The Troubleshooters,' by Wang Shuo

32 CHINESE EDUCATION AND SOCIETY
LIU MEIPING leans backward from her chair, beyond MA QING, and begins to
talk to YANG ZHONG.
LIU MEIPING: Let’s go, Yang Zhong.
YANG ZHONG: Let’s stay for just one more minute, please.
MA QING: Hey, don’t try to take my buddy away from me, okay? You’ve
been taken over by me now. Yang Zhong is going on another date this afternoon.
LIU MEIPING: Is that me, Yang Zhong?
YANG ZHONG nods his head affirmatively and smiles at LIU MEIPING.
YANG ZHONG: Involuntarily.
MA QING: You’d better not let your attention stray from me ‘cause I still have a
lot to tell you.
LIU MEIPING: Yeah, but you’re not serious. Do you mind taking me to lunch?
Sitting here listening to you makes me hungry.
MA QING: If we were dating on our own I would be happy to invite you out to
lunch, but I’m working now, so 1’11 have to ask for my manager’s permission.
Manager Yu, may I treat Meiping for a simple lunch?
Yu GUAN: Sure, but you have to pay Erom your own pocket.
MA QING: What? I have to do damage to my own wallet? (He turns to
LIU MEIPING) I’d really rather invite you to try out the bumper cars. It’s
really very expensive, too, but it’s a lot of fun; you won’t feel hungry
after that.
LIU MEIPING: No, I’d rather not, because I always become carsick.
MA QING: Naw, c’mon! These are not regular cars. I’m sure if you play once
you’ll want to stay and not stop.
MA QING forces LIU MEIPING to her feet by taking her arm. He then calls out
to Yu GUAN and YANG ZHONG who are laughing quietly in their seats.
MA QING: You two had better move, too.