by Bangqing Han
CHAPTER 29 :: Second Treasure and a friend go in search of her brother, and an adopted relative takes the girls sight-seeing
Cloudlet Chen and Clever Gem led the way into Love Gem’s room, with Benevolence Hong and Love Gem following them. The menservants came in with nuts and sweetmeats that Love Gem offered to everybody. She then went to toast opium on the divan. Cloudlet lay down on the honored side of the divan and said, “I’ll fill the pipe.”
“No, Mr. Chen, please let me do it,” said Love Gem.
“There’s no need to be so formal.” He smiled and took the toasting pick from her.
Love Gem turned to Benevolence Hong and said, “Mr. Hong, do come and lie down for a bit.”
Benevolence lay down on the humble side of the divan. As Love Gem put two cups of tea into the opium tray, she saw Clever Gem smoothing her sidelocks in front of the dressing table mirror. She immediately hurried over, picked up a small comb, and smoothed Clever Gem’s hair, after which they gossiped and shared each other’s secrets.
Over on the divan, Benevolence took the opportunity to tell Cloudlet about Simplicity Zhao and to consult him about what to do. Cloudlet first asked him what he had in mind.
“I thought perhaps you could report it at the police station,1 tell the detectives to find his ricksha, and have him shut up in my store. What d’you think?” Benevolence said.
Cloudlet mulled it over. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Why keep him in your store? Isn’t it humiliating to have a relative who pulls a ricksha there? I suggest you write to tell his mother and leave things up to them, so you can wash your hands of the matter.”
This was a revelation to Benevolence. Feeling that all his troubles had lifted, he got up right then to take his leave.
“Let’s go, too,” said Clever Gem to Cloudlet, who immediately put down his opium pipe.
Afraid they would really leave, Love Gem detained Cloudlet on the divan with one hand, saying, “Please don’t go, Mr. Chen!” With her other hand, she held on to Clever Gem, complaining. “Why are you in such a hurry? Is it because our place is small, so you won’t stay a minute longer than necessary?”
Clever Gem shifted her weight impatiently from one foot to another and persisted. “I’m going.” But Love Gem clasped her around her waist and threatened, “Go then! If you do, I’ll never look in on you again.”
Cloudlet laughed a little awkwardly. At this, Benevolence said, “You two stay a little longer; I’ll go ahead.” He then took his leave from Cloudlet and walked out of the room. Love Gem immediately let go of Clever Gem to see him off at the stairs, saying repeatedly, “Do come tomorrow, Mr. Hong.”
Benevolence assented offhandedly. After he left the Hall of Spring, he headed toward the Three Huts Bridge, where he called a ricksha and told the puller to take him to Lu Stone Bridge at Little East Gate. From there, he strolled back to the Flourishing Ginseng Store on Salt Melon Street. He wrote a letter that very night to his sister, relating the circumstances of Simplicity Zhao’s vagrancy and destitution, and told the young clerk to take it to the post office early in the morning and have it sent to the country.
Simplicity Zhao’s mother, née Hong, was just fifty years old. But she was already going deaf and blind and lacked both strength of character and ability. Fortunately, Simplicity’s younger sister, with the pet name Second Treasure, was a good housekeeper. When they received Benevolence Hong’s last letter, they thought Simplicity would soon be home. They looked forward daily to his return, but a fortnight passed without any news of him. Now suddenly another letter arrived. They asked their next-door neighbor, Juvenity Zhang, to read it to them.
When Juvenity explained the contents of the letter to them, mother and daughter burst into tears out of shock and shame. The sound of their crying reached Juvenity’s elder sister, Flora, who came over to find out what it was about and to comfort them. Mother and daughter dried their tears, thanked her, and they all discussed what should be done. Juvenity Zhang thought it best that they go to Shanghai to bring Simplicity home and keep him under strict control.
“I don’t know anything about the foreign settlements in Shanghai. How can I go there?” said Mrs. Zhao.
“And even if Mother goes there, how is she to find him?” said Second Treasure.
