CHAPTER 30 :: The Zhaos move to new quarters that come with hired help, and an old barber complains about his worthless son in a teahouse

Simplicity Zhao led his sister, Second Treasure, and Flora Zhang to a reserved box on the first floor of Panorama Garden. The host, a young man, was dressed in a robe of pale mauve crepe de chine and a lined jacket of sapphire blue gauze. He was seated at one side, waiting. Simplicity recognized him as Fortune Shi although they had not met before. The latter was overjoyed to see them. He stood up immediately, put on a smiling face, and led Flora and Second Treasure by the arm to the best seats by the railing. Then he showed Simplicity to a front seat as well. When Simplicity retreated to the back row after he had put down the lantern, Fortune insisted on dragging him to the front. Ashamed by the contrast between him and Shi, Simplicity felt extremely ill at ease. Luckily, Fortune started whispering in Flora’s ear, and Flora in turn whispered to Second Treasure, so Simplicity was left alone to watch the show in peace.

Panorama Garden boasted the largest number of first-rate actors, among whom the best was a leading man called Little Willow, whose acting and singing were in a class of their own. That night his number, The Green Screen Mountain, in which he played Shi Xiu, came last.¹ When it came to the scene of Pan Qiaoyun cursing him and her aged father trying to make peace, Little Willow gave his songs all he had. Then, in the wine shop scene, his lightning maneuvering of a sword turned it into a flashing streak of electricity. The performance certainly lived up to his reputation.

When the play was over, it was midnight. The audience made a mad rush for the exit, blocking the way out.

“We’ll take our time,” said Fortune Shi. He asked Simplicity to walk in front and light the way for the girls, while he himself brought up the rear. Together, they returned to the Welcome Inn. Second Treasure dashed forward and opened the door to their room, calling “Mother.” Mrs. Zhao, who was reclining on the bed, got up instantly.

“Why didn’t you go to bed, Mother?” Simplicity asked.

“I was waiting for you. If I had gone to bed, who’d get the door?”

“It was a very nice show. It’s a pity you missed it, Mother,” said Flora.

“They have the best show on Saturday nights. It’s Wednesday today; we’ll go with Mother in a couple days,” said Fortune.

Mrs. Zhao could tell it was Fortune by his voice. She greeted him and invited him to sit down, thanking him for his hospitality. Second Treasure called for the inn attendant to make tea, while Flora set the opium tray on the bed, lit the lamp, and invited Fortune to smoke. Simplicity, being socially awkward, kept in the background.

Mrs. Zhao said, “Eldest Young Master, I’m afraid we have imposed on your hospitality; you have taken us out many times these last two of days. We really should go home tomorrow.”

Fortune said quickly, “You mustn’t, Mother. Don’t keep saying this. You rarely come to Shanghai, so naturally you should enjoy yourself for a few more days.”

“To be honest, Eldest Young Master, board and lodging for four in this inn cost eight hundred copper coins a day. Our expenses are too high. It’s best if we go soon,” said Mrs. Zhao.

“That’s not a problem. I have an idea: you’ll find it more economical than living in the country,” said Fortune. As he talked, the opium he was toasting started dripping. He did not notice it, but Flora saw and hastened to lie down on the other side of the divan, take the pick from him, and toast the opium for him.

Second Treasure took a string of copper coins from under her own bed, quietly handed it to Simplicity, and told him to buy some snacks. He went first to the kitchen to ask for a big bowl and, instead of calling for the inn attendant, went shopping himself on Treasured Merit Street. Unfortunately, it was late at night and the shops were closed. He only managed to get six bean curd dumplings, which he divided into three small bowls and took into the room.

Second Treasure frowned. “You’re a fine one, Brother. Why did you buy that of all things!”

“But this is the only thing available!”

Fortune sat up, took a look, and then said, “Bean curd dumplings are nice. I happen to like them.” Dispensing with any formality, he picked up a pair of bamboo chopsticks and manfully swallowed one down. Second Treasure offered Mrs. Zhao one bowl and called out to Flora, “Come and keep us company, Elder Sister.”

But Flora felt embarrassed. “I don’t want any,” she said disagreeably.²

“Then you can eat it up, Brother,” Second Treasure said smiling. Simplicity finished all the dumplings at one go and told the inn attendant to clear away the empty bowls.

