The Rose Come Late into Bloom

Chen Yan’s Drama Trilogy (Chinese-English)

Written by Chen Yan

Translated by Hu Zongfeng， Robin Gilbank and others

Shaanxi Normal University Press

November 2021

69.00 (CNY)

Chen Yan’s Drama Trilogy (Chinese-English) is a collection of the plays of the famous writer and playwright Chen Yan， including The Rose Come Late into Bloom， The Great Tree Transplanted to the West， and Tales of the Western Capital. The work confronts ordinary people living in the city. It shows the magnificent changes of the times， reflecting the author’s responsibility and commitment to society and his concern for the three most influential groups in contemporary China， namely urban commoners， ordinary intellectuals， and peasants.

Chen Yan

A famous playwright and writer. He has created dozens of dramas， such as The Rose Come Late into Bloom， The Great Tree Transplanted to the" West， and Tales of the Western Capital. He is a winner of Cao Yu Drama Literature Award， Wenhua Screenwriting Award， and Outstanding Contribution Award for Chinese Modern Drama. His works have been selected as the Top Ten Excellent Plays in the National Excellent Stage Art Project three times. Set the Stage was selected into the 70 Best Novels Collection Since 1949. His works have published abroad and translated into English， Russian， Italian， Spanish and other languages.

ACT I

(A few days later. Qiao Xuemei， Fang Fang， Ting Ting and Dou Dou are sitting and sobbing alongside their Aunt and Mr Qiao.)

AUNT (Sings): Natural disasters and mishaps are unavoidable. My dearest ones， do not be so miserable. Xuemei， your disabled father needs care， and that’s a burden these youngsters cannot bear. I’ve thought back and forth carefully， now you must be the head sheep， and act responsibly.

(Aside) Xuemei， the leaders of your mother’s work unit have come to an exceptional decision. As your family is in such dire straits， they will allow you to take up her post in the factory.

QIAO XUEMEI: No， Auntie， I want to go to university! I want to go to university! (In tears， she hurries indoors.)

(Fang Fang and Dou Dou follow her. Ting Ting steps slowly towards Mr Qiao.)

MR QIAO: Xuemei’s studies cannot be put on hold. It wasn’t easy for her to pass the entrance exam. Her mother burst a blood vessel so that all her children might have a promising future.

AUNT: I have thought it over and over. As the eldest child， how can she possibly go away under such circumstances?

MR QIAO: The eldest child? She is only nineteen.

AUNT: But when all is said and done， she is the eldest child at home.

MR QIAO: Well， it seems as though the family will end up being torn apart. (Mr Qiao strokes Ting Ting lovingly.) You are her auntie， I know you are already sandwiched between the young and old. You don’t need another son or daughter. But for the poor girl’s sake， please adopt Ting Ting anyway. As you know， back when we were working together， her father and me were both in an accident. We’ve been taking care of her since she was six or seven. Now she’s a teenager. If we carry on looking after her， she’ll be independent within a few years. We can’t...

(Exit Ting Ting， weeping.)

MR QIAO: As for Dou Dou， I plan to send him to room with a relative in the country. Fang Fang is a bit older than Ting Ting， so she can stay at home with me. When she turns eighteen， she can take up her mother’s position in the factory.

AUNT: What about you?

MR QIAO: Oh， me? In the past， I was the sore their mother had to dress and tend to. Now I don’t want to inflict that on the children. A blister has to be popped sooner or later! The earlier the better. Then， you’ll have nothing to worry you.

AUNT: Brother-in-law， how can you speak like that?

MR QIAO: It’s high time this was over. I don’t want to hold the kids back. (Qiao Xuemei runs out from the room.)

QIAO XUEMEI: Father! (She kneels down in front of his wheelchair and sobs.)

(Enter Fang Fang with an apron around her waist together with Dou Dou and Ting Ting.)

FANG FANG (Taking Qiao Xuemei’s arm and singing to her): Big sister you need not worry， go to uni and don’t feel sorry. It’s not beyond me to take care of them all， even a skinny chopstick can still make a flagpole.

TING TING (Sings): I’ll sell ice lollies so we can have salt and rice，

DOU DOU (Sings): I’ll sell ice cream to buy winter warmers nice.

TING TING (Sings): I’ll take over from you bathing father.

DOU DOU (Sings): I’ll ferry him to the hospital， be his chauffeur.

ALL (Sing): Big sister you can go， rest assured. We’ll face every hardship together， supporting and loving one other.

QIAO XUEMEI (Moved deeply and sings): You’re all so understanding and considerate， now grown up at such an incredible rate. How can I think only of my needs? Here at the crossroads -- where does sense lead? Try to defer -- the school gate may close forever. Try to defer -- the ship might be cast adrift over. Seize the chance -- who’ll care for our poor father? Seize the chance -- what about my sister and brother? Unfortunate yet inevitable， crack the hardest nut first -- be practical. Right now， I’ll abandon university -- that’s alright. The chess game must resume minus a pawn and a knight.

(Aside) Father， Aunt， the university... I am not going to...

MR QIAO: Oh， what did you say?

QIAO XUEMEI: University... I am not going to university.

MR QIAO (Pounding on the armrest of his wheelchair): No! Whatever it takes， you must get into university.

QIAO XUEMEI: Father， think of the situation at home. I could enroll but I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on my studies. I shall wait for another chance when Fang Fang is grown up. Father， please give me mother’s bunch of keys， and have faith in me! I’ll take good care of the family.

