Red Flea's Night Flight - Complete Works of Wang Xiaobo - Volume 4: Novel

Author: Wang Xiaobo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: In the years since Wang Xiaobo's passing, the value of his texts has not dimmed with his absence but has rather grown more apparent over time. The literature and beauty he created shine like a bright light, piercing through the barriers of time to inspire the hearts of young people. Judging by the title, readers familiar with history might assume it depicts the courtesan Hongfu, a favorite of the military strategist Li Jing during the late Sui Dynasty, and her elopement with him. However, the book's charm lies in observing history through a modern lens while constructing the modern novel's structure with historical and cultural archetypes. The reconstruction and return of history rest on humanity's shared psychological qualities, common living conditions, and shared existential dilemmas. For those who find joy in thinking, Wang Xiaobo is undoubtedly one of their favorite writers. To commemorate the tenth anniversary of this immortal writer's passing, the first edition of the Complete Works of Wang Xiaobo was published in ten volumes. This collection includes his important writings during his lifetime, with a significant portion newly compiled. The full set is divided into essays, long novels, short novels, short stories, correspondence, and unfinished works, totaling approximately 2 million words. This book is Volume Four of the complete set.
In Li Jing's view, Hongfu was a peculiar courtesan—her figure was too slender, her height too great; from a distance, she seemed top-heavy because of her enormous hairpin, which was as big as a large iron pot. Her skin was extremely fair, and it turned red with just a little sun exposure. She stood on the street, looking around. Li Jing walked over, reached out and snatched her purse, flipping through it. She stared at him, clearly wanting to speak but ultimately not daring to. In the end, Li Jing returned the purse, glaring at her and shouting, "Where did you hide the money?" Hongfu said, "I don't have any money." Li Jing then asked, "Where did you hide that thing?" Hongfu asked, "What thing?" Li Jing said, "What nonsense! Search her!" Hongfu then straightened her arms and sniffed her armpits. After sniffing both sides, she said, "I bathe every day, how could it smell?" Li Jing stared for a moment, then chuckled, waved her away, and left.
Later, Li Jing said he found many imported goods in Hongfu's purse, like small mirrors from the Western Regions and perfumes from the South Seas. The leather coat and skirt she wore were made of genuine Moroccan leather, light and soft—unlike other courtesans, who wore fake Moroccan leather that squeaked and smelled. She also exuded a captivating musk scent, a scent that was always difficult to catch. A courtesan like this without money was hard to believe. If a real ruffian had encountered her in such a situation, he would have certainly caused a scene on the street, knocking her to the mud and throwing her purse onto the rooftops. But he didn't do that; instead, he lingered for a moment in the lingering scent left behind as she passed, then climbed onto the roof, swaying back and forth to find his balance, before walking forward. This incident marked the end of Li Jing's sudden realization and quickly led him to imagine the woman's origins, her destination, and even begin a love affair with her.
Needless to say, someone like him was not fit for any serious task. If Hongfu were truly seen as a courtesan, she would have faced many troubles. Fortunately, her attire was ambiguous enough that not only did clients dare not patronize her, but even bold ruffians wouldn't dare to approach her for protection money. Only Li Jing, the foolish youth, came straight and snatched her purse. After he left, Hongfu heard someone say, "Well, two plainclothes officers bumped into each other." That remark was actually incorrect—even female plainclothes officers couldn't afford Moroccan leather. But how many street ruffians in Luoyang recognized Moroccan leather, let alone its value? Only someone as erudite as Li Jing would know, and since his mind was constantly occupied with geometry problems, he didn't find it strange at the time. Only when he reached the rooftop and stepped onto the main street did he exclaim, "Damn it, that's not right!" He wanted to turn back to look at Hongfu, but the cart driver following him cursed, "Damn it, are you walking or grinding grain?" So he didn't go back; instead, he went to the East City and told a friend he had encountered a courtesan wearing Moroccan leather. The friend said, "Good thing! She must be a plainclothes officer. If she accuses you of indecent assault, you'll spend half a year in jail." Li Jing said, "Don't joke, Moroccan leather sells for twenty dollars per square inch." The friend said, "She's a high-ranking plainclothes officer." Li Jing said, "Forget it, no matter what she is. Tell me, I've proven Fermat's Theorem." Fermat claimed to have proven it, but he never wrote it down, so proving it was no different from not proving it, and no one knew if he had truly proven it. Li Jing wanted his friend to publish a book for him to announce this great discovery. But the friend said, "Cut it out, you haven't even been beaten enough yet." He asked Li Jing to draw erotic illustrations for him, charging ten dollars per piece, because he had just been beaten and agreed. This was because drawing illustrations would give him tangible money, far better than the intangible mathematical theorem.
But after a while, he realized that drawing a single picture was only worth half a square inch of Moroccan leather—was this kind of life worth living? In the end, he managed to write Fermat's Theorem into the text of the erotic illustrations, showing that he still hadn't given up, continuing to imagine all sorts of things. Such things were not uncommon—for example, there is a line in an ancient Chinese rhyme:
"Three people walking together is rare in ancient times,
An old tree blooms with twenty-one branches."