Dragon's Gate. Vivian Bi

really can’t see the connection?” Shi Ding asked in exaggerated disbelief. This was his revenge.

      “No, I can’t! Get lost, you smart-arse. You always make me feel like a dumbbell. At least Wang Lixin respects me.” She turned away from Shi Ding.

      “Hey, hey, don’t be mad. I’ll tell you, okay?” Shi Ding went to hold her shoulders.

      “Don’t touch me, you lech!” Ermei shook him away.

      “Listen! You lech, you reactionary son of a bitch! Let my daughter out! Li Mei, Li Mei! Come out of that dirty doghouse!” There was a hubbub in the courtyard and a voice was hurling gutter curses.

      Shi Ding went outside and saw a middle-aged man standing in front of Mr Dong’s house. Two young lads stood behind him like bodyguards. All three had unusually fair complexions, like Li Mei’s, indicating a family connection.

      A crowd was gathering and the man became more truculent. “Dong Pingshun, you let go of my daughter! If she’s not out by the time I count to five I’ll smash your house. One, two …”

      The door opened and Li Mei emerged, her head bowed, escorted by Pingshun. Her father jumped down to the landing, grabbed her by the arm and yanked her up so powerfully that Li Mei tripped on the last step. Pingshun rushed forward to help but the man swung at him with his free arm. Pingshun fell back heavily.

      The onlookers gasped and Li Mei began to scream: “Ah, you’ve killed him! It’s not his fault. I wanted to come. Pingshun, Pingshun, I’m so sorry!”

      “You should be sorry!” The man’s face had turned liver-coloured with rage. He pushed his daughter over to his sons and pushed Pingshun up against the door. Pingshun’s broken glasses dangled from one ear. His mouth was shut but his awkward posture and his face showed he was in pain.

      “Let me tell you something, you son of a bitch. Your father is an old reactionary and your sister is a reactionary suspect. I know all about it! You want to date my daughter – that’s a toad lusting after a swan’s flesh!” He turned to the watching crowd: “You’re all witnesses. If he dares woo my daughter again, I will break his neck!” He gave Pingshun another big shake and walked back up to ground level.

      “Hang on!” Sun Lanfen appeared, her face red with anger. “We have sacred laws in our socialist society. We make sure no murderers escape. I’m warning you too: if anything untoward happens to Dong Pingshun, I’ll let the police know that you’re the prime suspect.”

      “Who the hell are you?”

      “The chairman of the Neighbourhood Revolutionary Committee!”

      Sun Lanfen spoke with the strong force of justice. This encouraged some onlookers to boo the outsiders. The man turned back to Pingshun and snarled, “You’d better watch out,” and then left with his children.

      People clustered around Pingshun. Ermei had been standing behind Shi Ding throughout the ordeal, petrified. Shi Ding looked at her and said, “Ermei, it’s fine now. They’ve gone.” Seeing her still frozen, he gave her a nudge. “Come on, it’s over. It’s actually a good thing for you. Li Mei’s gone so you’ll get your bedroom back.”

      “Get away from me! What about my brother?” Ermei burst into tears and ran over to the crowd around her brother.