Toward the North Read online

  Translated by John Edward Stowe and Norah Creedon.

  “The West Nile Virus” was originally published in People’s Literature, No. 6, 2008.

  1Li Ruiying and Luo Jing are well known news anchors of the Chinese Central TV.

  Hana no Maru

  SHIHENG

  ON MONDAY MORNING, before Tao Ran left for her job interview at the seafood restaurant Hana no Maru, her friend called and said, “If the lady owner asks if you are married, just say no.”

  “Why?”

  “Don’t you see? A married woman will not be that attractive to men. That’s all. Besides, in the view of most Japanese people, a married woman stays at home for her husband. That is, she would hardly be out at night. Once the lady owner knows the truth about you and is uncertain whether you will be able to do your best for the customers, she won’t put you on the evening shift. But evenings yield the best tips.”

  Tao Ran responded abruptly, “I won’t work as a bargirl. You know that.”

  “Relax. That restaurant is legit. The lady owner herself caters to her customers by eating and drinking with them now and then. But the young female employee she is looking for will only be for washing dishes and serving tables.”

  Hana no Maru is located on Akasaka Street. Not as famous as Ueno Street, Akasaka marks a quasi-red-light district of Tokyo. During the day, dwarfed by the modern and flamboyant high rises, Akasaka appears to be a street from the past—both narrow and long. Many shops flanking the street hang posters made of rough cloth, on which there are Japanese patterns painted in blue. There are also shop signs in kanji and lanterns used as sign-boards. All these decorations retain and display the long tradition of Japanese culture.

  The sign with the image of a carp in the window told Tao Ran that she had reached her destination. The lady owner, Hanako, surprised Tao Ran with her casual clothes and appearance. She did not ask about Tao Ran’s marital status but only, “When can you start working?”

  Tao Ran answered as if she was reciting from a book: “I have classes in afternoons and assignments in evenings. During weekends, I have experiments to do. Generally, I am available in the morning and at noon.”

  The lady owner’s tone showed a little surprise: “Is that so! But you must work Friday evenings. Otherwise I won’t be able to handle it.” Since it had not been easy for Tao Ran to find a job, she did not want to lose this opportunity, so she said yes.

  In the next few days, the owner said almost nothing to Tao Ran. She showed up in the restaurant around eleven o’clock every morning to repeat the same ritual: she sat quietly in a corner, ate a sashimi meal, and had a bowl of miso soup. Her face looked half awake and half asleep. Tao Ran never heard her discuss the restaurant’s operation with the two chefs, nor bark orders to Sato San. Usually she’d vanish without a trace after her meal. However, it was clear that the three smitten male workers strove to please her. With or without the presence of the female boss, business in the restaurant always proceeded in an orderly way. Hanako routinely appeared in the restaurant, becoming the focus of the three men, and generating certain tensions in the otherwise relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant. The forty-something chef worked more dexterously with the tuna chunks, while stealing quick glances at Hanako eating her food, just to see if she was happy with his dish. The assistant chef, a white-faced young man, appeared to be shy and awkward when he brought her tea and soup. During this time, Sato would look for this and that to order Tao Ran to do. His intention and effort to impress his boss were clearly written all over his face.

  Sato asked Tao Ran to clean the washroom. On her way there, as she turned the corner, she almost bumped into a man just coming out. As she was about to apologize, the man, holding a garbage bag in his hand, began to speak to her in Chinese: “You don’t need to do anything in this washroom. I have just cleaned it.”

  Seeing her confusion, he went on: “My name is Husheng.1 I also work here. But I have been mostly on night and morning shifts. That’s why we have not met. But we will get to know each other as time goes on.” When he finished speaking, he hurried out to dump the garbage. He was not seen again in the restaurant that day.

