Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

one Tom was full of new sensations, and he was already at the Eighty-fourth Street station when the beating of the train woke him from his stupor.Seeing that the train was about to start again, Tom rushed out of the train.He walked down the stairs tremblingly, feeling that he had lost something and found something, and at the same time he was ashamed of feeling something he had never felt before. Ms. Cai reprimanded him for not being able to speak the Chinese language, which is not very fair.Cantonese, like Mandarin, is a kind of Chinese language, so why should he care about what she said?But in fact, he also knows that people who speak Mandarin account for about nine tenths of the entire population of China.He grew up in Guangdong since he was a child, and Ai Si.Cai reminded him that he knew nothing about the vastness of China except Guangdong.The image of Aisi was deeply imprinted in his heart, her calligraphy, her accent, her attire and the jade bracelet on her wrist, etc., all made him unforgettable.Tom thought of the feeling he had felt when he first saw his father, and now it came back, as if the world he had only had to listen to be described by others suddenly appeared before him.But why was she so angry when she said good-bye to him coldly and formally when they parted?Are you mad at him?

For some reason, Tom felt as if he had done something wrong and returned home with a secret.At dinner he bowed his head and ate without saying a word.Suddenly he thought of an important thing. Mom, there was a women's committee at the school in Chinatown, and they put up a poster asking for aspiring women.I told the teacher there, Ms. Cai, that Eva could help.He paused when he mentioned Miss Cai, and his face turned slightly red. Mom, can I go?Eva is so excited, I want to do something, Mom!I must go. What about your school work? Mom, you must promise me, let me go!Eva was almost on the verge of crying, and everyone was surprised.

alright!alright!what happened?Mom said, I have never seen you so excited, you are really more and more like an American girl.Then she went on to say, calm down, Abba, no one said you couldn't go. Eva smiled through her tears, hugged her mother happily, and kissed her on the cheek.She had never done anything like that in front of others.Mother!I promise I will do my homework as usual, and I can manage my time. When Eva turned seventeen, she changed a lot, as if she had matured all of a sudden.Her demeanor was still as refined and demure as she had been when she was a child, but her American school education also fostered her independence and self-confidence.Not only did she learn the standard American accent, but she also occasionally mischievously imitated the Irish accent of the music teacher, or the spoken language of Brooklyn.She makes clothes for herself, or cooks dinner for the whole family.At home she is the family's recognized packaging expert.If necessary, she would not hesitate to call places such as the municipal library or the post office with her queries.Sometimes, she also yells like the American girls.Eva no longer flinched when she walked, she strutted like an American girl, walking quickly.

Eva became a useful member of the Women's Committee.Although her knowledge of Chinese characters is as good as Tom's, her English ability is very important to the Women's Committee.She could type letters again, look up index cards no one knew better than her, calculate postage, wrap packages.And the most admirable thing is that if she promises to come one day, she will definitely arrive on time, and at the same time, after she comes, she will automatically complete the unfinished work left by others.When Eva was a child, my mother often heard others admire her, and now she talks about my Eva with pride and confidence from time to time.

The Women's Committee in Chinatown began to grow and mature as a result of cooperation with the Chinese Women's War Rescue Committee in Uptown.Chinese women in Manhattan and Brooklyn also joined the Women's Committee one after another.Inevitably, Flora was also won over to the committee, and when Eva couldn't make it to Chinatown, it wasn't okay to be there without someone with a better command of English.Once Flora joined, Mom followed suit.So almost every afternoon, one member of the family would go to Chinatown. Flora has made it through the uncomfortable early days of her pregnancy and has been in good spirits.The office of the Chinese School in Chinatown has been turned into a women's club. When women chat here, they feel fulfilled.Their parties are never dull and boring.Whenever Mom and Eva came home, they always came home with little bits and pieces, like so-and-so's engagement, who broke his hand, or news about the committee leader.

