullshit! If revolution tasted like this, I would have quit long ago. And am I disgusted by you? I'm disgusted by the smell on you. Once you're clean, you're a good comrade again. Don't be so rigid, broaden your horizons. Go wash up first, I need to talk to two comrades." Wang Renyong's voice was unusually loud, clearly indicating that he wanted to get rid of Ai Ruirui.
However, Ai Ruirui remained unmoved: "Hmph, I'm stubborn, but you're quick-witted. Why don't you just fly to the sky? I said I wanted to apply for a personnel transfer."
"Alright, Comrade He Qingcheng, apologize to Comrade Ai Ruirui, and we'll let this matter drop." Wang Renyong seemed afraid that Ai Ruirui was trying to smooth things over.
Looking at Rui Rui's smug smile, Qing Cheng gritted her teeth and asked, "Comrade Wang, have you figured out the cause and effect? You should ask Comrade Qi who started the trouble first."
“I don’t care who started this, she’s older than you, so just show her respect. Now, apologize to Comrade Ai Ruirui.” Wang Renyong looked like he was taking sides.
Kiyosumi, sitting opposite, couldn't help but roll her eyes and cursed inwardly: She's God, everyone has to respect her.
On second thought, how long had Ai Ruirui been in Shanghai, while she herself had only been back in China for a short time? It was understandable that they were helping each other exclude an outsider like her. It was two against one, and a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. Qingcheng casually said sorry, but in her heart, she was calculating how to report them to higher authorities for forming a clique.
“I don’t hear any sincerity in your apology. Say it again.” Wang Renyong’s tone was unquestionable.
How could you be so obviously biased! Her knuckles turned white from being squeezed so tightly, and Qingcheng said through gritted teeth, "If you didn't hear me, remember to use your ears next time. Nobody will say the same thing twice."
With Lao Wang's help, Ai Ruirui became even more ferocious: "Look at her like this. Just because she was born into a good family, she thinks the whole world should revolve around her."
“Don’t judge others. This small conflict has escalated to this point, and both sides are at fault. You’re also in big trouble. Even if you’re not good at being courteous to subordinates, please at least give our young comrade the most basic trust.” Wang Renyong waved his hand and stopped pressuring Qingcheng. “Alright, it’s such a small matter. She’s apologized, so let it go.”
"I ask her to do something small, and she complains all the time. It's just buying underwear, but she acts like she's done something amazing. Isn't that just spoiled brat behavior?" Ai Rui Rui pointed at Qing Cheng again.
"Is this a small matter? I apologized to you because I'm magnanimous and don't like to argue with petty people. It doesn't mean I'm wrong or that I condone your narrow-minded resentment of the rich." Qingcheng repeated each word clearly, "Yes, you heard me right, you resent the rich."
“It’s only right that I hate the rich. Those rich people only take pleasure in belittling the poor. We should overthrow them and divide their wealth.” Ai Rui Rui raised her arm as if she had heard some praise.
"I've discovered there's a reason you're poor. You're really not smart enough; all you do is daydream," Qingcheng said sarcastically, propping herself up on her arm.
Ai Ruirui charged toward Qingcheng's location with a furious glare, but was stopped by Wang Renyong in a flash: "Let's talk this out. You can't hit people. I've noticed you're really aggressive toward this little comrade. Are you jealous that she's prettier than you?"
This address instantly transported Qingcheng back to the night of the 24th. Listening closely, she realized Wang Renyong's voice, a few octaves lower, was exactly the same as the senior who had helped her that night, and their builds were similar. Her initial goodwill towards the senior who had braved the rain to escort her home, coupled with her disgust for Wang Renyong's bias, caused Qingcheng to let out a cold laugh.
As Ai Rui Rui struggled, she spat at his feet: "Pah! I would be jealous of her. I come from a working-class background, much more innocent than her."
"Stop throwing a tantrum, or I'll transfer you." Wang Renyong had no choice but to threaten him after being driven to desperation.
"Senior, if you don't transfer her, I'm going to complain about you abusing your power. I'm scared of having to deal with a crazy woman who can hit people." Kiyosumi took the initiative and used the way she addressed him that night, indicating that she recognized him and wanted to see who would have the last laugh.
"Young comrade, do I have a conflict with you? Do you need to treat me like this?" Wang Renyong said with a wry smile when he saw that Qingcheng did not answer. "Have you already concluded that I am helping Ai Ruirui to exclude you?"
Suddenly, Wang Renyong let out a scream. It turned out that Ai Ruirui had bitten Wang Renyong's hand. Qingcheng covered her mouth and sneered, wondering if she needed to get a rabies vaccine after being bitten by a madman.
As soon as Wang Renyong let go, Ai Ruirui no longer concealed her shrewish nature, kicking and cursing Wang Renyong wildly. The two argued all the way from their backgrounds to the meaning of oppression.
