EAST OF THE HEART: CHAPTER FOUR

Chapter Four: The Discovery

1925 – George Town, Penang

As summoned by the formidable Mrs. Wong, the tailor came to the mansion on the following morning with his two of his best seamstresses. Mei Yee was very delighted to learn that the two seamstresses were the same Shanghainese ladies whom she had travelled on the steamer ship to Penang with. They were Jing Fei and Bao Hua. The two seamstresses were stunned to discover that Mei Yee was going to be the Wongs’ new daughter-in-law. They were ecstatic for her, as it was considered to be extreme good fortune for any woman to be married into a family of wealth and position. Mei Yee gracefully accepted their good wishes, and said nothing else.

Mei Yee also found out that Bao Hua was older than Jing Fei by 2 years. Bao Hua was good in embroidery work, where as Jing Fei was an expert in the sewing of ornate buttons for qipaos. In a traditional Chinese ‘qipao’, the buttons were as significant as the dress itself. It took a specific skill to sew the time-honoured qipao buttons, as they were truly delicate. An assessment of how well a ‘qipao’ was made, would be judged on its cut, embroidery and the buttons.

The qipao originated from the 17^th century, when the minority Manchus ruled China after the Ming dynasty. Together with their allied and conquered forces of Mongol, the Manchus created the “Eight Banner System” in China. Thus, the ruling Manchus came to be known as the “Banner people”. The one-piece dress that was commonly worn by the Manchu women came to be regarded as the “banner-quilt” or in the Mandarin language, the qipao. As the Manchus created elite classes within their social infrastructure, women of nobility wore “formal court” qipaos, and “common” women would wear everyday casual qipaos. Hence, even the qipao costume could represent the subservient relationship between the aristocrats and the ordinary folks.

Before the 1920’s, the qipao was worn very loosely and wide. It was meant to conceal most of the woman's body, regardless of her age. In conservative China, women’s attire was meant to only reveal the ladies’ heads, hands, and the tips of their toes. However, during the 1920s, Shanghai became the fashion capital of China. Thus, the modifications to the original qipao were made popular. The new version of the qipao was more “exposed” with the famous slit at the sides that showed much of a woman’s leg. The new qipao was now made to fit the modern woman’s beautiful curves. Soon, this became the standard qipao, and everyone quickly started transforming their old qipaos to accommodate the latest style changes.

The Shanghainese have always been renown in China for their exceptional talents in making exquisite qipaos. The most luxurious of all qipaos would be the ones specially tailored for a bride to wear on her wedding day. It would have to be red in colour, as red was the colour that symbolized good luck and happiness in the Chinese culture. Then the master tailor and his team of seamstresses would spend hours, days or weeks working on the bridal qipao, depending on how complicated or elaborate the embroidery work was involved.

In Mei Yee’s case, her wedding qipao would have the motifs of a dragon adorned at the front of the dress. It would start from the right shoulder and flow down to the left bottom skirting of the dress. Here, the dragon symbolized the masculine qualities, meaning the groom or the husband-to-be. Mrs. Wong wanted to remind Mei Yee to always uphold her husband’s interests in her heart. The back of the bridal qipao would display an intricate emblem of the phoenix. The phoenix has always represented the female qualities in the Chinese custom, meaning the bride herself. Mrs. Wong had deliberately instructed the master tailor to have the phoenix embellished at the back of the dress in order to remind Mei Yee that her own identity would have little importance over her husband’s. Therefore, her husband’s welfare and happiness would always come first and foremost. Mei Yee would have to ‘put herself at the back’.  

This resplendent qipao would be sewn with gold threads, and decorated with precious stones such as jade, turquoise and rubies. Mrs. Wong had spared no expense in making a truly spectacular qipao for her soon-to-be youngest daughter-in-law. After all, the bride would be paraded in front of all the relatives and guests at the wedding banquet, like another priceless art acquisition for everyone to appraise.

