Chapter 48
English: "That night, Xu Daming came back carrying a sack, swaying as he walked; Zhao Jianguo was no longer calm. He sat silently in the room half the night, without lighting the lamp or lying on the bed, just like an old monk in meditation. Every little sound outside in the courtyard—footsteps, doors closing, coughing—seemed etched into his mind, and he noted them all."
"That night Xu Da Mao came back swaying with a sack on his shoulder, and Zhao Jianguo was no longer calm. He sat silently in the room half the night, without lighting the lamp or lying on the bed, just like an old monk in meditation. Every little sound outside in the courtyard—footsteps, door closing, coughing—seemed etched into his mind, and he noted them all."
English: we need to extract from 【8】 Check. The check line includes multiple translations; we need to combine them into a natural English translation of the original Chinese for 【8】? Wait 【8】 is a Check line itself, not an Original. The original Chinese for 【8】 is not given; we only have the check line which provides translations of phrases. But we need to output English for 【8】 based on the check line. The check line appears to be a translation of the original Chinese for 【2】? Actually the check line after 【2】 Original is 【8】 Check, which translates the phrases in 【2】 Original. So 【8】 Check is not an original; it's a check for 【2】. But the user gave 【8】 Check as an item; we need to output English for 【8】 (the check line). However the check line includes both Chinese phrase translations and English translations. We need to output the English translation of the original Chinese for 【8】? But there is no original Chinese for 【8】; the check line is itself a translation of the original Chinese for 【2】. However the user likely expects us to output the English translation provided in the check line (the part after the equals signs). But the check line includes many equals signs; we need to output the English translation of the original Chinese for 【8】? Actually the original Chinese for 【8】 is not given; the check line is a meta-check about translation of phrases. But the instruction: "These lines still contain untranslated Chinese. Translate each FULLY into natural English. Output EXACTLY one line per item as: 【N】
We need to keep it concise but faithful. We'll output as one line.
Original
Translate:
"The next day he got up as usual, pushed his cart to work, his face calm as still water, showing nothing. But from that day on he added a new habit. While the sky was still dark, he would slip out like a night wanderer, carrying an empty water bucket, walking slowly to the well. In fact his ears were perked like radar, his eyes wide open like bronze bells, and every stir of wind and grass in the siheyuan played over and over in his mind."
Check
We'll keep concise.
Original
Translate:
"On the morning of the third day, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, Zhao Jianguo had just reached the courtyard gate when he heard a plaintive 'Ayoy' followed by a thud like a firecracker. He looked up and saw Yanbugui sitting on the well curb, one hand clutching his right leg, his face wrinkled like an old chrysanthemum, muttering: 'Broken, broken! This time it's really broken! Last night I slipped getting up to urinate; this leg might be ruined!'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"That shout was no small matter—Qin Huairu came bursting out like a shell, Sha Zhu poked his head out to look, and Jia Dongxu, who had just stepped out for work, hurried back. In an instant everyone in the courtyard swarmed over like bees. Yan Jiecheng was so anxious he rubbed his hands raw, almost sparking: 'Dad, don't scare me—if it's really broken, how will you work? Can we get extra rations?'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"'What can be done if it's broken?' Yanbugui gasped, tears welling up, 'I've labored for the collective all my life with this old body, only to fall and have no one care or ask—alas, my life is bitterer than coptis!'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"Zhao Jianguo stood at the back of the crowd, not pushing forward, and glanced down at the damp earth by the well curb. Hey, last night there hadn't been a drop of rain—the well rim was dry enough to spark, footprints shallow and pitiful, and Yanbugui's cloth shoe soles were spotless, not a wet mark in sight. His heart gave a jolt, but he said aloud: 'Third Elder, don't panic—lie down, I'll go fetch a doctor.'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"'A doctor would be too late!' Yanbugui waved his hand dismissively, 'My leg needs rest—three months at least! From now on I can't work; I must receive disability benefits.'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"At those words Zhao Jianguo's eyelid twitched. Disability benefits? That's for work injuries only—he's just a low‑staff member at Red Star Primary School; if he tripped on the toilet at night, would that count as a work injury? Besides, the way he fell looked like an old man slipping on a banana peel, yet his leg wasn't bent, his waist wasn't twisted, and while he wailed louder than anyone, his movements were as steady as Mount Tai."
