Naked Earth Read Online Free

Liberation—was a youngish farmer with thin, birdlike good looks, rather high-shouldered in a high-collared white Chinese shirt.
    “Comrades, I wish I could find the words to tell you how happy we are at your coming,” Pao said smiling. “All of you have Culture. We have a lot to learn from you.”
    “Not at all, not at all,” Chang said. “It’s we who ought to learn from you. You kan-pu are closest to the people.”
    “The comrades must be hungry.” Pao said to Sun Fu-kuei, who had been introduced as the Farmers’ Association Organizer. “Tell them to hurry up with the dinner.” He turned with an apologetic smile to the Land Reform Workers, “Nothing to eat here. We’ve got thirty catties of white flour ready and a hundred eggs. Didn’t dare kill a pig—we weren’t sure whether you comrades would be able to get here today. You know, meat won’t keep in this weather.”
    Chang protested, “Please don’t bother. We’ll eat whatever there is.”
    “We don’t have to eat white flour,” Liu joined in. “Fact is, you don’t have to cook separately for us. We’ll board with the farmers.”
    Pao scratched his head and laughed uncertainly, blowing through his teeth. “Raining like this—” he said after a moment, “Better eat here and go to bed early. You comrades must be tired out.”
    “Besides, there’s no trouble at all. Everything’s at hand. Everything’s at hand,” added Sun.
    “It seems to me we better not start by Taking the Opposite Stand from the group,” Chang said to Liu with a smile. “Whatever question comes up, it’s got to be United with Actual Circumstances. We can’t be Dead Brained, set on having our own way. That’s also a form of dogmatism.” He laughed.
    Liu was taken aback by the reprimand, which he felt was quite uncalled for. Maybe Chang had resented his speaking up with what might be misconstrued as a tone of authority and thought it was a good idea to snub him before the other students in order to build up his own prestige within the group. Liu noticed Su Nan looking at him. She must be thinking that he had been trying to show off. And instead of gaining face, he had lost it. He flushed and it took all his will power to stay smiling. Above all he must not have it said of him that he could not take criticism.
    They all went inside the temple and sat down in a dark, deserted schoolroom. Chang asked Pao how many Party members they had in the locality. He informed Pao that all the different organizations should hold separate meetings the next day in order to Communicate the Policy. All the kan-pu had turned up in the temple, the chairman of the Farmers’ Association, the chairman of the Women’s Association, the captain of the local militia, the head of the village and his assistant, the Party Organizer and Party Propagandizer. Most of them still retained some of their peasant shyness. They squatted quietly at the door listening to the talk. Some squatted outside under the eaves, staring into the rain as they listened.
    Militiamen scurried in and out, hugging sacks of flour and baskets of eggs. A man brought noodles piled in a high mound in a scarlet-painted wooden basin. The noodles, neatly tied on top with a bit of rose-red paper ribbon, cascaded downwards like thick limp strands of beige-colored hair. Liu could tell from the man’s round-eyed, self-effacing look that this was not their ordinary fare at the village. He suddenly felt like a wealthy patron of the temple staying for the night, feasting on butchered meat, desecrating the god worshipped there.
    Soon he smelled the fragrance of large flat cakes baking in dry pans. Reminding himself that he must not sulk, he said brightly, “Where are the drivers?” Nobody had seen them around. “I’ll go and find them. Dinner’s about ready,” Liu said.
    He thought it was still raining when he walked down the steps under the trees which were still sniffling and shedding big tears. But the sky had cleared and