Chapter 18: No Such Person Here

Liu Yimin opened the box, and a brand-new wristwatch appeared before his eyes. In the center of the dial were the words “China Shanghai Brand,” and the hands ticked steadily around the face.

“Hurry, try it on!” Liu Yiguo urged with a smile.

Yang Xiuyun and Liu Fuqing gathered around as well, staring at the watch in Liu Yimin’s palm. Such a fine item was usually seen only on the wrists of other leaders; they had never been this close to one before.

“Brother, this is too expensive. I can’t accept it; you should keep it,” Liu Yimin said hastily.

This brand-new Shanghai watch cost 120 yuan—a true luxury. Most of Liu Yiguo’s monthly wages were sent home, so Liu Yimin couldn’t imagine how he could have afforded it.

Even if he hadn’t sent his earnings home, it would have taken months of saving to buy one. The real issue was the industrial coupon—much scarcer than bicycle coupons. They rarely trickled down; most were claimed by those with connections up above.

“I’m just a coal miner; people would laugh if I wore this. But you’re different now—you’re a writer. When you were a teacher, I wanted to save up and buy you a watch, but I couldn’t get a coupon and didn’t have the money then.”

Seeing Liu Yimin refuse to wear it, Liu Yiguo simply took his brother’s hand and fastened the watch onto his wrist, then showed it off to their parents. “Look, doesn’t it suit Yimin?”

“Eldest, how much did this cost?” asked Yang Xiuyun.

Liu Yiguo didn’t mention the price—only replied, “Not much.”

“Mother, it costs 120 yuan for a watch, but the problem is the coupon,” Liu Yimin explained.

Liu Yiguo declared with pride, “I was recently named Top Coal Miner, came in first place—the coupon was the mine’s reward. You wouldn’t believe it, but even miners with over a decade of experience didn’t outperform me.”

When he got the industrial coupon, many people wanted to buy it from him for a high price, but Liu Yiguo never sold it. He borrowed twenty yuan from someone and bought the watch for Liu Yimin.

The money he usually saved up wasn’t enough, but with extra overtime and a bit of subsidy from the mine, he finally scraped together the 120 yuan.

Liu Yimin said, distressed, “Brother, let me pay you. I have money now—I’ve earned 360 yuan in royalties.”

“That much?” Liu Yiguo exclaimed in surprise. The mine’s clerk had told him that new contributors usually earned very little.

The clerk wrote articles for the mining bureau’s newspaper and only got a yuan or two each time.

Liu Fuqing had called the mine from the team office’s phone. There were people around at the time, so he couldn’t say how much money had arrived—he knew better than to reveal wealth openly.

In Ruxian, the local production teams and the brigade offices were mostly electrified, with broadcast lines pulled from the commune and two big loudspeakers hanging on poles outside the brigade office.

The telephone line was connected through the broadcast line, but dialing made a persistent buzzing sound. In the morning and evening, the line was switched over to broadcast mode as required, and calls couldn’t be made during those times.

“So, eldest, the money for the watch should come from the second,” Liu Fuqing said with a laugh.

Liu Yiguo affectionately ruffled Liu Yimin’s hair. He hadn’t expected his little brother could now earn money for the family. Turning to their parents, he said, “This is a gift from me to Yimin. It wouldn’t be right for him to talk money with his own brother, would it?”

Yang Xiuyun hurried off to prepare a meal—flatbread again. Liu Yiguo tore into it with big bites. Liu Yimin noticed that his brother’s hands, callused from years of coal work, had black stains deep in the creases, marks that wouldn’t wash out, and after so long, the pigment had settled into the very surface of the skin.

After half a day at home, Liu Yiguo was off again—he needed to rest at the mine for an hour or two before heading back down the shaft at night.

Liu Yimin quickly borrowed Li Lanyong’s bicycle to take Liu Yiguo to the mine.

The Third Mine was at the edge of town, much the same road as going to the county seat, and the route was all downhill. The two brothers chatted the whole way. When Liu Yiguo learned that Liu Yimin was confident about the upcoming college entrance exam, his smile was as bright as if he could already see his brother being admitted to university.

“At last, someone from our Liu family will make it out. Yimin, don’t worry—if you go away to school, I’ll take good care of our parents at home. You needn’t be concerned about anything. But don’t put too much pressure on yourself, either—don’t stretch yourself too tight.”

Liu Yiguo had attended middle school. He’d once hoped to be recommended for vocational school but hadn’t made it, ending up at the coal mine.

“Brother, if you want to try for college, I’ll help you review. The exam’s just been reinstated—the questions aren’t hard,” Liu Yimin said as he pedaled.

A spark of longing flashed in Liu Yiguo’s eyes, only to fade again. “Forget it—it’s been too many years since I studied.”

Passing through the commune, Liu Yiguo had him stop by the supply cooperative. He went in and bought a pile of candy, coming out with an expression of painful reluctance.

“The guys at the mine heard you’re a writer now—they insisted I treat them, so I’m bringing some candy,” Liu Yiguo said, torn between pain and pride.

Liu Yimin thought to himself that news of his published novel was about to spread everywhere.

In the miners’ dormitory, the air was thick with coal dust and the stench of feet, with snores echoing through the room. Liu Yiguo set the bag of candy down, then pulled a pair of Liberation Shoes wrapped in yellow paper from his cabinet under the bed.

“Yimin, try these on. Our feet are the same size—how can you walk around with your toes poking out of your old shoes?”

Liu Yimin tried them and grimaced. “Brother, they’re too small—my toes are cramped. It’s fine, I’ll just buy a new pair at the commune.”

“All right—then you’d better head back now!”

After Liu Yimin left, Liu Yiguo looked at the shoes in his hand and muttered, “Didn’t grow taller, but your feet sure did.”

Suddenly, one of the miners woke up and, rubbing his eyes, half-asleep, asked, “Yiguo, you’re back? What’s your brother’s novel about?”

“It’s called ‘The Donkey Gets Water,’” Liu Yiguo replied.

“Oh, donkeys need water.” With that, the miner rolled over and fell back into a deep sleep.

On August 3, the eighth issue of People’s Literature and Art for 1978 was officially published. The magazine, distributed through all sorts of channels, appeared in bookstores, newsstands, and on the doorsteps of subscribers nationwide. For the first time, Liu Yimin’s name entered the view of readers across the country.

When the postman delivered the magazine, he looked at Liu Yimin with excitement. “Yimin, quick—see if your story’s in here!”

Smiling, Liu Yimin flipped it open and found, on page ten, the bold title “The Donkey Gets Water,” with the line below: [Author: Liu Yimin, Ruxian County, Henan Province].

He turned a few more pages and, sure enough, found Cui Daoyi’s review of his story, titled “The Donkey Gets Water—Absurd and Grotesque Satire, Facing Humanity with a Dramatic Pen.”

“Keep it up, Yimin! I hope I’ll be delivering your work to everyone often in the future,” the postman said happily.

Meanwhile, at the Ruxian County Cultural Center, Director Old Zhang was staring at the name in the magazine, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. He’d never heard of anyone by that name in Ruxian County!