Student Translation Project
HKBU 2018
The Edge of the World
Chan Hay Ching
Translated by: Dainielle , Stefanie, Sylvia, Caroline, YoYo
It was April in Hong Kong, but the humid, cold air still hang over the city. It seemed that I have been accustomed to warmer winters since I moved to Hong Kong. Winters in my hometown are cold and snow covers the ground like a blanket. I still remember that we rolled in snow every year. However, time flies and I was already in my late 30’s. It was so tired to live such a life! Only my childhood was happy, then came middle school, college, work and further study in Hong Kong. It was already two years since I had been living in Hong Kong. What is life? A container? How could it contain so many things? Maybe life is like drawers in a pharmacy and each drawer stores a piece of memory that smell of camphor . When you turn them inside out, each memory is breath-taking. But no matter how gorgeous and dazzling the memory is , it still carries a little ambiguity and evil. When drying washings , you can remove dust by using a dryer in front of others. Unlike that, arranging memories is more personalized. Memories can only be sealed in a large jar, you can put your head in occasionally, taking a deep breath of the musty air and that is all you can do to console yourself.
An Ning walked down to the West-north bridge. Many vans pass by on the bridge and all the buses are full of passengers. At first, An Ning moved to Hong Kong in order to avoid the over intimacy relationships of small towns. However, at this moment, when she looked into the passengers’ eyes, she raised a great sense of loneliness.
She rented an apartment last week, which is less than one hour away from school. It only took a few steps to reach her community. Surrounded by a clump of trees，the apartment has an excellent view and the apartment had already been equipped with furniture and emergency bell before she got there. Ling Yun went up and makes a round tour.
She tested the bell, a sudden noise shocked the whole building. Then twenty minutes later, no one came out of doors. They laughed out loud and looked into each other’s eyes and that reminds An Ning she hadn’t laughed like this for such a long time.
The sky is overcast, the lifeless sunshine loomed a faint trace of red though heavy clouds. There is a river under the bridge, with water grass on both sides. The water grass looks yellow when steeped in the sunshine. Sometimes a waterfowl flies off the river bank by kicking their long legs and then falls into grass. One side of the port is Hong Kong, a place where An Ning studies in, the other side is She Kou, An Ning’s new home. An Ning was standing in the middle of the bridge, suddenly, a strange feeling hit her. After getting away from the old life, she moved to the metropolis. When she viewed her life as an outsider, all these factors seem absurd and overstate.
The mangrove is not far from the bridge, though the mangrove, is the white mud beach, a famous amativeness attraction. An Ning went there once with photography club members to capture the setting sun. Fellow travelers carried with a single-lens reflex camera and other super professional equipment. An Ning only took auto-focus camera with her. An Ning watched a crowd of young’uns talked about lens, apertures cheerfully. Each of them is eager to show their expertise, lest no one would find out that they are photography zealots. That’s funny, An Ning thought. At that time, the bridge is half built, erecting in the midair, as if it would extend to the endless emptiness.
There are a few figures on the Ha Pak Lai beach. They must be fanatic fans. An Ning looks at the sunset and feels pity for them. They will perhaps be disappointed. The sunset looks like a tint of pale red dispersing on a Chinese painting. The sunset has no reflection in the sea and the swampland. Cheerful moods misfit the setting sun. But then, even though the sunset has infinite beauty, if we feel upset for its quick disappearance, there will be no passion to take photos. Is this sarcasm or humor?
The classmates often ask her questions such as which city does she prefer and what does she think of Hong Kong compared to her hometown. Answering these questions really annoys her. Actually, the answers have been obvious, but An Ning finds it difficult to explain them clearly with just a few words. She becomes sophisticated as she grows up. However, they are more curious about the reason why does she return to school at her age and whether it is difficult to leave a job and return to school. They are not scheming with their questions, but An Ning refuses to talk much about these matters. Many of our experiences are not meant to be talked about. Just let them go. Besides, even if we comment, it may be taken
only as stories or something to chat about at leisure. The joys and sorrows should be kept to yourself. Who can really understand? An Ning has long since given up explaining her feelings to others. She only bites the bullet and bears all the difficulties as long as she can.
