CHAPTER 13 :: At the deflowering of Jewel, someone waits in the wings,¹ and on the mah-jongg table, a trap is set for Crane Li

When Benevolence Hong and Simplicity Zhao entered Jewel’s room, she had already finished doing her hair and had just changed her clothes. The minute she saw Simplicity, she asked, “Why did you get up so early this morning?”²

Simplicity gave her a look to stop her from saying any more. She pooh-poohed this. “What’s all this sneakiness? Others are a bit smarter than you, you know,” she said, to his embarrassment.

She then turned around to make a little conversation with Benevolence. Seeing him put a parcel on the table, she snatched it, tore it open, and took out the smallest box on top to see what it was. It happened to be the ring with a double joy–double longevity pattern. She put it on without asking for permission and ran over to Simplicity, yelling, “You said there weren’t any. Look, isn’t this a double joy–double longevity ring?” She thrust the ring right under his nose to make her point.

“This is from Galaxy, and you wanted one from Lucky Dragon. They said they didn’t have any,” Simplicity answered with a smile.

“How can that be? Didn’t Lichee Zhuang get one from Lucky Dragon? That was the day of your first party—he said there were more than a dozen. And just a couple of days later, they’re all gone? Who are you trying to fool?” she retorted.

“If you want it, you tell Lichee Zhuang to get it,” said Simplicity.

“Give me the money then.”

“If I had the money, I’d have got it yesterday. Why would I be saying Lichee Zhuang should get it?”

She pulled a long face. “Aren’t you a sly one!” She plumped her buttocks down squarely on his thighs and rocked with all her might, demanding, “Are you going to be sly?”

Meekly, he begged to be let off.

“Get me the ring, and I’ll let you off.”

He just smiled, not committing himself either way.

She turned her head around, hooked an arm about his neck, and murmured, pouting, “This won’t do! You go and get it.” She said this several times, but he still kept silent. Getting angry, she shouted at him, “D’you dare refuse?” Simplicity got a bit irritated, too, but she just would not let go and kept wriggling her body against his as if she wanted to squeeze molten silver out of him this instant.

Just when they had reached this impasse, she suddenly heard the servant girl calling outside, “Second Miss, come quick, Young Mr. Shi is here.”

She turned pale and dashed out of the room. Simplicity and Benevolence were actually left without anyone to keep them company. Benevolence took the opportunity to ask Simplicity, “What ring does Jewel want? Are you going to get it for her?”

“It was all because of Lichee Zhuang letting his tongue run away with him. At first, they wanted a pair of rings for her. I refused, so to fool them Lichee said, ‘There aren’t any ready-made ones. You can place an order for them in a couple of days.’ That’s why now she goes on and on about ordering rings.”

“It’s really your own fault, so don’t blame it on Lichee. He’s an old client of Woodsy’s, so naturally he takes their side. You said Lichee was fooling them; in fact, he was fooling you. Don’t fall for his tricks anymore, understand?”

Simplicity grunted in agreement but did not reply. Mama Yeung happened to come in to take the teacups out. Benevolence stopped her and said, “Tell Jewel to bring the ring, we’re leaving.”

Mama Yeung had no idea what it was about, but she said yes anyhow and went down to find Jewel. When Jewel came in and saw the expression on Benevolence’s face, she hastened to say, “I’ll put it back into the box for you.”

“Leave that to me.” He reached out for the ring, and she dared not tangle with him. Instead, she pulled Simplicity aside and said many things to him secretively. When Benevolence had repacked the parcel, he just said, “Let’s go,” and then turned around and walked out. Simplicity hurried out on his heels in a fluster. Jewel did not detain them, either, just made an appointment with Simplicity, “Come back later,” and kept reminding him all the way to the staircase landing.

Out in the street, Benevolence asked, “Are you going to get her the ring?”

“I’ll see in couple of days.”

Benevolence snorted. “That means you are going to get it. I know what you think: you’ve spent a couple of dollars at Jewel’s, and you don’t want that to go to waste, so you figure that if you spent more, she’d warm up toward you, right? Let me tell you frankly: Jewel will never grow fond of you. You’d better put it out of your mind before it’s too late. Even if you do get the ring, she’ll just take you for a pushover. D’you think she will warm toward you?”

Simplicity listened and thought about it all along the way. When they were going to part at Treasured Merit Street, Benevolence stopped to say, “Even with those friends of yours, in a place like Shanghai, you have to be on guard all the time. Lichee Zhuang, for instance, doesn’t really count as a friend. As for Rustic Zhang and Pine Wu, though they’re from your hometown and should be reliable, they can’t be depended on now they’re in Shanghai. First you’ve got to have a mind of your own. Whatever other people say, the less you listen to them the better.”

