it. But she looked content. Unlike other children her age, Peony didn’t need fancy toys or games to entertain herself. She was easily placated with only her imagination and the warmth of the sunshine on her face. Once again he was struck with what a wonderfuldaughter the woman was missing out on. And for what? If someone waited until they were financially able to have children—or in this case
keep
their children—there wouldn’t be much procreating going on. And if he’d managed to raise dozens of daughters, he didn’t see how the woman couldn’t take care of just one.
Peony raised her head as she heard Benfu’s footsteps. “Ye Ye! Why didn’t you let me go to the post office with you?” She gave him her most petulant look, her lip hanging so low Benfu wondered how she didn’t trip on it.
He shook his head. “Well, Peony, I didn’t see you out here when I left. You must have been hiding somewhere or did you take your invisible potion? Wait a minute—I can’t even see you now! Where did you go?” He frantically looked around, pretending not to see her right in front of him.
Peony laughed and Benfu sighed. He hated to break her cheerful mood with the postcard that he knew would cause her to be unhappy. But he also never wanted his girls to think he kept anything from them. Truth had always been the only answer in his book and he was too old to start changing now.
“I’ll tell you what.” He patted her head. “How about you and I go for a stroll? Hurry up now before any of your sisters see us.” He opened the gate and Peony shrieked as she rode through the wide arc it made. Then she jumped off and stuck her hand through one of his suspenders, holding on until she steadied herself.
He looked toward the window and saw Calli peering out. He nodded at her, then put his arm around Peony, leading her out of their courtyard. Calli would know they needed a moment alone.
Benfu and Peony headed to the busy street and they stopped at a sidewalk vendor. After the old woman running the tiny kiosk finished telling him whata healthy-looking granddaughter he had, she then looked taken aback when she saw the color of her eyes. Benfu let Peony pick her yogurt drink and reached in his pocket for the three coins. He paid the speechless old woman, then led Peony to a bench alongside the sidewalk. They weren’t far from home, but just far enough that they wouldn’t be interrupted. Other pedestrians and commuters passed back and forth, paying no attention to what looked like an outing between a grandfather and his granddaughter. Even in the sea of people Benfu felt a sense of privacy and security.
“Sit down, Peony.”
Peony sat quickly and peeled the tinfoil from the top of the cup rim. She took a deep gulp and when she brought the cup down, Benfu couldn’t help but chuckle at the white mustache she sported.
“
Xie xie,
Ye Ye.” She took another swallow. His girls loved the yogurt drinks and he tried to treat each of them at least once a month.
“You’re welcome. Hey—listen. I brought you out here so we could be alone. I want to tell you something. You got another postcard.” He pulled it from his pocket and handed it to Peony.
She eagerly grabbed it and first turned it to see the photo. She stared at the picture of a white cat embroidered across a beautiful red tapestry.
“Look, Ye Ye. I used to have a cat just like that!” Her eyes widened as she stared at the postcard.
“You did? You’ve never mentioned it before. Are you sure?” Benfu was caught off guard, not expecting any revelations from that side of the card. It had been two years since he’d found Peony and not once had she ever mentioned having a pet. And he was sure that even if she did have a cat,
this
one wasn’t hers. This was just another piece of artwork and white cats were a common decoration for the Chinese, as they represented fortune.
“I know but I just remembered when I saw the photo. Her name was Xiao Mao—little cat.
keep
their children—there wouldn’t be much procreating going on. And if he’d managed to raise dozens of daughters, he didn’t see how the woman couldn’t take care of just one.
Peony raised her head as she heard Benfu’s footsteps. “Ye Ye! Why didn’t you let me go to the post office with you?” She gave him her most petulant look, her lip hanging so low Benfu wondered how she didn’t trip on it.
He shook his head. “Well, Peony, I didn’t see you out here when I left. You must have been hiding somewhere or did you take your invisible potion? Wait a minute—I can’t even see you now! Where did you go?” He frantically looked around, pretending not to see her right in front of him.
Peony laughed and Benfu sighed. He hated to break her cheerful mood with the postcard that he knew would cause her to be unhappy. But he also never wanted his girls to think he kept anything from them. Truth had always been the only answer in his book and he was too old to start changing now.
“I’ll tell you what.” He patted her head. “How about you and I go for a stroll? Hurry up now before any of your sisters see us.” He opened the gate and Peony shrieked as she rode through the wide arc it made. Then she jumped off and stuck her hand through one of his suspenders, holding on until she steadied herself.
He looked toward the window and saw Calli peering out. He nodded at her, then put his arm around Peony, leading her out of their courtyard. Calli would know they needed a moment alone.
Benfu and Peony headed to the busy street and they stopped at a sidewalk vendor. After the old woman running the tiny kiosk finished telling him whata healthy-looking granddaughter he had, she then looked taken aback when she saw the color of her eyes. Benfu let Peony pick her yogurt drink and reached in his pocket for the three coins. He paid the speechless old woman, then led Peony to a bench alongside the sidewalk. They weren’t far from home, but just far enough that they wouldn’t be interrupted. Other pedestrians and commuters passed back and forth, paying no attention to what looked like an outing between a grandfather and his granddaughter. Even in the sea of people Benfu felt a sense of privacy and security.
“Sit down, Peony.”
Peony sat quickly and peeled the tinfoil from the top of the cup rim. She took a deep gulp and when she brought the cup down, Benfu couldn’t help but chuckle at the white mustache she sported.
“
Xie xie,
Ye Ye.” She took another swallow. His girls loved the yogurt drinks and he tried to treat each of them at least once a month.
“You’re welcome. Hey—listen. I brought you out here so we could be alone. I want to tell you something. You got another postcard.” He pulled it from his pocket and handed it to Peony.
She eagerly grabbed it and first turned it to see the photo. She stared at the picture of a white cat embroidered across a beautiful red tapestry.
“Look, Ye Ye. I used to have a cat just like that!” Her eyes widened as she stared at the postcard.
“You did? You’ve never mentioned it before. Are you sure?” Benfu was caught off guard, not expecting any revelations from that side of the card. It had been two years since he’d found Peony and not once had she ever mentioned having a pet. And he was sure that even if she did have a cat,
this
one wasn’t hers. This was just another piece of artwork and white cats were a common decoration for the Chinese, as they represented fortune.
“I know but I just remembered when I saw the photo. Her name was Xiao Mao—little cat.
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