3、14th June Friday 2002 Shenyang ...
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Longe haren, kort geheugen (Long hair, short memories)
6:00 in the morning, Ling was cooking breakfast for herself plus two elder sisters and one sister in law. The plain rice soup was near ready. She sliced half a pickled cucumber and mixed it with some green coriander, red pepper and white garlic. A few steamed dumplings would make it perfect.
Of course she was not going to make it, no one made those dumplings at home any more since it was available right out side the door in the open morning market every day and cost nothing, one of her sisters or the in law had to get out and buy it.
The eldest sister Tiffany was lying in bed reading the Cultural News as her every morning’s routine, showing serious concern over a poor old couple that were discovered unconscious and sent to a hospital due to gas leaking, “we have to call back home to alert ma and pa how serious a gas accident can be.” She said more to herself then to the rest,
“You told them million times already plus how serious a jeep accident can be but they still drive the jeep around.” Answered the second sister Bamboo when she brushed her teeth in the washing room while still able to manage her sentence perfectly clear due to years of practice, she just had to make her point clear whenever it needed to, and it was always needed whenever her elder sister spoke.
Apparently only the in law Roc who married with Tiffany last year was not tied up in anything yet, he even started to clear the sunflower seeds and old newspapers out of the dining table. Very brightly Ling gave the in law a big smile, “Brother, you know I wouldn’t bother you for any trivial thing like that,”
“I eat breakfast too.” He had always been an honest man, which scored high enough to knock Tiffany down.
“But it is very nice of you to act on behalf the other two women,” she couldn’t think of any better compliments.
“Say it.”
“Ok, we need dumplings, I am tied up here with the soup and none of those two ever show any interest in breakfast before they are placed on table.”
“But I can’t do it, whatever I buy will be just the wrong taste for the two.”
“Believe me wrong taste will be better than nothing to taste.”
Convinced and off he went.
The breakfast started around 6:30, 5 minutes later Ling turned the Tele on just for some noises against the fight between the other two sisters about the pros and cons to eat dumplings made by people down the obviously not very hygienic street and who’s turn to cook today’s dinner, Roc relieved to turn his ears to the Local Morning News too.
“But it is your turn today, so did last Friday, you can’t simply use your boyfriends as excuse to escape family duty,” firmly stated Tiffany the facts.
“But last Friday we had to celebrate his new car from his father and it is the 2nd anniversary since our first date today.” Bamboo answers proudly.
“Which one’s new car?” Ling joined as the war of dumplings seems over.
“And which one’s anniversary?” Roc asked with genuine interests, if any one survived two years under Bamboo’s dictatorship, maybe there was hope for a quiet life after all if she got married.
“There is no which one but only Defoe, and he asked me to marry him,” Bamboo got really crossed, because only then she would stop shouting but talk with extreme calm instead, “for Buddha’s sake you all still living in the stone age, there is no way to tell if this dumpling is the best or the worst without comparison.”
“No way indeed, because you simply can’t try out all dumplings all over the world, neither those of the past nor of the future,” Tiffany commented with her matter of fact tone.
“May we skip the dumplings since they will turn shit in a few hours and talk about the marriage?” Roc never understood why it is so hard for women to give up anything, even some non-existent any more dumplings.
“There is no marriage yet, he asked, but I have put him on hold.”
“On hold?” Ling always amazed at her second sister’s term.
“Will the offer stay firm? What are you waiting for?” asked Tiffany.
“Is there other offers?” inquired Roc.
“Just when did you all graduate from business school?” Ling sill amazed at their new way of talking.
“I had no idea that you both are so eager to kick me out. As far as we all know, no one is living under your roof but that of Pa and Ma.” Bamboo was over edge.
Dead silence came after those words, Bamboo knew that was the worst thing to say, because Roc came from a small village, his parents spent all their savings for his university, he was brightest throughout all the medical programs and found himself a job as Practice Psychologist in a hospital where he met the second brightest girl of his medical school who was willing to provide him a home donated by her parents.
But the fact wasn’t easy for Roc to swallow, not in such a masculine society where man supposed to be the owner of the family in every sense. Though the society is changing, his state of masculine pride is not, but no one ever cut his pride so bloodily right in front of his face before.
Bamboo was not going to apologize, not to these heartless couple who showed no real interest in her present relationship which might turn out to be her life and absolutely no interest at all in her job as a traffic police, which she got through connections of one of her previous boyfriend as her education wasn’t really that good to find a job herself.
So what? She did her best, maybe not best but she tried, she was not a bookworm, but she worked and wanted to be treated with certain respects too, this bloody arrogant couple with their granite heads only interested in their own career □□ to doctors and never considered a traffic police any human kinds, a traffic police woman made it even more inferior. She would never risk her life on this heartless couple’s hands even they would ever become doctors at all.
Roc turned red, “Sorry, I have to run for my bus.” And on those words he stepped out the door forgetting to put on his tie.
Tiffany turned pale.
After an awkward silence, Ling knew it was left for her to do the healing plus the wash up as she had always been doing for all her 23 years life and wondering how on earth had the two both survived till Ling’s birth date.
“Pa and Ma wouldn’t invest anything in this house of the first marriage in a million years if they know any of us would get upset under this roof. By the way I will be back early tonight making dinner. Now if you both don’t get dress up and disappear in 3 seconds you will both be late.” She cleaned the table already at the end of her speech, and quickly began washing the dishes.
The two sisters geared to the wardrobe at the same time on the last sentence of Ling, speeded to the mirror for a last glance then ran for their buses.
