I nodded emphatically.
She came back to sit down by my side. ‘Xiang Xiang, have you noticed in our country, nothing expresses itself directly, but always in a meandering way?’
I tried to respond, but Pearl waved me into silence. ‘In China, corridors are not built in a straight line but always winding.’ She glanced outside the window. ‘So when we walk along, we’re always in suspense about what we’ll run into: a moon-shaped gate inside which are nestled clumps of bamboo, or a tiny gourd-shaped opening through which your eyes can discern a distant mountain shrouded in the mist.’
When I was reflecting on this, Pearl went to take out the qin and put it on the table. I went to sit opposite her, my heart instantly filled with joy.
‘See, Xiang Xiang,’ she said, beginning to play, ‘qin music meanders, too.’
Now Pearl glided her fingers on the instrument. ‘This fingering is called “the cicada calling for autumn.” When the cicada flutters its wings, it makes a lingering tone.’ She stroked the strings again. ‘And this lingering tone is “the monkey climbing up a tree,” because a monkey climbing a tree alternates between halting and ascending.’
Finally she stopped the strings with her hand. ‘Because of its meandering melodies, when the playing is over, qin music continues to reverberate in your heart … If only we could make the same impression on men’s hearts.’ An insinuating smile played on her lips. ‘Then all the stinking males will pour the money from their fat pockets into ours. Otherwise why not just stay home and fuck their wives, which is free?’
I giggled, although I had no idea how a man would feel when fucking his wife.
Pearl cast me a chiding look. ‘You know, Xiang Xiang, although we sisters are looked down upon by those decent women, don’t you know they also envy us?’
‘I can see that, Sister Pearl, because you’re so much more beautiful than them and have all these pretty clothes and jewellery.’
‘Xiang Xiang, what you said is true, but there’s more to it. These decent women secretly admire us. For we can display our feminine beauty to our heart’s content without rebuke from stodgy Confucian husbands. Besides, you know the proverb, “To be virtuous, a woman should have no talent in anything.” But we’re not virtuous so we can cultivate and display our accomplishments. Men need wives to give them children but they also need us to do what their yellow-faced old ladies can’t – stir their hearts, tease their senses, and nourish their souls with our music, dance, and painting. Maybe we’re despised, but we don’t need to play stupid like those wives they leave at home.’
Now her expression turned mischievous. ‘I can act horny and stir up the clouds and rain with any man I want while those women are stuck with one, even after he’s dead!’ When she finished, she burst into cheerful laughter as if she was truly happy to be a prostitute.
I joined her in laughing. We kept giggling until tears spilled from our eyes and we had to stop to catch our breath.
When we finally calmed down, Pearl waved her jade-bangled hand. ‘Now you can take a break.’
Feeling restless, I thought I might go out into the courtyard. But it was raining, so I peered through the lattice at the raindrops hitting the leaves. After a few minutes when the rain stopped, I went out and strolled along the courtyard to appreciate its winding path. Then I sat down on a stone bench inside the small pavilion and looked through a vase-shaped opening, hoping to see a distant mountain shrouded in the mist.
Then I felt hungry and headed to the kitchen. When I stepped over the threshold, a rich aroma wafted into my nostrils. Ah Ping was not in sight. Now, my stomach suddenly ambushed by pangs of hunger, I went up to the boiling cauldron, ladled its content onto a plate, and helped myself to the delicacies.
When I was devouring noisily, Ah Ping came in.
I looked up at her. ‘Aunty Ah Ping, this is delicious. Is it a new dish?’
To my surprise, her face turned white.
‘Something wrong?’
She didn’t reply, but kept shaking her head.
I teased her. ‘It must be something really good reserved for a special guest, right? But don’t worry, I only took a bite. It’s really tasty, so what is it?’
Still ignoring my question, she went up to the basin and began to clean.
I continued to eat for a while before a thought entered my mind. ‘Do you see Guigui? I want to share with him some of these goodies.’
Ah Ping avoided my eyes, pointing to the plate in front of me, then my stomach.
‘But where’s Guigui?’
She pointed again, this time more emphatically.
It took a few seconds before the bomb exploded. ‘You mean …’
She kept nodding and wiping the pots. Then she poured from a huge pot into the basin. The kitchen was instantly filled with the sound of splashing water.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. ‘You cooked Guigui?!’
She was still nodding and wiping the pots.
‘Oh, how could you do that? You’re disgusting!’
Now she was noisily banging the pots around.
‘Oh my heaven, you cooked Guigui and I ate him!’
I dashed out of the kitchen and vomited until there was nothing left in my stomach except bile. Then I cried my heart out. ‘Oh, Guigui, I’m so sorry. How could I have known she’d cooked you? I didn’t know it was you!’
When I finally stopped, I took off my Guan Yin pendant and muttered a long prayer. First I asked for the puppy’s forgiveness, then I pleaded with the goddess to send him to the Western Paradise, where he could soon be reborn as a human and reunite with me.
Finally calmed by my prayers, I dragged my feet back to Pearl’s room. Once I sat down next to her on the sofa, I burst out crying. ‘Sister Pearl …’
‘Something wrong, Xiang Xiang?’
My grief poured out.
Pearl pulled out her handkerchief and wiped my face. ‘Please tell me what’s wrong.’
‘Aunty Ah Ping cooked Guigui and I ate him!’
To my surprise, Pearl didn’t look a bit shocked. She tousled my hair. ‘I’m sorry. But why did you eat him?’
‘Because I didn’t know it was him!’ I was mumbling between sobs.
‘It’s really no big deal.’
I looked up at her through my teary eyes. ‘No big deal?’
‘They often cook puppies here. Customers think dog makes excellent tonic soup to strengthen their jade stalk.’
‘Oh heaven, it’s disgusting. They’re like babies!’
Pearl pulled me into her arms. ‘Xiang Xiang, far worse things happen here.’