Top Three Stories of Chinese Flash Fiction Competition in 2014
The Best Bet
by Xiao Long Yang
Xiang Sheng was poor, but his wife, Wen Ru, was a beautiful and educated woman.
Hao Li was rich, with tons of gold and millions of acres. He was madly in love with Wen Ru and swore that he would marry no other woman but her.
One day, Hao Li announced in public, he would play a game of chess with Xiang Sheng, and the bet was on Wen Ru.
“If Xiang Sheng should win the game, tons of gold would be his.” Hao Li said, “If I should win, Wen Ru would be mine.”
“Nonsense!” was Xiang Sheng’s reply. “If I should win, I wouldn’t take those tons of gold, which is not my earning; if you should win, you’d never win her heart.”
So the game was aborted.
Yet Wen Ru clapped. “My husband has won.”
Then, in the 13th year of Guangxu’s Reign, a great drought struck. All crops failed and there were deaths of hunger everywhere. It was Hao Li who generously offered to feed those famine refugees. He had ten large cauldrons racked in the village and there was gruel cooked every day for the hungry people coming in a queue of more than ten miles.
Everyone sang of Hao Li’s good deed and his name was carved in the monument in honor of his kindness.
Then Hao Li came to meet Wen Ru, who was dressed in mourning apparrel in memory of her dead husband, Xiang Sheng.
“Poor woman!”Hao Li thought to himself as he extended his condolences.
“At any rate, I will win.”he said to Wen Ru.
She was stunned.
“I know you’re a good woman. Whatever I do, I just do it to win your heart.”said Hao Li.
“I have prayed for you and been grateful for your virtues. But now I shall say, you’re such an asshole!”said Wen Ru.
Hao Li was confused.
“My husband was poor, indeed.”Wen Ru continued. “Yet he offered his only food to others. Though he’s dead, my heart will go on for ever with him.”
(赵金基 译) 作者: 流泪的残阳 时间: 2019-3-24 05:30
赞赏作者: 尚舟 时间: 2021-9-10 14:23
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