Spring Pearl: The Last Flower

The Return

Spring Pearl peeks through the gates, watching the streets go crazy. The mansions pour out hordes of people fleeing the invaders. Servants, carrying their masters and mistresses in sedan chairs, struggle to make headway through the other refugees. Chests of money and jewelry flow out of the houses on the backs of servants.

And the noise! There are babies and children bawling their heads off. People are shouting for lost relatives and cursing at anyone who gets in their way. Then suddenly, the street is deserted. Spring Pearl feels like a ghost as she stares out at the now-empty mansions.

The British and the French do not assault the walls that day. Instead, they keep firing their guns in a slow, steady rhythm. At night. the city sky glows red from the fires and from the sparkling trails of rockets the foreigners begin to shoot off. Spring Pearl doesn’t think anyone sleeps that night.

When the bombardment stops the next morning, it’s a shock. Mistress Sung refuses to let Spring Pearl see what happened. After all the desertions, the Chinese now have too few men to defend the entire wall. Those who are left choose to defend the wrong part.

The French climb up where no one expects them and then the British clamber up another undefended spot. Once they’re on the walls, they drive the defenders away. By that afternoon, the foreigners hold the city walls.

And then, they just sat there, looking down at the Chinese over their rifles. It’s like being knocked down by a wolf and then having a wolf just bear his teeth but not bite your throat. Watchmen go around reading aloud an official proclamation from the Manchu General and our provincial governor, Po. They tell everyone to stay calm in the state of emergency. However, the viceroy does nothing. Doggy and the servants bring back rumors that are flying around the city. Some think the viceroy has lost his senses. Others think he’s dabbling in evil magic.

By the third day, Spring Pearl puts on her ragged clothes, and slips outside the gates on her own to find out what she can. A grumbling Doggy comes along.

There are a few people on the streets, but they catch glimpses of the blue uniforms of the foreign troops on the wall. Armed sailors at the goldsmiths’ street are smashing in heavy doors. Doggy pulls Spring Pearl into a doorway, out of sight, and tells her that the invasion is starting. They should get back. Spring Pearl sees a sailor swagger out of a store with gold chains draped around his neck and bracelets on his arm. He has bulging pockets that she is sure contain more treasure. He says something to a friend, and she doesn’t recognize the words, so she assumes they’re French. They look more like thieves than warriors.

Spring Pearl leads Doggy back through the alleyways and narrow lanes. She’s sure that she can keep them hidden. She feels comfortable in the tunnel of shadows.

But Spring Pearl isn’t as clever as she thought. As they round a corner she bumps straight into a giant foreign sailor. His uniform is different from the looters’ uniform, but he catches her with his free hand. Doggy springs to Spring Pearl’s defense, demanding that he let her go. The sailor next to the captor raises his rifle, but Spring Pearl grabs the barrel and in English, tells him to stop. She explains that she doesn’t mean any harm. The second sailor exclaims in surprise, “You can speak.” Apparently he doesn’t consider Chinese real speech, but Spring Pearl doesn’t think it’s the right time to correct him.

After Spring Pearl nods her head, the captor let’s go of Spring Pearl’s arm. He asks her to make sure that she’s all right. She says that she’s fine, and whispers the same to Doggy. Then, Spring Pearl sees another man behind them. He recognizes her, and asks if it is really Spring Pearl. It is Mr. Fortescue! He comes up to her and says he was hoping that he would find her. He asks about her mother and father. Spring Pearl explains that they passed away. Mr. Fortescue takes Spring Pearl’s hands in his own and gives them a squeeze. He asks if she needs any help. She says no. She lives with one of Father’s friends, Master Sung.

Mr. Fortescue dips his head back. He always found Master Sung a fair man, but a hard bargainer. He asks if he can help in any way. Spring Pearl explains that she’s not wearing her regular things. She wears these when they go out to gather news. Master Sung is very kind.

Speaking in Chinese, Mr. Fortescue says that they can go back home and tell everyone not to worry. They should have peace soon. Spring Pearl asks if the viceroy is going to make peace. Mr. Fortescue shakes his head, and says the provincial governor is working on terms privately. He knows because he’s been seconded to the military as an interpreter, thanks to Spring Pearl’s father’s Chinese lessons.