Sometimes Ling just couldn’t get it, why the two couldn’t just cease fire after one had already settled with a husband, they were used to fight for shoes, clothes, bikes, attention of parents, trust of Ling’s, results in school, boyfriends… there were only two battlegrounds where each of them absolutely wins, Tiffany had always scored higher in school while Bamboo had always scored higher in the number of boyfriends.
Ling had always been the little sister of Tiffany, or of Bamboo, she was half intelligent as Tiffany and half pretty as Bamboo, less then half temper of either. She heard the last child of a family often deserve the most attention, pure luck in her case not.
She would never enjoy any kind of attention like her parents had for the other two, half tempted half forced the first into marriage right after her graduation, burned the bed of the second after she determined not to quit as a traffic police woman.
Later on in her office shared with another two girls up 22nd floor of SM building, Ling’s mind still lost in the unpleasant morning. Maybe it was not so bad after all if her sisters kept fighting, at least she would be spared from her parents’ attention.
Though she hope Bamboo was not serious with the possible marriage topic this morning, god knows if Bamboo gets married also, then she would turn into the focus of their parents favorable game, match-making. They knew better to not sell their daughters directly to anyone, but they would ask families of their both sides to do, just imagine dozens of uncles and aunties busying fishing you out for dinner with a set up guy.
“Linda, do you have 5 minutes before class? I’d like to have a word with you.” May called her back to reality. Ling had her name Americanized in College, she was told by her American teacher to replace the “g” with “da” to make some sense.
May is the one of the 10 roommates in college who stayed in Shenyang also after their graduation from the English Language Training program. May had always been a perfect entertainer, maybe inherited from her mother who is a Korean, she was full of fancy ideas and jokes, crazy and creative with dancing, the only flaw was the accent of her English, a bit Chinglish, which put her really down in the first few months of job hunting till this perfect one, an English teacher in this private English language training center for children set up by some Taiwanese.
The center called □□, has many branches overall in big cites of China. There were a few other private English Language training centers in Shenyang too, but not as deep rooted as this one, they were the first who realized the huge potential market and the best in advertising.
Different from those courses in primary or middle school if it was provided there at all the course here focused on learning through entertaining, teachers who simply read a book out load wouldn’t be able to get in here in the first place. Of course May caught all applauds she needed on her presentation lecture with her rich body language and jokes. No wonder she got four week- groups and three weekend groups as there were children lined up in the waiting list only for her class. No managers would miss such a talent, so the top organizer named her as assistant area manager in Shenyang, in charge of recruiting, training new teachers and organizing children-parents-teachers parties on all necessary occasions.
Ling was head hunted by May from a state owned primary school, the only time her parents did actually ever panic for her once, but persuaded at the fact capitalists did make more than communists as Ling doubled her salary.
“What’s up?” May was a bit concerned with the absent Ling, she never saw Ling as someone who thought much, Ling was a very nice simple girl who was not stuffed with huge ambitions or dark secrets as most of today’s girls did, always contented at what she got, never complained. She was just very real, the best quality to work with children. Children loved Ling very much because she represented absolutely no fear to them at all; more liked an enlarged same age to play with.
“No, nothing in particular,” Ling put on her usual smile again.
“Something in general? Nightmares?” May was still curious about what would drive Ling achieve some thoughts.
“New ideas for lecturing?”
“No, not lecturing, but the party.” Curiosity over Ling’s thoughts immediately went to the back of May’s head, she enthusiastically started to talk with a pair of typical small Korean eyes, shinning, “ This time we are going to invite 50 parents of our children, and 50 of potential parents, sorry, parents of our potential children to the party, more than half already confirmed, it is going to be huge, we had less than 100 in total for last Christmas party, and □□ wants its own birthday to be success or no party, we can’t just show the regular sample lectures in the Cultural Theater we rent, we have to make a brilliant show out of it.” May was obviously a bit stressed with the excitement.
“But you have never failed a single show. You know it.” reassured Ling.
“It is not going to be a single show this time, because you are going to help me.” May stared at Ling with her twinkling little eyes, “You will perform a solo ‘you found us’ with the melody of ‘trust me no more’ to those parents, and you will perform ‘Jingle bells’ or ‘Do, Rai, Me’ with one of your groups.”
“No solo, but my group will ring whatever kinds of bells very well.” Ling offered May a compromise without smile, this lunatic must be too stressed at her big do, but stage was never Ling’s place. She hated to be spotted, not by her parents, neither under terrible stage lights plus 200 pairs of judgments.
“Linda, you are my only real friend here among hundreds of staff in the whole training center, I need your help, besides you are the only one among teachers who has the music talent to play instruments without knowing a single musical notation and sing any song heard only once with your own words and taste,. You are the only genius and you know that.”
“Loads thanks, May, because I am your only real friend here, I better not spoil your show with my ill talent. Save your energy and use your brains. My morning class is waiting; see you at lunch for your alternative ideas.” Left May on her brains, Ling went down for her classroom on the 1st floor, Chinese ground floor.
She admitted May told the truth about real friends, although they each had their best friend in the dormitory back at school, now still, but their best friends were now both abroad, Kerri, May’s best friend immigrated to Canada with her parents for two years already, Christina, Ling’s best friend went to Amsterdam last September. The other 6 were equally divided among 3 major cities, 2 Beijing, 2 Shanghai and 2 Shenzhen. To ones pure frustration, it seemed that the fast Internet development only helped to distant the 10 girls from each other, long distance call seemed not so appropriate any more for nothing special, those two abroad seemed completely forgotten how to type Chinese, Linda and May both had no computer at home yet, 6, actually pretty often 7days work weeks made them hardly ever visit the internet cafés.