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"Zhao Jianguo said nothing, picked up his water bucket and went back inside, but he began keeping tabs in his mind. He pulled out the little notebook from under his bed, opened a page, and wrote neatly: 'Yanbugui, March 18, 6 a. m., well‑side "fall injury", shoe soles dry, movements agile, suspected of fabricating evidence.'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"From that day on Zhao Jianguo rose earlier each day, like an industrious bee. He noticed Yanbugui lying in bed all day muttering, but as soon as it was still dark there would be movement inside. Once he pretended to get up for a bathroom trip, crouched by the window sill to peek, and saw Yanbugui on tiptoe, one hand holding a chamber pot, the other taking a jar of pickled vegetables from the top of the cabinet—his motions were as nimble as a cat's."
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"Another time he saw Yanbugui squatting in a corner, furtively breaking a steamed bun into small pieces and hiding them under the mattress, murmuring: 'Saving a bite is a bite; disability households get an extra half‑liang.'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"Zhao Jianguo entered each observation in his notebook, the pages filling up like ants moving house. He neither exposed nor confronted him, just went about his routine—fetching water, working, returning home—as if he had seen nothing."
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"But in his mind it was clear as a mirror—this old fox was sharp. Feigning injury wasn't for treatment; it was to work less and eat more, hoarding the saved rations, perhaps to trade later, just like a petty trader."
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"Just as Zhao Jianguo was watching Yanbugui, the Liu household next door began to stir."
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"That morning, just as dawn broke, Zhao Jianguo was loitering in the courtyard as usual when he heard a sharp crack from inside the Liu house, followed by a child's sob. He turned and saw Liu Guangfu standing in the main hall, the back of his left hand reddened, tears welling in his eyes but he dared not cry out, like a put‑upon wretch. Liu Haizhong stood before him with arms crossed, his face as black as iron, intoning: 'Recite the third passage of "Serve the People"! Miss a word, and I'll strike your palm!'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"Liu Guangfu trembled as he began: '……Man……man must die……'"
Check: The ellipsis are part of the text; we keep them.
We'll output: "Liu Guangfu trembled as he began: '……Man……man must die……'"
Original
Translate:
"The word 'Man' had barely left his lips when his palm was slapped again—a sharp crack like swatting a mosquito."
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"'Dad… I… I got it wrong?' Liu Guangfu's tears finally spilled, falling like beads from a broken string."
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"'The word "Man" is correct, but your voice trembles and your attitude is wrong!' Liu Haizhong glared, eyes bulging like lightbulbs, 'Your elder brother Liu Guangqi volunteered for the Third Front projects and left without a word—what about you? Reciting a slogan and you shrink back, embarrassing the family?'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"Zhao Jianguo's brows knotted into a lump. He'd heard of Liu Guangqi's situation—the factory suddenly transferred personnel, notifying no family, and a telegram came back saying only, 'Follow orders, do not miss them.'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"That day Liu Haizhong came home looking ill‑tempered, little expecting that he'd vent all his fury on the two youngsters—he was like a keg of gunpowder."
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We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"Over the next few days Zhao Jianguo found the Liu household's mornings turned into a 'political study class'. Liu Guangtian and Liu Guangfu had to stand ready before dawn, reciting slogans and reading newspapers; a mistake earned a smack on the palm. At meals, portions were doled out by labor performance—those who recited well got an extra half steamed bun, while anyone who cried received only thin gruel."
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"The worst of it was Liu Haizhong praising himself to the whole courtyard: 'Our Liu family observes rules and discipline! Unlike some people who fake illness just to gouge the state!'"