Mei Yee and the two seamstresses became fast friends. Jing Fei was most envious of Mei Yee, as “marrying well” was her main purpose in coming to Penang. Jing Fei prayed hard that she too would end up as lucky as Mei Yee. As the ladies and the master tailor were measuring Mei Yee, Ah Ping stood silently behind squirming within herself. She has grown very fond of Mei Yee. For once in her life, she felt that she had found a friend in Mei Yee. It troubled her deeply that she was knowingly withholding some very pertinent information from her friend. She dreaded not being able to tell Mei Yee the truth about the Groom, Christopher Wong, and what Mrs. Wong had planned for her on the wedding night.

After the tailor and seamstresses have left the mansion, Ah Ping was directed by Mrs. Wong to deliver Mei Yee’s lunch to the attic. It was thirty minutes after one o’clock in the afternoon, and the other ladies in the household had already eaten their lunch. It was served at twelve o’clock in the formal dining room every day, without fail. Mrs. Wong had graciously excused Mei Yee from joining them that day due to her appointment with the tailor and seamstresses. It was more important for Mei Yee to get herself measured and sized properly before the tailor could start work on the opulent fabric chosen by Mrs. Wong.

As Mei Yee was eating her sumptuous lunch, she noticed Ah Ping acting very strangely. In fact, Ah Ping has been behaving rather oddly since yesterday. Without delaying a moment longer, Mei Yee stopped eating and confronted Ah Ping directly.

“Now, what is really bothering you, Ah Ping? I want to know. You have been fidgeting all day. And if I remember correctly, you started doing so right after yesterday’s breakfast.” Mei Yee spoke sincerely.

Ah Ping shuffled her feet and looked down. She did not know how to explain the situation to her mistress.

Mei Yee got up from the table and walked towards her personal maid. She had not regarded Ah Ping to be her domestic attendant, but more of the sister which she never had.

Gently, she took hold of Ah Ping’s hands and said, “You can tell me, Ah Ping. I treat you as my sister. So, I will do my best to help you. Don't be afraid to tell me. What is the matter?”

Ah Ping finally looked up and sobbed, “It is not I who will be afraid, mistress, but you. And I don’t know how to help you. I am so sorry.”

Mei Yee was taken back. She did not expect to hear those exact words from Ah Ping. Why should she be afraid, and what would she be afraid of? She was very confounded by Ah Ping’s statement.

 “What will I be afraid of, Ah Ping? Please tell me. I beg of you.” Mei Yee was disturbed, as Ah Ping looked most distressed.

“The night before you had arrived at the Wong residence, I over-heard Madam Wong’s private conversation with Sir Wong in the library. It was an accident. I was told by the Head Housekeeper to clean up some stains on the windows of the library. I did not know that both Sir and Madam Wong were inside. I was about to leave them alone when I heard your name. I was so curious about you at that time because they had already told me that I was assigned to be your personal maid. So, I stayed behind the closed door, and listened carefully to what Madam Wong was saying to Sir Wong.” Ah Ping explained while weeping, but another emotion was beginning to surface in her tone. It was fear.

The look on Ah Ping’s face alarmed Mei Yee even though she had no clue as to what Ah Ping had heard. She was determined to find out.

“Will you please share what they were discussing about me? I really need to know, Ah Ping, please.” Mei Yee pleaded.

“Before I tell you, I need to show you something. Only then you would truly understand.” Ah Ping said as she wiped away her tears.

Mei Yee felt very uneasy. As much as she was concerned about herself and wanted to learn what Ah Ping had heard, she did not like seeing the young girl cry over her.

“All right. But please, do not cry anymore, Ah Ping. I am not worth your tears.” Mei Yee said and handed Ah Ping a handkerchief.

Ah Ping refused her mistress’s hanky and proceeded to wipe her wet eyes on her sleeves. “You have been most kind to me, mistress. You treat me like a friend and not a maid. I really appreciate that very much. So, this is why I feel so sad. I did not know how to tell you. You certainly do not deserve to be treated in this way. Please come with me now. I will show you what Madam Wong has been hiding from you.” Ah Ping added.