Simplicity dared not risk a single comment. Benevolence nagged him a little more and then went off by himself to deliver the jewelry to Constance.

Having bade good-bye to Benevolence, Simplicity didn’t know where to go. The advice Benevolence gave him meant that he could not very well ask him for a loan. If he wanted to amuse himself in Shanghai, he had to think of a way to tide things over. Since he was at a loose end, why not look up Pine Wu for a chat? Perhaps he might run into some opportunity, one never knew. So he called a ricksha and headed for the Bund. Seeing from afar the words “The Righteous Company” on a white wall, he told the ricksha man to stop there and paid the fare. People were just laying in stock at the company’s entrance, and an endless stream of coolies carrying shoulder poles filed in and out. A bespectacled man wearing a padded jacket, who looked like the bookkeeper, stood by the door staring at the Whampoo River. A coolie rested one end of his carrying pole on the ground, talking to him. Simplicity went up and saluted the man, asking, “Is Pine Wu here?”

The man made no reply, just smirked, turned his nose up, and ignored him. Embarrassed, Simplicity was about to walk away when the coolie was good enough to point him in the right direction. “If you’re looking for someone, go and ask at the bookkeeper’s office. This is the warehouse; there’s nobody here.”

Simplicity looked in the direction indicated. Sure enough, there was a low wall with another door displaying a small black lacquered sign with gold characters written on it. When he went in, he saw it was a huge foreign-style house. This was no place for him to wander about, he thought, so he just hung around, not daring to make his inquiry. Luckily, some coolies, dragging their carrying poles by one end, dashed in through a side door. He followed them and saw another small plaque with the words “The Righteous Company: Bookkeeping Office,” under which was a sign of a hand with its index finger pointing inside the door.

Simplicity summoned up his courage and walked in. Inside the bookkeeping office, he saw tall counters on both sides of the room, with more than two dozen people hard at work. He approached a young apprentice and explained what he had come for. The apprentice looked him up and down and then tugged at a rope on the wall. A handyman came promptly to answer his call.

“Go and get Wu. Tell him somebody’s looking for him.”

After the handyman was gone, Simplicity made himself inconspicuous on one side of the room and was kept waiting until he nearly lost patience. Only then did Pine Wu dash into the office, looking very businesslike in a body-hugging Chinese suit of unbleached imported wool. When he saw Simplicity, he was a bit taken aback and then said, “Let’s go sit for a while upstairs.”

He led Simplicity through the bookkeeping office, around a couple of corners, and up a flight of stairs, urging him to tread lightly. Once they were upstairs, he pushed open one of a row of doors. Simplicity saw a narrow foreign-style room rather like a blind alley, piled full of various brass, iron, and glass utensils, with just a side table and a leather stool by the window.

“Have you seen Rustic?” Simplicity asked.

Pine Wu quickly held up a hand to silence him and then whispered, “You sit here a while. When I’m done, we’ll go to North End together.”

Simplicity nodded and sat down. Pine Wu closed the door quietly and hurried off. On the other side of the door, foreigners were coming and going all the time. The sound made by their leather shoes frightened Simplicity so much he sat bolt upright, held his breath, and broke out in a sweat.

Presently, Pine Wu pushed open the door and came in with two empty foreign bottles that he tossed on the ground, telling Simplicity, “Wait a little longer, I’m about finished.” Then he shut the door again and hurried off.

It was fully an hour before he came back, already changed. He was wearing a fashionable padded jacket; even his shoes and small hat were brand new. Murmuring “Sorry to have kept you waiting,” he invited Simplicity to walk ahead of him; then he locked the door, and together they went downstairs. They passed through the bookkeeping office, out a side door, and followed the road to the Bund.

“I arranged to meet Rustic in Nobility Alley. Let’s go by ricksha,” Pine Wu said and called two rickshas.

The ricksha men, eager to please, ran hard all the way. In no time at all, they had arrived at the entrance to Nobility Alley. Pine Wu paid the ricksha men the two stacks of coins he had counted out and led Simplicity into White Orchid’s house. The maid, Sister Gold, welcomed them on the stairs, inviting them to sit in the little mezzanine room. She told Pine Wu, “Zhou and Zhang were here a while ago. They said they’d go and take a turn at the Splendid Assembly Teahouse.”

Pine Wu told her to bring ink and a writing brush, and asked Simplicity to write the invitations: Mr. Crane Li at Grace Yang’s. Simplicity copied this out in a neat hand according to the set form. He was just coming to the second slip when they heard the menservants shout downstairs, “Young Mr. Wu’s friends are here.”

Pine Wu got up abruptly and said, “No need to write anymore. They’re here.”

As Simplicity Zhao threw down the brush, he saw a tall bearded man with a square face and big ears walk into the room; he was followed by none other than Rustic Zhang. Simplicity saluted the stranger and asked for his name. He learned that the man was Clement Zhou, a manager in an ironworks.

