CHAPTER 26 :: Nocturnal sounds show a couple’s real prowess, and a lustful look betrays a woman’s false modesty

Mama Yeung said, “It’s none other than Aroma Su. She’s said to have been arrested by the new police.”

Cloudlet Chen said, suddenly alert, “Aroma? Is that the runaway concubine from a Ningbo family?”

“That’s her, but she’s no runaway. The wife of that family couldn’t get on with her, so her husband let her out and told her to marry again but forbade her to return to the business. Since she’s now back in the business, her husband is on her trail. It so happens that my granddaughter has just become a maid at her place. Now isn’t it rotten luck?”

“Did your granddaughter pay her a premium?” Lichee Zhuang asked.

“You’ve put your finger on it,” replied Mama Yeung. “It’s a bit awkward for somebody who’s got money invested. For someone like me, what would it matter? Would I be afraid that the new police would arrest me?”

“Aroma has always been too big for her boots. Now she’s going to suffer,” said Crane Li.

“She’ll be all right. I heard that His Excellency Qi is in Shanghai,” said Mama Yeung.

“Is it Harmony Qi of Pinghu?” Benevolence Hong asked.

“That’s the one. In the Su house, only Aroma and Essence, Mr. Qi’s concubine, are real daughters of the family. All the other girls are just bought by the house.”

Lichee Zhuang suddenly thought of something he wanted to ask, but Pine Wu and Rustic Zhang, who had their minds set on mah-jongg, deliberately started the finger game to cut short the conversation. As soon as the summoned girls had all arrived, Rustic Zhang urged Cloudlet Chen to play mah-jongg. Cloudlet asked how much they were playing for, and Rustic told him that each player would start with a hundred dollars’ worth of chips.

“That’s too high,” said Cloudlet.

Rustic pleaded hard for him to play along just the once, and Pine Wu joined in to persuade him. Cloudlet Chen then asked Benevolence Hong, “I’ll be partners with you, all right?”

“What partners, when I don’t even know how to play?” said Benevolence. “Perhaps you could team up with Lichee.”

Lichee turned to Fortune Shi. “Why don’t you take a share as well?”

Fortune had something more important than this on his mind. He hastily held up a hand to indicate his lack of interest and refused to join in. That being the case, Cloudlet Chen and Lichee Zhuang agreed to take equal shares in a hand and to play four rounds each.

“Since we’re going to play mah-jongg, don’t let’s drink any more,” said Crane Li.

Fortune Shi took the opportunity to say good-bye and left with Jewel. Rustic Zhang, not knowing what they had in mind, was very apologetic. Afraid also that Benevolence Hong would feel let down, he hastily filled several large tumblers with wine and offered Hong five shots at the finger game, after which Pine Wu also offered to play Benevolence Hong five shots on behalf of the host. When the ten tumblers of wine were gone, so were the girls, except for Grace Yang, who stayed on on a mah-jongg party call. After everybody had had a little congee, the table was cleared and the mah-jongg game began. Rustic Zhang asked Benevolence Hong, “Feel like playing a couple of games?”

“I really don’t know how.”

“Look on and you’ll learn,” said Pine Wu.

So Benevolence Hong pulled over a stool and sat between Rustic Zhang and Pine Wu, looking at both their hands. Grace Yang naturally sat behind Crane Li. Lichee Zhuang was in a hurry to smoke and asked Cloudlet Chen to play first. A throw of the dice decided that Cloudlet should be banker.

Cloudlet grunted the minute he looked at his hand. “How come I got such a hand?” The other three kept pressing him to discard a tile. He finally did. But after he had taken his turn, picking up three or four new tiles, he again hesitated and suddenly called out to Lichee Zhuang, “Come and have a look, I have no idea how to deal with this.”

Lichee got up from the opium divan and ran over to the table. He saw the fourteen tiles were all of a kind and there were many possible winning formations. After shifting the tiles around to check the different formations, he finally picked up a six-circle, telling Cloudlet to discard it. The others immediately guessed they had an all-circle hand.

