Northern Girls: Life Goes On

by Sheng Keyi

  ‘Lie down. Spread your legs. Knees up!’ The woman had already put on a white mask and gloves, leaving only a pair of elusive eyes visible.

  Sijiang was numb.

  Xiaohong gently helped her spread her thighs, then the doctor bound her legs to the bed and started the procedure in a mechanical way, never displaying the slightest emotion.

  Sijiang, grasping for straws, grabbed Xiaohong’s hand.

  ‘Hey Sijiang, I’ll tell you a joke. Listen, but don’t laugh. There was a female worker who bought a new house. She took two weeks off to do the renovations. When the two weeks were up, the renovations weren’t done, so she thought she’d extend her time off. When she put in her request with her supervisor, she wrote, she wrote, Not quite done in the bedroom. Need another two weeks.’

  Sijiang didn’t get it. Then, the freckle-faced doctor took the speculum and brought it towards Sijiang’s lower body. Sijiang screamed.

  ‘What are you screaming for? I haven’t even started!’ The doctor sat down between Sijiang’s thighs and picked up the cold metal tools.

  Xiaohong gripped Sijiang’s hand with some force. She felt herself tense up. Tears glistening like crystals flowed down the apple-shaped face and soaked into the dirty sheets.

  The doctor, face expressionless, stabbed with her forceps. Sijiang howled. The doctor grasped the metal and wiggled it back and forth. Bleeding like a stuck pig, Sijiang continued to wail, the cries growing gradually weaker. It was like being in a dream, the sounds drifting to her as if from a great distance. She broke out into a cold sweat, lying in a puddle of fluids. Her tiny eyes looked straight up at the ceiling, as if their ferocity could nail Bud to the giant red cross painted on the white wall before her.

  IX

  The typical Spring Festival weather settled in – a fine misty rain blowing on the wind. To the eye, it was gentle and kind, rich in charm and beauty. When it hit the face, though, it showed itself cold, hard and merciless. In fact, in the North – which, to the locals, meant anywhere north of Guangzhou – this would be considered mild weather, but here, people were shrinking into their coats, muttering, ‘It’s freezing!’ Every time someone came in or out of the lobby, a cold blast of wind would rush in, covering Xiaohong in a layer of goose bumps.

  In the afternoon, it was sunny. The hotel, decorated for the season, flashed red and green. The Wedding March was playing constantly, its notes hovering over the entire hotel, as if the whole place was filled to overflowing with endless amounts of good cheer. Everyone was as infected with the mood as if it were his or her own wedding day. Or, put another way, it was as if those already married wanted to renew their vows, returning to the first days of new love, while the unmarried would imagine such a union, tasting the sweetness of marriage. In short, it was a wedding celebration.

  Zhang Weimei felt it the strongest. From early in the morning, she alternated between enthusiasm and frustration. She constantly turned to the small mirror, as if hoping to see herself in her own wedding gown reflected there. But her boyfriend had said that without a Shenzhen green card, there was no point talking about marriage. They had helped build up Shenzhen society for two years, and there was no good reason for the city to deny them the chance to start their own little family. They would certainly be a law-abiding household, not creating any trouble. Weimei had never really thought about how many couples there were just like them in Shenzhen. They were no better than a pair of ants in a vast colony.

  ‘Is it that hard to get a green card? What do you have to do to get it?’ Xiaohong had only been in the city a short time and so was a complete novice when it came to green cards.

  ‘Money! You buy it,’ Weimei snapped, as if she were none too pleased to offer Xiaohong enlightenment on the topic. Changing the subject, she said, ‘Mr Pan’s brother, Pan An, is having his wedding banquet, so there will be plenty of action for you to see.’

  Xiaohong took a hard look at Weimei’s face, but could see nothing beyond the green card problem there.

  ‘Pan An? Isn’t he that tall, slim, quiet fellow?’

  Weimei nodded.

  Xiaohong had seen Pan An and had heard that he was a member of a triad, but found that difficult to believe. The image of frail, scholarly-looking Pan An carrying a mobile phone as big as a brick could not help but make one think, How could a guy like that be connected with fighting and killing?

  ‘What girl would dare marry him? And, why not choose a more auspicious day to get married?’ Xiaohong cackled so hard she could hardly breathe.

