The Pidgin Warrior
Page 14
“What about those rooms in Zhabei?”
The purple tie didn’t seem like he planned on continuing with Shi Zhaochang: He turned to the tall man, and started rubbing his hands enthusiastically:
“I don’t encourage you to take those rooms in Zhabei. I fear there will be a battle in Zhabei. Moreover…I think Zhabei is too filthy. Zhabai’s really not clean: that’s the ethnic essence of the people in Zhabei. Zhabei’ers…”
“Ethnic essence?” The face of the tall man became severe. “Brother Liu Zhao, you take this ethnic essence too narrowly. Back in Guangdong, Teacher said to me personally…”
Suddenly a wild cry rang out:
“Ma! Ma!”
The sound of panicked feet.
Fourth Sister rushed into the guest room. Her left cheek was purple, and her face was covered in tears.
“What happened? What happened?” Mrs. Shi’s face showed a couple of seconds of anxiety, then quickly calmed. “Ai, these children. Really, you’re always…”
“Brother hit me.”
“Zhaowu! Zhaowu! Ai, look. These children just infuriate me. All the time, hitting people. Usually, he means well. We have to remember this child Zhaowu will be fighting the XX next year. He’s just practicing a bit now. But how could he go and hit Fourth Sister. There’s no way Fourth Sister could win, isn’t that right, hmm, Mrs Liu? That child Zhaowu, when he fights, he wins, but…but…Our eldest is stronger than he is. Our eldest practices every day, using gongfu against walls. Oh, it just kills me, even the walls have gone soft and beaten. Now the stove can’t be lit in his room, the stove spits out smoke even up the wall, so it’s better to just not light it.”
She stopped for a while. She hesitated to mention this money-saving plan—it saved the price of the coal in the stove.
Shi Zhaochang felt an itch like a bug chewing on his heart. He did his best to keep happiness off his face, so he looked at everyone’s expressions. He placed someone else’s sentence in his belly:
“Even the walls have gone soft? Hm, that’s powerful gongfu!”
Or
“If Brother Zhaowu has such skill, what do we have to worry about the devils!”
But the other people didn’t grasp the meaning of those words at all. Look at Master: Master was wiping the oil off his chin with the back of his hand. Elder Brother Disciple was hiccupping painfully.
Elder Brother Hu Genbao was watching Mrs. Shi, wrinkling up his entire face—he was laughing:
“There’s no shortage of good fortune in your family: The two young masters in your family: Your family…”
Mrs. Shi quickly sighed:
“Our worries are true worries. I’m a person who does everything very earnestly. Everything—big or small—have to be earnest, don’t you think so? Hmm Liu… Liu… Hmm… Mister Hu, don’t you think? Mei Lanfang sings so well, that’s because she’s earnest. That day when we heard Mei Lanfang at the Kaiming the opera was so good, she sang… ah… what was it called? Boxiang do you recall, Boxiang?”
“Hm hm, eh?” The Elder Mister Shi Boxiang was dealing with Mr. Liu Liu, and rubbed his head when his wife called.
“I asked what Mei Lanfang sang that day?”
“What?”
“That day,” Mrs. Shi’s line of sight flittered from her husband’s face and moved to Hu Genbao’s sharp chin then lighted on the corners of Mrs. Liu’s eyes. “We ran into so many people we know. Mr. Ma, you know, that man of Mrs. Ma’s? Uhm, he was there. He’s a fellow disciple under Ancestor Lu, he’s a classmate of Boxiang. Ancestor Lu loved the two of them most. Ancestor Lu said that our house… That people like us had native… native something or other…”
This was a specific term, but she couldn’t remember it. She paused for a bit, lightly rubbing her temple and checking to make sure her hair covered that purple scar. Then she propped herself up on the sofa with her right hand as if she were going to continue speaking, but she couldn’t find her conversation partner. Hu Genbao and Shi Zhaochang were grunting toward “second brother” to talk. Mrs. Liu noticed that Mr. Liu Liu was talking with Elder Mister Shi Boxiang.
Mr. Liu Liu patted his chest and asked if Elder Mister Shi would be moving. If a battle really broke out, it wouldn’t be a joke.
