Sometimes you mustn’t think yourself smart and hence laughed at subhuman people. If that’s so, I’m afraid you’re stupider than them. Subhuman people can only think of one thing a time and even can do only one thing all their lives, which is rare ability for common people. So I always show deep respect to subhuman people.

    Really a coincidence. The man I want to talk about is Forest, which has the same pronunciation as Forrest. They’re both imbeciles, that’s why I call him Chinese Gump. At least Forrest can run very fast, but Forest seemed to have no strongpoint at all. But when my family is building a new house which will cost about two hundred thousand Yuan, Forest’s western-styled house has already been finished and he had paid it all by himself.

    Forest was an imbecile and had to find an imbecile wife. They had a son Common, who was always the dirtiest in my elementary school, no one was willing to play with him. Common wasn’t an imbecile by heredity and always complained, “why I was born in this kind of family? I wish I were an idiot too so that I won’t have to be so painful.”

    Forest did farm work slowly, but he always cultivated land with the same area as other people. When other people finished their work, watched TV and had supper leisurely at home. Forest and his wife Miss continued to work regardless of mosquitoes under the silvery moonlight until they finished their work. When they came back, fellow villagers would always laughed at them, “you should be selected as model worker, Forest.” They also said to Miss, “Miss, you’re so pretty and capable. Why do you need to suffer with Forest? I’ll introduce you a better man so that you don’t need to work anymore.” Miss always answered naively, “I like him. Forest is the best man in my heart. He can’t live without me. I can’t live without him.” Then all people enjoying the cool outside would burst into laughter.

    When he was available, he would carry a satchel to sing congratulation songs at people’s birthday, wedding and celebration of new house etc to earn a dinner and several Yuan. He always carried a big bowel to bring the delicious dishes to his wife and son.

  If it was a funeral, he would earn more money. Because he could put on mourning apparel and cry his eyes out before the remains of the dead and would move all people around to tears. Strangers always thought he was a filial son and sighed that this kind of filial son was really rare nowadays. What’s more, he could call the dead Dad or Mom so affectionately, which always made the real son not so real.

    In winter, there wasn’t much farm work for him to do. Then he and his wife would go to Yueyang nearby to collect garbage to earn money. Forest and his wife lived in dark and moist house near hillside, because the rent of which was the cheapest. The roots of trees on hill often penetrated the wall and Forest used them to hang things. He felt it was convenient and there was no need for him to hit nails. Once I told Forest to buy train ticket for me during a Spring Festival. When I came to his room, I felt so sick at looking the shabby room and rushed out immediately. It looked like a dungeon to me and was so horrible. My eyes could not help becoming moist.

  For all his life, he had only two wishes, one was earning money enough for his son’s college tuition, the other was building a beautiful house for his son to get married. He never thought of his own life and only knew to earn money one Yuan by one Yuan for his two wishes.

    Now his realized both of his wishes, but his son was still ashamed to have such imbecile parents. When his son bought his girlfriend home, he couldn’t even dare to admit Forest and his wife as his parents to his girlfriend.

    But Forest and his wife were both very happy and told everyone they met their daughter-in-law and she was really pretty. One neighbor was angry with his son and blamed Forest, “how could you allow your son to behave like this? You and your wife suffered so much for him. He even didn’t dare to admit you as his parents.”

    Forest only giggled, “it’s not a big deal as long as they treat each other well. I know we husband and wife will make him losing face. Seeing the pretty daughter-in-law, we’re both very happy and content.” The neighbor snorted, “really an idiot, a true idiot!”

    It was lucky the girlfriend of his son was reasonable and she also blamed his son. When she called Forest and his wife Dad and Mom affectionately, Forest and his wife grinned like two flowers in full blossom.

    Now those people despised Forest before began to envy instead of sneering him. They also began to say sour grapes, but Forest didn’t change at all and was still Forest as before. He just did things and lived his life as before because he is Forest---the Chinese Gump.