  Busy as she was all the time, Tao Ran still tried to figure out what kind of a person the owner was. Hanako did not possess the flexibility and liveliness of a young girl, nor the sternness and tendency to nag of a middle-aged woman. Her actions demonstrated the maturity of a woman in her thirties, while her pale face and her swollen eyelids showed that she missed her sleep. She was a little taller than most Japanese women. She wore something most women in Japan dared not put on—a pair of flowery-print pants that were fairly tight for her strong legs. The white crewneck t-shirt and dark blue cardigan made her look both casual and elegant at the same time. Her facial features suggested mystery: she had light brown eyes, a high nose, and full lips. At the same time, the shape of her face, her skin tone, and hair colour were absolutely Asian.2 But what struck Tao Ran as most difficult to comprehend was the facial expression Hanako often wore, a look as airy and soft as a cloud, too far away and ambiguous for anyone to be sure about.

  On Thursday afternoon, after she finished washing all the bowls, plates, and chopsticks, Tao Ran took off her work clothes, the kimono of blue rough cloth, and rushed to the railway stop on Akasaka. It was her bad luck to run into Sato, who was also running to the train. This male yenta3 asked countless questions of Tao Ran, including her age and marital status.

  Tao Ran responded with her own question: “You look over forty—are you married?”

  Sato raised a finger. “I am a one-time-crossed-out.”4 Because Tao Ran couldn’t follow him, he continued, “That means I divorced once, and am now single.”

  Seeing the expectation on his face, Tao Ran put away any further inquiries and changed the topic: “Oh, Hanako, our boss, is fairly pretty, isn’t she?”

  Sato became elated immediately. “I got to know Hanako long ago. She and I are old friends. When a trading company was ready to offer me a position, Hanako happened to telephone me about her need for help in her restaurant. So I gave up a more prestigious and lucrative job, and ended up working here to help her out.”

  Sato continued, remarking mysteriously to Tao Ran, “Don’t you think that Hanako looks half? She is from Okinawa. You know Okinawa, right? The southernmost part of Japan. Have you heard of the Ryukyu Islands? There are U.S. military bases, where many U.S. soldiers are stationed all year long.” He winked slyly. “Hanako came to Tokyo from Okinawa when she was still a teenager to learn kabuki, and she became good at playing music, chess, and dancing. She then worked as a bargirl at a bar in Ginza. That was where and when I got to know her. All the waitresses in that bar were very attractive. The admission was 50,000 yen.5 There were even some Chinese girls like you. In their close-fitting Chinese dresses, which emphasized their breasts, waists, hips, and legs, they….” He began to look as if he were intoxicated with too much sake. He said, “Now Hanako owns a restaurant, while I have become an employee working for her.”

  Tao Ran responded, “She is so smart. I thought she inherited this restaurant from her family. Now I know she started it herself.”

  “Eh, started it herself?” Sato was quite indignant. “Have you seen Kawasaki San, the Oji San,6 who is often in our restaurant to help out? He is the actual owner! Kawasaki is also an old customer of Hanako’s and the president of a big company.”

  Continuing their conversation, they came to a crossroads where they had to part ways. Sato said with all eagerness, “Tao San, let me treat you to dinner this Saturday.”

  Tao Ran smiled and said mischievously, “I have to eat with my husband that day. Sato San, be careful. Try not to pick the wrong person again to avoid being crossed out for the second time.”

  On Friday evening, when Tao Ran arrived at work as usual, there was indeed an Oji San over sixty working busily in the restaurant. Sato winked, indicating this old man w
as Kawasaki. Tao Ran said hello to everyone and went straight to work.

  After dark, Akasaka came to life with all the noises of the night. Customers filed into Hana no Maru. Hanako had knotted her hair on top of her head and put on a pair of wooden clogs. She wore thick powder on her face and a light purple kimono. Matching the coolness and chill of the autumn, purple-coloured maple leaves, in various shades, spread from the collar to the very bottom of her kimono.

  With her sleeves swinging in the fall wind, Hanako stood at the entrance greeting every customer with a bow and words of welcome. She then served the tea that Tao Ran had prepared. Sporting a charming smile, Hanako chatted quietly with the customers, old and new.