Mom's life expanded, and she often went to Chinatown to attend committee activities, while Flora stayed behind to do some unfinished laundry.Eva would say to her: Mom!Go ahead!I can help my sister-in-law fold clothes.I'll get dinner ready before you come home. When Mom went to Chinatown, Tom always walked with her.Sometimes he would make another trip to pick up his mother.I don't worry about my mother walking alone on such crowded stairs.Tom said. Usually, in the evening, the Chinese school class is going on, Ai Si.Cai always runs between the classroom and the office.She arranged all the homework for the students to practice on their own, and then stayed in the office for ten or fifteen minutes.She is the Chinese secretary of the committee, and is responsible for writing Chinese letters or putting newspaper news on posters in Chinese.When she saw Tom, she always smiled at him, but Tom felt that because of the language barrier, she became mysterious and unreachable.Once, before she was going back to the classroom, she asked Tom: Can you write these Chinese addresses on the envelope for me?None of the other women could write good Chinese characters, and Tom couldn't write very well, but since she asked him to, he did his best.As a result, he made a typo, and when Ace corrected it for him, he was embarrassed and sad for a while.

two The Double Tenth Day, the anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China, is approaching.This year's celebration is the most grand event in Chinatown over the years.At this time, the Chinese army was still struggling near Shanghai.The Chinese hold a grand parade in Chinatown to raise funds for the relief war.Before Double Ten, women in Uptown and Chinatown have been busy for a while.They have many, many things to do.They assembled a lot of manpower to make a huge national flag sixty feet long and thirty feet wide.All Chinese girls and women have a mission.During the procession, some women held empty jars and solicited donations from the crowd on the side of the street.Forty to sixty girls leveled the large flag and joined the parade, and the crowd dropped coins on the flag.When they were making the national flag, they borrowed a few sewing machines and put them in the school. The Chinese class was suspended for a week to prepare.Empty cans, paste, and pins used for solicitation are piled up in the corner.The sound of cutting, the sound of sewing machines, the ringing of the telephone and the laughter of women all interweave in the hall.

During that week, Tom went to help at 3:30 every afternoon.Ace is always busy painting posters or writing letters.Tom stood beside her, waiting to help her put posters on the walls or take out letters for post. One day when he was carrying a large bundle of bamboo poles for hanging the national flag, he accidentally bumped into Aisi.He heard a scream and recognized Aiz's voice.The bamboo pole just hit her on the head, and he hastily put down the bamboo pole from his hand, and Ai Si nearly fell again, because a piece of bamboo got entangled with her hair.Tom quickly untied her. He said in horror: I'm so sorry.Ace saw the worried look on his face.

It doesn't matter.She rubbed the back of her head where she had been hit. Are you injured? No, it doesn't matter. However, you are really hurt.Tom saw a thin streak of blood running near her temple.here!He pointed to the bloodstain and said. Ais pressed the wound with her hand, then walked to her office, took out a small mirror to examine her wound, and wiped off the blood with a handkerchief.Tom kept looking at her with concern. Be sure to stop the bleeding first.He said. Ace shifted her gaze from the mirror to his face, smiled and said: Why are you so nervous?It's just a little scratch.

Tom stammered: I'm sorry I was so careless.Do you have tape? Yes, it's upstairs in my room, can you fetch it for me?It's in the medicine cabinet above the bathroom. Tom rushes upstairs, where he sees Ace's room for the first time.The room contained an old desk, a wooden bed, and a screen behind which hung clothes on a coat rack.The table top was neat, and above the bed was an unpainted wooden shelf, on which were a collection of Chinese poetry and some novels.Except for a few dresses, no one would have guessed that this was a girl's room. He took the adhesive tape and rushed downstairs without stopping.Ace is arranging her hair, and Tom rips off the tape:

