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[wenzili]

4. Unmovable Painting Marks

(1) A Cool People�s Delegation

Opposite to the photo shop and across the street, there was a painting shop run by Master Tong.
In recognition of formal working class member, he had been elected to �People�s Delegation� and �People�s Jury� as well. Therefore, he always been found solemnly sitting up behind the judge.
He was so cool, that you could hardly found his face lit up.
He always kept himself busy at painting work with a dreadful smell and numerous painting marks on his overalls, which made him look like dressed in camouflage.
His shop was full of painted furniture for dowry, such as wardrobes, dressing tables and some ugly �soul plates� for funeral as well.

(2) Mysterious Soul Plate

With about 1 foot height, the �soul plate� is a house-like box holding a seated plate inside. The box looks like a black tombstone house. There is a narrow glass window inserted in front penal which is weirdly decorated by some yellow and green patterns around the glass. Through the winder the name, birth and death days of the dead can dimly be read on the plate.
People said the soul plate accommodates the soul of the dead. Therefore, once someone died, its successor must come to Master Tong�s shop and bought a �soul plate� for funnel and seasoning worship. This deal was much batter than that for dowry. People always said: �the people dropping in his shop with tears were much more than those with smiles.�
As a na�ve child, I was always scared by this mysterious soul plates and always puzzled by a fact why should the soul plate be considered with less superstition than our incense? My mother explained: �we are small potatoes not a people�s delegation!�.

(4) Charming Landlady

For above reasons, his shop was much less popular to our children than others�.
On the contrary to our attitude, some thirsty bachelor was always dropping around on purpose. They always addicted themselves to talk to Master Tong�s wife, a charming landlady.
With snow white skin and large and shining eyes, the landlady was considered a great beauty in our community. Her eyesight was so attractive that whomever it cast to, the man might immediately be disturbed.
Maybe for human being�s jealous nature towards beauty or for hate to her husband�s arrogance, people always pointed to Tong�s back and mumbled to him:� What a arrogant tortoise!* For what? For your green cap on head?** How many Japanese devils had your wife slept with, do you know?�
At that time we were too young to understand what that meant. As we grew up, the story came out in daylight.

(5) Painful Historic Wound

During the Japanese invasion, his wife was captured and forced to be a �comfort woman (military prostitute)�. She had born a physical and moral humiliation until 1945, when Japanese ghosts had been beaten. She came back to her husband again with a deep sense of shame which actually was forced by the evil upon an innocent weak woman.
With deep wounds in their minds, these miserable couple would never be free from the taunts given by their compatriots ever since. The same as those painting marks on Tong�s cloths; it could never be washed out in our community.

* It is a forbidden word to taunt a man for his timid nature like a withdrawal head�s tortoise without any reaction when his wife has a sexual relationship with someone else. It also implies his sexual disablement, as soft as a withdrawal tortoise�s head.
** Green cap is also a forbidden word with almost the same meaning as tortoise.

(To be continued by P5 <A Nobel Copper Smith> )

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