  ‘So he’s in a triad. What’s the big deal? Triad members offer a sense of security. If anyone bullies you, he’ll be taken care of in no time.’ Weimei said, her expression dreamy. But she seemed to have a clear enough picture of the situation. ‘Being a female gangster has a beauty of its own!’ These dark ideas made Xiaohong feel Weimei had a mysterious charm about her.

  At dusk, the hotel practically swelled. The entrance was covered with a thick layer of firecracker wrappers, like decorations flying from a marital bed as it is being broken in. The banquet guests arrived, their hungry mouths smiling in congratulations. The car park overflowed with shiny cars – a bright red Ferrari, a silver Volvo, a black Mercedes-Benz, a white BMW as dazzling as a bright patch of sky.

  A man dressed in jeans emerged from the Ferrari. He lit a cigarette, took a loving walk around his car, then, glancing back at it over his shoulder went into the hotel.

  ‘Jimmy, I haven’t seen you for a while. You’ve got another new car!’ Weimei scrunched up her cheeks, greeting the fellow with a rare enthusiasm.

  The guy glanced at the dyed blonde hair in front of him, then turned back with a wink and a smile, pointed at Xiaohong and said, ‘A new beauty, huh?’ He turned back to the reception desk and stared at Xiaohong, blinking. There was an unbridled mischief in his eyes, as if he were looking at some caged animal or a goldfish in a tank. Clearly, he thought himself a hardened veteran with years of experience.

  ‘I thought it was that Hong Kong movie star, Jimmy Lim!’ Xiaohong noticed that he had a child’s face and she firmly resisted the attentions of that boyish smile.

  ‘No, he’s Jimmy Lim, I’m Jimmy Chan. Everyone says he looks like me.’ Jimmy tossed his mobile phone onto the counter. Suddenly he craned his neck, leaning his face in close to Xiaohong’s breasts.

  ‘Have a good look,’ she said, thrusting out her chest and giving him a better view of her employee name tag.

  ‘Oh, Qian Xiaohong. Tonight, you and me, karaoke. How ‘bout it? Think it over and let me know when I come back,’ he said, and turned and walked coolly away.

  ‘Hey! You left your phone!’ Xiaohong shouted at his retreating figure. He turned back and took it, giving Xiaohong a meaningful look. She was like a fish caught in a net soon to be served up for his dinner.

  ‘He wants to ride your waves. You better be careful. He’s into drugs,’ Weimei quickly warned.

  Just then, the bride came in amidst a sea of merrymakers. Two glamorously dressed children came in behind her carrying her train. All the voices were lost in the crash of the firecrackers. Each wore a dumb smile, like a bubble floating in the surf. The bride had a pretty face, though her figure was less than perfect. She wore a gown with a red bodice, the waist trimmed with black lace backed with yellow lining. On closer inspection, it was obvious that the bride was not merely plump around the middle, but with that belly, she was pregnant.

  ‘Um… Weimei, her stomach is pretty big.’

  ‘You only just realised that? She’s a northern girl from a town in another province. I heard she used to be a supervisor in a hotel in Shenzhen while she was studying at the university. When Pan An and his friends were there one night, he met her and took her home. He wasn’t planning to get married but she was determined to have the kid. They were at a stalemate and this is the eventual outcome.’

  ‘Huh?’ Xiaohong was startled, thinking suddenly of Sijiang. Had she decided to stay the course, what would’ve been the outcome for he
r? At this moment, she must be holed up in her little room, crying all alone. Who knew whether Bud had even been to see her? And he had seemed so gentle on the surface.

  The bride stood at the entrance, smiling, shaking hands and greeting guests. Her two arms glittered like a golden Buddha, covered – it was more like she was bound – with golden chains, each of her ten fingers sprouting a gold ring, one of them with a huge diamond on it. The elegant costume made a stunning scene. Xiaohong was dazzled. Even the bride’s smile seemed to be golden. Weimei was lost in a dreamy state, trying to conceal a sort of hunger. She watched as all the pomp and pageantry was showered on a working-class girl hailing from outside of Shenzhen. It was all more surreal than a dream.

  ‘Xiaohong, a wedding is just a big show. The gold and silver, pearls and stones hanging on the bride is just a way of showing off the family’s wealth. Pan An has made a lot of money in Hong Kong and he can use his Hong Kong dollars to buy a diamond ring as easily as you or I could buy a cheap knock-off.’