She had no idea anymore when did she last heard from Christina, that crazy girl went to another Country without a penny and pretend to be fine whenever asked, the same applies for May and Kerri, which made Ling and May really appreciate their time together. They secretly laughed at some nervous new teachers in recruitment or shared some rumors about office affairs at lunch table, it was not a big deal, but definitely not easy to achieve among colleagues.
They both saw too often how these young people shoot each other from behind to crawl higher up the □□, it is the dark side of the real life which they never understood back in school. Aside from her disapprove of the spotlights, she wouldn’t enjoy to be killed by hundreds pairs of jealousy from colleagues who wished to be spotted, May would be considered unfair in giving her the chance while ignoring the eagerness of the others.
“Morning, class.”
“Mor-ning Lin-da”, the group voice with typical notation like singing from these 5 to 6 years old innocent children brought Ling’s smile right back.
“Who can tell me in English what happened at home last night?” Ling started her lecture with this little test to see if these children did their homework.
“Me!” “Me!” “Me!”… 15 children among the total 18 held their right hands high eager to tell their stories.
Glanced at the 3 who didn’t raise their hands, Linda read in the eyes of the 5 years old tiny girl who always dressed in a white skirt, as eager as any one to be asked but too shy to raise her hand, the 6 years old boy who considered himself too □□ to fight to give answer to such a dull question from an □□ size child, and the only 4 years old boy who always sat in a corner with a poker face who seemed always absentminded but gave always the right answer whenever raid by Ling’s surprise attack.
Ling decides to challenge the Mr. □□, “Ben, you first please.”
“um, I raised no hand.” accused Ben and stood up reluctantly, he knew this naughty girl always took her revenge when he was not well prepared,
“At dinner table you mean?” smiled Ling sheepishly, “did pa raise his hands then?” she decided to help him for a story.
Without knowing what this girl talking about, frowned Ben with his immune eyes “of course not.”
“Your poor mother must be disappointed.”
Finally got a clue, Ben wondered who told Ling the story.
“She was angry, she ate nothing, pa said she is not fat, she said her jeans have all became one size too small. I said she is lying, I said no jeans can change its own size, she was mad, I know I am right.” He watched Ling expectantly.
“You are right Ben, normally no jeans change its size, but some of the jeans would get tight if you dry them with very high temperature after wash, may you please help me to ask you mother about it, and tell me what she say in our next lesson?” saving a family disaster with common knowledge was her specialty, just think about her up to 23 years experiences.
“Ok, Miss” Ben only name Ling Miss when he thought she was telling something sensible which he was not aware of yet.
“How was it with you Jane?” Ling turned to the shy girl,
“Father bought me a very, very, very beautiful doll,” the girl said with a nervous smile, big dark eyes shinning on her tiny red face with the stunning beauty of her memory, though lacking in enough adjunctive words to describe how pretty the doll was except very.
“How nice, this is already the 5th doll of this year, what dress does she have?” Ling satisfied with the father that knew exactly what the tiny girl loved,
“A beautiful long dress in blue with feather collars,” Jane said in awe with a trembling voice then sat down.
“Do you think it is a good idea if we all bring our own best gifts in next lesson to show each other and tell a story about it?” this time Ling smiled to the whole class,
“Yee-s, It- Is.” Answered the group, With Jane’s tiny face turns pale from red, Ling failed to notice.
After half of the class said something, Ling started the new dialogue for today and asked the other half to perform the dialogue in front.
The last 15 minutes of the lesion she taught them to sing Jingle bells. At the very end of the class, each child managed to honor himself with a sticker on his forehead for the excellent performance.
Exchanged goodbye with the class and watching them run to their parents waiting outside eager to report what they achieved in class, she cleaned the blackboard and collected all the cards, books and other tools in a big plastic bag, time for lunch. Hand on the doorknob without turning yet while the door was knocked and opened without giving her enough time to answer, both were taken aback at the sudden confrontation of Ling’s face into a hard piece of wall, a man’s chest, realized Ling when she looked up. Apparently the face was no softer than the chest; he had a square face, thick eyebrows and a pair of fairly indifferent eyes if not cold.
Never a trouble child, the sixth sense of Ling told herself it is not very wise to have anything to do with this iceberg, “Excuse me, Sir, you are in my way to lock the door.” She tried to get rid of him.
“Because you need to tell me something,” indifferent voice,
“I wasn’t aware that I had the need.” Linda behaved contrary to her docile nature.
“I do then; have the need to ask you something, if this phrase makes you happy.” He was slightly irritated by Linda’s defensive attitude; these monstrous women always pretended to be little rabbits before you took their masks off.
“Where did you learn your English?” he came on requirements of the □□ to talk about the progress of his daughter, which he had never considered as any importance but tired of their calls and letters, so first time in two years he decided to waste a few minutes time for that little monster’s English class in exchange for his peace, he never knew the teacher had been this little sharp young girl, he needed to make sure if she was qualified at wall for babysitting his little monster.
“On whose behalf are you conducting the survey?”