“They’re fishing for either four- and seven-circle or five- and eight-circle. Be on the lookout everybody,” said Rustic Zhang.

It happened that Rustic had a one-circle. Since an identical tile was already lying in the discarded pool, he threw it out without much thought.

“Game!” Cloudlet exclaimed. When his winning hand was laid out, the triplet formations pushed the total points to eighty. The other three paid up in chips.

Lichee Zhuang commented, “With this hand, it was right to discard the six-circle, wasn’t it? When he did that, he could win the game by going either for one-, four-, seven-circle or two-, five-, eight-circle. There were so many tiles that could complete his hand.”

Pine Wu pondered. “I think he should have discarded the seven-circle. In that scenario, every circle tile except for seven and eight would have made him a winner, and the same one-circle would have given him three more triplets, meaning a hundred and seventy-two extra points. Figure it out yourself.”

“You’re right. Cloudlet made the wrong move,” said Rustic Zhang. Lichee Zhuang was also full of admiration.

“You people make so much of it! Who’s got the patience for all this calculation!” said Crane Li, who started shuffling the tiles for the next game.

Seated to one side, Benevolence ruminated over the winning hand. He felt there was something to everybody’s remarks and came to realize that mah-jongg was no easy game. It was better to plead ignorance and remain a nonplayer. He lost interest in watching them and took his leave with his spirits a bit dampened. After sitting for a while, Grace Yang also left.

By the time the eight rounds of the game were finished, it was past two o’clock. Pine Wu and Rustic Zhang were both pressed to stay by Cassia Ma. The other three took their leave before congee could be served. Crane Li’s sedan chair and Cloudlet Chen’s ricksha went their separate ways, and Lichee Zhuang walked alone at a leisurely pace back to the Hall of Beauties on West Chessboard Street. He groped in the dark to find the door and knocked. When he had done so a dozen times or more, it was Woodsy who heard him. She pushed her window open and called out for the menservants downstairs to get up and welcome him in.

Seeing it was Lichee Zhuang, the man hastily lit a match to light the foreign lamp and show him upstairs. At the bottom of the stairs, they met Mama Yeung, who had tottered out from her room, squinting her eyes and dragging her feet along in a pair of old shoes. The manservant handed her the foreign lamp, and Lichee said to him, “Never mind about bringing hot water. Go to bed.” The man withdrew.

After Mama Yeung had seen Lichee into Woodsy’s room, he told her to go to bed as well. She hovered around a bit and left. All the paraffin lamps in the room had been put out except for a long-stemmed lamp on the dressing table. Woodsy had removed her jewelry and makeup and was sitting idly, smoking a water pipe. On seeing Lichee, she asked, “Did you win at mah-jongg?”

“A little.” Then he asked her, “Why aren’t you in bed?”

“I was waiting for you.”

He smiled and thanked her and then took off his jacket and hung it on the clothes rack. She handed him the water pipe and lit the opium lamp. He followed her to the divan and was delighted to see a boat-shaped glass container already filled with toasted opium pellets. The water pipe was immediately put aside, and he lay down to satisfy his craving. She moved a teapot with its hexagonal Suzhou-embroidered tea cozy toward him, asking, “Would you like some tea? It’s still nice and hot.”

He shook his head. After he had finished two pellets of opium, he handed her the pick, so she lay down on the left side of the divan and filled the pipe for him.

Lichee Zhuang got up and went behind the bed to relieve himself. There, he heard the faint sound of panting from the next room. He suddenly remembered that Fortune Shi was staying the night. Having finished his business, he tiptoed out of the room to peep in through the window along the corridor. Unfortunately, in the dim, flickering lamplight he could not see anything behind the pale turquoise bed curtains. All he heard was a low voice saying, “Are you still resisting?” It sounded like Fortune Shi. Jewel said something in reply, but her voice was even lower, and he could not make out what she said. Fortune Shi said again, “You talk tough, don’t you? Such a little thing like you, d’you really want to die?”

