The Path to Becoming an Essay Master: The Basics

Author: Han Hanzi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: In the town of épeville, the innkeeper Hico stopped his two-wheeled light carriage in front of the farmhouse gate of the elderly woman Marguerite. He was a tall man in his forties, with a ruddy complexion and a protruding belly. The locals knew him to be cunning and shrewd. He tied his horse to the wooden post of the fence gate and entered the yard. He had a piece of land adjacent to the elderly woman’s property, and for a long time, he had been eyeing her estate. He had tried to buy it from her no less than dozens of times, but the elderly woman had always stubbornly refused. “I was born on this land, and I will die on this land,” she said. (Preface: The novel immediately introduces the two main characters at the beginning: the innkeeper Hico, with a ruddy complexion, a protruding belly, and a mind full of schemes; and the elderly woman Marguerite. Hico tries every means to buy the elderly woman’s land, but she not only firmly refuses but also solemnly declares, “I was born on this land, and I will die on this land.” A fierce battle for the land is about to begin. Who will ultimately win? The characters, events, and suspense in this novel’s opening are truly captivating. It tells us that reading further will definitely be enjoyable, sparking the readers’ strong interest in reading.)
When he entered, she was peeling potatoes in front of the house. She was 72 years old, wrinkled, gaunt, and hunched over, yet she was as tireless as a young girl. Hico patted her back as if he were a good friend, then sat down on a small stool beside her. “Hey, grandma, you’re always so spry?” “Pretty good. And you, Hico boss?” “Sigh, sigh! Just a bit of rheumatism, otherwise everything would be perfect.” “That’s wonderful, that’s wonderful.” She said no more. Hico watched her work. Her hook-like, knotted, and crab-claw-hard fingers, like pliers, picked up a gray potato from the basket, spun it quickly, while the other hand held an old knife, peeling the long strips of skin close to the blade. When the potato was entirely yellow, she threw it into a bucket of water. Three bold hens walked one after another, all the way to under her skirt to pick up the potato peels, then snatched the food and hurried away. Hico seemed troubled, hesitating and restless. His words were on his lips, but he couldn’t bring himself to say them.
Later, he made up his mind: “I say, Marguerite, the elderly woman.” “What do you need?” “You still refuse to sell this farm to me?” “This is not possible. Don’t count on it. What’s said is said, don’t keep nagging.” “But I’ve come up with a solution that works for both of us.” “What solution?” “Here’s the deal. You sell the land to me, but I’ll keep managing it for you. Don’t understand? Then let me explain.” The elderly woman stopped peeling potatoes and revealed a pair of sparkling eyes from under her wrinkled eyelids, staring dead at the innkeeper. He continued: “Let me make it clear. I’ll give you 150 francs a month. Understand? Every month, I’ll drive my little carriage to deliver 30 five-franc coins. Everything will stay the same; nothing will change. You’ll still live in your house, and I won’t bother you in the slightest. You just take my money. Does that work for you?” He finished speaking, looking at her with great satisfaction and calmness.
The elderly woman looked at him with suspicion, carefully considering whether there was a trick in this. She asked, “This is on my part. What about yours? You still can’t get the farm.” “Don’t worry about that. God gives you a day to live, and you’ll live here for a day. This is your home. But you’ll need to go to the notary and give me a small document. When you pass away, the farm will be mine. You don’t have any biological children, only a few nephews, and you don’t care about them at all. This way, you’ll keep your property while I give you 30 five-franc coins a month. It’s entirely to your advantage.” The elderly woman was surprised and uneasy but also felt tempted. She replied, “This isn’t impossible. But I need to think about this carefully. You come back next week, and we’ll talk. I’ll tell you my thoughts then.” Hico left, very happy, as if a king had just conquered an empire. Marguerite, the elderly woman, was now full of worries. That night, she didn’t sleep for four straight days, unable to make up her mind and tormented by her troubles. She truly felt that there was something in it that was not in her favor, but the thought of 30 five-franc coins flowing into her skirt pocket, the shiny silver coins clinking, made her greedy like an insect, gnawing at her with desire. She ran to find the notary, told him everything, and he advised her to accept Hico’s proposal but to demand 50 five-franc coins instead of 30, because her farm was worth at least 60,000 francs.
“If you live for another 15 years,” the notary said, “with this payment method, he’ll only need to pay 45,000 francs.” The old woman trembled with shock when she heard she could receive 50 five-franc coins a month, but she still felt uneasy, fearing both the unexpected and hidden schemes. She refused to leave, staying until dark, asking endless questions.
Finally, she instructed the notary to prepare the document and returned home, her mind muddled as if she had drunk four jars of newly brewed apple cider. When Hico came to hear the news, she first pretended to refuse, but then hesitated, afraid he wouldn’t agree to the 50 five-franc coins. Later, he pressed her relentlessly, and she finally revealed her hopes. He jumped in shock and roundly refused. To persuade him, she gave him many reasons, explaining how she might not live much longer. At most, she had five or six more years left. “I’m almost 73 now, and I’m not in the best health. One night, I thought I was going to die. It was as if someone had emptied me out, and then they had to carry me to bed.”
But Hico wasn’t fooled. “Don’t say any more, don’t say any more. You old trickster, you’re as sturdy as a church bell tower. You can live to at least 110. You’ll definitely die after me.” The whole day was spent in this argument. The elderly woman never gave in, and eventually, the innkeeper had to agree to the 50 five-franc coins. The next day, they signed the document. The elderly woman also demanded an extra 10 five-franc coins for wine money.