Les Interprètes

I think after being separated for so long, they are warming up to each other…

Translator: Tranzgeek

Chapter 51

Qiao Fei

Besides the weekend, everyday I was at the Ministry taking cla.s.ses. I learned a lot of Chinese characteristics, entries, and sentence structures. Most of the time, we were doing practice of intercourse and interpretation, just like what we had done in Montpellier. Sometimes we would casually meet some foreigners to interpret for. In a day, all three meals were eaten in our unit. This way we still had more than 2000 dollars of wages. Of course, it was less for someone hanging around in the big cities but I was already very satisfied.

Sometimes I would see Jia Yang. When we were in cla.s.s, he would sometimes come to take a look, and say hi to the teacher. On a pretense, I asked Teacher Wu: “Why does that senior brother Cheng keep coming?”

“He is in charge of arranging the new recruits’ training.”

“Besides translating he also has to care about us?”

“Able people should do more work.” The teacher said.

Our cla.s.s had some fans of Jia Yang. Whenever he came, the girls would all have small commotions. My heart was very angry. We’ve graduated, you know? Why are you still belittling yourselves and becoming little girls? This dissatisfaction was inadvertently revealed when eating lunch one day. One Shanghai girl sharply pointed out: “Qiao Fei, if you don’t say anything, who knows what comes to your mind?”

What type of person would falsely accuse this? I was mad, and couldn’t help but laugh.

Suddenly their attention wasn’t on me.

Someone waved his hand: “Senior brother, senior brother, sit here.”

I turned. Cheng Jia Yang sat at their table. The drink he grabbed was a box of iced green tea.

He sat at our table, everyone saying so many things to him. The content of what we talked about was pretty shallow, it was only to say something to him only. Jia Yang had always been good tempered.

I finished eating, using a straw to drink milk, conversing, joined in, laughing.

Zhao Peng Yuan and a few other guys finished their food and came to socialize. At this moment we were pretty familiar with each other.

Xiao Zhao asked Jia Yang: “Senior brother, when can we come to settle it?”

Jia Yang said: “After 11. In previous years it has been this time.” At this time he looked at me, “After 11.”

He finished eating, and grabbed the green tea about to leave. He said to us: “Stay here for a while, I’m going to back to my office.”

He walked beside me. I opened my mouth to say: “Senior brother. After you finish eating, drinking tea is bad for your health.”

Jia Yang stopped, looked at me, looked at the tea in his hands: “Really? Thanks ah. I was thinking to refresh myself.

As he said this he walked away.

I thought of being with him before, and one time my stomach hurt so much.

This afternoon, Teacher Wu gave us many files to interpret. Everyone complained, weekend ah, there were still so many cla.s.ses. Wasn’t it just killing us?

The teacher said, isn’t this for your benefit? What is interpreting? Interpreting is being more prepared than others. RIght now I am letting you do some work, so it will be better than meeting up with many problems in the future and having to use the power of your tongue.”

Before I got off work, I did some more. We split the work. Everyone got some files, and took them back to do, and then on Monday we would do a summary and hand it in to the teacher.

I interpreted pretty quickly. I planned to stay in the office and leave yesterday night, but firstly, this places resources were a lot more, and secondly, I had basically understood Xiao Deng’s habits. Over the weekend her boyfriend would come and I tried to give them some s.p.a.ce.

I ate in the cafeteria. After I bought some snacks I returned to continue to work. The cafeteria had made eggplant for dinner. I was at fault and ate more. When it was almost the end of my interpreting I dazedly fell asleep.

When I woke up again, I was woken up by someone pushing my arm.

I even thought I was dreaming because the person in front of me was Jia Yang.

I looked at him, my head hurting.

Jia Yang got a handkerchief from his pocket and helped me wipe my mouth: “From a little age, did you allow too many people to pinch you too much? Why is that after you’ve grown up you still drool when you sleep.”

So I hadn’t been dreaming. Then that meant there were many interesting things that couldn’t be done.

I sighed and organized my things.

I still had a bit more to translate. I had to take it all back home to do it.

“So hard working?” He said.

“There’s no other way, too much homework. What time is it?”

“10:00”

“What about you? So late too?”

“I just wrote some materials. I saw your light still on and came over to take a look.

He closed my office light and we went down the stairs together.

At this time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and some other departments were still brightly lit. Some colleagues were still working, some chefs sent up supper.

We walked outside. Jia Yang asked me: “How are you going to return?”

“Subway.”

He looked at me: “I’ll send you.”

“Will it be convenient?”

“What are you talking about?”

So I went with him to the parking lot and got on his car.

He lowered his head, and didn’t speak. He helped me put on my seat belt.

“My house is at Yuquan road.”

“Mm.”

I sat on this common and familiar car, that guy that used to be so familiar next to me. We weaved through the city.

At this time in the city, it wasn’t as bustling as it was in the morning. At night, it seemed a little quiet and warm, changing into something that people could withstand.

I opened the window, leaned on the chair, looking out I concentrated on looking at the nightscape, feeling a light breeze.

It was like this that we got to my old style residential place. I said: “How do you know where I live?”

“I looked at your form before.”

“Oh.”

“What floor do you live on?”

“3rd floor.”

In the darkness, Jia Yang’s car’s light gave off a yellow radiance. His face, his eyes, seeing them in this moment, it seemed extremely beautiful.

“It has gotten late.” I said.

“Right.” He said.

“You should return.”

“Ok.”

I opened the door to get off the car. When I got to the entrance I said: “Thanks.”

He nodded his head in the car.

I returned home, opened the door by myself. Xiao Deng watched TV by herself. Her boyfriend did not come.

I ran to the balcony, and saw Jia Yang’s car leave.

Who knew Xiao Deng would run with me to the balcony. She asked; “What? Who sent you home?”

“Why are you caring so much for?”

“Such a luxurious car.”

I walked back, and felt my stomach was hungry so I boiled some water to make something easy.

I said: “Why didn’t your boyfriend come today?”

She didn’t reply. I finished my noodles and looked at her, but I saw a strange shape.

Xiao Deng sat on the sofa, her two hands on her separate knees, her thumb and middle fingers gripped together, closing her eyes and breathing deeply.

“Why are you practicing qigong [1]?”

“Ignorant child, do not say nonsense. Big sister is practicing, yoga, gamma, power.” She slowly said.

“You want to lose weight. Why don’t I teach you the Yangge dance [2] from my hometown?” I said, eating tomatoes.

I watched Xiao Deng slowly breath in, and finish. She suddenly stood up and turned to me, her mouth said: “Today if I don’t repair you broken child, I will be sorry to myself.”

I was so startled that the tomatoes dropped.

The night that I brushed my teeth with her, Xiao Deng said to me: “My that, I broke up with him.”

“Why? What reason? Weren’t you guys good last week, you guys were good for six years already?”

“Plus high school, it’s been nine years.” She spit out the toothbrush, “But what way is there. I want to be with him, but it’ll be very bitter. He doesn’t earn as much as me, and often runs around. How will we find the money to marry? House? What about our children?”

“You broke up with him, and you had one?” I asked, roughly not thickly.

“Everytime I think of it, I think the pressure has decreased. I don’t have to consider others, and as long as I am happy it will be okay.” She washed her face, wiped her face, and looked at me in the mirror.

“I will continue to look and then I will definitely find a rich person. At least he is in this city and has a car and a house.”

Xiao Deng was right. Reality made everything easy change so much, moreso people’s hearts.