I didn’t dare stick my head out of the barrel, curling up inside with my back to the voices of the mother and daughter, not moving a muscle. Emily Walker’s bathwater was no longer so warm; the scent of roses, Chinese herbs, alcohol, and a woman’s fragrance swirled around my nose, making my face flush involuntarily.

　　“It’s those fellow villagers who came back from Beijing—do you know what they told the family about you? Hmph! I didn’t hear a single good word! Can’t you let me save some face?”

　　“What did I do, exactly?”

　　“I don’t care if what they said is true or not. Why did you go to Little James’s room so late last night? Hmph, Little Green and his wife are good people. I’m telling you, don’t go messing with their son, you hear me?”

　　Whoa, how did this get to me?

Chapter 14: Clothes Thrown in My Face!

　　“Mom, what are you saying? Who did I mess with? Who did I mess with!” Emily Walker sounded really upset, her voice even trembling a bit: “Little James did me a huge favor, can’t I just thank him? Don’t listen to those people gossiping. I go out to socialize, isn’t it all for work? Besides, I’ve never done anything shameful. I, Emily Walker, have had drinks with people, had meals with people, but I’ve never slept with anyone. Ugh, forget it, I don’t want to argue with you.”

　　Judging from the direction of their voices, the mother and daughter were probably near another wooden tub.

　　After a bit of bickering, Emily Walker started shooing Grandma Walker out, telling her to go to the market to buy groceries.

　　“What’s the rush with groceries? Go on, you wash the clothes first, I want to talk to you some more.”

　　Footsteps sounded, and I felt the two of them getting closer and closer to me. I quickly hunched down even more, not daring to breathe.

　　“Yue’e, it’s not that I don’t trust you, but you’re not young anymore. Isn’t it time to find a man and get married?”

　　“It’s not like I don’t have a boyfriend.”

　　“Hmph, just mentioning him makes me angry. He’s been in Japan for seven or eight years, and I’ve barely seen him a few times. Tell me, after all these years, you two only keep in touch by phone—what kind of relationship can you have? Why don’t you just find someone in Beijing? Stop making me worry!”

　　“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

　　I was listening intently when suddenly, I felt a slight weight on my head, as if something had landed on it. I blinked suspiciously and rolled my eyes upward. The first thing that hit me was a whiff of a woman’s scent. When I saw what it was, my breath caught and I almost coughed out loud.

　　It was a bright red lace trim!

　　It was lazily draped on top of my head. I couldn’t see clearly, but I was sure—it was either underwear for the top or the bottom!

　　“Hey, Mom, what are you throwing things for!”

　　“I told you to wash them and you’re not moving!”

　　“Then don’t throw them in my bath barrel! That’s dirty water! I’ll get clean water to wash them in a bit!”

　　“Oh, look at you, just a few years in the city and you’ve forgotten your roots. What’s wrong with bathwater? Back when our family was dirt poor, didn’t I always use bathwater and face-washing water to wash your clothes? Even if life is better now, you can’t just waste things. Hey, what are you standing there for? Fine, if you won’t wash, I will! I’ll wash them, okay?”

　　“No, no, fine, I’ll wash them, okay?”

　　Whew—a light, fluttery thing swayed and slowly landed on the left side of my face. I held my breath and looked up. Oh man, it was a stocking—a flesh-colored stocking. Half my nose was covered by it, and a faint, strange smell seeped through, making my heart pound uncontrollably.

　　I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry; my feelings were all mixed up.

　　“I told you not to throw things! Just give them all to me!”

　　“Mm, you take care of the underwear, I’ll wash those few pieces that bleed color.”

　　“Sigh, just leave it, okay? Go buy groceries, I can wash them myself.”

　　“Why so much nonsense? Go wash them! What are you looking at me for?”

　　“Got it, got it.”

　　There was the sound of a plastic basin being moved—probably Grandma Walker starting to wash clothes not far away. I tilted my head up a bit in the bath barrel and happened to see Emily Walker’s helpless expression. She glanced back at her mother, then looked down at me, who was grinning awkwardly, frowned, and pinched the underwear from my head and the stocking from my face with her thumb and forefinger, dropping them into the water. Then, with a push of her arm, she dumped seven or eight brightly colored items in all at once.

　　I know the phrase “see no evil,” so I hurriedly shut my eyes.

　　But that last glance was enough for me to see plenty.

　　“Doesn’t your company have any decent guys? Don’t hang yourself on one tree.”

　　“What do you mean by ‘decent’?”

　　“Of course I mean someone with a car and a house. Hmph, your title of sales manager sounds nice, but aren’t you still renting every month?”

　　I lost all interest in eavesdropping on their chat, because Emily Walker was already washing clothes in the bathwater right in front of my chest. The scent of Diaopai laundry detergent kept wafting into my nose, and just to the left of my chest, something was rubbing up and down against me—itchy, slippery, probably a stocking being washed.

　　I’m a normal, healthy man, so naturally, I had a reaction in this situation.

　　Even though there was a layer of soapy bubbles floating on the bathwater, I was sure that Emily Walker must have noticed.