Emperatrices transmigradas (hombres y mujeres)

Capítulo 10

<VII> The Fate of a Beggar

"The only thing I can tell you is that I was going to commit suicide that day."

Yu Fu stood on the overpass, watching the traffic flow beneath, his gaze following the distant horizon, this boundless world of humanity. Wu Huan stood beside him, looking around. The pedestrians continued their journey, each walking happily or forlornly under the dark green sky, oblivious to everything around them.

Why is this happening?

Wu Huan asked the question again, but didn't hear Yu Fu's words. Or rather, Wu Huan heard them, but didn't think about them; her mind was completely occupied by this strange phenomenon. Yu Fu sighed, silently thinking to himself: No one can truly hear another's heart; the care one feels at this moment will ultimately pass them by.

"They, like you a day ago, live in their own world. They think of sunshine, and the sunshine becomes bright; they think of rain, and the sky piles up with dark clouds; they think of wind, and the air flows faster, stirring up dust wherever it goes. But all of this is still just an illusion; nothing is real. The world only exists in our hearts, or rather, our minds construct the world's splendor."

Wu Huan glanced sideways at Yu Fu, his eyes bright, and said in a voice tinged with amusement:

"I'm finding you're becoming more and more like a philosopher! What did you study before?"

"Marine cargo handling".

"Organizing inventory? That's strange. It seems like everyone is underappreciated and wasting their youth in the wrong positions. You know what? I used to be a key member of the arts and propaganda team at my workplace, and my articles were published in the provincial newspaper."

"Oh, so why were you laid off?"

“My boss is a lecher. I rejected him, so I was ostracized and laid off. I never thought I would be violated by even more men. I should have just agreed to his request in the first place.”

"Would you have agreed to do this back then?"

No. So this is my destiny.

"Fate is always unpredictable, but it is all determined by oneself."

"Yes! Let's go!"

The two walked forward, crossing intersection after intersection. The traffic gradually thinned, but everyone moved quickly. This coastal city was entering a period of explosive growth, with new things spreading rapidly like a plague. This statement might provoke many disagreements, but it implicitly acknowledges the nefarious activities accompanying economic development. Humanity is deteriorating at an avalanche rate, becoming a slave to money. The attitude of laughing at poverty but not prostitution is being promoted by some in certain areas. And the "Yellow Peril" is infiltrating campuses; just look at the makeshift houses around the campuses, some even just a sheet of corrugated iron, yet they've been rented out as havens.

Life's ups and downs, love's separations and reunions, and the cutthroat, treacherous relationships unfold around the campus. But have those who perceive themselves as suffering, those students who believe they are trapped in despair, ever truly witnessed hardship?

Yu Fu's thoughts were in disarray, his gaze wandering, when he suddenly noticed a person sitting by the roadside. To be precise, it was an old man, his clothes disheveled, his face repulsive, but his eyes were remarkably bright.

"Look at that person! It's strange, I've never seen such bright eyes in a poor person before!"

"Oh, didn't you see that stick next to him? He's blind."

How could a blind man's eyes be so bright?

"Because they look at the world with their hearts, their eyes are not blinded by useless things."

"So you're saying their insights must be very profound?"

"He's just different from ordinary people."

The old man turned his head, looked in the direction of Yu Fu, and grinned. It was as if he could hear their conversation.

“Look, that strange person’s sense of touch has already detected our existence.”

"He really is extraordinary!"

As they were talking, several dirty-looking children suddenly ran out from the green belt. They stretched out their little hands and ran up to Yu Fu and Wu Huan, pleading for two yuan.

"How strange! There are beggars in such a remote place."

Before Wu Huan could finish speaking, the children's hands had already pierced through her body. The child in front of Yu Fu opened his mouth wide, speechless. The children's eyes were pure, even though their clothes were dirty, even though they were engaged in something harmful to their souls.

Yu Fu gazed with sorrow at the child vanishing into the void, tears welling in his eyes. Yes, Yu Fu thought of his own daughter, who should be this age too, with bright eyes, capable of laughter, tears, fear, and running to him calling for her father. But his innocent daughter was dead, having never committed any heinous crime. Was this God's fault? Or was it Yu Fu's incompetence? Thinking of these things, Yu Fu's heart trembled involuntarily. He restrained his emotions, refusing to let the tears fall.

"Where are the children? Fourth grade? Sixth grade? Seventh grade?..."

The old man stood up, tapping his wooden cane on the ground as he walked, shouting as he approached Yu Fu and Wu Huan. Yu Fu and Wu Huan looked at each other, unsure what to do.

"Excuse me, where did those three children go?"

This beggar was polite, even displaying a sign of dignity on his face. Beneath his wrinkled, repulsive features lay kindness, without a trace of shamelessness. How strange! Even among the lowest of the low, the vagrants hadn't forgotten etiquette. Yu Fu and Wu Huan were both astonished by this elderly beggar; he must be a man of true insight.

"You mean the children? They've disappeared."

"Oh, these playful kids, they run off to play again as soon as I don't keep an eye on them."

