She used to play with my pigtails when I’d get on the floor with her. She batted them around.” Peony stared so hard at the photo, Benfu wondered that she didn’t bore a hole through it. Then she flipped itover and strained to read the haphazard calligraphy. Parts of it were smeared and must have gotten wet somehow, and Peony struggled to make out the words. Benfu watched her face turn solemn. Then she handed it back to him.
“Ye Ye, can you read it? I don’t think I understand.”
Benfu took the card from her. He also couldn’t read parts of it but he thought he could make out most of the message. He cleared his throat.
“To my dearest Mei Jin Zhen, for that is your name. I have heard you being called Peony but in case you wanted to know, you were named after a beautiful golden pearl,”
Benfu read, then looked at Peony to see her reaction.
“Mei Jin Zhen…” She spoke in a low whisper, letting the name roll off her tongue softly.
He could tell she was happy to know her real name and he felt a stab of disappointment. Even though she was seven years old when she last saw her mother, Peony had only remembered that her mother called her Mei Mei, the common nickname meaning little sister. Giving her the name Peony had made her very happy at the time.
Benfu patted her leg. “It’s a beautiful name, Mei Zhen.”
Peony looked up at him quickly. “No, Ye Ye. I want you to still call me Peony. I don’t want anyone to call me Mei Jin Zhen until my mother comes back and I hear it from her first. Don’t tell the others, okay?”
He nodded his head. “Okay, let me finish here, Peony.”
Peony leaned back and through the corner of his eye, Benfu could see her mouthing her name silently to herself.
“She says,
‘I need to tell you that I will not be near you for some time. I have to go to a place far away to work. But when I am able, I’ll return and then hopefully we can be together again.’
” Benfu stopped reading. Just as he thought, Peony looked crushed. Even though they wondered if the woman really was near, it was an idea the child had held on to. And truthfully, the woman knew too much about them not to have been watching once in a while—even knowing she was called Peony told him she had indeed beennear. The thought made him wonder just how many mothers out there had hung around his home to check on offspring who landed there.
“But where do you think she’s going?” Peony asked.
Benfu put his arm around her and gave her a little squeeze.
“I don’t know, Peony. Maybe she’s a migrant worker. That would explain why she moves around to find work.” That really was the most logical answer, as the investigation into where Peony had come from had turned up nothing from the locals. It was as if the girl had been brought to Wuxi from far away, but even she didn’t know what town she was from.
Peony didn’t answer. Benfu wished he could see what was rolling around in her little head. He felt so helpless.
“Peony, I know this makes you sad, but maybe she really will come back. And in the meantime, you’ll always be a part of this family. We all love you dearly—you must know that. Right?”
A lone tear slid down her cheek before she quickly rubbed it away and jumped to her feet. She plucked the postcard from his hands and held it to her heart.
“I know, Ye Ye. And she’s coming back. She said so.”
Benfu watched her face transform from one of complete desolation to one filled with hope.
The constant resilience of the girl amazed him. It took so much to faze her and nothing could keep her down for long.
“Yes, Peony, that’s what it says. And you didn’t let me finish. But if you look along the bottom, she also says when she returns she’ll bring you a present. Now you have even more to look forward to.”
Peony smiled and then began skipping ahead. Benfu was glad the talk was over, and he was even glad that he had made it through another difficult moment and was able to remain
“Ye Ye, can you read it? I don’t think I understand.”
Benfu took the card from her. He also couldn’t read parts of it but he thought he could make out most of the message. He cleared his throat.
“To my dearest Mei Jin Zhen, for that is your name. I have heard you being called Peony but in case you wanted to know, you were named after a beautiful golden pearl,”
Benfu read, then looked at Peony to see her reaction.
“Mei Jin Zhen…” She spoke in a low whisper, letting the name roll off her tongue softly.
He could tell she was happy to know her real name and he felt a stab of disappointment. Even though she was seven years old when she last saw her mother, Peony had only remembered that her mother called her Mei Mei, the common nickname meaning little sister. Giving her the name Peony had made her very happy at the time.
Benfu patted her leg. “It’s a beautiful name, Mei Zhen.”
Peony looked up at him quickly. “No, Ye Ye. I want you to still call me Peony. I don’t want anyone to call me Mei Jin Zhen until my mother comes back and I hear it from her first. Don’t tell the others, okay?”
He nodded his head. “Okay, let me finish here, Peony.”
Peony leaned back and through the corner of his eye, Benfu could see her mouthing her name silently to herself.
“She says,
‘I need to tell you that I will not be near you for some time. I have to go to a place far away to work. But when I am able, I’ll return and then hopefully we can be together again.’
” Benfu stopped reading. Just as he thought, Peony looked crushed. Even though they wondered if the woman really was near, it was an idea the child had held on to. And truthfully, the woman knew too much about them not to have been watching once in a while—even knowing she was called Peony told him she had indeed beennear. The thought made him wonder just how many mothers out there had hung around his home to check on offspring who landed there.
“But where do you think she’s going?” Peony asked.
Benfu put his arm around her and gave her a little squeeze.
“I don’t know, Peony. Maybe she’s a migrant worker. That would explain why she moves around to find work.” That really was the most logical answer, as the investigation into where Peony had come from had turned up nothing from the locals. It was as if the girl had been brought to Wuxi from far away, but even she didn’t know what town she was from.
Peony didn’t answer. Benfu wished he could see what was rolling around in her little head. He felt so helpless.
“Peony, I know this makes you sad, but maybe she really will come back. And in the meantime, you’ll always be a part of this family. We all love you dearly—you must know that. Right?”
A lone tear slid down her cheek before she quickly rubbed it away and jumped to her feet. She plucked the postcard from his hands and held it to her heart.
“I know, Ye Ye. And she’s coming back. She said so.”
Benfu watched her face transform from one of complete desolation to one filled with hope.
The constant resilience of the girl amazed him. It took so much to faze her and nothing could keep her down for long.
“Yes, Peony, that’s what it says. And you didn’t let me finish. But if you look along the bottom, she also says when she returns she’ll bring you a present. Now you have even more to look forward to.”
Peony smiled and then began skipping ahead. Benfu was glad the talk was over, and he was even glad that he had made it through another difficult moment and was able to remain
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