by Robert Wang
The wind and rain continued to howl, and the building continued to shake, but the worst was over.
“Where is the man to whom I owe my life?” Lee Shao Lin asked the following morning. He limped out to what was left of the main dining room, assisted by two of his men and a walking stick that another guest had left behind. His face was inscrutable, his tone betraying nothing.
Johnstone’s understanding of Chinese culture was murky at best, but he couldn’t imagine Lee would prosecute a man who had just saved his life. The young man could easily have left him to die under the fallen tree.
In Chinese culture, when one’s life is saved by another, one is forever indebted to that person. Shao Lin, after a sleepless night, had reached a decision. As much as it rankled him to admit it, he could not report Higgins for the crime of attacking Pai Chu. She was only a servant, and he owed the foreign devil.
Shao Lin pointed to one of the few stools still intact and gestured for Johnstone to sit down. He ordered tea, and the two sat motionless, not exchanging a single word, for about fifteen minutes.
Su-Mei, not finding her father in his room, came out to look for him and saw him seated at a table with the foreign healer. “Honorable Father, I think Pai Chu is going to live! She was awake for a short while, and she smiled at me. That’s a good sign, isn’t it? Honorable Father, please tell me that Pai Chu will not die!”
“My young daughter, you were very fortunate that your friend intervened last night, or you would have been the one lying in her place. You are forever indebted to her now, so what can you do to begin to repay this debt?”
Su-Mei closed her eyes for a moment, thanking God from her heart for what had transpired last night to keep Pai Chu close to her, although she could not understand why he had taken Father Afonso. She tried to comfort herself with Mother Amanda’s words: “God works in mysterious ways that we will never understand.”
An idea popped into her head. “Honorable Father,” Su-Mei replied, “I hope with all my heart that Pai Chu will survive, and after she is well, I would like for her to be my adopted sister so I can repay her every day for what she did for me.” She paused. “Honestly, Honorable Father, I can’t stand my sisters from Honorable Second Mother. It would be nice to have a kind one.” Su-Mei’s father laughed out loud when he heard this. He was well aware of the jealousies and manipulations that concubines engaged in with their children to compete for a man’s affection and wealth.
The idea was not a strange one. Adopted sisters and brothers were common among Chinese families. Usually, the pair were close friends, and there was even a term for formalizing these relationships that translated as “together and pray.” Two women or men who wished to adopt each other as sisters or brothers made offerings to the deities, a ritual was performed, and witnesses were invited. Once the relationship was official, it could not be broken frivolously.
“I have no choice but to allow it, then,” said Shao Lin. “Let’s hope that your friend—what’s her name again?—will survive so she can enjoy the rest of her life in comfort as payment for her sacrifice and selflessness.”
Su-Mei’s face lit up when she heard her father utter those words, and she excused herself so she could go tell Pai Chu right away. She was so excited imagining what Pai Chu would say that she ran smack into a foreign devil in the hallway on her way out of the room. He caught her before she could fall and said something in English that she didn’t understand. Su-Mei had never been so close to any man before, and certainly not a foreigner. Her heart began to pound, and when she looked into his face—his eyes are so strange!—she felt dizzy, as though she’d stood up too fast. She reminded herself that she wanted to learn more about these foreign devils, so instead of running away in fear or crumpling into a heap on the floor, she forced a smile, bobbed her head, and tried to walk away with dignity.
“Oh, beg pardon, my lady!” Higgins said as he caught the young woman’s arms to prevent her from falling. Their eyes met, and something came over him. It took a few seconds for Higgins to recognize her. This was the daughter of the man whose life he had saved, the one whose friend had thrown herself at him to protect her. Chinese faces had always seemed closed off to him, like masks, but this one was different. Her eyes were large and inviting, and her lips parted gently, revealing a flash of teeth. His skin tingled, and the hair rose on the back of his neck. He had felt this way before. This is the exact worst woman in the world for you to fall for, he told himself. When she extracted herself from his arms with a tiny smile and stepped away, he felt as if he’d lost something precious.