Can I post it for you? He borrowed a pair of scissors, cut a piece of adhesive tape according to the size of the wound, and gently pasted it on the wound. Eva and the other women were sewing the big flag and snickered at the sight of her brother.Tom looked over Alice's shoulder, stopping her with his gaze. Tom, Tom!Eva was still giggling, and when she stuck the needle into the red cloth, she couldn't help but bury her head on the table and laughed heartily.The other women knew what Eva was laughing at, and they smiled quietly too. After Tom put the tape on, Ace looked at her wound in the small mirror.Eva looked up, wiped the laughing tears from her eyes, and laughed again.Aiz looked around and saw everyone's smiling faces. How are you all so happy?she asked, then turned to Tom and said, Thank you, Tom. Ace then walked over to the phone and dialed the number for the Women's Rescue War Council office in Uptown. Hello!Mrs. Young.She said in Mandarin, have you found more girls to participate in fundraising work on the street?Yes, yes, we have to get more women to participate, there is not enough.Forty of us carried the national flag, and thirty of us were soliciting fundraisers on the street. The rest of us participated in the parade, probably only about eight to ten people, unless of course, of course I know I understand.Will your family come?Very good. Ace hung up the phone and muttered: Those Chinese modern ladies! She turned to the other women and said: It's no use, we can't persuade those rich women in the uptown to come to the parade.They think we are worthless.Ace said angrily, and then her voice softened again, but Mrs. Yang told me that she could send twenty people to participate in the fundraising work on the street.She's still fine, she's done her best.She brought some of her friends, and her whole family will come to the parade, so there are about 20 of us in the parade, isn't it very sad? alright!Mrs. Chen said, you don't need to find those fashionable women to join the street parade with the washerwomen.They just go to the Australian restaurants on Wall Street to dance and celebrate their national wealth.Yes, Chinatown is nothing to them. Mrs. Yang is not this kind of person.Alice said.Mrs. Yang can only speak Mandarin, so when contacting things in the lower city and the upper city, Ai Si is responsible for delivering the news.She and Mrs. Yang have never met, but they are always talking and laughing on the phone. Mrs. Yang is different from them, and her family is different. What are they fashionable people doing?Ai Si said, high heels, permed hair, proficient in English. That's it.Mrs. Chen echoed loudly, if you are rich, you don't take the country seriously; but the poor value the country more.These rich women live too comfortably.They never gave a little dirty money or a little time to a relief war, never. Tom sat listening to their talk and felt something burning inside him. As he left with Eva, he said to his sister: "Why are you laughing like that?"It made Miss Cai die of embarrassment. I can't help it!You don't know what your expression is, and what she looks like when she asks you to help her put the tape on. what does she look like She was so ashamed!She kept trying to look serious, but she still looked nervous.Tom, Tom.Eva giggled. Seriously, Eva!I want to learn Mandarin.I can study with Ms. Cai, and I can also teach her Cantonese or English. When they got home, Eva said to her mother: Mom!Tom thought he should learn Mandarin, he said he and Miss Cai could teach each other.He laughed out loud after he finished speaking, and then ran to the kitchen, where he kept laughing. From that day on, the conversation in the family often involved Tom and Aiz. My mother had a good impression of Ace: such a dignified girl, I really hope she can be with Tom. After that incident, every time Mom and Flora went to Chinatown, they paid special attention to Aisi and looked at her with special eyes.They often give advice to Tom, and Tom feels that learning Mandarin and Chinese literature is becoming more and more important to him.There is another equal sign in his heart: Chinese literature is equal to Aisi.Cai, Ai Si.Cai is also equal to Chinese literature. three Double Ten National Day is finally here.Around ten o'clock in the morning, men and women come to Chinatown.At eleven o'clock the women assembled at the school for their instructions.Mrs. Young came with her family, but no one else from Uptown came. Hi!Miss Cai.Mrs. Yang came to the office with her children.This is