門已被劈破了。 就是不破也失了功能，我想賊是不會光顧這所住宅的了。
這沒有保障，黑暗無光，七零八落的住宅，就是我們的家—— 大火燃燒後的殘形。
當我推翻了門前的爛木，一陣濃厚而不舒服的煙味，頓時刺激起我的嗅覺神經。 我摸索了好一會，終於找到兩枝洋燭。 黑暗給光明擠向一角。
妻還站在門前凝視，深情和劫後的家一樣的淒涼。 我承認她的感觸比我的來得尖銳，就是不比我的深刻。 她到底是女人，我能諒解她在祝融光顧後回來時的痛苦。
“進來吧。 我們再來馬虎地收拾一下，剩餘明天理了。” 我激勵保持正常的語氣，覺得在這個愉快和歡樂給火暫時焚去的時候，還是少做点刺激的事情好。
妻無語地拿了一枝洋燭進入廚房，我設法把睡室整頓得可以繼續睡眠。 廳室，靠近起火的鄰居那一邊，已經焚毀了。 其餘另一邊也在救火時搗毀。
火是從鄰居發起的，時間是在早晨，所以樓中各家的人都還未外出。 鄰人向來做事是大意的，我常常看見他對於煙頭的隨便，很有点担心，但是這是一個文明的時代，要想安寧点就一定要少管別人的閒事，尤其是別人的劣点。 而且都市的人，居住別人的屋子多，又全部倚靠消防隊來保持火災的安全，總比不上鄉下人來得小心。 這種危險的習慣不是一時可以改正的，特別是那些交着運而未曾受過損失的人。
火從左鄰起後，他恰不在室中，到發覺時火勢已經很盛了。 救火員未到之前，我們盡力撲救，只有右鄰那家忙着搬自己的東西，結果那家的損失最少。我如果早點搬出妻的衣服，或者損失少了許多，因為我們一家着火的部分很小，不過烟把妻所有的衣服燻的黃黃黑黑。 我明白衣服是女人的一部分，和她們的頭髮眉毛一樣的重要，衣服對於她們不僅是蔽體的用品，而且是她們的外表和尊嚴，衣服是真正屬於女人自己所獨有的東西。
我看見妻的影子在廚房的牆上走動，她到底是一個堅毅的女子，在嚴重的打擊下她還沒有失去理智。 我們的成家立室是一段艱辛的奮鬥史。 我們是赤手空拳開始的。 經過多年的血汗才換得長時間所希望着的東西，可是現在別人的錯過下變成灰燼了。 到底別人的一切都給焚光了，我們還留有一個發展的地方。 在這種對照下，心中不由產生一點安慰，覺得不幸中的大幸，雖然帶有點苦味，却是生存上的必需。
妻的首飾箱張着口向我，告訴我一切都被劫去了。 妻藏有好些戒指玉器之類的奢侈品，這對於妻含有很大的紀念價值，比物品的本身價值高出許多。 這裏有我們的訂婚和結婚戒指，有那早夭兒子的禮物，有她自小渴望而勞作所得的裝飾品，現在却在凌亂中給救火人員取去。
燭光默默地塗上像死了親人般的氣氛。 我覺得有點頹喪，或者是疲倦吧。 但是生的觀念到底比一切都要強。 我意識地把頭抬起，天花板上，一個露天的大孔惹起了我要做工作。 這個孔是救火員鑿開，讓房中的烟逃走的。
我拿了洋燭走到廚房，告訴妻說我要上屋面遮蓋那鑿開的漏孔。 妻說要隨着來，我們就一同沉默地走，把手掌護着閃照不穩的火焰，但是剛達屋面，就給風吹熄了。
我們用木和鐵片作臨時的封蓋後，兩人都坐在地上不動， 好像完成了一件大工程似的。
我把妻拉進懷來，以面頰撫擦她的額角。 妻被我的安慰感動得低聲請罪起來說： “請你原諒我今日的態度。我不能自制。”
“你沒有錯過。” 我真心地安慰。 “在困苦的爭鬥下，人是不能虛裝歡笑的。 在這種情境下，言語是多餘的，只有同情和了解，才是真正的祝福。”
“我不該失去勇氣。”
“我真不信我們曾經有過建立家庭的能力，現在咬着牙根再來一次，是希望使我們不息地前進，伴侶保持這希望不致消失。 ”
The door was cleaved broken by an ax; it lost its function even if it wasn’t broken. I think thieves will no longer patronize this residence.
