Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 272

The New Tales of Old Shanghai
Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School, Young, Vian - 13
M
aZi whistled a short blast, and they quietly observed as the couple stride confidently to their rickshaw.
“Oh lord! She’s wearing a Qipao, and the monsieur is wearing a Changshan! What absurd party are
they going to?” MaZi exclaimed as his eyes followed the rickshaw. “Shhhhhhh…” XiaMao whispered
as they silently crept into the mansion once some of the guards dispersed into the streets, enjoying the
momentary reprieve while their powerful lords are gone. They scurry through the main doors of the mansion past the
guards positioned against the walls and sleeping ever so slightly and find a familiar face in front of them. “Quick, their
bedrooms are behind the dragon patterned doors of the second floor, and they are snuggling in bed!”
The door creaks faintly; a moment feels like a lifetime as the two intruders wait for the echoes to subside. They
step in as lightly as aspen leaves with their leather flats brushing the marble floor. They have a clear view of the room. A
brune tte haired girl is laid on the teal bed. Pink wallpaper with white flowers surround the three. A magnificent room
that oozes grandeur. WenXuan gently lifts the light goose feather-filled blanket and sighs. It feels like cotton candy, his
fingers sinking into the soft silk cover. In one swift motion, he shoves the child into the black bag in his left hand,
making sure she wouldn't wake up.
They creep up to the second room, this time with ease. The halls are silent and without the wealthy family
inside to protect, the guards’ presence is as distant as childhood memories. The dragon doorknob to the second room is
much easier to handle as they know to how to twist it. It was much darker than the first bedroom, with curtains drawn,
of course by the children’s command. XiaMao follows WenXuan’s example to steal everything of value in the
magnificent house. The child of this great family surely would have gifts of a very rare and expensive nature – it would
bring the pair much fortune! But they needed to remain focused; this was not their main objective. For all the valuables,
nothing is more cherished than a child. Everything is going so smoothly and XiaoMei even begins to giggle with glee at
the sight of a waking guard, with his slow reactions, lunging towards the two intruders. He never stood a chance. With
little difficulty XiaoMei and WenXuan subdued the soldier and knew that they had found the right chamber.
The burglars however had not considered the stubbornness of their prime targets as they desperately tried to
understand the rapid gibberish of the French children. They needed to get the two children to come freely if they were
to navigate out of the palace. The infant threw a tantrum when they brought food for them to feast on. The children
hated their puppet show and thrashed at their faces. At the hopeless moment, when nothing seemed to content the two,
their glass bead flipping game made them roll over with glee. Jubilant at their positive reactions to an entertainment,
XiaoMei and WenXuan played longer, giving them tasty snacks, and slowly managed to sneak the children away.Then
they patiently waited for chaos to stir in the mansion.
And stir it did.
Word spread quickly that the French King had lost two children- and that a quarter of their guards were
flogged to death, Whispers went round about the foolishness of a king bringing His children when negotiating with the
Emporer. XiaoMei and WenXuan had seen no other way to get the French King to listen to reason. You all know the
aggressive Green Gang leaders, they will take back the country, and China will be in good hands. XioMei thought.
SuLee, a rather feisty woman as viewed in their gang responded to them after reporting the propaganda from the club
that she passed the night before. Then she turned to the two childr… “Oh no! Where in the world did the girl sneak to?”
MaZi whispered. “There is only one answer. Yangtze. But stay calm. We know that the NRA will bring her to the
French Concession Ambassador’s to interpret the foreign language.” Within seconds, the gang breaks into sly grins. And
she continued, “XiaoMei is here with us, so we might as well succeed in our first encounter with the army.”
The Revolutionary soldier found the girl wandering on the port of Yangtze, where they were always on guard,
and anticipated answers of her whereabouts in the recent days, but he could barely make out the rapid French she was