by Mingmei Yip
"Xiang Xiang, my little beauty, how I've missed you!" His corpse-like body was shrouded in an indigo gown embroidered with the character shou-longevity. His lips split to reveal two rows of long, yellowish teeth, and an expanse of gum the color of a bruised eggplant. His hand, clawlike, reached to grab my waist.
I swallowed hard. Then, remembering Pearl's teaching and Fang Rong's warning, I immediately went to sit on his lap.
"Aii-ya, Big Master Fung," I threw him a flirtatious glance, "why didn't you come earlier? You make me wait and wait till my heart rots! " My hand, with an effort of my will, wandered to caress his cheek.
He took hold of my hand and passionately drilled his tongue into my palm, creating a wave of nausea that sloshed across my stomach.
I half-pushed him away, giggling. "Big Master Fung, please, it tickles! "
"Tickle? Ha! Ha! Ha! You'll soon be tickled to death when my jade stalk tickles open your soft petals!"
I didn't know how to respond. Then from the eight immortals table I picked up the wine pot and poured us both full cups.
"Big Master Fung," I handed him a cup with an orchid hand and a soul-sucking glance, "please drink this respect wine from your humble Xiang Xiang for the celebration of our dragon and phoenix night."
When Fung took the cup and drained the liquor, I secretly poured mine onto the potted plant next to my chair.
Immediately I poured him another cup. "Big Master Fung, this one is for your health and longevity."
Obediently he finished his second cup while I again swiftly poured mine to feed the plant.
"Big Master Fung," I poured him a third one, "this is for the prosperity of your business."
Now he cast me a chiding glance. "Wait a minute, Xiang Xiang. I don't want to get drunk right away."
"Aii-ya, Big Master Fung," I said, pulling my dress to reveal a large part of my bare leg, "I don't believe a veteran like you can get drunk so easily."
Fung's hand wandered to rest on my thigh. "All right, Xiang Xiang, but don't get me drunk. For I want to savor our wedding night."
The last two words sent a tremor across my chest. But I put up my best smile and lifted the fine porcelain cup to his lips. He happily drained his third cup. Poor cup, to be molested by such ugly lips!
Now I poured him the fourth cup. "Big Master Fung, this is-"
"Enough, Xiang Xiang, no more drinking. I want to strike the red-"
"But Big Master Fung," I pulled my handkerchief and flung it at him playfully, "this is for your offspring, so how can you turn it down?"
"Offspring?" he mumbled, face glowing and eyes glazed with alcohol. "All right, then you have to share it with me."
I used my sheer willpower to suppress another wave of nausea.
Suspecting nothing, he willingly took a big sip of the wine. Then, to my surprise, he leaned close to me, pried open my lips, and spat the wine from inside his mouth into mine.
The liquor burnt all its way from my throat down to my stomach. I choked. Fung laughed, then started to caress my back affectionately. Then passionately. And I knew the most dreaded moment was to come.
This time, with mutual understanding, we went straight to where we were destined-the bed.
Before long he was on top of me, thrusting his rotten stalk inside my precious gate.
When he had finally finished his feats of thrusting and collapsing, he stuck his tongue into my mouth again, noisily sucking my saliva for one last time before he got dressed. Paradoxically, after all his vigorous stunts, he looked even younger and livelier.
Now he narrowed his eyes and looked back at the disheveled bed sheets. Seeing that I had presented him with the bloody zhuang yuan seal, a look of utter satisfaction crept into his fuzzy eyes.
He hollered, "Hao! From today on my business will prosper and I'll have great longevity!" He took the seal from my hands, drained one more cup of wine, laughed deliriously, and staggered out the door.
PART TWO
13
Life Went On
espite my miseries, life went on. Peach Blossom seemed to prosper more than ever, and Mama and De had never looked happier. Especially Mama. As thick ingots of silver were pressed into her hands, she would break into a huge, toothy grin and her eyes would grow as round as gold coins.
