Chapter 2 (The Story of Ah-Q) A Brief Account of Ah-Q's Victories
- Posted on: 2023-01-19
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- ▸ The True Story of Ah-Q
The True Story of Ah-Q
Chapter 2: A Brief Account of Ah-Q's Victories
In addition to the uncertainty regarding Ah Q's surname, personal name,
and place of origin, there is even some uncertainty regarding his
"background." This is because the people of Weichuang only made use of
his services or treated him as a laughing-stock, without ever paying the
slightest attention to his "background." Ah Q himself remained silent
on this subject, except that when quarrelling with someone he might
glance at him and say, "We used to be much better off than you! Who do
you think you are anyway?"
Ah Q had no family but lived in the Tutelary God's Temple at Weichuang.
He had no regular work either, simply doing odd jobs for others: were
there wheat to be cut he would cut it, were there rice to be ground he
would grind it, were there a boat to be punted he would punt it. If the
work lasted for a considerable period he might stay in the house of his
temporary employer, but as soon as it was finished he would leave. Thus
whenever people had work to be done they would remember Ah Q, but what
they remembered was his service and not his "background"; and by the
time the job was done even Ah Q himself was forgotten, to say nothing of
his "background." Once indeed an old man remarked, "What a good worker
Ah Q is!" At that time Ah Q, stripped to the waist, listless and lean,
was standing before him, and other people did not know whether the
remark was meant seriously or derisively, but Ah Q was overjoyed.
Ah Q, again, had a very high opinion of himself. He looked down on all
the inhabitants of Weichuang, thinking even the two young "scholars" not
worth a smile, though most young scholars were likely to pass the
official examinations. Mr. Chao and Mr. Chien were held in great respect
by the villagers, for in addition to being rich they were both the
fathers of young scholars. Ah Q alone showed them no exceptional
deference, thinking to himself, "My sons may be much greater!"
Moreover, after Ah Q had been to town several times, he naturally became
even more conceited, although at the same time he had the greatest
contempt for townspeople. For instance, a bench made of a wooden plank
three feet by three inches the Weichuang villagers called a "long
bench." Ah Q called it a "long bench" too; but the townspeople called it
a "straight bench," and he thought, "This is wrong. How ridiculous!"
Again, when they fried large-headed fish in oil the Weichuang villagers
all added shallot leaves sliced half an inch long, whereas the
townspeople added finely shredded shallots, and he thought, "This is
wrong too. How ridiculous!" But the Weichuang villagers were really
ignorant rustics who had never seen fish fried in town!
Ah Q who "used to be much better off," who was a man of the world and "a
good worker," would have been almost the perfect man had it nor been
for a few unfortunate physical blemishes. The most annoying were some
places on his scalp where in the past, at some uncertain dare, shiny
ringworm scars had appeared. Although these were on his own head,
apparently Ah Q did not consider them as altogether honourable, for he
refrained from using the word "ringworm" or any words that sounded
anything like it. Later he improved on this, making "bright" and "light"
forbidden words, while later still even "lamp" and "candle" were taboo.
Whenever this taboo was disregarded, whether intentionally or not, Ah Q
would fly into a rage, his ringworm scars turning scarlet. He would
look over the offender, and if it were someone weak in repartee he would
curse him, while if it were a poor fighter he would hit him. Yet,
curiously enough, it was usually Ah Q who was worsted in these
encounters, until finally he adopted new tactics, contenting himself in
general with a furious glare.
It so happened, however, that after Ah Q had taken to using this furious
glare, the idlers in Weichuang grew even more fond of making jokes at
his expense. As soon as they saw him they would pretend to give a start,
and say:
"Look! It's lighting up."
Ah Q would rise to the bait as usual, and glare furiously.
"So there is a paraffin lamp here," they would continue, not in the least intimidated.
Ah Q could do nothing but rack his brains for some retort: "You don't
even deserve…" At this juncture it seemed as if the scars on his scalp
were noble and honourable, not just ordinary ringworm scars. However, as
we said above, Ah Q was a man of the world: he knew at once that he had
neatly broken the "taboo" and refrained from saying any more.