Perhaps it is because of this that An Ning is involved with Ling Yun for so many years. In the first year after their acquaintance, Ling Yun visited An Ning and turned to her for help. Fortunately, An Ning had worked for several years and bought a house, so there was no problem to take in Ling Yun. However, the Spring Festival came shortly after that, and it was time to have a family reunion dinner. An Ning could not leave her alone in an unfamiliar city. Taking her home? Their relation had not been solid and clear, so An Ning felt embarrassed to do so. Over the years, An Ning kept a proper attitude in front of her families.Therefore, Ling Yun was actually bringing trouble. Nevertheless, she had no other choice but inviting her home, and she somehow had to create an excuse. Hence, An Ning claimed her to be a friend of her friend and her relatives did not ask for more. Everyone felt poorly during the dinner.
An Ning sometimes thinks that she leads a muddled life. How come she truly goes out with Ling Yun and moves to Hong Kong? Outsiders hold that it demonstrates the great power of love. How deep is love ? Why is love marked with so many scars? Once she mentioned breaking up, Ling Yun picked up a knife and brutally cut herself. The scar is still on her wrist. Over the years, even though she really has a wee bit affection, perhaps they has long since been worn down to end. Every day and night, Ling Yun can pick a quarrel and she takes seriously every word An Ning says. An Ning suggested that they could find a spare day to go out and relax. Ling Yun just brawled with her all day and night and asserted that An Ning breaks the promise and does not love her. She did not consider the season, the weather and whether An Ning has a vacation. Furious quarrels happen every day and countless things in their house have been smashed up. All the things frighten An Ning and she even dares not imagine the future.
But unexpectedly, the future came so quickly. An Ning and Ling Yun had a “two-year agreement” from the very beginning. To be exact, the agreement is between Ling Yun and her husband, Lao Zhang. Ling Yun married her childhood friend and firefighter Lao Zhang when she gave An Ning the silent treatment. An Ning didn’t know how they got married and what kind of agreement it was that made her moved into Ling Yun and her husband’s home as a paramour. She slept with Ling Yun in the master bedroom while Lao Zang slept in the guest room for two years. On one midnight of the New Year, An Ning heard the sound of weeping with the quilt covered his head from Lao Zhang’s room when she got up and went to the bathroom. The sound made An Ning feel sad and wept in the bathroom too. She knew little about Lao Zhang and she never asked. Even if she did, Ling Yun wouldn’t talk about it.
The two-year agreement was approaching, Ling Yun had a quarrel with An Ning when she rented a house outside. Ling Yun even told An Ning that she was ungrateful harshly. An Ning knew that behind the cruel words was a broken heart and an insecure soul. But who would give sympathy for her? The harsh words were intolerable for An Ning, so she slapped Ling Yun twice in the face. The slap also emboldened An Ning and drove the only tenderness, compassion and guilt away. At the same time, she despised herself more. An Ning made a bold move and had decided to commit suicide by cutting her wrist or jumping from the tall building regardless of everything. She thought that she had been weak for the whole life and there was no reason to live on like this. Therefore, An Ning grasped her bag and rushed out. But Ling Yun caught up. She was outside the elevator and came to a deadlock with An Ning who was in the elevator. Ling Yun didn’t let An Ning close the door. So An Ning told her that she would call the police if Ling Yun kept acting like this and pressed the alarm.
