Spring Peach

Xu Dishan was born in Taiwan in 1893 to his father Xu Nangying, an Imperial Scholar. His family fled Taiwan, or the Republic of Formosa as it was then, for mainland China as Japan took over, Dishan was only two years old. Xu grew up in Guangzhou and studied Cantonese while there. He was very influenced by traditional Chinese studies during this time. Following the 1911 revolution, Xu went into teaching and worked at both primary schools and universities. He became an important figure in the May Fourth Movement which criticized imperialist China, both culturally and Politically. Before beginning his literary career, Xu was a prestigious student of Theology at the Universities of both Oxford and Columbia. Beginning with his first publication in 1921 Xu soon became an important figure in the New Literature Movement, which began in 1916. His stories often had a romantic or familial focus and when the war against Japan began his writing became a passionate, patriotic celebration of the Chinese people’s bravery. Xu died in 1941 and never saw the Chinese victory over Japan. His work has not been as widely celebrated as that of his peers, possibly because he had a less leftist outlook. 

In “Spring Peach” a trio struggles to define themselves as a family in 1930’s China. Chuntao, a used paper collector, lives with Xianggao. Together they collected used papers from the streets and the near-by palace to resell. The small, rundown home they live in has only one bed and a small courtyard filled with various debris. Xianggao wishes to call Chuntao his wife but she continually shuts him down saying “Don’t call me wife”(Xu 60). He does small things for her like running her bath and always taking off her heavy pack when she returns home. Xianggao cares for her and although she rejects the label of “wife”, she cares for him too. Chuntao has dreams of expanding their small paper business and has taught Xianggao the tricks of her trade to make himself useful. Their undefined relationship becomes even more complicated when Chuntao comes across Li Mao at the market. Li Mao was her first husband and since their traumatic separation by bandits, he has lost both his legs. Unable to walk or work, Li Mao is living on the streets. Chuntao takes him back to her small home where Li Mao and Xianggao struggle to define what Chuntao is to each of them. Is she a wife, Ex-wife, lover, friend, or partner? Xianggao leaves one night and Chuntao goes searching for him. Upon her return from her unsuccessful search, she finds that Li Mao has tried to kill himself. In Xianggao’s absence, Chuntao realizes the depth of her feeling for him. Chuntao manages to saves and nurse Li Mao back to health and eventually, Xianggao returns. They grapple with what Li Mao’s disability means for their now shared lives. Chuntao wants them to live a life that each of them can contribute to. Their difficulty finding their place in society illustrates the strict family roles that are laid out and how diversion from these feels like a crime against the self when it can, in fact, be a triumph. 

“Spring Peach” is an investigation into the way society perceives “family” structure and how both gender and disability affect these family formations. First, I believe that in this short story, unlike in “Diary of a Madman”, disability is given humanity, instead of just being used as an allegory. Li Mao has emotion, personality, and strong morals. Unlike the unethical use of the “madman”, Xu allows Li Mao room to be a developed character. Li Mao has “Chivalry”(Xu 74), is “sensible”(Xu 71), and has deep feelings which may be of sadness but at least shows a depth of character not given to most disabled characters. 

The gender roles we observe seem reversed to what is normally displayed in depictions of a 1930’s family. Chuntao, who should be the “wife”, is, in fact, the leader of the family. She goes out each day with a load “so heavy she could not hold her back straight” (Xu 59) displaying not only strength but also a leadership role in acquiring the family income. Xianggao, on the other hand, runs her baths for her and learns how to sell the used papers, duties normally assigned to the woman. His role as “her helper”(Xu 61) is a very different label to what is normally given to the “man” of the household. These reversed roles bring about the complication of labels. Women were, at this time, as explained by Tani Barlow in Gendering Bodies, defined by “boundaries of ethical-practical kin relations” which “makes a person recognizably female”(Barlow 256). Chuntao is not a woman by these standards as she is not fitting these “ethical” kin relationships. If Chuntao does not even fit the label of a woman then the label of “wife” becomes even more displaced. The attributes of submission and femininity are not ones she possesses or wishes to acquire. She rejects the “wife” label because that is not the role she plays in this family, yet Xianggao is obsessed with it. He fills out a marriage card which makes Chuntao his wife in the eyes of the government, yet she still rejects it. Zianggao tells her that when the policeman came by “it was not appropriate if he wrote down that a man and woman are living together” (Xu 62) so he filled the certificate out. This illustrates how they have to mold their relationship to be what society deems “appropriate” and how they are currently living, although it makes them happy, is unacceptable. The reason that both Xianggao and Li Mao have difficulty letting go of the “wife” label is that this is the basis of how they have learned to define a woman. They have trouble understanding who Chuntao is to both of them when she cannot be a “wife” or even a family serving-woman. They say “you are our wife”(Xu 82) as if she is a possession. This label comes despite Chuntao’s reasoning: “What we do is nobody’s business” and “Let’s the three of us go on living as we have. Isn’t that all right?”(Xu 78). She is much more open-minded and unfearful of judgment whereas both the men fear being a “cuckold”(Xu 71) and worry for “reputation”(Xu 77). Chuntao, despite being the boss in terms of business, is treated as an object because of her gender. One evening when Chuntao comes home she is told “You belong to Xianggao. That’s the contract of sale”(Xu 77). This comes after Li Mao feels he must sell Chuntao to Xianggao because he cannot be a husband due to his disability. 

This brings us back to the role disability plays in the story. Li Mao has lost both his legs in The Volunteer Army, resulting in his homelessness and inability to provide for himself. He tells Chuntao “I’m already crippled. Even if you are willing to be with me, I won’t be able to support you”(Xu 71). Li Mao sees supporting his wife as a prerequisite to being a husband and therefore believes that his disability precludes him from this role. Chuntao, however, has a very different outlook: “Why don’t we just all live here, and no one think about who is supporting whom, all right?”(Xu 71). Li Mao sees himself as worthless because of his disability and, as society teaches, thinks worth comes from the ability to work. Li Mao finds so little worth in himself and that he attempts to take his own life. When Chuntao arrives home she finds that “Li Mao had hanged himself” (Xu 80). This outlook is not one unique to 1900’s China. Just like Rachel Adams, Ben Reiss, and David Serlin note in “Disability”, the United States views “people with disabilities and their supporters…as a burden on public resources” (Adams, Reiss, and Serlin 11). This outlook spans across not only time but all cultures, many countries still adhering to this philosophy. She thankfully saves him from his suicide attempt illustrating that Chuntao, despite what is culturally taught, values Li Mao. This story gives us a unique alternative to this view of disabled people as worthless based on a perceived inability to contribute traditionally. Chuntao proves her view of Li Mao as valuable further in her ability to make an inclusive solution to their living situation. She does not look at things black and white, instead, she suggests to them that “the three of us will open a company”(Xu 75). She says “Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about finding another person to help us. It happens that brother Mao has showed up”(Xu 75). Chuntao sees Li Mao as an asset not defining him by his disability. She illustrates how everyone can be included and play an important role if things are planned correctly. She may not love Li Mao and certainly does not want to be his wife, but just like she is valuable beyond her gender Li Mao is valuable beyond the confines of disability stigma. Hopefully, Chuntao can help Li Mao find this self-love by showing him that he can provide and be helpful when given the right role. 

“Spring Peach” is a unique story that looks at the crossroads where disability, gender, and family meet. Although there is much disagreement throughout the story we see a group lost in labels and stigma, not necessarily finding the solution but finding value in each other. To move beyond societal confines has never, and will never, be easy but Chuntao shows us how love and compassion can lead to finding solutions.