by Bangqing Han
Second Wang took it up. “Are we supposed to be kept in the dark? It happens that we know all about it.”
“What do you know?” he said.
Instead of replying, she turned and said to the maid, “Listen to him. Isn’t it exasperating? Does he think I’m going to be jealous, so he has to keep it from me?”
The maid guffawed. “Mr. Zhao, it’s all right to tell. We can’t compare with the sing-song houses, so even if you go and deflower ten girls, it’s none of our business. Are you afraid our Second Miss would get jealous? If we were to get jealous, we wouldn’t know where to begin.”
Now he understood what they were talking about. “So it’s about Jewel! I thought you were congratulating me for getting some job or other.”
“How would we know whether you have a job or not?” Second Wang replied.
“Then how did you know about me and Jewel? It must be Mr. Zhang who told you.”
“Mr. Zhang only came with you that one time. He hasn’t been here since,” said the maid.
“Mr. Zhang is not coming anymore,” Second Wang said. “I’ll tell you frankly: we hired a detective; that’s why we know everything.”
“Then do you know who stayed at Jewel’s last night?” he asked.
Second Wang jerked her mouth sideways at him. “There! It was a dog.”
He pooh-poohed this. “If I were there, I wouldn’t be asking you.”
Second Wang snorted. “Don’t talk nonsense to me. Whoever heard of a deflowering client staying just one night? Who are you trying to fool?”
He heaved a sigh and replied satirically. “Is your detective deaf? Tell him to get a barber to clean out his ears before he goes to work.”
Upon hearing this, she knew he was telling the truth and hastened to ask, “You weren’t at Jewel’s last night?”
He then related briefly to her the whole story, what Jewel suggested, how he got cheated, how the deal fell through and how they broke up.
The maid put in, “Mr. Zhao, I must say you have a good head on your shoulders. You actually saw through them. D’you know, the deflowering of courtesans in the sing-song houses is just talk. It’s all fake! They do it three, four, sometimes five or six times! You don’t just waste your money; you’re swindled. It’s not worth it.”
Second Wang said, “If I’d known you’d fall for their trick, I could have claimed to be a virgin courtesan myself. I’d probably have been more convincing than Jewel.”
He said with a grin, “Not with your front door, you wouldn’t. Let me open a back door for you, more convenient, all right?”
Even Second Wang could not help laughing. “You! What you want is a good slap in the face.”
The maid then said, “Mr. Zhao, you’re partly to blame, too. If you’d listened to Mr. Zhang and just dropped in on us rather than gone anywhere else, you wouldn’t have got swindled by them. Look at us, do we play any tricks on you?”
“I don’t have any other place to go, as it happens,” he said. “Now that I don’t go to Jewel’s anymore, I’ll just drop in here sometimes. I wanted to come the last few days, but I thought it’d be embarrassing if I ran into Mr. Zhang. But now that he’s not coming, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Second Wang asked immediately, “Has Mr. Zhang found a job?”
So he told her all about Rustic Zhang having moved to the Vitality Rice Shop, south of Sixteen Capes.
The maid broke in again, “You’re really too timid, Mr. Zhao. Leaving aside the fact that Mr. Zhang doesn’t come here, even if he did and happened to run into you, what would it matter? Sometimes our clients come in groups of three or four. They’re all friends and all our clients; it’s the more the merrier for them. If you saw it, you’d be embarrassed to death!”
“Oh, you’re such a coward!” Second Wang exclaimed. “Even if Mr. Zhang picked a fight, aren’t you a match for him? What’s there to be afraid of? If you talk about embarrassment, then we’ll just have to stop doing business.”
Ashamed of himself, he lay down on the divan, took the opium pipe that Second Wang had filled, and brought it to the lamp. But he did not smoke it right, and the opium flamed up and started to burn. Looking on, Second Wang found it funny. Suddenly, Old Mrs. Guo called out loudly next door, “Second Miss!”
In alarm, Second Wang said to the maid, “Go and see who’s there.”
