Hong Kong! Page 6

  Everyone stood in silence, the realization of what might happen to the restaurant washing over them. It was at that exact moment that Ying walked into the kitchen.

  “Hey, everyone!” she said, all cheerful. “I’m just finishing in the pantry. Anyone need any help with anything?”

  “Ying,” Uncle Wu said, “where have you been?”

  Ying’s eyes darted between Alfie and Emilia, but there was no look Alfie could give her that could explain what had happened that day.

  “I was—I stepped outside for a little bit,” she said. “To get some air.”

  “Where exactly were you?” Aunt Chan asked sternly.

  Ying’s head dropped. “I was at the gym.”

  Aunt Chan stiffened her back. “Just what I thought. That is absolutely it. You are done with that gym. No more gymnastics.”

  “But, Mother!”

  “You have had plenty of chances,” Aunt Chan said. “And still you disobey us. If you had been here you could have helped.”

  “What happened?” Ying asked.

  “The fact that you do not know tells us that you don’t care,” Aunt Chan said.

  “Mother, that’s not true,” Ying said desperately. She looked to Uncle Wu and said, “Father . . .” Her voice trailed off. She looked like she was about to cry. Alfie felt miserable.

  Why hadn’t he followed the directions given to him? He felt as horrible as Ying did.

  The work at the restaurant over the next few days was just that—all work. There were no more fishing trips or cooking lessons. Ying had to tell the coach at the gymnastic studio that she would be unable to dance in the parade. She was so sad she hardly spoke.

  And if Ying’s sad attitude wasn’t bad enough, Aunt Chan and Uncle Wu were on edge as they waited for the review from Mrs. Liu in the Hong Kong Dining Authority. It’d been three days since her visit, and Aunt Chan and Uncle Wu kept checking the website but nothing had appeared yet.

  “I’m not sure what’s worse,” Aunt Chan wondered, “a poor review or no review at all?”

  “At least with a bad review, people will know we’re here,” Uncle Wu said. “Maybe they’ll make up their own minds and give us a try, anyway.”

  “But no review means no one will read about the Golden Lion. They won’t know we’re here,” Aunt Chan said.

  “We have to do something,” Emilia said as they folded napkins. She watched as Ying wiped a table. “Look at Ying—she’s so quiet and miserable, I don’t know what to say to her. She’s acting like her life is over.”

  “What are we supposed to do?” Alfie asked. “The only thing that’ll make her happy is gymnastics and being in the parade tomorrow, but we can’t go against her parents. They grounded her.”

  “But don’t you think this is too important?” Emilia asked. “Mrs. Liu has already been here. There’s nothing anyone can do about it now. If we help Ying get into the parade—”

  “They said no more gymnastics,” Alfie reminded her.

  “They said no more going to the gym,” Emilia said with a sneaky smile. “That doesn’t mean she can’t do gymnastics or practice somewhere else for the parade.”

  “True . . . ,” Alfie said.

  “If we can help her slip out for one more rehearsal and then help her get to the parade without her parents knowing, just think how they’ll feel when they see the junior lion dance coming down the street and find out it’s their daughter. They’ll be so happy.”

  “Or they’ll ground her for life,” Alfie said.

  “Well, I’m willing to risk it,” she said.

  “Yeah,” Alfie said. “I guess.”

  • • •

  That evening, in the girls’ bedroom, they told Ying their plan.

  “All this hard work you’ve done,” Emilia said as Ying thought it over. “You can’t quit now.”

  “I’m not quitting,” Ying said. “I never quit.”

  “Okay, so don’t give up now. We want to help you.”

  “That’s very nice. But don’t bother. Mother and Father are too angry with me and too worried about the restaurant for me to rock the boat. I’m not sure they’ll ever forgive me.”

  “You’re their daughter,” Emilia said. “Of course they’ll forgive you. Once they see how dedicated you are to the dance, they’ll understand how much discipline and determination you have. This could change everything!”

  “Everything except the restaurant review,” Ying said.