“My very own and that of my little monster.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know you are one of the fathers,” for a second, Ling did feel sorry because she had never been so impolite to any parents yet no matter how trivial their questions were, but the next second her anger came back again from the obvious insult of the iceberg, surely he’d knew from his little monster her college education, “If you reckon my education is not good enough why did you allowed your eh- son to be in my class for two years?” a monster should be some nick name for a son, she thinks, and couldn’t locate any resemblance from any boy’s face of the morning class to this iceberg.
“I am her only father,” For god’s sake this little woman seemed implying his little monster might have more fathers, he tried to keep his voice flat, “and you didn’t answer my question, so I have no idea yet if you are qualified.”
Linda get a bit lost, “don’t you ever talk with your daughter at all? How come you know nothing about her English teacher for two years? Where have you been? Who is your daughter?”
“My monster is Jane. I am not on the race with you over who asks more questions. Don’t you ever also give answers?” He knew talk sense to a woman was much harder than drawing a construction blueprint. He might be wrong to come, a few minutes already wasted on nothing. How could this □□ use anyone like this clumsy woman who probably never gave answers to her students? Now she started to stare him with widely open mouth and suspicious eyes, “Are you sure, uh, sure you are Jane’s father?” she tried to digest the most unlikely news, it was just so hard to believe this iceberg would play a warm daddy who bought her tiny daughter a beautiful doll each month.
Hold back her jaw Ling wanted to make it up, “Jane is very happy with those beautiful dolls and she is going to tell us a story about them” Ling thought he might be happy to hear how much his gifts were appreciated.
“I am not coming to talk about dolls,” he was really on his edge now, with a deep breath he continued with clenched teeth, “Just tell me where you have learned your English and what are you going to do in the next couple of years and I will be gone.”
Considering all the teachers must be in the dining hall opposite this building already for lunch, even they would hear her screams, it might be too late to come over to rescue her, Linda gave her answer unwillingly and very brief: “I went to a infamous college you may not know and I have no plan to leave □□ for the next couples of years to your very disappointment. See you next time Mr. Jane’s father.”
“Good, that means she will at least not be dumped by one of her babysitters, see you, Miss Jane’s Miss.” He really turned away and disappeared, left a totally bewildered Ling.
A few minutes later on lunch table, Ling still couldn’t recover herself from the shock of the sudden attack from the iceberg, that bastard insulted her job as babysitting, as her parents did at the very beginning and she had cold war with them for nearly two months. He implied that the poor Jane has been dumped by someone, the mother? Hard to imagine any mom could give up that tiny insecure thing. But the father could definitely scare a ghost away.
It was hard to keep icy under the sunshine of May though, she had the ability to burn anything down with her unlimited passion. May’s mind was still on the party; otherwise a story about some two years absent iceberg father would catch all her attention. For fear to go back over the solo topic again, Ling volunteered to help decorate the theater on the show day and making nice gift cards for children and their parents. Christina used to be head of advertising department in colleague, and Ling had been forced to volunteer a few times to decorate party halls or paint bulletins for sport events or festivals. It seemed like you do get paid by what you’ve done, though she did it just for fun. Now it would probably save her from standing under the spotlights and put May fans in dismay; fans who were eager to be with May on the stage.
Mobile beeped, two messages,
“I told Deng my little sister may come for dinner. Call me after work if you don’t want to go back for slavery. Bamboo”
“Roc and I have to treat some old classmates’ sudden visits from afar, they wouldn’t mind my little sister joins, call me after work if you don’t’ want to cook for yourself. Tiffany.”
The afternoon lecture passed by without accidents.
Without calling any sister, Ling worked some extra hours correcting students’ homework.
It was rather late when she arrived home after ate some Korean Noodles in the restaurant near work, it was much quick to eat in a restaurant than at home and it was even cheaper if you wouldn’t mind to eat in those small restaurants behind the main streets.
Did the laundry, cleaned the floor, back from the 24 hours running “Shower House” nearby, answered telephones from a few of her students and two aunts, one Roc’s and one Tiffany’s, she laughed at the thought, aunt of Tiffany, of course Lily is her own aunt too.
Nobody back yet by 9:30, she posted the message beside the phone and went to bed.
Roc, your aunt wanted to come to Shenyang for a medical check next month and wanted your advice where to go.
Tiffany, your aunt Lily asked you to call her back over some “family matters”.
