Chapter 66
Qiao Fei
I went back home in the afternoon. Jia Yang was at home on the computer. When he saw me, he told me: “Go to the balcony and see the turtles I bought.”
I slowly went to the balcony, saw that Jia Yang had kept two red turtles in the aquarium. I slowly walked back and sat in the chair opposite him. He smiled and asked,”How is it? Do you like it?
“Well,its ok.”
He looked at me: “What’s going on with you ?”
I leaned over my head and watched his face, and said, “You haven’t called home after the New Year.”
He did not speak, his fingers moved fast on the keyboard.
I went to pour some water for myself when I heard his voice outside :
“What would I say?Happy New Year ? Such untrue sentiments. Are they necessary? Tell me Fei.
No, at least now, I do not want to see them. ”
The grievances in his heart could be heard in every word.
“Jia Yang,” I took a sip of water and went out, “I went to the department today, I heard something .
“In the armed conflict in the Congo, two of our senior railway engineers were killed . Your father will go to get the bodies back. Apart from the bodyguards, he will be alone.”
He came out and looked at me: “What did you say?”
“Your dad, such a big man, he will be going to Africa, no clerks, no secretary, no translators. He will go all by himself.” I repeated clearly.
He sat down on the chair next to me.
Jia Yang thought about this for a long time. Of course, he realized that for his father, at his level, having so few people meant that this was a dangerous trip. It was a difficult mission for a diplomat.
I caressed his hand: “Don’t you think you should meet him? Maybe he needs you now, Jia Yang”
He stood up and sat down again, looking for a cigarette in the pocket of his pajamas, and I gave him one on his lips.
I saw that his forehead was sweating.
Jia Yang was a little dazed.
He took a cigarette and returned to his room and continued to play on the computer.
I went in: “Did you hear what I said?”
He did not speak.
This was the strength of this person. Protect yourself, let the others die.
We had dinner. As we lay on the bed at night, watching TV, he did not speak.
I switched off the lamp near the bed. Feeling Jia Yang’s body near mine, I put an arm around him.
“What happened to you ? Jia Yang? Are you not happy?” I asked.
“No.” His face was close to mine: “I am old, I am remembering things from when I was a child .”
“Tell me.”
“At that time, my father was not in such a high position. In his free time, he would put me on his shoulders and with my brother, we would go to Beihai park to play.
He was particularly awesome in spinning tops. Every time, my brother would get angry.
Now that I think about it, really, neither my brother or I are as good as my dad. We haven’t learnt anything.
He assisted Premier Zhou, Foreign minister Chen Yi,Comrade Chang Xiaoping. He has translated in Europe and Africa, he has worked in the United Nations and he has the highest reputation in the industry.
Foreign universities are now using his translations to assist in teaching.
I remember that when I was two years old, he taught me how to pronounce Chinese consonants. When I grew up a little, I began to learn French. He was busy, but at that time he would still check and correct my studies.
But later, he sent other people to watch me.”
“But he attaches great importance to you,” I said, “your dad is not the same as others.If he were an ordinary person, he would be more reasonable than anyone else, but he wants to be better than anyone else.”
“Is it?” Jia Yang looked up and looked at me, I saw his eyes.
I nodded: “Yes. Jia Yang. In fact , you know this.”
“Jia Yang, do you want to accompany him to Congo? ”
“I think I do,” he said, his face pale in the moonlight, “but I can not ignore you.”
I held him tightly. Jia Yang must be so tired. In any conflict, he was eager to please both his parents and me. As a result, he was always in a dilemma and it must be exhausting for him.
“What do you say?” I said, “you go to him tomorrow, if you have to accompany him, you come back, and we will go to register (our marriage).Apart from this, I don’t want you to waste a single minute.”
“Where can you find such a good wife?” He nodded, as he lay in my arms, “I will do as you say,dear wife.”
Cheng Jiayang
I told the secretary at the door of my father’s office that I wanted to see him.
The secretary said the minister was absent.
“I just saw his car downstairs.” I said.
With a pained look on his face, he asked me, ”What do you want me to do,Yang?”
