Chapter 95 (93) Uncle Chen

Since the beginning of spring, Liu Fazu had been the busiest man in the city. Because of his reputation as "Shanghai’s Number One Surgeon," he was frequently taken to Japanese military camps to operate on their wounded. Even when he returned to Tan Yang’s hospital to see patients, he was always shadowed by lackeys of the puppet regime, ostensibly to protect his safety, but in reality, to prevent him from leaving Shanghai.

However, as March arrived, Liu Fazu became uncharacteristically irritable and volatile. His colleagues and friends did their best to avoid him or give him space.

One day, Bi Qingtang came to the hospital to see Tan Yang. As she was busy, he sat on a bench in the hallway to wait. The hospital was crowded that day, and several patients and their families were standing in the corridor. Liu Fazu, wearing a surgical mask, stormed through the hallway. Just as he reached Bi Qingtang, he abruptly turned back and barked with the typical authority of a doctor, "Are you here for a consultation? If not, go wait in the office and give up that seat for a patient!" Before he could continue, he heard a cold, languid voice behind him: "You, get back here."

Liu Fazu turned around, face stiff, and asked, "What is it?" Bi Qingtang looked toward Tan Yang in the consulting room and said curtly, "Say it again." "Say what again? You’re a healthy man taking up a seat; I told you to give it up, was I wrong?" Seeing Liu Fazu glaring and raising his voice in defiance, Bi Qingtang’s temper flared. He strode forward, grabbed Liu Fazu by the collar, and snarled, "Just because your director is here, you keep pushing your luck. Do you think I have a good temper? Even if one doesn't beat a dog in front of its master, you are begging for death by walking straight into my line of fire. Today, I’ll grant you your wish!" Liu Fazu turned pale with rage and shouted, "Bi Qingtang, what are you saying? This is a hospital, how can you be so lawless and savage?" Liu Fazu’s voice was deafening, but Bi Qingtang lowered his voice and sneered, "Keep shouting, and I'll drag your master out here!"

Hearing the argument, Tan Yang quickly finished with her patient and came out. Seeing her, Bi Qingtang released Liu Fazu’s collar and mocked him with disdain, "Are you satisfied now?" Liu Fazu’s eyes turned red with fury, and he pointed at Bi Qingtang, saying, "Fine, let’s go downstairs!" Bi Qingtang looked at him with utter contempt and scoffed, "Fine. If your skin is itching for a beating, I’ll show mercy and loosen it up for you myself." He turned to head down.

Tan Yang hurriedly grabbed his sleeve. "You called this morning saying you had something to discuss—was it just to start a fight?" Bi Qingtang glared at Liu Fazu and whispered to Tan Yang, "I suppose you won't believe me if I say he was being unreasonable and picking a fight." Unexpectedly, Tan Yang, with her back to Liu Fazu, nodded apologetically at Bi Qingtang and mouthed a single word: "Believe." That one word nearly caused Bi Qingtang’s jaw to drop. For some reason, he suddenly felt an urge to laugh. Tan Yang gave him a look and urged, "Go to my office! Is the hospital a place for you to throw your weight around?"

Bi Qingtang said nothing more and obediently headed to her office. At this, Liu Fazu complained indignantly, "Yang, there’s no need for you to manage our affairs!" Tan Yang quickly tried to soothe him, "Oh, I know how capable you are, please, just let it go! If you get into a physical altercation and injure your hands, none of the rest of us can handle the surgeries this afternoon..."

Bi Qingtang hadn't waited long in the office when Tan Yang arrived. He teased her with a smile, "How can you be such a pushover of an employer? Your temper is too soft; you’re always getting bullied, and you drag me into the frustration too." Tan Yang gave an apologetic smile. "Don't be like him; he's having a hard time too." She looked out the window and sighed deeply. "Xiangning’s due date is near, and he can't leave. To make matters worse, a woman came in last week with a difficult labor; she arrived too late, and neither the mother nor the child survived. He sat outside the delivery room for half the night!" Bi Qingtang’s expression softened. After a long silence, he muttered to himself, "Being together is always better."