Fortune smoked a couple more pellets of opium and took his leave. Only then did Simplicity ask Flora how she was related to Fortune Shi.

She said with a smile, “Indeed, you wouldn’t know anything about these relatives of mine, would you? Fortune’s mother is my adopted mother.³ I was only two or three when I was adopted. Last year we ran into each other in Longhua and had no idea who the other was. It was only when we started talking that things fell into place, so I was asked to stay at their house for three days. That’s how we’re related.”

Simplicity fell silent and asked no more questions. The night passed quietly.

When Fortune came to the inn the next afternoon, it was just after lunch. The dishes had yet to be cleared away.

“Hurry up, we’re going shopping today,” Flora told Second Treasure.

“I don’t want to buy anything; you go ahead,” Second Treasure replied.

“We’re not buying anything either. Do come along just for fun,” said Fortune.

Flora said, “Don’t plead with her. I know her ways. In the end, she’s sure to come along.”

Hearing this, Second Treasure sneered and lay down on the bed.

“Are you angry because of what I said?” Flora said.

“Who’s got the time to get angry with you?” Second Treasure retorted.

“Then let’s go,” said Flora.

“I wouldn’t have objected to going out, but now that you’ve read my mind for me, I’m definitely not going,” said Second Treasure.

Knowing how stubborn Second Treasure was, Flora knew she could not turn her around, so she signaled for Fortune to take over. He sat down on the side of the bed with a jolly smile on his face and, addressing Second Treasure as “Younger Sister,” patiently made conversation with her before finally trying to persuade her to go out. Second Treasure still refused.

“Though I have offended you, won’t you make a little allowance for our brother Fortune’s sake?” said Flora.

Second Treasure smiled sarcastically and made no reply.

Mrs. Zhao, sitting on the other bed, did not catch what was said. She called out, “Second Treasure, don’t act that way. Your brother Fortune is speaking to you; get up quickly.”

“Keep quiet, Mother! What d’you know about it?” Second Treasure said in a pet.

Fortune sensed they had got to an impasse. He laughed and made light of it and then changed tactics, saying, “In that case, we won’t go, either. It’s nice to sit here for a while and chat.” As he stood up, he happened to see Simplicity sitting at the window, his head buried in a newspaper. “Any news?” he asked. Simplicity offered him the paper with both hands. He took it and picked out one paragraph, which he read out aloud to them, gesticulating and explicating as he did so. Flora and Simplicity played up to him and rolled around in laughter.

At first, Second Treasure ignored them, but Fortune was so funny that soon she could not hold back anymore. She suddenly got off the bed and went into the anteroom to relieve herself. Flora covered her mouth with a hand and laughed, but Fortune held up his hand to stop her. When Second Treasure came out, he tossed the newspaper aside and told a very funny joke instead. Even Second Treasure could not help laughing at it. Flora turned on purpose to steal a glance at her to see her reaction. Second Treasure, now feeling awkward, went and sat down close to Mrs. Zhao and buried her head in the latter’s bosom, whining, “Mother, look! They’re teasing me.”

“Who’s teasing you? Let’s hear it,” Flora said loudly.

“Would Elder Sister tease you? Don’t talk such nonsense,” said Mrs. Zhao.

Fortune clapped his hands and laughed uproariously; even Simplicity joined in the laughter. Their little quarrel, which had started out of thin air, finally came to an end.

By and by, Fortune resumed persuading Second Treasure to go out. She, finding it hard to climb down from her earlier stance, pretended not to hear. Guessing that she was willing, he took an off-white jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. Flora had already got ready. With Mrs. Zhao’s permission, the three of them went out, leaving Simplicity to keep his mother company. As she had not slept well, she took this opportunity for an afternoon nap. To relieve his boredom, Simplicity strolled out into the common parlor with a water pipe in his hand. He sat down on a high-back chair, putting one foot up on the seat, and chatted with the bookkeeper. They carried on till the lamps were lit, but there was still no sign of the three who had gone out.

“Shall I serve supper now?” the inn attendant asked. Simplicity went to consult his mother, who told them to bring dinner for two.

In the middle of the meal, mother and son suddenly heard the sound of laughter at the main entrance. Then they saw Flora coming in with a bundle of clothes and Second Treasure holding a paper bag. Their faces flushed from eating and drinking, they came into the room in a peal of laughter and giggles. Mrs. Zhao asked them whether they had had supper.

