Broken China (Part 1) - September

Four families. Four dreams. Four very different paths.

Chinese Tea Pot (Photo: M. Griffiths)

 

Broken China

September

The red envelope sat in the middle of the desk. The large character 'Fu', printed upon it glowed golden in the bright light of the office. It meant 'good luck' or 'good fortune', and the envelope carried with it the Chinese New Year tradition of giving and receiving. Today all that was turned on its head. In its place was aspiration, desperation...and corruption.

The accountant studied the envelope. He judged with a practised eye the amount enclosed within its vibrant colours. It was a large envelope, and thick. Eighty thousand yuan. The usual amount. The Chinese economy was having serious problems but the demand for a good education was still high. His eyes drifted away from the envelope, taking in his well-trimmed nails, the scratched surface of the wood, the white telephone and the computer to his left and to his right the small pile of papers in his in-tray. Then he observed at the woman sitting across from him. She was a little younger than his forty four years, attractive with her modern bob hairstyle and expensive looking clothes. Her dark brown eyes regarded him, intense and apprehensive.

He had no desire to cause her any more distress than she was already feeling. He raised his hand to his mouth and coughed. "Things are difficult now." he began slowly. He saw her brow furrow further and her eyes blink quickly. Her eyes dropped to the envelope and she opened her mouth to speak. He continued before she could utter what he knew she would say. "Your offer is very generous." This time it wasn't about more money. He was not a greedy man. He gladly shared the ‘gifts’ with the enrolment official who assisted him.

She bit her tongue and waited. "You will be aware that the government has introduced new…new processes." He paused and she nodded. "Very thorough processes." She nodded again. "Flies like us must be as careful as the tigers who rule the jungle." Her mouth tightened almost imperceptibly and he saw the desperation return to her eyes. The government corruption campaign was reaching far and wide in its efforts to bring down the 'tigers', top officials who amassed millions, and the 'flies', the many lower level cadres who augmented their incomes with gifts and favours. "The No.1 City High School has very strict entrance requirements. Unfortunately your son does not meet those requirements. I am sorry. I cannot help you." He leaned forward and with two hands he slowly pushed the envelope across the desk. "I wish you good luck in finding a suitable high school for him elsewhere in the city."

Wu Ming stared at the man, her eyes searching for a sign of an opening, some other avenue to pursue, rather than this closed door. Finally she nodded. Her face had lost its colour and its attractiveness had melted into a blank wall. He dropped his eyes. She slipped the envelope into her large elegant leather handbag. She walked out of the building to the visitors’ carpark and climbed into a large black SUV. Leaves on the trees along the school boundary, already turning yellow and red, rustled in the breeze under a grey, overcast sky. She closed the car door, pulled out her phone and dialled.

Zheng Long answered his phone. "Wei." Hello.

"He said 'no'. It is too dangerous for him now. That was our last chance. We have no other guanxi.” Connections. She hesitated then took a deep breath. “If we can't get our son into the best school, then I say we phone the agent and go ahead. If we wait any longer we may lose our chance."

There was silence on the other end, then a sigh. "Hao." Ok.

 

Malcolm Rees tidied the lesson plan pages in front of him on the table. "Ok, see you next time." The four students put away their study books and stood up to leave the room. One advantage of teaching at a private language school was the small classes. One year at the university trying to teach English to fifty or sixty students at a time had been enough. This second year in China was much more enjoyable. Malcolm turned and began to wipe the white board clean. He finished rubbing out the session’s key words and grammar and put the eraser down. He heard a voice behind him.

"Mr Malcolm. Why you nice to me?"

His shoulders tensed. They had both avoided this particular topic for the several months she had been at the school. Why did she want to raise it now? He exhaled as he turned around slowly to face her and spoke with deliberate calmness. "You are my student. It is my job to help you learn English."

"But I stop you seeing my cousin. Why are you not angry?"

He looked at her. She was sixteen and slightly chubby. She wore thick glasses on her round face and tied her long black hair into a tight ponytail. He shrugged. She was right. He had been angry at the time. And he had been more than a little annoyed, not to mention surprised, when she showed up at the school to study English. "Well I was at first. But…” He searched for something diplomatic. “I suppose you did what you thought was right."

