American Lover - Collection of Contemporary World Chinese Writers 1

Author: Lü Hong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Signing up at a matchmaking agency to find a spouse is even harder than a blind cat catching a dead mouse. Her phone was always busy, either on a date with this person or that. She had to keep track of everyone, even if there was only a sliver of hope. She couldn’t help but sigh, thinking it would take at least half a year or so, but in the end, it didn’t work out, and the time passed. After three years, she still hadn’t found a suitable match. In a hurry, she arranged a fake marriage with an elderly man in his seventies or eighties who was semi-paralyzed. She initially promised to help clean his room and cook meals for him every week. But he was also a living person, and he expected to actually sleep with her. He was restless and fidgety, but no matter what, he was her husband! She grew a bit annoyed and stopped going.
The immigration office sent a letter to schedule an interview, but she didn’t know about it, and the matter eventually died down. Some men, like Old K, were selfish, nasty, and always thought about taking advantage of women, while still making excuses: "Aren’t you enjoying it too?" The moment Old K was mentioned, she flew into a rage, spitting out: "Pah, would I enjoy it if I went to you? Just looking at you is disgusting—you’re all wrinkled and leathery, and I can’t even imagine what’s inside you. As people get older, they tend to develop all sorts of diseases and germs. If I want to enjoy myself, why wouldn’t I go for younger, fresher people?" Hearing her speak in her sharp Beijing dialect, criticizing men so harshly, laughed until her stomach hurt.
After finishing the dumplings, Lin Hao arrived. The moment he walked in, he rolled up his sleeves and started helping without a word. This guy surprised her quite a bit—a big northern man, yet he could cook better than a restaurant! Fried fish with chive tips, ginger and scallion stir-fried crabs, water-boiled shrimp, and fermented bean paste with mussels—each dish was a fragrant delicacy that filled the air. When the dishes were served, everyone cheered, and the guests couldn’t help but drool.
As they were drinking and celebrating, the doorbell rang. She went to open it and found a short, unremarkable old man standing there. She introduced him as her friend, Old K. (That’s how Old K got involved in the house purchase and loan, and from then on, he became a relentless pest, constantly trying to squeeze money out of them.) While they were enjoying their meal, she kept teasing Lin Hao: "It looks like this is your temporary home here. I can go out later, and if you need it, you can stay here at night!" The joke made everyone in the room laugh out loud.
With a slight tipsy smile, he waved his hand, and Lin Hao drove her home. On the way, he said quite a few crazy things while drunk.
P55-56