亲亲网友阿川的中文译文：
2002年六月十四日，沈阳
头发长，见识短
早上六点，玲在给自己和两个姐姐外加一个姐夫做早餐。白粥快熬好了。她切了半根腌黄瓜，跟绿色的香菜，红色的辣椒，还有白白的大蒜拌在一起。再加上几个蒸饺，这顿早饭就完美了。
她当然不打算自己动手做，自从一出门就能在露天的早市上买到蒸饺，就再也没人在家自己做了。何况又那么便宜，不过她的姐姐或是姐夫得出去买才行。
大姐Tiffany躺在床上读新闻快报，这是她每天早上的必修功课，报道说一对贫困老夫妻因为煤气泄漏而人事不省，被发现后送往医院。她对此事极为关注，“我们得给家里打电话，告诉爸妈煤气泄漏事故有多严重。”她这话与其说是讲给别人听，不如说是自言自语。
“你告诉过他们几百万次了，包括吉普车撞车多严重，可是他们照旧开着吉普到处跑。”二姐Bamboo边在洗手间刷牙边回嘴，经年的练习使得她刷牙时也伶牙俐齿，任何时候只要有需要她就得表明自己的观点，而只要她大姐一开口就表明有需要。
很明显，只有姐夫Roc 手头还没事儿。他跟大姐去年刚结婚。现在他正动手收拾餐桌上的葵花籽儿和旧报纸。玲很见机地冲他咧个大大的笑容，“哥，你知道，我也不愿意为了这么点儿小事儿麻烦你。”
“我也要吃早饭的。”他一直是个实诚的男人，这一点儿相当打动Tiffany。
“不过你真是太好了，愿意为那两位女士效劳。”她想不出更好的奉承话了。
“说吧。”
“ok,我们要买蒸饺，我这儿看着粥走不开，那两位在早餐上桌之前根本不感兴趣。”
“可是我做不了这件事儿，不管我买什么口味，那两位都觉得不对。”
“相信我，口味不对也比根本没得吃好。”
Roc被说服了，去买早餐。
早饭六点半开始，五分钟后玲打开电视，只为了制造点儿噪音来抵制两个姐姐间的争斗，她们争论吃不干净的路边摊点上做的蒸饺有什么利弊，争论今晚的晚饭轮到谁来做。Roc也松了口气，把耳朵转到当地早新闻上。
“可是今天轮到你了，上个周五也是，你不能总拿男朋友作借口逃避家务劳动，”Tiffany语气严正，指出事实。
“上周五我们得去庆祝他从他父亲那儿拿了部新车，今天是我们首次约会两周年纪念日。”Bamboo 骄傲地回答。
“哪个人的新车？”有关蒸饺的争吵似乎结束了，玲插了一句嘴。
“跟哪个人的周年？”Roc 很是好奇，如果能有人在Bamboo的独裁下存活两年，那么也许她就能嫁出去了，他们就有希望过上安静的日子了。
“没有哪个，只有邓, 他跟我求婚了。”Bamboo 真的发怒了，她只有真正发怒时才平心静气讲话而不是大喊大叫，“佛祖保佑，你们这些人还活在石器时代。不比较，根本没有办法说这种饺子最好还是最坏。”
“确实没有办法，因为你压根儿不可能把世上的饺子都尝个遍，不管是过去的，还是将来的。”Tiffany 的语调一贯的就事论事。
我们能不能跳过饺子谈谈婚礼？过几个小时它们就成垃圾了。”Roc 永远搞不懂为什么让个女人放弃点儿东西这么难，哪怕就那么些没影儿的饺子。
“还谈不到婚礼，他求了婚，不过我把他晾在那儿了。”
“晾在那儿？”玲对她二姐的词汇总是很惊奇。
“他的求婚是认真的吗？你还等什么呢？”Tiffany 问她。
“还有没有其他人求婚？” Roc 进一步问。
“我说你们这些人什么时候从八卦学校毕的业？”玲对他们的新式谈话方式很惊讶。
“我想不明白你们两个怎么这么急着把我踢出去。大家都清楚，我们不是住在你家屋檐下，而是爸妈的。”Bamboo 出离愤怒了。
这话之后是死一般的沉寂。Bamboo 知道这是最不该提到的一件事儿，Roc来自一个小村庄，他的父母为了供他上大学花光了所有的积蓄，他在医学院期间一直是最聪明的学生，毕业后在一家医院找了个实习心理医生的工作，在那儿遇到了同校第二聪明的女孩Tiffany，愿意给他一个家，她父母资助的。
可是要Roc接受这个事实不容易，尤其在这个男权社会，男人被期望着在各方面都成为家庭的顶梁柱。尽管社会在变化，他的大男子的骄傲没变，不过之前从没有人当他的面这么赤裸裸地扫他的面子。
Bamboo不打算道歉，不给这对儿没心没肺的夫妻道歉，他们对她现有的关系不是真正关心，而那可能成为她的全部生活，他们对她作交通警察的工作也全无兴趣，她通过一个前男友得到的这份工作，因为她的教育程度不够好，自己找不到工作。
那又怎样？她已经尽了自己的全力，也许不是最好的，可是她尽力了，她做不了书呆子，可是她有工作，也希望受到一些尊重，这对儿自负的夫妻，长着一双石头脑袋，却只对他们自己提升成医师感兴趣，从来不把警察当人看，女警察就更低级了。哪怕他们最后成了医师，她也不会拿自己的生命开玩笑让这对儿没心没肺的人医治。
Roc 红了脸，“不好意思，我得去赶公车了。”说完这话他匆匆出门，领带都忘了戴。
Tiffany 脸色苍白。
一阵难堪的沉默之后，玲知道和事佬的工作又归自己了，外加洗刷餐具，这套活儿她活了23年，做了23年，弄不明白她出生以前这俩人怎么活下来的。