“Honored,” Simplicity murmured.

Everybody took a seat. Pine Wu handed the invitation to Sister Gold and told her, “Send it quick.”

From her room, White Orchid heard the sounds of merriment and, thinking that all the guests had arrived, came over to entertain. The minute she saw Simplicity, she asked, “Was he the one who gave the party at the second-class house last night?”

“He’s given two parties already. You were at the first one, remember?” Pine Wu replied.

White Orchid nodded. She sat with them for a while and then returned to the main room to entertain her clients.

In the mezzanine room, they chatted and waited until after the lamps were lit. Crane Li’s man, Second Kuang, came to say, “Our Eldest Young Master is having a Western meal with Fourth Master. He asked if there’s anyone who can stand in for him for a while?”

“Do you play mah-jongg?” Pine Wu asked Simplicity Zhao.

“No.”

“We can wait a while,” said Clement Zhou.

“Would you like to have dinner first?” Sister Gold asked.

“Since they’re having a Western meal, we might as well go ahead with dinner,” said Rustic Zhang. So Pine Wu called for dinner.

Soon Sister Gold came in and asked everyone to go and have wine in the middle room, where a table had been handsomely laid out. The four of them deferred to each other in seating order and left the seat of honor for Crane Li. White Orchid, who had just changed into party clothes, came out of her room to pour wine for everyone at the table, but Pine Wu stopped her hastily.

“You be on your way. Don’t get your clothes dirty.”

And so she left it at that, saying offhandedly, “Have a good time. I’m sorry I have a dinner call.” With this, she went out.

Pine Wu raised his cup and urged his guests to drink.

“If we drink, we can’t play mah-jongg later. Let’s just eat,” said Clement Zhou.

Pine Wu urged Simplicity Zhao to drink. “You’re not playing mah-jongg, so you should drink more.”

“I’ll have a cup or two,” replied Simplicity. “Let’s not be too formal.”

“I’ll have one to keep you company,” said Rustic Zhang.

The two of them drank up and showed each other the bottom of their cups. But just when Simplicity Zhao had got into the mood for wine, Crane Li arrived. Everybody rose and invited him to take the seat of honor.

“I’ve had dinner. Have the four of you started playing yet?” Crane Li asked.

Pine Wu pointed at Simplicity Zhao and said, “He doesn’t play, so we’re waiting for you.”

Clement Zhou asked repeatedly for rice to be served, and they hastily finished their meal, wiped their faces with hot towels, and returned to the mezzanine room. The square rosewood table by the window had already been moved to the center; four animal-fat candles were burning bright. The table was neatly set up with ebony mah-jongg tiles inlaid with ivory, and four lots of chips. Pine Wu asked Crane Li, Clement Zhou, and Rustic Zhang to draw lots for the seating order. Sister Gold put their teacups and the high-stemmed candy dishes on small tables to their right and left. Crane Li called for the party chits to summon girls with, and Clement Zhou wrote for him: Grace Yang of Generosity Alley.

“Anybody else?” Clement asked.

“Not me, thanks,” said Rustic Zhang.

“Now Simplicity will call one,” said Pine Wu.

“Since I’m not playing, why call any girls?” said Simplicity.

“Would you like to go in with me?” asked Rustic.

“That’s a good idea,” said Crane Li.

Rustic Zhang said, “Then write this down: Jewel, Hall of Beauties, West Chessboard Street.”

Clement Zhou wrote it all down and handed the chits to Sister Gold.

“Let him take a smaller share. Otherwise, it’d be embarrassing if you lost too much.” said Pine Wu to Rustic.

“Make it twenty percent,” said Rustic Zhang.

“How much would that be?” Simplicity Zhao asked.

“Very little. You lose ten dollars at the most,” said Clement Zhou.

Simplicity had to let it go at that, but he sat behind Rustic Zhang and watched him play one round as banker. He couldn’t make head or tail of the game and so went off by himself to lie on the divan and smoke.

After a while, Grace Yang arrived, followed shortly by Jewel. “Where do I sit?” she asked Simplicity.

Pine Wu replied, “Go and sit on the divan for a while. He wants to play ‘darling pairs’ with you.”

Jewel Lu sat down on a stool by the divan while Mama Yeung took the water pipe out of her bag and filled it. Simplicity Zhao sat up cross-legged, took the pipe, and smoked.

“Aren’t you playing mah-jongg?” Jewel asked.

“I have no money, so I’m not playing,” Simplicity answered.

She glanced sideways at him and sneered. “You’re wasting your breath. Who’s listening to you?”

He grinned. “All right, don’t listen.”

She pulled a long face. “Are you going to get me the ring or not?”

