Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 462

better take you back to them as you are far too young to be wandering the streets with your young Chinese friend
here.” Chantal then recognised the man to be General Dupont, a very highly-ranked soldier and good friend of
her father’s. Chantal knew she was in big trouble.
While they were walking to Chantal’s home, the two girls discovered that General Dupont was actually a
very kind-hearted and funny man. They couldn’t help but pour out the truth to him. General Dupont was
equally impressed by the girls’ courage to tell the truth, and he believed that they were genuinely sorry for what
they had done. Therefore, he agreed to plead with Chantal‘s father not to punish them. Although Chantal’s
parents were very angry with her at first, they decided to give her a second chance. Monsieur and Madame
Rougier also thought that Xiao Ching was a lovely girl. They decided to let the two girls remain friends and even
let Chantal visit Xiao Ching’s home if her parents agreed, and to never trap her in the French Concession again.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ching also realised that she needed to confess to her parents about lying to them and
sneaking into the French Concession, so she also told her parents everything and asked for their forgiveness. Xiao
Ching’s parents were touched by her honesty. Not only did they not punish her, but they welcomed Chantal to
visit their home.
Both girls’ parents realised that they had judged the others wrongly and were ashamed. The two families
decided to meet and they became good friends in spite of their differences, and so the special friendship between
the Wangs and the Rougiers has continued till this very day - a friendship not confined by the wall, and certainly
not by the geographical distance that separates them even now.