Les Interprètes Chapter 49

What if Cheng Jia Yang was forced to be with Wen Xiao Hua? Hmmm….?

Translator: Tranzgeek

 

Chapter 49

　　Cheng Jia Yang

On the way back it was very silent. When we went back to the urban areas we had just caught the peak of off work hours. Cars blocked the road, half an hour, slowly moving a little at a time.

It was very quiet. I seemed to hear Qiao Fei’s breathing.

My heart was very peaceful.

I hoped that it would forever be like this, we could forever stop here.

She was suddenly a little impatient, looking back and forth, the cars lined up, there was no accommodation possible. She looked at me: “Think of a way.”

“What way? There is no way.” I said, “Since we’ve caught up to this, we should just follow them.”

She heavily laid back on the chair: “What words do you have to say to me at the beach? I already made an appointment to play poker. You made me miss my good hand!”

She grabbed a phone and contacted her friends: “Sorry, sorry, I’m afraid I can’t return. Find someone to replace me for a moment, temporarily, I have to return to my place when I return…….”

I looked at her, and did not speak, because these things were blamed on me. Did you forget how crazily I waited for you in Paris?

I didn’t know how far away the signal was in front, like it had pa.s.sed a week. The long dragon [1] moved a little at a time. Next to us was a KFC.

[1] – Long dragon refers to the long line of cars. Metaphor.

“I am hungry.” Qiao Fei said.

“I’ll go buy it.” I was about to get off the car.

“Hey,” she called me, “You have to drive. I’ll go. What do you want?”

“Hamburger, chicken wings, corn, mashed potatoes, ah just these.” I blurted these out and then regretted.

When Qiao Fei was careless, she did whatever she could. She didn’t really seem to hear anything: “All right, right away.”

She ran ahead. I watched her. She had grown up and was still like this. She seemed to never have been able to walk well.

My car moved forward with the long queue, Qiao Fei returned in a moment.

She had a bag, I had a bag. The fragrant food, I felt I was also hungry at this moment.

My cell phone rang, I looked at the contact, it was Wen Xiao Hua. I pressed NO.

Qiao Fei didn’t eat as she looked out at the situation.

Qiao Fei didn’t speak

“What are you looking at?” I asked.

“Oh, isn’t there a subway here?” She was very happy, and looked back to say to me, “Sorry, I might as well go on the subway. The cards will fall like mountains today.”

I didn’t hear it wrong right?

She was about to get off the car again, I stopped her: “Qiao Fei.”

“What?” She looked back at me.”

“The matters that I talked to you today about work.”

“I know, you wanted to tell me about the good life, but,” she paused, “I also have my own choices.”

“Think about it carefully.”

“I’m leaving, bye.”

Qiao Fei had just left when Wen Xiao Hua called again.

I picked up the phone.

“Jia Yang?”

“Hmm.” I watched Qiao Fei cross the road.

“When will you return? Let’s go watch a movie all right?”

“I have to return to my house in the nighttime.” I said, “I can’t go over anymore.”

“……”

“Sorry, Xiao Hua.”

“Oh, okay, then what about we go tomorrow, all right? You know, I have always wanted to see that movie “2049”.”

“Tomorrow, ok, no problem. I will go pick you up from your hostel.”

I took the money and began to eat.

The long traffic jams began to move. Not after too long I could finally drive. I returned to my house in the Western city.

My mother was there.

She was in the small living room watching the news. I greeted her and was about to go upstairs to my room when I was stopped by her.

“You’ve been busy recently?”

“Same as usual.”

“Why have you not cared about your home?”

I sat down, my mother got some drinks. I didn’t speak and changed the channel of the TV.

“You are together with Xiao Hua?”

“Mom, how do you know everything?” I said.

My mom left: “I don’t understand you more and more, Jia Yang. Originally, I let you get more in touch with her but you didn’t like it. Later it has become like this. What happened?”

I loosened my tie.

“There are benefits to having a friend from abroad but I feel this maiden is pretty good. Even though she’s a little lacking in matching up with you, you shouldn’t be half-hearted either.”

“What are you talking about? I just don’t like it when you nag. You are also a female senior cadre, but why are you so foolishly sentimental over this?”

My mom laughed and patted my back: “If I hadn’t given birth to you two, I would never have to worry my heart.”

I grabbed her hand, and looked at my mother’s fine skin and tender face, I seriously said: “Mom, when will you stop controlling me?”

She also thought about it carefully: “How long did Old Bush control Little Bush? How long did Chiang Kai Shek control Chiang Ching-kuo? For life.”

I loosened her hand: “How long did ** care for Mao An Ying[2] ?”

[2] Mao An Ying is Mao Ze Dong’s son. Also I have no idea why the (**) is there, but it is referring to Mao Ze Dong.

She looked at me.

“He cared about him until he died.”

After I said this, I went up the stairs.

When I went online I met the long missed “I don’t believe I can’t register for it”.

She said: “I want to change my name.”

“Called what?”

“The Pear Conceded to Kong Rong [3].”