“In that case, ask somebody reliable to search for him. It won’t matter if you have to pay a little money as long as he’s found,” suggested Flora Zhang.
“But there’s no one we can ask, except their uncle, perhaps,” said Mrs. Zhao.
“Their uncle sounds very angry in the letter. He thinks Simplicity has humiliated him,” said Juvenity. “D’you think he’d go and look for him?”
“Uncle was unreliable to begin with. And it’s no use asking other people to look for him, either. I’d better go with Mother,” said Second Treasure.
Mrs. Zhao sighed. “Those are brave words, Second Treasure, but you’re a girl, and you’ve never been away from home. What would I do if in Shanghai a trafficker in women abducts you?”
“But that’s nonsense, Mother! All that talk about traffickers in women is just to scare children. Do they really exist?” said Second Treasure.
“Not in Shanghai, but it’s still best to go with somebody you know,” said Juvenity.
“You said you’re going to Shanghai after the festival,” said Flora to Juvenity.
“But I’m going straight to the store once I get there. How would I have time for anything else?” he replied.
Second Treasure took this in but did not say anything. Since no decision was reached, Juvenity Zhang took his leave. Second Treasure asked Flora to stay and invited her into the bedroom. Flora, nineteen, was a bosom friend of hers. There was nothing they did not talk about. She asked Flora, “Why is Juvenity going to Shanghai?”
“Mr. Zhai sent for him to be a clerk at his store,” Flora replied.
“Will you be going?”
“I have no business there; what would I be going there for?”
“I suggest you and I go to Shanghai together. I’ll look for my brother, and you can have a good time in the foreign settlements. Wouldn’t that be nice?”
Flora liked the idea but was afraid of what people might say. She replied hesitantly, “It won’t do!”
Second Treasure then whispered in her ear, telling her how to go about it. Delighted with the scheme, a smiling Flora went home right away. When Juvenity asked about the matter, she said with a frown, “They racked their brains and couldn’t think of anything; then they started blaming our cousin. They said our cousin Rustic went to Shanghai with Simplicity and shared his money. Now that the money’s gone, he can’t face anyone, so they want us to go with them and look for our cousin Rustic.”
Before Flora had finished speaking, Second Treasure walked in. “Flora, stop playing the innocent fool,” she said. “It’s only right that you take responsibility for what your cousin did. If you come with me to find your cousin Rustic, then you’ll have discharged your duty.”
“Rustic is in Shanghai. You can go and find him yourself,” said Juvenity.
“I don’t know Shanghai, so I have to go with her,” said Second Treasure.
“She can’t go. I’ll go with you, all right?” he said.
“You’re a man, how can we travel to Shanghai in your company? If she refuses to go, I’ll make sure that she won’t hear the end of this matter, and it won’t be pleasant.”
He looked at Flora and asked for her answer. She said, “I’ve got nothing to do there; what would I go to Shanghai for? When people hear of it, they’ll think I just want to have a good time. Wouldn’t I be laughed at?”
“You don’t want people to laugh at you, and my brother pulling a ricksha has nothing to do with you, right?” demanded Second Treasure.
Juvenity appealed to Flora, “Elder Sister, it may be best if you go with them. It won’t take more than a few days to find him and bring him back.”
At first, she still refused, but at his persisten
t urging she reluctantly agreed. It was decided that they should commence their journey on the seventeenth of the fourth month. Mother Wu, the wife of their neighbor, Old Wu the barber, was asked to look after their houses.
Second Treasure went home and told her mother, who thought it an excellent arrangement. That night, Old Wu came to see both their families, first to promise someone would keep an eye on the houses and then to say that he had heard his son Pine was doing extremely well and could he get a ride in their boat to go and visit him. Both families readily agreed.
On the appointed day, they hired a boat with a cabin from Wusi. Mrs. Zhao, Second Treasure, Juvenity Zhang, Flora Zhang, and Old Wu settled in with their luggage, and they set sail for Shanghai. It took more than a day to reach the Zhaoyang pier in Shanghai. Old Wu, who had no bedding, carried his bundle on his back and went ashore to go his own way. Since Simplicity Zhao had stayed at the Welcome Inn, Second Treasure told Juvenity Zhang they should go there, too. Their luggage was handed over to the men from the Welcome Inn. Juvenity then hailed four rickshas to take them to the inn on Treasured Merit Street. The coolies who brought their luggage by carrying poles arrived at the same time as they did. Having chosen a very spacious room in the inn, they unpacked and got ready for their stay.