The maid hurried downstairs. Simplicity paid no attention to this, but Second Wang cocked her ears to listen carefully. All she heard was the maid speaking to some people right at their own door. She talked at length but to little effect and finally called out, “Second Miss, please come down.”
Second Wang clenched her teeth in vexation and cursed under her breath. She had no choice but to leave Simplicity and rush downstairs.
He did not finish the pipe but instead sat up to listen to what was going on. All he heard was Second Wang calling out in a jovial voice from the stairs, “So it’s Master Constant! I was wondering who it was!” This was followed by murmured conversation that he couldn’t make out, and then he heard the old maidservant calling out desperately, “Master Xu, listen to me!”
Before she could finish speaking, footsteps came up the stairs, and two burly men burst into the room. One still had a sneer on his face, while the other bared his arms and waved his fists and took over the divan in a show of manliness. He picked up the opium pipe and prodded the tray wildly with it, shouting, “Bring me opium.”
Second Wang went up to him quickly with a smile. “The maid is getting it. Master Xu, please don’t be angry.”
Simplicity saw that they did not mean well. Although he was indignant, he knew he couldn’t take them on, so he sneaked off in the midst of the hubbub. Second Wang dared not even see him out, but the maid who had gone out to get opium happened to meet him on the street. She grabbed him to tell him, “There’re too many people in the daytime. Come after one o’clock at night. We’ll be waiting.” He took her meaning and nodded.
The sun was gradually going down then. Simplicity did not return to the inn but instead had his dinner in some restaurant and then went on to a Suzhou music hall specializing in storytelling to pass the time. He managed to hold out till past midnight before going back to Second Wang’s house, where, sure enough, he got full satisfaction in a night of love.
The next day, when he returned to the inn before noon, the attendant came up to tell him, “Last night, a maid came looking for you several times.”
He knew it was Mama Yeung of the Hall of Beauties and was determined to ignore her. Afraid she would come again to pester him, he decided to give her the slip. He hurried out right after lunch but was at a loss where to go. He headed north from Pebble Road onto First Avenue, where he entered Bowling Alley and took a turn, thinking how best to kill time. He suddenly thought of Pine Wu’s mah-jongg party. There’d be no harm in inquiring at White Orchid’s. With this in mind, he turned and crossed Fourth Avenue, heading straight for White Orchid’s in Nobility Alley. He asked at the parlor, “Is Young Mr. Wu here?”
“He didn’t come,” the menservants answered.
He was about to leave when the maid, Sister Gold, happened to see him. As he had been at the mah-jongg party two days before, she decided to point him in the right direction. “Are you looking for Young Mr. Wu? He’s playing mah-jongg at Grace Yang’s in Generosity Alley. Go look for him there.”
Hearing this, he made his way down Co-jubilation Alley, which linked Nobility Alley to Generosity Alley. Here, he found Grace Yang’s nameplate, lifted up the hem of his robe, and walked in. A game of mah-jongg was in progress, and the man who sat facing the door happened to be Rustic Zhang. Simplicity waved to him through the window and sauntered in. Rustic Zhang and Pine Wu were obliged to exchange a few pleasantries with him. Crane Li just said, “Take a seat,” while Clement Zhou completely ignored him.
After watching the game quietly for a while from behind Pine Wu, Simplicity felt quite out of place and took his leave in some confusion.
“He’s come to town for a bit of fun; he’s not in any business,” Pine Wu replied.
“He’s looking for a job,” Rustic Zhang said. “Can you help him?”
Pine Wu snickered. “So he’s looking for a job, eh? What kind of job d’you think he can do?”
Everybody laughed and brushed the matter aside.
By the time they had finished eight rounds and counted the chips, Crane Li had again lost about a hundred dollars.
“My my, you’re good at losing, aren’t you?” Grace Yang commented. “I’ve never heard of you winning.”
“It doesn’t matter how much you lose at mah-jongg, as long as you make a clean sweep four or five times at dominoes as the banker,” Pine Wu replied.
“There’s not much to sing-song house parties. You might as well go to Lucky You’s and win it back,” said Clement Zhou.