  She had memorized the name of every old customer. “Ah, President Watanabe, you weren’t here in the past few days? How’s your health? I will get them to bring the half bottle of Scotch you did not finish the last time. They will have dry plums and ice cubes for you as well.” To customers coming for the first time, she was instantly familiar as if they were family members. “You, sir, you look so much like Toyokawa Etuji San.7 Are you sure you are not his brother?” Or “You are just so handsome!” Taking small, quick steps, she moved between tables to light customers’ cigarettes, pour tea, or serve wine while chatting and laughing with everyone. She also yielded to the request of a customer to pick up a wine cup for a sip. With her skill, she manipulated all these male customers so that in no time the twenty or so seats in the restaurant were all occupied. After a few rounds of wine, both the customers and the owner had flushed faces. Then Hanako would turn on the karaoke machine. Holding the microphone, she would sing, in a shaking voice, a song popular at the time. As the half-drunk customers, rocking left and right with the rhythm, sang along with her, the atmosphere in Hana no Maru would reach its climax for the night.

  Like her boss, Tao Ran kept herself busy. She poured tea, jotted down orders, brought cigarettes, filled wine cups, served soups and dishes, and removed empty utensils while she took time to wash piles of dishes and bowls. Her clothes were wet with sweat. As soon as it struck eleven o’clock, without even saying goodbye to Hanako, she punched her card and ran like a shot out of the restaurant, shutting out the noises of songs and laughter inside the restaurant.

  As usual, October in Tokyo brought cool breezes. With neon lights flashing, Akasaka at midnight radiated charm and glamour. Like Hanako, Akasaka was doing its best to attract visitors. Rows of bars and restaurants satisfied countless working men with good food and beautiful women, squeezing their wallets empty, and then spat them onto the street one by one, leaving the autumn wind to take them home to their wives. Tao Ran was amazed to see that Hanako operated as a totally different person at night. She played her male customers with such ease, seducing them for their money. She was not into the marriage business, but she certainly did not have any qualms sharing these men’s salaries with their wives.

  When a drunk blocked her way one evening as she left the restaurant, murmuring inarticulately, “I would like to treat you to a cup of coffee,” Tao Ran jumped aside, and tried to continue on her journey.

  “Tao Ran, it is me, Husheng. It is still early, and I would like to buy you a cup of coffee.” He repeated his invitation.

  There was no doubt at all in Tao’s mind what this coffee invitation meant. The man’s next question would be “Can I come to your apartment tonight?” He would not take her to a Love Hotel, for it would not be worth wasting money on a one-night stand like this. If it was mutual, neither person needed to spend any money, which would be fair to both sides. Tao Ran had sternly rejected numerous such fools. But, as time went by, she learned that these lonely and hardworking men had their good manners and courtesy. They too had rules they would follow. They would not get angry when turned down. On the contrary, looking sorry, they would apologize and look elsewhere for their next target, someone either emerging from a metro entrance or walking along the street. To be sure, with so many women in this world, a man can find one who is a match for him.

  Standing before Tao Ran, Husheng said quietly, “I just want to chat with someone, someone from China.”

  “It would be even better if this someone is a woman from China, right?” Tao Ran said sarcastically.

  “I have not spoken Chinese for a long time. I really just want to chat with you for a little while.”

  Seeing the timid and begging look in his eyes, Tao Ran agreed and followed him into a café called Dream Waking. The café, dark and crowded, was no more than twenty square feet. The space was so tight, a person could easily walk into a table or chair. In the hall, Teresa Teng’s song “Lover” filled the space. Ever since she died in Thailand, Teng’s fans in Japan have been playing this song in her memory.

  Each sitting before a cup of coffee, the two were silent, simply adding sugar and cream into the cups and stirring with small silver spoons. The spoons hitting the thin and fine porcelain cups broke, just a little, the silence between them.

  Husheng finally spoke. “Do you know that Hanako is Chinese?” Tao Ran was so shocked that she almost spit out the coffee she had just taken into her mouth.

  “It is true; her mother was a Chinese living in the Philippines. After the war, an old Japanese soldier took her to his hometown Okinawa, and he became Hanako’s father. But later on, as Hanako became more and more pretty and began to look like a mixed-race child, he started beating the mother. Unable to find out who the real father was, the old solider threw the mother and daughter out of the house. That was why Hanako and her mother came to Tokyo.”