Perhaps the atmosphere was getting increasingly tense, so Comrade Qi once again acted as a peacemaker. Qingcheng, sitting on the armchair, watched the two of them arguing with great interest, and even wanted to crack some melon seeds. Wang Renyong trampled on his own dignity to appease Ai Ruirui, but Ai Ruirui didn't appreciate it at all and thought he wasn't left-leaning enough.
Wang Renyong is now like Pigsy looking in the mirror—caught in the middle, disliked by everyone. He truly deserves it!
"Sit down, both of you!" Comrade Qi suddenly shouted fiercely, his neck turning red with anger, his refined demeanor replaced by a ferocious expression. The two men angrily sat on opposite sides, ignoring each other.
Silence fell in the room again. Comrade Qi adjusted his glasses and said to everyone, "I just arrived today and have no idea what conflicts you had before, but I want to say something fair: your biggest problem is 'disunity.' The most important condition for the success of the revolution is internal unity."
Qi Kejun's face showed displeasure, and he said seriously, "I want to criticize Comrade Ren Yong. When you were mediating the fight, you didn't even find out where their main conflict was. You just tried to smooth things over and gave both sides the blame equally, which resulted in no one respecting you."
Wang Renyong shrank back, not daring to refute the scolding, and muttered to himself. This was the first time he had encountered a female colleague arguing with him since becoming a leader.
Comrade Qi continued, "The friction between the two of them is not due to personality clashes caused by whether or not they buy underwear or whether or not they are jealous, but rather to huge differences in perception caused by class disparity. Class issues have always been the biggest contradiction. Comrade Xiao He is clearly a well-educated and sensible young lady from a respectable family. She has most likely studied the Four Books and Five Classics since childhood, and her family education has instilled in her the importance of knowing and observing proper etiquette."
"The concept that 'men steal and women prosper' is deeply ingrained in her mind. Comrade Ai asked the unmarried Xiao He to buy a personal item from a man she didn't know. This was actually asking a difficult question and was a great humiliation to Comrade Xiao He. This girl must have overcome tremendous psychological pressure to buy it."
“We should give her affirmation and encouragement, instead of taking it for granted.” Comrade Qi smiled and extended his hand to Qingcheng. “Comrade Xiao He, I am very pleased that you have taken this step. You are very brave. Keep up the good work, listen to the opinions of your seniors, and try to correct some of your other minor flaws.”
After returning to China, Qingcheng rediscovered the feeling she had in France—a sense of happiness from being recognized and trusted. Her nose tingled slightly as she tightly grasped Comrade Qi's large hand.
Then Comrade Qi turned to face Rui Rui: "And Comrade Xiao Ai, I am very grateful for your care all the way. You are so young, yet your hands are covered with thick calluses. You must have suffered a lot in the past. To give an inappropriate example, in your mind, underwear and rags are not much different. They are both things that need to be washed, and they don't have any special meaning."
"So from your perspective, you're not wrong either. Xiao He is just being overly dramatic and spoiled. Secondly, seeing the glamorous Xiao He might remind you of your past experiences of being bullied. Comparing the two, your extreme inferiority complex wears down your patience and good temper. Actually, you don't need to be so sensitive. No one means to look down on you."
"You absolutely don't need to be like a hedgehog, brandishing your weapons first and leaving others wounded before blaming them for not wanting to be your friends. You need to have a clear understanding of your place; your background doesn't define you, and you need to recognize that you are also an excellent comrade. Since you were able to participate in the land reform work, you can adapt to the pace of the city just as well."
But Rui Rui didn't appreciate it. She seemed to have entered a dead end and said with a sob in her voice, "Ask the young master and young lady sitting over there if they have ever been so hungry that they have cramps, or if they have ever broken their bones because they didn't do their work well. Why is it that only they can read and write, while I have to be a servant and work myself to death, but I don't even get to eat as much as a guard dog?"
Comrade Qi sighed and patiently advised, "Comrade Xiao Ai, you need to understand that your suffering wasn't caused by them. You shouldn't vent your resentment on your comrades..."
Before Comrade Qi could finish speaking, Rui Rui interrupted irritably: "It's all their fault! Those from bureaucratic and bourgeois backgrounds are born counter-revolutionaries and should be criticized!"
Rui Rui's extreme ideas made the atmosphere in the room tense again. The eyes of the three people in the room were all turned to her. Wang Renyong directly retorted: "Hehe, that's just the way it is. According to you, everyone here except you is a born rebel."
"Comrade Ai Ruirui, I hope you will stop spreading the ultra-leftist ideology of valuing birth above all else. History has proven it to be wrong." Comrade Qi's face darkened as he sternly reprimanded, "If you read more history books, you will find that there are almost no successful cases of peasant uprisings in history."
"Those peasant youths who were once oppressed took up arms to resist tyranny, but when their uprising succeeded, they merely indulged in the extravagant lifestyles they had never had before, no longer caring about the suffering of the people. In the end, they also became the rulers they once hated the most. Origin is not important; what is important is that people have faith."