“If they start fighting, you would be in a real mess here.”
“Yes,” Elder Mister Shi Boxiang frowned in worry.
“So you should escape over to my place for the moment. You could use our second and third floor garret rooms. What do you think?”
At this, he glanced at Mrs. Liu. Mrs. Liu was paying all her attention to Elder Mister Shi’s expression. Elder Mister Shi wiped his beard with a handkerchief. A little ill at ease, he asked:
“You’re certain they’ll fight?”
“Of course.” A raised eyebrow. “Houses in the French Concession are already full. Everyone probably already knows this area is untenable and have all moved into the French Concession. Looking at you… I think you had better live at my place first, then we can gradually move your things.”
Mrs. Liu stood up and moved to Shi Boxiang with a giggle.
“It’s best this way. It’s best this way, cram yourselves into the two little rooms first and we’ll deal with the rest later. The good thing is rent is cheap: only… only… for the two rooms, it’s only one hundred forty liang.”
He rubbed his beard.
Mr. Liu Liu looked forcefully at Mrs. Liu while he skillfully cracked a rose-roasted pumpkin seed.
His mouth was busy for this moment: getting the meat of the seed out and chewing, spitting out the shell, and using his tongue to speak. His voice was vaguely slurred as if he were drunk.
“The Campaign Against the Barbarian Fund Committee will… In the future will buy a spot…” snap… snap… “On Edward VII Avenue or Bubbling Well Road, they’ll buy…” Ptoo! “Build a seven story building…” snap… snap… “This plan… plan…” Crack! “Still need to add some subordinate organizations, like…” ptoo!
The Elder Mister Shi Boxiang, seemingly worried that he might get a seed shell spat on his face, lightly wrinkled his brows. He took advantage of Mr. Liu Liu going back for more seeds to ask, almost to himself:
“But will they actually fight?”
“That’s certain!” Mr. Liu Liu was taking more seeds while answering—his hand hovered over the seed plate. “The Supreme Ultimate Master can see the future, ask…” A pause. “Supreme Ultimate Master…” crack! “In the end, will war…” Ptoo! “Will this…”
One after another, several pairs of eyes settled on The Supreme Ultimate Master.
The Supreme Ultimate Master smiled: A line of white in between two golden teeth.
“The XX devils are…” His oily hands massaged his eyes, a gob of rheum stuck to his finger.
Shi Zhaochang looked at everyone’s faces. Everyone was earnestly awaiting The Supreme Ultimate Master’s next words. Only Elder Brother Disciple was just rubbing his belly and wiping his head, hiccupping with great effort.
“Hic!... Hic!...” It couldn’t wait for The Supreme Ultimate Master’s next words. This perfected man just shrugged so deep that even his ears were lost in his shoulders.
Hu Genbao looked at The Supreme Ultimate Master, and then smiled at the Elder Mister Shi Boxiang.
“Master is… Master is… You understand these things: there are many things that are inconvenient to speak of. Master simply… This is the sort of thing that cannot be divulged. Uh…”
“This is a heavenly secret.”
“Ah, ah.” Nodding heads.
“However… However…” Mrs. Shi broke in loudly in a sharper voice than usual. “However, there is native… native… For some types of people, it’s alright. To people with native… What is that native-whatever. Boxiang, what’s it called, native-whatsit?”
“Native ability?”
Uncle Master nodded.
Naturally, those with native ability can be…”
“Right! Didn’t I say it? Native ability is innate in people… People with native ability—there’s an aura around the top of the head, you can see it when the lights are turned off. That aura…”
The Supreme Ultimate Master let his shoulders droop back from his shrug, and forced his head upward. But you still couldn’t see his neck. On his face was a smile as serene as a bodhisattva.
“Not necessarily. Only the living immortals—they emit the purple aura from their heads. Also you can see the living immortal’s previous incarnation is, the true form of the living immortal…”
Suddenly a man stood up in the corner of the room and waved his arms to try to get everyone to quiet down. Then he gave a proposal in formal Mandarin:
He asked The Supreme Ultimate Master to emit a bit of that purple light for everyone to see, that way they could know “the aforementioned” perfected man… I’m sorry, this man who made the proposal used the word “the aforementioned” only because he had been a secretary. His meaning: Only to see the true form of the living immortal.
