The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai

by Bangqing Han

  She glared at him and said in vexation, “There’s just no stopping you, is there?” Then she walked away to get a water pipe.

  He smoked two more opium pellets and then blew out the lamp. He put the teapot and tea cozy back on the dressing table, took off his shoes, and sat on the bed with legs spread out. When he looked at the clock, he saw it was about to strike four. He beckoned to her, but she pretended to ignore him.

  “Give me the water pipe. I’d like a smoke,” he rapped out.

  Caught off guard, she started and then hastily brought him the water pipe and said to him earnestly, “You know, I had just fallen asleep when you made all that racket and got yourself cursed at.”

  He smiled without defending himself, put an arm around her shoulders, and spoke into her ear. Though she laughed, she still told him off, “You’re raving mad, aren’t you?” So saying, she tossed the water pipe at him and struggled free and then went behind the bed.

  He had not quite finished his smoke when he heard her giggling to herself. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  She did not answer. A moment later, when she was done, she came out and stood in front of the bed, grinning ear to ear. He put down the water pipe and tried to tease out the reason for her mirth. She was about to tell him when another burst of laughter caught her. Finally, she said in a low voice, “You didn’t hear them earlier on—that was what I’d call scandalous. After I came back from the party in Auspicious Cloud Alley, I sat here chatting with Mama Yeung. Then I heard something thumping by the window over in Jewel’s room. I thought she was downstairs, so I said urgently, ‘Mama Yeung, quick, go and see what that is.’ When she came back, Mama Yeung said, ‘Rotten luck! Even the door to that room is closed.’ I said, ‘Did you go in to have a look?’ Mama Yeung said, ‘What for? If anything’s broken, make him pay for it.’ I had no idea what it was until then. After a while, Mama Yeung went downstairs and went to bed, and I started a game of solitaire and then toasted seven or eight opium pellets, which took a long time. After I had finished, I listened again, and the thumping noise was still there. Oh how I hated it! I wished I could tear my ears off!”

  He burst into laughter as he listened. When she had finished, the two of them rocked with mirth and collapsed in a heap. He suddenly whispered into her ear again. She told him off in a laughing voice, “Now I’m not going to talk to you anymore.” He hastened to beg her pardon. As it was almost dawn, they got ready for bed.

  The next morning, Lichee Zhuang woke up at about seven because there was something on his mind. Telling Woodsy to get more sleep, he got up first. When the servant girl brought hot water, he asked why Mama Yeung wasn’t there.

  “Her granddaughter came to call her away,” the servant girl replied.

  Lichee asked no more questions. He gave his face a quick wipe, left the Hall of Beauties, and walked round to the Auspicious Luzon Lottery Store in Brocade Alley. Surprised he was so early, Cloudlet Chen, who had just got out of bed, invited him upstairs.

  “I have a favor to ask of you. I heard Harmony Qi is here,” said Lichee.

  “Though I’ve dined with Harmony Qi, I don’t know him well. I’ve no idea if he’s in town,” said Cloudlet.

  “Can you ask somebody you know well to make the approach and ask if he’s interested in a small deal?”

  Cloudlet pondered. “There’re Elan Ge and Crane Li. They’re family friends of his. I can write them a note.”

  Delighted, Lichee thanked him. Cloudlet immediately wrote out two informal notes and told his steward. Constant Blessing, to take one note to Great Virtue Money Shop and the other to the Long Peace Inn and, if they were not at home, to take the notes to Snow Scent’s and Grace Yang’s, respectively.

  After Constant Blessing had received his orders, he left with the notes and decided to head for the nearest place: Snow Scent’s in East Co-prosperity Alley. Here, he asked for Second Young Master Ge, who was indeed there, still in bed, so Constant Blessing handed over the letter and left. He was on his way to Generosity Alley when he met Crane Li’s steward, Second Kuang, on Fourth Avenue. He explained about delivering the letter.

  “Just give it to me,” said Second Kuang.

  He produced the letter and handed it over. “Where’re you off to?”

  “I’m at a loose end so I thought I’d take a walk.”

  “Shall we pay Third Pan a visit?”

  Second Kuang hesitated. “It’s a bit embarrassing.”

