The Sing-song Girls of Shanghai

by Bangqing Han

  “Poor Twin Jewel! She seems to have run into an enemy from her last incarnation.”

  “At first, Mother didn’t like Twin Jewel because she wasn’t good at business, so she scolded her now and then. But since Twin Jade got here, Twin Jewel has had several beatings, and all because of Twin Jade.”

  “Is Twin Jade still pally with you?”

  “She’s pally all right, but she’s a bit scared of me. Mother lets her have her way in everything, whereas I don’t care whether her business is good or not; if I spot anything wrong, I always speak out. If she gets offended, it’s fine by me.”

  “It doesn’t matter if you tell her off. She won’t dare take offense.”

  A while later supper was over. With nothing to do, Benevolence decided to return to his store right away. Twin Pearl did not press him to stay, either. Coming out of her house, he exited the south end of Sunshine Alley and headed eastward. Suddenly, he heard somebody call out “Uncle” behind him. He turned round to see that it was none other than his nephew, Simplicity Zhao, dressed in a ragged blue cotton short jacket. The only mark of respectability was a pair of pale turquoise silk leg warmers worn over his trousers. His Peking-style shoes were so tattered that one of his toes was sticking out.

  Startled, Benevolence demanded at once, “Why aren’t you wearing a robe?”3

  Simplicity hesitated before he replied, “When I came out of hospital, I stayed a couple of days at the inn. Because I was short of several hundred copper coins for board and lodging, they took all my clothes and bedding as collateral.”

  “Why didn’t you just go home?”

  “I wanted to, but I had no money. Uncle, could you lend me the boat fare?”

  Benevolence spat at him in disgust. “How dare you come to see me? You’ve come to Shanghai just to humiliate me! If you call me Uncle again, I’ll slap your face!” Having said that, he turned to go. Simplicity followed at his heels, imploring miserably. After they had walked some distance, Benevolence reflected that since this would affect his reputation, he had no choice but to settle the affair. He barked at Simplicity, “Take me to the inn.”

  Simplicity answered yes repeatedly and rushed ahead to lead the way. Instead of going to the Welcome Inn, he went to a small inn on Sixth Avenue. Pointing at it, he said, “This is it.”

  Benevolence suppressed his anger and went in to inquire at the counter.

  The manager smiled and said, “There isn’t any bedding. All he had was a robe that’s been pawned for four hundred copper coins.”

  Benevolence turned to question Simplicity, who hung his head in silence. Benevolence again spat at him and then took some small silver coins from his pocket to redeem the robe and pay for another night’s lodging at the inn. He barked at Simplicity, “Come to my store tomorrow.”

  Simplicity dutifully promised and saw him out. Ignoring him completely, Benevolence called a ricksha to go back to the Flourishing Ginseng Store. He sighed and groaned but could not figure out what to do.

  The next morning, Simplicity duly turned up wearing a robe. Benevolence told a salesclerk to take him to the boat and only gave him three hundred copper coins to buy food on the way. Taking his leave from Benevolence Hong, Simplicity Zhao left with the salesclerk.

  ::

  1. [Though the chapter heading claims that Constance tries to keep the peace, it is obvious from this conversation that she is stirring things up in a very shrewd and understated manner. Once she has planted the seed of doubt, she sits back and allows it to grow in its own time. As this chapter progresses, the reader sees how her reasonable and considerate behavior pushes Lotuson Wang to a harsh assessment of Little Rouge. E.H.]

  2. [Obviously everyone except Lotuson Wong knew that Little Rouge went on carriage rides with her lover, Little Willow. E.H.]

  3. The robe was a mark of gentility not worn by laborers.

  CHAPTER 25 :: A fond lover’s chiding revives old memories, and the time of the month delays a tryst

  Benevolence waited until the salesclerk came back to report that Simplicity Zhao had been put on the boat and his fare paid. Still uneasy, he wrote a detailed letter to Simplicity’s mother advising her to keep her son under strict control and not let him come to Shanghai again. He told the salesclerk to take it to the post office before he finally settled down to attend to his business at the store.