Everyone applauded. Everyone’s gaze fell on the sallow face of The Supreme Ultimate Master. The Supreme Ultimate Master’s sallow face flushed red as he stuttered.
“I…I…Today, I partook of alcohol, I… it can only be done with the utmost focus…”
But the Elder Mister Shi Boxiang beseeched him with arms clasped in salute. Liu Zhao also adjusted his purple tie and made a formal bow.
“We entreat you…”
Everyone looked on with sincere faces. Everyone excitedly awaited the true form of the living immortal.
The living immortal smiled to his cheeks and forced out, “This… this… only children can actually see it. Adults are…”
“Zhaowu! Zhaowu!” Mrs. Shi shouted with enough force to rock her head back, then she immediately rocked back so her hair would fall to cover her temple.
Drat. The Supreme Ultimate Master right then had forgotten there were children in the house. But he did remember that Zhaowu was sixteen: Wasn’t he going to be a division commander?
He relaxed and said, “Only those who have not passed sixteen can see it…”
“Our Zhaowu is just fifteen.”
“But... But…”
“If fifteen is still too old, we’ve got younger here too.”
The Elder Mister Shi Boxiang glanced over to Fourth Sister who had just come sobbing into the guest room.
Fourth Sister had clambered over next a side table eating candy from a plate—the candy and tears mixing together on her face.
The Supreme Ultimate Master sighed.
At the door appeared Shi Zhaowu, with that rotten-buddha-hand-melon head of his and his mouth that pushed the gums outside.
“Hehe!”
“Sit down!” softly said. “Watch the true form of The Supreme Ultimate Master.”
The atmosphere in the room became more serious.
Everyone sat quietly, even breathing silently. Fourth Sister stood by her mother. Mr. Liu Liu put the seeds in his hands down on the table. Half Mote covered his mouth with his hand. Shi Zhaowu didn’t dare smile, just setting his pair of goldfish eyes on The Supreme Ultimate Master. Shi Zhaochang stood on tiptoe to turn off the light.
“I’ll give it a try,” The Supreme Ultimate Master said shakily. “But today I have partaken of alcohol, I’m afraid that… I’m afraid it won’t be like usual… I’m afraid it will be weak… For good or ill, please, everyone…”
Darkness. Silence.
The sound of the pendulum. The horn of a car outside. A hiccup broke forth from Half Mote’s throat sharply.
“Hic!”
One minute. Two minutes. Three minutes.
Elder Mister Shi Boxiang’s voice asked Shi Zhaowu:
“Do you see anything?”
The fifteen-year-old boy cried out:
“I see it!”
Everyone was stunned.
“What do you see?”
“I see a great big turtle!”
“Ha!”
“I’m not tricking you. If I’m lying, I’m a dog fucker.”
“I also see a big turtle,” Fourth Sister clapped.
Silence.
Mrs. Shi said lightly, “Zhaowu, do you see the purple light?”
“I see a dog dick coming out of his head!”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“If I’m talking nonsense, I’m a motherfucker.”
“I see a… see a… a…” Fourth Sister blurted out, forgetting what her brother said he saw.
Silence.
“I see a stupid dupe, how about you?” Shi Zhaowu casually asked his sister.
“I see a stupid dupe, too.”
“I see a pig-family beggar bumpkin stupid.”
“I see… I see…”
“Hehe, too hard for you? I see…”
Suddenly a flash in the room stabbed at everyone’s eyes.
The Elder Mister Shi Boxiang’s right hand slowly came away from the switch and went back into his pocket.
The Supreme Ultimate Master’s face had gone green.
Shi Zhaochang’s face flushed, he bit his lip, and glared at Shi Zhaowu. Shi Zhaowu was still talking to Fourth Sister: He talked and talked and then—Pow! He rushed up and slapped her across the mouth, then grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out of the room.
Fourth Sister cried out sharply. Shi Zhaowu cursed at her. Mistress Shi shouted and chased after them. Mrs. Liu roared off to help. And old servant woman bundled Fourth Sister away from Mrs. Liu. The wailing trailed off far away with the sound of her footsteps. A crash of a slammed door cut off the noise.