  “Verdure Xu won’t be going there. And even if he does, there’s nothing embarrassing about it.”

  Second Kuang consented and turned around to go with him. When they came to the corner of Pebble Road, they saw Pragmatic Li walking alone, heading west. Second Kuang exclaimed in astonishment, “What’s Fourth Master going there for?”

  “Probably to see a friend,” replied Constant Blessing.

  “Not likely.”

  “Let’s follow him and see for ourselves.”

  The two of them tailed Pragmatic at a distance of only a dozen paces, taking cover as they walked along. When Pragmatic Li went straight into Great Prosperity Alley, Constant Blessing and Second Kuang peeped in at the alley entrance and saw him stop in front of a small terrace house by a bend. He knocked, and an old woman, all smiles, welcomed him in and shut the door after him. Constant Blessing and Second Kuang went into the alley and looked appraisingly at the house but could not tell what kind of a household it was. They tried peeping through the gap in the door but saw nothing. Then they drew back and looked up, across the wall, but could not see anything clearly behind the green windows.

  Just as they were lingering there, a young streetwalker with a pretty face pushed open an upstairs window and bent forward as if she were talking to someone in the courtyard below. Right behind her was Pragmatic Li. Seeing this, Second Kuang grabbed hold of Constant Blessing and turned to go. Then they heard a door open and somebody coming out.

  When Constant Blessing and Second Kuang got to the entrance of the alley, they waited there for a moment and saw it was the old woman who had come out. Second Kuang was wary of engaging her in conversation, but Constant Blessing asked boldly, “What’s the name of your Miss?”

  The old woman looked the two of them up and down and then put on a sullen look. “What’s this about Miss or not-Miss? Don’t come bothering me. Stop talking nonsense!” Having said that, she went off.

  Although Constant Blessing did not answer back, he grumbled something to himself.

  “She might be a respectable woman,” said Second Kuang.

  “I’m sure she’s a streetwalker. If she were respectable, the old one would’ve been ruder.”

  “If she is a streetwalker, what’s wrong with calling her Miss?”

  “Unless she’s now kept by your fourth master and doesn’t walk the streets anymore, right?”

  “Well, that’s none of our business! Let’s go to Third Pan’s.”

  The two of them turned back eastward to Security Alley, where they found the door at Third Pan’s house standing wide open. A maid was squatting in the courtyard close to the doorway, washing and starching clothes. When the two walked in, the maid, who only knew Constant Blessing, got up to welcome him. “Master Constant, do go upstairs.”

  This told Second Kuang that there was company, so he said, “Let’s come back later.”

  Upon hearing this, the maid hastily shook off the water on her hands, wiped them on her blouse, and grabbed hold of the two of them, positively refusing to let go.

  “Is the guest Verdure?” Constant Blessing asked in a whisper.

  “No, and he’ll be going soon. Please sit upstairs for a while.”

  “What d’you say?” Constant Blessing asked Second Kuang, who reluctantly agreed and went upstairs with him. Second Kuang saw that the room was quite adequately furnished, so he asked whose room it was.

  “Third Pan is the only one here. There’re several who don’t live here and are only summoned when there’re guests,” replied Constant Ble
ssing. Second Kuang realized only then that this was something like a knocking shop.

  In a moment, the maid brought tobacco and tea. Constant Blessing stopped her to ask, “Who’s the guest?”

  “He’s from Hongkou, name of Yang. He came at seven, so he’ll leave soon. He’s a busy man and comes only once every seven or eight days.”

  “What’s his trade?” he asked.

  “I’ve no idea what business he’s in.”

  During their conversation, Third Pan had sauntered upstairs. Her hair still disheveled, she was just wearing slippers and a tight undershirt. She told the maid to go downstairs and then lit the opium lamp herself and invited them to smoke.

  Second Kuang lay down on the opium divan, but Constant Blessing just stared at Third Pan, grinning. Embarrassed, she asked, “What’s so funny?”

  He put on a serious expression and said, “There’s a bit of dirt on your face, that’s why I laughed. When you wash your face later, remember to clean it off with foreign soap.”

