In the Pond Read Online Free Page A

the entrance, and the two old guards were told to take care of the boiler. Hundreds of sycamore saplings were planted around the houses, to “green the park,” as the leaders declared. For the children, a small soccer field was flattened out at the foot of the slope, near the bend of the Blue Brook. From now on, at seven in the morning, a truck would take the teenagers to the Fourth Middle School, which was three miles northeast of Dismount Fort, and it would bring them back at five in the afternoon. A few housewives proposed to open a grocery store in the compound; it was a good idea, supported by the workers and leaders. Things began to be systemized in the park, while those who lived outside grew more jealous.
    The leaders promised that everybody would eventually move into the compound. There was enough land,and what prevented them from having more houses built was the lack of funds. They urged the workers to be patient.
    On Wednesday afternoon Bin went to Finance, which was in the basement of the office building, to pick up his wages. Nina was in a bad mood, because Director Ma had just told her to take charge of selling the tickets for hot water. From now on, the families living in Workers’ Park would come to her to buy water tickets. It wasn’t a lot of work, but to her mind, she shouldn’t have to handle such a trifle, unrelated to accountancy. The old guards at the park could easily take care of the business. But she didn’t complain in front of Ma; for the time being, she knew she ought to appear grateful to the leaders for giving her a new apartment.
    At the sight of Bin, she asked, “Your pay?”
    “Yes, please.”
    She pulled out a drawer, picked up a small envelope, and handed it to him. Bin noticed two dark bruises on her forearm; he had heard that her fiancé often beat her.
    He wet his thumb and forefinger on his tongue and began counting the wages, while Nina resumed reading the magazine
Chinese Women.
To his surprise, there was only forty-two yuan, fifty fen less than his monthly pay; this meant he lost two pounds of beer or a dish of stewed pork. “Why did you give me half a yuan less after you took away my bonus?”
    “
I
docked your bonus? You lost it yourself,” shesaid with sudden passion, her curved eyebrows going straight. “That half yuan was the haircut fee. Director Ma told me not to give you that.”
    “Why?”
    “Don’t know why. I was told to do so.” She flicked her fingers at him, annoyed.
    “If you don’t know why, why did you do it?”
    “Give me a break, all right?” She stared him in the face and put the magazine on her lap. “I’m busy, no time to listen to you talking like this. Go ask Director Ma yourself.”
    Feeling it useless to argue, Bin made for the door.
    “Lunatic,” Nina said under her breath.
    “What did you say?” He turned back.
    “Lunatic, lu-na-tic!” she cried out, stressing every syllable, then pursed her lips, glaring at him.
    “You know, girl, you have a filthy mouth, but I don’t want to clean it out for you. Don’t want to dirty my hands.”
    “Go to hell. Only because you didn’t get an apartment, you act like everybody owes you a thousand. Get out of here, lunatic.”
    “Bitch!”
    “What did you call me?”
    “I call you whore, a whore who’s stripped in every office.” He moved to the door.
    “Stop! Get your ass back here.”
    Ignoring her, Bin went straight to the director’s officeon the second floor. Ma and Liu were in a meeting with two other men, the chairman of the union, Hong Bao, and the secretary of the Communist Youth League, Huang Dongfang. At the sight of Bin’s dark face, Liu and Ma stood up simultaneously.
    Bin asked loudly why Ma had had his haircut fee deducted. Ma answered, “You were one hour late for work last Thursday, weren’t you? It’s our policy to be strict and fair in meting out rewards and punishments. This is our way of keeping discipline in the plant. You should look to yourself for an