The True Story of Ah-Q (8: Barred from the Revolution)

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The True Story of Ah-Q
Chapter 8: Barred from the Revolution
The people of Weichuang became more reassured every day. From the news that was brought they knew that, although the revolutionaries had entered the town, their coming had not made a great deal of difference. The magistrate was still the highest official, it was only his title that had changed; and the successful provincial candidate also had some post-the Weichuang villagers could not remember these names clearly-some kind of official post; while the head of the military was still the same old captain. The only cause for alarm was that, the day after their arrival, some bad revolutionaries made trouble by cutting off people's pigtails. It was said that the boatman "Seven Pounder" from the next village had fallen into their clutches, and that he no longer looked presentable. Still, the danger of this was not great, because the Weichuang villagers seldom went to town to begin with, and those who had been considering a trip to town at once changed their minds in order to avoid this risk. Ah Q had been thinking of going to town to look up his old friends, but as soon as he heard the news he became resigned and gave up the idea.
It would be wrong, however, to say that there were no reforms in Weichuang. During the next few days the number of people who coiled their pigtails on their heads gradually increased, and, as has already been said, the first to do so was naturally the successful county candidate; the next were Chao Szu-chen and Chao Pai-yen, and after them Ah Q. If it had been summer it would not have been considered strange if everybody had coiled their pigtails on their heads or tied them in knots; but this was late autumn, so that this autumn observance of a summer practice on the part of those who coiled their pigtails could be considered nothing short of a heroic decision, and as far as Weichuang was concerned it could not be said to have had no connection with the reforms.
When Chao Szu-chen approached with the nape of his neck bare, people who saw him remarked, "Ah! Here comes a revolutionary!"
When Ah Q heard this he was greatly impressed. Although he had long since heard how the successful county candidate had coiled his pigtail on his head, it had never occurred to him to do the same. Only now when he saw that Chao Szuchen had followed suit was he struck with the idea of doing the same himself. He made up his mind to copy them. He used a bamboo chopstick to twist his pigtail up on his head, and after some hesitation eventually summoned up the courage to go out.
As he walked along the street people looked at him, but nobody said anything. Ah Q was very displeased at first, then he became very resentful. Recently he had been losing his temper very easily. As a matter of fact his life was no harder than before the revolution, people treated him politely, and the shops no longer demanded payment in cash, yet Ah Q still felt dissatisfied. He thought since a revolution had taken place, it should involve more than this. When he saw Young D, his anger boiled over.
Young D had also coiled his pigtail up on his head and, what was more, he had actually used a bamboo chopstick to do so too. Ah Q had never imagined that Young D would also have the courage to do this; he certainly could not tolerate such a thing! Who was Young D anyway? He was greatly tempted to seize him then and there, break his bamboo chopstick, let down his pigtail and slap his face several times into the bargain to punish him for forgetting his place and for his presumption in becoming a revolutionary. But in the end he let him off, simply fixing him with a furious glare, spitting, and exclaiming, "Pah!"
These last few days the only one to go to town was the Imitation Foreign Devil. The successful county candidate in the Chao family had thought of using the deposited cases as a pretext to call on the successful provincial candidate, but the danger that he might have his pigtail cut off had made him defer his visit. He had written an extremely formal letter, and asked the Imitation Foreign Devil to take it to town; he had also asked the latter to introduce him to the Liberty Party. When the Imitation Foreign Devil came back he asked the successful county candidate for four dollars, after which the successful county candidate wore a silver peach on his chest. All the Weichuang villagers were overawed, and said that this was the badge of the Persimmon Oil Party, [17] equivalent to the rank of a Han Lin. [18] As a result, Mr. Chao's prestige suddenly increased, far more so in fact than when his son first passed the official examination; consequently he started looking down on everyone else, and, when he saw Ah Q, tended to ignore him a little.
Ah Q was thoroughly discontented at finding himself continually ignored, but as soon as he heard of this silver peach he realized at once why he was left out in the cold. Simply to say that you had gone over was not enough to make anyone a revolutionary; nor was it enough merely to wind your pigtail up on your head; the most important thing was to get into touch with the revolutionary party. In all his life he had known only two revolutionaries, one of whom had already lost his head in town, leaving only the Imitation Foreign Devil. Unless he went at once to talk things over with the Imitation Foreign Devil, no way would be left open to him.
