by Bangqing Han
Love Gem’s maid happened to come in to prepare the teacups, so Cloudlet told her to order some nuts and preserves. A little taken aback, the maid then smiled and said, “Mr. Chen, you mustn’t stand on ceremony.”
“That’s the rule for a home visit,” he said, “so go and get them.”
Only then did the courtesans realize they had no hope, and they all left. In a moment, Love Gem and Clever Gem walked in hand in hand, together with Ocean. The minute Clever Gem saw the needlework book on the table, she went to leaf through it, found the shoe uppers tucked inside it, and examined them in detail. After offering Cloudlet nuts and preserves, Love Gem wanted to prepare some opium for him.
“No need to be polite. I’m not smoking,” he said.
She then took out a small bowl of rose jam from a drawer in her dressing table, removed a silver hairpin from her hair, put it in the jam to serve as a spoon, and invited him to eat. He felt rather overwhelmed.
Clever Gem, sensing this, said, “Sister, don’t pay him any attention. He can sit by himself. Come, let’s have a nice talk.”
Love Gem called her maid over to keep Cloudlet company. As she put away the embroidered uppers and needlework book, she said smiling, “I’m no good at this.”
“Oh, but you are. I haven’t done it for three years now, so I’ve lost it completely. Last year, I sketched out a pattern for a pair of uppers and didn’t touch it for half a month. I ended up having somebody else make them. But shoes made by others are never as good as those you make yourself.”
Love Gem went and lifted the hem of Clever Gem’s trousers, and Clever Gem stuck out a foot to show her the shoe.
“These shoes of yours look quite shapely,” said Love Gem.
“Well, even this pair is no good. They keep poking ahead when you walk. If you were a little careless, you’d fall to your death.”
“If you don’t have time to do them yourself, you can have them done by others and then give them to your own shoemaker to sole. Then they’d be fine.”
“I’d still like to make them myself. They’d be so much better that way.”
The sisters then chatted about other things. Suddenly, they dropped their voices and whispered into each other’s ear secretively. Afraid that Cloudlet would hear what they were saying, they consulted each other about going into the empty room next door.
“You wait here a moment,” Clever Gem told him.
Love Gem asked, “What would you like for tea?”
“We only just had lunch,” he hastened to say. “Please dispense with the formalities.”
“Do have a little something.”
“Sister, what’s this supposed to mean?” Clever Gem put in, frowning.3 “Would I stand on ceremony with you? If he wanted anything for tea, I’d tell you, but he’s not going to eat just now.”
Love Gem could not press the matter, but she signaled her maid with a glance before she went with Clever Gem into the next room.
Shortly afterward, the maid brought four kinds of snacks, set out three pairs of ivory chopsticks on the table, and invited Cloudlet to take the seat of honor. He couldn’t help doing as he was bidden. Then she went to the next room to invite Clever Gem over. Clever Gem remonstrated with her sister for going to such trouble and refused to come to the table. Love Gem dragged and pulled her into the room.
Seeing there were four dishes, Clever Gem said again, “Sister, I won’t have it! What’s this supposed to be?”
Love Gem smiled without answering and made her sit down in the chair facing Cloudlet and then picked up a pair of ivory chopsticks to serve them.
“If you go on treating me like a guest, I won’t eat any of it,” said Clever Gem.
“Then you should help yourself.” And she started to serve Cloudlet instead.
“I have been helping myself, so there’s no need to serve me,” he said.
“Well, you’re really making yourself at home, aren’t you? Aren’t you a bit too forward?” said Clever Gem.
“Your sister is just like my sister. There’s no need to stand on ceremony, is there?” he said laughingly.
Love Gem also laughed, “Mr. Chen does have the gift of the gab.”
“Have some of this yourself, sis,” Clever Gem said to her. “Or would you like us to serve you?”
Hearing this, Cloudlet immediately picked up a steamed pork dumpling with his chopsticks and gave it to Love Gem. She stood up in alarm, saying, “Oh, you mustn’t, Mr. Chen!”
Clever Gem looked away and smiled. She said, “If you don’t eat, then I’ll join in and serve you as well.”
