Back Shadow Zhu Ziqing It is more than two years since I saw my father last time,and what I can never forget is the sight of his back.In the winter of more than two years ago,Grandma died and father lost his job.Misfortunes never come singly.I left Beijing for Xuzhou to join father in hastening home to attend grandma's funeral.When I met father in Xuzhou,the sight of the disorderly mess in his courtyard and the thought of grandma started tears trickling down my cheeks.Father said,"that things have come to such a pass,now not be too sad.Fortunately,Heaven always leaves one a way out." After arriving home in Yang Zhou,father sold out all the fortunate in order to pay off the debts.He also borrowed money to meet the funeral expenses.Between grandma's funeral and father's unemployment,our family was then in reduced circumstances.After the funeral was over,father was to go to Nanjing to look for a job and I was to return to Beijing to study,so we started out together. I spent the first day in Nanjing strolling about with some friends at their inv itation, and was ferrying across the Yangtze River to Pukou the same day.Father said he was too busy to go and see me off at the railway station,but would ask a hotel waiter that he knew to accompany me there instead.He urged the waiter again and again to take good care of me,but still did not quite trust him.He hesitated for quite a while about what to do.As a matter of fact,nothing would matter at all because I was then times. After some wavering,he finally decided that he himself would accompany me to the station.I repeatedly tried to talk him out of it,but he only said,"never mind!It won't be comfortable for them to go there!" We entered the railway station after crossing the River.While I was at the booking office buying a ticket,father saw to my luggage.There was quite a bit of luggage and he had to bargain with the porter over the fee.I was then such a smart-aleck that I frowned upon the way father was haggling and on the verge of chipping in a few words when the bargain was finally clinched.Getting on the train with me,he picked me a seat close to the carriage door.I put on the brownish fur-lined overcoat he had tailor-made for me.He told me to be watchful on the way and be careful not to catch cold at night.He also asked the train attendants to take good care of me.I sniggered at father for being so impractical;for it was utterly useless to entrust me to those attendants,who cared for nothing but money.Besides,it was certainly no problem for a person of my age to look after himself.Oh,when I come to think of it,I can see how smarty I was in those days! I said,"Dad,you might leave now."But he looked out of the window and said," I'm going to buy you some tangerines.You just stay here.Don't move around."I caught sight of several vendors waiting for customers outside the railings beyond a platform.But to reach that platform would require crossing the railway track and doing some climbing up and down.That would be a strenuous job for father,who was fat.I wanted to do all that myself,but he stopped me,so I could do nothing but let him go.I watched him hobble towards the railway track in his black skullcap,blackBack Shadow Zhu Ziqing It is more than two years since I saw my father last time, and what I can never forget is the sight of his back. In the winter of more than two years ago, Grandma died and father lost his job. Misfortunes never come singly. I left Beijing for Xuzhou to join father in hastening home to attend grandma's funeral. When I met father in Xuzhou, the sight of the disorderly mess in his courtyard and the thought of grandma started tears trickling down my cheeks. Father said, “that things have come to such a pass, now not be too sad .Fortunately, Heaven always leaves one a way out." After arriving home in Yang Zhou, father sold out all the fortunate in order to pay off the debts. He also borrowed money to meet the funeral expenses. Between grandma's funeral and father's unemployment, our family was then in reduced circumstances. After the funeral was over, father was to go to Nanjing to look for a job and I was to return to Beijing to study, so we started out together. I spent the first day in Nanjing strolling about with some friends at their invitation, and was ferrying across the Yangtze River to Pukou the same day. Father said he was too busy to go and see me off at the railway station, but would ask a hotel waiter that he knew to accompany me there instead. He urged the waiter again and again to take good care of me, but still did not quite trust him. He hesitated for quite a while about what to do. As a matter of fact, nothing would matter at all because I was then times. After some wavering, he finally decided that he himself would accompany me to the station. I repeatedly tried to talk him out of it, but he only said,” never mind! It won't be comfortable for them to go there!" We entered the railway station after crossing the River. While I was at the booking office buying a ticket, father saw to my luggage. There was quite a bit of luggage and he had to bargain with the porter over the fee. I was then such a smart-aleck that I frowned upon the way father was haggling and on the verge of chipping in a few words when the bargain was finally clinched. Getting on the train with me, he picked me a seat close to the carriage door. I put on the brownish fur-lined overcoat he had tailor-made for me. He told me to be watchful on the way and be careful not to catch cold at night. He also asked the train attendants to take good care of me. I sniggered at father for being so impractical; for it was utterly useless to entrust me to those attendants, who cared for nothing but money. Besides, it was certainly no problem for a person of my age to look after himself. Oh, when I come to think of it, I can see how smarty I was in those days! I said, "Dad, you might leave now.” But he looked out of the window and said,” I’m going to buy you some tangerines. You just stay here. Don't move around.” I caught sight of several vendors waiting for customers outside the railings beyond a platform. But to reach that platform would require crossing the railway track and doing some climbing up and down. That would be a strenuous job for father, who was fat. I wanted to do all that myself, but he stopped me, so I could do nothing but let him go. I watched him hobble towards the railway track in his black skullcap, black