As for me, I'd become more and more accustomed to the ways of life in this gold-powdered hell. I tried to concentrate on attracting the richest guests and not dwell on the humiliation of selling my smile and my skin. I could only remind myself of Mother's advice: "We can't beat fate, but we can play along and make the most out of it. Try to be happy." Or Pearl's: "If you find a customer terribly, unbearably, indescribably repulsive, just close your eyes, hold your breath, and imagine during the whole time you're but a corpse that somehow manages to squirm and moan."
Fortunately, Peach Blossom Pavilion, though a prostitution house, was a high-class one, so we did not have to spend every minute stirring the clouds and rain. There were several services we provided to customers besides the obvious.
Ho dacha-drinking the big tea-was the best, because I entertained my customer just by playing the pipa and singing. I was also expected to pour his tea and wine, prepare his opium pipe, and sit by him when he was gambling, but these were easy. When the customer first arrived, a niangyi, woman servant, would set before him a pot of tea and a plate of roasted watermelon seeds. Then, when he was feeling more relaxed, he'd pick a sister and, as a gesture of respect, the chosen one would bring out her most refined cup and delicately pour him tea. After that, the niangyi would bring out snacks-tiny sweet dumplings, dried apricots, honeyed dates, dragon eye pulp.
Normally we would serve a customer to ho dacha for up to two hours, but if he kept us overtime, extra money would be charged. They had to get acquainted with us in this way, before we would consider agreeing to have sex. But, of course, that was the eventual outcome.
As I was glad to delay sex by serving to "drink the big tea," Pearl chided me, "Xiang Xiang, don't try to fool yourself. How long can you avoid sleeping with a customer in a prostitution house? Better strive, like me, to make them beg for your favors."
In Peach Blossom Pavilion, Pearl was the busiest sister in answering calls for parties. This was called chutang chang-singing outside the hall, or chuju-out to a party. In fact, I didn't dislike this, for we would be invited out by a customer-but only after he'd become acquainted with us-to a party, an elegant gathering, or a banquet. But first he had to send a formal invitation on red paper addressed to us with the proposed restaurant's name. Of course, we were permitted to go out not in order to have a pleasant time, but to entice the guest into asking to stay overnight at the turquoise pavilion. We called this a zhuju. That generally meant he'd sleep with a sister, but sometimes a customer liked the girl so much he'd even pay to spend the night without having sex, especially when she was having her period. This was called shou yint- ian-guarding the female day.
But the service best loved by all mamas was chi huajiu, drinking the flower wine. Instead of inviting the sister to a restaurant, the customer would sponsor a banquet in Peach Blossom. Because it lasted much longer than the ho dacha, the customer had to pay several times as much. Nor was the establishment shy about adding charges for extra dishes and wine to the already overpriced menu. Despite being cheated, the rich customers still seemed happy to show off their wealth to their favorite courtesans.
Sometimes we were lucky enough to make a lot of money for doing very little. Here I saw another side of Pearl. One evening, she told me that a rich silk merchant Mr. Luk would be sponsoring a banquet for us and two other sisters.
Pearl said, her expression serious, "Xiang Xiang, since this will be your first time to serve at `drinking the flower wine,' I want you to be very careful and not make any mistakes. So watch and learn from me."
For the special occasion, Pearl put on a fish-turquoise, highcollared jacket with matching skirt, while I wore a pink silk top with elaborately knotted floral clasps over matchin
g pants.
Pearl had always advised me to meet customers a few minutes late, but this time she led me to the banquet hall twenty minutes early. When I asked why, she smiled mischievously. "So we'll get the upper hand and show the others."
When Pearl and I entered the room, Mr. Luk was sitting at the banquet table. A niangyi had already laid out the first course of shark's fin soup and was now offering him a towel. After wiping his face, the silk merchant stared at us with bulging eyes.
We sidled up to him in our shredded golden-lotus steps. Once seated beside him, Pearl picked up the water pipe and wiped it carefully with her silk handkerchief. "Mr. Luk, smoking with a good meal makes you happier than an immortal. Please let me light it for you."
Luk looked as happy as if his newest wife had just given birth to a son. "Miss Pearl," he put down the towel, "your name hasn't been spread in vain." When he began to suck his pipe, Pearl winked at me. I immediately picked up the flask and leaned close to himPearl had said this forced a customer to notice you-and poured him a full cup of wine.