At this, Lichee Zhuang could not repress a chuckle. They heard him in the room. There was a whisper, “Quick, stop. Somebody’s looking in.”

But Fortune Shi responded loudly, “Let them look!” He then shouted toward the door, “What’s there to look at? If you want to look, just come in!”

Lichee Zhuang did his utmost to suppress his laughter and turned to go. Woodsy, who had filled his pipe and had guessed from his long absence what he was up to, tiptoed out of the room just then. She pulled at his ear and dragged him back into her room and then gave him such a hard shove he almost fell down. She slammed the door shut. He was still laughing hard, his body bent over and a hand covering his mouth.

She scowled and scolded him, “You unlucky wretch—it would be hard to find your likes again!”

He just grinned all over his face and drew her to him with both hands. Sitting beside her on the opium divan, he repeated in detail what he had heard, reconstructing the imagined scenes and imitating the action. She turned her head away in fake anger. “I don’t want to hear.”

At this rebuff, he lay down to smoke opium. Putting frivolity aside, he composed his face and chatted with her. Gradually, the subject turned to Jewel. He happened to praise Fortune Shi, “He can count as a good client.”

She made a dismissive gesture. “Shi’s disposition is no good. He’s just like a sack of lime that leaves its mark everywhere. Now he shows considerable affection because he has just started seeing her. When they’re better acquainted, he get bored and stop coming.”

“That’s hard to say. I think the two of them are so well matched, they’re inseparable. Even if Shi wanted to get another girl, a lesser courtesan wouldn’t be able to take it from him.”

She glared at him and said in vexation, “There’s just no stopping you, is there?” Then she walked away to get a water pipe.

He smoked two more opium pellets and then blew out the lamp. He put the teapot and tea cozy back on the dressing table, took off his shoes, and sat on the bed with legs spread out. When he looked at the clock, he saw it was about to strike four. He beckoned to her, but she pretended to ignore him.

“Give me the water pipe. I’d like a smoke,” he rapped out.

Caught off guard, she started and then hastily brought him the water pipe and said to him earnestly, “You know, I had just fallen asleep when you made all that racket and got yourself cursed at.”

He smiled without defending himself, put an arm around her shoulders, and spoke into her ear. Though she laughed, she still told him off, “You’re raving mad, aren’t you?” So saying, she tossed the water pipe at him and struggled free and then went behind the bed.

He had not quite finished his smoke when he heard her giggling to herself. “What’s so funny?” he asked.

She did not answer. A moment later, when she was done, she came out and stood in front of the bed, grinning ear to ear. He put down the water pipe and tried to tease out the reason for her mirth. She was about to tell him when another burst of laughter caught her. Finally, she said in a low voice, “You didn’t hear them earlier on—that was what I’d call scandalous. After I came back from the party in Auspicious Cloud Alley, I sat here chatting with Mama Yeung. Then I heard something thumping by the window over in Jewel’s room. I thought she was downstairs, so I said urgently, ‘Mama Yeung, quick, go and see what that is.’ When she came back, Mama Yeung said, ‘Rotten luck! Even the door to that room is closed.’ I said, ‘Did you go in to have a look?’ Mama Yeung said, ‘What for? If anything’s broken, make him pay for it.’ I had no idea what it was until then. After a while, Mama Yeung went downstairs and went to bed, and I started a game of solitaire and then toasted seven or eight opium pellets, which took a long time. After I had finished, I listened again, and the thumping noise was still there. Oh how I hated it! I wished I could tear my ears off!”

He burst into laughter as he listened. When she had finished, the two of them rocked with mirth and collapsed in a heap. He suddenly whispered into her ear again. She told him off in a laughing voice, “Now I’m not going to talk to you anymore.” He hastened to beg her pardon. As it was almost dawn, they got ready for bed.

