"FAMILY"
by Pa Chin

Handsome and intelligent, he was his father's favorite. His private tutor also spoke highly of him. People predicted that he would do big things, and his parents considered themselves fortunate to be blessed with such a son.

Brought up with loving care, after studying with a private tutor for a number of years, Juexin entered middle school. One of the school's best students, he graduated four years later at the top of his class. He was very interested in physics and chemistry and hoped to go on to a university in Shanghai or Peking, or perhaps study abroad, in Germany. His mind was full of beautiful dreams. At that time he was the envy of his classmates.

In his fourth year at middle school, he lost his mother. His father later married again, this time to a younger woman who had been his mother's cousin. Juexin was aware of his loss, for he knew full well that nothing could replace the love of a mother. But her death left no irreparable wound in his heart; he was able to console himself with rosy dreams of his future. Moreover, he had someone who understood him and could comfort him ‑ his pretty cousin Mei, "mei" for "plum blossom."

But then, one day, his dreams were shattered, cruelly and bitterly shattered. The evening he returned home carrying his diploma, the plaudits of his teachers and friends still ringing in his ears, his father called him into his room and said:

"Now that you've graduated, I want to arrange your marriage. Your grandfather is looking forward to having a great‑grandson, and I, too, would like to hold a grandson in my arms. You're old enough to be married. I won't feel easy until I fulfil my obligation to find you a wife. Although I didn't accumulate much money in my years away from home as an official, I've put by enough for us to get along on. My health isn't what it used to be. I'm thinking of spending my time at home and having you help me run the household affairs. All the more reason you'll be needing a wife. I've already arranged a match with the Li family. The thirteenth of next month is an auspicious day. We'll announce the engagement then. You can be married within the year..."

The blow was too sudden. Although he understood everything his father said, somehow the meaning didn't fully register. He didn't dare look his father in the eye, although the older man was gazing at him kindly. Juexin didn't utter a word of protest, nor did such a thought ever occur to him. He merely nodded to indicate his compliance with his father's wishes.
But after he returned to his room and shut the door, he threw himself down on his bed, covered his head with the quilt and wept.

He wept for his broken dreams.

He had heard something about a match with a daughter of the Li family. But he had never been permitted to learn the whole story, and hadn't placed much credence in it. A number of gentlemen with unmarried daughters, impressed by his good looks and his success in his studies, had become interested in him. There had been a steady stream of matchmakers to his family's door.

His father weeded out the applicants until only two remained under consideration. It was difficult for Mr. Gao to make a choice; both of the persons serving as matchmakers were of equal prestige and importance. Finally, he decided to resort to divination. He wrote each of the girls' names on a slip of paper and rolled the slips up into balls. After praying for guidance before the family ancestral tablets, he picked one.

Thus the match with the Li family was decided. But it was only now that Juexin was informed of the result.

Yes, he had dreamed of romance. The one in his heart was the girl who understood him and who could comfort him ‑ his cousin Mei. At one time he was sure she would be his future mate, and he had congratulated himself that this would be so, since in his family marriage between cousins was quite common.

He was deeply in love with Mei, but now his father had chosen another, a girl he had never seen, and said that he must marry within the year. What's more, his hopes of continuing his studies had burst like a bubble. It was a terrible shock to Juexin. His future was finished, his beautiful dreams vanished into thin air.

He cried his disappointment and bitterness. But the door was closed and Juexin's head was beneath the bedding. No one knew. He did not fight back, he never thought of resisting. He bemoaned his fate, but he accepted it. He complied with his father's will without a trace of resentment. But in his heart he wept for himself, wept for the girl he adored ‑‑ Mei, his "plum blossom"

The day of his engagement he was teased and pulled about like a puppet, while at the same time being shown off as a treasure of rare worth. He was neither happy nor sad. Whatever people told him to do, he did, as if these acts were duties he was obliged to perform. In the evening, when the comedy had ended and the guests had departed, Juexin was exhausted. He went to bed and slept soundly.