“We did. We had a Western meal,” replied Flora.

Second Treasure darted forward, saying, “Mother, try this!” She took a shrimp roll from the paper bag and held it out for Mrs. Zhao. After just one bite, Mrs. Zhao was put off by the strange taste and passed it to Simplicity.

He asked about Fortune Shi. “He’s busy, so he just saw us to the door and then left in a ricksha,” Flora said.

When Mrs. Zhao and Simplicity had finished supper, Second Treasure opened the bundle of clothes and showed Simplicity a pale turquoise gauze blouse, asking him to guess the price. He saw it was trimmed with a wide satin cloud-patterned border that was at the height of fashion. He stuck out his tongue and said in awe, “It must have cost at least ten dollars!”

“It costs sixteen dollars!” she said. “I didn’t want it. It was Elder Sister who said she’d have it, but then she thought it was a bit too short for her and just right for me, so she told me to buy it. When I said I had no money, Elder Sister told me to take it first and talk about the money later.”

Simplicity said not a word. When Second Treasure took from the bundle three or four summer silk garments and said these were all Elder Sister’s purchases, he was quieter than ever.

That night, none of them went out. With nothing to do, Simplicity went to bed early. Flora and Second Treasure talked in a low murmur in the front room, but he took no notice of them. As he was sinking into sleep, he heard his sister call “Mother” repeatedly. This woke him, and he called out to ask what the matter was.

“Nothing,” Second Treasure answered evasively.

Mrs. Zhao woke up and joined the murmured conversation, which Simplicity just disregarded. He slept soundly until the sun was shining in the window. Flora and Second Treasure were already doing their hair in the front room. He knew he had overslept and hurriedly came out with his clothes draped around his shoulders. But then he saw his mother was still in bed hugging the quilt around her and realized it was still early. He called for the inn attendant to bring hot water for him to wash his face.

“We’ve had breakfast. What would you like, Brother? Just tell them to get it for you,” said Second Treasure.

He had no idea what he wanted, so Flora suggested, “Why not have a couple of soup dumplings as we did?”

“All right,” he said. The inn attendant took the money and went out.

With the girls’ toiletries set out on the table, there was little space left, so Simplicity picked up the water pipe and went out to the parlor, where he ate the soup dumplings and chatted again with the bookkeeper. A long while later, Second Treasure suddenly called out “Brother,” saying, “Mother wants you.” He went in immediately.

Flora and Second Treasure had finished dressing and were seated side by side on the bed. Mrs. Zhao had got up and was sitting in a chair. Simplicity sat down to one side, waiting for instructions. The four of them looked at one another, but no one said a word.

Finally, Second Treasure got impatient. “Mother, do tell Brother.”

“Ah, well!” Before she spoke, Mrs. Zhao sighed. “Their brother Fortune is really most kind. He told us to have a couple more days’ sight-seeing. When I mentioned that it was expensive living at an inn, he said, ‘I have a house in Tranquillity Alley that is standing vacant.’ He told us to move there so we could live more cheaply.”

Flora cut in quickly, “It’s Fortune’s house, so there’ll be no rent to pay. If we cook for ourselves, it’ll only cost us two hundred copper coins a day. That’s a lot cheaper than staying in the inn, isn’t it? Well, I told him yesterday that we’d take up his offer. What d’you say?”

Second Treasure backed her up. “Board and lodging for four in this place come to eight hundred a day. If we move, we’ll save six hundred. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?”

How could he object? Simplicity just bowed his head and agreed.

After lunch, Fortune Shi brought a manservant to the inn and asked, “Are you all packed?”

Flora and Second Treasure both laughed and said, “We don’t have that much to pack, do we?”

Fortune told the manservant to carry their things out. Simplicity helped to tie up the trunks and baskets and roll up the bedding. Then he called a pushcart and, together with the servant, went to Tranquillity Alley to set up the rooms.⁴ He saw the two-storied house had two main rooms on each floor. The windowpanes were crystal clear, and the wallpaper brand-new. The kitchen was fully equipped with pots and pans, and the two rooms upstairs were furnished with brand-new furniture from Ningbo. The beds, divans, tables, and chairs were neatly arranged; the rooms even boasted paraffin lamps and full-length mirrors. All that was lacking were paintings and calligraphy scrolls, curtains and drapes.