This dwelling without safeguard and brightness, a ramshackle place is in fact our home — a remnant ruin after a big fire.
When I push away the rotten wood in front of the door, a whiff of intense and unpleasant smoke odor instantly irritates the nerves of my sense of smell. I fumble in the dark for a while and finally find two candles. Darkness is pushed into the corners by lightness.
Wife still stands in front of the door staring. Her facial expression is as miserable as our plundered home. I admit her sensibility is keener than mine, although it is not as profound. After all she is a woman and I can understand her wailing when she returns home after the god of fire patronized the place.
“Let’s come in. Let us quickly clear up a little and do the rest tomorrow.” I try my best to maintain a normal tone. I think it is better to do less irritating things during this time when our happiness and joys had temporarily been burned away by fire.
Without a word, Wife carries a candle and goes into the kitchen. I attempt to tidy up the bedroom so we can still sleep in it. The side of the living room adjacent to my neighbor where the fire started had been burned down. The other side was destroyed while the fire was being put out.
The fire was started from the neighbor’s place, and the time was in the morning so people in the building had not yet gone out. My neighbor had been careless in doing many things. I often saw him being sloppy with cigarette butts, and I was a little worried. But in this civilized era, if one wants to be peaceful one must not mind people’s business, especially their bad habits. Furthermore, city dwellers mostly live in houses owned by others and rely entirely on firemen to maintain their safety. They are not as careful as the rural folks. Such dangerous habits cannot be corrected in a short time, especially for those endowed with luck and have not suffered losses.
After the fire started with my neighbor on the left, he happened not to be in the room. The fire was already burning strong when it was detected. We tried hard to put it out before the fire fighters arrived. The neighbor on the right side was the only one busy moving out his own things, so it turned out his loss was the least. Had I moved out my wife’s clothing, perhaps our loss would be much less because the fire that was caught on in our place was very small, but the smoke had stained Wife’s clothing into blackened and yellowish. I understand clothing is a part of a woman, which is as important as her hair and eyebrow. Clothing for women is not just a thing to cover the body, but their appearance and dignity. Clothing is truly something uniquely belonging to women themselves.
I see Wife’s shadow moving on the wall of the kitchen. All in all she is a fortitudinous female who didn't lose her intellect under a severe blow. Our family was established through a history of tough and bitter struggle. We started with our empty hands. After many years of toil and sweat in exchange for the things we desired, now they turned into ashes due to the fault of others. After all, others’ belongings were all burned, while we still have a base to grow. With such comparison, my heart couldn’t help finding some comfort and a realization of great fortune amidst unfortunate situations. Although it entails bitterness, it is essential for survival.
Wife’s jewelry box opened its mouth towards me, telling me that all was robbed. Wife had kept some quite luxury items, like rings and jaded jewelry. These things had great memorable value to Wife, much higher than the prices of the items. Among them were our engagement and wedding rings, the gifts for our son in premature death, and the jewelry she yearned for as a child and worked hard to obtain. And now they were taken away by the firemen during chaos. The candlelight quietly colors an atmosphere akin to the death of a relative. I feel a little dejected, or perhaps fatigued, but the conviction in life is stronger than anything else. I consciously raise my head to the big hole in the ceiling that provokes me to work. This hole was chopped open by the fire fighters to let the smoke escape from the room.
I take a candle and walk into the kitchen, telling Wife that I am going up to the roof to cover that gouged out hole. Wife says she will come along, so we silently walk together. I use my hand to shield the flickering flame, but the wind blows it out as soon as we reach the rooftop.
After we cover the hole temporarily made with some wood and sheet metal, both of us sit still on the floor as if we have completed a major project.
I pull Wife into my arms and caress the corner of her forehead with my face. Wife is so touched by my comfort that she apologizes in a low voice, “Please excuse my attitude today. I didn't have self-control.”
“You were not wrong.” I console her earnestly. “People cannot pretend to be happy and laugh during hardship. Under such circumstances, words are unnecessary. Sympathy and understanding are the only true blessings.”
“I shouldn’t have lost my courage.”
“I really can’t believe we used to have the ability to establish a family. Now we will clench our teeth and do it all over again with the hope that we will relentlessly progress forward, and our companionship will prevent this hope from vanishing.”
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