Tangled Vines (7 page)

Peony looked away, then down at her feet. She kicked her heels against the wall. “I didn’t tell you but Feng Ji also told everyone in my class that I’m not Chinese, that I’m an orphan half-breed. But I know my mother’s Chinese because I remember her! But maybe she didn’t want me because I have bad blood.”

Calli didn’t know what to say. They had thought giving the girls their own family name would prevent them from being stigmatized as orphans in school and later in their adult lives. Some children in China grew up with the last names that very clearly marked them as coming from the institutions. Calli and Benfu hadn’t wanted that for their girls. But rumors flew in small towns and sometimes it was inevitable that bullies would find the most hurtful piece of knowledge they could and use it to inflict even more invisible wounds.

Recognizing Peony’s mixed blood was expected and Calli was surprised she hadn’t heard about it earlier. As her daughter grew older, her non-Asian features were becoming more prominent
and recognizable to others around her. Even Widow Zu had commented on it to Calli one morning, and she was so farsighted it was a miracle she’d noticed.

“Peony, look at me.” She turned her daughter’s face and lifted her chin up with her finger. She stared down into her deep brown eyes. “You are so beautiful, you just don’t know it yet.”

Peony’s eyes filled with tears and Calli felt her heart would burst at the sadness she saw. Peony was usually such a brave little girl, always putting on the defensive armor to guard how she truly felt. To see her so vulnerable was tough on an old woman.

“I don’t know much about your beginnings but I do know you should never be ashamed of who you are, child. Your mother kept you for as long as she could but she knew she’d have to let you go if you were to get help for your illness. Do you think she would’ve kept you until you were seven years old if she didn’t love you?”

Peony shook her head and the dejected expression on her face reminded Calli of the very day Benfu had brought her home. She could see one lone tear make its way down her cheek, and she wished for the hundredth time that the world was different and such hardships didn’t cause the long-standing ripples of consequences her girls had to bear.

“But if I’m not Chinese, what am I, Nai Nai?” She sniffled again.

“Child, you
are
Chinese! The mixed blood that runs through you is only that—blood. Who you are and what you will become comes from your heart. Only you can determine if you will be a true Chinese, not some bully at your school.” She hugged her little body close. “Peony, please never think bad thoughts about your first family. You were loved then, and you are loved now. And any time you want to talk about your birth mother, you just come get me and we’ll take a walk.
Hao le?
”

“Okay.” Peony sniffled. Then she took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. Calli could see her mentally putting her armor back on. “I’m ready to go back now, Nai Nai.”

With that Peony stood and waited for her to join her. Together they made their way back to what Calli felt was the sweetest home on earth. As they walked hand in hand, she thought of all her daughters and hoped that even though she would never want to replace any one of them, she would continue to do all she could to fill the hole their birth mothers had left behind.

L
innea stood silently studying the poster while she waited for Sky to bring down the vintage stamps he’d told her about. She’d slowly made her way around the room until she found herself unable to move from the piece of paper tacked to the wall. It was no less than her fourth time in Sky’s store in the last few weeks and she never got tired of looking at it. He’d already let her sketch the old Mao movie chair and she’d sent off the design. She planned to start selling the new shirts that Friday when they arrived from Beijing. But now her attention continued to be drawn to the poster.

“Do you know what that is?” the old man called from his perch beside the cash register. Linnea was startled. Usually he didn’t even speak to her when she came in. She’d already discounted him as a girl-hater, even though his own daughter still lived under his thumb. She understood now why Bai Ling liked to stay away from her home, as her father was such a cynical old grump.

Of course she knew what it was—he might find it hard to believe but she
could
read after all. The poster, done in stark black and white, pictured a terrified woman running with a child over her shoulder. Behind her a cityscape with huge billows of smoke warned of the impending nuclear war. Underneath, the caption read
Be Prepared. War Is Coming!

“Yes, I know, but what year was it from?”