Lee Shao Lin, furious that a strange man would dare to touch his daughter, stood up. The pain from his knees and the realization that this foreign devil was the very one who had saved his life hit him at the same time. He sat down heavily, biting his tongue to keep from swearing. He managed to catch the foreign devil’s eye when he entered the room and gestured for him to sit next to the healer.
Father Afonso was dead, so no one could translate for the three men sitting at a small round table drinking tea and staring at each other. The wind continued to howl outside, rattling the shutters. There would be no translator available until the storm abated.
“I pardon you for your crime,” Lee Shao Lin said. “And I thank you for saving my life.” Higgins raised his cup in a salute, not understanding a word. He was still thinking about the lovely young Chinese woman he’d held so briefly in his arms.
“I am willing to forget about the events that occurred yesterday,” Shao Lin said to the healer. “You have provided service to my family. To honor the memory of Father Afonso, a good and wise man, I will overlook your actions, and we will do business together, as I have always done business with your honorable uncle.” He inclined his head toward the healer and took a long gulp of tea.
Johnstone smiled awkwardly. He had no idea what the mandarin had just said.
Chapter Nine
Typhoon Catherine continued to ravage Macau, and Chinese and Western travelers continued their uneasy coexistence inside the damaged Dragon Inn. Two days had passed since the tree had fallen, and the men saw each other at every meal, but they couldn’t communicate. They expressed goodwill through their gestures and drank their tea in silence. They stayed at opposite ends of the inn and took their meals in their rooms, not entirely because the communal dining hall was in ruins. The Westerners ate mostly grilled or boiled meat prepared by the ship’s cook, while the Chinese guests enjoyed well-seasoned meat and vegetables. The Westerners would not admit it, but the Chinese dishes looked and smelled much better than what they were eating.
Lee Shao Lin felt a surge of relief when he learned that Pai Chu was recovering and likely to survive. If she had died, it would have been very difficult for him to avoid reporting the incident, which would have put the foreign sailor in serious jeopardy. Shao Lin convinced himself that keeping the incident quiet sufficed as repayment for saving his life, and now he had saved the man from a lifetime in prison. He didn’t like to admit to himself that he couldn’t stand offering more, such as what Su-Mei had proposed for Pai Chu. Spending time with foreign devils for business was trouble enough.
Pai Chu was feeling a little stronger, but she still couldn’t eat solid food. She had lost a lot of blood and was still quite weak. The healer had not bothered to explain anything to her, but she knew her digestion would never be the same. Father God, she prayed, thank you for saving my life. I gladly accept this pain and whatever suffering I must endure in the future as the price for being able to stay with Su-Mei forever. She made the sign of the cross. To do your work, she added hastily.
As soon as Pai Chu was strong enough to sit up, Su-Mei insisted that the ritual to formalize their adopted sisterhood be performed before her father could change his mind—she didn’t know that Shao Lin was too much of a traditionalist to go back on his word to the person who had saved his daughter’s life. Such a ceremony was usually performed outdoors, beneath the heavens, but the typhoon prevented that, so
instead Su-Mei, Pai Chu, and Shao Lin knelt before the front door in front of witnesses and offered incense and food to the proper deities. Shao Lin announced that the Lee family was adopting Pai Chu as Su-Mei’s sister and that she would be afforded the stature and recognition owed to all his children. Pai Chu’s pain during the ceremony was excruciating, but in her heart, she was singing.
To celebrate, a feast was assembled out of all that was left in the kitchen. Pai Chu was barely strong enough to sit at the table, and she couldn’t eat anything solid. Even a few sips of clear broth caused her a great deal of discomfort, and she began to wonder if she would ever be able to eat again.
As a show of good faith, Shao Lin had invited Johnstone and Higgins as witnesses, and they cheerfully joined the feast as well. Galley food was tiresome enough at sea; they were more than ready for something new and exotic. Pai Chu couldn’t help but notice that the man who had stabbed her kept staring at Su-Mei. She grew suspicious.
Su-Mei, oblivious to the sailor’s attention, was thinking about how she could create an opportunity to learn more about the Westerners. As she swallowed the last of her tea, it came to her.