If the idlers were still not satisfied, but continued to bait him, they
would in the end come to blows. Then only after Ah Q had, to all
appearances, been defeated, had his brownish pigtail pulled and his head
bumped against the wall four or five times, would the idlers walk away,
satisfied at having won. Ah Q would stand there for a second, thinking
to himself, "It is as if I were beaten by my son. What is the world
coming to nowadays…" Thereupon he too would walk away, satisfied at
having won.
Whatever Ah Q thought he was sure to tell people later; thus almost all
who made fun of Ah Q knew that he had this means of winning a
psychological victory. So after this anyone who pulled or twisted his
brown pigtail would forestall him by saying: "Ah Q, this is not a son
beating his father, it is a man beating a beast. Let's hear you say it: A
man bearing a beast!" Then Ah Q, clutching at the root of his pigtail,
his head on one side, would say: "Beating an insect-how about that? I am
an insect-now will you let me go?"
But although he was an insect the idlers would not let him go until they
had knocked his head five or six times against something nearby,
according to their custom, after which they would walk away satisfied
that they had won, confident that this time Ah Q was done for. In less
than ten seconds, however, Ah Q would walk away also satisfied that he
had won, thinking that he was the "foremost self-belittler," and that
after subtracting "self-belittler" what remained was "foremost." Was not
the highest successful candidate in the official examination also the
"foremost"? "And who do you think you are anyway?"
After employing such cunning devices to get even with his enemies, Ah Q
would make his way cheerfully to the wine shop to drink a few bowls of
wine, joke with the others again, quarrel with them again, come off
victorious again, and return cheerfully to the Tutelary God's Temple,
there to fall asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow. If he had
money he would gamble. A group of men would squat on the ground, Ah Q
sandwiched in their midst, his face streaming with perspiration; and his
voice would shout the loudest: "Four hundred on the Green Dragon!"
"Hey-open there!" the stakeholder, his face streaming with perspiration
too, would open the box and chant: "Heavenly Gate!… Nothing for the
Corner!… No stakes on the Popularity Passage! Pass over Ah Q's coppers!"
"The Passage-one hundred-one hundred and fifty."
To the tune of this chanting, Ah Q's money would gradually vanish into
the pockets of other perspiring people. Finally he would be forced to
squeeze his way out of the crowd and watch from the back, taking a
vicarious interest in the game until it broke up, when he would return
reluctantly to the Tutelary God's Temple. The next day he would go to
work with swollen eyes.
However, the truth of the proverb "misfortune may be a blessing in
disguise" was shown when Ah Q was unfortunate enough to win and almost
suffered defeat in the end.
This was the evening of the Festival of the Gods in Weichuang. According
to custom there was a play; and close to the stage, also according to
custom, were numerous gambling tables. The drums and gongs of the play
sounded about three miles away to Ah Q who had ears only for the
stake-holder's chant. He staked successfully again and again, his
coppers turning into silver coins, his silver coins into dollars, and
his dollars mounting up. In his excitement he cried our, "Two dollars on
Heavenly Gate!"
He never knew who started the fight, nor for what reason. Curses, blows
and footsteps formed a confused medley of sound in his head, and by the
time he clambered to his feet the gambling tables had vanished and so
had the gamblers. Several parts of his body seemed to be aching as if he
had been kicked and knocked about, while a number of people were
looking at him in astonishment. Feeling as if there were something
amiss, he walked back to the Tutelary God's Temple, and by the time he
regained his composure he realized that his pile of dollars had
disappeared. Since most of the people who ran gambling tables at the
Festival were not natives of Weichuang, where could he look for the
culprits?
So white and glittering a pile of silver! It had all been his… but now
it had disappeared. Even to consider it tantamount to being robbed by
his son did not comfort him. To consider himself as an insect did not
comfort him either. This time he really tasted something of the
bitterness of defeat.
But presently he changed defeat into victory. Raising his right hand he
slapped his own face hard twice, so that it tingled with pain. After
this slapping his heart felt lighter, for it seemed as if the one who
had given the slap was himself, the one slapped some other self, and
soon it was just as if he had beaten someone else-in spite of the fact
that his face was still tingling. He lay down satisfied that he had
gained the victory. Soon he was asleep.
- Tags:
- Ah Q
- Luxun
- Ah-Q's Victories
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