Free Mulberry and Peach by Hualing Nieh Page A

bunks.
    The old man sits erect on the bunk, strokes his beard and raises his voice like a master of ceremonies, ‘First kowtow, second kowtow, third kowtow.’
    Refugee Student stands up, bends and bows with uplifted hands, then kneels back down. ‘Fourth kowtow, fifth kowtow, sixth kowtow!’ He gets up again and bows and kneels back down. ‘Seventh kowtow, eighth kowtow, ninth kowtow. Ceremony finished.’
    Refugee Student scrambles to his feet and points at me. ‘I beat you by one point. It’s time to settle with you.’
    â€˜That’s easy. You won, take the jade griffin.’ I pick it up and give it to him.
    He doesn’t take it and just looks at me. ‘What would I do with that? I’m a wanderer. All I want is a pair of grass sandals, a bag of dried food, and a flute. This jade griffin is nothing but a burden. Anyway,’ his voice becomes oddly tender, ‘I owe you something. I’ll repay you by giving back your jade griffin.’
    â€˜You don’t owe me anything. You said yourself, “two negatives make a positive.” I don’t owe you anything either.’ As I’m talking, I try to put the jade griffin in his hand. I’m sure I’m holding it securely, but when I raise my hand, it slips through my fingers and falls. I let out a cry.
    The griffin breaks in two on the floor.
    The old man picks up the two halves and fits them together. It looks as if they’re still one piece.
    â€˜All right, we’ll do it this way. You take one half, I’ll take the other,’ Refugee Student says and stuffs one half into my hand.
    â€˜OK, problem solved,’ Lao-shih rubs her palms together and noisily grinds her teeth. ‘Now, I get to settle with the dealer. I’m the real winner; I beat the dealer by two points. I only wanted the satisfaction of beating you. I won’t cut you in two or chop you up. I won’t chew on you. I only want you to dress up like a girl and sing the Flower Drum Song.’

    â€˜Good idea.’ I also want to get even with him. I toss my half of the jade griffin into the opposite bunk.
    The three of us, Lao-shih, Peach-flower Woman and myself, strip off his clothes, leaving only his underpants. I remember when he lay naked on the deck, his weight on my body, head hanging over my shoulder, my thighs wet and sticky. I’m still a little sore there. I couldn’t stop caressing his body, like a rock in the sun, so smooth, warm, hard. So a man’s body was that nice. I wished I could stroke him forever, but when he used all his strength to push into my body, it hurt. How could Peach-flower Woman sleep with her man every night? And even have a baby? I don’t see how she could bear the pain.
    We dress him in Peach-flower Woman’s clothes. He wears the peach flower blouse, blue print pants, a turban of a blue-flowered print wound around his head, two red spots painted on his cheeks, his masculine eyebrows thick and black.
    He daintily folds his muscular hands and curtsies. He picks up Peach-flower Woman’s red handkerchief and dances with it like a woman, twisting, turning and singing.
    You say life is hard
My life is hard
Looking for a good husband all my life
Other girls marry rich men
My husband can only play the flower drum.
    The old man, sitting on the bunk, laughs until he has a coughing fit. Lao-shih, Peach-flower Woman and I roll with laughter on the bunk.
    Suddenly Refugee Student leaps on the bunk and jumps on Lao-shih. ‘If you ignore me, I won’t let you go! I’m your girl. You have to give me a kiss!’ He presses his mouth to hers and strokes all over her body. Lao-shih begins choking and can’t speak.
    I tackle him to save Lao-shih. ‘Good, I’ve got you both!’ He turns over and grabs us both, one on each side, arms locked around our necks, holding us down. ‘You come here, too,’ he says to Peach-flower Woman. ‘I can put you