Now he turned to look at me with admiration. Before he could say anything, Pearl was already speaking. "Mr. Luk, I hope my little sister Xiang Xiang pleases your eyes."
The silk merchant let out a belly laugh. "Ha! Ha! Don't be so modest, Miss Pearl. Both of your amorous names have been sounding like thunder in my ears. That's why I'm here tonight."
We continued to make small talk with Luk, while pouring him wine and serving him snacks. Two niangyi kept bringing more dishes-braised fish in broad bean sauce, spicy mustard chicken, five-fragranced duck, yoke-spilling eggs. Pearl exercised her best wit, and Luk's belly kept shivering with laughter.
In the middle of one of Pearl's jokes, two other sisters, Tiantian and Lotus Fragrance, entered the room and took their seats opposite us. By now, Pearl and I were so well acquainted with Mr. Luk that he barely noticed the entry of the two new girls. Not losing a beat, Pearl aimed a flirtatious glance at the silk merchant. "Mr. Luk, may Xiang Xiang and I entertain you with some music?"
Luk's face glistened. "Hao." Good.
Tiantian's brows creased as she whispered something to Lotus Fragrance.
Pearl ignored them. She asked a niangyi to bring my pipa. As I played, Pearl began to sing "Romance from a Back Street."
I held my pipa tenderly like a lover, then my fingers began to dance on the instrument while my body twisted back and forth so that wisps of my hair fell to half-veil my face. Pearl, a gold fan in hand, moved her arms to the rhythm, all the while swaying her waist like a water snake. Her jade bangle gleamed like waves of the West Lake.
Sweet music shivered from her cherry lips. "You and I"-she looked into Luk's eyes at these words-" together praise this spring morning as beautiful as the gardens of Suzhou. I'm so pleased that our arms are smooth and lips sweet, and so are our dreams ..."
"Hao! Hao!" Mr. Luk clapped as we finished selling our music and our smiles.
Next Pearl began to play the finger-guessing game with Luk while I kept refilling his wine cup. I felt a little sorry for Tiantian and Lotus Fragrance, who could find no chance to serve the big fish customer. They could only amuse each other by talking and giggling.
A little later, when Mr. Luk was quite drunk, Tiantian finally succeeded in leaning forward to pour him tea. "Mr. Luk, please have some tea; it'll balance off your wine."
Lotus Fragrance chimed in, "Yes, Mr. Luk, please, otherwise you'll get drunk. Besides, this is the best cloud-and-mist tea."
But Luk pushed away the tea cup. He said, his eyes glazed over with alcohol and his speech slurred, "Ha! That's what I want tonight, to get drunk! I'm having a wonderful time, and I'll become the wine immortal! " Suddenly he turned to me. "Xiang Xiang, give me your shoe."
As I was wondering how to respond, Pearl signaled me to do as told. Obediently I took off my embroidered red shoe and handed it to Luk. To my surprise, he held it like a jeweled box while Pearl began to pour wine into it.
Then his eyes rested on us while he made a toast. "To your amorous names!" After that, he drained the shoe.
I almost exclaimed, "Aii-ya!"
Finally Luk was ready to leave. His servant came in and handed him a pouch from which he took out a fistful of coins. It must have held at least twenty or more silver coins. The whole banquet cost only ten. I laughed inside. Tonight we would make a fortune! Had Pearl not pinched my elbow, a loud "Wah!" would have spilled out from my mouth. Tiantian and Lotus Fragrance's eyes were as big as the egg yolks on the plate.
But to my surprise, Pearl didn't blink an eye at the silver. She turned to the niangyi, who was now beginning to clear up the table. "Ah Ling, here are Mr. Luk's tips for you and all the servants here, so you should thank him." The niangyi looked so upset as if, instead of being given twenty silver coins, she was robbed of forty.
Her voice trembled. "But Miss Pearl, I don't want to be in trouble."
Pearl cast her a sharp glance. "Take it, Ah Ling. Otherwise it's very rude to our noble guest."