Love Gem put the dumpling in the dish and picked up a piece of steamed cake to keep them company. Clever Gem just took a bite of a cupcake and set it down. Cloudlet, though, sampled all four dishes.
“Sometimes, I make you take tea, and you won’t eat, but today you’ve had such a lot,” Clever Gem commented.
“That’s because Elder Sister took the trouble to buy us snacks. It seems we should feel guilty if we eat too little, isn’t that so?”
“Mr. Chen, the way you put it embarrasses me,” Love Gem said smiling. “These things are all rough and ready; they’re not really very presentable.”
After the maid had offered them hot towels, Ocean came in to report, “The driver has hurried us several times now. It really annoys me.”
“Well, we ought to be going, now that we’ve had tea,” said Clever Gem.
“Now you’re the polite one, aren’t you? And you’d go without even saying thanks for the tea. Shame on you,” he said, teasing.
“So you don’t want to go? Are you staying for dinner then?” Clever Gem asked with a smile.
“I can certainly afford a casual dinner, but I’m afraid Mr. Chen will never deign to accept,” Love Gem said pleasantly.
Thereupon Cloudlet and Clever Gem thanked her and took their leave.
::
1. [The number of rings indicated the location of the fire. The fire services were originally made up of volunteers and financially supported by insurance companies. The first fire engine was introduced in 1863. Until the last decade of the nineteenth century, members of the fire brigade had to run the hose reels and ladder trucks to fires. In was not until 1890 that ponies were used to draw the reels. E.H.]
2. [Electricity was first introduced into the International Settlement for use in the street lighting of the main roads in 1883. E.H.]
3. [Clever Gem is a first-class courtesan, while Love Gem works in a second-class house. This explains the slight uneasiness and deference shown in Love Gem’s behavior despite the fact that she is the elder sister. The way the other women in the Hall of Spring behave is typical of second-class courtesans, who have to try hard to get new customers. The scene they make is embarrassing for Love Gem. E.H.]
CHAPTER 12 :: A peacemaker is dispatched behind the beloved’s back, and trickery provides cover for an adulterous woman
Clever Gem and Love Gem strolled out of the house together, chatting along the way. Cloudlet went ahead and got into the carriage while Ocean stood to one side to wait for Clever Gem. Love Gem saw them out all the way to Chessboard Street. She watched as Clever Gem was helped into the carriage by Ocean and waited till the driver set the carriage going with a flick of the whip before she turned back. Seeing it was getting dark and there was no time to visit Bubbling Well Temple, Cloudlet explained to Clever Gem and told the driver to take another turn around the Bund before going home. They came out of Fifth Avenue, turned onto First Avenue, and then went via Fourth Avenue to the entrance of Co-security Alley, where they got down and went home.
After sitting for a little while in Clever Gem’s room, Cloudlet was just about to return to his shop when his ricksha man, who had brought his ricksha along, handed him two invitations. One was from Lichee Zhuang, urging him to go over soon, with two lines added at the end: “Benevolence is also coming. Please do not turn this down—much obliged.” The other was from Lotuson Wang asking him to a dinner party at Little R
ouge’s.
Cloudlet figured that Benevolence was bound to be on the guest list at Little Rouge’s, so the logical thing to do was to go to Lotuson’s party first, where he could consult with Benevolence about the next step. He told his ricksha man to take the ricksha to West Floral Alley, while he himself headed for Little Rouge’s on foot.
When he arrived there, he saw that aside from the host, Lotuson, there were only two guests in the room. Both were colleagues of Lotuson’s at the government bureau; they were the two drunks who had brought their girls with them to Constance’s party two nights before. One was named Yang, Willow to his friends; the other was Eminence Lü. Though no great friends of Cloudlet’s, these two were well acquainted with him. They all greeted each other and took their seats. Shortly afterward, Talisman came back from delivering invitations and reported to Lotuson, “All the guests except Mr. Zhu say they’re coming right away. Mr. Zhu is with His Excellency Script Li of Hangzhou. He sends his thanks and apologies.”
Since Lotuson Wang had nothing further for him, Talisman put down the guest list and withdrew. Lotuson instructed Pearlie to have the menservants set the table. When Cloudlet looked at the guest list, he saw there were over a dozen people.