More than a month later, Liu Fazu was gulping down a hurried lunch in his office when Tan Yang entered and sat across from him, handing him an envelope. Liu Fazu wiped his hands on a piece of gauze and poured a photograph out of the envelope. He only glanced at it before tears welled in his eyes, and the hand holding the photo began to tremble uncontrollably. The hands of a brilliant surgeon should be the steadiest, and seeing them shake made Tan Yang feel a pang of sorrow.

In the photo, Zhang Xiangning was holding her month-old baby, smiling reluctantly at the camera. A woman who had just given birth should have been heavier, but Xiangning looked even thinner than before her pregnancy. In the bottom right corner, she had written in careful strokes: "Named Liu Si, mother and child are well. Please take care, looking forward to our reunion."

Liu Fazu choked out, "Yang, how did you get this photo?" Tan Yang smiled faintly. "Nannan’s father has a friend in Chongqing who happened to pass through Hong Kong on the way to Shanghai for business."

A few days later, near the end of the workday, Liu Fazu saw patients sitting on the hallway benches, while Bi Qingtang stood at the door of Tan Yang’s office with Yan Tan. Liu Fazu approached to greet him, "Boss Bi, you’re here?" Bi Qingtang gave a slight nod. Liu Fazu looked at him and said sincerely, "Boss Bi, thank you!" He wanted to say more, but his personality hindered him; he was always poor at expressing emotions, so he stood there awkwardly, twisting his stethoscope. Seeing this, Bi Qingtang replied in an offhand manner, "Don't mention it. Put yourself in another's shoes." After saying this, Bi Qingtang was surprised himself; these four simple words were rarely spoken by him.

Only when a person has heart and intent can they extend their reach to others, and through small love, foster great love. The goodness and beauty of this world largely stem from this.

At the turn of spring and summer, after a long, lingering drizzle, Shanghai finally had a rare sunny day. Many old and young who had been hiding at home during the rainy season flooded the streets, eager to dry off the dampness. Age spares no one, and Uncle Chen had lost his sleep before dawn, so he rose early to listen to Peking opera on the phonograph in his room.

After the sun was high, a servant brought his breakfast. Once finished, Uncle Chen tidied up, intending to take advantage of the fine weather. Arriving at the mansion’s front gate, he happened to see Bi Qingtang sending Yan Tan off to school. After the winter, the girl had grown significantly and no longer needed to be carried into the car. She had thinned out from her growth spurt and wore a new goose-yellow woolen dress that Tan Yang had bought her, giving her a hint of a young lady’s grace.

Seeing Uncle Chen in his long gown, Yan Tan ran over and grabbed his arm. "Grandpa, where are you going?" Uncle Chen smiled kindly, pinched her small hand, and whispered in her ear, "To a Western restaurant in the Concession, to look in the funhouse mirrors—it’s full of charm!" Yan Tan’s eyes lit up, and she tugged at his hand, acting spoiled. "Grandpa, I want to go too! Take me!" Uncle Chen leaned down, hugged her, and laughed, negotiating with her in all seriousness: "Good, good, good, I'll take you! Then, little lady, go tell your father we aren't going to school, and we’re going out to play with Grandpa!"

Bi Qingtang, who had just walked over, heard their exchange. He waved his hand, dismissed the servant holding Yan Tan’s schoolbag, and said with an indifferent shrug, "Then don't go. What's the big deal?" Yan Tan was bewildered by her father’s response. After a moment of hesitation, she ran after the servant, snatched the bag, climbed into the car, and insisted, "No, I want to go to school, and I'll go to the funhouse mirrors tonight!" Uncle Chen shook his head and laughed, while Bi Qingtang teased, "Look, just like her mother!"

Uncle Chen stood in the courtyard watching Bi Qingtang’s car drive away. Inside the car, Bi Qingtang was giving instructions to his attendants, while Yan Tan smiled and talked to Uncle Chen through the glass. Though he couldn't hear, he guessed she was reminding him to take her to the Western restaurant tonight. Uncle Chen nodded repeatedly, and Yan Tan pressed her face against the glass, smiling so sweetly that the old man felt as refreshed as if he had eaten a ginseng fruit.

Afterward, Uncle Chen strolled out, and when he grew tired, he hailed a rickshaw to a bathhouse. In the steaming pool, he closed his eyes, savoring the taste of his life.