Everyone looked startled, most of all Luk. Pearl had pulled back her hand so he had no choice but to give the silver to the servant.
Right after he'd left, before Tiantian and Lotus Fragrance could protest bitterly, Pearl waved them quiet. "Calm down, if I don't get more money from Mr. Luk, I'll pay you double from my own pocket." After that, she took me by the arm and led me out of the room. When we were walking in the corridor, I asked Pearl why had she let the maid have the money.
"Xiang Xiang, Luk is wrong if he thinks he can buy us so easily. This was to stoke the arrogant fire.' Remember, we're book chamber ming ji, not filthy, homeless whores from chicken lane. Though he thought his tip was a lot, now he knows that for me it's only enough for the servants-"
I thought what my share of the money would have been. "But Sister Pearl . . . "
She laughed. "Believe me, Xiang Xiang, he'll send more money tomorrow. A man like him would rather die than lose face."
Pearl was right. The next day, Luk sent his servant to deliver fifty silver coins. Thirty specially for Pearl, ten for me, and the rest to be shared by Tiantian and Lotus Fragrance.
Despite Pearl's stratagems, the most well-off person in Peach Blossom was, needless to say, Mama. "Easy money! " she would exclaim whenever she saw strings of cash change hands or a customer leaving my room. But not easy for me because, although I'd not been sold into Peach Blossom and didn't have to redeem myself, my debt had still rapidly accumulated-when Big Master Fung crashed the cave; my hospital bills after the miscarriage; all the expenses for my meals, lodging, clothes, art lessons. So, almost all the money I earned and the jewelry I was given would be instantly snatched away by Mama "to pay bills." The day that I'd pay off my debt so I could leave Peach Blossom seemed to be farther away than ever. While Pearl managed to gain a lot by working little, I tried to work extra hard just to clear my debts.
The big fish customer Big Master Fung continued to visit me since the day of his opening my petals. Both luckily and unluckily, he was now one of my regular customers. I considered this unlucky because he never got tired of sucking my tongue, tasting my saliva, and letting his flabby jade instrument play on my lute strings. The worst was, no matter how nauseated I felt inside, I still had to put on a happy smile, deploy my skillful hands, and force myself into a willing frame of mind.
Luckily though, not only was Big Master Fung very rich, he also seemed to like showing off by spending freely. Whenever he showered me with gifts and money, I found myself almost wanting to like him. At moments, I was surprised to feel some fleeting affection for him. Maybe it was out of pity, or maybe because somehow he made me think of Baba. Not that they had anything in common; only that Fung was now the man who pampered me as Baba once had.
More than once after we had visited the Wu Mountain, he said that if I continued to be nice-meaning I'd do whatever he wanted in bed-then he'd continue to indulge me like his precious daughter. But when I asked about his real daughter, he would chide me for be
ing nosy and threaten to stop bringing me gifts.
But fortunately, whether from age or from affection for me, he never seemed to remember those threats and at the following visit usually brought me another gift. One time, it was neither jewelry nor clothes nor cash, but something so delightful and unexpected that, to my own disbelief, I voluntarily flung myself into his arms and kissed him on his lips.
A parrot!
I'd never seen such a beautiful creature. All white with a crimson beak, she conjured in my mind the image of plum blossoms blooming in the bitterest snow. Her dazzling feathers seemed to make even Pearl's most colorful outfit pale in comparison. Their silken texture was so comforting to the touch that I never tired of stroking her. Even her tail was elegant, like the fine sheep's hair brush that I used for painting delicate beauties. Her black eyes resembled two dark marbles in a cloudless sky.
As soon as I'd laid eyes on the parrot, I decided her name must be Plum Blossom. To imbue her with the spirit of the qin, sometimes I'd play for the bird, especially "Three Variations on the Plum Blossom." I even explained to her the meaning of the piece, hoping she'd absorb the brave spirit of the flower.
Whenever I appreciated Plum Blossom's beauty, I'd also re member what Mr. Wu had said to me during one of his lessons. "In painting, we strive for skill excelling nature, but of course, the beauty of nature is unsurpassable."
