Ball of Suet: Selected Short Stories by Maupassant

Chapter 8 My Uncle Jules
"My Uncle Yule" mainly tells the story of "my" family meeting Uncle Yule by chance on the way to Jessel Island. And it satirizes the abnormal situation of the relationship between people in class society.

When I was young, my family lived in Havre, and we were not rich, that is, just able to make ends meet.My father works outside and always comes back very late. Although it is so hard, he doesn't earn much money.Besides me, there are two older sisters above me.

My mother was very distressed by this kind of poverty.Because my family is poor, I have to save everywhere, and I never dare to agree to a dinner invitation, so as not to return the invitation; I often buy daily necessities at a reduced price, or buy the bottom of the sale; my sisters make their own gowns, that is, Buy that kind of lace cloth that costs fifteen coppers per meter, and you often have to haggle with people for a long time on the price.

Although the days are hard, but every Sunday, we have to go for a walk on the seaside trestle in neat clothes.At that time, whenever he saw a boat approaching the shore at sea, his father would always say his invariable words: "Oh! What a surprise it would be if Jules was in this boat!"

My father's younger brother, my Uncle Yule, was the only hope of the whole family at that time, but before that, he had been the source of terror for the whole family.

It is said that he had behaved badly and was willing to squander money.In a poor family, being playful alone is the greatest sin; in a rich family, being playful alone is at best stupid and absurd, and everyone will always call him "playboy" with a smile.In a family where life is extremely difficult, if a person forces his parents to take money for him, he is heinous, he is an out-and-out rogue, and he is a hopeless rogue.Uncle Yule is such a person. After he played around with his own part of the inheritance, he also took a lot of my father's part of the inheritance.

So, according to the custom at that time, people sent him on a merchant ship from Harvard to New York, and sent him to live in America.

My uncle Jules did business as soon as he arrived there, but I don't know the details.At any rate, he wrote shortly afterwards that he had made some money, and hoped to compensate my father for the loss he had caused.This letter touched our whole family very much.As a result, Yu Le, who everyone thought was worthless, suddenly became an upright and conscientious Yu Le.

Soon, one of the captains told us that my uncle Jules had rented a large shop and was doing a big business.

two years later.We got a second letter,

dear philip
I write to you lest you worry about my health.I am healthy.Business is also good.Tomorrow I'm leaving for a long trip to South America.It may be years before I write to you.If you really don't write to you, you don't have to worry about me.I will go back to Harvard when I get rich.

I hope that such a day is not far away, when we can live happily together.

This letter has become the Gospel of our poor families, read it every chance we have, and shown it to outsiders when they come.

After that, for ten years, Uncle Yule did not write any more letters.But my father's hopes grew day by day.My mother often said: "As soon as Jule comes back, our situation will be different. He is really a kind-hearted man with a way."

So, every Sunday, as long as he saw the big ship coming from the distant sea with black smoke, his father would always repeat his never-changing words: "Oh! What a surprise it would be if Jules was on this ship." what!"

At this time, everyone seems to see Uncle Jules waving a handkerchief and shouting: "Hello! Philip! I'm back!"

Regarding Uncle Le's return to China, everyone has drawn up a lot of plans, and even made a specific plan to use Uncle Le's money to buy a villa.I'm not sure my father discussed the plan in detail.

At that time, my eldest sister was already 28 years old, and my second sister was also 26 years old.But not being able to find a partner, not being able to get married, this is something that the whole family is very worried about.

Finally, one fell in love with the second sister and came to propose marriage.He is a civil servant and his family is not well-to-do, but he seems honest and reliable.But I think that the reason why this simple and honest young man no longer hesitated and made up his mind to propose to his second sister was also because we showed him a letter from my uncle Jules one night.

We have been waiting for such a thing for a long time, and our family hastily agreed to his request, and decided that after the wedding, the whole family will go to Dersay Island to have fun.Dersay Island is the most ideal resort for the poor.The island is under British jurisdiction.The journey to Dersay Island is not far away, just cross the sea by boat and you will arrive.In other words, as long as a Frenchman sails for two hours, he can go to a neighboring country, see the people of this country, and feel the customs and customs of this island covered with the British flag.

The matter of traveling to Jersey has become our mind, our desire all the time, and the dream we chanted every day.Well, we're finally on our way.We got on the ship, left the pier, and sailed to our dream land on a sea as calm as a green marble tabletop.Just like those who don't travel often, we feel the air is so fresh and the mood is so comfortable.

Suddenly, my father saw two gentlemen asking two beautifully dressed wives to eat oysters, a kind of mollusk with an oval body and two shells. It lives in shallow sea sand and has delicious meat. .I saw an old sailor in ragged clothes holding a knife and prying open the oyster, and then handed it to the two gentlemen, and the two gentlemen handed it to the two ladies.The two ladies ate very elegantly, holding the oysters with a small handkerchief, with their heads slightly forward so as not to stain their robes; thrown into the sea.