The front gate of the Chien house happened to be open, and Ah Q crept timidly in. Once inside he gave a start, for there he saw the Imitation Foreign Devil standing in the middle of the courtyard dressed entirely in black, no doubt in foreign dress, and also wearing a silver peach. In his hand he held the stick with which Ah Q was already acquainted to his cost, and the foot or so of hair which he had grown again fell over his shoulders, hanging dishevelled like Saint Liu's. [19] Standing erect before him were Chao Pai-yen and three others, all of them listening with the utmost deference to what the Imitation Foreign Devil was saying.
Ah Q tiptoed inside and stood behind Chao Pai-yen, wanting to utter a greeting, but not knowing what to say. Obviously he could not call the man "Imitation Foreign Devil," and neither "Foreigner" nor "Revolutionary" seemed suitable. Perhaps the best form of address would be "Mr. Foreigner."
But Mr. Foreigner had not seen him, because with eyes raised he was saying with great animation:
"I am so impulsive that when we met I kept saying, 'Old Hung, we should get on with it!' But he always answered 'Nein!'-that's a foreign word which you wouldn't understand. Otherwise we should have succeeded long ago. This is an instance of how cautious he is. He asked me again and again to go to Hupeh, but I wouldn't agree. Who wants to work in a small district town?…"
"Er-er-" Ah Q waited for him to pause, and then screwed up his courage to speak. But for some reason or other he still did not call him Mr. Foreigner.
The four men who had been listening gave a start and turned to stare at Ah Q. Mr. Foreigner too caught sight of him for the first time.
"What?"
"I…"
"Clear out!"
"I want to join…"
"Get out!" said Mr. Foreigner, lifting the "mourner's stick." Then Chao Pai-yen and the others shouted, "Mr. Chien tells you to get out, don't you hear!"
Ah Q put up his hands to protect his head, and without knowing what he was doing fled through the gate; but this time Mr. Foreigner did not give chase. After running more than sixty steps Ah Q slowed down, and began to feel most upset, because if Mr. Foreigner would not allow him to be a revolutionary, there was no other way open to him. In future he could never hope to have men in white helmets and white armour come to call him. All his ambition, aims, hope and future had been blasted at one stroke. The fact that people might spread the news and make him a laughing-stock for the likes of Young D and Whiskers Wang was only a secondary consideration.
Never before had he felt so flat. Even coiling his pigtail on his head now struck him as pointless and ridiculous. As a form of revenge he was very tempted to let his pigtail down at once, but he did not do so. He wandered about till evening, when after drinking two bowls of wine on credit he began to feel in better spirits, and in his mind's eye saw fragmentary visions of white helmets and white armour once more.
One day he loafed about until late at night. Only when the wine shop was about to close did he start to stroll back to the Tutelary God's Temple.
"Bang-bump!"
He suddenly heard an unusual sound, which could not have been firecrackers. Ah Q, who always liked excitement and enjoyed poking his nose into other people's business, went looking for the noise in the darkness. He thought he heard footsteps ahead, and was listening carefully when a man suddenly rushed out in front of him. As soon as Ah Q saw him, he turned and followed as fast as he could. When that man turned, Ah Q turned too, and when after turning a corner that man stopped, Ah Q stopped too. He saw there was no one behind, and that the man was Young D.
"What is the matter?" asked Ah Q resentfully.
"Chao… the Chao family has been robbed," panted Young D.
Ah Q's heart went pit-a-pat. After telling him this, Young D left. Ah Q ran on, then stopped two or three times. However, since he had once been in the business himself, he felt exceptionally courageous. Emerging from the street corner, he listened carefully and thought he heard shouting; he also looked carefully and thought he could see a lot of men in white helmets and white armour, carrying off cases, carrying off furniture, even carrying off the Ningpo bed of the successful county candidate's wife; he could not, however, see them very clearly. He wanted to go nearer, but his feet were rooted to the ground.
There was no moon that night, and Weichuang was very still in the pitch darkness, as quiet as in the peaceful days of the ancient Emperor Fu Hsi. [20] Ah Q stood there until he lost interest, yet everything still seemed the same as before; in the distance people moved to and fro, carrying things, carrying off cases, carrying off furniture, carrying off the Ningpo bed of the successful county candidate's wife… carrying until he could hardly believe his own eyes. But he decided not to go nearer, and went back to the temple.
It was even darker in the Tutelary God's Temple. When he had closed the big gate he groped his way into his room, and only after he had been lying down for some time did he feel calm enough to begin thinking how this affected him. The men in white helmets and white armour had evidently arrived, but they had not come to call him; they had taken away many things, but there was no share for him-this was all the fault of the Imitation Foreign Devil, who had barred him from the rebellion. Otherwise how could he have failed to have a share this time?
The more Ah Q thought of it the angrier he grew, until he was in a towering rage. "So no rebellion for me, only for you, eh?" he exclaimed, nodding maliciously. "Curse you, you Imitation Foreign Devil-all right, be a rebel! A rebel is punished by having his head chopped off. I'll turn informer, and see you carried into town to have your head cut off-you and all your family… Kill, kill!"

