she doted and whom she treated with unwavering courtesy. She merely curled her lip and said:
“Buying a rickshaw takes time, even for someone who thinks he’s made of steel. What you need is a good rest.” She saw he wasn’t listening. “All right,” she said, “do it your way, but don’t blame me if you drop dead along the way.”
Fourth Master Liu wasn’t pleased with Xiangzi, either; going out early and returning late after driving himself to the point of exhaustion was bad for the rickshaw. Rental agreements were good for the entire day, with no restrictions on when rickshaws were taken out or brought back in. But if every puller worked as hard as Xiangzi, the rickshaws would be worn out six months before their time. Even the sturdiest vehicle could not stand such punishing treatment. And that was not all the old man lost. Neglecting everything but hauling fares meant that Xiangzi had no time to clean rickshaws and help out with other chores. No wonder Liu was unhappy. But he kept it to himself, since all-day rentals were the rule in the trade, and doing odd jobs in the yard was an act of friendship, not an obligation. It would have been unseemly for a man of Liu’s reputation to complain to Xiangzi, so all he could do was cast disapproving looks out of the corner of his eye and keep his lips clamped shut. At times he felt like throwing Xiangzi out, but he didn’t dare, because of his daughter. While he did not see Xiangzi as a prospective son-in-law, he avoided anything that might upset Huniu, who seemed to have her eye on the impetuous young man. He had only one daughter, a woman with no marriage prospects, and chasing away her friend would have been unwise. There was no denying that she was a big help in the yard, and he selfishly was in no hurry for her to get married; maybe his guilty feelings made him a little afraid of her. All his life, he had feared neither heaven nor earth, only to arrive at old age afraid of his own daughter! He was able to rationalize the embarrassment by attributing his fear of her as proof that he was not totally heartless, and that on his deathbed he would not have to suffer retribution for his misdeeds. Acknowledging a fear of his daughter justified not driving Xiangzi away. That was not to say he would brook any nonsense from her in regard to marrying the man. Absolutely not. He could see that this had crossed her mind, but Xiangzi had so far not taken advantage of that to improve his situation.
All Liu had to do was be watchful—no sense upsetting his daughter.
Xiangzi was oblivious to Fourth Master’s watchful eye, for he had no time to worry about such things. If he decided to leave Harmony Shed, it would not be personal; a monthly hire was the only thing that could lure him away. He’d grown tired of picking up passengers on the street, partly because the other men hated him for stealing their fares and partly because his income varied so widely from day to day—more today, less tomorrow—making it impossible to predict when he’d have enough to buy his rickshaw. For him, a steady income was the best, even if he could make a little more picking up stray fares. That way he’d know exactly how much he could put away each month, which brought hope and peace of mind. He was a man who liked things neat and tidy.
Xiangzi found his monthly hire, but it turned out no better than picking up stray fares. Mr. Yang was from Shanghai, his wife was from Tianjin, and his concubine was from Suzhou. One man, two wives, a brood of children, and a host of local dialects. Xiangzi’s head was spinning his first day on the job. The man’s wife called him out bright and early to go to market. After that, he had to deliver the young masters and mistresses to their respective schools: kindergarten, primary, and middle. Different schools, different ages, and different appearances, but each one as unpleasant as the next, especially when riding in the rickshaw; even the best-behaved among
“Buying a rickshaw takes time, even for someone who thinks he’s made of steel. What you need is a good rest.” She saw he wasn’t listening. “All right,” she said, “do it your way, but don’t blame me if you drop dead along the way.”
Fourth Master Liu wasn’t pleased with Xiangzi, either; going out early and returning late after driving himself to the point of exhaustion was bad for the rickshaw. Rental agreements were good for the entire day, with no restrictions on when rickshaws were taken out or brought back in. But if every puller worked as hard as Xiangzi, the rickshaws would be worn out six months before their time. Even the sturdiest vehicle could not stand such punishing treatment. And that was not all the old man lost. Neglecting everything but hauling fares meant that Xiangzi had no time to clean rickshaws and help out with other chores. No wonder Liu was unhappy. But he kept it to himself, since all-day rentals were the rule in the trade, and doing odd jobs in the yard was an act of friendship, not an obligation. It would have been unseemly for a man of Liu’s reputation to complain to Xiangzi, so all he could do was cast disapproving looks out of the corner of his eye and keep his lips clamped shut. At times he felt like throwing Xiangzi out, but he didn’t dare, because of his daughter. While he did not see Xiangzi as a prospective son-in-law, he avoided anything that might upset Huniu, who seemed to have her eye on the impetuous young man. He had only one daughter, a woman with no marriage prospects, and chasing away her friend would have been unwise. There was no denying that she was a big help in the yard, and he selfishly was in no hurry for her to get married; maybe his guilty feelings made him a little afraid of her. All his life, he had feared neither heaven nor earth, only to arrive at old age afraid of his own daughter! He was able to rationalize the embarrassment by attributing his fear of her as proof that he was not totally heartless, and that on his deathbed he would not have to suffer retribution for his misdeeds. Acknowledging a fear of his daughter justified not driving Xiangzi away. That was not to say he would brook any nonsense from her in regard to marrying the man. Absolutely not. He could see that this had crossed her mind, but Xiangzi had so far not taken advantage of that to improve his situation.
All Liu had to do was be watchful—no sense upsetting his daughter.
Xiangzi was oblivious to Fourth Master’s watchful eye, for he had no time to worry about such things. If he decided to leave Harmony Shed, it would not be personal; a monthly hire was the only thing that could lure him away. He’d grown tired of picking up passengers on the street, partly because the other men hated him for stealing their fares and partly because his income varied so widely from day to day—more today, less tomorrow—making it impossible to predict when he’d have enough to buy his rickshaw. For him, a steady income was the best, even if he could make a little more picking up stray fares. That way he’d know exactly how much he could put away each month, which brought hope and peace of mind. He was a man who liked things neat and tidy.
Xiangzi found his monthly hire, but it turned out no better than picking up stray fares. Mr. Yang was from Shanghai, his wife was from Tianjin, and his concubine was from Suzhou. One man, two wives, a brood of children, and a host of local dialects. Xiangzi’s head was spinning his first day on the job. The man’s wife called him out bright and early to go to market. After that, he had to deliver the young masters and mistresses to their respective schools: kindergarten, primary, and middle. Different schools, different ages, and different appearances, but each one as unpleasant as the next, especially when riding in the rickshaw; even the best-behaved among
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