  By afternoon, his work was done. On his way out, he received a note from Lichee Zhuang inviting him to dinner at Woodsy’s in the Hall of Beauties on West Chessboard Street, so he left instructions for the clerk at the counter and went out, heading north. As it was still early, he took a ricksha and told the puller to take him to the midsection of Fourth Avenue. There, he went looking for Lotuson Wang, first at Constance’s in East Co-prosperity Alley and then at Little Rouge’s in West Floral Alley. But both of them said Lotuson wasn’t there, so he walked via Brocade Alley to the Auspicious Luzon Lottery Store. After exchanging salutes with Bamboo Hu, he asked for Cloudlet Chen.

  “He’s upstairs,” said Bamboo Hu.

  Benevolence went upstairs, where Cloudlet Chen greeted him and invited him to sit down.

  “Lichee Zhuang is giving a party at a second-class house. Are you invited?” Cloudlet asked.

  “Yes, it’s at Woodsy’s, isn’t it? Let’s go together later,” Benevolence replied, and Cloudlet readily agreed.

  “Last time Lichee Zhuang came up with a long list of stuff; did you sell any of it for him?”

  “Script Li chose a few things, but there’re still lots left. You can ask some of your customers if they’re interested.”

  Benevolence promised to do so. They soon ran out of things to say and sat together in boredom. After conferring with each other, they decided there was time to take tea at a sing-song house before proceeding to dinner. They went downstairs together, bade Bamboo Hu good-bye, and threaded their way through a narrow lane with high walls on both sides. It led them to Clever Gem’s in Co-security Alley. Cloudlet Chen took Benevolence Hong directly upstairs. When they entered her room, Clever Gem got up to welcome them. The two men sat down.

  “An invitation came for you from West Chessboard Street. Is it a dinner party?” Clever Gem asked.

  “It’s just Lichee Zhuang inviting the two of us,” Cloudlet replied.

  “Mr. Zhuang has already given several dinner parties this season,” she said.

  “The last one was done on behalf of a friend; it wasn’t his party. Tonight, it’s probably in honor of the money gods, either that or it’s the treasure scrolls.”

  “That’s it. We’re having treasure scrolls on the twenty-third, so you should have a dinner party here, too,” she said.

  Cloudlet reflected. “That’s fine; I’ll come. But if you have other clients coming on that day, I can have my party a day later, on the twenty-fourth.”

  “There aren’t other clients, or else I wouldn’t have asked you. It’s because there isn’t anyone else that I have to.”

  Cloudlet said teasingly, “So, you tell me to give a dinner party here simply because there isn’t anyone else. If there were, it wouldn’t be my turn, right?”

  Hearing this, she wanted to pinch his lips, but she could not do it in front of Benevolence, so she just answered with a smile, “Picking on me again, aren’t you? But did I say anything wrong? You’re a client of long standing, so if you don’t give a party during the recitations, you’ll lose face, won’t you? If you don’t help me put on a good show, what’s the point of being a long-term client? If someone else is having a party here, then whether you want one or not is up to you. As a long-term client, you can have your party any day. Am I wrong there?”

  “Oh, don’t get excited. I didn’t say you were wrong,” he replied with a smile.

  “Then what’s this nonsense about whether it’s your turn or not? You really make me see red.”

  Benevolence Hong, seated to one side, chuckled. At this, Clever Gem said, “Now Mr. Hong is laughing at us. You’ve been coming for four or five
years now, and you’re still talking silly. Anybody’d think you’d just started seeing me.”

  “Isn’t it nice for us to talk and have a laugh? It’d be so boring if we didn’t talk,” Cloudlet replied.

  “Did I tell you not to talk? But the minute you open your mouth, you say something irritating, and you call it joking! Look at Mr. Hong, he’s been seeing Twin Pearl for longer than you’ve been coming here, and does he ever make a remark that’s out of place? You’re the only one who comes up with all sorts of sneaky stuff.”

  Smiling, Benevolence broke in, “You were supposed to be quarreling between yourselves. Why make me the butt of your jokes?”