Mei Yee’s curiosity urged her to go along with Ah Ping. Whatever it was – be it good or bad, she knew she had to see it for herself. She was not going to take anyone’s word for it. She never did. She needed to witness the truth with her own eyes, and then she would decide for herself. No one else held the right to make any conclusions on her behalf.

Quickly, Mei Yee abandoned her lunch and crept out of the attic. Ah Ping walked ahead to make sure that the coast was clear. She took Mei Yee through the narrow corridors and opened a small door. The door opened to a series of staircases which led to various doors and corridors on different levels. This was the back of the house, where the servants would move about freely whenever they had to go from one place to another. In the Wong residence, no servants were allowed to use the main staircases or wander about in the main building. Only those who were sent for, or had to serve would make themselves seen. All of the household staff was restricted to journey around the mansion through the complex structure of stairs constructed behind the walls of the great mansion. Hence, they could swiftly get from one end of the house to another, without being spotted by anyone.

Ah Ping guided Mei Yee through an assortment of doors before they reached the North Wing attic of the mansion. They were fortunate that no one had seen them. As they emerged from a narrow aisle and into the main hallway, Mei Yee realized that they had arrived at the opposite side of the mansion. Her own attic room was located on the South Wing corner. However, this North Wing attic was much more spacious than hers. The living room had several big floor-to-ceiling windows but there was hardly any furniture. There was only a large hand-painted folded lacquer screen that was placed in a corner. In front of the screen were two sofas and a table. Ah Ping grabbed hold of Mei Yee’s hand and led her behind the large screen. She motioned her finger to her mouth and Mei Yee instantly understood that they had to be very quiet. The screen concealed the both of them completely and safely in the corner of the room. Then, Ah Ping pointed to the small gaps in between the screen and gestured to Mei Yee to peer through them.

There were some sounds of movement coming from behind the bedroom door. They could hear the doorknob turn, and it was opened. Mei Yee looked closely and saw that a lady dressed in all white was wheeling out someone from the bedroom. She could not see the person seated on the wheelchair as their backs were facing her. Gradually, the lady in white turned the wheelchair around, revealing their faces. Mei Yee gasped in shock at the sight of the man seated in the wheelchair. Ah Ping had to place her hands onto Mei Yee’s mouth quickly in order to silence her.

The man in the wheelchair had a severe physical disorder. His whole face had been disfigured. It did not resemble any human form. His fingers were curled up like they were permanently clenched. He kept shaking his head and hands uncontrollably as the lady in white wheeled him out of the room. The only limbs that did not move at all were his legs. They looked lifeless.

After the lady in white had left the room with the crippled man, Ah Ping and Mei Yee came out from behind the screen. Ah Ping ran to the door to make sure that they were not coming back. She could see Mei Yee’s horrified face waiting to launch a set of questions.

“Who was that man in the wheelchair and why is he like that? Who is that lady all dressed in white? I have not seen anything like this before!” Mei Yee asked.

Ah Ping cautioned Mei Yee to keep her voice down, and told her that she will explain later. She then took Mei Yee back to the hallway, through the narrow alleys behind the walls of the mansion and climbed the flight of stairs back to Mei Yee’s attic in the South Wing corner.

Once they were both in the privacy of the attic, she announced, “Mistress, that man in the wheelchair will be your husband in less than 2 weeks’ time. He is Master Christopher Wong.”

This revelation fractured Mei Yee into pieces. She was completely dumbfounded.

“Master Christopher suffered a terrible hunting accident almost a year ago. He nearly died. Well, he does look like a ghost of his former self now. They say that he is also damaged in the brains. Only a handful of the servants in the house know about this. I happened to know because I was taking care of Master Christopher before they got him a full time nurse. That’s the lady in white we saw earlier. This is the real reason why Madam Wong did not want mistress to be wandering about in the house. Madam Wong did not want you to accidentally see her son before the wedding. She was most afraid you would change your mind. There is no such thing about any bad luck to see the groom beforehand. Both mistresses Ai Ling and Sun Lee were formally introduced to the Wongs’ older sons after they had been selected for the purpose of marriage. They all met with one another at an arranged dinner in the house. Then it was up to Master Alfred to decide which of the two ladies he wanted, as he was to be the first to marry. Bernard would the marry with the other lady a year later.” Ah Ping clarified.