  “This is the one thing we can control,” Alfie said. “We’ll totally cover for you. Just give it this one last chance. Your parents can’t punish you any more than they already have, right?”

  “Well . . . ,” Ying began. “I guess that’s a good point. Okay. Tell me your plan again.”

  • • •

  The next day, Ying was there to help out all through the lunch service, which was brisk, and the restaurant was more than half full of customers. This helped put a small smile on Aunt Chan’s face.

  Once lunch was over, everyone set about cleaning up. As Aunt Chan went over the day’s receipts and Uncle Wu busied himself with inventory for the next day, Ying slipped out the front door to prepare for the parade.

  Luckily, Ying’s parents were so busy with the details of the restaurant that when they called for Ying to do something they hardly looked up.

  “Ying! Please check there are full bottles of soy sauce on every table!” Uncle Wu called from the pantry.

  “She’s on it,” Alfie called as he went to check the tables.

  “Ying! Where’s Ying?” Aunt Chan called. “She needs to restock the bathroom.”

  “She’s taking the trash out,” Emilia said. “I’ll tell her when she gets back.” Emilia then restocked the bathroom.

  The plan was for Ying to rehearse, then come back before the family left together for the parade, then slip off just before she needed to line up and get into costume. As Aunt Chan and Uncle Wu finished up for the afternoon, Alfie and Emilia started to worry that Ying wouldn’t be back in time and the whole plan would fall apart.

  “Everybody ready?” Aunt Chan asked, pulling on her coat. “Wait. Where’s Ying?”

  Emilia looked around nervously, and Alfie was just about to spill the beans when his sister suddenly said, “She’s right here.”

  Ying had snuck in from the back. Her cheeks were pink—she must have run all the way from the rehearsal.

  “Oh,” Aunt Chan said, giving her a double take. “I didn’t see you there.”

  Ying smiled. “Just checking that everything was done.”

  The streets were filled with crowds of people still celebrating as they walked happily along the sidewalks, just as they had the evening Alfie and Emilia arrived. From far away, they could hear the beating drums of dances in other parts of the city.

  Ying prepared for her escape. She stayed in the back as the family worked to find the best spot to view the parade.

  “Right here!” Ying said suddenly. To Alfie and Emilia she whispered, “This is where we finish. It’ll be perfect if they can see me here.”

  Aunt Chan and Uncle Wu crowded in shoulder-to-shoulder with the others to await the start of the parade. Ying made sure she was at a distance from her parents in the hopes that they wouldn’t notice whether she was standing with them.

  The parade started and the crowd began to cheer. Since they were at the end of the line, they—and Ying—had to wait a few minutes for the parade to make its way down the streets to them. As soon as the first part of the parade had passed, Ying took off.

  “See you at the end,” she said.

  There was plenty to distract Aunt Chan and Uncle Wu—as well as Alfie and Emilia. Large groups of dancers came down the parade line in matching red, pink, and white costumes with bright Chinese umbrellas; groups in traditional costumes with their faces painted d
id more dances and routines; parade floats were covered in lights top to bottom, casting a festive glow across the entire crowd.

  “The lions are coming!” Emilia said, pointing and jumping.

  A throng of drummers led the procession, along with several hand percussionists clapping cymbals the size of dinner plates. Alfie felt the beating in his chest, rhythmic and exhilarating.

  Alfie could just spot the white of the lion costume coming toward them. The head of the lion swayed back and forth, bounced down the street, and fluttered its eyelids, all to the beat of the drummers. Aunt Chan and Uncle Wu clapped their hands along to the music.

  One lion stopped just in front of the family to perform. The costume was made of a delicate fabric that fluttered gracefully with every movement. Ying’s legs acted as the front legs of the lion. Hidden underneath, she used her arms to move the head, work the eyes, and even work the ears. Her partner, Ju, was the back legs of the lion and had to be in perfect sync with the front to make it look like a larger-than-life lion brought to life.

