Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 138

The New Tales of Old Shanghai
Discovery Bay International School, Alexander, Jasper - 12
T
he constant chatter of people hung around the streets of Shanghai. The clatter of wagons in every direction, and
the shouting from the thousands of market stalls. But in one house, in this wonderful city, everything was far
from wonderful...
"But, please, this is all we have; all we know!" Begged Lee's mum to the landlord,
"I'm sorry, you haven't been paying your rent for the past four months," exclaimed the landlord, Hyu.
Lee was sad, his lovely apartment had been swiped away from him...
"By tomorrow evening, you are to be out of this house! No exceptions, no excuses!" Shouted Hyu
"But..."
"NO buts!" Interrupted Hyu
"Where will we go? Where can we go?" Asked Lee's mum, Vanessa,
"That is your decision," commented Hyu...
Quickly, and full of guilt, Hyu left... Vanessa and Lee were full of despair, anger and sorrow... A long silence
occurred, they were both, evidently, shocked at the thought of living in a completely different place in twenty four
hours. But the question glooming over them like the shadow of a building, was, where would that place be?
It was time for Lee and Vanessa to get some well-needed sleep to get them ready for tomorrow, they still had to
pack and at least have a rough idea of where to go! They couldn't afford anything in the heart of Shanghai, and had
no family in the whole of China to house them! The only option was either to live as a fishing family or to work on
a field...
The morning dawned, the sun was shining like a glimmering jewel on the streets of Shanghai. But Lee and Vanessa
were busy packing to leave this city full of Black, White, Eastern and Western people. Lee was packing a blanket, a
couple of old clothes, a teddy and a picture frame which had a picture of him and his Dad, Zai, who had
unfortunately died two years prior on a boat accident. Vanessa was packing virtually the same, plus some
Toothbrush's for the two of them.
It was time... They had packed their bags and were ready to set off to the nearest Paddyfield they knew!
One, two or maybe even three hours passed until they arrived... A large, dark haired man, with blue eyes, came up
to them on the rim of the field.
"What are you two people doing out here on a Sunday afternoon?"
"We need somewhere to live, even if it's as a hard working slave on your Paddyfield!" Whispered the urgent Vanessa,
"Well, no man in the correct state of mind would reject some healthy, positive slaves!" The man exclaimed,
"Thankyou!" Shouted Vanessa and Lee,
"You shall be selected a cabin tonight, and start work tomorrow," The man said "So go and get your food and drink
from that large building over towards those cabins,"
"Ok, sir!" Said Lee,
"James, call me James,"
Lee and Vanessa walked away with, for the first time in days, a gleaming smile on their face. They at least had
somewhere to live and eat; even though, it was no where close to being ideal!
They arrived at a humongous building with three tall men dressed in thick black cl