  “You don’t know what he’s like, Mr. Hong,” she said pleasantly. “If you go by appearances, he seems quite easygoing, but when he’s disagreeable, he can be truly exasperating. There was this time when he happened to come when there was a client in my room, so he was asked to sit for a while in the room across the way. Without a word, he just walked out. I asked him, ‘Why did you leave?’ And he put it so sweetly; he said, ‘You had your favorite client here. I didn’t feel like being a drag.’”

  Before she had finished, Cloudlet cut her short with a smile, “That was quite a few years ago. Why bring it up now?”

  She shot him a sideways glance and then said half in vexation and half in joke, “With you, things are no sooner said than forgotten, but I don’t forget, and I will tell Mr. Hong about them. Mr. Hong is so good as to visit us, and we don’t have much to entertain him with, so what’s wrong with a little amusing chatter to make up for it?”

  Anxious to put a stop to her chatter, Cloudlet stretched out his arms, rushed over, and embraced her in protest.

  “What’re you doing?” she shouted.

  When the maid, Ocean, and the servant girl, Big Silver, heard this, they both came into the room. Only then did he let go. Clever Gem struggled free and patted her hair into place and then pulled a long face and barked at him, “Go and sit down over there.”

  He struck a pose of obedience, saying repeatedly, “Sure! Sure!” and backed away, returning to his seat.

  Ocean and Big Silver, looking on, said in unison, “Mr. Chen has always been very well-behaved. How come he’s so merry today?”

  Benevolence nodded. “I’ve never seen him horsing around like this either.”

  With this little drama over, they suddenly realized it was long past lamp-lighting time. Cloudlet’s steward, Constant Blessing, had come to look for him, bringing a note from Lichee Zhuang hurrying him to the party.

  Benevolence stood up and said, “Let’s be off,” and went out with Cloudlet.

  Clever Gem saw them to the head of the staircase, saying, “Call me right away.”

  Cloudlet made an affirmative noise, went out the door, and left word with Constant Blessing, “I’m going with Mr. Hong. You go home and tell the puller to bring my ricksha to West Chessboard Street.” Constant Blessing left to carry out his instructions.

  Arm in arm, Cloudlet Chen and Benevolence Hong walked at a leisurely pace down Fourth Avenue and Treasured Merit Street toward the Hall of Beauties. When they got there and went upstairs, they saw two other guests were already in the room: Pine Wu and Rustic Zhang. They introduced themselves to Cloudlet, and everybody casually took a seat.

  Lichee Zhuang immediately wrote out two notes and handed them to Mama Yeung, saying, “You can set the table while reminders are sent to the guests.”

  By the time the table was set, the menservants had come back to report, “The guest at Sunset’s in Generosity Alley wasn’t there. The one at Grace Yang’s is coming right away.”

  “Are you inviting Mallow Yao?” Benevolence Hong asked.

  “No, it’s Old Zhai,” Lichee Zhuang replied.

  “The other day, Mrs. Yao went to pick a row at Sunset’s, have you heard about that?” asked Benevolence.

  Aghast, Lichee immediately asked what it was all about. Before Benevolence could tell him, the menservants announced again, “Young Mr. Zhuang’s friend is here.” Lichee hurried out to meet him, and everybody stood up waiting to salute the newcomer.

  It was Crane Li. As everybody had met before, there was no need for introductions. Lichee Zhuang told Mama Yeung to go to Jewel’s room next door to ask Young Mr. Shi over. A handsome young man, splendidly dressed, walked in, holding Jewel by the hand. Nobody knew who he was. Lichee Zhuang introduced him as Shi, Fortune to his friends. Having expressed their eagerness to meet him, they were ushered to the table. Lichee Zhuang put Crane Li in the seat of honor and Fortune Shi next to him. The others sat as they pleased.

  By then, Jewel, who had changed into party clothes, came over to sit behind Fortune Shi. Seeing Benevolence Hong, she asked, “Have you seen Young Mr. Zhao?”

  “He’s gone home today,” replied Benevolence.

  Rustic Zhang put in, “No, he hasn’t. I saw Simplicity just now on Fourth Avenue.”

