Chapter 4
“Dafu, this is unreasonable!”
The village head’s goatee trembled with anger.
“How about this? Once she’s given our Dafu a boy, we’ll share the mermaid with everyone.”
Grandfather stepped forward to smooth things over.
“Fine! You’d better keep your word!”
Only then did the village head and the others reluctantly agree.
But they were afraid Father would run away with her during the night. They left four men outside our gate to keep watch.
“Wretched girl! I’ll beat you to death!”
Father dragged me into the yard and rained punches and kicks on me.
“Let her come wash me.”
The mermaid suddenly spoke.
It was the first time she had ever spoken to Father.
He turned toward her in astonishment.
“You should have told me you wanted children. I thought you were trying to kill me.”
Her voice was soft and alluring.
Father gave me a hard kick and told me to fetch well water to wash her.
“As if I’d hurt you! All the effort I’ve put in these last few days, and you never made a sound. I thought you were mute!”
He licked his lips as he looked at her.
The mermaid giggled.
“You were only tormenting me. I thought you meant to kill me.”
She pressed her lips together, then hooked an arm around his neck.
“Do you like having children?”
Her beautiful face was full of coquettish charm.
“Shall we have lots and lots of them?”
Then she waved me away.
Frowning, I left the room.
Her beguiling laughter soon drifted out.
The men guarding our gate all craned their necks to look in.
“She’s driving me mad!”
“Did you see her just now? That little waist, those breasts!”
“And what a face!”
“Even her voice gets to you!”
They traded filthy remarks without the slightest restraint.
I went over and shut the gate in their faces.
From that day on, the mermaid’s dark expression vanished. Every day, a smile curled at her lips.
She kept Father well pleased, and he treated her well in return.
He brought her fresh little fish every day.
She liked to start with their eyes. At each meal, she ate nearly half a basket.
“Mermaid Wife, don’t you want to escape anymore?”
I glanced at Father eating in the main room before asking her.
“Ha! A mermaid?”
Her laughter rang like silver bells.
“Don’t call me Mermaid Wife. Call me the Sea Wife. I like it here so very much! Why would I run away?”
Her question left me speechless for a long time.
The Sea Wife really did seem to love children.
Every day she pestered Father for them.
But half a month passed, and her waist remained as slender as ever.
It was Father’s belly that began to swell.
His appetite grew several times larger. He ate seven or eight meals a day, with a particular taste for raw fish.
And he lost interest in the beautiful mermaid.
For several nights running, he never went into her room.
Grandfather watched him wolf down the raw fish, his own eyes darting furtively toward her door.
“Laixiao, go cut some more fish for your father!”
He sent me to the kitchen.
Seeing how little sliced fish remained, I got up at once.
Perhaps no one would believe it.
I had been born in a fishing village, but I had never tasted fresh fish.
Mother and I ate only little dried ones.
Now, looking at that tender, fresh flesh, I couldn’t help swallowing.
I picked up a piece and was just about to put it in my mouth.
“Hrr. Hrr. Hrr!”
A strange sound came from behind me.
I turned and met Father’s bloodshot eyes.
He shoved me aside, making me stumble, then grabbed the fish on the chopping board—still ungutted—and stuffed it into his mouth.
“Father, those aren’t ready yet…”
I tried to warn him.
But that dreadful rasping rose from his throat again.
It frightened me into hurrying out of the kitchen.
As I came out, the corner of my eye caught Grandfather stooping furtively through the mermaid’s door.
I hurried over and peered through the crack.
“Hee-hee!”
The mermaid laughed seductively.
“At your age, you shouldn’t be having children.”
Her voice was soft inside the room.
“You don’t know what I’ve saved up these past thirty years. I’ll give you eight or ten, guaranteed!”
Grandfather spoke in a breathless rush.
“Hee-hee! At your age, your seed won’t be any good. Such a waste of strength. Better to…”
Her voice sank very low.
“Better to what?”
Grandfather impatiently stripped himself bare, like peeling a head of garlic.
“Eat you. Build up my strength.”
The mermaid grinned.
But Grandfather wasn’t afraid. Her wrists were still chained.
“Let this old man eat you instead!”
He lunged at her.