Mei Yee was astonished at the lengths Madam Wong would undertake in entrapping her to marry her youngest son. It started to make sense why the family had insisted on finding a potential bride from the Mainland, and not sought out a local Penang girl. The China-ordered bride would not have any opportunity to run back to her own family after finding out the truth, where as a local girl could stir up all kinds of trouble for the Wongs.

“However, this is not all. The worst will happen on your wedding night and the nights after that.” Ah Ping said gravely.

“What do you mean?” Mei Yee wondered what could be worse than being married to a physically and mentally deformed man.

“You know they will see to it that you will bear them plenty of grandchildren, especially grandsons. But Master Christopher is no longer capable of making any babies. His manhood was also impaired by the accident.” Ah Ping disclosed.

Mei Yee stiffened. She shuddered to think of what Ah Ping was about to say.

 “This will not be easy for you to hear, mistress. To all the relatives and everyone outside of the family, you will be marrying Master Christopher. But you and I know that Master Christopher will never be seen by anyone other than his nurse and Madam Wong. His condition will remain a family secret. So, at the wedding ceremony, you will actually be married to two men – Master Alfred and Master Bernard. Like all traditional wedding ceremonies, a red cloth will be covering the faces of the Bride and Groom. No one can see, and you will also not see who is the real person behind the red cloth. Everyone will think that the Groom is Master Christopher, but the role will be rotated between Master Alfred and Master Bernard.” Ah Ping described how the ceremony will be played out.

Mei Yee’s eyes widened at the implication of what it might mean on her wedding night.

“Therefore, on your wedding night and the nights after, you will be impregnated by the two older sons. They will take turns in being with you until you give birth to male children. This is the main reason why the other sisters-in-law do not like you from the beginning. They know about this, but they cannot do anything. Madam Wong’s decision cannot be overturned by anyone.” Ah Ping uttered the words as fast as she could in order to lessen the horror and pain to her mistress. 

Mei Yee could feel rage rising inside her like a flaming sword.

Did her mother know about how this marriage was to be arranged amongst the Wong sons? Had her mother also lied to her, knowing the kind of life she was condemning Mei Yee to live with the Wong family? How could all of them make her go through with this unspeakable arrangement? How could they proceed with such a sickening plan themselves?

The hostility that was directed towards Mei Yee by the other daughters-in-law was definitely called for. They had every right to be disgusted, she thought. Of all the terrible things that had ever happened to her, nothing came close to this. Mei Yee had held her emotions intact ever since she was first told to leave her family home and village. She did not want to create any problems for her family, especially her mother. Although she wanted to cry on several occasions, she did not allow herself to fall apart. She had wanted to represent her family’s honour in the best possible light. In all this time, she has fought back all the tears that were culminating behind her fiery eyes. This was the final straw that would breach the teary barricades. Like a dam, every fibre of her being wept unquenchable tears.

What could she do? What would become of her?   

The foundation of her being surrendered to an overwhelming surge of misery.