  Xiaohong laughed. ‘If a wedding is showing off wealth, then what is marriage? I think at the heart of it, marriage is the same sort of thing. The showing off is just a temporary thing and when it’s over, the couple still have to live together quietly.’

  Weimei said, ‘You talk as if you’ve been married before. You mean you don’t want a scene like this?’

  ‘Of course. I don’t want anything as glitzy as this, but I wouldn’t mind the feeling of wearing a wedding gown.’

  Hearing this, Weimei sniffed a couple of times and fell silent.

  Around seven or eight that evening, the wedding ended. Jimmy Chan brought his ever-smiling eyes back downstairs and said, ‘Ah Hong, you thought it over yet?’

  Faced with his young, good-looking figure, it would be a lie to say Xiaohong’s heart did not stir. She could already feel herself growing a little moist. She hadn’t given his invitation much of a thought at first, not taking the guy seriously. Men who moved in the underworld never gave an inch and so were not easily deceived. Xiaohong thought a moment then said, ‘I’m on duty tonight.’

  ‘When do you get off?’

  ‘Midnight.’

  ‘OK. Then, I’ll be here right on twelve to get you!’

  His no nonsense approach and his firm tone were irresistible. Xiaohong, at a loss for words, did not know whether to be pleased or anxious.

  X

  At midnight, Jimmy Chan’s Ferrari appeared at the hotel entrance, as punctual as clockwork. He squinted and smiled at Xiaohong, then drove her all the way to the grand entrance of another hotel, where two security guards scurried out to help guide him into an empty parking space before the couple made their way into the hotel’s nightclub.

  In the karaoke room, Xiaohong saw the groom, Pan An, arms wrapped around a sexy young thing. This was highly out of the ordinary. On his wedding night, here was Pan An, out drinking with his mates and womanising. That wedding banquet that he had been compelled to attend was just an elaborate mating ritual, and now his pregnant bride was tossed into the bridal chamber and left there alone.

  It was a jumble of singing and chatting in the smoke-filled, noisy scene. No one cared who came in or out. Xiaohong consumed a couple of apples from the snack tray as she sat for several minutes. Jimmy’s hand settled on her ample breast for a moment, he then took her by the hand and led her out of the room.

  He did not tell her where they were going and she did not ask. They quickly reached a tacit understanding. The Ferrari practically flew, a flash in the darkness behind two columns of light. They travelled far and fast, like two people shooting for some distant planet, peaking with an inexplicable joy. The car turned into a seaside villa, stopping in the exquisite back garden.

  Everything in sight was of the finest quality.

  ‘You take a shower while I have a smoke,’ Jimmy said. Xiaohong reached out and embraced him. He touched her breast and she began to moan incessantly.

  ‘Go and shower first,’ he said again, squeezing her breast. She obediently went into the washroom. The bathtub was sparkling white. Xiaohong, dawdling, felt an irresistible desire to lose herself emanating from her chest and flowing over her whole body. After she had bathed, she went back into the room and saw Jimmy, half of his body visible above the quilt, toying with a cigarette. He sniffed hard at a piece of white paper then swept his cigarette butt back and forth across the top of it. With all of his strength, he again inhaled deeply then flicked his lighter. After lighting another cigarette, he put his free hand around Xiaohong’s neck and swung himself across her. He stroked her breast as the cigarette quietly burned, enjoying both of them as the smoke coiled upwards. When the cigarette had burned down, he extinguished it and moved himself onto Xiaohong’s body. Whether from his kisses or from the taste on his lips, Xiaohong began to feel lightheaded.

  When they had finished, ten minutes passed as they lay quietly. Xiaohong, not satisfied, reached over and touched Jimmy. He said blankly, ‘I don’t do the same girl twice. Here. This ring is for you. It’s not payment for what we’ve done. Even if we hadn’t done it, I’d still give you the ring. If you have any trouble, you can always come to me. Now, get dressed and I’ll drive you home.’

  XI

  ‘Ah Hong, hurry! Get up. Wake up.’ It was already after six. Xiaohong, tossing and turning, had just got to sleep and, in her dreams, was engaged in an intoxicating embrace with Jimmy Chan, when she was jerked suddenly awake.