“Are you having a double table?” he asked.
Lotuson nodded in the affirmative.
Little Rouge said with a smile, “Originally we didn’t know there was such a thing as a double table, but we live and learn, and now we’re having a double table, too. You might say we’ve come up in the world.”
Cloudlet Chen could not help smiling. He read the guest list from beginning to end and, to his surprise, found that it was identical to that for the party at Constance’s two nights ago. He asked Lotuson Wang what this all meant, but the latter just smiled.
“I suppose it’s Maestro Little Rouge’s idea, don’t you think so?” Willow Yang and Eminence Lü said in unison.
Only then did it dawn on Cloudlet Chen.
“That’s nonsense,” Little Rouge said, smiling. “When we invite friends to my place, we can only ask a few close friends to help make a good showing. We’re not like other people who’re important enough to get everybody to come. Take Mr. Zhu now; he’s not coming, is he? That’s because he looks down on me.”
As they were joking, Elan Ge, Prosperity Luo, and Whistler Tang had arrived one after the other, with the Tao brothers, Cloud and Jade, following at their heels.
“Why is Benevolence not here yet?” asked Cloudlet Chen. “Maybe he’s gone to another engagement first.”
“No, I ran into Benevolence earlier on and sent him somewhere on an errand. He’ll be here shortly,” Lotuson Wang replied.
He had scarcely stopped speaking when the menservants downstairs announced, “Mr. Hong coming up.” Lotuson made him welcome outside the room, and they talked in whispers for quite a while before they came in.
The minute Little Rouge saw Benevolence Hong, she got up hastily, all smiles. “Mr. Hong, please don’t be angry. I haven’t learned to weigh my words and so will speak out of turn. Sometimes, guests are offended and get angry, and I still don’t realize it myself. Last night, I was puzzled: why did Mr. Hong leave so soon? Mr. Wang said you were offended. I said, ‘Aiyo, I had no idea! Why would I want to offend Mr. Hong?’ Early this morning, I wanted to send Pearlie to see you at Twin Pearl’s. But Mr. Wang said, ‘We’ll invite Mr. Hong over later.’ Do make allowances for me, Mr. Hong, out of regard for Mr. Wang.”
Benevolence Hong laughed heartily. “Why should I be angry? You didn’t offend me in any way, so don’t make a fuss over nothing. I’m just a friend, so it doesn’t matter even if I’m a bit offended. The important thing is you don’t offend Mr. Wang, for if you do, it’d be no use even if I put in a good word for you.”
“I’m not asking you to put in a good word for me, Mr. Hong, nor do I fear that you’d speak ill of me. But since you and Mr. Wang are friends, if I offend you, Mr. Wang would be embarrassed, too, as if he’d let a friend down. Isn’t that so, Mr. Hong?”
Lotuson Wang cut in, “Let’s drop that. Please take your seats.”
Everybody smiled. They went out together to the middle room, and, after deferring to each other, all were seated. Cloudlet Chen asked Benevolence Hong, “Lichee Zhuang has sent you an invitation to Jewel Lu’s. Are you going?”
“I didn’t know about the invitation,” Benevolence said, astonished.
“Well, Lichee sent me one and said you were going, too. Since Lichee is seeing Woodsy, this party at Jewel’s is probably being done on somebody else’s behalf.”
“There’s my nephew, Simplicity Zhao. He gave a dinner at Jewel Lu’s before. Perhaps he’s following up with another dinner tonight.”
In a moment, the girls called to the party arrived one after another. Twin Pearl did bring an invitation from Jewel at the Hall of Beauties for Benevolence Hong. Simplicity Zhao was named as the host.
“Are you going?” Benevolence asked Cloudlet.
“Not me. What about you?”
“It’s rather awkward for me. It’s perhaps best if I don’t go either.” Having said that, Benevolence put the matter aside.
Seeing that several girls had arrived, Prosperity Luo wanted to be banker and start the finger game.
“You two like to get rowdy over wine,” Lotuson said to Willow Yang and Eminence Lü. “We’ve got one here, too, of the same inclination—Prosperity—so go ahead and make a row.”