He had no family or children, only a few nephews back in Shandong who had grown up on his support and were now well-established. They were good children who hadn't forgotten their lonely old uncle, coming to Shanghai several times to take him back for his retirement, but Bi Qingtang always found a reason to keep him. The last time, earlier this spring, after some drinks, Bi Qingtang had told his eldest nephew with heartfelt sincerity, "The old man is with me; I will care for him until the end. You have my word, don't come to take him away again." Thinking of this, a look of pride and satisfaction appeared on Uncle Chen’s wrinkled face, making him seem younger.

After his bath, the attendant respectfully helped him into his gown. With his cane, he was bowed out. "Uncle Chen, take care!" Uncle Chen nodded slightly and wandered into a nearby teahouse for tea. This was how his days went—no worries, no labor, living a life of leisure that even the masters of wealthy families would envy.

By noon, Uncle Chen left the teahouse and strolled to the street corner, where a vendor was molding clay figurines by the wall, surrounded by several children. Uncle Chen looked on and realized the vendor had quite the skill; the figurines were vibrant and lifelike.

After the children paid and left happily, only Uncle Chen and a young girl of about eleven or twelve remained. The vendor asked the girl, "Little lady, which one do you want?" The girl’s jacket was the same goose-yellow as the dress Yan Tan wore to school. She had delicate features and was truly endearing. Hearing the question, she blushed and whispered, "I'm just looking. Mother says I’m grown up and shouldn't buy children’s toys." Uncle Chen chuckled inwardly.

The vendor then asked Uncle Chen, "Old sir, which one would you like?" Uncle Chen examined them all and muttered to himself, "I wonder which one she would like?" "For a boy or a girl?" "My granddaughter!" Uncle Chen answered with gusto. "Then these two; little girls love them!" Uncle Chen smiled, paid, and took the figurines. Seeing the little girl gazing longingly at the dolls in his hand, he smiled and handed one to her. "Take it. No matter how old you are, you’re still a child. Go home quickly; things aren't peaceful out here!" The girl took the figurine joyfully and chirped, "Thank you, Grandpa!"

The girl skipped ahead with the figurine, and Uncle Chen followed behind. Being old, he gradually fell behind. The sky turned overcast, and there were no pedestrians on the road. The girl turned into a quiet alley, where two drunken Japanese soldiers were stumbling toward them, arms around each other, laughing as they walked into the alley. A sense of foreboding made Uncle Chen stop and hesitate for a moment before following them in.

Deep in the alley, the two soldiers blocked the girl with sinister smiles. One soldier hoisted the girl up, intending to carry her away. Uncle Chen stood nearby, and almost instinctively, he reached for his waist. No gun! He hadn't touched a weapon in a long time. He stood there paralyzed, watching them walk away. Then, the girl looked up, crying, and saw Uncle Chen. She screamed, "Help! Grandpa, help!" That cry of "Grandpa" jolted Uncle Chen. He rushed forward, raised his cane, and struck the soldier’s temple with all his might. In that instant, the man nearing seventy showed no frailty, only the courageous blood of a youth...

That afternoon, the sky was gloomy, and the room was dark. Tan Yang turned on the lights in the consulting room and was about to start her rounds when a nurse under Liu Fazu ran in, panicked. "Director, an old man with a gunshot wound has been brought in, and he’s screaming to see you!" Tan Yang hurried over, and in the room next to the operating theater, she saw Uncle Chen, covered in blood.

As soon as he saw her enter, Uncle Chen grabbed her hand anxiously. "Young Madam, Young Madam!" Seeing the gunshot wound on his left chest, Tan Yang’s heart sank. She steeled herself and told Liu Fazu, "Prepare for surgery!" Liu Fazu shook his head helplessly. Tan Yang felt a chill, tears swirling in her eyes, and she squeezed the old man’s hand tightly. Uncle Chen, however, smiled as if it were a trivial matter. "I’m too old for this. I just wanted to see you, Young Madam. I have something to tell you!"

Liu Fazu and the nurse left. Tan Yang leaned over the bed, wiped the blood from Uncle Chen’s face with gauze, and forced a smile. "Tell me whatever you want. We are like your children. Whatever you want to do, just tell us!" Hearing this, Uncle Chen said with deep emotion, "Yes, having children is a blessing. When I was young, I spent every day fighting and killing, thinking family was a burden. Now that I’m old, I realize how good it is to have a home and children. Why else would we say that among us old timers, Master Tan was the smartest? He moved to Tongli early, married, had a daughter, and lived as a peaceful squire—what a wonderful life. But I... I have truly failed him!"

