II

When Old Chuan reached home, the shop had been cleaned, and the rows of tea-tables shone brightly; but no customers had arrived. Only his son sat eating at a table by the wall. Beads of sweat stood out on his forehead, his lined jacket clung to his spine, and his shoulder blades stuck out so sharply, an inverted V seemed stamped there. At this sight, Old Chuan's brow, which had been clear, contracted again. His wife hurried in from the kitchen, with expectant eyes and a tremor to her lips:

"Get it?"

"Yes."
　　
They went together into the kitchen, and conferred for a time. Then the old woman went out, to return shortly with a dried lotus leaf which she spread on the table. Old Chuan unwrapped the crimson-stained roll from the lantern paper and transferred it to the lotus leaf. Little Chuan had finished his meal, but his mother exclaimed hastily:
　　
"Sit still, Little Chuan! Don't come over here."
　　
Mending the fire in the stove, Old Chuan put the green package and the red and white lantern paper into the stove together. A red-black flame flared up, and a strange odour permeated the shop.
　　
"Smells good! What are you eating?" The hunchback had arrived. He was one of those who spend all their time in tea-shops, the first to come in the morning and the last to leave. Now he had just stumbled to a corner table facing the street, and sat down. But no one answered his question.
　　
"Puffed rice gruel?"
　　
Still no reply. Old Chuan hurried out to brew tea for him.
　　
"Come here, Little Chuan!" His mother called him into the inner room, set a stool in the middle, and sat the child down. Then, bringing him a round black object on a plate, she said gently:
　　
"Eat it up . . . then you'll be better."

Little Chuan picked up the black object and looked at it. He had the oddest feeling, as if he were holding his own life in his hands. Presently he split it carefully open. From within the charred crust a jet of white vapour escaped, then scattered, leaving only two halves of a steamed white flour roll. Soon it was all eaten, the flavour completely forgotten, only the empty plate being left. His father and mother were standing one on each side of him, their eyes apparently pouring something into him and at the same time extracting something. His small heart began to beat faster, and, putting his hands to his chest, he began to cough again.
　　
"Have a sleep; then you'll be all right," said his mother.
　　
Obediently, Little Chuan coughed himself to sleep. The woman waited till his breathing was regular, then covered him lightly with a much patched quilt.

二

老栓走到家，店面早經(jīng)收拾干凈，一排一排的茶桌，滑溜溜的發(fā)光。但是沒有客人；只有小栓坐在里排的桌前吃飯，大粒的汗，從額上滾下，夾襖也帖住了脊心，兩塊肩胛骨高高凸出，印成一個陽文的“八”字。老栓見這樣子，不免皺一皺展開的眉心。他的女人，從灶下急急走出，睜著眼睛，嘴唇有些發(fā)抖。
　　
“得了么？”
　　
“得了?！?BR>　　
兩個人一齊走進灶下，商量了一會；華大媽便出去了，不多時，拿著一片老荷葉回來，攤在桌上。老栓也打開燈籠罩，用荷葉重新包了那紅的饅頭。小栓也吃完飯，他的母親慌忙說：“小栓——你坐著，不要到這里來?！币幻嬲D了灶火，老栓便把一個碧綠的包，一個紅紅白白的破燈籠，一同塞在灶里；一陣紅黑的火焰過去時，店屋里散滿了一種奇怪的香味。
　　
“好香！你們吃什么點心呀？”這是駝背五少爺?shù)搅?。這人每天總在茶館里過日，來得最早，去得最遲，此時恰恰蹩到臨街的壁角的桌邊，便坐下問話，然而沒有人答應(yīng)他。“炒米粥么？”仍然沒有人應(yīng)。老栓匆匆走出，給他泡上茶。
　　
“小栓進來罷！”華大媽叫小栓進了里面的屋子，中間放好一條凳，小栓坐了。他的母親端過一碟烏黑的圓東西，輕輕說：
　　
“吃下去罷，——病便好了?！?BR>　　
小栓撮起這黑東西，看了一會，似乎拿著自己的性命一般，心里說不出的奇怪。十分小心的拗開了，焦皮里面竄出一道白氣，白氣散了，是兩半個白面的饅頭。——不多工夫，已經(jīng)全在肚里了，卻全忘了什么味；面前只剩下一張空盤。他的旁邊，一面立著他的父親，一面立著他的母親，兩人的眼光，都仿佛要在他身上注進什么又要取出什么似的；便禁不住心跳起來，按著胸膛，又是一陣咳嗽。
　　
“睡一會罷，——便好了。”
　　
小栓依他母親的話，咳著睡了。華大媽候他喘氣平靜，才輕輕的給他蓋上了滿幅補釘?shù)膴A被。