  Alfie and Emilia stood transfixed as Ying and Ju did their dance. Ying made the lion’s head look directly at Aunt Chan and Uncle Wu and flutter its eyes before turning back into the street and continuing its dance.

  When the performance ended, the crowd gave them enthusiastic applause.

  “Wasn’t that amazing?” Alfie asked Aunt Chan and Uncle Wu.

  “Very impressive for such young dancers,” Uncle Wu said.

  “Lots of training,” Alfie added. “And talent.”

  “And dedication,” Emilia added.

  “It’s nice to see young people so committed to an ancient tradition,” Aunt Chan said. “I wonder if Ying— Ying?”

  At that moment, Ying removed the head of lion to take her bow along with Ju. Alfie clapped so hard his hands hurt, and he couldn’t stop smiling. When he turned to look at Ying’s parents, her mother wore an expression of disbelief while Uncle Wu’s eyes looked a bit teary. It was the perfect reaction.

  Ying stepped closer to her parents. She waved good-bye to Ju, who went to find her own family.

  “Well, surprise,” Ying said to her parents.

  “Ying, I can’t believe that was you,” Aunt Chan said. “Is this what you’ve been doing all this time you weren’t at the restaurant?”

  “Yes,” Ying said. “I’m sorry I deceived you. Honestly. I just felt like you didn’t understand how important this is to me. And how good I am at it. At least, I think I am.”

  “You are,” Uncle Wu said. “You are incredibly talented, Ying.”

  “It was wonderful, Ying. Although we’re not happy about your sneaking off,” Aunt Chan said. “And I certainly don’t like being deceived by my daughter. That said—you were amazing. Ying, we’re so proud of you.”

  Ying, her mother, and her father all huddled in for a tight hug. Emilia could hardly contain her happiness and clapped as she hopped up and down.

  “Pardon me,” a familiar voice said. They all turned to see Mrs. Liu standing in front of them. Alfie worried that the family would be uncomfortable seeing the woman that held the fate of their restaurant in her hands, but Aunt Chan and Uncle Wu looked surprisingly calm. He supposed they were too busy being amazed by their daughter.

  “Hello, Mrs. Liu,” Uncle Wu said. “Did you enjoy the parade?”

  “Very much,” she said. “Especially this girl’s lion dance. Very impressive.”

  Ying smiled proudly. “Thank you.”

  “Well,” Mrs. Liu said, pausing to look at each member of the family, “have a good evening.” Mrs. Liu looked at Ying and grasped her hand, whispered something to her, and then disappeared into the crowd.

  “That was weird,” Alfie said as they watched her walk away.

  Ying ran back to find her instructor to return her costume. She was able to change quickly and come back to meet the family. “Let’s get some food,” she said. “I’m starving.”

  “Your mother and I will get treats,” Uncle Wu said. “Why don’t you find a place to sit?”

  “Father, wait,” Ying said. She whispered something in his ear.

  “You sure?” Uncle Wu asked her.

  “Definitely,” she said.

  Ying, Alfie, and Emilia walked through the crowds and miraculously found an open bench overlooking the harbor, which was filled with boats covered in lights for the festival. They sat down and looked out at the water and skyscrapers of Kowloon.

  “Looks like we did it,” Ying said.

  “Yep,” Alfie said.

  “Thank you both so much for helping me,” Ying said. “It means so much to me.”

  “Of course,” Emilia said. “You’re so talented, how could we not?”

  Ying smiled. “Well, next we eat sticky rice balls and hang out for a while. Watch the fireworks. Tomorrow everything goes back to normal.”

  Alfie looked at his sister. “I wonder.”

  Uncle Wu and Aunt Chan returned with a plastic bag full of sticky rice balls.

  “This is another new year’s tradition,” Uncle Wu said as he opened the bag. “These are called tang yuan, and they can have all different kinds of fillings, like walnuts, fish, tangerine peel, black-bean paste, and even green beans or rose petals.”

  Uncle Wu passed around the plastic bag of rice balls, which looked like Ping-Pong balls.