"When the master passed away, the young master found a way to get the bank draft from Master Feng, but he hit a wall with Master Tan. The young master had been close to Master Tan since he was a child—Master Tan held him more often than his own father did—so he didn't want to use any underhanded tactics. He even comforted me, saying that since we couldn't find Master Xu anyway, there was no rush. But even if he wasn't in a hurry, I was. Seeing the young master risking his life in such dangerous work every day, I was both worried and heartbroken. I thought that while Master Tan had been kind to the master and the young master, he meant nothing to me, so I secretly went to Tongli. At that time, Master Tan’s wife had just passed away, and he was grieving. He caught a cold and went to a pharmacy for medicine. I bribed the owner to add a dose of chronic poison into his herbs. Having spent so many years in the underworld, we had plenty of such things."

"Half a year later, the news of Master Tan’s death reached us. The young master was shocked, asking how a perfectly healthy man could just die. So, I told him the truth. For all these years, the young master had always respected me, but that one time, he had a huge argument with me! Afterward, he went to Tongli for the funeral alone. You know, except for the last two years when my legs have been bad, the young master always took me with him wherever he went, except that time to Tongli. He went alone because I had killed Master Tan; he was angry with me."

"I don't know what he planned when he went to Tongli, but after he met you, he wanted to bring you back. I think he was concerned about the bank draft on one hand, but on the other, he was mindful of the connection with Master Tan, unable to bear seeing you so young and helpless. But he didn't expect that you, young as you were, had such a mind of your own and refused to go with him! Actually, the young master still doesn't know that I went to Tongli that time too. I was afraid that because of his relationship with Master Tan, he wouldn't be able to do what needed to be done, so I went to your house in the middle of the night myself! Young Madam, do you remember that night just after Master Tan passed away, when a man in black came into your room and scared you into tears? That was me!"

Tan Yang nodded. "I remember, but you didn't do anything, and the Suffering Buddha was still hanging around my neck." Uncle Chen smiled bitterly. "Exactly. That was the first time I saw you after you grew up. I had intended to take the Suffering Buddha and leave, and if you woke up, I’d just kill you to end it. But I didn't expect that Master Tan’s daughter would grow up like that! Facing a girl who looked like a flower, I couldn't bring myself to do it and left. I thought that since the object was in the hands of a naive child, it would be easy to get. Actually, it shouldn't have been a surprise; Master Tan was a top-tier man, so it’s no wonder he raised such an exceptional daughter. Meeting you like that was destiny, or perhaps fate playing a cruel joke."

"I knew the young master liked you from the start, but I thought it was just the way a man likes a beautiful woman. You might not know, but the young master liked quite a few beautiful women in his early years. Plus, you were so young, I thought you two wouldn't amount to anything. But these matters between men and women—even you yourselves are easily kept in the dark, so how could an outsider like me judge? After a while, I started to sense that something was wrong. The young master is, at heart, a rough, hot-tempered man, but he was like a different person with you—so gentle, thoughtful, and patient. When I asked him, he would be stubborn and say he was just coaxing you to give up the Suffering Buddha."

Uncle Chen shook his head helplessly. "Who was he coaxing? He was with you every few days; he had plenty of chances, but I never saw him get his hands on the Suffering Buddha! Later, he came back one day, clearly happy but pretending to be annoyed, and told me that you had fallen for him, that it was a genuine love, and that it was the first time he had been sincerely loved by a good girl. I angrily asked him, 'Forget about her, what about you? What’s in your heart?' After smoking several cigarettes in silence, he finally said, 'I think I like her too—a different kind of liking.' I scolded him for being a fool, telling him this would lead to big trouble, but he wouldn't listen to a word! He plunged in, getting deeper and deeper, and to keep you by his side, he would do anything!"

"The young master is a man who can accomplish anything he sets his mind to, and that includes matters of the heart. So in the end, you were together, married, had a child, and lived a happy life. Seeing how content and happy the young master was when you were all together, I thought, if we could keep it hidden from you forever, that would be fine! But in this world, the more one fears the light, the more likely the truth will be revealed. The young master played the good man in front of you for over a decade, until he couldn't tell the real from the fake, only to be stripped back to his true self by a single blow from Old Ma! No matter how he tried, soft or hard, he couldn't keep you, and you finally left!"