Mrs. Liu sighed and looked at the guest room. She thought to ask Mistress Shi if they would move after all, but she opened her mouth without speaking. She didn’t return to the guest room. She stood agape for a few minutes and then went upstairs.
“So The Supreme Ultimate Master was a disciple of Ancestor Lu?” She asked, apropos of nothing.
Mistress Shi rubbed her hair, replying as noted below:
“He is of the same generation as Ancestor Lu. Boxiang is a disciple of Ancestor Lu, he went often to kowtow to him. It was just kowtowing, then he would head home and do other things. He always handled things very very carefully. In the past, he handled things at the yamen a bit too carefully, he did things… Ah. Hmph. Busy from day to night. And I had to help take care of public affairs, too. Mrs Liu, help me think this through… I work so hard that I end up like this. I’m simply so busy I’m going to die. Oh don’t bother yourself! Let me turn on the lights, or else you’ll trip. Be careful Mrs. Liu. In all things you have to be careful. Of course, I’m not at a loss when looking at public affairs. I have to handle the affairs of the house, think about that. Boxiang says, “You’re too busy, I should get a concubine! She could help you out. What do you think?” So infuriating, he wants a concubine? Why would he have cause to resent me—and he wants a concubine. I’d like to ask him, “You old fart, what have I done to you? I’ve raised son for you and his horoscope is certainly a good one. I’ve managed the house for you, and I’ve suffered so much for that. If you resent me for not being pretty, well then I ask you, What of me is ugly? Are my eyes no good? My nose bad? My skin too coarse? My hands aren’t good? Mouth? Is my figure poor?... I’m not too bad for you.” What do you think Mrs. Liu? Isn’t that so? I say it has to be all stirred up by that eldest of mine. Our eldest young master isn’t so bad at provoking things. Hmph. For a person like that to go out as a warrior, and to go fight the XX devils! He’d never be a divisio
n commander. How can he fight the foreigners without soldiers? Isn’t that so, uh, Mrs. Liu. And he’s got mixed up with a woman, Zhaowu said they…”
And so on. Because when Mistress Shi got to that point in her speech, she went into the washroom with Mrs. Liu and they closed the door.
13
Thirteenth Sister
It seems that the situation was getting worse every day.
Mr. Liu Liu and Mrs. Liu went to the Shi house almost every day to urge them to move to the French Concession. Mistress Shi thought that the garret rooms were too expensive, and wanted to look for another house, but she couldn’t find one whatever she did.
On seeing all of the neighbors loading up car after car of luggage and boxes, driving off south on North Sichuan Road, the Elder Master Shi Boxiang lost his temper.
“What will we do if we can’t find a house?”
If they really do start fighting here, it won’t be any laughing matter. This building is too close to the XX headquarters.
“We’ll just go to the Liu’s for a few days.”
But Shi Zhaochang refused to go.
“You go. I won’t go.”
Shi Zhaochang had just finished his lessons the previous day. He learned how to spit blades, learned the divination of the Marvelous Gate and Shrouded Prime. He could also…
“That’s dangerous,” his father said, but his tone wasn’t that severe.
The corners of Shi Zhaochang’s mouth curved down, and he took a splayfooted stride forward, his right thumb stuck out.
“A real hero can attain merit here. If fighting breaks out here… All the better. If after a few days nothing happens, I’ll have to go beyond the northern pass.”
“The northern pass?”
“Hmph!” A great echoing sound came from his nose.
Mistress Shi sighed quietly.
“I absolutely won’t go, but then again what can we do? Ah, the rooms over there are too small…”
Accordingly, she gathered up her luggage: powder, rouge, rose-roasted pumpkin seeds, leather shoes, Crème Simon, these things filled up three baskets. But the mahjong set wouldn’t fit, so it was stuffed into Elder Master Shi’s clothing bag so that he had to pack one fewer silk jacket, otherwise the mahjong set wouldn’t fit. Of course the furniture wouldn’t go, that would have to wait until they found a house. Right, there was one other thing.