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.”

“A virgin courtesan at first, but virgin no more once you started seeing her.”

He guffawed. “You’re speaking of yourself. That only applies to Jewel. She was a virgin courtesan at first, but virgin no more once I started seeing her.”

She broke out in silly giggles and reached a hand inside his sleeve to pinch his arm. He took the opportunity to hug her and was just going to feel her up when the spoilsport Mama Yeung came in with the message, “Young Mr. Zhang asks you to go over.”

He sat up, but Jewel pushed him down again. “What’s the hurry? Just let them go on ahead.”

He had to answer, “Ask Young Mr. Zhang to go ahead. I’ll be there shortly.”

Mama Yeung assented, all smiles, and went out. Locked in an embrace, Fortune and Jewel kept quiet and listened carefully to what went on outside. After Mama Yeung had delivered his message, they heard Rustic say, “Let’s go then.” Crane Li and Cloudlet Chen, who had their ricksha and sedan chair there, were the first to leave. Rustic Zhang then led the way for Benevolence Hong, Pine Wu, and Lichee Zhuang. The three proceeded slowly downstairs, talking and laughing all the way.

“They’re all gone,” Fortune whispered in Jewel’s ear.

She pretended to be offended. “So what?” She had scarcely finished speaking when unexpectedly Woodsy came in after having seen the guests off. Her desire now kindled, Jewel hated this intrusion. She clenched her teeth and pushed Fortune Shi away with all her might and then stamped her feet and dashed over to the dressing table, her bound-feet shoes making a rickety noise. She stood in front of the foreign mirror to tidy up her hair.

“Young Mr. Zhang told me to tell you it’s the third house in Auspicious Cloud Alley, in case you don’t know the place,” Woodsy said to Fortune.

“Got it, got it,” he said repeatedly, his eyes glancing sideways at Jewel. Woodsy turned around and saw that Jewel was all red in the face. She said no more and withdrew in haste.

He lay down on his side on the opium divan and beckoned to her slyly, calling in a low voice, “Come here.”

She cast a fleeting glance at him but then stamped her foot and said in a pet, “Not coming.”

Taken aback, he sat up cross-legged, patted his thigh, and pleaded, “Don’t be like that! I’ll kowtow to you on behalf of your sister. Don’t be angry, for my sake.”

Hearing this, she almost laughed, but she suppressed it. Her little mouth pouting, and balancing first on one tiny foot then the other, she shimmied and swayed as she moved reluctantly toward him. When she was only three or four paces away from the divan, she suddenly launched herself at him. Unable to block her, he fell back spread-eagled. She pressed her head tightly against his chest, lay on top of him, and held his body down so he could not move. Despite a thousand protests from him, she refused to budge. Helpless, he managed to free his right hand, which gradually felt its way along her midriff under her blouse. Suddenly, it came across the knot of the sash of her trousers. He meant to pull it undone, but she became aware of what he was doing and gave a screech like a whistle. At the same time, she gripped his hands and looked up, staring at him eyeball to eyeball.

“Why are you still resisting?” he whispered. Despite his repeated questions, she would not answer.

After a long while, she finally murmured, “You’re going to the party. When the party’s over, come back early, all right?”

“We’ve got nothing to do now. Why does it have to be later?”

Hard-pressed and unable to find the words to explain the situation, she just pointed at her own bosom. He was still puzzled.

Getting desperate, she let him go and got up from the divan, frowning. “You! How can anyone make you understand?”

He thought for a moment and then sighed helplessly, grumbling, “All right, I’ll let you off now. Later, if you still resist me, I’ll show you who’s boss.”

She pulled the corners of her mouth down. “You reckon you’ve got what it takes?”

He said smiling, “Nothing spectacular, but I can make you die.”

“Aiyo! You certainly can talk. Let’s hope it won’t turn out later to be all talk.”

“Why not try it now and see.”

Hearing this, she backed off in a hurry. He pulled a long face. “Running away before I’ve even touched you, huh? You little tease—I’ve never seen the likes of you!”

She was about to answer back when the menservants called out, “Mama Yeung, an invitation and a party call!”

Jewel said, “They’re asking for you.” When Mama Yeung brought the invitation in, it was indeed from Rustic Zhang.

“Shall we say you’ll be there right away?” Jewel asked.

“Since you don’t want me, naturally I’m going,” he said.

“Oh, goodness! You’re such a—” she exclaimed loudly but did not finish what she wanted to say.

Seeing this, Mama Yeung laughed foolishly in sympathy and then called down the stairs without being instructed, “The guest is coming right away.”

Fortune did not react, while Jewel went and got herself ready. Seeing that he was still lying on the divan, she asked, “Aren’t you going to the dinner?”

He said coldly, “I’m not going. I’m already filled up with empty words and have lost my appetite.”

She at once hit the roof, stamping both feet on the floor and heaving a sigh. At last, she climbed onto the opium divan and whispered in his ear.

He finally saw the light. “Then why didn’t you say so before?”

She walked away without explaining herself. He stood up and straightened his clothes, preparing to go, but then turned to her and said, “I’ll be frank with you, too. Since you’re not well yet today, I’ll come tomorrow. After the dinner party, I’ll go home.”

She glared at him “What are you saying?”

He said appeasingly, “Well, I’m just consulting with you. I’ll definitely come tomorrow.”

“Who’s asking you to come tomorrow?” she shouted. “If you want to go home, just go!”

Having no time to argue, Fortune turned his head away and, in imitation of her, stamped his foot on the floor and heaved a sigh. Even Mama Yeung was tickled by this.

He turned around and begged Jewel’s pardon and then took out her party clothes and obsequiously draped them over her shoulders. She pretended to ignore him and arranged to go together with Woodsy. The two women went downstairs by themselves. Fortune followed them to the door, where he watched them get into their sedan chairs. He followed them on foot with Mama Yeung.

Just as they walked past the Galaxy Jewelry Store, a young maidservant dashed toward them and grabbed Mama Yeung, saying, “Grandma, wait!”

Fortune could not wait for Mama Yeung as the sedan chairs had gone far ahead. He hurried after them. When he reached Auspicious Cloud Alley, he saw the sedan chairs were standing in front of Cassia’s door, and the girls were looking for Mama Yeung. He explained how a maid had stopped her on the way. Woodsy, enraged, got off the chair and went in by herself. He asked Jewel, “Would you like to take my arm?”

“No, you go in first,” she said at once.

He followed Woodsy in. When they entered Cassia’s room, the others were already seated, leaving the seat of honor vacant. Fortune Shi could not very well refuse, so he reluctantly took it.

After a long wait, Jewel finally came in, leaning on the arm of Mama Yeung. The minute Woodsy saw Mama Yeung, she lashed out, “Have you taken leave of your senses? You’re supposed to follow the girls to a party. Where did you make off to?”

Mama Yeung explained with a smile, “The young kids get scared stiff if the least thing happens. I told them not to worry, but they won’t believe me. They’re asking me to go back.”

Woodsy was still going to complain when Fortune Shi interrupted, “What happened to them?”

Mama Yeung took her time in telling them the story.