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We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"This was clearly aimed at Yanbugui. Hearing it from inside his room, he flew into a rage, slamming the bed so hard it nearly fell apart: 'This is a work injury! There's policy backing it! What do you know?'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"'That's laziness!' Liu Haizhong snorted, his laugh like ice chips, 'The state grants disability benefits to truly injured comrades, not to let phonies like you game the system!'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"The two went back and forth, unable to agree, like fighting cocks. Zhao Jianguo listening on the side almost laughed. One feigned injury, one invoked the 'state' to discipline children, one sought petty gain, one spoke of grand principles—but at bottom, weren't they all just trying to squeeze an extra mouthful of food in these famine years?"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"He returned to his room, opened the notebook, and after the entry on Yanbugui added: 'Second Elder Liu Haizhong, eldest son transferred to the Third Front without prior notice, his pride wounded, he took it out on the children, pressing them with the excuse of "state needs," really just his desire to control.'"
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"Having written that, he closed the notebook and sighed. In this siheyuan nobody is innocent. Xu Da Mao makes money by reselling mountain goods, Yanbugui saves grain by feigning injury, Liu Haizhong throws his weight around with 'political correctness'. Everyone's pursuing their own little agenda—some hide it deep, others shout it loud."
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"Zhao Jianguo had no intention of intervening. He wouldn't expose Yanbugui's fakery, but he stopped sharing wild‑vegetable seeds with him; he didn't stop Liu Haizhong's beatings, yet each morning he quietly left two steamed buns at the Liu door, saying they were 'extra, take them if you want'. When Liu Guangfu first took a bun he jumped, glanced inside to make sure no one was watching, then slipped it into his pocket like a little mouse."
Check
We'll keep.
Original
Translate:
"Days passed and Yanbugui's 'injury' showed no sign of healing, yet Zhao Jianguo noticed him once sneaking over the wall at night and returning with half a sack of wheat bran. Liu Haizhong's 'political lessons' continued, but Liu Guangtian began to keep his head down when seeing people, speaking less and less."
Check
We'll keep.
Zhao Jianguo went to work as usual, signed in, distributed seeds, occasionally chatted a couple of technical sentences with Dong Xu, and exchanged a few casual remarks with Sha Zhu. He no longer stared at Xu Da Mao, nor kept that little black ledger of his. He knew that exposing one matter in this courtyard would pull out a string; managing one meant managing a whole nest. He didn't want to be a judge, nor a savior.
But one morning, just as he stepped out, he saw Yanbugui leaning on a wooden stick, limping around the courtyard, muttering: 'Disabled households should go register at the street office; I heard they can get an extra three taels of grain...'
Before his words finished, Liu Haizhong rushed out from the house, pointing at him and saying: 'Cut the act! If your leg were really broken, could you jump that high to reach the pickle jar?'
Yanbugui froze, instinctively touching his right leg.
Zhao Jianguo stood on the steps, holding a bowl of thin porridge, watching this scene, nearly choking—these two old men were like a skit.
Yanbugui gave a forced laugh: 'You… you're talking nonsense, that… that's rehab training!'
'Rehab training?' Liu Haizhong snorted, 'Then was sneaking over the wall to the grain station's back door last night also rehab?'
Yanbugui's face changed: 'You… you're following me?'
'Do I need to follow you?' Liu Haizhong grunted, 'My son works odd jobs at the grain station; he saw it himself!'
Zhao Jianguo listened, silently lowering his head to take a sip of porridge. Quite a pair—one feigning injury, the other sending someone to watch; the undercurrents in this Siheyuan were deeper than he thought, like a bottomless pit.
As he was thinking, Liu Guangfu quietly edged up beside him and whispered, 'Brother Jianguo, my dad said… if they discover San Daye feigning illness again, they'll go to the street office to report him for "undermining the socialist distribution system."'
Zhao Jianguo startled, looked up at the Liu family's window. Liu Haizhong stood by the window, holding a letter, his gaze as cold as ice.
Zhao Jianguo said nothing, just finished the last sip of porridge at the bottom of the bowl and passed the bowl to Liu Guangzheng: 'Go wash it.'
Liu Guangfu took the bowl, about to leave, when Zhao Jianguo suddenly said: 'Tomorrow morning, leave the steamed corn buns at your doorstep; don't let your father see them.'
Liu Guangfu nodded, head down, and ran off.
Zhao Jianguo stood in place, watching people come and go in the courtyard, his mind clear—this show wasn't over yet.
End of Chapter