---

[17] The Liberty Party was called Zi You Dang. The villagers, not understanding the word Liberty, turned Zi You into Shi You, which means persimmon oil.
[18] The highest literary degree in the Ching dynasty (1644-1911).
[19] An immortal in Chinese folk legend, always portrayed with flowing hair.
[20] One of the earliest legendary monarchs in China.

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第8章 不准革命
未庄的人心日见其安静了。据传来的消息，知道革命党虽然进了城，倒还没有什么大异样。知县大老爷还是原官，不过改称了什么，而且举人老爷也做了什么——这些名目，未庄人都说不明白——官，带兵的也还是先前的老把总（⒍）。只有一件可怕的事是另有几个不好的革命党夹在里面捣乱，第二天便动手剪辫子，听说那邻村的航船七斤便着了道儿，弄得不像人样子了。但这却还不算大恐怖，因为未庄人本来少上城，即使偶有想进城的，也就立刻变了计，碰不着这危险。阿Ｑ本也想进城去寻他的老朋友，一得这消息，也只得作罢了。

    但未庄也不能说是无改革。几天之后，将辫子盘在顶上的逐渐增加起来了，早经说过，最先自然是茂才公，其次便是赵司晨和赵白眼，后来是阿Ｑ。倘在夏天，大家将辫子盘在头顶上或者打一个结，本不算什么稀奇事，但现在是暮秋，所以这"秋行夏令"的情形，在盘辫家不能不说是万分的英断，而在未庄也不能说无关于改革了。

    赵司晨脑后空荡荡的走来，看见的人大嚷说，

    "豁，革命党来了！"

    阿Ｑ听到了很羡慕。他虽然早知道秀才盘辫的大新闻，但总没有想到自己可以照样做，现在看见赵司晨也如此，才有了学样的意思，定下实行的决心。他用一支竹筷将辫子盘在头顶上，迟疑多时，这才放胆的走去。

    他在街上走，人也看他，然而不说什么话，阿Ｑ当初很不快，后来便很不平。他近来很容易闹脾气了；其实他的生活，倒也并不比造反之前反艰难，人见他也客气，店铺也不说要现钱。而阿Ｑ总觉得自己太失意：既然革了命，不应该只是这样的。况且有一回看见小Ｄ，愈使他气破肚皮了。

    小Ｄ也将辫子盘在头顶上了，而且也居然用一支竹筷。阿Ｑ万料不到他也敢这样做，自己也决不准他这样做！小Ｄ是什么东西呢？他很想即刻揪住他，拗断他的竹筷，放下他的辫子，并且批他几个嘴巴，聊且惩罚他忘了生辰八字，也敢来做革命党的罪。但他终于饶放了，单是怒目而视的吐一口唾沫道"呸！"

    这几日里，进城去的只有一个假洋鬼子。赵秀才本也想靠着寄存箱子的渊源，亲身去拜访举人老爷的，但因为有剪辫的危险，所以也中止了。他写了一封"黄伞格"（⒎）的信，托假洋鬼子带上城，而且托他给自己绍介绍介，去进自由党。假洋鬼子回来时，向秀才讨还了四块洋钱，秀才便有一块银桃子挂在大襟上了；未庄人都惊服，说这是柿油党的顶子（⒏），抵得一个翰林（⒐）；赵太爷因此也骤然大阔，远过于他儿子初隽秀才的时候，所以目空一切，见了阿Ｑ，也就很有些不放在眼里了。


    阿Ｑ正在不平，又时时刻刻感着冷落，一听得这银桃子的传说，他立即悟出自己之所以冷落的原因了：要革命，单说投降，是不行的；盘上辫子，也不行的；第一着仍然要和革命党去结识。他生平所知道的革命党只有两个，城里的一个早已"嚓"的杀掉了，现在只剩了一个假洋鬼子。他除却赶紧去和假洋鬼子商量之外，再没有别的道路了。