Mr. Fortescue explains they are on a scouting mission. They need someone who can read the signs. And despite the dangers, he’s been enjoying his first jaunt inside Canton after staring at the walls all these years. But there are orders against looting.

When Spring Pearl says that some of the sailors are disobeying, he frowns and says they must have sneaked down into the city when their officers weren’t watching. Mr. Fortescue squeezes her hands urgently. It’s best if she goes home right away. But when it’s all over, she only needs to send word to him if she needs anything at all.

Mr. Fortescue finally lets go of Spring Pearl’s hands and tells her to be careful and stay well.

As the two of them go back to the Sungs’ house, Doggy quizzes Spring Pearl on all the merchants she knows. Even Spring Pearl is surprised by how many she knows. With a shrug she simply says they all want to learn Chinese.

When Spring Pearl and Doggy get back to Mistress Sung, she orders all the staff and family to arm themselves so they can come out for sentry duty against the looters. Mistress Sung has chairs and cushions brought out to the front courtyard the guards can be comfortable while on duty. After changing, Spring Pearl goes outside and finds Mistress Sung and Doggy taking the first watch. She settles into a chair beside Mistress Sung and says she might be able to convince foreign soldiers to go elsewhere. Mistress Sung agrees that she can sit and resumes binding a slender knife to a broom handle with a strong twine. Doggy holds out the hilt of a large kitchen knife. He says that he figures where there’s trouble, Spring Pearl can’t stay away.

Spring Pearl comments that Mistress Sung seems to have many talents. She responds that she comes from the hills, where feuds are a way of life. She remembers many times when her father went armed to his fields. Spring Pearl comments that it must be especially true for a Hakka. Mistress Sung nods and says sometimes she thinks it’s a mistake for them to keep their own ways and their own tongue. They should have tried to fit in better. The nail that sticks out gets hammered.

Mistress Sung stands up and thrusts at the air. She parries against an invisible foe. When she’s done, she exclaims that her make-do spear will hold.

To pass the time while they wait, Mistress Sung speaks of her younger days, when she had the mud between her toes. She explains that she first met Master Sung because she thought he was a thief or raider, and she tried to stab him.

Later, after the sky has grown darker, Mistress Sung makes Spring Pearl go back inside, assuring her that she’ll be the first to be summoned if looters come. However, the looters do not come. They hear of incidents in other parts of the city, but the looters never reach their street. The worst complaint is that Mistress Sung ordered their food to be rationed as a precaution.

After seven days, the British and French lose patience with the slow pace of the negotiations and send troops into the city. The viceroy is taken prisoner to the foreign ships, and then the British place Governor Po in charge. Everyone knows it is the foreigners who put the words into Governor Po’s mouth.

Feelings run high through the city. Some think anyone who helps the foreigners is a traitor. Others, like Mistress Sung, think the governor is just being practical. Spring Pearl has to agree with her. Until they have guns and ships as powerful as the foreigners, they have to let them do as they want.

Governor Po, however, did do some things of his own choice. He arrests Lord Chin, and others, for their crimes. And he releases some prisoners, like Master Sung and his other friends who were arrested, whose only sin had been to ask for justice.

When Master Sung steps from the sedan chair, he looks very old and frail. His plumpness has been replaced by wrinkles. The clothes Spring Pearl brought him are stained and torn. They are covered in brown spots that Spring Pearl guesses may be his own blood.

However, Master Sung refuses help. He teeters across the stones under his own power. Mistress Sung bows and welcomes him home. Miss Oriole runs into her father’s arms. For once, even the older children forget their own dignity and run to him, too. Spring Pearl feels sad as she watches Master Sung fuss over his children. It reminds her of her own parents, and how they can never do that for her.

Just then, Master Sung calls out for Spring Pearl. He comments that she did very well and gives her a smile, but no hug. After all, Spring Pearl is only his orphan, and not family. As the Sungs begin to tease and talk to one another more, Spring Pearl gives them privacy by retreating to the garden. There, she does her best to help the plants that the soldiers had not trampled. She fusses over them as much as she wishes her parents could still fuss over her.