Life of Bāo - Chapter 14 & 15
May 26, 2023
Recall from our last Chapter 13 that Li, the Straw Sandal, is asleep (so to speak), and Yao, the Incense Master, enters the museum only to find that Bāo is not there. Yan, Baō’s friend, works at Wu’s Tea House, and Bāo has met the enigmatic Master Zhao. In Chapter 14, it’s time for the Red Dragons to pay for the lost gold bracelet. Ong Jin, the Dragon Head, is upset.
Chapter 14
May 26, 2023
The agreement to pay for the lost gold bracelet occurred at the 72-hour deadline. The location and date for the drop took longer, as both sides needed to feel comfortable. Sheng Yao drove a black Mercedes-Benz, followed by two Black SUVs. The Dragon Head of the Red Dragons, Ong Jin, sat in the backseat with the White Paper Fan, the accountant. The other two vehicles were filled with Triad soldiers, armed with QBZ-95 assault rifles and Red Star pistols and wearing business suits.
A large metal garage door rolled open as the vehicles approached the warehouse. Two Amur Leopard triad members stood on either side of the entrance. Both were holding QBZ-95 assault rifles. As the Red Dragon members entered the warehouse, they saw three Black SUVs parked parallel. The door closed behind them. Yao slowed, allowed the other two vehicles to pass, and stopped about 50 feet in front of the SUVs. The two vehicles came to a stop in a V formation. The vehicle Yao drove positioned itself between the two black SUVs. If things went badly, Yao could back up quickly, spin the car, and drive through the metal door. Yao remained in the vehicle. The Dragon Head and White Paper Fan exited. The White Paper Fan carried a large duffel bag with ¥2.4 million. The price had gone up after the first request. The Amur Leopards were confident that the Red Dragons lacked trained soldiers to go to war at this time.
Soldiers from Amur Leopards and Red Dragons exited their vehicles and stood with assault rifles at the ready, the tension palpable. The Dragon Head for Amur Leopard was last to exit his vehicle, and his every move was calculated. All Amur Leopard members had black leopard heads tattooed on their right hands, symbolizing their loyalty. It was evident that the tattooed bodies of the leopards extended up their arms until concealed by their black suit sleeves. The Dragon Head, a slightly grey-haired man wearing gold-framed glasses, said, “My apologies for the increase of Yuan from our first communications, but the gold bracelet is worth more to us than it is to you. As a show of good faith, if you find the gold bracelet, we will buy it back at the same price, minus any administrative fee incurred. I am sure you understand the cost of doing business.” The weight of his words hung in the air, the high stakes of the situation clear to all.
The White Paper Fan picked up the duffel bag, walked toward the Amur Leopard vehicles, and placed it on the pavement. Yao never exited the vehicle. His hand held a pistol. If there were any trouble, his first shot would be directed at the head of the Amur Leopards Dragon Head. All leaders in attendance bowed and returned to their vehicles. The metal door for the warehouse was open, and the Red Dragon vehicles exited the warehouse.
The entire situation insulted Ong Jin. It was a blow to his pride; he was not accustomed to a failure of this magnitude. He spoke loudly from the backseat at Yao. “Our friendship extends just so far, Mr. Sheng. Find the boy and find our property.” His anger surfaced, and he screamed, “No matter how long it takes!”
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We must travel back to before Bāo stole the Gold Bracelet, cut his hair to change his appearance, and met a museum janitor who introduced him to a monk named Zhao Sun Feng, whom he now calls Master. Let me introduce you to Cao Juān (Chow Jen). Sometimes, the life events of strangers appear unconnected to our own, but life is unpredictable and chaotic, and even the seemingly most divergent paths cross. Juān begins an unexpected path in Chapter 15. Enjoy.
Chapter 15
March 1, 2023
Cao Juān (Chow Jen) ran out of the house and down the street. It was twilight. In the background, she could hear her mother screaming at her father, who had struck her mother one too many times. Her bare feet slapped the pavement as she ran, and a small stone cut her foot. The pain traveled up her leg, but she did not stop running. Her father staggered out of the house and shouted, “Stop! You bitch! If you know what's good for you, don’t come back. Don’t ever come back here!”