“如果爸妈早知道我们中的任何一个在这屋檐底下过得不高兴，他们再过一百万年也不会拿一分钱投资家里第一场婚姻需要的房子。顺便说一句，我今晚回来得早，可以做晚饭。如果现在不赶快穿衣服，三秒钟内消失的话，你俩都得迟到。”话说完，她已经把桌子打扫干净，又开始手脚麻利地洗餐具。
听见玲的最后一句话，俩姐姐同时冲到衣橱前，急急忙忙在镜子前瞥了最后一眼，然后跑去赶公车。
玲有时候就是想不明白，这俩人有一个都有丈夫了，怎么就不能停火呢。她们习惯了打架，为了鞋子，衣服，自行车，父母的关注，玲的信任，学校的成绩，男朋友 … 只有两个战场的胜负是定数，Tiffany 的在校成绩总是领先，而bamboo的男朋友数目总是领先。
玲一直是tiffany的小妹妹，或者说是Bamboo的小妹妹。她聪明数只有tiffany的一半儿，漂亮数只有bamboo的一半儿，脾气不到两个人的一半儿。据说家里最小的孩子通常最受宠，很幸运，她没有。
她永远也不会像另外两个那样备受父母关注，他们半诱惑办强迫地让头一个刚毕业就结了婚，得知第二个一意孤行当警察，他们烧了她的床。
之后，当玲呆在世贸大厦22楼自己和另两个女孩共享的办公室里时，思路还被早上的不愉快困扰着。或许她的姐姐们一直争吵倒也不坏，至少她可以避免父母的关注。
她希望bamboo对今天早上谈论的可能进行的婚礼不要当真，上帝清楚，如果bamboo也结了婚，那么她就要变为父母最爱玩的游戏的焦点 --- 相亲。他们知道最好不要直接推销女儿，不过他们会请各自的亲朋好友出马，想想吧，成群的叔叔阿姨忙着给你安排，跟某个既定的男士出去晚餐。
“Linda,课前能不能抽5分钟？我有话跟你讲。”May 的话把她拉回现实。上大学时，玲（Ling）把自己的名字美国化了，她的美国老师告诉她把“g” 改成 “da” 就不错。
May 是大学里的十个舍友之一，从英语语言培训班毕业后她也留在了沈阳。May 一直是个很好的开心果，也许继承了她的韩国妈妈的基因，她满脑子新奇的主意和可乐的笑话，迷恋舞蹈，能自编舞蹈，唯一的缺点是她的英语口音，带点儿中国腔，头几个月找工作时这个缺点着实让她吃够了苦头，直到她在这家台湾人开的私立少儿英语培训中心找到职位，英语教师，一份完美的工作。
中心取名叫 “□□”(阶梯),在全国各大城市都有分部。沈阳也有其他家私立英语培训中心，不过都没有这家根基深，他们头一个意识到中国存在巨大的潜在市场，而且广告宣传做得最好。
跟公立小学和中学的可能提供的课程不同，这儿的课程着重于寓教于乐，只会照本宣科的老师头一面就会被淘汰。自然了，May 的试讲赢得了所有人的掌声，她的肢体语言丰富，言谈幽默。孩子们排队等着上她的课，这就难怪她要带四个日常班和三个周末班了。没有哪个上司会放过这么一个天才，所以高层任命她为沈阳地区的助理，在一切有必要的场合负责招生，培训新老师，组织学生-家长-老师联欢会。
Li玲是May从一家公立小学挖来的，那是父母唯一一次为她担忧，可是事实说服了他们，玲的工资翻了一倍，资本主义比社会主义挣的多呀。
“出什么事儿了？”May 有点儿担心玲为什么走神儿，她从没见过玲像某些人那样想法太多，玲是个单纯的好姑娘，没有多大的野心，也没有时下多数女孩子有的灰色秘密，她对自己得到的总是心满意足，从不抱怨。她就是这么真实，这种性格最适合跟孩子在一起。孩子们很喜欢玲，他们半点儿也不怕她，她就像个可以一起玩耍的大号同龄人。
“没什么，没什么特别的，”玲又露出惯常的微笑。
“那就是一般的喽？做噩梦了？”May 还是很好奇，有什么事儿能逼得玲作思考状。
“有讲课的好主意了？”
“没，不是讲课的，而是联欢会的。”对玲的好奇马上被扔到了脑后，May热切地开讲，一双典型的韩式小眼睛闪呀闪不停。“我们这次想邀请50对学生家长，50对准家长，不好意思，是准学生的家长参加联欢，超过一半已经确认了。会是个超大型的联欢会，我们去年圣诞一共才不到100人，这次□□想要办个巨成功的生日宴，要不就不办，我们不能按照惯例租下文化中心搞些常规演讲就完事儿，我们得办场盛大的演出。”很明显，May兴奋得都有点儿紧张了。
“你知道，你这方面从来就没失过手。”玲给她打气。
“这次不光我自己了，你也得帮我忙。”May用她亮闪闪的小眼睛盯着玲， “你要给那些父母独唱一曲‘来到我们身边’，用‘不要相信我’的曲子伴奏，你还要跟你的一个班一起表演’Jingle bells’或者’do, rai, me’”
“我不独唱，不过我的班级保证能摇好任何一种bell。”玲收起了笑容，提了个折中方案，这个小疯子肯定是被她的大事业搞得神经太紧张了，舞台可从来就不是玲该呆的地方。她痛恨被指指点点，父母不行，在可怕的舞台灯光下面对200双挑剔的眼睛更不行。
“Linda，整个培训中心上百个员工里只有你是我真正的朋友，我需要你的帮助，而且教师里边只有你有音乐天赋，你一个谱不识也会演奏乐器，什么歌只听一遍就能用自己的歌词唱出感觉。你是唯一的天才，你知道的。”
