GUGU: That’s enough!
HAO DASHOU: If I were a doctor, I’d lock you up for good and use a cow prod till you foamed at the mouth, till your body was racked by spasms, and you went into such deep shock you’d never come out of it. But if somehow you did, you’d have no memory.
Qin He wraps his arms around his head as he rolls on the ground and releases horrifying shrieks.
HAO DASHOU: Braying like a donkey and rolling on the ground are paltry skills. Go on, keep rolling. Look, your face is getting longer. Your ears are getting bigger. Feel them yourself. You’re becoming a donkey. A donkey turns a millstone, round and round and round. (Qin He crawls on the floor, his rump raised, as he mimics a donkey turning a millstone) Right, that’s it, you’re a fine donkey. After you mill two pecks of black beans, mill a bushel of sorghum. A good donkey doesn’t need blinders, because a good donkey doesn’t nibble at the grain on the millstone. Do a good job and your master will treat you well. I’ve got your feed already prepared, just waiting for you.
Gugu goes up to stop Qin He, but he bites her hand.
GUGU: Damn you, you don’t know what’s good for you!
HAO DASHOU: I’ve told you you’ve got no business here. You go take care of the children. Make sure they’re not cold or hungry. But don’t let them eat too much either or get too warm. Like you’ve always said: Children are best comforted by keeping them slightly hungry and a little cold. (turns to Qin He) Why have you stopped? You lazy donkey, do I have to use a whip on you?
GUGU: Stop abusing him, he’s not well.
HAO DASHOU: He’s not well, I think you’re not well!
Qin He collapses on the stage, foaming at the mouth.
HAO DASHOU: Get up, you can stop playing dead. This isn’t the first time you’ve played that game. I’ve seen it many, many times. If you think you can scare me with that, you’re mistaken. Even a stinkbug knows how to play dead. What you need to do is really die. Do it now, don’t wait another minute.
Gugu rushes up to help Qin He. Hao Dashou gets up and stops her.
HAO DASHOU: (painfully) My patience has run out. I’m not going to let you save him like that…
Gugu moves left, Hao follows; Gugu moves right, Hao follows.
GUGU: He’s not well. In the minds of us doctors there are two types of people, healthy and sick. If he’d hit my mother yesterday and was struck by illness today, I’d put aside my hatred and treat him to the best of my ability. If his brother had an epileptic seizure while he was raping me I’d push him off and try to save him.
HAO DASHOU: (abruptly stiffens and lowers his voice to say painfully) You finally admit that you had illicit relations with the two brothers.
GUGU: History is like that, the history of thousands of years of civilised society. Those who acknowledge history are history’s materialists. Those who deny it are history’s idealists.
Gugu sits beside Qin He and wraps him in her arms like a baby. She rocks him and sings an indistinguishable song.
GUGU: My heart breaks when I think of you… I cry but without tears when I think of you… I want to write but cannot find your address… I want to sing but cannot recall the words… I want to kiss you but cannot find your lips… I want to hold you but cannot find your body…
A child in a green stomacher embroidered with a frog, his head as clean as watermelon rind, emerges from the dark cave entrance at the head of an army of frogs (played by children) in wheelchairs, on canes, their front legs wrapped in gauze. The boy shouts Collecting debts! Collecting debts! The frogs behind him produce a guttural chorus.
Gugu lets out a shrill scream, runs away from Qin He and dodges the child and the frogs.
Hao Dashou and the suddenly alert Qin He block the attack of the green boy and frogs; Gugu leaves the stage in their protection. The green boy and frogs take up the chase offstage.
Curtain
Act III
A police station waiting room. One table only, with a telephone. Certificates of merit and citations adorn the wall.
A policewoman named Wei sits behind the table, gesturing to Chen Mei to take the chair on the other side. Chen Mei is still all in black, with her veil.
WEI: (prim and proper, sounds like a student) Have a seat, visiting citizen.
CHEN MEI: (illogically) Why aren’t there two big drums at the entrance to the main hall?
WEI: Drums? What for?
CHEN MEI: That’s what they used to have, so why don’t you? Without drums how are the common people supposed to announce their complaints?
WEI: You’re talking about the yamens of the old, feudal society. In a socialist society those things have been discarded.
CHEN MEI: Not in Kaifeng Prefecture.
WEI: Did you see something like that in a TV series? Magistrate Bao sat in Kaifeng Prefecture.
CHEN MEI: Take me to see Magistrate Bao.
WEI: Citizen, you are in the public waiting room of the Binhe Road police station. I am Duty Officer Wei Ying. Tell me what you’ve come for. I’ll record it and open a case file, then I’ll report to my superior.
CHEN MEI: Only Magistrate Bao can resolve a problem as great as mine.
WEI: Citizen, Magistrate Bao isn’t in today, so tell me what your problem is, and I will be sure to relay it to the magistrate. How’s that?
CHEN MEI: Do I have your word?
WEI: You do. (gestures to the chair) Have a seat.
CHEN MEI: This common woman dares not sit.
WEI: If I say sit, you sit.
CHEN MEI: This common woman thanks you.
WEI: Would you like a glass of water?
CHEN MEI: This common woman dares not.
WEI: Citizen woman, let’s stop the TV drama, all right? What’s your name?
CHEN MEI: This common woman’s name was Chen Mei, but Chen Mei died, or shall we say, she is half dead, half alive. So this common woman does not know her name.