Tombstone

Of course, I was certain that the tombstone had been erected by the person named Mo Lian. But why would she set up a tombstone for Granny Li, and even inscribe the words “daughter-in-law Mo Lian” on it? Could it be that there was a woman who secretly loved me, who was even willing to become my wife? Who could Mo Lian be? There weren’t many women I’d ever been close to—who would be so blind as to want to marry a penniless ex-convict?

Could it be Jin Yulian? But on second thought, that seemed impossible. If Jin Yulian had wanted to marry me, she wouldn’t have married someone else. Besides, that day in her office, she made it very clear that I wasn’t good enough for her, that she would never marry me, and told me not to waste my thoughts on it. I shook my head, unable to figure it out.

I had brought a sickle intending to clear the weeds from the grave, but seeing that Granny Li’s tomb had already been carefully tended, I simply set out my offerings, lit incense and candles, and began the ceremony. Afterward, I thought I might as well ask a local villager—perhaps someone nearby would know who had erected Granny Li’s tombstone.

I returned to the village where Granny Li and I had once lived—a place called Maple Grove, some twenty kilometers from the county town. The old tile-roofed house we had shared was still there, but it was now in a terrible state of disrepair, its roof leaking in places. It had once been my home, and seeing it in such ruin filled me with sadness. Since I had time, I decided to repair the tiles and patch up the leaks, so that I’d have somewhere to stay when I returned in the future.

It took me most of the day to finish the repairs. By late afternoon, villagers who had been working in the hills began to make their way home. I paid a visit to Aunt Wang, who lived not far from my old house, hoping she might know something about Granny Li’s tombstone.

Aunt Wang lived with her husband. Her daughter had married and moved away long ago, and her son worked in town, only returning to the village occasionally with his own child.

Five years ago, Aunt Wang’s grandson had nearly drowned while playing in the creek, and it was I who happened to pass by and save the boy. Ever since, Aunt Wang’s family had been grateful to me. When I arrived at her house, she greeted me warmly, poured tea, and asked about my work. I replied vaguely, and as it was nearly dinnertime, Aunt Wang insisted I stay for a meal. Having eaten nothing but some biscuits and fruit at midday while working on the house, I didn’t refuse.

As we ate, I asked, “Aunt Wang, have you seen in the past few days who put up the tombstone on Granny Li’s grave?”

Aunt Wang smiled and said, “Xiaofeng, I’m pretty much always at home. Of course I saw the business with Granny Li’s tombstone. At first, I thought you’d hired someone to do it—I even praised you to my husband! Wasn’t it you who arranged it?”

I shook my head. “Aunt Wang, don’t laugh at me. I’ve only just got out of prison, I don’t have the money to put up a tombstone for Granny Li.”

Aunt Wang sighed. “Alas, Xiaofeng, I heard you ended up in prison because of money, didn’t you?”

I hurriedly shook my head. “Aunt Wang, that’s just idle gossip. Anyway, could you tell me about the tombstone?”

She said, “A couple of days ago, I saw a few workers carrying a marble tombstone to Granny Li’s grave. At first I thought they’d gotten the wrong grave, so I went to ask them. They said someone had paid them to put up a tombstone, but only their boss knew who had hired them. I thought it was you, so I didn’t ask any more and went home.”

Hearing this, a thought struck me. When Granny Li passed away, it was Jin Yulian who paid for her burial and found the grave site, so she knew the details better than anyone else. Could she have hired someone to put up the tombstone?

If Jin Yulian had arranged it, it was probably out of a sense of compensation. She knew how much I cared for Granny Li, and now that Granny Li was gone, the only thing she could do was to tend the grave for my sake—a kind of consolation for me.

But the strange part was, if Jin Yulian had set up the tombstone, why would she inscribe it with the words “daughter-in-law Mo Lian”? That wasn’t her name, and she had clearly told me we weren’t suited for each other, that she would marry someone else. So it couldn’t have been her.

If not her, then who else would be so kind as to erect a tombstone for Granny Li, and even inscribe it with the name of a supposed daughter-in-law? Who would spend money on such a prank?

Seeing me lost in thought, Aunt Wang picked up some food and smiled. “Xiaofeng, don’t dwell on it. Isn’t this a good thing?”

Distracted, I nodded. “Yes, it is.”

Aunt Wang’s husband, Uncle Wang, took a slow sip of his liquor and said, “Xiaofeng, the tombstone has your wife’s name on it, Mo Lian. Isn’t it obvious? Your wife Mo Lian hired people to set it up. How could you not see that, you silly child?”

I could only smile bitterly to myself. The trouble was, I had no idea who Mo Lian was. If I knew, everything would be clear. But I couldn’t say that aloud, so I smiled and said, “You’re right, Uncle Wang.”

But Aunt Wang perked up at this. “What? Xiaofeng, you already have a wife? Impressive!”

I could only reply vaguely, “Well, maybe not for much longer.”