To be continued on Chapter Five…

EAST OF THE HEART: CHAPTER THREE

Chapter Three: The Introduction

1925 – George Town, Penang

Mei Yee settled quickly into her “pre-wedding” quarters. It was actually an attic located at south wing corner of the mansion. By every means, it was much larger than the tiny room in her village. The attic was generous in size and décor. There was a formal sitting area, a separate enclosure for the bedroom and dressing room. Most of all, Mei Yee was impressed to find that the room had an en-suite bathroom. It was complete with modern plumbing, a soaking tub, a washbasin and accessories. She never had a private bathroom before. It was a new experience for her. In the village, an entire household would share a common bathroom and the toilet would be located outside of the house. It was mainly a hole dug into the ground and a shed was built around it. Mei Yee had always hated going to the toilet in the night. She hated the darkness, and the long walk from her house to the external toilet. There were many nights when she would just endure the urge to go to the toilet, and had forced herself to go back to sleep. As for the bath, it was basically an outhouse built around a well. However, this was established right next to the house. Or rather, the house was built next to the well. Water extracted from the well would be used for a variety of things, and not just for washing. The same water from the well would be used for cooking and cleaning as well. Hence, Mei Yee began to appreciate having her own personal bathroom tremendously.

As the attic was located at the highest point of the mansion, Mei Yee had an unobstructed view of the city. She could see coconut trees, palm trees, shops, places of worship, and the streets leading all the way to the train station at the far distance. There were other houses around the Wong residence, but none could match its size and grandeur. Mei Yee also noticed that the Wong family owned two automobiles. In the whole island of Penang, there were but a few motor vehicles. Only the most affluent could afford to own one. However, to possess two vehicles under one roof would prove that one had not only the means to purchase; but also the authority to import. The Wong family was not only wealthy, they also held influential positions in the community. The family business extended from shipping, agriculture, land and property ownership to banking. Many other businesses in Penang were supported by the Wong family’s empire. No one would dare speak a word to injure the family’s reputation. Therefore, Mei Yee would have to think twice before voicing any disagreements within this particular family. The Wongs never forget, and would bear a long grudge against anyone who did not comply with their wishes.    

On the first day of her arrival, Mrs. Wong permitted Mei Yee to rest in her room. She was excused from joining them for all the meals. Instead, Ah Ping delivered her lunch and dinner to the attic. Despite Mrs. Wong’s lack of approachability, she was generous in furnishing Mei Yee with an abundance of food and drinks. There were canisters of snacks and biscuits sent to her room, in addition to the main meals of the day. Mrs. Wong was not joking about "fattening" her up for the wedding. It took Mei Yee some time to get accustomed to being served. At her own home in the village, Mei Yee was the one who helped her mother serve her father and brothers. Her family could only afford two domestic helpers – a cook and a cleaner. Actually, they were more like relatives than helpers. Mei Yee had to assist in the household chores, as well as, in serving the family on a daily basis. Here, it felt rather strange to be at the receiving end.

Mei Yee’s personal maid, Ah Ping, was about the same age as her – both of them barely eighteen. Ah Ping had joined the Wong residence when she was 7 years old. Ah Ping’s mother had given her to the Wong family because her family was too poor to feed another mouth. It was very common in Penang to marry off their daughters, and if they could not be married off, they would be given away to rich families to be incorporated as part of the household staff. Ah Ping’s fate led her to be a servant for life to the Wong family. It was sealed from the moment she had walked into the mansion. In this respect, Mei Yee felt that she shared the same predicament as Ah Ping. The both of them had no control over their lives, and there seemed to be little hope that they could change their fate. Mei Yee thought that the female race was given the rotten end of the bargain in life. It was a curse to be born a woman in this society, at this time - she lamented. Women were nothing more than commodities which could be sold, traded or disposed of. It did not take long for Mei Yee to bond with Ah Ping. They were different, yet similar in their dispositions of life. They both felt imprisoned by their circumstances, like a bird in a gilded cage.

On the following morning, Ah Ping came to the attic and delivered the morning tea to Mei Yee promptly at 8am. This was Mrs. Wong’s unique way of training Mei Yee to be ready by this hour every morning onwards. Then, Ah Ping would help Mei Yee get dressed for her breakfast with the other ladies in the household. Mei Yee would be meeting them for the first time. Ah Ping had kindly enlightened her with a brief history of the Wong family, and the other significant members living in the mansion.