The old man stirred more tea leaves into his cup. He took a long swig, then set it loudly on the table. Linnea wondered where all the customers were. Did they have any business at all?

“From 1971. Isn’t it amazing how many years the poster survived? So much lost and a flimsy piece of paper withstood it all. In Shanghai back then, everyone was ordered to help build bomb shelters for that impending war. Now those shelters are nothing more than a meeting place for lusty young lovers.”

He said the last part with disgust and Linnea tried to hide her grin as she turned to Sky’s grandfather. He was old—way older than her Ye Ye. His head was almost bald, save for a few sprigs of gray hair that stood on end. Curiously, he sported a longish gray beard that grew down to a point like in the photos of old Chinese men from ancient times Linnea had found in storybooks long ago. She thought a long dark robe and a sorcerer’s wand would be a better fit for him than the baggy pants and frayed blazer he wore. With the thickness of the heavy black glasses perched on his nose, she wondered if he could even see anything. He wasn’t a big strong-looking man like her Ye Ye, but perhaps the years had shrunk him. She tried to imagine what he might have looked like before the ravages of age changed every contour on his face. She was sure he knew a lot of fascinating history, and if he was easier to talk to, she’d love to pick his brain. She stared at the sour look on his face and knew he’d be a hard case to break. But she’d just have to win him over.

“
Dui le
. I can’t imagine how afraid the people were with posters like these all around. Just look at the panic on that woman’s face.”

Linnea moved to one of the many racks holding strand after strand of long necklaces made from beads. The store held so many interesting pieces, she could stay all day and just browse if she had the time. She looked down at her watch. She still had almost forty-five minutes before she had to be back. Nai Nai had started coming almost every day to make her step away for a midday break, and if Linnea came back early, she’d have to hear a lot of fussing. Nai Nai kept trying to tell her she needed time away from the store to clear her head or she was going to grow old from worry.

The old man patted the stool next to him. “Come. Sit and wait here. Sky will be down soon enough. It’s probably time for one of his three daily wardrobe changes. Might as well relax while you wait.”

Linnea spotted the
xiangqi
board on a small table between the two seats. It looked ancient and she’d never played on an antique one before. She looked up at the old man and realized he was lonely. Maybe that was why he was so gloomy. Did Sky spend any time with him at all? Her Ye Ye was lucky; he was always surrounded with girls wanting his attention. Who did the old man have?

“Just wait? We can do more than that. Why don’t you let me beat you in
xiangqi?”

The old man looked taken aback for a moment. Even speechless. Then he looked down at the board and to the watch on his wrist.

“Why not? I’ve got another eight hours of nothing to do before I can go to bed. Set it up, girl.”

Linnea smiled to herself. She’d have Sky’s grandfather eating out of her hand in no time. After all, it was obvious the man was starving for companionship and interesting conversation. Linnea would give him both.

Half an hour later Sky had still not appeared, but Linnea was becoming intrigued with his grandfather as he worked carefully to set up the
xiangqi
board. She could’ve had it ready in minutes, but she sat patiently and watched as the old man examined every piece before placing it in the correct spot. She felt sure he was grateful for the attention and wanted to stretch it as far as possible.

“So, what would you like me to call you,
Laoren
?” she asked, realizing she’d never been formally introduced. Though she was using the universal Chinese title for an old person, she’d like to have something other than
old person
to know him by.

“Mr. Lau will be fine.
Linnea,
” he answered gruffly, his sarcastic tone letting her know he already knew her name. He took his pipe from his pocket and after tapping it against the arm of his chair, lit it and inhaled deeply. The smoke swirled around them both, settling like a heavy cloak on her shoulders.

Linnea thought the smell was actually quite nice but it looked like the old man was doing it simply to get a reaction from her. He was a feisty one; she’d give him that.

“Mmm…what kind of tobacco is that? Smells good.” She smiled at him while continuing to arrange the pieces on the board. She could play both
xiangqi
and the mental game he baited her with.

He shook his head but didn’t answer. Linnea could tell he was disappointed that blowing smoke in her face didn’t get a reaction.