  ‘Huh? What’s up?’ she said impatiently, turning aside.

  ‘Hurry, the police are looking for you,’ Ah Xing urged, confusion on her face and in her voice.

  ‘What? Why are the police looking for me?’ Hearing the warning was like a cold splash of water in the face. As soon as she heard it, Xiaohong’s heart froze. On the verge of panic, she sat up suddenly.

  ‘I’ve got no idea. They’re waiting for you outside.’

  Xiaohong got up and peeped out the bedroom door. Sure enough, two armed officers stood there like wooden posts.

  ‘Hurry up, we’re waiting for you!’ A cop wearing spectacles accidentally poked Xiaohong’s pyjamas, right in the chest. His voice was cold as marble, as if to say, ‘We’re above such temptations.’

  ‘What’s the problem?’ Xiaohong gripped the door with her right hand, left hand on her hip. Anyone interfering with another’s early morning dreams ought to be a little more polite and respectful. She was quite pragmatic. Her temporary residence card in order and her permit for working at the hotel settled, she was quite the law-abiding citizen. Other than having made love to Jimmy Chan the previous night, she had not been involved in any illegal activity. Surely they wouldn’t be bothered about her bedroom adventures. That would be much stricter governance than could possibly be warranted.

  ‘We’re investigating a case and we’d like your help. Please come with us.’ The burlier officer spoke a little more moderately.

  ‘You need my help, right? Then why are you treating me like a criminal? I’m just an ordinary, innocent citizen,’ Xiaohong said with a faint smile. She thought of Zhu Dachang and Ma Xiaoming. Beneath those uniforms lay nothing more than simple men. Knowing this, regardless of their occupation, she didn’t feel the same reverence she once did, much less fear. All the same, having just emerged from the warm bed, she inevitably began to tremble, her breath whistling through chattering teeth.

  ‘Bloody hell, it’s cold this morning!’ She swore in her hometown dialect, then turned and went into the room to change her clothes.

  Dawn was breaking slowly, as if suffering from a hangover. The wind was blowing hard as they headed to the main hotel building. Xiaohong hugged her clothes tighter around her, arms crossed. The burly fellow said, ‘I’m Liao Zhenghu. I’ve got some questions for you. Last night at the Qianshan Hotel, one of the guests lost twenty thousand Hong Kong dollars. The whereabouts of all of the hotel’s staff will have to be reviewed. Interviews will be held in Mr Pan’s office.’

  Liao was as compact as a tiger, w
ith a sturdy frame and narrow eyes. He began in a professional tone but once he had brushed against Xiaohong, he turned as smooth as silk. The other officer was a pale, thin Cantonese man. His wan complexion and scrawny shape seemed to have been the result of too much drinking.

  In the hotel corridor, they ran into one of the younger employees coming out of the office. She was obviously tense after the cross-examination, her face a shade of bright red. Pretending to relax, she stuck her tongue out at Xiaohong, staying close to the wall to avoid the gaze of the officers. The friction of her clothes against the wall made a soft swishing sound.

  ‘Please be seated.’ The manager’s desk had been transformed into a judge’s bench, and a square, dark face stared at her from behind it. The officer’s skin tone brought to her mind the legendary Song Dynasty minister, Justice Bao, making him an even more imposing figure than the hotel manager, Mr Pan. A woman sat to his left, pen in hand, ready to capture Xiaohong’s statement. Xiaohong sat across from Officer Bao, in the same spot and manner that she always adopted to make her regular reports to the manager.

  ‘Please give me a truthful account of your movements between eight p.m. last night and four a.m. this morning. And pay attention, I want a truthful statement,’ he said, the secretary’s pen busily nibbling its way across the page like a silkworm on a mulberry leaf.

  ‘I… yesterday from two in the afternoon until midnight, I was on duty. When I finished my shift at midnight, I went for karaoke with a couple of friends. After singing, I went back to my quarters and went to bed.’

  ‘Where did you go for karaoke, with whom did you go, and what time did you finish? What did you do when you left?’

  ‘I was at the Furama Hotel. There were a lot of people there. I didn’t look at my watch when we left. After that, I went home to sleep.’

  ‘From what I know, the Furama Hotel’s karaoke lounge closes at one, and when you got back to the dorm, it was nearly three. In those two hours, where did you go?’