[3] Before I explain the user’s name, go here to find out more about Kong Rong if you don’t know about him already. The traditional saying is:孔融让梨 which means: Kong Rong shared his pears. However, the online friend wants to change her name to: 梨让孔融. If you use the same syntax as the previous sentence, it would be the Pear Shared Kong Rong. However, the word “shared” is depicted by the Chinese word “让” which means allowing or conceding. So I have translated the online friend’s name to the Pear Conceded to Kong Rong. This would literally mean that the Pear is the one that conceded itself to Kong Rong, instead of Kong Rong conceding the pear to his family members (as per the actual legend).

“Why?”

“Changing luck.”

“Is your luck not good? Recently.”

“Yes. The reactions to my new book are so-so. What about you? How are you? Last time I seem to have offended you.”

“What last time. I forgot it earlier. Recently, I’ve been doing okay.”

“Aren’t you getting married?”

“Are you joking with me?”

“No, you’re a school age youth, I’m asking because I’m afraid your friend would suddenly use this to scare me.”

“Then please rest a.s.sured, I have not had this thought recently.”

“That’s good. Being single will allow you to not be hurt. Long live singleness.”

I lighted my cigarette and continued to type: “Really, no one is willing to be single.”

“?”

“Just a last resort. I am waiting for people to rescue.”

“Why don’t you consider me for a moment.”

“Haha.”

I went offline, and read books on the table. As I read it, I fell asleep, my mouth dazedly saying: “Why did you go so far away?”

　　Qiao Fei

I received a phone call from someone from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who told me the time of the written exam and the political exam. Right now I was really exceptional. Cheng Jia Yang’s words were really logical. I wanted to become a professional interpreter, I wanted to succeed. I wanted to become my parents’s pride. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs was a big meat pie [4], that Cheng Jia Yang had moved up to hit my head.

[4]- Big Meat Pie refers to luck, an opportunity that one could only dream of. It is usually referred to as “hitting” the person that is receiving the luck.

Of course, if I didn’t consider another factor, I would not have hesitated to join the test.

If I tested in, would I have to work with Cheng Jia Yang?

This was dangerous, but was also a huge temptation.

I had basically no confidence towards myself, Cheng Jia Yang, I felt I could not afford to provoke him; I couldn’t always hide under the covers.

The day I was supposed to take the test, I slept very late and slowly opened my eyes. I grabbed my watch and when I saw that it had pa.s.sed the time, my heart was peaceful at the fact that I wouldn’t have to go. But then, I found there was actually still half an hour. I slowly put on my clothes.

I hadn’t brushed my teeth when I received a phone call from home. My neighbor, auntie said: “Fei Fei, your mom is by my side, she has something to talk to you about.”

“What is it?”

“You’ve returned to the country, but why haven’t you returned home yet?” Auntie said.

“I should first stabilize my work.”

“Your mom let you go thank someone.”

“Who?”

Auntie said: “It’s the, guy that originally came over to your house.”

It was Cheng Jia Yang.

“He left money for the butcher shop and let them give you parents meat.”

“Are you saying he went to my house recently?”

“It wasn’t recently. Last year, didn’t you come home before you went abroad? When you left, he came. In the end he didn’t find you and when he tried to give your dad money, he didn’t want it, so he gave the money to the butcher…….”

　　Cheng Jia Yang

All the testing students from all languages were all sitting down. The French seat was empty, Qiao Fei had not come yet.

I went around, outside the testing area again, but could not see her shadow.

My colleagues asked me: “Jia Yang, verify it.”

I looked at my watch: “Wait a little more.”

The first bell rang. They began to verify student IDs and student cards.

The second bell rang, it was time to pa.s.s out the test.

I kept standing outside the testing area.

　　Qiao Fei

“Auntie, I can’t talk anymore. I have an important test to take. Tell my mom I will return in two days.”

I hung up the phone, washed my face, washed the clothes, and ran outside the school, calling for a taxi. After I sat in the car, my heart thought that this city was really big. My sweat started trickling from my forehead. I blamed Cheng Jia Yang. I owed him so much.

I finally reached the test area for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There wasn’t time to take the elevator. I ran up to the fourth floor in two or three steps. In the long hallway, I saw his figure. His back was towards me, facing the elevator room.

I lightly walked in, standing behind him. I said: “Jia Yang.”

He immediately turned around, looked at me. His expression in that moment was very complex: “You, why did you come so late?”

“Sorry.”

Sorry, Jia Yang. Sorry, sorry about everything that you’ve done for me.

“Quickly, enter the testing area with me.”

His colleagues pointed at the clock on the wall: “You’re half an hour late.”

The testing requirements were very clear. When one was late for so long, it wasn’t allowed to take the exam anymore.

“Let her enter. That is your seat, Qiao Fei.”

Jia Yang’s face was expressionless.

“You’ve come so late, you probably can’t answer all the questions anymore.” The nosy person was still talkative.

I turned and said clearly: “I can finish it. I know it.”

Jia Yang smiled, a relaxed smile.