Seeing that the women had temporarily settled in, Juvenity Zhang went first to the Northern Fidelity Pawnshop on First Avenue to see his master, Manager Zhai, and was given a job in the Southern Fidelity Pawnshop. When he returned to the inn to get his bedding, he asked Second Treasure, “D’you want to come along and look for my cousin Rustic?”
Second Treasure declined with a wave of a hand. “Even if we do find your cousin, it’ll be no use. Please go to the Flourishing Ginseng Store on Salt Melon Street and ask my uncle to drop in here.”
He did as she asked. That night, Flora Zhang went to the theater by herself and saw a Beijing opera, while Second Treasure and her mother sat facing each other morosely and did not venture out.
Early the next morning, Benevolence Hong came to see them at the inn. After he had greeted Mrs. Zhao, his sister, Second Treasure came forward to do her obeisance. Benevolence talked briefly about their several years’ separation and then came to the subject of his nephew Simplicity. Having told them frankly of the young man’s degrading behavior, he said, “I’ll send someone to find him now, but I won’t be able to help if anything happens in the future.”
Second Treasure interrupted, “It’d be best if Uncle finds him. You can rest assured, Uncle, that in the future we won’t dare disturb you again.”
To make conversation, he asked about the harvests in the country, after which he took his leave. As Flora Zhang was still in bed, she did not meet him.
Sure enough, somebody escorted Simplicity Zhao to the door after lunch. The inn attendant knew him and made the announcement. Mrs. Zhao and Second Treasure hurried out in welcome. Simplicity stood there with black smudges on his face, and the hair on the front part of his head had grown to well over an inch.2 He was wearing a patched and darned short jacket and trousers, so grubby that they couldn’t tell what their original color was. He stood there in his bare feet, without shoes or stockings, just like a beggar. Second Treasure’s sisterly feelings were aroused, and, intensely pained by this sight of him, she started to weep.
His mother, whose eyesight was poor, was still asking, “Where is he?” The inn attendant pushed Simplicity forward, telling him to kowtow. Mrs. Zhao started violently, stamped her foot, and wailed, “Oh, why has my son come to this?” She then choked and almost collapsed. Fortunately, Flora Zhang propped her up from behind and tried to console her.
Embarrassed by the crowd of hotel guests looking on, Second Treasure, assisted by Flora, hastily helped her mother back into their room. They beckoned to Simplicity to come in and then closed the door and took from a leather trunk a suit of clothes, shoes, and stockings. They told him to go for a shave and a bath in a neighboring bathhouse and to come back at once after that.
Soon Simplicity returned as instructed. He had changed into his new clothes and, except for looking a bit thin in the face, was like a new man. Flora asked him to sit down, and Mrs. Zhao and Second Treasure gave him a sound rebuke. He listened with his head bowed and tears running down his face, not daring to utter a word. Second Treasure insisted that he tell them why he did not want to come home. She questioned him a dozen times, but he remained tongue-tied.
Flora answered for him with a smile, “It was too embarrassing to go home, right?”
“That wasn’t it. If he knew what embarrassment meant, he’d have gone home,” said Second Treasure. “I’d say it was because he couldn’t bear to leave Shanghai. Pulling a ricksha, he could take in the sights all around him. That made him so happy!”
Mortified by this remark, Simplicity turned his face to the wall. Mrs. Zhao, suddenly moved by pity and affection, stopped reproaching him. She turned to confer with Flora and Second Treasure about going home.
“Tell the servants at the inn to hire a boat; we’ll leave tomorrow,” said Second Treasure.
“You told me to come to Shanghai and have a good time, but now you want to go home before I have been anywhere. I object!” said Flora.