The old man turned and walked back to the roadside, sitting down again with a peaceful expression. Yu Fu was surprised that the old man hadn't disappeared with the children, while Wu Huan was amazed by the old man's demeanor, which was different from other beggars. They looked at each other simultaneously, a faint smile in their eyes, then nodded and walked towards the old man.

"Sir, may we chat for a while?"

"Of course! I was just wondering who to talk to!"

"I find it strange that you would choose to beg here when there are so few pedestrians."

"Oh, actually I also wanted to make money in the city, but you know, the city's territory has been divided up by young people, so old guys like me can only make a living in places close to the city."

"What did you do before? You have a very refined demeanor; you don't seem like a beggar!"

“I was born a beggar. Everyone in my village is a beggar. We’ve been beggars for generations. It’s fate! I used to disbelieve in fate. I worked as an apprentice in a neighboring village, did temporary work in the city, and even went to school. But now I still live as a beggar. What is the purpose of life? Isn’t it just three meals a day and a place to sleep? Since being a beggar can satisfy these needs, what’s the difference between living like this and living a life of feasting every day?”

How can a person be so devoid of ideals?

"Young man, have you ever thought about what you'll do after you achieve your dreams? I have. When I was young, my dream was to marry a city woman, and I did, but I was filled with worries. Then I set another dream: to be rich. And then I actually won the lottery—100,000! But my worries only increased. Then my dream was to have no more worries, so I became a beggar again. So young man, dreams are never-ending, as long as you still have desires in your heart."

"He is indeed an extraordinary and insightful person!"

Yu Fu couldn't help but speak up, but Wu Huan disagreed. She said:

"So you have no desires now? Or are you unable to fulfill those desires?"

The old man seemed pleased. He sat up straight, gripped the top of the wooden stick with both hands, and listened intently like an Indian scholar. After a moment of contemplation, he answered Wu Huan's question:

"No, I still have desires, but they are as insignificant as dust in a speck. How could they disturb my peace of mind? Why would I change my life for such trivial things? Before I went blind, perhaps I would have struggled and made all sorts of efforts to resist the temptations of the world. But now, everything is pitch black before my eyes. There is no difference between having my eyes open and closed. How could I become ferocious and terrifying for something I cannot see and that is illusory?"

"Your theory sounds reasonable, but there's something wrong with it."

After listening to the old man's words, Yu Fu said this. He sensed the paradox in the old man's logic, but couldn't quite grasp the complexities of this situation. However, at this moment, Wu Huan steered the discussion in a different direction.

"So, how did you go blind?"

"Well... that was when I was forty-three years old. The villagers gave me fake alcohol to make me look more like a beggar. Although I drank it in front of the hospital, I almost didn't make it back to life. But thankfully, I did go blind, but the rest of my body wasn't seriously damaged."

"ah?!!"

Yu Fu and Wu Huan both cried out in shock. What a cruel thing to do! Yet it sounded like the old man was doing it willingly. How could there be such a person, such a village, in this world! It's unimaginable!

"What's so strange about that? In a few days, when the mother of those three children arrives, she'll break their legs, or maybe their arms, and she might even burn their faces, leaving their wounds oozing pus. If you want to be a beggar, you have to look presentable!"

"ah?!!!"

Yu Fu and Wu Huan's screams grew louder, now tinged with anger. They'd often heard of such things, starting in India, where poor people intentionally disabled their infants. Then came the United States, where beggars would even maim adults and then pose as Vietnam War veterans to beg. Next came impoverished African countries, where beggars would organize and collectively maim children so they wouldn't have to serve as child soldiers; surviving to adulthood was their only goal.

I never expected that something like this would happen in China.

"What's the big deal? Our village has been doing this for generations. The family genealogy records that we started this way of life when we migrated from Fengyang to Shandong during the Ming Dynasty. If we don't break the children's arms and legs when they're young, it's not good to do this when they grow up. Unlike children in the city who have education and can work, they don't know anything. What else can they do besides beggars?"

"Nonsense!"

Yu Fu suddenly interrupted the old man, his face flushed with anger. He paced back and forth in front of the old man, looking as if he were about to strike. Wu Huan remained silent. She had witnessed all sorts of shameless evil, yet even she found this seemingly kind heart utterly wicked. How could a person be so foolish?

"Even if what you say makes sense, let me ask you this: if everyone becomes a beggar, then who will be the giver?!"

“There will always be people who don’t believe in fate! Like you. In fact, everyone is a beggar. If you want to survive, you have to accept help from others. What’s the difference between that and being a beggar? We have already gone ahead, but you haven’t woken up yet. But sooner or later, that day will come.”

"Utterly shameless! You are a cancer on society! The scum of humanity! Why doesn't Heaven kill you?!"

The old man stood up, a disdainful smile on his face, probably thinking Yu Fu was unreasonable. This enraged Yu Fu even more; he reached out to grab the old man's wrist, but passed right through him. The old man walked on, as if nothing had happened, calling out the names of several children as he went, and disappeared into the distance. But his cries, like a long, drawn-out song, echoed through the sky and shook the earth. If this continues, the nation will cease to exist!

"What is tragedy? What is despair? This is the true tragedy of humanity! Destroying a child's future while thinking it's love, being tortured by the closest of loved ones and having to silently endure it! Foolishness! There is nothing more bizarre about the world than this!"