“Oh, I forgot to hire a band today. Things would have been merrier with a band,” said Little Rouge.
Whistler Tang said with a smile, “Is it already the yellow plum season? It’s only the second month of the year; how come so many people sound so sour?”
“By the time the plums turn yellow, it won’t be so bad; it’s the green plums that are much more sour than yellow ones,” Benevolence Hong joked, at which all the guests and courtesans burst out laughing.
To change the subject, Lotuson asked Willow Yang and Eminence Lü to hold out their fists and attack Prosperity Luo’s bank. And so the feasting began, each man accompanied by his girl. Wine cups flew under the bright moonlight, and the music was heart-rending and exhilarating in turn. Everybody relaxed, so much so that the men’s hats were askew and the women’s hairpins fell out. In the midst of all this, the sly jokes and acid traces of jealousy were finally left behind.
When the drinking came to an end, the lamps were burning low, and the guests rose to take their leave. Lotuson saw them out one after the other but kept Benevolence Hong back and took him into the bedroom. When Benevolence asked what the matter was, Lotuson produced a package of jewelry and told him to go to the Galaxy Jewelry Store the next day to exchange the old ones for new and then send them over to Constance. Benevolence, having promised to do that, opened the package to count the pieces and then tucked it away in his pocket. In fact, Lotuson had meant Little Rouge to see all this, but she just turned a blind eye and, after sitting around for a while, left the room and went downstairs. This suited Lotuson fine.
Left alone with Benevolence, he took out a detailed list and said in a low voice, “There are several other things on this list; just get them and have them sent over with the jewelry. Don’t let Little Rouge know.” Then he added, “Go and see her tonight. Ask if there’s anything else she wants and just add it to the list. Please don’t forget that. I’m much obliged to you.”
Benevolence promised to do all that and put away the list. At this point, Little Rouge returned to the room.
“What were you doing downstairs?” Lotuson asked pleasantly.
She was a bit taken aback. “I wasn’t doing anything. Why are you asking? D’you think I have somebody down there?”
“I was just asking,” he said smiling. “How is it you’re so supersensitive?”1
She said seriously, “I thought there might have been things you didn’t want to say to Mr. Hong if I sat around; that was why I went out to let the two of you talk. Didn’t I do right?”
“Ve
ry thoughtful of you!” He saluted her with a smile, and she let it go at that.
Benevolence Hong figured that was all for the night and took his leave. Lotuson saw him out as far as the landing, where he repeated his instructions again and again. Benevolence went directly to Constance’s in East Co-prosperity Alley and headed straight upstairs. Constance welcomed him into her room, where he took a seat and told her all about Lotuson’s instructions to replace her old jewelry and get her other things. He then asked, “Is there anything else you want?”
“No, not really. Except the two rings on the list should have my name on them and should weigh an ounce each.”
He told the maid to fetch an inkstone and writing brush and made a note of it on the list.
“Mr. Wang is truly good to me, but I just don’t know what feuds I had with Little Rouge in my previous incarnation,” she added. “What good did it do her to humiliate me?” So saying, she covered her face and wept.
He sighed. “You have good reason to be angry, but if you take it philosophically, the whole thing’s no big deal. So you ended up on the losing end this time, but among us friends everybody sings your praises. You just keep working, and business will be good for you. Little Rouge, on the other hand, has ruined her own reputation, and no one but Mr. Wang is still close to her. Besides Mr. Wang, is there anybody who thinks well of her?”
“Some may think Mr. Wang muddle-headed, but in his heart he’s quite discerning, too. Little Rouge should ask herself whether she has done right by Mr. Wang. As for me, I won’t say anything about her. If Mr. Wang is to stay close to her forever, then all the more credit to Little Rouge.”
He nodded in agreement. “That’s the spirit, my girl.” He then stood up and said, “I’m going. You take care of yourself. Don’t let this ruin your health.”
She saw him out, walking in graceful measured steps. “I was thinking to myself, it’s not worth it to be upset by Little Rouge and die at her hands. If I just thicken my skin a little, there’s nothing to be upset about—and here I am, quite happy.”
