Les Interprètes

　　Cheng Jia Yang

I hadn’t returned for a long time before I moved into my house to live.

I had learned from Lao Zhou’s side, the Ministry of Commerce that Qiao Fei had resigned her job there.

Of course she had also not returned to the travel agency to work part time.

This afternoon, after I knew about this, at first I wanted to laugh, this was clearly a child, who was she playing with? If she couldn’t make any extra money, she would put herself into financial trouble.　

Then after I thought about it, she was clearly hiding from me.

Breaking off our relationship little by little.

When I thought to here, I grabbed my car keys and left the office.

I drove to the Foreign Languages Building and went to the French Department, there was no one in the cla.s.sroom, I drove around two times under the dormitory, and I didn’t see her, I lighted my cigarette, and thought, should I call her from downstairs or not? While I was contemplating, from far away, I saw that there was someone playing basketball on the court, two girl teams were fiercely battling it out, one person suddenly jumped up and clapped her teammate, when she looked around, it was Qiao Fei, her small face was red and shiny, in high-spirits.

I laughed, put out the smoke, and turned on my car.

Who had I been pitying?

This person had always been better than me, she had let go of me, and never had to go socializing again, which probably allowed her to make her friends more freely.

I had been worrying about her condition, but why not worry about myself.

I drove to the English Building Entrance, and I actually saw many figures that I hadn’t seen for a long time, Fu Ming Fang walked out. Ever since her marriage, I hadn’t seen her in a long time, it was early summer again, Ming Fang wore her favorite light colored skirt, slender and delicate.

I pressed the car horn.

We sat inside the building entrance cafe, a year ago this place had been called “Love Night Pavilion” but now it was called “Springtime Painting”, even the boss didn’t know how many heads had changed.

A majority of the people who sat here were teachers and students from the Foreign Languages Department, we chose a seat next to the window, and asked for green tea and Smelly Broad Beans. “How is it? Life after your marriage should be very exciting?” I said happily.

“I don’t feel any changes.” Ming replied, “I just have to make more food every day, and when I go travel, I have another person to accompany me.”

I nodded my head.

This was a very romantic thing.

“Jia Yang, do you think I’ve changed in any way?”

I carefully looked at her, and only felt that she was unscarred, she looked great, her face was flushed, she was more charming than before she had married.”

“I, your big sister (friendly) have a baby.”

I froze for a second.

Ming Fang laughed, joyful and lonely: “How can you not see it? After not too long, you’ll have a little child to call you uncle.”

I held her hand, and finally found that she really was a little more fat than last time: “Congratulations, I really congratulate you.”

“I wasn’t a restless person before too, so you probably can’t see it, but I have always wanted to walk around the world, to see different people, to live differently everyday, but, after I married, I had to settle down, and live my life, have a child. Then I feel different, almost as if there is something that stabilizes your fluttering heart.” Ming returned, she put her hand on mine again. “Even though boys aren’t urgent, having a household is better than just one person.”

“And it’s even a boy, you’re 27, almost 30.” I said.

“That’s why. Why not find a good match and get along well.”

I lowered my head and laughed: “Ming Fang, really, I had even thought you were getting on well, but now you’ve actually become a housewife.”

At this time, a few girls walked in, they looked like they were the students who had just been playing basketball, their uniforms said something like “j.a.panese Department”.

They sat next to Ming Fang and I, and called for some soda, fruit salad, and some snacks, because they were lost and angry they hadn’t said a few sentences before they brought up Qiao Fei.

“Did you see that girl from the French Department who shot a lot of baskets today? Do you know who she is?”

“What news is that, that’s Qiao Fei, right now she’s even famous, who doesn’t know she did? She was always at the nightclub counter.”

“I even thought she was something, so she was actually a fake. Bleh.”

“Ah, but she is really strong, she plays really well, I hear that her studies are actually not bad.”

“You know the person, and her appearance but you don’t know her heart. Who would do these types of things?”

While the girls were gossiping, this was the first time I felt how poisonous words were. I looked at Ming Fang, she had also heard their words.

“You know about this?”

