Pristine Darkness - Chapter 107

The rain fell delicately and silently. This was an ancient stone road; even in the daytime, not a single person was in sight. On both sides of the road stood grey, dilapidated buildings with nary a sign of life. On some walls, yellowed and torn pages from illustrated pictorials were still plastered on, and one could vaguely make out slogans like ‘The productivity of the land depends on the boldness of the people’ and ‘Long Live the Proletarian Cultural Revolution!’.

Most of the buildings had fallen into disuse, and looked as if no one had lived in them for a long time. Occasionally, a glimpse of a figure could be seen briefly in one or two of the buildings, just like a ghost. Jian Yao almost thought that she was dreaming as she walked down such a road while supporting Bo Jinyan. She could never in a million years have imagined that they would be stranded in such a peculiar place.

Bo Jinyan listened to her describing the landscape along the route, but his expression remained calm and collected. “The world is so large, it is full of extraordinary things. Besides, the Buddha’s Hand organisation is hiding here, so maybe everything we see is simply an illusion.”

Those words caused the chill in Jian Yao’s heart to intensify.

However, they finally saw a living, breathing person.

At the corner, a small shop had just opened for business. The lights were on, and the shelves held cheap candies, cigarettes, noodles, toilet paper, and other such items.

Jian Yao squeezed Bo Jinyan’s hand, then walked forward and asked, “Is anyone there?”

The sound of footsteps came from within. Jian Yao quickly took stock of the surroundings. This appeared to be a simple shop, there was a bowl behind the counter which someone had recently finished eating from, and a red plastic stool. On the half-closed wooden door, someone had used a coloured marker to write, crudely and crookedly, numbers and English letters: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J . . . as well as a few rudimentary Chinese characters. It looked like a child had been learning to write.

A girl walked out.

It wasn’t clear if she was 15 to 16 years old, or 18 to 19 years old. She was not tall and her pretty face was somewhat childish. However, she dressed very maturely – a dacron blouse popular in the 70s and 80s, black sweatpants, a pair of cloth shoes. She really looked like a young girl wearing an old woman’s clothes, but what she was wearing matched well with the surroundings, with that air of being many years out of date. However, her eyes shone with intelligence and vitality. She stared at them and asked, “Where did you come from?”

In this brief interval, Jian Yao had already swiftly assessed her. Her hair was combed back in a ponytail, there was nothing out of the ordinary about her hands, her skin was a healthy light tan colour, the sign of someone who had spent time in the sun. There were mud stains around both her ankles, as well as light scars, very likely a result of long-term manual labour in the fields. There seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary about her. So, she smiled and said, “Hello, we were engaging in outdoor activities when the boat we were on met an accident and sank. We were lost and wandered to this town. Can you please tell us where we are?”

The girl blinked and said, “This is Zhizi Zhou.”

What she said was consistent with Ah Hong’s words.

The girl then looked at Bo Jinyan, who was behind Jian Yao. She asked, “What’s wrong with him?”

Jian Yao’s gaze also fell on Bo Jinyan’s bloodstained trouser legs. In the small-scale mudslide they had faced earlier, they had managed to avoid calamity thanks to their quick response. Moreover, she only had some minor injuries. However, Bo Jinyan’s injuries were more serious – one ankle was badly swollen, and his legs were severely bruised and cut. Although he had not uttered a single word along the way, his face was terrible to look at, which clearly indicated that his injuries were causing him pain. She was also deathly afraid that his wounds would worsen or become inflamed. Thus, she continued to smile as she said, “He was a little injured. Miss, do you have a cell phone or a landline phone here? I would like to call a friend.”

The girl leaned against the door, but shook her head and said, “We don’t have a landline phone here, neither do we have what you call a cell phone; I haven’t even seen a cell phone before. My mother says, it’s because there is no signal in the sky.” She pointed to the overcast sky.

Jian Yao had never imagined this result, and was struck dumb. From behind her, Bo Jinyan squeezed her hand, indicating that she should not be anxious. The action was witnessed by the girl, who let out a ‘wah’, and said, “The two of you must be lovers. I think your relationship is great.”