MR QIAO: Xuemei...

FANG FANG， TING TING AND DOU DOU: Big sister...

QIAO XUEMEI: Father! (Mr Qiao stares at Qiao Xuemei’s face with its expression of resolution and grim determination. He hands the keys to Xuemei with helpless resignation. The chorus sings in an agitated manner):

With tears we bade farewell to the pillar of the family， we greet the new bearer of the carrying pole happily. Everyday matters are back on course at least， the sun will once again rise in the east.

(Xuemei unties the apron from around Fang Fang’s body and slowly puts it on herself. The Aunt and three siblings push Mr. Qiao off in his wheelchair. Enter Wen Xin.)

WEN XIN: Xuemei， we’ll catch the train at 6.40 pm. Look， I booked the tickets for us.

(Qiao Xuemei hangs her head in silence.)

WEN XIN: What’s the matter?

QIAO XUEMEI: I am not going.

WEN XIN: What? Not going? You’re putting it off until later?

QIAO XUEMEI: No， I can’t go with you.

WEN XIN: Oh， Xuemei...

QIAO XUEMEI (Putting her hand over Wen Xin’s mouth): Please， don’t try and persuade me. What I need now is your encouragement and support!

WEN XIN: Xuemei! (Sings): How could you make such an easy about turn? Cast aside your glowing future with no hope of return? Ten years of hard work now all gone to waste， before your sword is primed you’ve given up in haste.

QIAO XUEMEI (Sings): Family misfortune has disrupted the melody， How could I -- the eldest child -- beat ease with this tragedy? Next morning I’ll come to the station and say goodbye， I hope we won’t remain distant like the earth and the sky.

WENXIN (Sings): Xuemei’s words are far too sentimental， we have been classmates for nine years in total. Both windows will be left open before I depart， you are the rose that smolders in my dream and heart.

QIAO XUEMEI (Sings): Behold from indoors yonder bright moon， feel the warmth in your heart with a swoon. There in the moonlight， I still dream we’ll pick.

WEN XIN: Xuemei， I understand you. Whatever happens， I’ll love you forever! (Wen Xin clasps hold of Xuemei’s hands tightly.) The blossoms which cast shadows chaotic.

(Enter Gong Xiaohua and their other classmates.)

GONGXIAOHUA: Ah， we chose a bad moment. (Jealously) Both of you will be at the same university. There will be plenty of time to hold hands. A fetching flower and a prince charming -- we can only gaze on at the dust that swirls in their wake!

WEN XIN: Xiaohua， Xuemei... isn’t going.

GONGXIAOHUA: What? Are you cracking a world-class joke? Why turn down such a famous university? Maybe you’ve set your sights on studying on the moon?

WEN XIN: She refuses point blank to go. Her mind’s made up.

GONGXIAOHUA: Xuemei， why this unexpected decision?

QIAO XUEMEI: You all know what my family situation is. As the eldest， I...

GONGXIAOHUA: The eldest-- so what? Each of the kids will eventually have their own journey and their own life. Xuemei， you can’t switch plans on a whim.

QIAO XUEMEI: No， no， the kids are too young to support themselves. Besides， my father...

FIRSTCLASSMATE: (Taking out a red envelope): Xuemei， here’s 300 RMB. We classmates all chipped in to help tide you over at university. You’d better go.

QIAO XUEMEI: No， no， I can’t take it. Thanks for your concern， I don’t have much choice.

WEN XIN: Xuemei， please accept this kindness from your classmates.

QIAOXUEMEI: No.

FIRSTCLASSMATE: Xuemei， even though you are not going， you will need it to support the family.

ALLCLASSMATE: Take it! Take it!

QIAO XUEMEI: (Takes the money with acute embarrassment.) Thank you all!

ALLCLASSMATE (Aside): For sure -- how could she go away and drop everything after such misfortune? How could Xuemei leave! Such a tricky bind!

GONGXIAOHUA: What a pity! She can’t take her place at that top university. Our marks are only good enough for bog standard colleges. Imagine， if we could swap places with her.

(Xu suddenly pops out from the drains.)

GONGXIAOHUA: Ah， how come there’s somebody in the tunnel?

XU: Sorry， these drains were starting to smell.

GONGXIAOHUA: Yes， they reek of garlic (covering her nose.) Wen Xin， let’s go. It’s time for her to do her chores. Look， I booked two tickets for us for tomorrow morning.

WEN XIN: I’ve already got mine.

GONGXIAOHUA: Hard seat or sleeper?

WEN XIN: How could a poor student stretch to a sleeper?

GONGXIAOHUA: Ah， get a refund， get it refunded. I booked two places on the sleeper using a signed note from my father. (She realises that she has made a slip of the tongue.) I originally booked them for Xuemei and me. Now you will have the honour.

WEN XIN: It’s better that I stick with the hard seat.

GONGXIAOHUA: What? Scared to splurge a bit more?

WEN XIN: No， I didn’t mean that.

GONGXIAOHUA: I paid the extra cost for you. (She thrusts the ticket into

Wen Xin’s hands.)

(Qiao Xuemei， suddenly feeling uneasy， gazes helplessly at Wen Xin.)

XU:Ah， the drains are clogged up!

(Sings): Clogged up， clogged up， The drains are clogged up.

(Xu tries to unblock the drains with great difficulty. Fade out.)