  Benevolence was greatly astonished but could not very well clarify the matter there.

  “Oh, I meant to ask you, where d’you buy double joy–double longevity rings?” Fortune Shi asked Lichee Zhuang.

  “At Lucky Dragon. They’ve got plenty of them.”

  Fortune then turned to Woodsy to look at the design of her rings, which he returned to her right away.

  “Did you play mah-jongg the last couple of days?” Pine Wu asked Crane Li.

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Feel like playing later?”

  Crane Li frowned. “There aren’t enough people for a game.”

  Pine Wu turned to ask Cloudlet. “Do you play?”

  “I only do it to appease the courtesans. Not much money is won or lost,” replied Cloudlet. Hearing this, Pine Wu fell silent.

  At that moment, Clever Gem, Twin Pearl, Grace Yang, White Orchid, and Cassia Ma arrived one after the other. Cassia secretly tugged at Rustic’s sleeve. He turned around. She opened her fan, hiding half her face behind it, and whispered to him. He nodded and immediately walked over to the opium divan, signaling surreptitiously for Pine Wu to join him. He whispered in Wu’s ear, “There’re treasure scrolls at Cassia’s, too. She told me to go and show support. Would you tell Crane Li we’ll play mah-jongg with him later?”

  “Who else is there?”

  “If there’s nobody else, let’s just ask Cloudlet Chen. What d’you think?”

  Pine Wu said after a moment of reflection, “I’m afraid Cloudlet won’t play. Since there’re treasure scrolls at Cassia’s, you should host a dinner party there. If you take this party over to her place and then mention mah-jongg during the meal, it’d be a lot easier.”

  Rustic considered the proposal. “I don’t feel like having a dinner party, and there’s no fun having it at Cassia’s either.”

  “Now there’s something you don’t understand: It’s far better to have dinner parties at second-class houses. The first-class girls are so much in demand that even a double table means nothing to them. But in a place like Cassia’s, if you favored them with a dinner party and a game of mah-jongg, how they’d fuss over you!”

  “Then why don’t you host the party? I’ll contribute a couple of dollars toward the tips,” said Rustic.

  “She’s your girl, so it’s not right for me to give a party there. Still, if I win at mah-jongg, I’ll foot half the bill.”

  Rustic thought for a minute and then stood up and saluted everybody, explaining why he was taking the party over to Cassia’s and pressing the others to honor him with their company. Everybody said he would indeed impose on Rustic’s hospitality. Jubilant, Cassia immediately told her maid to go home and get things ready.

  At the table, a finger game was under way. Lichee Zhuang, as the host, was the first to play. He offered everybody three shots to show his hospitality, and when he had finished, he invited the others to take over. Crane Li, neither a good drinker nor a good player of the game, saluted everyone and begged off. Fortune Shi was fooling with Jewel, his mind not on the wine. Rustic Zhang
dared not get drunk as he was taking the party elsewhere, so he teamed up with Pine Wu just to do his bit. Cloudlet Chen and Benevolence Hong were the only ones in their usual good spirits. After some merrymaking, Clever Gem and Twin Pearl each drank two cups of penalty wine for them and then left together with Grace Yang and White Orchid, each going her own way. Jewel, after having changed out of her party clothes, came in again to help entertain. At this point, Rustic told Cassia, “Go on ahead and set the table.”

  Before she left, Cassia urged him, “Please come over right away.” After her departure, the party broke up.

  Jewel had already pulled Fortune Shi into her own room. She made him lie down on the opium divan while she leaned over him, whispering, “Are you going to the party?”

  “They want to take the party somewhere else, but I don’t feel like going,” he replied.

  “Since you were drinking together, naturally you should go over there with them. It’s not nice if you drop out on your own,” she said.

  “It only means one less party call for you. What else is not nice about it?”

  She sneered. “When you called Third Treasure to parties, it was three dollars per call, and how many times in a row did you call her? With me, you’re already making a saving.”

  “Third Treasure is a virgin courtesan. She doesn’t cost three dollars.”