“承蒙夸奖，May，正因为我是你在这儿唯一的真正的朋友，我更不该用我的伪天才破坏你的演出。省省力气，动动脑子。我早上的课还等着呢，中午见，希望到时你另外想到了办法。”玲把May 和她的脑子留在那儿，下到一楼她的教室上课，中国算法，底楼。
尽管在学校时她们各自有自己的最要好的舍友，现在也还是，可是她同意May关于真正的朋友的说法，不过她们的好朋友都去了国外，Kerri， May的好朋友两年前跟父母移民加拿大，Christina，玲的好朋友，去年九月去了Amsterdam.其他的六个人均匀地分在3个大城市，2个在北京，2个在上海，2个在深圳。真是让人扫兴，没有特殊的事情打长途电话显然不太合适，而飞速发展的网络似乎只在拉开10个女孩的距离上出了力，那两个在国外的好像彻底忘了怎么敲中文，Linda和May两个人家里还没装电脑，每周六天，确切说来经常七天要工作，她们俩几乎从来没时间逛网吧。
她已经记不清上一次什么时候跟Christina联系的，那个姑娘发了疯，没有一分钱就跑去了另一个国家，每次问她都假装过得很好，May和Kerri的情形也一样，这使得玲和May很珍惜一起相处的时光。她们偷偷地笑话那些招生时紧张兮兮的新教师，午饭时分享有关办公室内部的流言。见证了不少新人为了向上爬而背后互相地滑，这种真实生活中的阴暗面，做学生的时候是不懂的。除了本身不喜欢耀人的灯光，玲也享受不了上百名同事们的嫉妒杀人眼光，想出风头的人很多，他们会认为May给她机会而忽视其他人的热情是不公平的。
保
“早上好，孩子们。”
“早上好，Lin-da”，这群五六岁的天真的小家伙集体高喊，带着他们特有的如同歌唱般的旋律，玲的笑容这次真的回来了。
“谁能用英语告诉我，昨晚在家做了些什么？”玲的课从这个小小的测试开始，以此检查孩子们做没做家庭作业
“我！”“我！”“我！”… 十八个孩子中有十五个举起右手，积极要求讲讲他们的故事。
看了看那三个没举手的孩子，玲读着他们眼里的想法，那个总是穿白裙子的五岁小女孩跟其他孩子一样热切，可是太害羞不好意思举手，那个六岁的男孩认为自己是个大人了，不应该为了这么个大人测试孩子的无聊问题跟其他孩子争着回答，那唯一一个四岁的男孩子挂着张扑克脸，总是坐在角落里，看上去老是走神儿，可是每次玲突击提问他时，他的答案都正确。
玲决定挑战一下成年儿童，“Ben，你第一个，请吧。”
“嗯，我又没举手，”Ben 边申明边不情不愿地站起来，他知道，这个狡詰的女孩总是趁他没准备时反击。
“你是说吃晚饭时吗？”玲不好意思地笑笑，“那么你爸爸举手了吗？”她决定帮他编个故事。
Ben搞不懂这女孩子想讲些什么，挣着无辜的眼睛皱起了眉头，“当然没有。”
“那你可怜的妈妈肯定很失望。”
Ben 终于明白了一点儿，很奇怪谁告诉了玲这件事儿。
“她很生气，她不吃东西，我爸说她不胖，她说她的牛仔裤都变小了一个码儿。我说她在撒谎，我说没有牛仔裤会自己变尺码，她气疯了，我知道我是对的。”他满怀期待地看着玲。
“你是对的，Ben，通常来说，没有牛仔裤会自己变，不过有一些洗完后如果用高温熨烫，它们就会变紧，能不能请你帮我问问你妈妈，下次上课告诉我她怎么说？”用普通常识挽救家庭危机是她的专长，想想她这23年的经验吧。
“是，Miss，”Ben只有在觉着玲讲到了新的有道理的东西时，才会尊称她Miss。
“你呢，Jane，过得怎么样？”玲转向了害羞的小女孩。
“爸爸给我买了一个非常非常非常漂亮的娃娃，”小女孩紧张地笑着说，红红的小脸蛋儿上一双黑黑的大眼闪着光，脑子里全是那令人震惊的漂亮娃娃，不过除了非常这个词儿，她还没有足够的形容词来描绘娃娃到底多么漂亮。
“真棒呀，这已经是今年第五个娃娃了，她穿着什么样的衣服？”玲对这位父亲很满意，他知道小女孩喜欢什么。
“一条漂亮的蓝裙子，长长的，羽毛领子，”Jane的调儿都打颤了，羞怯地说完就坐下了。
“下次上课我们每个人都把自己最好的礼物带来给大家看看，讲讲关于它的故事，你们觉得这主意好不好？”这次玲笑着问全班。
“好 --，”孩子们喊道，Jane 的小脸儿从红变白，可惜玲没注意到。
大约一半的孩子讲了自己的故事，玲开始讲今天的新对话，让另外一半上台表演今天的对话。
最后十五分钟玲教他们唱Jingle Bells。等到下课时，每个孩子都因为表现出色为自己赢得了一枚小小的粘纸贴在了额头上。
玲跟全班道了再见，看着他们跑到等在教室外的父母身边，急切地汇报着他们在课堂上取得了哪些成绩。她擦干净黑板，把卡片，书本和其它教课工具收进一个大大的塑料包，到午饭时间了。手刚搁在门把手上还没转呢，有人敲门，没等她回答就开了门，玲的脸突然撞到了一堵硬硬的墙上，两个人都被撞得后退了一步，玲抬起头，意识到那是个男人的胸膛。那张脸明显的不比胸膛柔和到哪儿，一张国字脸，浓浓的眉毛，一双眼不说冷酷至少是相当冷漠。
