THE CHANG FAMILY
Nelly stood perfectly still for some seconds, gazing at the empty space
on the top of the wall. Then she pinched herself to make sure that she
was not dreaming, and said, 'Well, I never! A Christian! That is why he
looks so nice.'
Then she went back to her bench and began to think hard, keeping up a
small flow of conversation to herself all the time, somewhat after this
fashion: 'Now let me see. He is a Christian, and this is Yung Ching.
Have I ever heard of any missionaries who live at Yung Ching? No, I
haven't. If there are other Christians here, there must be a missionary
who comes sometimes. Should I ask Ku Nai-nai if there are any Christians
in Yung Ching? I'd better not. I wish it was to-morrow morning. It may
rain, and then what shall I do? Oh dear, some of that red paper is
sticking out of my sleeve. I must tuck it in,' which she did, and
continued: 'Perhaps after all he is only a Roman Catholic Christian.
Well, that is a great deal better than being a heathen, although some
missionaries' children don't seem to think so. Do Catholics sing "Art
thou weary," I wonder? There is that red paper again. Where can I hide
it? Behind this little heap of stones in the corner; and then I'll go
and see what the others are doing.'
Nelly made a hole in the heap of stones and carefully hid the red paper.
She had barely finished when Little Yi came running to call her.
'Come and see what I have made to eat,' she panted. 'I really am a good
cook. I don't know how my mother can get along without me. I know so
much about foreigners, too,' said Little Yi, who was certainly becoming
more conceited than ever. She was a smart child, and more energetic than
most Chinese. Ku Nai-nai was becoming quite fond of her in a selfish
fashion, because Little Yi could fill her pipe, arrange the rooms, and
run to fetch things much better than any child of her age whom she had
ever known, although she did not always remember that none of her
family and friends were Manchus, and that the poor little Chinese girls
of Yi's age were all suffering from foot-binding. Luckily for Nelly,
Little Yi's concoction of meat, flour, and sauce quite took up the
attention of the household; otherwise, they might have noticed how
thoughtful she was. Indeed, Little Yi did remark that Nelly did not
appear to think much of her dish.
There was plenty of time for reflection all the afternoon and evening,
for Ku Nai-nai seemed determined to have a regular turnout while the old
woman was out of the way, and kept An Ching and Little Yi quite busy.
Nelly decided that if the Christian--for that was how she thought of the
Chinaman--could help Little Yi and herself to get away before Hung Li
returned, they had better go with him. But would Little Yi consent? When
the children were together in Peking, Little Yi gave way to Nelly in
everything, but now Nelly did not feel so sure of her. She went to bed
early, and never ceased to wonder what was going on in the next compound
until she fell asleep.
Now the next compound was built on nearly the same plan as the Kus'. The
dwelling-places were all in the centre court, and there was the same
large round entrance left in the wall, through which you could pass into
a small court at the side. This was next to the Kus' small court, and it
was there that Nelly's Christian, whose surname was Chang, had appeared
over the wall. Hung Li and Ku Nai-nai did not know that there were any
native Christians in Yung Ching, but there were, and they even had a
small room set aside for preaching and Christian worship, where an
English clergyman from Peking sometimes held services. The room was in
the compound of the native lay reader's house, quite at the other side
of the town, and Chang and his family were the only converts who did not
live close to this little meeting-house.
When Chang, chuckling to himself at the astonishment he had caused,
descended the ladder, he found his wife waiting for him at the bottom.
They both went through the round hole in the centre court and then
indoors. Chang Nai-nai was most eager to learn all that Nelly had said,
for she had only heard one-half of the talk from her post at the foot
of the ladder, and as it was she who had first heard the sound of
hymn-singing coming from their neighbours', she considered herself
entitled to know everything. When her husband had satisfied her on this
point, she demanded of him what he was going to do. Her little eyes
twinkled as she suggested that they might just as well have a reward on
the children's account as Hung Li. 'And,' she added, 'we have to live,
even if we are Christians.'
'To be sure,' said Chang, 'and are we not living pretty comfortably on
the type-cutting I get from the missionaries in Peking? I shall do my
best to help the children to get home, even if I gain nothing by it, but
if the foreign child's father offers me something afterwards I shall not
refuse it. Suppose our son had been stolen, what should we have done?
There he is.'
A tall, pale boy of fourteen appeared in the doorway.
'Listen, Chi Fu,' he continued; 'I have seen one of the hymn-singers,'
and he repeated his account of his adventure of the morning, and told
his son how he and Chang Nai-nai had gone into the small court and heard
Ku Nai-nai call away her daughter-in-law and Little Yi, and tell Nelly
to stay where she was. When they found that only one person was there,
Chang had ventured to fetch a ladder and look over.
'Now, Chi Fu, my clever son, you must tell us how we are to get hold of
these children, and then I can easily take them to Peking.'
'You'll be only too glad of an excuse to get to Peking,' struck in
Chang Nai-nai, 'and I shall be left here to look after all those young
fowls. It is not easy this hot weather, and Chi Fu there has his head
too full of books and learning to be of any use.'
'Now don't scold, old woman,' replied Chang. 'I can take some of your
chickens to sell in Peking at the same time. Fatten them up well, and
the foreigners will give me good prices.'
Chang Nai-nai only grunted. She was not really mean and greedy, but she
loved to make a fuss.
Meanwhile Chi Fu had been reflecting, his knees crossed one over the
other and his head resting, in what he thought was a graceful attitude,
on the palm of his left hand, supported by his elbow on the table.
'Respected father,' he said, when he could get a word in, 'it seems to
me that the first thing to be done is to write to the young lady's
parents. All we need do is to inform the honourable gentleman where his
daughter is to be found.'
'That is so, my son, and you can write the letter.'
'I will write to-morrow, after you have inquired the correct name and
address of the young lady's father. To avoid risks, in case the letter
should be opened on the way, instead of writing in the usual characters
of our language I'll use the Romanised, which I learnt in the mission
school in Peking.'
'You'll write your letter and send it, and before any one can come the
children will be off with that man Ku Hung Li. We must get them here
before he returns,' said Chang Nai-nai.
'You are right too, my mother. The letter shall be written, and we will
also try to think of some other plan to benefit the foreign and native
young ladies.'
With which Chi Fu rose slowly and majestically, and glided into the next
room.