"After you left, the young master was devastated. I tried to persuade him, saying, 'In Shanghai, with money, what’s there to fear about not having women?' But the young master said that only after you left did he realize that there are things in this world money truly cannot buy, and because he knew that, he felt even more that the things money could buy weren't truly valuable."

"Later, when that man surnamed Xu came to Shanghai, the young master spoke less and less. He would sit in your study for half the night. Fearing he would fall ill, I asked him what he was thinking about, and after several times, he finally said, 'Sometimes I think, if not for that bank draft, would we still be out in Shandong as bandits? My little sister would have been born there, grown up with me; I would have taken you to play, taught you to ride horses, put flowers in your hair, and when you grew up, you would have been my lady.' He also said that Master Tan liked him so much that he would have been happy to have him as a son-in-law!"

"When he said that, I understood—he was full of regret! But he was too stubborn to admit it to you easily. I didn't know how to go on living like that, but coincidentally, the Japanese came, war broke out, and your family was reunited. Those days were so good; the young master hadn't even fully kicked the opium habit, and he was gaining weight, which showed how comfortable he felt!"

"But I didn't expect that after the world became peaceful and you left the Concession, you still couldn't be together. I asked the young master what was wrong, what was missing. He said it was because you believed he killed your father, so you would never forgive him. I was anxious when I heard that. I said, 'Master Tan was killed by me; you knew nothing of it! Why don't you tell the Young Madam?' The young master sighed and said, 'In the end, I cannot escape the blame, and little sister won't believe it.'"

At this point, Uncle Chen became agitated. He gripped Tan Yang’s hand tightly, gasping for breath. "Young Madam, please believe me. A man who is about to die has no reason to lie. I killed Master Tan; it had nothing to do with the young master. I have failed you, I have failed Master Tan. I am the one who deserves to suffer and go to hell! Don't let the young master suffer this torture anymore! Please, just believe me, okay?" Facing the old man’s plea, Tan Yang nodded quickly. "I believe you, Uncle Chen, I believe you!"

Uncle Chen finally exhaled in relief. He stared at her intently. "Then please forgive him. He loves you so much; without you, he will never be happy again. I know you love him too. These days, the young master keeps murmuring that you were even willing to kill for him! If I close my eyes and go, there are two things I can't let go of: one is that the young master is still smoking opium, and the other is that you are not by his side! He always lies to you, saying he’ll quit soon, but I’ve seen it clearly—if you aren't by his side, he will never be able to quit!" Tears streaming down his face, Uncle Chen begged, "Young Madam, I have failed you, but please, for the sake of an old man about to enter the coffin, promise me—help the young master quit opium and return to his side, will you?"

Outside, the dark clouds thickened, and distant thunder rumbled—the sky itself was weeping. Amidst the thunder, facing the dying man’s bitter plea, Tan Yang nodded through her tears.

Just then, the door was kicked open. Bi Qingtang rushed in, saw the blood-soaked Uncle Chen, and froze. A moment later, he grabbed Uncle Chen’s hand, gasping for air. "What happened? You were fine when you went out this morning! Who was it?" Uncle Chen sighed slightly. "On the street, two Japanese soldiers were going to ravage a young girl. I just couldn't watch it!" "You’re old! Why meddle in such things!" Faced with Bi Qingtang’s pained question, Uncle Chen looked embarrassed and stuttered, "The girl wasn't much older than little Miss, and she called me Grandpa!" Afterward, he wept and tremblingly pulled a flattened figurine from his chest. "Where is little Miss? I... I want to see her one more time!"

Hearing this, Tan Yang wiped her tears and stood up. "I’ll send someone to fetch Nannan!" She turned and left. As soon as she was gone, Uncle Chen opened his eyes wide, used all his remaining strength to grab Bi Qingtang’s hand, and whispered stubbornly, "I told the Young Madam that I killed Master Tan; you knew absolutely nothing about it!"

Bi Qingtang was stunned. Then, he lowered his head, buried it in Uncle Chen’s chest, and wept uncontrollably.