Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 486

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While we were delivering the cotton back to the French Concession factory, three British people rushed down the street with a
cup of tea and some sugar. A cup of tea isn’t ‘my cup of tea.’ They rushed down the street so quickly, no one could react. They
crashed into Ling Xiu, the ‘leader’. The cup crashed onto the ground and broke into many pieces, and the tea spilled over onto Chi
Ling’s pants. “Why did you knock over my cup of tea, you nasty old man?”, the English man angrily yelled, “not a spark of
decency. ”
“Sorry, it was just an accident,” Ling Xiu apologized with shame. The British were not satisfied: “Off with his head... Ooops! I went
too far!” the man yelled. “Anyways, that cup was Queen Victoria’s favorite teacup and saucer, it costs a fortune!”
“Well you wouldn’t have broken it if you hadn’t run down the street like a crazy barbarian!” I interrupted. The three men gave
me a look from the corner of their eyes. The cotton weavers looking on could sense an argument was brewing, so they pushed
us away from each other. I wish I could just go back to my 家(house) and be a couch potato and listen to the phonograph, a
trumpet-like radio.
Without warning, the barbaric British kicked me in the stomach and I tumbled and fell onto the ground. Ling Xiu punched the
man wearing a black shirt with gold buttons. Chi Ling jumped on the man after he had fallen onto the ground. Pushing and
shouting started, all I saw was a blurry... dumpling? No, it was just an old man with hair as white as snow. He put out a hand and
offered to raise me up. I kindly agreed and thanked him. I ran back towards the workers; they were all standing back with their eyes
wide open.
“What?” I blurted out. One of the workers pointed at the back of me, and I slowly turned around. There was a chubby kid with
short black hair: he was holding matches in his hands and one was lit. The chubby kid laughed and waved it all around.
Unexpectedly, he threw the match towards a lantern with red and gold bamboos and papers. Like dominoes, all the other lanterns
started burning and flame surrounded the nongtang. The chubby kid started crying, where was his mother? We were all breathless
and started walking backwards. Immediately, a light bulb popped over my head! Why hadn’t I thought of it?! Since I am a cook, I
always keep water in my pedicab! And (un)fortunately, mine was the only pedicab that was surrounded in the fire.
“Here!” I yelled, throwing them every water bottle I possibly could. They all poured the water onto the fire, extinguishing it.
Eventually, all of the fire vanished and became ashes. Whew! I’m definitely “fired” from my job…