Obviously, my father was impressed by the noble way the two ladies ate, so he walked up to my mother and two sisters and asked, "Do you want me to treat you to oysters?"

After hearing what my father said, my mother was a little hesitant. I knew she was afraid of spending money; but the two older sisters agreed.So the mother said with a bit of embarrassment: "I don't want to eat it. I'm afraid of heartburn. You can just buy a few for the children. Don't eat too much. Eating too much is not good for your health." Looking at me, he said, "As for Joseph, he doesn't need to eat this kind of food. Boys can't be spoiled."

Although I felt that this kind of different treatment was very unfair, I had no choice but to stay with my mother.I kept staring at my father, hoping for a turnaround, as he solemnly led his two sisters and his new brother-in-law toward the ragged old sailor.

I noticed that my father suddenly seemed uneasy. He took a few steps aside, stared at the old sailor selling oysters, and hurried towards us. His face was very pale, and his eyes were not as normal. no the same.He whispered to my mother, "My God! Why does this oyster seller look so much like Jules?"

My mother was a little puzzled by my father's sudden question, so I asked, "Which Yule?"

My father said, "That's...that's my younger brother.... If I didn't know that he is in America now, has a good status and a good business relationship, I would have thought it was him."

My mother's complexion also changed, and she said hesitantly: "Are you confused? Since you know it can't be him, why are you talking nonsense?"

Apparently his father was still worried, and he said dejectedly, "Clarice, you'd better go and see! It's better to find out the matter clearly, and go and see for yourself."

The mother got up and went to her two daughters.I also took a closer look at that person.He was old and dirty, his face was wrinkled, and he never took his eyes off what he was doing—stealing oysters.

Soon, the mother came back.I could see that she was shaking.She said quickly, "I think it's him. We'd better go and ask the captain. We'll be careful not to let this boy come back and hurt us again!"

After hearing what my mother said, my father hurried away.I followed behind my father, not knowing why I was extremely nervous.Father spoke to the captain politely, complimenting and asking questions at the same time.First, I talked about insignificant things, such as whether Dersai was important, what was produced, how large was the population, what were the customs and habits, and so on.Later they talked about the "Express" we were on, and then about the crew on board.

Finally, my father said, seemingly unintentionally, "I saw an oyster seller on your boat. He looked interesting. Do you know anything about this guy?"

The captain was already impatient with my father's rambling conversation, so he replied coldly: "He is an old French rascal. I met him in America last year and took him on board. It is said that he was still in Havre. Has relatives, but he doesn't want to go back to them, because he owes them some money. His name is Jules... surnamed Darmans,—I don't know if it's Darvins, or something like that. I heard that he was rich in America for a while, but look what he has fallen into now!" After speaking, the captain shook his head.

What the captain said had already turned my father's face pale. He stared blankly and said in a hoarse voice: "Ah! Ah! So...so...so...I've long seen that this man is not True! . . . Thank you, Mr. Captain."

Dad came back to my mother, still looking flustered.The mother already knew the answer to the matter, so she hurriedly said to him: "Sit down first! But don't let them see it." Sitting on the bench, the father stammered, "It's him, it's really He!" Then he asked his mother, "What shall we do?" The mother immediately replied, "The children should be taken away quickly. Since Joseph already knows, let him go and get them back. Be especially careful. Be careful not to make our son-in-law suspicious."

The father was suddenly very depressed, lowered his head and muttered in a low voice: "It's something I can't even think of!"

Seeing his father like this, the mother suddenly became furious and said angrily: "I knew this prodigal thing would not be successful, and he would come back sooner or later and drag us down again. Hurry up and give the money to Joseph and tell him to go Pay off the oysters. We're unlucky enough, and it's going to be a blast if the beggar sees it out. Let's get to the side of the boat, and be careful we don't let the beggar get close to us!" She stopped Get up, give me a five-franc piece, and go away.

I went up to the oysterman, and asked, "How much should I pay you, sir?"

He replied: "Two francs and fifty centimes."

I gave him the five francs in silver, and he gave me the rest of the change.

He looked terribly embarrassed.I looked at his hand, which was that of a wrinkled sailor.I looked at his face again, it was an old and poor face.I said silently in my heart: "This is my uncle, my father's younger brother, my real uncle."

I tipped him another ten coppers.He hastened to thank me: "God bless you, my young sir!"

When I handed over the two francs to my father, my mother was surprised when she saw it, and asked, "They ate three francs? How is this possible?"

I said, "I tipped him ten coppers." My mother seemed startled, looked straight at me, and said, "You are crazy! Give ten coppers to this rascal, to this rascal! "She didn't go on, because her father pointed at her son-in-law and gave her a wink.

Then everyone stopped talking.In front of us, far away on the horizon, there seemed to be a purple shadow emerging from the sea.That is Dersay Island.

When we returned, we took the Saint-Malo boat instead, so as not to meet my uncle Jules again.

(End of this chapter)