She frowned. "Before I came here I not like foreigners, like my Grandfather and my uncle. At first I did not want to learn English. But here I meet you and the other foreign teachers." She smiled. "You are a nice man. My cousin likes you. I will not tell my uncle again."

He smiled. "Thank you." Julia would be pleased to hear that. He had been going out with Julia for nearly a year on the quiet. But they had been sprung at the park by her cousin and Julia’s father had banned her from seeing him. After a brief hiatus she had decided to ignore her father’s instructions but it made life difficult. At least they wouldn't have to hide from her cousin anymore. One down, two to go. Convincing Julia's father and mother would be harder. “Keep up the good work. Your English is going well.”

She smiled and turned to leave.

 

Malcolm picked up the lesson plan with a slight shake of his head and walked back to the teachers' office.  A familiar figure with close cut black hair stood chatting to another teacher. He moved past them to replace the lesson plan in the filing cabinet in the corner of the room. The man turned.

“Malcolm!” His face beamed.

Malcolm shut the filing cabinet draw  and turned. “Hi Henry. Long time no see. How’s things? ”

“So so. My work is not so good. My company has cut our pay and we all have to work more hours.”

Malcolm shook his outstretched hand and nodded. “The global economy is not so good, and China is having problems too now.”

Henry nodded. “No one wants to buy engineering equipment right now. My company has made many workers go home.”

“Mmm. Not good. How is your little baby?”

“Good. He is growing fast. He is still not talking though. I don’t know what to do with him.”

Malcolm smiled. “My older sister says when they start talking they never stop. You should enjoy it while it lasts. When are you coming back to study?”

Henry shook his head. “I have no time and no money now.” He grinned. “Except for my new hobby.”

“What’s that?”

He reached into his soft leather briefcase and pulled out a small book. “Jade. Very valuable. I am learning all about it. I can make lots of money if I buy the right pieces. I have bought three so far. When the price goes up I can sell them.”

“Really? What if the price doesn’t go up?”

“It will. Jade is very precious. See look at this.” He pointed to a brilliantly coloured piece in the book.

 Malcolm nodded. “Very nice. How is your wife?”

“She is fine. Except she is not happy about this.” He pointed to the book. “And her parents are far away.”

“How is your family?”

“Very good. We go back to my village outside the city every weekend. The village is ok…but it is always the same.” He looked at Malcolm and his eyes widened a little. “You said you would visit sometime.”

“Yes. You were going to show the new house you built for your parents.”

“Yes. You must come and see it. Before winter comes and it gets too cold.” Henry nodded vigorously.

“Ok. Great. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Also I have gift for you. To thank you for your great teaching.”

“Oh no. You did all the learning. I just helped a little.”

Henry grabbed the handles of a large red shopping bag and put it on the table. Malcolm lifted a decorated box out of the bag and laid it flat on the table. “What is it?”

“Open it.”

Malcolm struggled with the fancy imitation ivory pins, attached by small red ribbons, that held it closed. Finally he opened the lid. Inside was a traditional Chinese brown pottery tea set - a small decorative tea pot and matching cups. “Wow, it’s fantastic.”

“I know you like Chinese tea. Now you can make it the traditional way.”

“Thank you so much. I will take this home with me when I leave China. I will have to pack it very carefully.” he laughed.

Henry smiled. “I will call you soon about your visit, ok?”

 

Another student walked into the office. “Hi Mr Malcolm. Do you have time?” 

“Yeah sure Zheng Yue. What’s up?” He was one of the younger students at the school, but also one of the brightest. His English had improved rapidly.

“I have a gift for you from my family, for Mid-Autumn festival. Moon cakes. Do you like them?”

“Thank you very much. I love moon cakes.”

“You should look at the moon with your family tonight. It is the tradition.” said the teenager.

“Well, my family is a long way away but I will contact them.” Zheng Yue smiled, then Malcolm saw his expression change. “Is there something wrong?”

He nodded. “I did not get into the No. 1 high school. My parents have decided to go to Australia. I am worried my English is not good enough to go to high school there. I feel I cannot do well.”