“Don’t you see I haven’t got the time?”

“You’re not playing; what have you been doing all this time?”

“I have things to do, too. How would you know about them?”

Again she pouted and muttered, “I won’t have it! Are you going to get it or not?”

He grinned in silence.

She poked a finger at his face and said, “If you don’t bring it round later, I’ll jab at your mouth with a silver hairpin; see if you can stand it.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t come. You sound too scary.” He smiled.

Hearing this, she asked in a panic, “Who said you’re not to come? Let’s have this out.” While pressing for an answer, she clenched her teeth and pinched his thigh with all her might. He could not help calling out, “Aiya!” On hearing this, the mah-jongg players all laughed. She let go quickly.

Clement Zhou called Sister Gold over. “So you people keep a crowing cock under the table! I’d like to borrow it tomorrow.” At this, everybody, including Grace Yang, laughed again.

Frustrated, all Jewel could do was curse in a whisper, “You’ll die young!”

Simplicity Zhao turned his head slightly to take a peek at her. Her eyes were shiny with tears as she sat sedately, her face devoid of expression, not speaking anymore. He wanted to comfort her, but there was nothing to say. Suddenly, he saw somebody beckon to Mama Yeung through the gap in the door curtain. She went to find out what it was and then filled the water pipe for Simplicity again. He waved his hand to decline it.

“We’re called to another party. Please excuse us for leaving early,” said Mama Yeung.

But then Jewel whispered with her for quite a while. She then turned to Simplicity and said, “Young Mr. Zhao, you think it’s Jewel who wants the rings from you. Don’t you realize she’ll be scolded by her mother over this?”

Jewel took over. “Think about it, yesterday you promised my mother, ‘All right, go and order it.’ Can I tell my mother that you’re refusing to do it now? If you don’t want to order it, it’s fine by me, but you’ve got to come round later and tell my mother face-to-face. D’you hear?”

Afraid that the others would laugh at him, he said, “You’d better go; we’ll leave this till later.”

She couldn’t very well say anything more and went away leaning on Mama Yeung’s shoulder.

Crane Li said, “These second-class courtesans really have tactics of their own. They’re so used to it, they aren’t aware of the way they act.”

Grace Yang snapped at him, “What’s it got to do with you? Who’re you to find fault with them?”

Crane Li smiled and dropped the subject.

Ashamed and annoyed, Simplicity Zhao went over to look at Rustic’s game. As it happened, they had won a little, which pleased him. Just then, the players had finished four rounds, and they swapped seats for the next four. Crane Li wanted a smoke, so he told Grace Yang to stand in for him. However, after just playing for one round, she called out, “I’m no good, either. You come and play yourself.”

“You carry on,” he replied.

“I had a good hand, but no win,” she said.

Simplicity Zhao peeked at their side of the table and saw that Crane Li’s chips were almost gone. By the time Grace Yang finished another round, not one chip was left, and she insisted on playing no more, so Crane Li had to take over. He borrowed half a set of chips from the winner, Clement Zhou. Now Grace Yang took her leave.

Soon the game came to an end. Crane Li was the sole loser and was down by over a hundred dollars. Rustic Zhang had some winnings, so Simplicity had six dollars coming to him. Clement Zhou made an appointment for another game the next day with the same people and asked Simplicity Zhao, “Feel like coming along?”

Rustic Zhang stopped him. “He doesn’t play, let’s leave him out.” Clement Zhou said no more.

Pine Wu asked Crane Li to smoke.

“No, thanks. I have to be going.”

Sister Gold hastened to say, “At least wait until the maestro comes back.”

“Your maestro is really busy, isn’t she?” said Crane Li.

“She has five or six party calls today,” said Sister Gold. “I’m afraid we haven’t served you well today, Young Mr. Li.”

“No need to apologize,” Pine Wu replied pleasantly.

So the party broke up. The men left Nobility Alley together, bade one another good-bye, and went their separate ways. Simplicity and Rustic Zhang returned to the Welcome Inn for the night.

::

1. [The Chinese expression literally means “waiting by the city gate.” In old Chinese walled cities, all the gates were closed at night, but if an important personage needed access, a gate would be opened for him. Commoners who wanted to enter the city after curfew gathered at the gate and rushed in after the VIP. This expression was then transferred to brothel parlance to describe arrangements made to take advantage of the deflowering of a virgin courtesan. The brothel would line up several clients, making each of them believe he was being given the virgin’s first night, for which they each paid a hefty sum. E.H.]

2. [Obviously, Simplicity spent the night with Jewel. Since she was a virgin courtesan, he must have paid for her deflowering, a fact that he is trying to keep from his uncle. His departure early in the morning suggests that Jewel had probably succeeded in frustrating his advances the night before. E.H.]