Tengfei, this is Xiaofei, this is Xiaosan, shake hands with Miss Cai, children. Aiz sat at a large table with many flags and pots and ribbons on it, surrounded by a large group of girls.When she saw Mrs. Yang, she stood up immediately.She had never seen a woman like Mrs. Yang, and as soon as she entered the room, she seemed to bring a warm and simple atmosphere.Her face was full of smiles, and her voice sounded so honest that it could only be felt rather than expressed. Just call me Ace.Miss Cai said. Okay, I'll call you Ace then, we always have a good time on the phone.Mrs. Yang is frank and sincere.Ace and other people who know her can feel the warm breath emanating from her.She shook hands with everyone, and she eagerly expressed her friendship, her pleasure, and her interest in them all.Ai Si thought that her mother was also as kind as Mrs. Yang, but she was not as kind and easy-going as Mrs. Yang.What a mother she is to her children, thinks Ace!She couldn't help getting close to Mrs. Yang and entertaining her with humility.The two of them united the council offices of the Uptown and Downtown. Mrs. Yang immediately participated in the details of their plan and got along with everyone without any barriers.That's what makes her attractive. Ace, I feel like you are my own daughter.She said this to Ace, and there was no doubt that she knew that Ace liked her.Ace immediately responded with the same enthusiasm: "That's right." It is my blessing to be your adopted daughter. Well!You can call me mom. They established a new relationship during this busy preparation.When the Feng family came to Chinatown, the whole family arrived at the school gate, and the man left. Only Tom followed his mother, sister-in-law, and younger sister to the school hall.There are people coming and going everywhere.Mrs. Feng was introduced to Mrs. Yang. They shook hands and Mrs. Yang said: Come meet my daughter, Ace. Mrs. Feng said in surprise: Is she your daughter? She is my adopted daughter.Mrs. Yang replied. When Mrs. Yang saw the only Italian girl, she stepped forward and said to her: I haven't had the honor of meeting you yet! I am Flora.Feng. Nice to meet you, Flora. Amidst the noise, they arranged the details of the parade.Some of the women went out to lunch by noon, but Ace was too busy to leave.Tom brought her a bowl of noodles from a nearby restaurant.Mrs. Feng looked at Ai Si at work with admiration. The parade starts at two o'clock in the afternoon.Megaphones in the street are announcing the program of the festival.A brass band was at the ready, and the streets were full of people, and everyone was already in their places.Tom and Eva and a bunch of other girls were in charge of carrying the big flag.Mrs. Feng, Flora, Ai Si, and Mrs. Yang all joined the parade. The women's group walked ahead of the men, and the flag followed.Participating groups also included the Chinese Sports Club, the Cantonese Opera Club, the Chinese Boy Scouts, the Chinese Music Club, stilt walkers, as well as masked pantomime troupes and lion dancers.Most of these people are from the Chinese Association. At about twelve fifty, Freddie and SeanToy shows up in Chinatown together.Xi Yin.Toy wears white boots, a red cloak, a skullcap tilted askew, and holds a guard of honor baton.Her place was on Bowery Street, that is, in front of the brass band. Freddie and Sean.Tooy was in such a hurry that he didn't even think to say hello to his family. Who's that woman walking with Freddie?Mrs. Feng asked. That is Xi Yin.Toy.Flora said in a low voice. Mrs. Feng felt as if a red ghost emerged from her feet, passed through her body, and then floated out from above her head, trailing a fiery red cloud behind her. Make me blind!Why did the gods treat me like this?Am I doing something wrong?she moaned.This incident absurdly made Mrs. Feng's legs go weak.This is really the strangest thing she has seen in the fifty years since she lived. Freddie took Sean.After being sent to her reserved place, Toy walked from Wentz Street to the city hall to wait for the mayor. The band started to play, and the leader who walked in front of the band was Xi Yin.Toy.They turned the corner and went down Mott Street.Women's groups are waiting in Pa.In front of Arthur's restaurant, follow the band as the preparation band walks by.Other groups waited at the corners of Park Street, Bayan Street, Bell Street, and Myberly Street. Xi Yin.Toy, juggling her guard of honor skillfully, strode forward, her white panties barely visible under her short, tight skirt.From