“Then let’s stay for one more day for some sight-seeing, all right?” Second Treasure pleaded.
“We’ll stay one more day first, then we’ll see,” said Flora. Mrs. Zhao had to agree.
After supper, Flora wanted to go to a storytelling performance. Second Treasure said to her, “Let’s get this clear first: I’ll pay. If you won’t accept that I’m not going.”
Flora thought for a moment and glossed it over with a smile. “All right, then you’ll be my guest tomorrow night.”
With Flora and Second Treasure gone, only Mrs. Zhao and Simplicity were left in the room. Mrs. Zhao, all tired out, went to bed early. Simplicity sat there alone, the sound of rickshaw traveling on Treasured Merit Street hitting his ears like a tidal wave. On top of that, there was the music of the pipa coming from afar. It seemed to be a virgin courtesan singing an aria from a Beijing opera, but he had no idea which house it came from. Though his heart was as restless as a monkey, he dared not go out on his own. The inn attendant had set up a bed for him in the little anteroom, so he went in, lit the clay oil lamp, and lay down fully dressed. Unfortunately, two men next door were smoking opium and talking with great relish about the night life and the fun they had had in Shanghai. Their talk stirred up Simplicity’s desire, making it impossible for him to sleep. He waited wide-eyed for Flora and Second Treasure to come back from the storytelling and then got up and came out to ask, “Did you enjoy it?”
Second Treasure sighed. “I might as well not have gone. We ran into a relative of hers named Shi, and when I went in to order tea, Shi paid for the tickets and bought a lot of cakes and fruit for us. It was so embarrassing! He has also invited us to go for a carriage ride tomorrow. I’m definitely not going.”
“What does it matter in a place like Shanghai? Since he’s asked us, I don’t see any harm in going,” said Flora.
“Well, you would say that, wouldn’t you? You even brought your summer silk blouses along, so of course you can go. But I look like a beggar; it’s so humiliating!” said Second Treasure.
Her unintentional admission brought a chuckle from Flora. Embarrassed, Simplicity was about to make himself scarce when Second Treasure called him back. He hastened to ask what it was. She opened a small parcel wrapped in a handkerchief and gave him some of the cakes and fruit from the storytelling theater. She also asked Flora to have some.
“Let’s have another pipe of opium,” said Flora.
“Don’t be silly. A fine state of affairs if you get the habit,” said Second Treasure.
Flora smiled but would not listen. She took an opium tray set from a bamboo basket, lit the lamp, and started toasting opium. But she did not do it right, and the pipe bowl was blocked. Trying to please her, Simplicity asked, “Shall I do it for you?”
&
nbsp; “So you’ve learned to fill the opium pipe, too? Do go ahead.” She let him take her place.
He took the pellet that was burned hard, spread it out, and then put it back into the bowl, kneading it till it was smooth and glossy. After that, he turned the mouthpiece around and offered it to Flora. She deferred to him briefly and then inhaled the opium in one breath and marveled over and over again, “You made a brilliant job of that! Where did you learn to do it?”
He smiled but did not reply. He filled the pipe again, and Flora insisted that Second Treasure take it. Second Treasure, unable to resist, smoked it. The third pipe he smoked himself. Then the opium tray was packed up, and they bade each other good night. He went back to the little back room to sleep.
The next afternoon, a driver turned up at the inn, announcing, “This is the carriage Young Mr. Shi called. Madam and the two young ladies are invited to go together.”
Second Treasure had no intention of riding in his carriage, but Flora, requesting Simplicity to guard their room, dragged Mrs. Zhao and Second Treasure along for a visit to Luna Park.
Simplicity had nothing to do in the inn. He discovered that the opium tray set was not locked up and actually stole a smoke and toasted two more pellets. It happened that Rustic Zhang got the news of his cousins’ arrival and had come to see them. He was surprised to see Simplicity looking so presentable. Recalling how Rustic had taunted him when he was down and out, Simplicity was not very friendly and abruptly put the opium tray away. Rustic, feeling put down, took his leave. Too embarrassed to show his face outside, Simplicity did not see him out.