Mr. and Mrs. Wong had come from generations of power and wealth in Penang. Otherwise known more commonly as the “descendants of old money”. Each of their families had immigrated to Penang during the time of Captain Francis Light in the 1790s. Mr. Wong’s family had owned most of the rubber plantation, and Mrs. Wong’s family were the owners of tin mines. Their families had witnessed the island's main town being named as “George Town” when Captain Light had christened it in honour of King George III of Great Britain. Over the centuries, the two families have prospered immensely. However, in 1867, the island was caught in a bloody massacre between two feuding Chinese secret societies - the Cantonese-speaking and the Hakka-speaking groups. Their brutal fight worsened to the point that the British commanding army had to bring in additional forces from Singapore to regain control of the murderous situation. Cannons and guns had to be fired. Later, it was discovered that the hostility between the two Chinese factions stemmed from opposing interests in the tin mining industry. Hence, it had affected Mrs. Wong’s family business a great deal. Then and there, the two great families decided that it would be wise to merge their “mutual interests” by the form of a marriage. Each side had only one child, but jointly, they would come to own a large part of Penang.

The union of Mr. and Mrs. Wong brought about three sons and a daughter. They had given all their children English names, in addition to their Chinese names. Penang was still very much a British colony in every sense of the word. So, it was important to the Wongs to present themselves as forward-thinking liberals to the community, despite how deeply entrenched they were in their own tradition. Their sons were named Alfred, Bernard, and Christopher. Their daughter was named Jasmine. It was Christopher, their youngest son, whom Mei Yee would be marrying in two weeks’ time. The entire household had been busy making preparations for it.

Ah Ping pointed out that the wives of Alfred and Bernard did not get along. Everyone in the family knew. Both Ai Ling and Sun Lee started as rivals competing for Alfred’s affections, as being the Wong's eldest daughter-in-law had its own perks and benefits. Alfred was the heir apparent to the Wong dynasty. Naturally, the coveted throne of Mrs. Wong would also be passed onto the eldest daughter-in-law. Thus, one could imagine the powers that came with the title of “Eldest Daughter-in-law”in the Wong estate. As soon as Ai Ling had won Alfred’s heart, Sun Lee had no choice but to steer herself towards the next best thing – marrying Bernard. In Sun Lee’s opinion, some wealth was better than no wealth at all. In any case, these two daughters-in-law would never tire of out-scheming and plotting against each other. It had become a vicious routine around the house, with one trying to win the approval of Mrs. Wong over the other. There would be no shortage of collateral damage of innocent bystanders. Even Jasmine Wong had resigned from spending any time with her two sisters-in-law. She did not have much care for anything or anyone in Penang. All she longed for was to leave Penang as soon as the wedding ceremony between Christopher and Mei Yee was over. It had all been arranged for Jasmine to study music in England. Secretly, Jasmine was planning to marry a British gentleman so that she would not have to return to Penang ever again.

Before leaving the attic, Ah Ping gently cautioned Mei Yee to stay away from the two devious sisters-in-law. When they both arrived at the breakfast room, Mrs. Wong was already seated at the head of the rectangular table. Everything had been laid out. Ai Ling and Sun Lee were seated at her right and left, respectively. Jasmine was running late, as her personal maid came to inform the ladies in the room. Mei Yee quickly greeted Mrs. Wong first, followed by the two daughters-in-law. Then Mrs. Wong directed her to sit next to Sun Lee. No personal orders would be taken, and no one was allowed to ask for anything else unless they had already discussed it with Mrs. Wong. All the meals in the household were planned and decided by Mrs. Wong, and her alone. Everyone would eat whatever that was served before them.

That morning, they were having an English Breakfast with bacon, sausages, eggs and toast. Mei Yee had never seen anything like it, and was not quite sure how she was going to eat her breakfast without chopsticks. Neither Ai Ling nor Sun Lee bothered to offer her any help. They did not even look at her. It was not until Jasmine’s arrival that she finally had some assistance. Jasmine took her usual seat next to Ai Ling, and showed Mei Yee exactly which utensils to use in eating their English breakfast. From across the table, Mei Yee slowly learnt how to use a fork and knife for the very first time. She found it amusing that the Westerners would take the time and effort to invent various utensils for eating different foods. All they ever needed in the village were a pair of chopsticks and a spoon. They ate everything under the sun with just that.

