Peach Blossom Pavilion. Mingmei Yip

moment I’d been dreading was about to come. My heart sank; the soles of my slippers dragged and wailed on the floor.

      Little Red half-pushed me along. ‘Xiang Xiang, please hurry, today is your big day, and Mama is already getting impatient.’

      ‘Mama.’ I addressed the lump of flesh waiting for me across the threshold.

      Fang Rong was all dressed up in a pink jacket with intricately knotted gold buttons the size of grapes. Upon seeing me, a huge grin broke out on her face. She motioned me to sit by Pearl’s large, gilded dressing table. ‘Xiang Xiang, today I’ll dress you up as beautifully as a fairy,’ she said, then gloated over me as if I’d suddenly transformed into a pillar of gold.

      The table was covered with feminine objects: powder, rouge, lipstick, Flower Dew perfume, Snow Flower cream, tortoiseshell combs, a coral hairpin, three fresh flowers, and to my surprise, a gold bracelet and a pair of gold-mounted jade earrings.

      In the mirror, Mama carefully studied me for long moments. ‘You’re lucky that your brows curve like crescent moons. Otherwise, I’d have to shave them, then pencil them in with ink.’

      Ink? I wanted to ask but decided to keep my mouth shut.

      Mama started to perform the kai lian, ‘open the face,’ for me. First she tied a red thread to her thumbs and middle fingers, then put it between her teeth. Then she started to ‘saw’ my face with the string, scraping off dirt and downy hair.

      Fang Rong’s face was so close to mine that I could count the hairs inside her wide nostrils, study the gold teeth inside her mouth, and inspect the coarse surface of her big mole. I tried to hold my breath so as not to be poisoned by hers.

      ‘Xiang Xiang, opening your face will open you to endless good luck. You know that?’

      I nodded.

      ‘Keep your head still!’

      So I froze until she finished scraping my face with the moist red thread. Next she applied powder on my face and neck – layers and layers until I couldn’t help but ask, ‘Mama, that’s enough; why do you have to put on so much powder?’

      ‘Because one shade of white can cover up one hundred uglinesses, and all men like it this way, that’s why.’ In the mirror, she cast me a chiding glance. ‘You think I’d waste money on powder if men didn’t like it?’ Then she chuckled, shooting spittle onto my cheek. ‘Fortunately, it was not me who paid for your make-up.’

      ‘Then who did?’

      ‘Big Master Fung, of course, who else? You little stupid!’ She pointed to the dressing table. ‘See this bracelet and earrings? They’re all gifts from Big Master Fung. He wants you to be the prettiest little whore in Peach Blossom.’ Now she cast me a threatening look. ‘Big Master Fung has already spent several hundred large silver coins hosting expensive banquets and gambling parties here, so you better not let him down.’

      When Mama and Little Red had finished making up my face and fixing my hair, they helped me to dress in a red silk jacket with green trousers, both embroidered with floral ribbons. Then Mama picked up the fresh orchids and pinned them in my hair.

      I preened in front of the mirror. Was that girl looking curiously at the outside world from inside the glass really me? Or … was she just a delicate dish to be devoured?

      Mama looked at my reflection and grinned till her mouth almost stretched outside her face. Even her mole looked happy. ‘See what a beautiful princess you’ve become, Xiang Xiang. I bet no one will believe that you’re but a whore, ha, ha, ha!’ Then she raised her hands and stretched her pudgy fingers. ‘Look, my old, arthritic hands can still work magic!’ After that, she pulled me up and gave my shoulder a hard push. ‘Now to the welcoming-guests hall!’

      This was the first time I was properly invited into this place and for a moment I was stunned. I’d never seen a room so grand and richly decorated. The deeply polished furniture glowed like bronze mirrors. On top of a low brown chest stood a tall cloisonné vase filled with rose orchids. Their pink petals seemed to nod at me, while their branches twisted elegantly, like the cursive calligraphy demonstrated by Mr. Wu. Against one wall was a huge canopy bed, its pillars gleaming like gold bars. The red pillows were embroidered with Mandarin ducks cavorting in water. On the crimson bed sheet, the tails of a dragon and phoenix entwined intimately. Behind the bed was a long folding screen carved with scenes from the famous novel Story of the West Chamber – including one with the scholar playing a qin! Next to the bed was a gilded mirror and on the walls hung paintings, some of young beauties, others of faraway mountains. Fragrant plumes of incense wafted from a bronze burner.

      In the middle of the room was an eight immortals table; on its round top precious objects had been arranged: a celadon bowl shaped like an opening lotus; a teapot and cups painted with golden peonies; black-lacquered trays spilling with candies and dried fruit. Beside the table on the floor were two many-layered boxes decorated with flowers and red ribbons.

      Oh, how I wished that Baba were still alive and Mother in Shanghai so we could have all lived together happily in this beautiful room! But alas! My eyes landed on a heap of wrinkles – marring the beauty and shattering my dream. On a high table next to Old Wrinkles were a pair of red dragon and phoenix candles. Melted wax dripped like tears of blood while high, bright flames seemed to throw the heaps of wrinkles over the room like reptiles.

      I instinctively drew back but Mama shoved me forward. ‘Big Master Fung, here’s your pretty Xiang Xiang.’

      Fung’s crease-buried eyes widened, searching over me like a pair of torches looking for gold. Suddenly he slapped his thigh and shouted, ‘Good, very good!’

      Mama chuckled flirtatiously. ‘Good? Are you kidding, Big Master Fung? Xiang Xiang is the best!’

      Fung caressed his stubble. ‘The best? That I still have to find out, so now—’

      ‘Yes, yes, of course, Big Master Fung, I’ll leave you two alone. Enjoy your dragon and phoenix night; I guarantee you’ll have your money’s worth.’

      ‘It’d better be true.’ He paused to look around. ‘So where’s the cloth?’

      I piped up. ‘What cloth?’

      Both the lump of flesh and the heap of wrinkles burst into laughter.

      To my surprise, Mama yanked a white handkerchief from underneath the sleeve of my jacket. I had no idea when she’d hidden it there. She smiled mischievously, swinging the cloth. ‘Big Master Fung, this is Xiang Xiang’s zhuang yuan seal.’

      Now I remembered that Pearl had told me about the cloth. Zhuang yuan was the Number One Scholar in the Imperial Examination, and the seal proving this title was red. So zhuang yuan seal referred to the imperial approval of the distinguished, Number One Scholar. Or in my case, my distinguished virginity.

      I blinked back tears. Yes, I’d soon receive a prestigious seal! But not because I came out number one in the imperial examination, but because I would be the number one virgin fucked by an old man.

      Now Old Wrinkles cast me a licentious glance. ‘Xiang Xiang, your blood stains on the white cloth will prove that I’m the first man to chop open your melon. Otherwise you think I’d pay a fortune for a thirteen-year-old? Ha!’ He pointed to the table and the two lacquer boxes. ‘All the clothes, money, jewellery, food, wine are for you.’

      The corners of Mama’s lips lifted to her ears while her eyes threw me a sharp glance. ‘Xiang Xiang, bow to Big Master Fung and thank him, quick!’

      I made a deep bow and uttered a ‘thank you.’ Just then all of Pearl’s teaching flashed across my mind. So I willed the corners of my lips to lift, while trying to aim a dazed glance to catch Fung’s. But my eyes made a wrong move and landed instead on the wrinkles of his forehead.

      Fung massaged his stubble. ‘Come, my little beauty,’ he said, reaching out his other hand to touch my face.

      Mama