Her words were indeed innocent and unaffected. Jian Yao forced herself to smile, pulled herself together and asked, “What’s your name?”

“I’m Qiu Sijin, the same ‘sijin’ as in fanhua sijin.”*

*T/N 繁花似锦 (fan hua si jin) – flowers in full bloom, as brilliant as/ like (似) brocade (锦).

“Then, Sijin, I’d like to ask, is there a doctor here who can treat his wounds?”

This question seemed to be better received by Qiu Sijin than the first one. She jumped out of the doorway and said, “We have a doctor here, just one. Just like you guys, he’s not from hereabouts. He’s a really, really good doctor; I’ll take you to him.”

——

They had walked about half a street before they finally encountered some people. They were all dressed like local villagers, and they looked just as unfashionable as Qiu Sijin. They also saw someone crossing the road carrying two buckets of water. According to Qiu Sijin, there was no running water in this town. Anyone who needed water had to draw water from several wells outside town. The well water was very clean and could be drunk directly.

The villagers all stopped in surprise to look at Bo Jinyan and Jian Yao. It was clear that very few outsiders came this way. Jian Yao could only put on a bold face and continue to walk on, holding Bo Jinyan’s hand. Qiu Sijin kept bouncing along while greeting everyone they met along the way, the very picture of a simple and scatter-brained girl.

But, were the members of Buddha’s Hand really hiding in this little town?

There was a small building before them with its door open. There were several potted plants at the door, and a faded red cross flag hung at the window. Although the building was old, that did not prevent it from being bright and clean* and full of greenery. This was probably the most vibrant home that Jian Yao had seen since she had stepped foot in this town.

*T/N 窗明几净 (chuang ming ji jing) – lit. clear window and clean table

And this was the doctor’s home.

Qiu Sijin took the lead by stepping in first, and yelled, “Doctor! Dr Wen! There’s a patient here!”

Jian Yao supported Bo Jinyan as they both stepped in slowly.

A man stood inside the room, almost 1.8m tall, with a thin figure. He was wearing a white lab coat* and had an air of being spotless and incorruptible. He turned his head upon hearing the sound of their entry. With a warm smile on his face, he said, “Sijin, you’re here to disturb me again . . .” He froze when he saw Jian Yao and Bo Jinyan.

*大褂 (da gua) – a Chinese-style unlined long garment (unisex), which could be used as a coat.

Jian Yao also never expected that she would see a doctor like this in such a lifeless, weird little town: clean-cut and handsome, refined in manner, easy in speech and laughter, and with a bright appearance.

Even standing in this simple and humble place could not conceal his warmth and his bright and cheerful aura.

Out of the blue, she remembered Fu Ziyu. Although Fu Ziyu and this doctor did not look the same, they had a similar manner. Jian Yao’s throat was suddenly dry, and a thought came to her — it was a blessing that Bo Jinyan could not see him. At this time, Dr Wen said, “The two of you are . . . ?”

Jian Yao unobtrusively moved her gaze away from the doctor’s face and replied, “We are backpackers passing through this area. Our boat capsized and we came to this island by accident. My husband’s legs are injured. Could you take a look, doctor?”

“Sure.” Dr Wen immediately crouched down in front of Bo Jinyan as Jian Yao helped him to sit down, while Qiu Sijin looked on curiously from the side. Jian Yao observed that Dr Wen’s technique was skilled and professional, so she felt at ease.

“How did he come by these injuries?” Dr Wen asked.

Jian Yao answered with the facts, “We encountered a mudslide.”

Dr Wen nodded, instructed Qiu Sijin to fetch him some medical supplies and started to treat Bo Jinyan’s injuries. Bo Jinyan did not say a word throughout; no one knew what he was thinking.