Qingcheng understood that Comrade Qi meant that regardless of one's background, those who forget their original aspirations are unlikely to achieve great things. On the contrary, some famous feudal golden ages were founded by scions of noble families because they were better able to resist temptations and remember their original aspirations. Of course, she did not intend to exonerate feudal dynasties; letting the people be the masters of their own destiny was the right path.
“That’s right. Everyone should remain poor. If they could maintain a simple and frugal life after their uprising succeeds, how could they have failed? True Bolsheviks should stay away from the source of depravity and live a hard life like everyone else. Then there would be no class conflict in the world.” Eriri completely missed the point and was still dreaming of equal poverty.
“There’s a difference between ordinary days and hard days. You think being poorer is more glorious? Wrong, terribly wrong!” Qi Kejun shouted, his eyes flashing with pity as he spoke hoarsely, “Ask the beggars outside if they want to go hungry, or are they just born to be depraved and enjoy this kind of humiliating, sun-baked, and undignified life.”
These words reminded Qingcheng of what Sister Cai had said: revolution is about overthrowing and smashing a poor old world, so that all compatriots can study hard when they are of school age and work hard when they are of working age, and work together to build a beautiful and happy motherland, so that every family can eat meat and drink alcohol and no longer live a hard life.
“If you use your background as a symbol of pride, you’re narrowing your horizons. We come from all over the world, from different social classes, but we only have one title for each other: ‘comrade.’ Because we are all equal, and it is the same belief that brings us together.” Qi Kejun’s perspective impressed Qingcheng.
“Rui Rui, you should know that I come from an official family. My grandfather was a fierce general of the Qing court, holding the rank of Third Grade Martial General with a peacock feather. My martial arts skills were taught by my grandfather. Could it be that I am also a counter-revolutionary?” Wang Renyong asked rhetorically, while giving Qing Cheng a wink to let her continue.
Qingcheng had long wanted to express his opinion: "Our family has been a scholarly family for generations, and most of our clansmen are officials. My grandfather and father were both Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations). My father once served as an official in the capital, but later resigned to go into business and became extremely wealthy. I have both official position and wealth, but I do not consider myself a counter-revolutionary. I firmly believe in Marxist-Leninist materialism."
Comrade Qi continued, “My father was a prominent comprador in the Jiangnan region, what you call a bourgeois, I don’t deny it. But he is him, and I am me, I am a staunch proletarian.”
The three people in the room had reached a consensus by now, except for Ai Rui Rui, who stood there with her neck stiff, like a wronged little wife.
“You’re like a hammer now, everyone else looks like a nail,” Wang Renyong said fiercely to Ai Ruirui.
“Then give her another sickle.” Qingcheng suddenly said firmly, “What beggars lack is not a rebellious heart, but the inability to see the outcome of fighting back. A hammer and sickle cannot give them hope, but when most people dare to raise hammers and sickles to fight back, hope will spread among the people, and the hopeless old world will crumble.”
“Listen to other people’s perspective; you’ll understand more deeply. I think I know why Sister Cai likes you so much now.” Wang Renyong gave him a gratified smile, but Qingcheng didn’t give him a pleasant look.
"This is not a peasant uprising, but a thorough revolution. Therefore, in the process of overthrowing the old world, we need a great deal of talent and resources. One person or one team is not enough. We need to unite all classes, pull them together as one, and become a collective to drive the progress of the entire Chinese civilization," Comrade Qi concluded.
"Impressive, impressive, Comrade Qi has a much broader perspective." Wang Renyong clapped his hands in praise, then turned to Ai Ruirui and said, "Xiao Ai, stop overthinking it. Go wash up first, think about what mistakes you made, and go."
After listening, Ai Ruirui glanced at Qingcheng with disdain and went back to the inner room to get her clothes. This caught Qingcheng's attention. She didn't live here but had a change of clothes, and the leather shoes placed at the door were all men's.
Just now, Wang Renyong opened the door with his key and admitted that the house was his. Heh heh, no wonder he helped Ai Ruirui so much. It's only human nature. Qingcheng glanced at Wang Renyong knowingly, feeling even more disdain for this man. He's a typical case of siding with his own people regardless of reason. Bah!
"You two chat first, I'm going home. Goodbye, comrades." Qingcheng didn't want to stay under the same roof with this kind of person anymore, not even for a second. Wang Renyong next to her was still trying to persuade her to stay for a late-night snack, but Qingcheng pretended not to hear him, put on her scarf and hat, and walked towards the door without looking back.
"Look at you, you still don't understand what I said that night. You just couldn't control your emotions." Wang Renyong stood up to stop her, speaking gently, "At least wait for me to explain. Don't you want to know why there were spies on your ship back home?"
Qingcheng was startled. How could he know the reason? Unless Wang Renyong was the original contact.
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