The next morning, Lichee Zhuang woke up at about seven because there was something on his mind. Telling Woodsy to get more sleep, he got up first. When the servant girl brought hot water, he asked why Mama Yeung wasn’t there.

“Her granddaughter came to call her away,” the servant girl replied.

Lichee asked no more questions. He gave his face a quick wipe, left the Hall of Beauties, and walked round to the Auspicious Luzon Lottery Store in Brocade Alley. Surprised he was so early, Cloudlet Chen, who had just got out of bed, invited him upstairs.

“I have a favor to ask of you. I heard Harmony Qi is here,” said Lichee.

“Though I’ve dined with Harmony Qi, I don’t know him well. I’ve no idea if he’s in town,” said Cloudlet.

“Can you ask somebody you know well to make the approach and ask if he’s interested in a small deal?”

Cloudlet pondered. “There’re Elan Ge and Crane Li. They’re family friends of his. I can write them a note.”

Delighted, Lichee thanked him. Cloudlet immediately wrote out two informal notes and told his steward. Constant Blessing, to take one note to Great Virtue Money Shop and the other to the Long Peace Inn and, if they were not at home, to take the notes to Snow Scent’s and Grace Yang’s, respectively.

After Constant Blessing had received his orders, he left with the notes and decided to head for the nearest place: Snow Scent’s in East Co-prosperity Alley. Here, he asked for Second Young Master Ge, who was indeed there, still in bed, so Constant Blessing handed over the letter and left. He was on his way to Generosity Alley when he met Crane Li’s steward, Second Kuang, on Fourth Avenue. He explained about delivering the letter.

“Just give it to me,” said Second Kuang.

He produced the letter and handed it over. “Where’re you off to?”

“I’m at a loose end so I thought I’d take a walk.”

“Shall we pay Third Pan a visit?”

Second Kuang hesitated. “It’s a bit embarrassing.”

“Verdure Xu won’t be going there. And even if he does, there’s nothing embarrassing about it.”

Second Kuang consented and turned around to go with him. When they came to the corner of Pebble Road, they saw Pragmatic Li walking alone, heading west. Second Kuang exclaimed in astonishment, “What’s Fourth Master going there for?”

“Probably to see a friend,” replied Constant Blessing.

“Not likely.”

“Let’s follow him and see for ourselves.”

The two of them tailed Pragmatic at a distance of only a dozen paces, taking cover as they walked along. When Pragmatic Li went straight into Great Prosperity Alley, Constant Blessing and Second Kuang peeped in at the alley entrance and saw him stop in front of a small terrace house by a bend. He knocked, and an old woman, all smiles, welcomed him in and shut the door after him. Constant Blessing and Second Kuang went into the alley and looked appraisingly at the house but could not tell what kind of a household it was. They tried peeping through the gap in the door but saw nothing. Then they drew back and looked up, across the wall, but could not see anything clearly behind the green windows.

Just as they were lingering there, a young streetwalker with a pretty face pushed open an upstairs window and bent forward as if she were talking to someone in the courtyard below. Right behind her was Pragmatic Li. Seeing this, Second Kuang grabbed hold of Constant Blessing and turned to go. Then they heard a door open and somebody coming out.

When Constant Blessing and Second Kuang got to the entrance of the alley, they waited there for a moment and saw it was the old woman who had come out. Second Kuang was wary of engaging her in conversation, but Constant Blessing asked boldly, “What’s the name of your Miss?”

The old woman looked the two of them up and down and then put on a sullen look. “What’s this about Miss or not-Miss? Don’t come bothering me. Stop talking nonsense!” Having said that, she went off.

Although Constant Blessing did not answer back, he grumbled something to himself.

“She might be a respectable woman,” said Second Kuang.

“I’m sure she’s a streetwalker. If she were respectable, the old one would’ve been ruder.”

“If she is a streetwalker, what’s wrong with calling her Miss?”

“Unless she’s now kept by your fourth master and doesn’t walk the streets anymore, right?”

“Well, that’s none of our business! Let’s go to Third Pan’s.”