“I’ll do that tomorrow,” Crane Li said with a smile.
“Who’s inviting you to dinner tonight?” Rustic Zhang asked.
“None other than Script Li. Otherwise, why would I be going to a sing-song house party?” said Crane Li. “He’s not inviting anybody else either; just me and my fourth uncle. If I were to stand him up, he’d go through the roof.”
“The old man is in really good spirits, isn’t he?” said Pine Wu.
Crane Li said earnestly, “Well, you’ve got to hand it to him. Just think, how many concubines does he have at home? Then there’re the courtesans and the women from respectable families he keeps outside; altogether, they must amount to a few hundred!”
“D’you have any idea how much he has in terms of cash?” Clement Zhou asked.
“Who’s counting? Even he himself doesn’t know for sure. When he does business, though, he’s like a man possessed. He’ll lay out millions and stop at nothing!”
Everyone listened agape and shook their heads in astonishment and admiration. After that, they departed one after the other. Crane Li lay down on the divan, stretched himself, and yawned.
“Would you like a puff of opium?” Grace Yang asked.
“No. I was up all night last night and haven’t slept properly today. I’m tired.”
“How much did you lose yesterday?”
“It wasn’t too bad. I stopped after playing all the bets twice, but I lost about a thousand even then.”
“I say, you really shouldn’t gamble so much. It’s not just the money; you’re ruining your health as well. You may think you’ll win back what you’ve lost, but it seems to me these people happily take your money when they win, but when they lose they’re not likely to give it back to you.”
“There you’re talking nonsense,” he said smiling. “You’ve got to pay for the chips, so where there’re chips, there’s always money—how can they refuse to part with it? The only trouble is that when the banker’s luck turns a bit, they may stop betting. In that case, there’s nothing you can do, and there’s no way to win the money back.”
“That’s what I mean. If you go to Lucky You’s tomorrow, you should have a good idea how much you want to win or lose and go all out just one last time. If you can win back what you’ve lost, fine; if not, you should just let go.”
“You’re right. If I can’t win it back, I’m definitely going to stop gambling.”
“It’s of course best if you really stop, but even if you go on doing it, you should take more care. Losing tens of thousands may not matter to you, but others might get worked up when they hear about it. If the fourth master of your house asks me why I don’t try to dissuade you and puts the blame on me, there’d be nothing I could say.”
“Now that won’t happen. Why would Fourth Master lecture you if he doesn’t even lecture me?”
“Well, one can’t be sure. People like to stir things up, you know. Of course, you were the one who felt like a game or two here at our place, but the way other people put it, it’s as if we get a hefty cut out of it. We sing-song houses don’t run gambling dens; we don’t get any cuts, either.”
“No one’s running you down. Don’t be so sensitive.”
“From now on, if you want to gamble, you do it at Lucky You’s. Then if there’s any talk it’ll be none of our business.”
By now, Crane Li’s eyes were drooping, and his mouth dry, so he smiled and did not respond. Grace also fell silent. Drowsiness overcame him, and he dozed off. Knowing he had not slept much, she did not wake him, just quietly covered him with a woolen blanket. He slept until after the lamps were lit, when the maid, Thrive, brought dinner into the room. The tinkle of bowls woke him up.
“Would you like a bite to eat before going to the party?” Grace asked him.
He replied after a moment of reflection, “I’m not hungry really, but a snack is all right.”
“There isn’t anything to go with the rice, though,” said Thrive. “I’ll go and tell them to add a couple more dishes.”
He signaled with a wave of his hand to stop her. “Don’t bother. Just dish out a mouthful of rice for me.”
“He likes preserved eggs,” Grace said, “go and get some.”
Thrive immediately went to get everything ready. Grace and Crane Li ate together. When they had finished, his man. Second Kuang. had arrived from the inn to see him, reporting, “Fourth Master has gone to the party. He’s asking you, sir, to go early, too.”
“Wait until the invitation card comes. You’ll still be on time,” said Grace.
“I’ll go early and have done with it and then go home early for a good sleep,” Crane Li replied.
