PCJ – Chapter 85 Chen Dianzi

When crossing the bridge, the onlookers from the village also kept their distance. That’s because there’s a rule about crossing the bridge: if you collide with someone, you end up acknowledging them as your “prospective father-in-law” (meaning, the father-in-law of your child).

Here in Meizi Village, there’s a custom like this: when children cross the bridge, whoever they collide with, they have to acknowledge their prospective father-in-law. The terminology is quite interesting; the parents of the child and the prospective father-in-law’s side mutually address each other as in-laws. The child refers to them as father-in-law and mother-in-law (in terms of address, it’s like calling them father-in-law and mother-in-law, but in reality, it’s more like a godfather and godmother).

Usually, arrangements are made in advance, and when crossing the bridge, the other party performs a ceremony. If there’s no such arrangement, as soon as firecrackers are set off here, others quickly make way. Of course, there are also cases where collisions happen inadvertently. Zhang Qigao’s family crosses Yin Bridge, and whether his son exists or not is still uncertain. Naturally, it’s impossible for them to have made arrangements in advance with anyone, and others wouldn’t be willing to become the prospective father-in-law of a child who may not even exist.

As soon as Zhang Jiaohua fell silent, firecrackers immediately sounded. Zhang Jiwang and Zhang Qigao were responsible for placing the wooden bridge over the ditch. Zhang Jiaohua clapped his hands, thinking that today’s affair would probably end here. He thought about whether the red envelope promised by Chen Meijuan contained a large sum of money or a forged brotherhood with a steelworker.

Who knew that at this moment, someone started singing as they approached.

“…Madam Send-Son, Lady Flower, you’ve given me the misfortune of having no children, so give me a chubby son, and I’ll offer you a fat lamb to enhance your fragrance, steel four ounces, weigh the steel, I want a pair of them, one to send to school, and the other to support him in life…”

The person wore tattered black clothes, with very long but unkempt hair, and it was unclear when they had last washed. Their face was also sooty, except for the very white eyes. Despite frequently grinning, they showcased a set of immaculate teeth. The legs of their pants were already in tatters, exposing their legs up to the knees, and they weren’t wearing shoes; their feet were tightly wrapped in mud.

This person wasn’t from Meizi Village, and Zhang Jiaohua didn’t recognize them. However, the villagers quickly shouted out the person’s identity.

“It’s Chen Dianzi! What’s someone like you doing here when there’s a bridge crossing?”

The person was Chen Dianzi, a famous madman from Meizi Mountain. However, he rarely ventured outside. So, for children like Zhang Jiaohua who didn’t go out much, they didn’t even recognize Chen Dianzi, this famous figure.

Chen Dianzi chuckled and started singing again.

“Last year, you were eager for me, this year, you’re hugging me, Lord Buddha, you’re the one who gave me a child, and the child smiles at you, inside the crotch, a bull dangles!”

It wasn’t clear if Chen Dianzi understood what others said to him; he lived in his own world. Perhaps others laughed at his madness, but the world didn’t know that his world was only filled with songs.

Someone who wasn’t afraid of causing trouble shouted loudly, “Qigao, according to the customs of our Meizi Mountain, if someone collides with you when crossing the bridge, you have to acknowledge them as your prospective father-in-law today.”

Though this was said in jest, when everyone heard it, they realized it made sense. Recognizing a prospective father-in-law when crossing the bridge was indeed a collision. If someone had bad luck and collided with not a person but a dog, they still had to awkwardly acknowledge that dog as their prospective father-in-law. Now, at least someone had collided with a person.

Zhang Qigao’s family naturally didn’t want to acknowledge a madman as their prospective father-in-law. Zhang Qigao walked over and shouted loudly, “Chen Dianzi, go elsewhere. Don’t delay our important matters here.”

Zhang Jiaohua suddenly said loudly, “Uncle Qigao, someone has brought you a child, why are you driving them away?”

Zhang Qigao, who had walked halfway, immediately stopped in his tracks, turned around with a bitter smile, and said to Zhang Jiaohua, “Jiaohua, don’t joke with Uncle.”

“What joke am I making with you? Didn’t you hear the song he just sang? It’s a good omen. If you want a child, hurry up and acknowledge him as your prospective father-in-law. Maybe next year you’ll be a father. If you drive him away, you’ll never have a child in your life.” Zhang Jiaohua said seriously.

Zhang Jiwang also said, “Jiaohua is right. If someone brings you a child, why do you despise it? Don’t forget, Chen Dianzi might be mad, but back when the production brigade existed, he was famous far and wide. You know that too. It’s a pity; a well-established man has turned into a madman. Sigh.”

Zhang Qigao was still hesitating, but Chen Meijuan hurried over and said, “Qigao, what Jiaohua and Uncle Ji said is right. No matter what, this is a good sign. Acknowledging a prospective father-in-law doesn’t mean he has to come to our house. At most, when you have a child, you can send him some gifts on holidays. Why bother about whether he’s mad or not?”

With Zhang Jiaohua’s warning and the comfort of the crowd, Zhang Qigao happily acknowledged Chen Dianzi as his prospective father-in-law.

Zhang Jiwang added, “Qigao, by acknowledging this prospective father-in-law and treating Chen Dianzi, this poor man, kindly, you’re actually accumulating virtue for yourself, so that today’s Yin Bridge is paved with the right path. Jiaohua is right; Chen Dianzi has brought you a child. Treat him well. Don’t think because he’s mad, you can ignore him and be lacking in courtesy. Take him to your home, give him a bath, change him into clean clothes, and treat him to a good meal. Afterwards, take care of him a little more. Consider it accumulating virtue for your child.”

Everyone thought Zhang Jiwang made sense.

At first, Zhang Qigao indeed looked down on Chen Dianzi, worried that if he became Chen Dianzi’s prospective father-in-law, he would lose face in the future. But after hearing Zhang Jiwang’s words, he felt more at ease. He took Chen Dianzi to his home, heated water, and bathed Chen Dianzi. They used a large cauldron to heat water, and it took three or four times before the water became clear. Then they called the village’s barber to give Chen Dianzi a haircut and gave him clean clothes to wear.

Chen Dianzi was also strange. You could say he was mad, yet when they were doing these things, he didn’t struggle at all. You could say he wasn’t mad, yet when it was time to eat, he didn’t sit at the table. He took a bowl of rice, squatted in the corridor to eat, and didn’t help himself to dishes. He ate whatever Zhang’s family served him.

Zhang Jiaohua felt that Chen Dianzi was truly strange. Despite his apparent madness, this person’s spirit seemed purer than that of the ordinary villagers. Why would such a pure person behave so madly?

After finishing his meal, Chen Dianzi didn’t linger at Zhang’s home as Zhang Qigao’s family had feared. After putting down his bowl, he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his clean clothes and started singing.

“In this world, the single don’t find a wife, only the distant love of a woman to worry about; last year was a bachelor, this year is still a bachelor, thinking of being single is truly hard to bear; out for three or five days, smoke rises from the house; digging in the big pit, digs out a black snake; lifting the lid of the stove, reveals a toad; thinking of being single is truly hard to endure. This mountain looks at that mountain’s height, on the other side of the mountain, there’s a tree with good peaches; if the young man doesn’t eat peaches or take action, if he doesn’t love fragrant wood or use a knife; if the water hits the thatch, the man doesn’t pull, if he doesn’t fish for someone else’s wife; only I, the man, uphold the single-minded spirit.”

This was the Meizi Ao version of a single’s love song, sung by many people in the village, but no one sang it with the spirit that Chen Dianzi did.