Bronze and Sunflower by Cao Wenxuan

Author:Cao Wenxuan [Wenxuan, Cao]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781406355376
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd.
Published: 2015-03-18T16:00:00+00:00

Bronze devised a story and made Sunflower agree to it. They told the family that he’d taken over from Sunflower that afternoon so that she could go and do her schoolwork. He was watching the arrowhead field but went chasing after a wild rabbit, and that was when Gayu’s ducks had got in.

Baba crouched by the side of the devastated arrowhead field. He held his head in his hands and for a long time was completely silent. Then he went down into the field and fished around in the mud with his foot. Before, he would have immediately felt several corms, but now there wasn’t a single one. He grabbed a handful of mud and hurled it into the distance. Bronze and Sunflower hung their heads and stood very still at the edge of the field.

Baba grabbed another handful of mud, turned round and looked at Bronze. Then he hurled it. Bronze didn’t try to dodge, and the mud splattered on his chest. Sunflower looked anxiously at Baba. He grabbed another handful of mud, and hurled it at Bronze. He hurled a string of foul language at Bronze, too. He couldn’t control himself. He pelted his son with mud, not caring where it hit him. Bronze made no attempt to wipe the mud away, even when it splattered on his face. He didn’t even raise his hands. He took everything that was thrown at him.

“BABA! BABA!” Sunflower was in tears.

Nainai was walking near by. When she heard Sunflower crying, she hurried over, hobbling with her stick. She saw Bronze covered head to toe in mud, threw down her stick and went to stand in front of him.

“Hurl the mud at me!” she called out to Baba. “Come on! What’s the matter with you?”

Baba’s head dropped to his chest, his hands went limp and the mud dropped into the water with a dull splash.

Nainai slipped one hand into Bronze’s and the other into Sunflower’s.

“Let’s go home,” she said.

That evening, Bronze wasn’t allowed any supper. He wasn’t allowed inside at all. Baba made him stand outside in the bitterly cold wind.

Sunflower didn’t eat either. She stood up to go and join Bronze.

“Sit down and eat!” Baba roared at her.

But she was determined to stand outside with Bronze. Baba was beside himself with rage. He stormed outside, grabbed her arm with his big strong hand and dragged her back inside. Sunflower struggled against him, and somehow managed to break free. When Baba reached out to grab her, she looked at him and then fell to her knees.

“Baba! Baba! I was the one watching the arrowhead field. It was my turn. Bronze was picking reed panicles all afternoon.” Tears were streaming down her face.

Mama ran outside and tried to pull her to her feet, but she wouldn’t get up. She was determined to stay on her knees. It was the respectful thing to do. She pointed to the haystack in front of her. “Bronze gathered a whole sackful of reed panicles. It’s behind the haystack.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.