玲从来没做过问题少年，不过她的第六感告诉她，跟这个冰山男有瓜葛的话绝对不理智，“请让一下，先生，你挡了我的路，我没法锁门。”她试着摆脱他。
“因为你需要告诉我点儿事儿，”冷漠的语调。
“我怎么不知道这个需要？”Linda 一反常态，不再温顺。
“那么这么说，我需要问你点儿事儿，这个词你应该满意了。”Linda戒备的姿态有点让他恼火，这些怪物一样的女人，不把她们的面具揭下来就会假装小兔子。
“你在哪儿学的英语？”他是应□□ 的请求来讨论他女儿的学业的，尽管他从不认为女儿的进步有什么重要性，可是被学校的电话和信件搞得不胜其烦，所以，两年来他头一次决定浪费几分钟时间看看那个小怪物的英语课，以此换来自己的宁静。他从没想过老师是这么一个犀利的小女生，所以他需要确定她是不是够格照顾自己的小怪物。
“你凭什么来做调查？”
“凭我自己和我的小怪物。”
“抱歉，我不知道你是其中的一位父亲，”有一刹那，玲确实觉得抱歉，因为不管学生家长的问题多么刁钻，她却从未失礼过，不过下一秒钟，她的怒火又燃起来了，冰山男太侮辱人了，他肯定从他的小东西那儿知道她受过大学教育。“如果你认为我的教育程度不够，你为什么允许你的 –呃 –你的儿子在我的班上呆了两年？”她认为小怪物应该是个男孩子的昵称，而她找不出早班里哪个男孩子跟这个冰山男长得相似。
“是女她，而我是她唯一的父亲，”上帝呀，这个小女人好像在暗示他的小怪物有很多父亲似的，他努力保持住自己平淡的音调，“你还没回答我的问题，所以我还不清楚你合不合格。”
Linda 有些茫然，“难道你还没跟你的女儿谈过？两年了，你怎么能一点儿不知道她的英语老师？你去哪儿了？谁是你的女儿？”
“我的小怪物叫Jane。我不是来跟你比赛谁的问题更多的。难道你从来不回答问题?”他知道跟女人谈论理智比画设计蓝图更困难。也许他来错了，已经浪费了几分钟却一无所得。□□怎么能聘用这种苯女人？她也许永远不给学生讲答案。现在她开始张大了嘴用怀疑的眼光盯着他， “你确定，呃，你是Jane的父亲？”她试着接受这个不象真事儿的消息，相信这个冰山男扮演温情爸爸，每个月给他的小女儿买一个漂亮娃娃实在太难了。
玲收回惊掉的下颌，想要补救一下，“Jane很高兴收到那些漂亮娃娃，她下次要告诉我们一个关于她们的故事。”玲想，听到他的礼物多么受欢迎，他可能会高兴。
“我不是来谈论娃娃的，”他真的快要崩溃了，深吸了一口气，他咬着牙继续话题，“只要告诉我你在哪儿学的英语，接下来几年你想干什么，我就走。”
考虑到所有的老师肯定都去了对面的楼里吃午饭，哪怕他们听得见她的尖叫，跑回来营救她也来不及，Linda不情愿地给出答案，非常简洁，“我上的学校没名气，你不会知道，至于接下来几年，恐怕你会失望，我没打算离开□□。下次见，Jane的父亲先生。”
“很好，就是说她不会被她的保姆抛弃。再见，Jane 的Miss小姐。”他真就转身离开，消失不见了，留下玲彻底晕菜。
几分钟以后，吃着午饭，玲还没从冰山男的突然袭击中恢复过来，那个混蛋管她的工作叫保姆，跟她的父母刚开始时一样，她为此跟他们冷战了接近两个月。他话里暗示可怜的Jane曾经被某人抛弃过，她母亲吗？很难想象哪个妈妈能忍心抛弃那个不安的小东西。可是她父亲有把鬼吓跑的本事。
不过要想在May的阳光下保持低温很难，她那无穷的热情简直能把万物溶化。May的思想还集中在联欢会上，否则这个缺席两年的冰山爸爸铁定会吸引她的全部注意力。因为害怕话题重回关于她的独唱，玲主动提出演出那天帮May布置礼堂，给孩子们和他们的父母制作精美的卡片。Christina 在大学里曾经做过宣传部长，有几次玲被抓差布置舞会的会堂，还给运动会和节庆日画过布告。看来付出必有所得，哪怕她当时只是为了好玩，现在却能把她从聚光灯下解救出来，也免了May的粉丝们失望，他们热切希望跟May一起上台表演。
手机哔哔响，两条短信。
“我告诉邓我的小妹妹可能一起吃晚饭。如果你不想回家当奴隶，下班后给我电话。Bamboo。”
“Roc 和我得请远道而来的老同学吃饭，他们不介意我的小妹妹参加，如果不想回家自己做饭，下班后给我电话。Tiffany。 ”
下午的课毫无悬念地过去了。
玲哪个姐姐也没找，在学校多花了几个小时给学生改作业。
等她在学校附近的小饭店吃完韩式面再回家，已经很晚了。在饭店吃饭比在家吃方便，如果不介意路边店太小的话，比在家吃还便宜。
洗好衣服，打扫干净地板，从附近的24小时营业的“洗浴中心”回来，接了几个学生的电话，还有两个阿姨的电话，一个是Roc的阿姨，一个是Tiffany的，想到这儿她笑了，Tiffany的阿姨，Lily当然也是自己的阿姨。
9点半了，没人回来，她在电话旁边贴好留言条就上床睡觉了。
Roc,下个月你阿姨想来沈阳做体检，想问你去哪儿好。
Tiffany， Lily阿姨请你打回去，有些“家事”。
作者有话说
第3章 14th June Friday 2002 Shenyang
，还差