Chapter 10: You Should Register Too

If his family hadn’t appeared, perhaps Su Mu would have summoned the courage to seize the moment, acting as Kate’s gallant escort and ensuring she got home safely. Of course, that would only happen if Kate agreed. As he spoke to his parents, Su Mu glanced back one more time and saw, from afar, the girl he liked. She seemed to be smiling, and his mood immediately soared.

No matter what, he had helped her today, and for the first time in his life, spoken to Kate. He felt their conversation was pleasant enough, and he hadn’t embarrassed himself. The content of their exchange—brief and perhaps insignificant—didn’t matter to him. That was never the focus for a boy who had nursed a long-standing crush. Old Han kept a close eye on his only precious grandson, noticing Su Mu’s subtle gestures. He looked at Kate and asked, seemingly casually, “Isn’t she the beautiful British-Chinese girl who often walks past our alley? I saw her ice cream commercial on TV. She’s so young, already on television, and so lovely. Her future must be bright.”

His tone carried a hint of emotion. The old man sensed his grandson was interested in her; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone back to speak with her. He’d never seen Su Mu so eager to help any girl before. Most Chinese, for various reasons, lacked confidence, and Su Mu’s grandfather was no exception. Even though he believed his grandson was outstanding, when it came to pursuing such a popular and beautiful girl, he couldn’t help but feel… uncertain.

Beauty is a tremendous advantage; it means there’s never a shortage of excellent suitors. Moreover, it’s rare for a white girl to marry a Chinese boy. Such thoughts were hardly unusual for Su Mu’s grandfather.

Li Ping’an, who was always eager to play matchmaker, chimed in cheerfully, “That’s her! The ice cream doesn’t taste great, but the boys at our school buy it just to keep the wrapper with her picture on it. She’s really popular at our school!”

Their families were close; Li Ping’an had grown up under Su Mu’s grandfather’s watchful eye. Even Li Ping’an’s father had been watched over by him as he grew up. Their relationship was so close that Li Ping’an was almost like a second grandson.

He spoke with a smile, as if talking to himself or perhaps gently reminding Su Mu not to fall too deeply, “It’s not good to have too beautiful a girlfriend. Character matters most. If two people are to spend a lifetime together, what’s important is whether you can talk to each other.”

Li Ping’an treated it as a passing remark, and Su Mu didn’t give it much thought either. He was still immersed in sweet daydreams, unable to pull himself out.

…

They had lunch at noon.

After the rush in the small restaurant, Su Mu’s mother was complaining. A Chinese immigrant who had just arrived in America had haggled with her for ages over a small tip, and didn’t even give her a friendly face. This left her quite unhappy.

Chinese living in America can be roughly divided into three groups: the traditional Chinese-Americans, like the Su family, who immigrated early and have lived in America for many years; those who have recently arrived from Mainland China, Taiwan, or Hong Kong, usually well-educated and somewhat affluent; and finally, those who came to the U.S. during the diplomatic thaw, following the trend, some of whom have become wealthy, and others who fled various circumstances.

Besides the old Chinatown, several new Chinese communities have sprung up, such as the famous Monterey Park. Los Angeles is divided into the city proper and the greater metropolitan area, which comprises 131 cities—the largest urban cluster in the U.S. Monterey Park is one of these small cities, located by the 10 and 710 freeways in Los Angeles County, with more than a third of the population being Chinese. People call it “Mon City,” and the newly rich Chinese immigrants often settle there.

The Chinatown where Su Mu’s family lives began developing as early as 1850. Most of its current residents are considered poor among Chinese communities; those who struck it rich moved out as soon as they could. There’s little advantage in either living conditions or surrounding facilities. The wealthy look down on the poor, the newcomers look down on the old immigrants, and the old immigrants look down on the newcomers. Everyone looks down on each other, yet there are no clear boundaries, and all things considered, they get along well enough.

Business inevitably brings unpleasant encounters. The saying “the customer is always right” is polite lip service, but some customers take it literally, lacking even basic respect. In America’s service industry, tipping is a time-honored tradition, often just a few dollars or a little more, depending on the customer’s mood. Su Mu’s mother felt she had provided good service, which made her all the more upset.

Su Mu’s grandfather offered a few words of comfort. He sat under the grapevine in the small courtyard, holding a round fan made of banana leaves, with chilled beer on the stone table beside him. No one joined him for a drink at noon, so he entertained himself, sipping leisurely.

Seeing Su Mu about to go out, the old man asked, “Where are you off to? Do you have money? I remember there are about sixty dollars at the bedside—take it and buy yourself some clothes. If you keep wearing the same few things, how can any girl like you?”

After noticing his grandson’s interest in Kate that morning, he was now quite sensitive. He hadn’t thought much about such issues before, but suddenly realized Su Mu was no longer a child. Many kids their age were already dating. As the family’s treasure, Su Mu’s grandfather didn’t want him to fall behind. In this regard, their attitudes had been shaped by local culture and were quite liberal.

Su Mu stopped, delighted at the prospect of pocket money. He’d be foolish to refuse, so he ran to his grandfather’s room, quickly took the cash, counting it as he walked out, smiling and saying, “Just sixty dollars—I'll leave you the change. I’m going out with Li Ping’an. We planned before lunch to catch a movie together, and if we have time, we’ll swing by the library. The teacher assigned us to read ‘The Old Man and the Sea.’ I’ve already read it, so there’s no need to buy a new book. I’ll write my reading notes at the end of the term.”

“I’m off now. I should be home before dinner. If not, I’ll call and let you know.”

“Wait! Sixty dollars isn’t enough. I’ll give you another hundred. Buy a nicer outfit—you’re about to graduate, and wearing this is embarrassing. No girl will want to dance with you at the graduation ball,” his mother joked. She might fuss over tips, but when it came to her son, she was generous. With only one child, the whole family always saved the best for him.

“Mom, sixty is plenty. The principal said last week that there isn’t enough funding, so our graduation ball has been canceled. It won’t be held. We joked that he must have pocketed the money—how else could he afford a Jaguar sports car on his salary? That car is really cool; he always shows it off at school. But the tires were slashed four times, and now he’s afraid to park it in remote spots.”

Hearing Su Mu recount the school gossip, his grandfather was amused and a bit distressed. He hesitated, then finally spoke up, “The SSAT exam has been postponed, right? You’re signed up this year. If you pass, all the better. We’re not comfortable with you staying at your current school. You should transfer to a private high school—like the one Du Zhong attends. If your grades aren’t good, so be it. But if you do well and stay at your current school, you’ll be wasting your potential. Don’t worry about tuition—I just found a new job through a friend, watching over a warehouse at a clothing factory. It pays more than a thousand dollars a month. By the time school starts, we’ll have enough for tuition. Next year’s worries can wait until next year. Your father agrees.”

He had thought long and hard before making this decision, since their family’s financial situation was under strain. Su Mu’s grandmother’s illness had cost them dearly in recent years. If they’d had more money, she might have gone to a good hospital and perhaps been cured. Poverty had delayed her treatment.

Money, sometimes, truly matters…