A short while later, Mrs. Zhao, Flora Zhang, and Second Treasure arrived in the company of Fortune Shi. Mrs. Zhao walked all around the house, marveling, “Down in the country, we’ve never seen houses like this! Eldest Young Master, you’ve really been far too kind to us.”

Fortune responded with the greatest humility. After some consultation, it was agreed that Flora and Second Treasure would each occupy one of the main rooms upstairs, Mrs. Zhao would take the little mezzanine room, and Simplicity and the manservant would live downstairs.

Soon evening came, and a banquet was delivered from the Garden of Plenty. Fortune had it laid out in Flora’s room, saying it was for housewarming. Mrs. Zhao again thanked him profusely. Everybody sat around the table, uninhibited and carefree, drinking to their heart’s content.

When they were all slightly tipsy, Flora suddenly said, “Oh, we forgot! We should have called a couple of courtesans here for fun. That wouldn’t have been a bad idea.”

“Do call them now, Fortune. We want to see what they’re like!” said Second Treasure.

“Stop that, Second Treasure,” Mrs. Zhao barked at her. “No more tricks from you. Your brother Fortune is a respectable man. He doesn’t go to sing-song houses. How can he summon courtesans here?”

Simplicity had something to say to this, but guilt and embarrassment stopped him.

Fortune said smiling, “It won’t be much fun if I call them by myself. Tomorrow I’ll invite a couple of friends to have dinner here and ask them to summon some courtesans here on a party call. That’d be much better.”

“My brother can call one, too. I’d like to see if they’d come,” said Second Treasure.

Flora patted her on the shoulder, saying, “I’ll call one, too; I’ll call Second Treasure.”

“There’s never been a courtesan with the name Second Treasure. Your case is different, though, for there’re three or four Flora Zhangs, all fashionable courtesans who are called to parties all the time.”

Riled by this remark, Flora tried to pinch Second Treasure on the mouth. The latter laughed and ran away. Fortune got up from his seat to stop Flora and make peace, and the two of them went over to the divan to smoke opium. Seeing that the last four courses had been put on the table, Mrs. Zhao told the manservant to bring rice. Simplicity, who had sought relief in drinking, was now feeling the effect of the wine. He had some rice to keep his mother company and then saw her into the mezzanine room and went downstairs himself. After he had lit the lamp and loosened his clothes, he stopped worrying and went to bed. When he woke up, the effect of the wine had worn off, but he felt very thirsty. Draping some clothes around his shoulders, he put on his shoes slipper-fashion and groped his way into the kitchen. There, he found a big yellow clay teapot, lifted it with both hands, and drank his fill from the spout. The manservant was sitting bolt upright on the covered water jar, dozing. Simplicity woke him and found out from him that, though dinner was over, Fortune was still there. Simplicity went back to his own room, where he could hear whispers and the sound of laughter coming from upstairs, mixed with the wheezing of the water and opium pipes.

Simplicity trimmed the lamp and went back to sleep. This time, it was the sleep of oblivion. He was dead to the world until the manservant woke him. Startled, he asked the man, “Did you sleep at all?”

“It was dawn by the time Eldest Young Master left. Couldn’t very well go to bed then, could I?”

After he had washed in the kitchen, Simplicity tiptoed upstairs. Mrs. Zhao was alone in the mezzanine room, combing her hair. In the front room, where the opium lamp was still burning, Flora and Second Treasure were sleeping on the divan fully clothed. Simplicity lifted the curtain and entered the room. Flora woke up first. She sat up and took out a guest list from her inner pocket, telling Simplicity to write the word “Seen” to acknowledge the invitation. Simplicity saw that Fortune Shi was borrowing their place that night to invite Cloudlet Chen and Lichee Zhuang to dinner. Simplicity and Juvenity Zhang were to keep them company.

After pondering for a while, he said, “Tonight, I really have to beg off.”

“Why?” Flora asked.

“It’ll be too embarrassing for me.”

“D’you mean seeing my brother will be embarrassing?” she asked. “No.”

“Then what is it?”

