最近比较忙，先发表第一章，以后陆续发表
　　
　　Chapter One of a long novel
　　 A RVENGE
　　
　　In the sitting room there were nine individuals. Fox's families, including his parents and younger brother were invited to Riteronge Koo's house, whose wife had been a close friend to Fox Smith's mother, for dinner. Smith's girlfriend Jane Whoy and her mother, who had divorced with her husband three years ago and was living as a single, were also invited to present.
　　The weather in the northeast of Yunnan Province is genial all through the year and it was not too hot even on this evening of midsummer. Because there were too many guests and the dinning room would be too small for all of them, they sat around the table in the capacious sitting room. Chinese don't distinguish sitting room from dinning room so strictly, and it is fairly common to have dinner in the sitting room where they can at the same time watch TV.
　　Now all the men and the girl Jane were seated, while the three mothers were busy with serving food. Mrs. Koo and Mrs. Smith were both excellent cookers and they really loved their jobs, however, Mrs. Whoy, the girl's mother was a little reluctant. In fact, Mrs. Whoy should be called Madam Kua (her own family name) now that she had divorced. It had been said that her husband had left her for a younger woman who was only a few years older than his daughter Jan Whoy, and the reason had been that Madam Kua (the then Mrs. Whoy) didn't like cooking and had accommodated her husband with simple, cold food such as bread which had been kept in the fridge for days, potatoes with little flavor. Mr. Whoy, who was in his early 50s and who had an eager appetite, had quarreled with his wife for the malnutritious and badly tasted food, and had failed to make changes. He could no longer tolerate the formidable table and the woman's strict constrain on the family's daily expense, and chose to divorce. However, divorce is invalid without agreements from both sides, and Mr. Whoy, who failed to persuade Madam Kua to sign the agreement, had to cohabit with a young lady and move to another town. Since then Madam Kua had been known by the community residents for her strict disciplines in using money and her coolness in treating others. Now the 24-year-old Fox Smith had been in love with Kua's daughter, and all friends of his family were worried about him, afraid that Jane would be as cool and stringy as her mother. But none of them had been able to find out the characteristic of this young girl, who attended college faraway and who only turned up in short vocations
　　Fox had finished his college and had obtained his master's degree in Peking University. He had claimed to prepare for going abroad before, but never had he talked about his Offers thereafter. So most friends thought that he had failed to get a scholarship in America. But none of them had mentioned that in front of the Smith families to hurt their feelings. So Fox was expected to look for a job now. But he kept his mouth on this affair too.
　　Fox's future may be an unrelated affair for outsiders, but should have been concerned with by his families and his girlfriend. He had told Jane that he would go to the USA and was going to bring her there, which had made the girl excited. In fact, she had been longing for going abroad. This silent, a little timid girl had said yes on being questioned by her boyfriend about her faithfulness on their love, however he was not so confident and had been looking for a chance to put her to test. They were expected to get married, or at least be betrothed during this vocation, and the Koo couples, the hosts of this small party, were expecting hearing about this issue mentioned by Fox's parents or Jane's mother.
　　The main dish was a traditional on of Chinese's, the so-called "Huoguo", which means a big pot above fire with all kinds of food being cooked in it. Enjoyers are free to pick up any fresh food fragment and put it into the pot holding boiling water and flavors, and pick food out when it has been fully cooked. This way has been fast for food preparing, and is healthy because the hot water can exterminate the food.
　　Friends were eating and chatting casually, and three men, Mr. Koo, Mr. Smith and the young Fox Smith were enjoying alcohol from glass bottles. Fox's younger brother, 22, did not drink. And the old Mr. Smith didn't drink much because of his blood pressure.
　　Fox decided to launch the test of his love. He placed his cutleries on the table and spoke directly to Jane.
　　"Jane, let's get married. It's on our schedule."
　　He had meant to evoke the girl, thinking that she would get flushed. To his surprise he saw her faces turned pale. She gave him a hasty, timid glance and turned her eyes away onto the table.
　　All present were silent and interested. No one had expected Fox rather than his parents proposed the issue. And they were amused by his frankness. They all stared at the young lovers with smiles, except Madam Kua, who picked up a chunk of beef and presented it to Fox's bowl and said, as she had never heard his words, " Try this beef, Fox. It's delicious."