the white boots to the top, the extremely plump legs are a replica of the American honor guard.The crowd standing on the sidewalk in the street and the people standing on the balcony cheered, Xi Yin.Toy raised her face, looked around and smiled at the crowd.Mrs. Feng couldn't help covering her eyes with her hands, as if she would die of shame. After the band passed, the women's group followed.Mrs. Feng saw Xi Yin.Toy's behavior was so angry that Flora had no choice but to force Mrs. Feng into the team.Why did God do this to me?She kept asking herself.Walking beside her were Flora, Ace, Mrs. Young, and Mrs. Young's daughter.Mrs. Feng looked around and saw that every household was flying the national flag of blue sky, white sun and red ground.The windows and balconies beside the street were crowded with people.The time it takes for the team to stop is longer than the time it takes to walk.So there are plenty of opportunities for them to talk or look around.Mrs. Yang and Ai Si talked constantly.From the corner of the street came the sound of drums and bells from the Cantonese opera club.The band played, and then their procession moved slowly forward again.When the band stopped playing, they could hear the drum and flute team of the Chinese Boy Scouts coming from behind.The sound of drums and bands lifts the mood. Mrs. Feng was very moved by this scene.When she came to the United States five years ago, she had no idea she would be parading behind a band in Chinatown with her American daughter-in-law.She still does not forget to pay attention to Ai Si, her ideal future daughter-in-law.Ace is wearing a blue-green sleeveless cheongsam.For Mrs. Feng, it was a little revealing, and she absolutely did not allow Eva to wear sleeveless clothes.But she also knows that this is a popular style in Shanghai.Ai Si is a dignified and responsible girl. The more Mrs. Feng looks at her, the more she seems to have stepped out of a picture. Will Tom be lucky enough to marry her? When the band moved forward, Mrs. Feng saw Xi Yin again.Toy is juggling a black and white ceremonial stick above his head.The band only has three rows, so Mrs. Feng always noticed Xi Yin.When Toy lifted her legs and stepped forward, her panties were exposed.Then the happy mood immediately darkened.Freddie took such a girl as his wife, what could he do to her?Freddy left home alone when he was fourteen.Why is there such a big difference between brothers and sisters?Why had she fathered a child like Freddie?Without a doubt, Sean.Toy would humiliate him. In the parade, each woman held a small national flag in her hand.Flora saw her parents standing on the sidewalk, and they saw her too, and Flora greeted them with the flag in her hand, and they laughed happily.Mrs. Feng also saw a few men she knew, but not her husband.He might be standing in the ranks of the Feng Clan Association!At the mouth of Bell Street, two stilt walkers and some Boy Scouts joined the procession. You think my Tom and Eva are all right!she asked Ace. oh!They must be good.It is impossible for them to get lost as they walk forward with the flag. How long do we have to go? Only eight to ten blocks.Down Canal Street, then Town Hall Square, and back around Bowery Street.But it will take a lot of time, and we often stop, because people on the street want to watch the show, and they have to put money on the national flag. Do you often speak English?Flora asked Ace who was walking on her left. Not often.I'm still in the learning stage.What I learned in China doesn't count, and the pronunciation here is not the same as what I learned in China. Flora!Mrs. Feng said, you change places with Ai Si, I want to talk to her. Ace, Flora said, you come here, I want to talk to Mrs. Yang. Ace, how old are you?Mrs. Feng asked. I am nineteen years old. You are a smart girl who can teach others the books of Confucius.How can a girl remember so many words? Ace smiled and said: I learned it at home. oh!I understand.Confucius' books are no longer taught in schools.Are your parents still there? Yes. Both Tom and Eva of my family have forgotten the Chinese books they have learned before.Can they learn from you?Would you like to teach them? I am happy to teach them. Maybe you want to learn English.Our Tom has a good command of English. Now that the procession had reached Canal Street, all traffic stopped to let them pass. Check out this parade!Mrs. Feng then returned to the original topic.Tom will graduate from high school next year.I plan on sending him to college, and me!I am the