She turned to see that her father had stopped chasing her. He stopped at the front gate. What am I going to do now? I don’t have shoes, a coat, or hope of returning home. You can't return home after hitting your father on the back of his head with a metal pan. The sound made a stunning thud-like noise as bread dough slammed on a wooden baking paddle. Surprised, he felt the back of his head and pulled a blood-stained hand away. He was even more surprised as he stepped toward Juān, and she swung the metal pan again, striking him on the side of his head. He lost his balance and fell to the floor. It was the blow to the head or drunkenness. Either way, Juān wasn't waiting to find out which one was the case.
She limped on the gravel road in the dark. Her father had been drinking almost daily. My mother had a black eye again. I warned you two days ago, but did you listen? No, you didn’t. She recalled getting right up to his face. She shouted and stressed each word, “If – You – Lift –Your – Hand – One – More – Time – I'm –Going – To – Take – You – Out.” He didn't listen. That drunken shit didn't listen.
Juān was an odd site for a seventeen-year-old. At school, she towered above her classmates. Her body was thin and appeared much too weak to support her. She styled her jet-black hair in a Chinese Staircase braid, which bounced and swayed with each hitched step. At five-foot-nine, her limp appeared even more pronounced. Her long arms and legs accentuated an obvious limp—the bottom of her foot was wet and bloodied. In a moment of clarity, she recalled something a monk once told her. Life can provide answers, even when you don’t expect them. Each step caused her to wince from searing pain that traveled from the bottom of her foot to the top of her leg. What am I going to do? I have nowhere to go. A people’s police car pulled up alongside her and slowly matched her stride. Oh great, now what?
The policewoman from the people’s police vehicle asked, “You're out late, aren't you? You're not dressed for a walk.”
Juān kept walking and looked straight ahead as she lamented, “If you can't help me, please just drive away.” I’ve tried to work with the people’s police before. They were no help. They did not help me, and they didn’t help my mother. Juān’s awkward gait became a serious limp. She slowed, barely putting one foot in front of the other, then she stopped altogether, sat down, and cried.
The people’s police vehicle pulled a few yards before her and stopped. The woman got out of the vehicle and walked toward her.
Juān could only cry and then scream—a primal scream. It was the scream a wounded animal bellowed when all was lost. A hopeless scream. Exhausted, she sighed and sobbed, “Why? Why?”
The woman bent down and said, “I can help you. You're hurt.”
Juān cried, “I'm not going back. I’m never going back.”
“You don't have to. I won't force you to return, but we must get you to the Emergency Room so someone can look at that foot.”
“Promise me that you won’t force me to go back?”
“I promise. Now, will you let me help you?” The woman put out her hand, and Juān gathered courage and grasped it. The woman said, “Have you ever heard the saying, it's darkest before the dawn?”
“Yes.”
“Then know that this moment does not have to define you. Know that things will only get better from here.”
They drove to the hospital, and upon arrival, Juān was taken by wheelchair to the Emergency Room. The people’s policewoman promised to return when her shift ended. The doctor on call cleaned the wound on her foot and closed it with five stitches. As she bandaged the foot, she asked, “How did this happen?”
“While I was running, I stepped on glass.”
The doctor secured the bandage with tape and asked, “Do you always run without shoes?” She gently placed the foot on the floor and said, “The people’s police brought you here. If you want to speak with a counselor, I can arrange that. Do you have anyone we can call? Do you have a place to sleep tonight?”
Juān remained silent.
The doctor referred her to Chengdu’s Midtown Teen Support House and scheduled an appointment at a nearby clinic to have her sutures removed. The people’s policewoman returned to the hospital after her shift ended and drove Juān to the Teen Support House. Juān remained there for four weeks until she landed a job at Wu’s Tea House. She earned a weekly paycheck that provided her access to an affordable apartment. An old vehicle was given to her by a paternal uncle, who only wished he could do more. Her father’s brother felt guilty that he did not help her sooner. He also supported her with a weekly stipend, which was used for food and clothing. The wound on her foot healed quickly, but the wound in her heart was another matter entirely.