  She turned her head away and ignored him. Second Kuang, being a simple soul, got up to look. Constant Blessing pointed his finger at her face. “Look! There it is. I wonder how this muck got on to her face. Very strange.”

  To back him up, Second Kuang guffawed.

  “So, even Master Kuang is fooled!” she said. “That mouth of his, is it a mouth or some other hole?”

  Constant Blessing jumped up. “Go look at yourself in a mirror, then tell me it’s nonsense!”

  Second Kuang said, “Maybe the color came off the knitting wool you use to braid your hair.”

  She was taken in and was on the point of going downstairs to wash when they heard the maid calling loudly, “Please come and sit downstairs.” Constant Blessing and Second Kuang followed Third Pan to the room downstairs. She picked up a hand mirror at once to look at her face, only to find that there was not the slightest mark on it.

  “Master Kuang, I thought you were a good man, but you’ve learned to play tricks, too. You fooled me!”

  At this, Constant Blessing and Second Kuang clapped their hands and stamped their feet in mirth, laughing so hard they almost fell down. She could not help laughing as well.

  “I wasn’t talking nonsense though. Your face is filthy enough, though it doesn’t show,” said Constant Blessing when he had stopped laughing. “Give it a good scrub with the towel—seriously.”

  “Your mouth should be scrubbed, too,” she said.

  “We are quite clean,” said Second Kuang. “As for you, a filthy face goes with a filthy mouth.”

  “Master Kuang, why would you want to follow their example? People like them are the worst sort. Granted, they know how to wag their tongues, but tongue wagging isn’t that rare, is it?”

  “Listen to her!” Constant Blessing retorted. “Lucky I have nostrils, otherwise I’d burst from getting steamed up.”

  The three of them went on bickering and laughing. After some time, the maid brought in a kettle and poured hot water into a basin. Only then did Third Pan wash her face and tidy her hair.

  It was almost noon, and Constant Blessing wanted to go home for lunch, so Second Kuang had to leave with him. On their way out, Third Pan tugged at Second Kuang’s sleeve and said, “Come back later.” Constant Blessing did not see this tug. He made a vague promise and left with Second Kuang.

  CHAPTER 27 :: The drunk who disrupts a tryst empties his stomach, and a whore’s burning hands prove her randy nature

  Together Constant Blessing and Second Kuang walked to Generosity Alley on Fourth Avenue, where they parted company. Constant Blessing went back to the Auspicious Luzon Lottery Store to report on his mission, while Second Kuang went into Grace Yang’s. Here, he learned that his master, Crane Li, though out of bed, had not yet washed. He dared not disturb him. The menservants invited Second Kuang to a casual meal in the bookkeeper’s office at the back, next to the kitchen. They warmed a pot of Shaoxing wine in his honor, and there was a big fish and lots of meat on the table. After he had eaten his fill, he saw Thrive carry a plate of fine food into Grace Yang’s room, and he hurried forward to entreat her to report his presence.

  In a little while, he was summoned. Crane Li and Grace Yang were having a tête-à-tête over some wine. Second Kuang submitted Cloudlet Chen’s letter. After he had read it, Crane Li put it aside, and Second Kuang withdrew promptly. After lunch, Li’s sedan-chair bearers came to await orders. Second Kuang asked Thrive what was afoot, and the latter replied, “I heard they’re going for a carriage ride.”

  Second Kuang could only sit around and wait. Little did he realize that he would be waiting till three in the afternoon for the order to summon a carriage. By then, he had seen Mallow Yao arriving in a sedan chair to see Crane Li. Li knew there had to be a reason for this visit and invited Yao into Grace Yang’s room so they could chat at leisure. Mallow Yao, however, kept beating around the bush. This made Crane Li impatient. He asked Yao if he had anything particular in mind. Mallow Yao said evasively that there wasn’t anything and asked him in turn, “What about you?” When Crane Li answered in the negative, Mallow Yao said, “Then perhaps we can go to Sunset’s for a cup of tea. What d’you think?”

  Crane Li, unaware of the reasons for Yao’s suggestion, agreed quite readily. Grace Yang, who was sitting by their side, was quick on the uptake. She chuckled. Mallow Yao just let her laughter pass and urged Crane Li to put on his jacket. As they did not have far to go, neither of them took a sedan chair; they just made their way on foot to Sunset’s.

