Will the Boat Sink the Water?: The Life of China's Peasants Read Online Free PDF

they couldn’t help savoring Dai’s words of support, not knowing that disaster and death were waiting for them at the other end.

    Tragedy in the Township

    On February 11, the twentieth day of the lunar New Year, that is, two days after Ding and company’s visit to the county seat, at about half past three in the afternoon, two villagers were soaking in the last of the winter sun playing “six rounds,” a locally invented rustic form of chess. The deputy village chief,* Ding Yanle, happened to pass by. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Ding Zuoming among the group of onlookers. By now Deputy Village Chief Ding Yanle knew that Ding’s letter of complaint had included information on himself and his wife, Sun, accusing them of embezzling money from the “village cash reserve” and the fines paid for violations of the one-child policy. Ding Yanle had been storing up resentment and was spoiling for a fight.
    He started with a threat. “Hey, this is gambling, I can have you arrested,” he said to the two players, but he kept his eyes on Ding Zuoming.
    Ding Zuoming couldn’t help remarking in surprise, “But this

    *The head of the village committee and his deputy are village administra-tors; Party functionaries are not responsible for village administration. They are parallel hierarchies.
    will the boat sink the water ?

    is just a game. Even if there is any arresting to do, it’s up to the local security.”
    “Don’t be so sure!” retorted Ding Yanle fiercely.
    Ding Zuoming had always despised those creatures that put on a swagger the minute they are in power. He was not at all impressed by Ding Yanle’s boast, but seeing that the fellow was trying to pick a fight, he kept silent.
    Ding Yanle, getting no response, started to shove Ding Zuoming, saying, “What! You want to fight! Come on, come on!” Ding never imagined that a deputy village chief would stoop so low. He started to walk away, but Ding Yanle followed hard on his heels, and attempted to shove Ding with his shoulder. Ding Zuoming hastily backed off, the shove fell short of the mark, and Ding Yanle landed in the field near by. Now at last
    Ding Yanle found the excuse that he was looking for.
    Of course Ding Zuoming knew that he had ruffled a few feathers in high places, and had expected retaliation sooner or later. But the lowdown trick that he had just witnessed was beneath contempt, and he walked away in disgust.

    As expected, the matter was not over for Ding Yanle. Later the same afternoon, he went six times to the home of Ding Zuoming howling for revenge, claiming that the latter had beaten him up. Ding Zuoming’s wife, having no idea what had happened, kept apologizing, but Ding Yanle would have none of it. One of his sons even brought a meat cleaver to Ding Zuoming’s home and shouted threats.
    That same night of February 11, the villagers persuaded Ding Zuoming to leave home for a while. Ding was not one to be intimidated by bullying, but he considered the situation: When he and the other men went to present their petition to the county two days before, on February 9, the newly installed county Party head, Dai Wenhu, had promised to order the audit that
    the martyr

    they had petitioned for, so it was just a matter of time. Not wishing to divert attention from the main issue, Ding swal-lowed his pride and left Luying Village at dawn the next morning. Predictably, just at dawn Ding Yanle brought his whole family to Ding Zuoming’s place, out for his blood. Not finding him, Ding Yanle left, proclaiming, “Yesterday Ding Zuoming wounded me with his blows. I need to go to the hospital!” The village Party boss, Dong Yingfu, who had lain low throughout all the commotion, now made a show of helping take Ding Yanle to the hospital.
    At that point, Ding Yanle’s wife, Sun, who ran the village family-planning program, went to the head of the township, Kang Zichang, and the deputy Party boss, Ren Kaicai, and handed in a formal accusation