  “Is it true that Hanako’s real father was a U.S. soldier?”

  “Nobody knows. Her mother died a long time ago without ever telling her anything. But she was a woman who grew up in the Philippines and was fluent in English. The old Japanese soldier was good for nothing else but gulping down sake and using Hanako’s mother to satisfy his sexual desire.”

  “How did you get to know Hanako?”

  “Well, that is another sad story.” With a sip of his coffee, Husheng began. “I came to Japan as a student. I was in school for the entire first year, while at the same time I worked to make money for my tuition in order to keep my immigration status. Every day was the same. This made me feel fettered, and I often woke up suddenly in the middle of the night. One day, I returned home after work only to find that my wife had disappeared. She took all her jewels and our entire savings. I knew that, disappointed in me, she could not stand the loneliness and poverty any more. I did not hate her for taking away our money, but I was upset because she was already two months pregnant with my baby. To look for her, I quit my language school, became an illegal immigrant and worked all day long to make money. In my spare time, I went one by one to the bars to look for her. It was at Cherry Bloom, a high-end bar, where I got to know Hanako.”

  “But did you find your wife?” Tao Ran was eager to know what happened to this couple.

  “Yes,” he answered. “But she told me that she was not pregnant with my child. The father was actually Kawasaki Syacho, head of the Big River Electronic Corporation.”

  “Kawasaki! Which Kawasaki?”

  “The same old man whom you saw helping Hanako in our restaurant this evening.” Seeing that Tao Ran had nearly finished her coffee, he asked if she would like to have something else. She ordered a plum wine. The plum soaked in the amber-coloured wine looked greener than usual in contrast to the shiny ice cubes. And it left a faint but soothing fragrance in the mouth.

  Husheng got himself another coffee, to which he added only one lump of sugar. Tao Ran noticed that his fingers trembled slighting as he held the silver spoon to stir his coffee. Sinking into memories of his past, he continued with his story.

  “A fellow townsman of mine used to work as a bartender at Cherry Bloom. From him I learned that Hanako was also Kawasaki’s lover. So I began to frequent that bar. Somehow, during the first evening, when I was sitting there alone an
d bored, she left two oily-faced Japanese men to come over to talk to me. She asked me if I was Chinese. Telling her I was, I asked if she thought Chinese people were too poor to be looking for women in a bar like this one. She smiled and did not seem to mind. She told me that she was half Chinese, and said she had not seen any Chinese people in the bar before. On a hunch, she knew I was not Japanese.

  “We began to see each other. When I went to that bar in Ginza, except for the fifty thousand yen I spent as my entrance fee, the rest of the costs for tea and sweets and whatnot were all taken care of by her. She is very good-hearted, though she does not have much education, unlike a Beijing woman like you who keeps studying and earning different degrees. She is not like my ex-wife, either. A Shanghai woman like my ex would do anything for money.” He seemed to be still filled with anger.

  “Once I asked Hanako what she would do when she became too old to drink with her customers. She did not know. I told her that, of the many women who came from the countryside to Tokyo to make a living, lots of them would first drink with the customers, and then eventually have someone buy a shop or bar to become owners themselves. Hanako approached Kawasaki, who in turn agreed to help her. The result is the Hana no Maru restaurant. Of course, Kawasaki is no fool. He is the sole owner of the restaurant, but he gives Hanako sixty percent of profit.”

  Tao Ran said, “With so many customers, business at Hana no Maru seems to be going quite well.”

  “That’s true, owing largely to Kawasaki. Having many director friends from big companies, he brought them all, one after another, to our restaurant. His friends were happy to spend their money here after having a good time with marvelous food and beautiful women.”

  Tao Ran immediately saw the pride in his eyes and at the corners of his mouth as he smiled. He turned around and ordered his third cup of coffee. Tao Ran asked, “Will you be able to sleep tonight after so much coffee?”

  He said, “I have another job working as a janitor during the day. So far, I have worked twelve hours today. And I will have to stay here till dawn so that I can, when Hanako closes up, take her home.” His eyes were bloodshot, and a lock of his hair hung limply on his forehead.