Free Miss Chopsticks by Xinran Page A

women behind them, standing absolutely still. What were they doing? And why were so many people standing about watching them? Perhaps she, too, would be able to go and watch when she had the time …
    When they got off the bus, the fat woman led Five down the street while the thin woman bustled off in another direction after speaking more incomprehensible words.
    â€˜Now tell me,’ said the fat woman, ‘why did you give your name as Five when you were registering just now? Why didn’t your village issue you with papers in your official name?’
    â€˜Official name?’ Five began to panic, thinking thewoman might be about to take the job away.
    â€˜The name you use for work and study. Didn’t you say you’d been to school?’
    â€˜No.’
    The woman looked surprised so Five tried to explain.
    â€˜The teacher told my dad I was too stupid, and he should take me home to work. He said that trying to teach me would be a waste of money.’
    â€˜So you must have been at school for a little bit …’
    â€˜A week and a half.’
    â€˜Only a week and a half? Really?’
    â€˜Really, I’m not having you on, honestly. Ask my sister if you don’t believe me …’
    â€˜Don’t worry, I believe you. So you can’t read …’ Five didn’t understand why the fat woman looked so thoughtful.
    â€˜Is Five a bad name?’ she asked.
    â€˜No, no … Five’s fine as a name, but …’ The fat woman seemed confused about how to explain things. ‘Look,’ she said, ‘let’s say that Five’s your name for when you are at home, but here you’re going to need another name, if that’s all right with you. Don’t worry, I daresay that in a minute when we register, Manager Shui or one of his people will give you a work-name.’
    â€˜What’s a work-name?’ Poor Five could not believe that one person could have so many names. Nobody in the village had ever so much as mentioned official names and work-names …
    â€˜A work-name is a name for you to use while you’re working at the Dragon Water-Culture Centre. Well, Five, here we are. This side door is for us, the employees. The customers go through that big door in the dragon’s mouth …’
    Five let out a ‘Wa!’ of surprise as her gaze followed the fat lady’s pointing finger. There was a beautiful dragon crouched by the side of the road, its scales all the coloursof the rainbow and a big pearl in its mouth. It was several metres long, and inside the pearl was a door big enough for five people to walk through side by side. But, before she could take in any more, the fat lady ushered her through the iron side door and into a blast of hot air.
    Five raised her hands to her face in alarm. She was standing in a place full of steam, with a great roaring sound all around her, and the strange smell of herbs. The fat lady took Five’s arm kindly and led her through a maze of hot, noisy corridors, uttering strange words like ‘pump room’ and ‘medicine preparation’ and telling her that it would soon become quieter. Sure enough, once they had gone a little further and walked through a metal door, the roaring disappeared and all Five could hear was the sound of water running through the pipes that were fixed to the walls and ceiling.
    â€˜It’s like the Water Dragon’s Palace, don’t you think?’ said the fat lady.
    Five looked around her in bemusement. She had heard old people tell stories about the Water Dragon’s Palace, but they had talked about shrimp soldiers, crab generals and an army of water creatures doing battle in the waves. They had never mentioned anything about pipes, pumps or medicine. Never in all her life had she thought she might end up in a city people’s Water Dragon Palace and she wanted to tell the fat lady that she couldn’t swim. What if she drowned here?