  “Sesame paste!” said Ying of the first one she grabbed. “My favorite!”

  Alfie bit into one. It was soft but firm and the center held a sweet taste of almond.

  Emilia took a bite of hers. “I’m not sure what it is, but it’s delicious!” she said.

  “You got one with shredded pork,” Aunt Chan said, looking at the rice ball in Emilia’s hand.

  Everyone’s hands dove into the bag for seconds while Uncle Wu explained to Alfie and Emilia why it was important to eat them on this last day of the Spring Festival.

  He held one up and said, “Looks like a full moon, doesn’t it? It symbolizes family unity and wholeness, which is very important. And which is why, Ying, there’s still something we must discuss with you.”

  “This is the part when the night goes bad, isn’t it?” Ying said.

  “I’m afraid you’re not going to be happy,” Uncle Wu said.

  Alfie braced himself along with Ying and Emilia. They were ready to hear what Aunt Chan and Uncle Wu had to say.

  Uncle Wu began by saying, “Your mother and I discussed this, and we’ve come to some decisions.”

  Alfie watched Ying’s face as she tried to stay positive.

  “We do not appreciate—or tolerate—being deceived,” Aunt Chan said. “However—we’re sorry. We were so focused on the restaurant that we never really asked what you wanted. And you clearly want to keep up your training.”

  “More than anything,” Ying said.

  “So this is what we feel will be fair,” Uncle Wu said. “You will take a week off from gymnastics and during that week you will help out at the restaurant just as we’ve expected you to. How does that sound?”

  “Totally fair,” Ying said. “Thank you for understanding. Now if only I could do something about the restaurant review.”

  “Well,” Uncle Wu sighed, “we’ll deal with that when it happens.”

  Ying smiled as she reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Mrs. Liu slipped this to me after the parade. It’s the review—she said it goes up on the website tonight.”

  Aunt Chan took the piece of paper from Ying and carefully unfolded it. She took a deep breath and began reading: “‘The charming family-owned restaurant, which is surrounded by flashy, more expensive venues, specializes in what the people of Hong Kong do best—fish. It is a no-frills approach that highlights the quality of the fish and delicate handling of its preparation.’”

  “It’s a good review!”
said Uncle Wu.

  “‘The family seems to know what you want even if you think you know otherwise,’” Aunt Chan continued. “‘As any good restaurateur knows, fresher is always better, and the Golden Lion delivered the freshest scallops I have ever tasted.’” Aunt Chan was on the verge of tears.

  “We’ve done it,” Uncle Wu said to her. “Now all we can do is keep working as hard as we have been, and success will come to us.”

  Aunt Chan smiled. “Yes, you’re right,” she said, folding the review back and tucking it into her pocket. Uncle Wu put his arm around her and gave a gentle squeeze. Aunt Chan turned to smile at him and the strain and stress of the past few days seemed to melt away.

  “Oh, Ying,” Uncle Wu said. “I picked up that special item you asked for.” He handed her a bag.

  “Perfect!” Ying said. “Alfie, this is for you.” From the bag she pulled out what appeared to be a hard-boiled egg, the color a bit brown instead of gleaming white.

  “What is it?” Alfie asked, because he knew it wasn’t just an egg. Ying was up to something.

  “You said you’d try anything,” she said. “How about a thousand-year-old egg?”

  “It’s not really that old, is it?” Emilia asked.

  “No,” Ying said. “More like a hundred days. That’s a duck egg. They preserve it in a clay mixture with ash, salt, and lime. You up for it?” Ying held the egg out to Alfie.

  He took the egg from Ying. The shell was still on it, so he cracked it on the edge of the bench. If he thought the outside of the egg was strangely colored, he wasn’t prepared for what he saw inside. “It’s totally black!”

  “I’m going to be sick,” Emilia said.

  “Keep going,” Ying said, with a devilish smile.

  As he continued to peel off the shell, the smell began to escape—a rotten smell, like sulfur. The egg itself was like a gummy candy. If gummy candy was black and stinky.