while the police chief kept fuming. He cursed incessantly, his body shivering and his high-booted feet fidgeting. When the cold breeze blew in my direction, a strong stench of alcohol wafted into my nostrils. Everyone remained deadly quiet, intently watching what was going to happen next. It astonished me that, amid this crisis, some sisters looked entertained, as if they were watching a Peking opera comedy.
The chief's venomous words rolled out across the chill night air. "Promise me you'll whip this slut till her skin blossoms and her flesh rots! And I mean it, you get it?!"
Now Mama and De yapped simultaneously, "You have our word, Chief!"
The dark face snorted. His voice slashed the night air like a sword. "Huh! If not," he swung his gun toward the two kneeling figures, "beware of your brains! "
The pitiful duo paraded more kowtows.
Then suddenly, hands shaking, the police chief turned to aim the gun at Spring Moon's head. A collective gasp resonated in the air. Spring Moon closed her eyes. The pool of blood slowly crept along the ground as if it had a miserable life of its own.
Eager faces, shining with curiosity, excitement, and fear, waited for the "bang!" to climax the evening. I felt my heart almost jump out of my chest.
Just then, to everyone's surprise, Pearl pushed through the group, stepped forward, and wriggled up to the police chief. The evil-faced stinking male turned to stare at her, now not quite sure whether to shoot or not.
Pearl wet her lips and put on her best smile. "Aii-ya, Chief Che," her voice sounded as if it had been soaked for hours in a honey jar, "why fret over a little girl? Didn't you just say that she's but a stinky stuff, a worthless slut, a whore?"
The chief kicked Spring Moon's shoulder; his boots glinted menacingly under the pale moonlight. "Yeh! Stinky stuff! Soondrop-dead bitch! "
Spring Moon moaned; Pearl quickly added, "So don't you think it's not worth your bullet, Chief? Besides, why fret over a piece of dirt, just needlessly stirring your qi and harming your health? It's not worth it at all." Now seeing that the police chief had calmed down a bit, she ventured to put her hand on his shoulder. "Chief Che, you came here to get entertainment, not to get angry, right? We need you to be happy so you can take good care of our society by protecting us against all wrongs." She turned to wink at the onlookers. "Right?! "
Everybody nodded and uttered a loud "Yes!"
Slowly, Pearl moved her hand to cover the gun, then began to caress the chief's arm while slowly guiding the weapon back to its holster-like a snake returning to its hole. After that, she slipped her arm around the chief's. "Come on, Chief Che, let's forget this piece of scum and have some fun. I'll treat you to a glass of champagne, or," she winked, "anything that takes your fancy." Now she ventured to touch the chief's cheek, her red-painted nails sparkling eerily under the yellowish lantern light. "I promise you the wine is imported from France and you'll love it just as you love justice." Her gaze swept around the audience before she turned back to the chief, wetting her lips. "And I'll never say `no' to a big-shot customer like you. Not that I'm stupid or smart, it's simply because I can't afford to turn down righteousness!"
"Well said!" The group clapped.
Finally, with a stunning smile, Pearl wriggled her water-snake waist and led the staggering police chief away.
Waiting until they were out of sight, people let out a collective sigh of relief. Then some stooped to examine Spring Moon. Blood continued to ooze from her arm where the bullet had grazed her. Some simply stared blankly, as if disappointed that the incident had turned out to be an anticlimax with no killing. Fang Rong ordered two of the guards to take the poor girl back to the pavilion.
I sneaked up to her and asked, "Mama, shouldn't we get her to the hospital?"
She shot me a dirty look. "Hospital? Ah, what big talk! But who's going to pay? You?
The chief's venomous words rolled out across the chill night air. "Promise me you'll whip this slut till her skin blossoms and her flesh rots! And I mean it, you get it?!"
Now Mama and De yapped simultaneously, "You have our word, Chief!"
The dark face snorted. His voice slashed the night air like a sword. "Huh! If not," he swung his gun toward the two kneeling figures, "beware of your brains! "
The pitiful duo paraded more kowtows.
Then suddenly, hands shaking, the police chief turned to aim the gun at Spring Moon's head. A collective gasp resonated in the air. Spring Moon closed her eyes. The pool of blood slowly crept along the ground as if it had a miserable life of its own.
Eager faces, shining with curiosity, excitement, and fear, waited for the "bang!" to climax the evening. I felt my heart almost jump out of my chest.
Just then, to everyone's surprise, Pearl pushed through the group, stepped forward, and wriggled up to the police chief. The evil-faced stinking male turned to stare at her, now not quite sure whether to shoot or not.
Pearl wet her lips and put on her best smile. "Aii-ya, Chief Che," her voice sounded as if it had been soaked for hours in a honey jar, "why fret over a little girl? Didn't you just say that she's but a stinky stuff, a worthless slut, a whore?"
The chief kicked Spring Moon's shoulder; his boots glinted menacingly under the pale moonlight. "Yeh! Stinky stuff! Soondrop-dead bitch! "
Spring Moon moaned; Pearl quickly added, "So don't you think it's not worth your bullet, Chief? Besides, why fret over a piece of dirt, just needlessly stirring your qi and harming your health? It's not worth it at all." Now seeing that the police chief had calmed down a bit, she ventured to put her hand on his shoulder. "Chief Che, you came here to get entertainment, not to get angry, right? We need you to be happy so you can take good care of our society by protecting us against all wrongs." She turned to wink at the onlookers. "Right?! "
Everybody nodded and uttered a loud "Yes!"
Slowly, Pearl moved her hand to cover the gun, then began to caress the chief's arm while slowly guiding the weapon back to its holster-like a snake returning to its hole. After that, she slipped her arm around the chief's. "Come on, Chief Che, let's forget this piece of scum and have some fun. I'll treat you to a glass of champagne, or," she winked, "anything that takes your fancy." Now she ventured to touch the chief's cheek, her red-painted nails sparkling eerily under the yellowish lantern light. "I promise you the wine is imported from France and you'll love it just as you love justice." Her gaze swept around the audience before she turned back to the chief, wetting her lips. "And I'll never say `no' to a big-shot customer like you. Not that I'm stupid or smart, it's simply because I can't afford to turn down righteousness!"
"Well said!" The group clapped.
Finally, with a stunning smile, Pearl wriggled her water-snake waist and led the staggering police chief away.
Waiting until they were out of sight, people let out a collective sigh of relief. Then some stooped to examine Spring Moon. Blood continued to ooze from her arm where the bullet had grazed her. Some simply stared blankly, as if disappointed that the incident had turned out to be an anticlimax with no killing. Fang Rong ordered two of the guards to take the poor girl back to the pavilion.
I sneaked up to her and asked, "Mama, shouldn't we get her to the hospital?"
She shot me a dirty look. "Hospital? Ah, what big talk! But who's going to pay? You?
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