  The minute they came through the door, a servant girl welcomed them with a smiling face. “What’s kept you away these last few days, Second Young Master?”

  Mallow Yao smiled without answering and went straight upstairs with Crane Li.

  Sunset also welcomed them with a big smile. “Why, it’s Second Young Master! You’ve been held in the police station for several days. How come you’ve been let out today?”

  Mallow Yao smiled awkwardly. Crane Li, puzzled by her words, asked what she meant. She pointed to Yao, smiling. “Just ask him whether it’s true that he was hauled off by the police and shut up for several days.”

  Crane Li, who had heard about the business with Mrs. Yao, now realized what this was about. He smiled and dropped the subject.

  When they had all taken their seats, Sunset leaned close to Mallow Yao and asked in a whisper, “Your wife is cursing me, isn’t she?”

  “Who says so?” he asked.

  “Humph! Don’t you give me that nonsense. I can’t blame her if she does a bit of cursing, but you actually help her to bad-mouth me! You see, I know all about it.”

  “Now you’re talking nonsense. If you know it all, tell me what she said in cursing you.”

  “She was cursing all the way when she left here, so why wouldn’t she curse me when she got home?”

  “She didn’t come here to pick a quarrel, in fact. I went to Wusong for three days on some important business, and they didn’t know about it at home. They thought I was here and called in to ask. When I got back and told them where I had been and that it had nothing to do with you, she didn’t say anything.”

  “You say she didn’t come here to quarrel, but the minute she came in she looked black as thunder and made a real racket even before she had come upstairs, now if that wasn’t quarreling what was it?”

  “Don’t let’s talk about it anymore. She had a real dressing-down from you and couldn’t get a word out herself. That should have made you feel better.”

  “Honestly, since she’s a lady, I wouldn’t have gone out of my way to offend her. But when she turned up here to find fault with me, I had to give her a piece of my mind. Did I do wrong?”

  “No, it was a good thing you did that, and I ought to thank you for it. If it weren’t for you, she’d have thought nobody dared offend her, and the next time she found out where I was giving a party, she’d butt in again. That’d be embarrassing, wouldn’t it?”

  Sunset had meant to give him a th
orough tongue-lashing, but the way he talked about the incident as well as the presence of Crane Li made her decide to be lenient with him. After a long pause, she said sarcastically, “Second Young Master, it seems to me you’re far too considerate. At home, you have to please your lady by saying bad things about me, and when you’re here, you have to say it was your lady’s fault, that she deserved to have been told off. It’s such hard work, doesn’t it make you feel miserable?”

  Her words touched a sore spot, and he could find no answer, so he let them pass in silence. Crane Li tactfully changed the subject by asking, “Do you know Harmony Qi?”

  “I’ve dined with him several times, so I claim a slight acquaintance. But I don’t know whether he’s in town.”

  “He’s said to be here, but I haven’t run into him,” said Crane Li.

  At this point, Sunset asked what they would have for tea. Mallow Yao named a couple of things offhand and kept Crane Li company at tea, after which Sunset invited Crane to smoke opium. Before they knew it, it was getting dark, and Second Kuang brought the sedan chair to fetch his master and handed him a party invitation. Crane Li saw that it was Clement Zhou asking him to Lucky You’s in Sunshine Alley. He knew it was a gambling party.

  “Feel like a little amusement?” he asked Mallow Yao.

  Mallow Yao excused himself, saying he did not play. Crane Li then told Second Kuang to go back to the inn and keep watch there. “If Fourth Master asks about me, just say I’m at Grace Yang’s.” Second Kuang promised to do as bade.

  So Crane Li took his leave from Mallow Yao and left Sunset’s place. Second Kuang followed him to the door, saw him get in the sedan chair, and watched the chair go off before he returned to the Long Peace Inn on Pebble Road. After supper, he took advantage of Fourth Master’s continued absence, locked the door, and sneaked off to Third Pan’s in Security Alley off Fourth Avenue. Here he knocked lightly on the door three times with the brass knocker. The maid called out in answer and opened the door. He learned that Third Pan was home and without company. Overjoyed, he ducked his head and dived into the room.