Yu Fu said to himself, then suddenly grabbed Wu Huan's hand and walked towards the city.

The real wilderness is not on the outskirts of the city, but in the city itself.

<VIII> The New Humanity

Have you ever had a dream from which you can't wake up?

Have you ever been startled awake in the middle of the night for unknown reasons, and then felt completely lost and helpless?

Have you ever gotten lost in the crowd, unaware of what year or month it is?

Have you ever felt like you can't find a way out, like the whole world is trapped in a pot?

"Have you ever had a fleeting desire to die?"

...

Yu Fu kept asking himself these questions, questions he had pondered ever since he rose from that unknown moment. The meaning of the world, the meaning of humanity, the meaning of life. Yet, a voice in his mind always mocked his thoughts, a voice so irritating, so penetrating Yu Fu's inferiority complex, always jumping out at crucial moments to laugh and interrupt all his reflections. But now, Yu Fu no longer flinched. The true self within his soul had awakened, standing up to crush the narrow, tedious self formed by discrimination into tiny characters, even extinguishing it. This moment was the moment of awakening.

Wu Huan followed closely behind Yu Fu, occasionally jogging along, her palms damp with sweat, yet she never considered letting go of his tightly clasped hand. It was an unusual kind of faith, perhaps the budding of love. Every fleeting moment was pure and innocent. Wu Huan's eyes followed Yu Fu's body and soul; she could feel the pulsating passion and the defenseless depths of his spirit. This moved Wu Huan, and she was willing to give everything for him.

Christmas is the day of Jesus' birth, a day inherently filled with miracles, a day when Jehovah reveals his divine signs to the world. How could the gods not smile upon Yu Fu as he journeys into the wilderness on such a day?

A flash of white light suddenly streaked across the sky. Yu Fu and Wu Huan looked up and saw a crack appear in the sky, from which flames poured down and rolled onto the earth. However, apart from Yu Fu and Wu Huan, no one else noticed this terrifying sight.

"Oh no! The sky is splitting open! The sinners are in for trouble!"

Yu Fu shouted this, repeating the same phrase over and over. Passersby glanced at him sideways, their eyes filled with confusion as if they were looking at a madman. Wu Huan stood firmly beside Yu Fu, completely unconcerned about the stares of others. All the ridicule and mockery were useless to a woman with love in her heart.

Just then, a streak of fire fell upon them, instantly turning the pedestrians to ashes. Their love, their hate, their hearts, and their souls vanished from this world. Yu Fu felt a pang of pity. Those people might have been guilty, but they also had families; their children, their fathers and mothers, were left wondering how they would survive. The remaining people didn't notice anything amiss; they continued living in their own worlds, going about their lives.

Death itself is not frightening; what is frightening is not knowing that death is coming. Yu Fu, thinking of those people's homes and happiness, was heartbroken. Only those who can be saved are truly saved; only those who love others have hope.

But then, another ball of flame fell. Yu Fu rushed towards it without hesitation, and the crowd scattered as if terrified of a madman. Yu Fu, along with Wu Huan who refused to let go, were engulfed in flames. The onlookers gasped in shock, for the couple had suddenly burst into flames, as if taking a gasoline shower. Their faces showed surprise; indeed, they showed no signs of pain, but gradually became transparent and finally disappeared.

Yu Fu and Wu Huan were bathed in the flames, and they found that the flames were warm, rippling like water.

"My God! What's going on?"

"Wu Huan asked," Yu Fu said, gripping Wu Huan's hand tightly. Looking around, they were enveloped in the gentle warmth of the flames, hurrying across the land. This wasn't quite accurate; it was more like countless human events flashed before their eyes, like shadows and lightning, like a dream. It was as if they had boarded a time machine, traversing the river of time in an instant. Human cities vanished, corpses littered the fields, and the iron cavalry of alien races galloped across the land. The next instant, villages appeared, then jungles grew, and then humanity disappeared, and nature existed in harmony.

Yu Fu and Wu Huan lingered in this space. They reached out and could almost touch the curious animals that approached, and feel the vibrant colors of the plants. The sky was a deep, clear blue, and the breeze carried a fresh scent. How peaceful, how tranquil! Even the howls of wild beasts in the deep mountains sounded as languid as a young woman's coquettish pout. Yu Fu's face showed joy. He took Wu Huan's hand, who was almost jumping for joy, and walked forward. The ground was soft, the grass like a fine carpet, and the flowers bloomed scattered in clusters, bringing happiness.

Where is this?

Wu Huan turned to ask Yu Fu, but Yu Fu was looking at something not far away with a look of surprise on his face.

"Look! What's that? An apple tree? Yes, it's an apple tree!"

Wu Huan was puzzled. What was so special about an apple tree? But the next word Yu Fu shouted was just as surprising as her sudden outburst.

"Garden of Eden!!"

The apple tree, the animals, the two people, and the sky—the bright light and soft outlines create a breathtaking picture. Clouds drift across the sky, their colors shifting and changing in the sunlight, a fiery red.

"You are Eve!"

"You are Adam!"