    钱府的大门正开着，阿Ｑ便怯怯的□【音"壁"，字形上"辟"下"足"；瘸行之意】进去。他一到里面，很吃了惊，只见假洋鬼子正站在院子的中央，一身乌黑的大约是洋衣，身上也挂着一块银桃子，手里是阿Ｑ曾经领教过的棍子，已经留到一尺多长的辫子都拆开了披在肩背上，蓬头散发的像一个刘海仙（⒑）。对面挺直的站着赵白眼和三个闲人，正在必恭必敬的听说话。

    阿Ｑ轻轻的走近了，站在赵白眼的背后，心里想招呼，却不知道怎么说才好：叫他假洋鬼子固然是不行的了，洋人也不妥，革命党也不妥，或者就应该叫洋先生了罢。

    洋先生却没有见他，因为白着眼睛讲得正起劲：

    "我是性急的，所以我们见面，我总是说：洪哥（⒒）！我们动手罢！他却总说道Ｎｏ！——这是洋话，你们不懂的。否则早已成功了。然而这正是他做事小心的地方。他再三再四的请我上湖北，我还没有肯。谁愿意在这小县城里做事情。……"

    "唔，……这个……"阿Ｑ候他略停，终于用十二分的勇气开口了，但不知道因为什么，又并不叫他洋先生。

    听着说话的四个人都吃惊的回顾他。洋先生也才看见：

    "什么？"

    "我……"

    "出去！"

    "我要投……"

    "滚出去！"洋先生扬起哭丧棒来了。

    赵白眼和闲人们便都吆喝道："先生叫你滚出去，你还不听么！"

    阿Ｑ将手向头上一遮，不自觉的逃出门外；洋先生倒也没有追。他快跑了六十多步，这才慢慢的走，于是心里便涌起了忧愁：洋先生不准他革命，他再没有别的路；从此决不能望有白盔白甲的人来叫他，他所有的抱负，志向，希望，前程，全被一笔勾销了。至于闲人们传扬开去，给小Ｄ王胡等辈笑话，倒是还在其次的事。

    他似乎从来没有经验过这样的无聊。他对于自己的盘辫子，仿佛也觉得无意味，要侮蔑；为报仇起见，很想立刻放下辫子来，但也没有竟放。他游到夜间，赊了两碗酒，喝下肚去，渐渐的高兴起来了，思想里才又出现白盔白甲的碎片。

    有一天，他照例的混到夜深，待酒店要关门，才踱回土谷祠去。

    拍，吧～～！

    他忽而听得一种异样的声音，又不是爆竹。阿Ｑ本来是爱看热闹，爱管闲事的，便在暗中直寻过去。似乎前面有些脚步声；他正听，猛然间一个人从对面逃来了。阿Ｑ一看见，便赶紧翻身跟着逃。那人转弯，阿Ｑ也转弯，那人站住了，阿Ｑ也站住。他看后面并无什么，看那人便是小Ｄ。

    "什么？"阿Ｑ不平起来了。

    "赵……赵家遭抢了！"小Ｄ气喘吁吁的说。

    阿Ｑ的心怦怦的跳了。小Ｄ说了便走；阿Ｑ却逃而又停的两三回。但他究竟是做过"这路生意"，格外胆大，于是□【上"辟"下"足"】出路角，仔细的听，似乎有些嚷嚷，又仔细的看，似乎许多白盔白甲的人，络绎的将箱子抬出了，器具抬出了，秀才娘子的宁式床也抬出了，但是不分明，他还想上前，两只脚却没有动。

    这一夜没有月，未庄在黑暗里很寂静，寂静到像羲皇（⒓）时候一般太平。阿Ｑ站着看到自己发烦，也似乎还是先前一样，在那里来来往往的搬，箱子抬出了，器具抬出了，秀才娘子的宁式床也抬出了，……抬得他自己有些不信他的眼睛了。但他决计不再上前，却回到自己的祠里去了。

    土谷祠里更漆黑；他关好大门，摸进自己的屋子里。他躺了好一会，这才定了神，而且发出关于自己的思想来：白盔白甲的人明明到了，并不来打招呼，搬了许多好东西，又没有自己的份，——这全是假洋鬼子可恶，不准我造反，否则，这次何至于没有我的份呢？阿Ｑ越想越气，终于禁不住满心痛恨起来，毒毒的点一点头："不准我造反，只准你造反？妈妈的假洋鬼子，——好，你造反！造反是杀头的罪名呵，我总要告一状，看你抓进县里去杀头，——满门抄斩，——嚓！嚓！"