Les Interprètes Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Chen Jiayang

I twist and turned in sleep last night, and when I woke up, my head hurt. The old housekeeper, Auntie Zhang, carried milk and breakfast into my room, and when she left, she said: “Xudong called you last night, and asked you to return his call.”

Xudong is a good childhood friend of mine. When introducing people like us, then we can’t not talk about our father’s background. Xudong’s father was originally an official in trade committee, but in the 80s, he resigned and went into trade. With many connections, being well-informed, and with a keen sense of the economy, it would have been hard for him not to make money. Now, his father was the chairman of a transnational trust bond company. But his father’s intelligence and competence wasn’t pa.s.sed onto Xudong in the slightest. Since he was young, his grades were not good, and in high school, his father sent him to Canada to study, but he came back after only a few years without even a diploma. Of course, this was something that he didn’t get. But to me, there was one undoubtedly good thing about him, and that was that he loved his country. He considered this city to be the most comfortable city in the world, the most convenient, the most pleasant, and I agree. Xudong also said that foreign girls were rigid to hold with no flexibility.

I called his phone, and a girl answered, her voice drowsy. “Looking for Xudong? Wait a moment.”

“h.e.l.lo, who is it?” Xudong’s voice wasn’t clear either. I must have disturbed the sleep of my good friend and a pretty girl.

“It’s Jiayang. Xudong, are you busy, let’s meet up.”

My old friend’s voice became excited, and we arranged to meet at the International Club. I wasn’t in a good state, and didn’t drive so took a taxi there.

When I arrived, Xudong was already there waiting. I hadn’t seen him for a long time, but his bad habits hadn’t changed. He hugged me when I approached, and said: “Little brother, big brother has missed you to death.” I used my forearm to separate us. “It’s all foreigners here, can’t you be careful about the impression you’re making?”

It went in one ear and out the other. Xudong stared carefully at my face: “It looks like the environment in Paris is better, look at you, you’ve become so delicate.”

“If you keep talking nonsense, I’m going to leave.”

“Why are you so temperamental, you must still be jetlagged. Big brother is joking, don’t play this game of wits with a commoner like me, my lord interpreter.”

Before exchanging any proper greetings, Xudong suddenly grabbed my hand.

I’ve known him for so many years, and had no problem with his personality, but it was his handsy habits that were annoying. I made an effort to shake him off, but he grabbed on tighter, flipping it over and moving it around, looking at my fingers, and put it in front of his nose and smelled it. He raised his head and looked at me solemnly, and said: “There’s nothing wrong with you, right?”

“What are you talking about?” I took back my hand. “What sort of question is that?”

“Don’t pretend, young one. When I was playing, you were chewing on math, physics and chemistry.”

I knew that he was an expert at using his time to eat, drink and be merry, but I didn’t think he’d be so impressive. I drank the tea guiltily, turning away to look out the window.

Xudong’s tone suddenly became mature: “I know that you scholars live a meaningless life, but there are still ways to have fun. Women are the best, they’re sweet smelling and soft, and long as your method is right, and pay attention to hygiene, there’s no problem at all. But you can’t get into that sort of stuff, you’ll hurt your own body.”

“It’s just a stronger cigarette. What are you getting worked up about?”

“That’s different, you could get addicted. One of these days, big brother will take you out to have some other fun.”

I was getting annoyed, and threw the cologne I had brought for him over at him, and got up to leave but he grabbed my arm, and said with a smile: “Where are you going? I’ll take you. But really, isn’t this for your own good? You people, you’re too short-tempered.”

Of course I knew that Xudong was looking out for me, of course I knew that harm that could be caused by this form of amus.e.m.e.nt that I had learned from the Westerners, but with so much in my life not going my way, who can tell me a better way to stop the pain?

I had an appointment with the Director, and Xudong insisted on taking me to school with his eye-catching ash-gold sports car.

There was construction going on at the front gates of the schools, with trenches dug and dirt everywhere, I didn’t know what they were fixing now. Between two mounds of dirt there was a thin path that only pedestrians could pa.s.s through. Xudong obediently got in line behind the students who were going to school, driving slowly.

But wherever he went, he wouldn’t be able to change his lecherous habits. He elbowed me, saying: “Look at that girl in front of us.”