The good thing was that no bones had been affected. Dr Wen dealt with Bo Jinyan’s wounds and bandaged them, then listed some things to take note of before prescribing medicine. Finally, he smilingly said, “Looks like the two of you will have to stay here for a while longer to let the wounds heal before you set off.”

During the conversation, Jian Yao and Bo Jinyan had discovered that the doctor’s full name was Wen Rong, a very scholarly name. He had previously worked as a doctor in a big city, with a high salary and a packed schedule. Like many of the young people who fled Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, he was tired of the fast-paced life. An unexpected opportunity had led him to come to this small town. After he arrived, he had been so profoundly attracted to and moved by the way time stopped in here that he had stayed and even opened a clinic. Although the number of residents in the town was small, such that he spent most of his days in idleness, he earned enough to support himself. Jian Yao had met quite a few of this kind of person in countless old cities and towns, so she could understand him.

However, Jian Yao did not ask about the existence of the Buddha’s Hand organisation. Wen Rong also did not mention it.

As for telephone networks and Wifi? Wen Rong also sounded a little regretful, but this mountain region had neither of them.

When they left Wen Rong’s clinic, it was gradually becoming dark. As Jian Yao supported Bo Jinyan by his arm, she subconsciously turned back and saw that Wen Rong had already taken off his lab coat. In his white shirt and black trousers and with his hands in his trouser pockets, he stood by the door, smiling faintly as he saw them off. In addition, Qiu Sijin was leaning against him, holding his arm, being very clingy.

Jian Yao felt something strange and inexplicable in her heart. However, their top priority was to find a place to stay for the night. Then, to figure out a way to escape from this small town or to contact headquarters.

This small town was full of abandoned buildings. Without much effort, they found a relatively clean single-story building. The house was comprehensively furnished with tables, chairs, beds, and cupboards, even though all of them were somewhat old-fashioned. There was even a small yard at the door, full of a tangle of ancient trees and overgrown weeds and grass. As they walked past the intersection, Jian Yao had noticed a restaurant with a very small shop front, so she walked there to order two takeout boxes of food and rice. The restaurant owner asked, both shyly and with curiosity, “Are you the two injured backpackers?” It seemed that this small town was indeed very small; the news of their arrival had already spread. It remained to be seen if this was a blessing or a curse.

It was completely dark, and raindrops pattered lightly on the window frame. Bo Jinyan was lying on a simple wooden bed. Jian Yao had found an old quilt in a cupboard and had beaten it for a long time before forcibly covering him with it. Bo Jinyan did not look too good, perhaps because his wounds were hurting, or because this situation was too dire. Jian Yao was also at a loss. From the time they started investigating cases together, they had never had such an experience, to be in such dire straits in such a faraway place.

There was no electricity in the building, but she had found a kerosene lamp. This made Bo Jinyan smile as he asked, “Are you Doraemon*?” Jian Yao gave him a small smile and said, “Do you now know the advantages of taking me along with you?” She got on the bed and snuggled up to him.

*T/N 百变小叮当 (bai bian xiao ding dang) – Doraemon, the eponymous character in a Japanese manga series (later adapted into an anime series and several movies). Doraemon is an earless robotic cat from the 22nd century who is sent back in time to help a young boy, Nobita, who is unhappy in school. Doraemon has a fourth dimensional pocket from which he obtains various gadgets, food and other items from the future. Read more here.

The flickering, hazy light gave the room the atmosphere of a fantasy land. The surroundings were extremely quiet, so quiet as if they were in a secluded ravine. It was as if the ‘survivors’ remaining in this small town all went to sleep when the sky darkened, adding to the strangeness of this place.

Bo Jinyan embraced her with one arm while his reader was affixed to the other hand, enabling him to read the precious information that Captain Zhu Tao had passed to them. The light in the room was very dim, and Jian Yao could not make out the words on the paper. The reader functioned as efficiently as usual, reading aloud the words clearly, line by line. Only occasionally would there be a soft zhizhi sound.

After an hour, Bo Jinyan had ‘read’ the entire document. The information focussed on recording the Buddha’s Hand organisation’s most recent transactions, internal operating structure, and cooperative relationships and alliances. However, there was no mention of the core personnel structure, and the location of the gang’s stronghold.