The breakfast area was a charming room that faced East, where the morning sun would rise and cast a brightly coloured glow through the stained glass windows. It held the views of the gardens. Mei Yee was told that the gardens were landscaped according to a typical British garden in England. It was definitely a stark contrast to the flowerbeds in Mei Yee’s village. No one spoke at breakfast unless Mrs. Wong questioned the individual directly. Mei Yee could see that Mrs. Wong was very fond of her daughter. Jasmine was the only person in the family who was allowed to go as she pleased, and spoke whenever she chose. Jasmine was also the only one who wore Western clothes at all times. Initially, Mei Yee thought Jasmine looked quite obscene with her hands and feet being so exposed. A traditional Chinese dress would have ensured that the ladies’ arms and ankles were covered up gracefully. However, the western “flapper dress” was way too short, and it had hardly any sleeves. It was not something that Mei Yee could imagine herself wearing, but she could not deny that Jasmine did look very lovely in them.

    

After breakfast, they were allowed to return to their individual chambers, or join Mrs. Wong in the sitting room. The sitting room was another area in which the ladies of the house would be allowed to gather. There was a gramophone, a grand piano, stacks of magazines and some newspapers organized neatly in the room. The sitting room faced the views of the water fountains. When the windows were opened, one could hear the calming sound of water flowing through the fountains and into the ponds. Each lady found her own preferred seat, and made herself comfortable in the sitting room. Ai Ling read the newspapers, while Sun Lee chose some magazines. Jasmine would go through the collection of records, and took one out to play on the gramophone. Then she guided Mei Yee by the hand to a nearby two-seater sofa. Jasmine informed Mei Yee that the ladies would have their afternoon tea served in this room as well, and it was usually at 4pm everyday.

“This is also a visitors’ room. If any of us had visitors such as family members or relatives, we would receive them in here as well.” Jasmine explained.

However, it was very rare for any of the ladies to have visitors – except Jasmine. She was allowed to invite her friends and cousins over to the house at any time of the day. Only weekends were strictly reserved for family time – whereby the men in the family would take their wives out to town, and make their formal appearances at the country club. 

“Mei Yee, I have arranged for the tailors to come over tomorrow. They need to measure you and start making your wedding costumes. I have already chosen all the fabric. There will be two sets of formal wear. You’ll be wearing the traditional “qipao” for the wedding ceremony, and then change into a modern evening dress for the wedding banquet. Since we would be inviting some important British guests for the banquet, a western gown would be most appropriate.” Mrs. Wong announced.

Mei Yee swallowed hard.

She could not bear to bring herself to wear any of the Western apparel. She glanced at Jasmine, who happily turned the pages of a fashion magazine to show her what Mrs. Wong meant by a “western gown”. It was a long dress which showed much of the women’s bare shoulders and arms. Mei Yee was panicking inside. If her parents or anyone from her village were to see her in that kind of clothing, they would have her beaten to death. It was most indecent. How could any woman walk out of her room in that flimsy thing, much less the house?! Suddenly, the room began to spin. Mei Yee had trouble breathing. She begged to be excused. Ah Ping was summoned to accompany her back to the attic room.

Once she was safely hidden in the privacy of the attic with Ah Ping, Mei Yee stuffed her face into the pillow and let out a muted scream. Ah Ping was taken aback.

“I am going to be completely humiliated and disgraced by the time the wedding is over!” Mei Yee exclaimed.

Ah Ping turned away from Mei Yee and gave a sorry look. Underneath the personal maid’s demure appearance there lurked a conscience that was stricken with guilt. Ah Ping struggled internally, contemplating on whether she should tell her mistress the truth of what she would inevitably uncover on the day of her wedding. 

To be continued in Chapter Four….