“If you’re not feeling so well, come back to us here. It’s more comfortable here than at the inn,” she said.
“I haven’t been back there for two days now. Fourth Master seems a bit worried. I’d better go back tonight.”
She said no more. He then told Second Kuang to accompany him to the dinner party.
::
1. [Sixteen Capes and Little East Gate were two areas in Shanghai with the largest concentration of entertainment and business activities. E.H.]
CHAPTER 15 :: Bright Pearl attends a party at Civic Peace Alley, and Pragmatic Li smokes opium at the House of Floral Rain
Where was Script Li actually holding his party, anyway? It turned out to be at the house of Lute, Prosperity Luo’s old flame. Crane Li was in the know, so he led Second Kuang straight to East Civic Peace Alley. Second Kuang rushed ahead to announce him, and the servant girl, Tigress, welcomed him in and lifted the curtain for him to enter. He saw that there were only two men in the room: Fourth Master and a hanger-on at the Lis’ named Yu, whom his friends called Old Merit. Fourth Master, named Pragmatic, was Crane Li’s uncle, his father’s first cousin. The three of them greeted each other, but the host, Script Li, had not yet arrived. Crane Li was about to inquire when Yu explained, “Script is at a party at the commissioner’s. Lute has also been called there. He said the three of us are to start dinner first.”
Tigress was then told to shout down the stairs for the men to set the dinner table and prepare hot towels. It happened that Lute came back from the party just then, holding four chits for calling girls in her hand. “His Excellency will be here shortly,” she said. “He sent word that you should all call a couple more girls and to write out the four for the girls he’s calling.”
Old Merit went to write the chits. Knowing Script Li was in good spirits, he set an example by calling four girls as well. Crane Li had no choice but to follow suit, but Pragmatic Li refused to play the game; he only called two. After the chits had been issued, they sat down for dinner.
Soon afterward, Script Li arrived, bringing Amity Zhu with him. Deferring to one another as to seating order, they finally settled down. Script Li called for chits so Amity Zhu could call his girls. Amity wrote down the names of the Lin sisters, White Fragrance and Green Fragrance, but Script Li insisted that he fulfill the quota of four. Then he asked Old Merit, “How many girls are the three of yo
u calling?”
When Old Merit told him, Script Li cast a glance at Pragmatic Li. “Goodness! You’re calling two girls? It must be quite a strain for you. This will cost you six dollars, you know, sheer madness.”
Pragmatic Li smiled in embarrassment. “I just don’t know where I can get anybody else.”
“You’re supposed to be an old playboy, yet now there’s not even a girl you can call to a party! The things you say; doesn’t it show a lack of pride?” Script Li said.
“The ones I knew well are too old now. What’s the point of having them here?”
“Don’t you know the novices like to play with the young ones while the veterans prefer the old ones? The older the more fun.”
Hearing this, Crane Li said, “Here, I’ve thought of one.” Script Li had ink and a writing brush sent over to Crane Li to write out the chit. Pragmatic Li watched and saw he had written the name of Bright Pearl. He hesitated and then said, “She probably doesn’t answer calls anymore.”
“She couldn’t very well refuse if we called her, could she?” Crane Li replied.
Script Li took the chits and looked them over. Seeing that Pragmatic Li was still summoning only three girls, he frowned. “I wonder what you want to salt so much money away for. Do you have to be miserly at my party?” And he urged Crane Li, “Call another girl, just to shame him.” Pragmatic Li couldn’t do anything but smile in embarrassment.
“But who else can I call?” Crane Li responded. After thinking for a moment, he reluctantly added one name: White Orchid. Script Li thought of two more girls for himself and told Old Merit to add them on and issue all the chits together.
The dinner was a double table made up of two square tables set end to end. Since host and guests altogether only numbered five, there was lots of room at the table, and Script Li told the courtesans to sit side by side with their clients. Only when all the seats at the table had been taken were they seated behind. Altogether, there were twenty-two courtesans, accompanied by twenty-two maids and serving girls. The room was jam-packed. Old Merit did a head count: only Bright Pearl was missing.