Lao Zhang moved out of his house the next day, and he left it to his wife and her lover. It just happened the day before yesterday but seems like last generation. An Ning was standing on the middle of the bridge quietly; under the bridge, the river is flowing quietly. As the old saying goes, “A river of spring water rolling towards the east”. But will all the rivers flow eastward? Can the ocean hold so much water? It may converge, scatter, run backward or be in a cycle? What a wonderful nature! Although there is no way out, it’s the channels underneath the ground that connect the entire world. Rivers, wherever it flows, will converge eventually. The fate between people is exactly the same thing
The police came, but Ling Yun acted as if it was she who called the police and cried that An Ning slapped her. After learning about the situation, the police defined the case as a family dispute and required An Ning to apologise. An Ning also lost her temper and refused. She cared nothing about leaving a criminal record or detainment in the police station. The worst case scenario would just be sent back home and never be allowed to come back to Hong Kong. Ling Yun was anxious and didn’t want to lose face. So she started to bawl. Just then Lao Zhang came home from work, one of the police who was his former colleague quickly went towards him, patted him on the shoulder and winked, giving him hints that “it’s hard for two women to live in peace under the same roof” and “women have long hair and short brains”. He also expressed his understanding and sympathy for Lao Zhang’s current situation. Lao Zhang said nothing but shouted at Ling Yun: “ Go home and wash your face!” Then he turned around and stared at An Ning. An Ning would rather Lao Zhang be angry at her and spoke out the truth than look deeply into her eyes. She went out of the elevator and signed her name. The police closed the case and left.​
An Ning had read a piece of story , saying that a man was overwhelmed with sorrow; he was sick in bed at his last gasp, because his fiancée married another person. Then a monk showed him a mirror: a female corpse lying on the beach. Passerby A took a glance at the body and went away; passerby B took off his coat when he saw the female corpse naked; while passerby C dug a pit and buried her. The monk said that the corpse was the pre-existence of your fiancée, while you were passerby B. The good deed of the cover-up wins a relationship for you. However, she would spend her whole life to repay the person who buried her. The man was suddenly enlightened and being cured after hearing this story. What kind of fate it is between her and Ling Yun! She wondered at this moment: did he love her?
Once, the Christians in the school preached the gospel to Ling Yun without permission: Do you think you have sin or not? All men are guilty. But the God loves us and gives us his begotten son so that we may have life. She replied impatiently : “what is love?” It took us so long to realize that our society and education system has never taught us how to love others, as if it was a born instinct. Why so many people love so morbid if it is instinctive. The student opened the Bible nervously and read: Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride; Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things." The sentence came out word by word and the voice was getting lower and lower, because even the Christian also doubted it. The more An Ning listened, the angrier she became: How unrealistic it is ! What do you know? How dare you ask me if I have sin and teach me what is love? The student felt panic, kept rude words and walked away.
In the afternoon, she saw the Baptism by the Golden Coast. The priest stood in the water reaching his waist, with lips turned blue, extending his hand, putting it on the forehead of the person receiving the Baptism and prays. Then, supported by the priest, the person lies down without bending his body, soaking himself, and stands up. Cheering with his companions on the beach. An Ning felt distracted. A child sees her, then stoops down to pick a packet and runs to her. The child already stood before her, gives her a small packet and runs away. It was a pack of mini Easter eggs. An Ning puts it into her pocket and walks away.
A sudden cheer from the distance startled An Ning for a while. She realized that the setting sun emerged from the clouds and the grey-blue color of the clouds are permeated with orange, looking like a heavy persimmon or red swollen eyes from crying. An Ning took out her mobile phone to take a shot.
The sunset goes with the cheers. An Ning took out the Easter eggs, unfastened the golden wire and peeled an egg. She put it into her mouth. It was chocolate, with subtle bitter and sweet tastes. People on the beach left. Only a boat was tied on a cleat. Half of the boat was in the water, drifting with the tides. An Ning eats the egg and finds a small light green card in the packet on which there are two pigeons flying with grass in their mouths and a line of text: From now on, I would vanish with my little boat, For the rest of my life, on he sea I would float.”(Cor.5:7) An Ning grasped it and read the text for several times. A faint smile was on her face. She bent over the handrail, her upper body hanging over the water. She reads: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! She titled her head and said: Therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: “The old has gone, the new is here?” Bending on the balustrade, she giggled
On both sides, there were more and more bright lights. An Ning stood in the middle of the bridge. Under the bridge, quietly, flows the river, which went through her hometown. Standing on the bridge, An Ning felt that she belonged to another world.
Sep. 28th (Friday), 2007