The two of them turned back eastward to Security Alley, where they found the door at Third Pan’s house standing wide open. A maid was squatting in the courtyard close to the doorway, washing and starching clothes. When the two walked in, the maid, who only knew Constant Blessing, got up to welcome him. “Master Constant, do go upstairs.”

This told Second Kuang that there was company, so he said, “Let’s come back later.”

Upon hearing this, the maid hastily shook off the water on her hands, wiped them on her blouse, and grabbed hold of the two of them, positively refusing to let go.

“Is the guest Verdure?” Constant Blessing asked in a whisper.

“No, and he’ll be going soon. Please sit upstairs for a while.”

“What d’you say?” Constant Blessing asked Second Kuang, who reluctantly agreed and went upstairs with him. Second Kuang saw that the room was quite adequately furnished, so he asked whose room it was.

“Third Pan is the only one here. There’re several who don’t live here and are only summoned when there’re guests,” replied Constant Blessing. Second Kuang realized only then that this was something like a knocking shop.

In a moment, the maid brought tobacco and tea. Constant Blessing stopped her to ask, “Who’s the guest?”

“He’s from Hongkou, name of Yang. He came at seven, so he’ll leave soon. He’s a busy man and comes only once every seven or eight days.”

“What’s his trade?” he asked.

“I’ve no idea what business he’s in.”

During their conversation, Third Pan had sauntered upstairs. Her hair still disheveled, she was just wearing slippers and a tight undershirt. She told the maid to go downstairs and then lit the opium lamp herself and invited them to smoke.

Second Kuang lay down on the opium divan, but Constant Blessing just stared at Third Pan, grinning. Embarrassed, she asked, “What’s so funny?”

He put on a serious expression and said, “There’s a bit of dirt on your face, that’s why I laughed. When you wash your face later, remember to clean it off with foreign soap.”

She turned her head away and ignored him. Second Kuang, being a simple soul, got up to look. Constant Blessing pointed his finger at her face. “Look! There it is. I wonder how this muck got on to her face. Very strange.”

To back him up, Second Kuang guffawed.

“So, even Master Kuang is fooled!” she said. “That mouth of his, is it a mouth or some other hole?”

Constant Blessing jumped up. “Go look at yourself in a mirror, then tell me it’s nonsense!”

Second Kuang said, “Maybe the color came off the knitting wool you use to braid your hair.”

She was taken in and was on the point of going downstairs to wash when they heard the maid calling loudly, “Please come and sit downstairs.” Constant Blessing and Second Kuang followed Third Pan to the room downstairs. She picked up a hand mirror at once to look at her face, only to find that there was not the slightest mark on it.

“Master Kuang, I thought you were a good man, but you’ve learned to play tricks, too. You fooled me!”

At this, Constant Blessing and Second Kuang clapped their hands and stamped their feet in mirth, laughing so hard they almost fell down. She could not help laughing as well.

“I wasn’t talking nonsense though. Your face is filthy enough, though it doesn’t show,” said Constant Blessing when he had stopped laughing. “Give it a good scrub with the towel—seriously.”

“Your mouth should be scrubbed, too,” she said.

“We are quite clean,” said Second Kuang. “As for you, a filthy face goes with a filthy mouth.”

“Master Kuang, why would you want to follow their example? People like them are the worst sort. Granted, they know how to wag their tongues, but tongue wagging isn’t that rare, is it?”

“Listen to her!” Constant Blessing retorted. “Lucky I have nostrils, otherwise I’d burst from getting steamed up.”

The three of them went on bickering and laughing. After some time, the maid brought in a kettle and poured hot water into a basin. Only then did Third Pan wash her face and tidy her hair.

It was almost noon, and Constant Blessing wanted to go home for lunch, so Second Kuang had to leave with him. On their way out, Third Pan tugged at Second Kuang’s sleeve and said, “Come back later.” Constant Blessing did not see this tug. He made a vague promise and left with Second Kuang.