　　Guests and the hosts were all surprised at Madam Kua's ignoring action. All had smelt a rat except Koo's little son, who laughed and asked his "old brother" (as he had always addressed him) naively, "You are going to get married, old brother?" His mother, Mrs. Koo, stopped him from further questioning by stuffing a piece of pork into his mouth and said, "Go to your homework after dinner." The little boy tried to protest but froze at his father's warning look.
　　Of course, Fox Smith smelled something too. He proposed the topic partially to make fun, in a frivolous tone, but was now set to surprise by his girlfriend and her mother's reactions. Mama Smith whispered to her son, "Don't ask any more. Enjoy your dinner."
　　It took about 10 seconds for Smith to recover and regain calmness, during which he pretended enjoying the beef presented by the woman, and during which he recalled figures in the Mario Puzo's novel THE GODFATHER, and decided to keep calm and to use reasoning. Actually this was the right tactic.
　　Fox showed his calmness and reasoning now. He stared straight at Jane's mother, coolly but politely, with a smile. "Then there is something happened, isn't it? Would you please tell us what it is, Madam Kua?"
　　his mother nudged him with her elbow, trying to stop him. Father Smith glanced at his elder son meaningfully, and shook his head slowly. Fox replied with a confident, reassuring smile.
　　Madam Kua thought for a moment, working on the food in her bowl, and then answered without lifting her head, "It may be too early for you to marry now."
　　"Too early?" thought Fox, " Oh God, we have been 24 now. And the two families have talked about this issue many times before."
　　Obviously she was trying to conceal something, and further questioning might induce quarreling. So Mama Smith commanded in the family's Xizang accent, "Shut up!"
　　However, Fox Smith, who had made his own decision as an fully-grown man and who ignored his mother's warning, put down his cutleries and stood up and said to Kua and his girlfriend, in a clear and comprehensive voice, "Something important has taken place, ladies, but you tried to conceal it and fool me around, "He was interrupted by his mother, who shouted at him and ordered, "I told you to shut up and sit down. How have you become so stupid?!"
　　 The atmosphere became nervous. Fox tried to cool down all people's emotions. He kept cool. He bent down to his mother and placed his hand on her shoulder and said gently, " You're my mother, and I admire you. And I have been valuing your advice. But I 'm an adult now. So let me finish my speech. Have confidence in me, Mon. If you intervene you'll make thins worse."
　　Seeing his mother gave up interruption, Fox stood straight again and continued his speech.
　　"Miss Whoy," he began to address his girlfriend as an alien, "I have been believing that you loved me as I loved you. Now you betrayed me. It doesn't matter as long as you tell me the reason. I want to know why." He turned to Madam Kua with a cool smile, "But if you try to conceal the truth from me, then you are treating me as a fool."
　　"I know you need time to prepare how to response. So I'll wait. You're free to give the answer in person or by phone. But do let me know the truth."
　　After saying these, Fox turned to Mr. and Mrs. Koo, "Thank you for your pleasant accommodation, but excuse me because I have to leave now. You're always the best friends of my parents."
　　To his parents and brother: "Enjoy your time, Pa, Ma and Bill. I'll wait for you at home."
　　Then he left for the door. Mr. Koo stood up to open it for him. He whispered to Fox, "Don't be too anxious. I'll ask her about the matter for you."
　　Fox said politely, "Thank you, Uncle Koo. But it's my personal affair, and I can handle it. Don't worry. Enjoy your time."
　　Before he went out Fox turned to Jane and said to her impassively, "Goodbye, Jane."
　　Two days later Fox Smith received the message from Madam Kua and her daughter, carried by an intermediate person, that Miss Whoy had been betrothed to a Captain in the Air Force, and was going to get married within a month.
　　Fox Smith, who actually had received an offer from an American university and who had put his girlfriend to test failed his love. He didn't say anything or behave militantly on this affair. He action would be a long-term one.
　　Many years later beholders of the following stories would recall a sentence in THE GODFATHER, uttered by Vito Corleone, "Revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold."
　　

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