With the board finally set up, Linnea reached down and made the first move. Mr. Lau frowned, then followed with a move of his own, and the game was on.

“So, girl, what makes you think your store is going to be able to withstand the tough economy around here? Do you know you are the sixth new tenant in that building in as many years?”

Linnea hadn’t known that. She hoped she hadn’t picked one of those unlucky buildings that some tried so hard to avoid.

“I’m already doing okay. I’m profitable, and that’s unusual in the first year or even two of opening a business.”

Lau snorted his skepticism. “What’s your specialty? Do you have one yet? Something everyone knows to come to you for? Ours is my daughter’s jewelry. That’s our bread and butter. After all her years of uselessness she is finally doing something to help her family.” He pointed at a rack of colorful necklaces next to the wall. “You can’t try to specialize in everything, you know.”

Linnea nodded her agreement. “Yes, I do know that, Mr. Lau. These days they call it a
signature item
and I’ve already got one. It’s my vintage T-shirts. I sketch designs of old Wuxi and have them printed on the shirts. They’re really popular already. I’ve sold over five hundred since I opened.”

Lau’s mouth fell open and Linnea choked back her delight at finally seeing something to upset his cocky expression.

“Five hundred shirts? That cannot be. And how do you know anything about what Old Wuxi looked like?”

Linnea didn’t care whether he believed her or not. She was confident in her store and the bright future she’d planned. The poor old man, judging by the lack of customers in his store since she’d arrived, was probably struggling to stay afloat. No wonder Sky wanted to display some of the beads in her store. She’d ask him later if there was anything else she could do to help.

“I find ways to bring back the old times. I research postcards, photographs, and even old posters like that one you have back there on the wall. Sky already let me sketch your old Mao movie chair and I’ll start selling that design soon. My generation is intrigued with what things were like back in the Mao days.”

Lau looked over to the staircase leading up to their living quarters as if he wanted to scold Sky for allowing Linnea to have anything to do with his chair. Sky had already informed her that his grandfather was a die-hard Mao supporter. With Linnea’s upbringing by her Ye Ye and his anti-Mao beliefs, Lau’s loyalty intrigued her.

She reached down and blocked his chariot with a soldier, much to the dismay of Lau.

“So, speaking of Mao, you and my Ye Ye were both around during his reign. What do you think of the Cultural Revolution? Do you agree that Mao’s attempt to destroy educators and the wealthy class was because of his fear that knowledge and money were a power that could lead to his demise?”

Lau sat back in the chair and eyed her suspiciously.

“Who’s your Ye Ye? People around here don’t talk much about those times.” He looked around the store as if someone were waiting in the shadows. “What are you trying to get me to say?”

Linnea laughed. So much paranoia! It still amazed her how the older generation was terrified to speak against a dead man. Did he think she was a reincarnated Red Guard or what?

“I’m not trying to get you to say anything. I’m just interested in hearing about it. My Ye Ye tells us some of his stories and I just wondered if yours are the same.” She shook her head. “Mao was something, wasn’t he? He thought he could change the way people were educated and dictate how they entertained themselves, and he even demanded to know what their own thoughts were!”

Lau scowled deeper. “How does a mere girl like you know so much about the history of Mao? I asked you once, girl, and I’ll not ask you again—who is your Ye Ye?”

They both turned when they heard Sky coming down the stairs carrying an old book. He was indeed dressed in a different shirt, this one shiny silver with huge gold buttons. Linnea thought he looked like he was ready to go to a disco.

“Here’re the stamps but what’s all this? I hear you getting all gruff, Ye Ye. The man who raised her is Lao Zheng Benfu. I thought I already told you that?”

Lau shook his head. “No, if you’d told me that, I’d remember. I know of Zheng Benfu. His father, Zheng Ju, and I were colleagues. I haven’t seen him in decades. I guess I should have gone by his family home before now. But I remember the lad from many years ago before his parents shipped him off to the country.”