She asked why, and I told her that she was currently in a wonderful position: the Party had already put in motion steps to find her a husband, so if she made a fuss right now, people would gossip about her relationship with Zhang Guoqing, which would be very bad for her efforts to get married. I kept coming back to the same point: in my opinion she shouldn’t interfere in Zhang Guoqing’s affairs – not that she couldn’t, but that it would be a bad idea, because it was a genie she couldn’t put back in the bottle, and she would just get hurt. It was a fact, and she did think seriously about it. However, her final decision was very disappointing.

‘I’ve promised Zhang Guoqing,’ she said, ‘and I’m not going to go back on my word. Besides, anyone who cares about that sort of thing wouldn’t be a good choice as a husband; we’d split up right away.’

‘Everyone cares about that sort of thing – every man, at any rate.’

‘Well in that case I am doomed to stay single.’

‘The Party is doing its best, and we need you to cooperate. Please don’t make any further representations about Zhang Guoqing.’

‘I can keep quiet for a bit, but I’m not going to let it go, OK? Stop dragging it out: I’m going to see that Zhang Guoqing’s problems get sorted out, and as for everything else we’ll just have to see how it goes. I’m not that farsighted, nor that patient; I really can’t be bothered to look eight generations into the future before I decide what to do. The only thing that matters to me right now is to help Zhang Guoqing – first, because I promised him I would, and second, because you know what he’s like, he’s completely open and honest, and if I don’t help him, who will? Being honest won’t solve his problems, will it? And if his problems aren’t solved, how can he ever be happy? That’s why I want to get involved, and if you don’t want to help, that’s fine, I’ll find someone else who will.’