washerman's wife.America is a good country, don't you think?Look at that policeman on horseback, his uniform is so clean.But Tom needs to read a little about Confucius. It is my pleasure to teach them, Mrs. Feng.Alice said with a smile. At the corner of Mowberry and Kenal Streets, Mrs. Fung saw her brother, dressed in black, standing with a large group of businessmen.Uncle Cheng stretched his neck and looked around. When he saw his sister and Flora, he waved desperately to them.Flora and Mrs. Feng also greeted him.Mrs. Yang and Flora walked together quietly, occasionally exchanging a few words in English. After rounding the town hall square, they walked back down the Bowery.The time is half past two.The parade team gradually disbanded, and those who participated in the parade went to the homes of relatives and friends in nearby places. Mrs. Feng, Flora and the women's group went back to the Chinese school for a rest.Tom and Eva came back soon too. How much did you collect on the flag? I have no idea.Eva replied, and everyone put in a little something.Some people lost banknotes, and even Americans were happy to donate some money.Another person poured from a bronze vase upstairs.Dimes and quarters are much better.They are counting now! After a while, Eva stood up again and said: Give me an empty jar, there are so many people on the street today. are not you tired? Not tired. Ace registers the empty can and hands it to Eva, who walks out quickly. Did you see your father?Mom asked Tom. see.We met him on the road, and he said he had gone to his uncle's shop. The women were taking a tea break while Essie and Mrs Young were busy counting the money raised in the street, each girl coming in with a jar full of coins.Mrs. Feng said that she would also go to her uncle's shop. Don't go now, la.Mayor Gautier is due to make a speech at half past three.Flora said. The hall of the school was full of people.There are no other places in Chinatown to give lectures except here.There are only two hundred seats in the school.They quickly heard from the microphone that the mayor had arrived.All the older people from Chinatown came too.pull.Mayor Gautier often sided with China, so the voters in Chinatown voted for him and supported him. Freddy stuck a red carnation in his buttonhole, leading the way for the mayor, and the hall was full of noise and chaos.The organizers installed a loudspeaker on the street so that people who couldn't get in could stand outside and listen.They sang the Chinese national anthem first, and then the president of the United Philanthropy Center introduced La.Mayor Gautier took the stage and began his speech. The women on the Women's Committee are all seated in the front seats.The mayor is a very dramatic person. During his speech, he made funny faces for a while, posed for a while, gnawed on the frame of his glasses, tilted his head, suddenly raised his short and thick hands, and then slammed them on the table.All Mrs. Feng noticed was his tongue. He could see his tongue when he opened his mouth, or when he wet his lips at the end of a sentence.pull.Mayor Gautier's speeches are very short, and he is also good at using some amazing words.Generally speaking, his speech was to the point, clear and powerful.He spoke very slowly, and tried to speak every word clearly so that each word had its effect. Americans say to the Chinese: We love you.He made an exaggerated hug gesture. But Confucius said to the American people: Give me guns.He clasped his hands together in front of his chest, and made a prayer posture. His funny appearance made everyone laugh. After he finished speaking, he walked off the stage, shook hands with the elders, and patted the cheeks of the children. Freddie showed his social instincts again, walking up to shake the mayor's hand, and the photographers snapped at just the right moment. Mr. Mayor, can I introduce my sister-in-law to you, she is an Italian who married us Chinese. That's great.It's a pity that Marco Polo didn't marry a beautiful Chinese girl and took her back to Venice. Freddy waved to Flora, and Flora stepped forward flattered and shook hands with the mayor. May I have your name? Flora, Flora.Mike. where is your father Just live on Kener Street. Flora, you have a good name, luckily you are not called Ferreira, I hate little flowers.He made a grimace again and said, when you give birth to a little Chinese boy, call him Marco.Polo, send him back to China to write another great book on China.We know so little about this ancient cultural country.