It is said that Mr. Renhe Ren, of Daochu village, in the province of Quan Shijie, in his forty-second year of life, was seized by a great rage because of his long-standing enemy, who was constantly working to hinder and ruin any of his activities and projects. Faced with the umpteenth abuse, Mr. Renhe Ren felt that his harmony and self-control were going to be lost. He was no longer able to feel the noble sentiments worthy of a superior man.
Then he remembered the words of the wise man. "Sit down along the river bank and wait, sooner or later you will see the corpse of your enemy pass". So, he left the village of Daochu and went down to the river. He found a willow with a wide foliage that bent gently over the water, and sat down in his shadow, determined to wait until the wisdom of the ancestors had brought a solution to his problem.
He awaited for days and nights, meditating. Sun, rain, wind and fog alternated tormenting him, but neither the heat, nor the cold, nor the humidity, nor the insects distracted him from his waiting. Time passed, until one day in late autumn, the stream swollen for the rains brought a corpse to its feet, face down. Mr. Renhe Ren shook himself from his meditation and leaned towards the muddy water, his heart finally calm.
Great was his surprise when he saw…
MY ENDING
Renhe walked the trail back to the village. It was a hot day and very dry. He decided to stop at the Wáng Lǐ for his favorite dish, Ma po tofu, and a glass of water before returning home.
After ordering, he sat at a table next to the window. The people looked different to him. What happened here? he asked himself.
"My I sit with you?" a voice from behind him asked.
Renhe turned around and saw an elder, Zhāng Miáo. They rarely spoke and, when they did, it was heated words. Zhāng, a rich man, often hired Mù for jobs around his place. Renhe would warn Zhāng about Mù's misdeeds against him and around the village but was met ridicule.
Today was different. Renhe no longer felt an energetic block between them like before but Zhāng seemed nervous and agitated about something.
Zhāng sat down and poured himself some tea. "I need to get this off my chest."
"After you left," Zhāng said, "Mù ran into deep trouble and came to me. He was like a son to me who was always willing to help out an old man around the house. That's why I never believed the circulating stories.
"How could I resist when he asked, 'Don’t you want to protect me?' If only I would have listened to you then." Trembling fingers made it difficult for him to sip his tea.
Zhāng continued, "It started with an occasional accusation of something he thought I was doing wrong. The floors weren't kept tidy enough, the dishes had spots on them, 'you're wrong for thinking that way.'" He puffs his chest out and heaves, imitating Mù, "'This is the promper way' ... stuff like that. It got worse very fast.
“'Can’t you ever think of anyone but yourself?' he asked when I asked him to find work to help cover the cost of living. Ren, my late wife, bless her heart, was in the hospital. Bills were high. Before that, I bought him anything he needed, but I had to cut back.
"He asked when he caught me hiding away renminbi one night, 'What do you have to say for yourself?'
"I was hiding my own money away from him. I felt so guilty for not giving it to him, but I needed it for my daughters surgery. I couldn't respond without hurting him. I stood frozen like an ice cube.
“'Does it bother you that …?'” Zhāng clutch his fist and held back tears.
"... It was tearing at my heart, but I couldn't let my baby girl go along with my wife," Zhāng said. "I choose my daughter. He didn't like that.
"Ren, I want to apologize for the tremble he caused you. I know how mad it makes a person. Anyways, now that you're back, you don't have to worry about him any longer. He left town a day ago - I made sure of it.
"Please, come over for tea and let's catch up."
Without waiting for a response, Zhāng said, "Now, Ren, if you will excuse me, I've got to go visit my daughter. She is on mend. I'm not sure how much time we'll have left together." He looks at Ren, quickly averting his gaze down.
Ren watches Zhāng leave and ponders what he'll do with the information he received.
THE END
| Previous | Finish the Story Contest | Entries | ||
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| Apocalypse and Pretzels | Metallic Kisses | Curie upvoted The Battle of Bloodneck Valley | Awakening | |
| Curie Upvoted Obstinancy | The Last Will and Testament of Geralda Connors | Curie Upvoted Pirate Hunters | Spoon-fed Memories | Lucid Dream |
| The Taste of Chicken | Curie upvoted Hunt More Precious Than a Green Stone | Kayla |
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