I went into the room without any hesitation. My father was reading a document. When he looked up and saw me,his face became cold and hard: “You don’t even knock the door. So many years of etiquette are all gone.”
I looked at him and did not speak.
“Come on, are you going to ask me for forgiveness, or have you come back to get another beating?” He came over and looked at my face. “You have recovered so fast, last time I was lenient.”
“You want to go to the Congo by yourself?”
“Who gave you permission to ask me about these things?”
“You are not taking anyone with you ?”
“… … the relevant documents are already in the country. I just need to meet the president, fulfill the procedures to accept the remains of my compatriots; there is no other task.”
“This does not conform to the rules, is not in keeping with your status, why are you not even taking an interpreter?”
He said: “Have you forgotten what I do ? I taught you all the tricks I know.”
“Dad,” I looked at him, “I’ll go with you. I’ll be your interpreter .”
My father raised his head and looked at my eyes for a long time but did not speak.
I continued : “I know that this task is risky. That is why you do not want to take too many comrades with you.But as a dignitary of the foreign ministry,you must have some entourage . I will go with you.
He slowly walked to the window and looked out. With a low voice he said: “You know I do not want to take others with me ,let alone my own child. You go.I don’t expect people to change their ways, I forgive you.”
“I will not go.I have not done anything wrong, and I do not need anyone ‘s forgiveness, but” I approached him, ” there is another thing I have learnt from you, persistence.”
He laughed: “Yes ah, this, I have the experience .” He looked back at me, carefully, “or Is it that I did not hit you heavily enough? Today, you actually come shamelessly as if nothing has happened?”
“Remember to use a baseball bat next time.” I said.
“Ok, I’ll remember.” He went back to the desk, approved, signed, stamped, and handed the document to me, “I have approved it . Jia Yang,we fly tomorrow .”
I turned to leave. He stopped me: “Jia Yang, this time we are going to get back the remains of our compatriots, its very important.
“Yes, dad, I understand.”
Translated by miumiu
Edited by tranzgeek
Chapter 66
Qiao Fei
I went back home in the afternoon. Jia Yang was at home on the computer. When he saw me, he told me: “Go to the balcony and see the turtles I bought.”
I slowly went to the balcony, saw that Jia Yang had kept two red turtles in the aquarium. I slowly walked back and sat in the chair opposite him. He smiled and asked,”How is it? Do you like it?
“Well,its ok.”
He looked at me: “What’s going on with you ?”
I leaned over my head and watched his face, and said, “You haven’t called home after the New Year.”
He did not speak, his fingers moved fast on the keyboard.
I went to pour some water for myself when I heard his voice outside :
“What would I say?Happy New Year ? Such untrue sentiments. Are they necessary? Tell me Fei.
No, at least now, I do not want to see them. ”
The grievances in his heart could be heard in every word.
“Jia Yang,” I took a sip of water and went out, “I went to the department today, I heard something .
“In the armed conflict in the Congo, two of our senior railway engineers were killed . Your father will go to get the bodies back. Apart from the bodyguards, he will be alone.”
He came out and looked at me: “What did you say?”
“Your dad, such a big man, he will be going to Africa, no clerks, no secretary, no translators. He will go all by himself.” I repeated clearly.
He sat down on the chair next to me.
Jia Yang thought about this for a long time. Of course, he realized that for his father, at his level, having so few people meant that this was a dangerous trip. It was a difficult mission for a diplomat.
I caressed his hand: “Don’t you think you should meet him? Maybe he needs you now, Jia Yang”
He stood up and sat down again, looking for a cigarette in the pocket of his pajamas, and I gave him one on his lips.
I saw that his forehead was sweating.
Jia Yang was a little dazed.
He took a cigarette and returned to his room and continued to play on the computer.
I went in: “Did you hear what I said?”
He did not speak.
This was the strength of this person. Protect yourself, let the others die.
We had dinner. As we lay on the bed at night, watching TV, he did not speak.
I switched off the lamp near the bed. Feeling Jia Yang’s body near mine, I put an arm around him.