“Honorable Father,” she said in front of everyone. “Now that Pai Chu is recognized as my adopted sister, perhaps she can be trusted to help you, her adopted Honorable Father, to communicate with the foreigners. Pai Chu is fluent in English, and she is very discreet.”
Irritated that his daughter had made such an announcement in front of everyone, Shao Lin nonetheless had to admit that Pai Chu had earned his trust, and, more importantly, he desperately needed someone who could translate for him now that Father Afonso was dead.
“Honorable Father,” Pai Chu said, gritting her teeth through the pain, “I am happy to serve you in any way that would be of value to my new family.”
“Then please tell the Englishman who saved my life that I am indebted to him. To repay this debt, I will not report his crime of attacking and wounding a Chinese woman, and he may depart Macau a free man.”
Pai Chu dutifully repeated his words to Johnstone and Higgins in English. She spoke scarcely above a whisper and kept her eyes on the table; she was unaccustomed to speaking to men who were not members of the clergy. Both men were surprised and pleased that at last someone could end the silence between them and Lee Shao Lin.
“Well, isn’t this a fine coincidence!” said Johnstone. “Please tell His Lordship that we are very sorry indeed for this unfortunate incident and that we meant absolutely no harm to him or his family.”
“Please tell His Lordship that it was never my intention to injure you, an unarmed woman, and for that, miss, I am truly sorry!” Higgins added.
When Pai Chu had translated their words, Shao Lin felt pleased with his decision to let the sailor go and with his excellent idea of having this new adopted daughter translate for him. She would do very nicely in his meetings with the foreign devils; he could simply explain her presence as his adopted daughter. He smiled benevolently at Su-Mei, forgetting all the reasons he had banished her to Macau in the first place. Su-Mei said a silent prayer in her heart to thank God.
“Since you are the nephew of the taipan, Master Johnstone,” said Shao Lin through Pai Chu, “I would like you to send a message to your good honorable uncle when he arrives back in his home country.” He had not met this James Matheson, who stayed in China to run the opium business while his senior partner returned to England, and was reluctant to enter into communication with him before they had been formally introduced.
“By all means,” Johnstone replied. “I would be happy to pass on any message you have for Uncle William. I can also arrange for you to meet with Mr. Matheson directly. He is in Canton just now.”
Shao Lin inclined his head. “I would be appreciative of a proper introduction to Master Matheson so that we may begin discussions about our business.”
Pai Chu gave up all pretense of eating and tossed the men’s words back and forth across the table. She began to relax and almost enjoy the experience of rattling off rapid English to native speakers.
“Please tell your uncle and Master Matheson that we need to reduce the shipments of opium to our Celestial Kingdom. These large quantities are attracting the attention of the Imperial Court now that so many of our people rely so heavily on your medicine.” Lee Shao Lin attempted a righteous tone, as if he had just found out that the substance he’d been selling all these years might be addictive. “Tell them that there is an imperial emissary under direct orders from the emperor on the case in Canton, and there will be trouble if we do not reduce or halt shipments of opium into our Celestial Kingdom.”
“I am happy to pass on your message, Your Lordship, but I’m afraid that when dealing in matters of this importance, you should be meeting with Mr. Matheson and conveying this to him directly,” said Johnstone. “Perhaps when Miss Pai Chu is well enough, she could assist with translation. I shall arrange a meeting in Canton or Macau, whichever is your preference, sir.”
Shao Lin still objected to using a female translator, but he had no other choice now. He had been hearing rumors from Peking that the emperor was very upset about the epidemic of opium addiction. So upset, in fact, that he had dispatched an imperial emissary by the name of Lin Tse-Hsu to Canton to halt the opium imports, punish those who were involved in the trade, and find a way to cure those who were addicted. A prickle of dread ran along Shao Lin’s spine. He had always been untouchable because of his father’s status, but how long would that hold once a special imperial emissary came sniffing around? For all he knew, this emissary had already been in Canton for some time, conducting his investigation secretly. Shao Lin’s role as a major opium trader was not the best-kept secret in Canton, and exposure could bring down the most severe imperial penalty: death for himself and his entire family.
