Falling Leaves: The True Story of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter (35 page)

Up to the last, her anxieties were centred on the loved ones she must leave behind. She wanted to give me strength to come

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to terms with all my hurt. I nestled on the bed next to her thin, frail body … the way I used to as a child when sleep would evade me because things were terrible and life seemed devoid of hope. And she comforted me, just as in the past, by stroking my hair and telling me a story. She called it ’The Incurable Wound’.

’A long time ago, there lived a child called Lingling who was a good artist. After her mother’s death, her father’s favourite concubine began to maltreat her by showing preference towards her own children. Lingling had no one to play with and spent her time painting. Her pictures became famous and were sold for many taels of silver. Her stepmother now grew jealous. One night, she crept up to Lingling’s bed and stuck a dirty nail into the child’s hand, spreading faeces on the nail to cause an infection.

’In a few days, Lingling’s hand became red and swollen. Though the nail was removed, pus poured from the wound. However, Lingling continued to paint.

’Now a strange thing happened. The wound never healed, but Lingling’s paintings became better and better. The more the pus exuded, the greater the beauty of her work. In the whole of China, there was nothing like it. The pain in her hand seemed to imbue Lingling with an essence of invincibility, enabling her to zhan er bi sheng, dou er bi ke (prevail in every battle, overcome each adversity).

’The Emperor himself heard of Lingling’s masterpieces. She was summoned to the palace to paint the portrait of the crown prince. They fell in love and married. However, despite the administration of innumerable poultices prescribed by the best doctors in China, Lingling’s wound would not heal. She continued to paint superbly until her death at a ripe old age.’

Her words were like a gentle breeze, blowing away the dark clouds. Her belief in my worth had always sustained me throughout all my difficult passages. And now, her story touched me with the artistry of a magic wand, bringing harmony and solace.

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Day after day, as I sat beside her and watched her lapse into a coma from which she never woke, I believed that my nearness would help her along her final journey. Reflecting on her eighty-nine years, which had spanned most of the twentieth century, I realized how wise my mother had been to entrust me to the care of my remarkable aunt. In her modest and unassuming way, she had guided me towards a spirit of independence which she herself had manifested by rebuffing Niang and remaining in Shanghai. Aunt Baba was not one to dwell on the bitter hardships she suffered during the Cultural Revolution. Love, generosity and humour never left her.

Life had come full circle. Luo ye gui gen. (Falling leaves return to their roots.) I felt a wave of repose, a peaceful serenity.

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Index

Baba, Aunt n, 14,16,18,19, 2.0, 21^

24, 2.8, 39, 41, 44, 83-4, 108,

in, 219, 271-4

and Adeline 59-60, 61-2, 73, 86 at the Women’s Bank 52-3, 76, 80,

193

financial dependence 49-50, 75, 83 household, charge of 25, 29, 32-3,

38,88,89

life in Communist China 87,

201-3, 204, 2P5, 218, 222-6,

271-4

Bai-lun Soon, Byron 157, 158-73 <, Beijing 87, 93, 227

California 162-3

Chiang Kai-shek 22, 30, 82, 87,136

Chien, Miss 55, 56, 89,193,194-5.,

197, 202, 252-3

child slaves 100

Ching, Martin 151,151-4,157,

158-9,160 Chun, Professor Daphne 144-5,

149

Cold War 138 Communist China

’blacks’ 203

campaigns and purges 194,198-9,

201, 204 Cultural Revolution 138,139,180,

205,225,226,230 four class system 224-5 Great Leap Forward 199 People’s Republic of China

declared 88

Communists 22, 82, 87, 88-9, 92, 93,

94, 118-19, !?4 Crawford, Alcenith 207, 208

Decker, Karl 128-31,134,135,137,

139-40 Deng Xiaoping 204, 205, 218

earthquake (1976) 2045

foot binding 5, n Frederick, Uncle 90,196, \yj

Gang of Four 205 Gold Yuan Certificates 83, 81 Grand Aunt 5, 7, 8-9,15,17, 75-^

87,197,198,204

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