“What happened to you ? Jia Yang? Are you not happy?” I asked.
“No.” His face was close to mine: “I am old, I am remembering things from when I was a child .”
“Tell me.”
“At that time, my father was not in such a high position. In his free time, he would put me on his shoulders and with my brother, we would go to Beihai park to play.
He was particularly awesome in spinning tops. Every time, my brother would get angry.
Now that I think about it, really, neither my brother or I are as good as my dad. We haven’t learnt anything.
He assisted Premier Zhou, Foreign minister Chen Yi,Comrade Chang Xiaoping. He has translated in Europe and Africa, he has worked in the United Nations and he has the highest reputation in the industry.
Foreign universities are now using his translations to assist in teaching.
I remember that when I was two years old, he taught me how to pronounce Chinese consonants. When I grew up a little, I began to learn French. He was busy, but at that time he would still check and correct my studies.
But later, he sent other people to watch me.”
“But he attaches great importance to you,” I said, “your dad is not the same as others.If he were an ordinary person, he would be more reasonable than anyone else, but he wants to be better than anyone else.”
“Is it?” Jia Yang looked up and looked at me, I saw his eyes.
I nodded: “Yes. Jia Yang. In fact , you know this.”
“Jia Yang, do you want to accompany him to Congo? ”
“I think I do,” he said, his face pale in the moonlight, “but I can not ignore you.”
I held him tightly. Jia Yang must be so tired. In any conflict, he was eager to please both his parents and me. As a result, he was always in a dilemma and it must be exhausting for him.
“What do you say?” I said, “you go to him tomorrow, if you have to accompany him, you come back, and we will go to register (our marriage).Apart from this, I don’t want you to waste a single minute.”
“Where can you find such a good wife?” He nodded, as he lay in my arms, “I will do as you say,dear wife.”
Cheng Jiayang
I told the secretary at the door of my father’s office that I wanted to see him.
The secretary said the minister was absent.
“I just saw his car downstairs.” I said.
With a pained look on his face, he asked me, ”What do you want me to do,Yang?”
I went into the room without any hesitation. My father was reading a document. When he looked up and saw me,his face became cold and hard: “You don’t even knock the door. So many years of etiquette are all gone.”
I looked at him and did not speak.
“Come on, are you going to ask me for forgiveness, or have you come back to get another beating?” He came over and looked at my face. “You have recovered so fast, last time I was lenient.”
“You want to go to the Congo by yourself?”
“Who gave you permission to ask me about these things?”
“You are not taking anyone with you ?”
“… … the relevant documents are already in the country. I just need to meet the president, fulfill the procedures to accept the remains of my compatriots; there is no other task.”
“This does not conform to the rules, is not in keeping with your status, why are you not even taking an interpreter?”
He said: “Have you forgotten what I do ? I taught you all the tricks I know.”
“Dad,” I looked at him, “I’ll go with you. I’ll be your interpreter .”
My father raised his head and looked at my eyes for a long time but did not speak.
I continued : “I know that this task is risky. That is why you do not want to take too many comrades with you.But as a dignitary of the foreign ministry,you must have some entourage . I will go with you.
He slowly walked to the window and looked out. With a low voice he said: “You know I do not want to take others with me ,let alone my own child. You go.I don’t expect people to change their ways, I forgive you.”
“I will not go.I have not done anything wrong, and I do not need anyone ‘s forgiveness, but” I approached him, ” there is another thing I have learnt from you, persistence.”
He laughed: “Yes ah, this, I have the experience .” He looked back at me, carefully, “or Is it that I did not hit you heavily enough? Today, you actually come shamelessly as if nothing has happened?”
“Remember to use a baseball bat next time.” I said.
“Ok, I’ll remember.” He went back to the desk, approved, signed, stamped, and handed the document to me, “I have approved it . Jia Yang,we fly tomorrow .”
I turned to leave. He stopped me: “Jia Yang, this time we are going to get back the remains of our compatriots, its very important.
“Yes, dad, I understand.”
Translated by miumiu
Edited by tranzgeek
