Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 483

The New Tales of Old Shanghai
The Independent Schools Foundation Academy, Tsai, Max - 11
I
t was a fresh Sunday morning in old Shanghai. Birds chirped merrily while the sunlight reflected on the green leaves. Mr.
Zhang sat outside his luxurious house on Fu Yuan Street, reading the daily newspaper as usual. Mr. Zhang’s beautiful wife sat
on an old fashioned, fancy wooden stool washing clothes as their two adorable daughters ran around catching dragonflies and
butterflies.
Mr. Zhang was a kind, wealthy, hardworking local businessman who sold fresh vegetables and delicious food products. His business
was originally owned by his wise parents, who lived in a mansion near Fu Yuan Street with highly trained guards protecting them.
Despite they were both over eighty years old, they still practiced Tai Chi every day in order to remain healthy. They also gave Mr.
Zhang some useful business tips when the economy was terrible at Shanghai.
Unlike Mr. Zhang, his cousin Mr. Lee was a terrible business man. He also sold vegetables and food, but most of them were either
expired or conquered by bugs and disgusting insects. He was impatient and treated his customers like dirt. Most importantly, he was
jealous that Mr. Zhang took all his business, so he spread terrible rumours about him. Thankfully, nobody ever believed him.
Mr. Zhang adored his wife Ling. She was an amazing chef who was well respected throughout Asia. She owned a local restaurant
for barons and baronesses. His children were respectful, clever, and hardworking like their father. They were called Ning and Ding.
Wanting them to be successful in the future, Mr. Zhang sent them to a worldwide famous local Primary school.
When Ning and Ding were almost graduating for Primary school, a fatal and deadly disease had erupted inside their school.
Unfortunately, both Ning and Ding had caught the disease from an unhealthy classmate. Mr. Zhang and Ling were extremely
terrified. They called the best doctor in China. Although Ning had survived, Ding had died because of lack of exercise and sports.
Ding was a lovely girl with straight long hair and brown eyes. Mr. Chang cried for days and he buried her well in a private, safe
cemetery.
After losing her twin sister, Ning studied extremely hard and became the star pupil in her class. Consequently, she easily attended
the middle school where lots of famous celebrities studied. Mr. Zhang and Ling were dead proud, and they offered Ning a shiny,
golden bracelet, which costed over a hundred thousand dollars. However, Ning rejected the award and believed that the beautiful,
rare antique was entirely a waste of money.
Then came Mr. Zhang’s second problem. One day, his wicked cousin strode down the street with two well-built men holding two
long wooden batons. Mr. Zhang was terrified that Mr. Lee would beat him up, so he walked up and stammered “What do you want,
sir?”
“Give me your business, or else!” Mr. Lee snapped impolitely, as he motioned his two strong, brutal men to walk forward.
Fortunately, the guards noticed the problem and saved Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang discovered that his jealous cousin was hungry of his
business, so he hired powerful bodyguards to protect his family from Mr. Lee.