The girl in front of us had thick black hair, and in jeans was a pair of long legs that would catch Xudong’s attention.

“Do you want to know what she looks like?”

He really was pointless.

He started beeping, and the girl walked faster.

He beeped again.

His pointlessness was at a point where I could barely stand it anymore.

He continued beeping.

I said, “Forget about it, boss. I still need to be here for next two months or so.”

The girl finally turned around. Xudong was very happy: “Wow, that’s good.”

She had a small face, cream coloured skin, a pair of large eyes, and was smiling—her appearance was pretty good. This was the first time I saw Fei. Then she did something that I found funny for a long time after. She raised her middle finger towards us, and wagged it.

Xudong stopped his car in front of the French Department, and started to plead with me. I had to find out who the girl was, her major, her name, her background, he was willing to owe me a favour, however big. Looking at him, I wouldn’t help but reprimand: “Then how did you lose her just then?”

“Aren’t there dirt mounds? There’s so many cards, I needed to go around. My good brother, big brother is begging you.”

I got out of the car, agreeing, but I was thinking that in such a large foreign language school, which so many female students, it was easier said than done for me to find this one.”

But I didn’t think that I’d be see her again so quickly.

When I arrived, the department director wasn’t in his office. It was the weekend, and just like before, there were two or three students in lower years cleaning. Some were wiping the gla.s.s, some were sweeping the floor, working while chatting, not taking notice of me. The phone rang, and a girl who was under the table straightened, a rag in one hand, and the other picking up the phone. Unexpectedly, it was that girl from just then. I hadn’t spent any effort at all, and I considered what I was going to extort from Xudong.

The girl on the phone faced me, saw me and blinked her eyes. She said into the phone in French: “Professor w.a.n.g isn’t here, he’s in a conference. Are you willing to leave a message? Okay, I’ll take note of it, China-France Trade Advancement a.s.sociation, Mr. Renault, please ask the Professor to prepare someone to interpret on Monday. Your phone number? 13085792371, or landline on 88692273, I’ve taken it down. No, no, I’m his student, you flatter me. My surname is Qiao, Qiao Fei. I’ll pa.s.s your message on without fail. Goodbye.”

The girl put down the down, and said to me: “Uppercla.s.sman, you’re looking for the Director too?”

“Yes, he’s not here?”

“He’s next door in a conference, can you wait a while for him?”

“Alright.” I sat down on the sofa, and she crouched down again, wiping the table thoroughly. I said: “Your French is pretty good.”

“What I said just then wasn’t very hard.”

“Your p.r.o.nunciation and intonation was very accurate.”

“Thank you.”

“I’m telling the truth. In our field, vocabulary, grammar, and communication can be improved through hard work, but p.r.o.nunciation and intonation come naturally, it comes form a person’s natural ability to imitate. Therefore, when training high level interpreters, this is often a very important quality.”

Fei stood up, and there was sweat on her face. She wiped it with her forearm, and said to the other girls: “Have you finished? Let’s go, I’m hungry.”

They put away their cleaning tools, and Qiao Fei gave the slip of paper she had just written on to me: “Uppercla.s.sman, when you see the Director, give this to him?”

I took it: “No problem.”

The girls left, and I sat there for a little while. The director finished his conference, and holding his cup, walked in from outside. When he saw me, he greeted me enthusiastically. I gave the slip of paper from Qiao Fei to him. He looked at it: “Jiayang, this is the reason I was looking for you.”

On Monday there would be a textile company meeting hosted by the China-France Trade Advancement a.s.sociation that needed an interpreter. It wasn’t difficult, and interpreters would alternate, but the level of professionalism meant that there would have to be some preparation. The Director gave me some materials, and said: “I’ve already discussion with the organisers, when you go, you can take a few students in our department, and let them observe by the side.” I looked at the list that the Director gave me, and saw Qiao Fei’s name.

Qiao Fei

After we left the Director’s office, Xiaodan and Bobo glared at me.

“Why did Cheng Jiayang only talk to you?”

“It was completely by good luck.”

“I’ll forget about him only talking to you, but why did you need to suggest leaving early? You ruined our chance of talking to him. I’ve wanted to for so long!”

“We finished our job, and so we should leave. And besides, if Cheng Jiayang talked to me even more, my heart would have jumped out of my chest.”