He would not tell her the truth. It happened that Second Treasure had been wakened by the sound of their conversation, so he turned to her and whispered his reasons in her ear. She nodded, saying, “That makes sense.”

Flora could not very well put pressure on him. She summoned the manservant, gave him the guest list, and told him to deliver the invitations.

Simplicity hung around the house until two in the afternoon and then picked up his courage and asked his sister for thirty cents. With his mother’s permission, he left the house. First, he took a turn on Fourth Avenue, going back to Treasured Merit Street, where he dropped in at the Welcome Inn, thinking he would have a chat with the bookkeeper. But as he approached the entrance, a man charged out right in his path. The man was wearing a Chinese shirt and trousers of old blue cotton and was carrying a little bundle on his back. His short whiskers seemed to be standing up in anger, and his face was contorted in rage. Simplicity was startled to find that it was Old Wu, the barber.

The minute Wu saw Simplicity, his expression turned joyful. “I came looking for you. Where have you moved to?” he asked.

Simplicity gave him a brief account of events. Old Wu took his arm and, standing by his side, embarked on a long harangue.

“Let’s go for a cup of tea round the corner,” Simplicity said.

Old Wu was agreeable to the suggestion, and Simplicity led the way to the Wind in the Pines Teahouse at the corner of Pebble Road. They walked up the stairs and ordered light lotus tea. Old Wu put down his bundle and sat across from Simplicity. They each took a small cup and poured the tea out for each other as politeness required.

Suddenly anger flared in Old Wu’s eyes, and he rolled up his sleeves as if getting ready for a scrap. “There’s something I want to ask you: have you been going around with Pine?”

Taken by surprise, Simplicity had no idea what Old Wu wanted. His heart started beating wildly.

Old Wu pounded the table with his fist, his face in a deep frown. “Don’t worry! I’m just worried that a young man like you, alone in Shanghai, might have been swindled by him. It’s best if you don’t take up with vermin like Pine.”

Simplicity still stared in silent incomprehension.

“Humph! I’ll tell you this: he won’t even acknowledge me, his own father. D’you think he’d do anything for you, who’s just a friend?”

This began to make sense to Simplicity. He smiled and asked what had happened.

Old Wu spoke more calmly. “I’m his father. Now, I may be poor, but I still manage to earn a bowl or two of rice to eat, if not much else. I came to Shanghai not because I wanted anything from my son but because he’s made a fortune and I thought it’d be right and proper to look in on him. I didn’t know he’s such a rat! I went to his shop three times, but the accounts office said he wasn’t there. Well, that was all right. But the fourth time I went, he was there, and he didn’t come out. He just took four hundred copper coins from the accounts office and had them handed to me, telling me to take the ferry boat home. Was I desperate for his four hundred copper coins? If I wanted to go home, I could have done so even if I had to go begging all the way. Did I have to depend on his four hundred copper coins?”

As Old Wu told his story, he started wailing bitterly. Simplicity comforted him as best he could and tried to find excuses for Pine Wu. After a long time, Old Wu controlled his tears. “I’m partly to blame as well, for telling him to come to work in Shanghai. These foreign settlements are really no good.”

Simplicity expressed admiration for Old Wu’s sentiments and hid his real opinion. After their tea had been freshened up with hot water five or six times, Simplicity settled the bill, which came to ten cents. Old Wu thanked him as a matter of course, put his bundle on his back, and parted company with him outside the teahouse. Old Wu headed for the pier in search of an inland riverboat to go home, while Simplicity Zhao wandered down Treasured Merit Street wondering what to do about supper.

::

1. An episode from the novel Shuihu zhuan, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, in which Shi Xiu rejects the advances of Pan Qiaoyun, his adopted brother’s wife. Naturally, she accuses him of attempted seduction. Episodes from this novel—one of the four fiction classics of traditional Chinese literature—are the basis for a large number of short operas.

2. Apparently, the shape of the bean curd dumplings carried sexual connotations.

3. [This is similar to having a godmother in the West, though there is no religious dimension to the Chinese practice. The child stays with his/her own parents and only visits the adoptive one occasionally. E.H.]

4. [The phrase “setting up a room” is the technical term for a courtesan furnishing a room to set up her own establishment. Tranquillity Alley is of course part of the brothel district. This is made clear in chapter 31, which states that all the houses there have lamps hanging at the entrance. E.H.]