“It seems . . .” Bo Jinyan said, “that the person who gave Zhu Tao this information had limited knowledge. Or . . . the information is incomplete.”

Jian Yao nodded and placed the notes and the reader back into the bag, then handed Bo Jinyan the medicine Wen Rong had prescribed. But, Bo Jinyan said, “Aren’t we carrying anti-inflammatory medicine in our bags? I want to take ours.” Jian Yao was startled. “Why?” she asked.

Bo Jinyan said, “If this place is truly the stronghold of Buddha’s Hand, can you really be sure that none of the four people we met today is one of the masked killer’s people? The Buddha’s Hand gang members may not recognise us, but the masked killer definitely will.”

Alarmed, Jian Yao tossed the medicine Wen Rong had prescribed into the corner and took their own anti-inflammatory medicine from the bag.

When Bo Jinyan had finished taking the medicine, she picked up a wooden stick standing by the bed, got up and said, “I’ll keep watch tonight,”

However, Bo Jinyan pulled her back onto the bed with a swift move and said, “No need. The most important thing in dealing with the enemy is to assess the situation and work out how to gain the most results with the least effort. Tonight, we should sleep well and replenish our strength. If they are not sure of our identities, they will definitely not act blindly tonight. If they know who we are, then you and I are like turtles in a big jar* and they would already have made their move. Would they have allowed us to have our injuries tended to, eat dinner, and stroll around? Thus, Mrs Bo, just as we are when we are home, we are in no danger tonight and can sleep well.”

*T/N 瓮中的鳖 (weng zhong de bie) – lit. turtle in a container/ jar; fig. easy prey

Jian Yao did not know whether to laugh or to cry upon hearing his words. However, she saw the truth behind the statement the more she thought about it. They were already in the enemy’s stronghold and were thus facing a battle pitting one against a hundred*. Being even more vigilant would not help them. It was better to go to sleep. Thus, she placed the stick on the floor next to the bed, listened to Bo Jinyan’s advice, and lay down on the bed once again.

*T/N 以一敌百 (yi yi di bai) – lit. one against one hundred. Possibly referring to a game show of the same name where the prize money a challenger wins varies according to how many of the other 100 contestants answer wrongly on a question he gets right. Read more about the American version of the game show here. (The versions played in other countries may be slightly different in the calculation of the bonus)

It was even quieter at midnight. Jian Yao’s hands and feet were very cold even though they were under the quilt. Bo Jinyan held her hands between his palms and placed her feet on his warm thighs. Jian Yao refused to go along with this and said, distressed, “You’ll get cold like this.” Bo Jinyan laughed and said, “Oh, as if you didn’t place your feet comfortably in this exact position every night in winter previously.” Jian Yao smiled as she responded, “But, you’re hurt now.” Bo Jinyan replied, “But, for you, my temperature is constant.”

Jian Yao leaned against his arm with a smile hovering on her lips. She fell asleep very quickly, probably due to exhaustion from the day’s events. Initially, Bo Jinyan’s breathing had been calm and steady. After a while, he noticed Jian Yao’s deep breaths, indicating that she was fast asleep. He then slowly opened his eyes in the darkness, listened to the sound of the rain outside the window, and did not close them for a long time.

After midnight, the rain stopped.

The yard was full of wet mud, and, in the night, water dripped off the leaves.

A pair of well-used military boots trod in the mud. That man, wearing a black jacket, lowered his head to light a cigarette, then slowly exhaled. Behind him, in a mass of shadows, stood quite a few people.

That man smoked his cigarette. Even though he had half a cigarette left, he dropped it on the ground, stepped on it to extinguish it and rubbed it into the mud several times before saying, “There’s something fishy about the arrival of these two. Ah Yue’s boat was intercepted and brought down by the police outside the perimeter. They are most probably the police. Tomorrow, report this to the boss, then get rid of them.”