Malcolm smiled. “You will do fine. When will your family go to Australia?”

“Probably next year. I don’t know.”

“Your English is already good enough for high school. By next year you will be fine. Do you remember the student called Janice?” Zheng Yue nodded. “She just went to high school in the US. She emailed me and she said is doing well over there. Your English is at least as good as hers.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes. Look, it won’t all be easy. It will take a while to get used to the accent and the vocabulary and how fast people speak. But you will be fine, believe me.” He patted the boy on the shoulder. “Moving to another country is hard. There will be some things that take a bit of getting used to. I certainly found that coming here.” And often still do he thought. “But your English will be good enough for school there. Don’t worry. And you will have your family to support you, not like the students who go by themselves.”

“Yes. I think maybe you are right. Thank you Mr Malcolm.”

Malcolm laughed “Just Malcolm is fine. Oh. Hey. Maybe it is time for you to choose an English name. It might make it easier for people over there to pronounce.”

“Yes, ok. I will think about it.”

Malcolm nodded. “Ok. Anytime you want to talk just come and find me.”

“I will. Thank you…”He half turned then stopped abruptly. “Actually I have another question.” The boy’s tone was serious.

Malcolm’s eyebrows lifted with curiosity. “Yes.”

“Do you know anything about houses? My parents bought several apartments as an…investment, yes?”

“Yes. Investment.”

“…and now they want to sell them but they are worried maybe they won’t get a good price right now. The market is not good.”

Malcolm nodded. “I have heard that apartment prices are falling. Well, Zheng Yue, all I know is that in the US and some other countries, when the global financial crisis came house prices went down. And they kept going down for several years at least.”

The boy nodded, biting his lip.

 

“Baba!” Father. The six year old girl ran to him as he closed the door.

“Hello my little princess.” He lifted her up, kissed her and swung her around in the small entry hall of the apartment. He set her down on the tiled floor and she raced back into the living room to watch the TV.

Deng Yimin stood at the bench on the cramped narrow kitchen preparing vegetables for dinner. She peeled, washed and chopped them before setting them aside in bowls. Behind her the electric rice cooker steamed. Huang Jinhai took off his shoes, donned a pair of black plastic slippers and came into the kitchen. He reached into a cupboard for a bottle of ‘bai jiu’, spirits, and a small cup.

Deng Yimin frowned and then looked away. “How was your day?”

“Good. Same as usual. The factory is not too busy and we have a bit more time to do things properly now.”

She nodded. “I am worried about the shop. We can barely pay our suppliers. We have made no profit for six months. People are worried about their jobs. They do not want to spend money on new clothes. The shop assistant keeps asking me for more hours, but we can barely afford her now. We have to keep her or I won’t be able to look after our daughter in the evening. My mother cannot pick her up from school every day and cook dinner for all of us. She already does lunch and my father is not well…”

“Hush. We will be fine. My job at the factory is ok. Others have gone but I still have my job. They know I am a good worker. Things will get better. Did you hear the Premier on TV? He said China must change to adapt to the new world situation. Things will be difficult this year but they will get better soon. The government is planning big economic  reforms and… ”

Deng Yimin snorted. “They always say things like that.” She lifted her head and nodded to the extension cord hanging above her running from the kitchen to the lounge. “And look at this place. See what we are paying all that money to the bank for? Half the plugs are dead. The central heating doesn’t work properly. We will freeze again soon when winter comes.”  She looked out the window at the next building behind theirs. Another of the eight old six story red brick walk-ups in the complex. The apartment windows were covered with bars to prevent burglaries, old bicycles sat locked outside the entrance door, waiting patiently for their owners to reappear and bike home in the evening gloom. An old woman walked up the front steps carrying her miniature dog in her arms. Ugly, noisy little thing. The apartment was old and cheap. All they could afford. But it was close to her parents and close to the private school they hoped would give their daughter a good education and a chance to do well in life.

She turned back to him. “It doesn’t matter what the Premier says, or the President, or any of them. If people are worried they will not spend money in our shop. Think about your colleagues with no jobs or struggling business owners. Their wives won’t be coming to buy pretty dresses from me will they? If you think that you are dreaming, just like the government.”

