Chronicle of a Blood Merchant

CHAPTER TWO

Xu Sanguan sat in the melon patch eating watermelons. His uncle, to whom the melon patch belonged, stood, stretched his arms behind his back, and brushed the dirt from his rear. A little cloud of dirt swirled around Xu Sanguan’s head and settled on the watermelon in his hands. He blew the dirt away as he continued to bite into the tender pink flesh. When his uncle was finished patting off his backside, he sat back down on the low bank of dirt at the edge of the plot.

Xu Sanguan asked, “What are those shiny yellow melons called?”

Just beyond the mass of tangled watermelon vines was a row of trellises fashioned from bamboo poles, from which dangled clumps of golden yellow melons, each about the size of a hand. On the other side of the trellis were an equal number of glossy green melons, which appeared to be a little longer than the yellow ones. The fruit sparkled brightly in the sunlight. When the wind blew, first the leaves, then the vines, and finally the melons themselves began to sway in the breeze.

Xu Sanguan’s fourth uncle lifted his skinny, wrinkled arm to point across the melon patch. “Do you mean those shiny yellow ones? Those are Goldens. The glossy green ones to the side are Old Lady melons.”

“I’m not going to have any more watermelon, Fourth Uncle. I think I’ve already eaten two whole melons.”

His uncle said, “No, you haven’t. I had some too. I think I ate half of one of yours.”

Xu Sanguan said, “I know Goldens. The flesh smells really good, but they aren’t actually all that sweet. But the seeds are sweet. People in town always spit out the seeds when they eat Goldens, but I never do. I figure if it grows in the earth, it’s got to be good for you. I’ve had Old Lady melons too. They’re not too sweet, and they’re not very crisp either. By the time you open one up and take a bite, it’s all mushy. When it comes to eating Old Lady melons, it doesn’t matter if you have teeth or not. Fourth Uncle, I think I could actually eat some more. I think I’ll have a couple of Goldens and then eat an Old Lady.”

Xu Sanguan sat in his uncle’s melon patch all day long and didn’t get up to leave until the sun began to set. By the time he stood to leave, his face shone as red as pork livers in the light of the setting sun. Gazing toward the smoke curling up from the farmhouses, he patted the dirt from his rear and started to rub his stomach, which was swollen with watermelon, Goldens, Old Ladies, cucumbers, and peaches.

As he rubbed his belly he turned to his uncle and said, “I’m going to get married.”

Then he turned back toward his uncle’s melon patch and began to pee.

“Fourth Uncle, I want to find someone to marry. Fourth Uncle, for the past two days I’ve been thinking about the thirtyfive yuan I made selling blood and what I ought to spend it on. I wanted to give some to Grandpa, but he’s too old now, really he’s so old he wouldn’t even be able to spend it. And I wanted to give you some too, because of all my father’s brothers, you treat me the best, but Fourth Uncle, I just can’t give it to you, because I earned it by selling blood, not just ordinary muscle. That’s why I can’t bear to give it away. Fourth Uncle, when I stood up just now, I suddenly realized I should get myself a woman. Then my blood money wouldn’t go to waste. Fourth Uncle, all I ate was a bunch of melons, so how come it feels like I drank lots and lots of wine? Fourth Uncle, my face is burning, my neck is hot, the soles of my feet feel like they’re on fire.”