“Very well,” he said, attempting a semblance of calm. “Please ask Master Matheson to meet with me at his earliest convenience, and do not forget to mention that I forgave this English sailor for the heinous crime he committed and will not alert the authorities.”
Sure, you bloody maggot, Johnstone thought. And I’ll pardon your arse for attacking a subject of the British Empire! If Higgins hadn’t hauled your whirlygigs out from under that tree, you’d be as dead as poor Father Afonso. Out loud, he said, “It would be my pleasure to set up a meeting.”
Higgins couldn’t stop thinking about the Chinese girl, and he kept hoping for another opportunity to catch sight of her, but she was busy taking care of the one he had stabbed and helping her father. At last, late in the evening, while drinking with Mr. Johnstone and some of the other officers, he saw her make her way to the kitchen. With all the repairs, there was only a narrow passage between the salvaged dining room tables, and she had to squeeze past them. One of the officers, rather deeper in his cups than he should have been, stood and bowed to her. “Evening, missee, you speakee English?”
“How ah yooo?” she replied carefully, eyes cast down.
“Sit down, man,” Higgins hissed. “Don’t you know this is the Chinese boss’s daughter?”
The officer flushed. “Damn it, Higgins, why didn’t you tell me?” He inclined his head to the woman and sat down.
“Miss Lee,” Higgins said slowly, hoping she could understand, “my name is Travers Higgins, and I am at your service.” He pointed toward himself as he said his name.
She pointed to her chest and said, “Su-Mei.” She tried her English again. “How wah yoo?”
“Very well, I thank you. And you? How do you do?” Higgins couldn’t stop staring at her, even though he knew it was making her nervous. He had seen photographs of Chinese noblewomen, but they looked nothing like this. They wore stiff clothing and ornaments, and their faces were painted like porcelain dolls. In contrast, Su-Mei was as natural and fresh as a flower, her intelligence sparkling in her eyes and animating her expressions.
Su-Mei blushed, all her long-practiced English phrases escaping her. “I ahm werr. Well.” She wrapp
ed her tongue around the unfamiliar consonants.
“Excellent!” Higgins bowed, not sure what to say next.
Even though she couldn’t think of a single English word to say, Su-Mei didn’t want the conversation to end. Here she was, speaking English with an English person! Everyone kept telling her they were all so uncivilized and brutish, but this man—his name was so strange she had forgotten it the moment he spoke it—was polite and he seemed to be showing her respect, something she rarely encountered among Chinese men.
“Hah low,” she ventured.
“Hello to you too,” Higgins replied.
“Hellow,” Su-Mei repeated.
“Miss Lee, we’ll have you speaking English in no time,” the man replied. Su-Mei didn’t understand any of it, except that she thought he’d said her family name, but it didn’t matter. This kind English man seemed interested in communicating with her! She promised herself that she would work even harder to learn this impossible language so she could communicate with the strange people with bright blue eyes and yellow hair.
Typhoon Catherine spent itself at last on the following day, and Lee Shao Lin wasted no time in sending for a Chinese herbalist to come to the Dragon Inn to check on Pai Chu’s condition and see to his own leg wound. He grudgingly admitted to himself that the foreign devil had saved Pai Chu’s life with his savage tools and methods, but he didn’t see how she could recover properly without having an herbalist check her chi and prescribe an herbal remedy to bring her yin and yang back into balance.
Pai Chu, raised from birth by European nuns, was unfamiliar with Chinese traditional medicine. Nervous, she allowed the herbalist, a small man of fairly advanced age, to check the pulse at her wrists and examine her tongue. Occasionally, she glanced over at Su-Mei, who hovered at her shoulder.
“What is he doing, Su-Mei? I thought Master Johnstone was looking after me.”
Su-Mei patted her arm. “Honorable Father wishes you to be seen by a Chinese herbalist. He doesn’t trust the English methods. Master Siu is checking for a blockage in your chi.”