She stepped past him to the cooker by the window, turned on the gas and the extractor fan with its large hose poking out through the window behind. She poured some vegetable oil into the wok. Then she picked up the bowls of vegetables and set them down beside the cooker.

“Please don’t worry so much. We will be fine.” He raised his voice over the loud drone of the extractor fan as he poured himself a drink. She lifted a bowl above the wok and poured the contents in. A hiss of spitting oil erupted and drowned out his voice completely.

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Tell me what you think.  Constructive comments welcome.

If you like the story share with it with your friends.

 

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Read Broken China (Part 2) - October, here next week.

ANNOUNCEMENT:  Founders House Publishing have released the anthology:

After Oil 2: The Years of Crisis

The anthology includes my story Promised Land. Part of my North Queensland Trilogy.

"Founders House is happy to announce that the latest collection of science fiction stories in the ongoing After Oil series is available.

After Oil 2: The Years of Crisis - Edited by John Michael Greer

John Michael Greer, author and host of the popular weekly peak-oil blog, The Archdruid Report, returns with another collection of twelve tales of the post-oil future. As Industrial civilization staggers beneath its myriad disfunctions, ordinary people  endure the long, slow decline that shapes the years of crisis. The old world passes away an a new age takes shape."

The anthology is available now in various formats from Founders House Publishing.

The first anthology: After Oil: SF Visions of a Post-Petroleum World, is available from the publishers, Amazon (Amazon) or, in Australia, from Fishpond (Fishpond).

MORE STORIES....

Missing in the Himalayas - A scientist disappears in mysterious circumstances

Borderline - A border guard in the Himalayas dreams of following in his grandfathers footsteps...
The Chief Inspector - An awkward tension builds between a stressed police inspector and his new assistant...

Under Development - A young idealist hunts for international development work in China. (6 parts)

The Nature of Love - A couple in love enjoy a day out in nature but something is amiss...
 

My Crazy China Trip - (Humour) A novice traveller gets more than he bargains for during 15 days in China. (10 Parts)

 

Love at First Flight - A foreign teacher arrives in China and falls in love with a local, but the path of true love is anything but smooth. (5 parts)


Trial by Fire - When a woman in Tibet self-immolates two witnesses face a dangerous dilemma.  (4 parts)

Arrested Development - A development consultant in China finds life getting out of control. [Rated R]  SHORTLISTED for the Lord Grimdark Award. See the list here.

Beijing Private Eyes - Drama, Romance, Karaoke, Kidnap!   A foreign teacher in Beijing meets an attractive stranger and offers to help, then things get complicated. (A long story in 8 parts)

Tell him he's dreaming - An engineer has an environmental epiphany but things don't work out as planned.  GAINED 5th PLACE in the New Zealand Writers College Short Story competition. See the list of finalists here. 

 

Entries in the post-industrial / peak oil short story competition:
My story 'Promised Land' has been selected for the forthcoming anthology "After Oil 2: The Years of Crisis".  You can read the other entries here.

A previous set of stories was published in 2012 in a book entitled After Oil: SF Visions of a Post-Petroleum World, available from Amazon (Amazon) or in Australia from Fishpond (Fishpond).

Stories set in China:

Winds of Change –  In 2022 a migrant worker struggles to realise his dreams and fulfil his family obligations.

Outside In – It's 2050, the country and economy have changed. A recycler studies for an exam to improve his prospects, and an indentured servant plans her escape.

Seeds of Time – (Sequel to Outside In). In 2055 rural China prospers again after a period of dramatic changes, then things are complicated by a strange visitor and a hidden object.

Stories set in Australia: A North Queensland Trilogy

Robots on Mars – 2025. A space-mad city boy adjusts to life in the country and tries to solve a mystery.    (Note: no actual robots or Martians involved)

Promised Land – (Sequel to Robots on Mars). It’s 2050 and development threatens the rural district. Is it what they really need and if not, how can they stop it?

Heart of Glass - (Sequel to Promised Land). The year is 2099, high school graduates prepare to step into adulthood and the community prepares to celebrate the turn of a new century. 

Tell me what you think.  Constructive comments welcome.