“Word pa.s.ses quickly in the school.” She drank a cup of tea, “How can that little girl endure so much slander? These people, everything is based on false evidence, don’t even say if this situation is real, even if it is, who has not made a mistake in life?”

She spoke louder, and said to the table next to us: “Cla.s.smates, this is a public area, please lower your voices.”

I drove back and sent Ming Fang home, while I aimlessly drove around on the road.

I felt a little conflicted.

Qiao Fei, what kind of a life was she living right now?

According to her previous emotional strength, what kind of a person could survive in such scary malicious gossip?

But today, when I saw her playing basketball, her laugh, I thought of her special family, her childhood experience of suffering, she had an unfortunate fate.

I stopped my car by the seaside and saw the dark colors of the sky reflected onto the ocean.

I thought, I must do something for her.

　　Qiao Fei

The time pa.s.sed quickly, it was almost time for the final exam.

I studied while calling a few tourist groups, I hoped I could find a job during the break.

But when the others knew I was still a student, they basically pa.s.sed me off.

When I was leaving the two jobs Cheng Jia Yang had prepared for me, I did not secure anything, and looking at it right now, besides myself who felt that I was fairly rich, from others’ standpoints, I was still basically a commoner .

But it wasn’t that there wasn’t any good news.

My dad’s body was recovering well. With help from the street neighbors, my mom rented her own house and started a small shop, and she no longer had to sell cigarettes in the hot sun and blowing wind.

That day, I read books in the dormitory, when the phone rang, and the head came to find me again.

I didn’t know what happened

When I wore my shoes, I thought, I didn’t care about much, it wouldn’t be that bad if I just withdrew from the school. Then I could go to the south to work, or to Africa to reconstruct, at that side there was probably a lack of French interpreters, and I could make some money, I could then improve my cooking skills and I could become a chef and a worker, making two salaries, only making money, not spending money, there was not anything to consume in Africa anyways, I could save three years of money and give my mom a little, then I could study at France, and according to what Aulde had said, Montepieller had a sunny southern coast, it would be great.

Director, please take me out of my studies now.

I thought about it, and went to the Head’s Office.

I knocked on the door, and only the old professor was there.

He was currently writing a few things down, he looked up and glanced at me: “Come, sit.”

I was very fearless, really, I was basically like this all the time.

The head gave me a few forms: “Qiao Fei, fill in this one, one in Chinese and one in French.”

I lowered my head to look at it, I couldn’t believe my own expression, this was a form to become an exchange student. Trembling, I asked: “Teacher, what is this?”

After I knew the circ.u.mstances, I understood that this should have been organized under Cheng Jia Yang’s great hands.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education had organized joint translating programs across the country for senior interpreters, and they would choose only the best to go to the famous French translation Inst.i.tute, arranging accommodation and one would also enjoy a € 600 monthly government scholarship for one year.

They were chosen mostly from two three-year professional translation graduates, but my name had been put down by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the learning location was Monteplier, at the Paul Valery University interpretation building.

“Teacher, I, I,” I couldn’t continue to speak.

The head stopped writing and lowered his gla.s.ses, watching me: “Qiao Fei, the teacher has always thought you were a good student This time, going out to become an exchange student you must cherish the opportunity. After you come back, serve the country.”

“About my situation……”

“Don’t even mention it. If the school didn’t believe you they wouldn’t agree to allow you to go out of the country. All right, go back to fill in the form, and after three days prepare the form, resume, and send your request to Meng San Da to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Donot delay. “

I came out from the head’s place, and muddled, went back to the dormitory, I grabbed the smoke, and hid in the bathroom again.

Sharp turns in life took one by surprise, my dream opportunity was in front of me now. But, I would owe Cheng Jia Yang a great debt again, I felt that it was very difficult to let go of, but I couldn’t afford it at the same time.

Someone knocked on the bathroom door heavily, and fiercely shouted: “Who is smoking inside?”

The door was opened, and it was the girls from the j.a.panese Department who were on duty, when they saw me they froze for a second, then they exposed their contemptuous look: “Cla.s.smate, you are not allowed to smoke.”

I slowly stood up, and flicked the cigarette b.u.t.t: “Okay, sorry, I’ll leave.”

Okay, sorry, I’ll leave.