Great Call of China (S.A.S.S.) (13 page)

“Ni hao, Lu Laoshi.”
Cece said, trying to pronounce each word as confidently as possible.

“I am fine,” Lu Laoshi said. “How are you?”

“You speak English?” Cece replied.

“Of course,” he said. “I learn in college. Like Peter. It is not so good, but it is good enough.”

“My dad is a professor, too,” Cece said, happy to have a connection with Peter’s father. “He teaches paleontology.”

Peter’s father looked confused. “Paleontology... ”

“Dinosaur bones,” Peter explained.

“Ah, I see. I teach
hua xue,
chemistry.”

“Wow,” Cece replied. Chemistry was one of the hardest subjects she had ever taken. “I wish my dad taught that. I could have used the help.”

Lu Laoshi smiled just as Peter’s mother came in, her hair now smoothed into a neat bun. She held a couple of platters loaded with steaming food. She set them on the table.
“Duibuqi, bu hao yisi. Rang ning deng, ah. Qing zuo, qing zuo.”

“Mrs. Lu says she is sorry for the wait.” Lu Laoshi gestured at a chair. “Please have a seat.”

Cece sat down, and Peter and his father joined her at the table. Before Cece could even study what was laid before her, Peter’s mother asked,
“Ning yao he shenme?
. . .
Cha, shui, ke kou ke le?”

This time, Cece got it. Peter’s mom was asking what she would like to drink. It was right out of her lessons from the week before. Cece asked for tea, always appropriate for a Chinese meal.

“Please excuse my wife,” Lu Laoshi said. “She knows very little English. And she is much too embarrassed to speak it.”

“I understand,” Cece replied. “My Chinese isn’t great either. My brain could explode any minute.”

Peter’s father laughed.

“But you are doing well,” Peter said. “Remember, you have a great tutor, right?”

“Oh, right,”
Cece said, smiling.

Soon Mrs. Lu returned with tea for everyone, and she sat at the table, a cheerful expression on her face.
“Women kaishi ba. Qing yong.”

Peter’s family picked up their chopsticks. Cece did the same.

Laid before her were two plates of dumplings, but unlike the potstickers Cece had had in the States, these were more delicate and translucent. There was also another platter of roasted beef and egg, and a plate of radishes.

“This is traditional welcome meal,” Peter’s father said. “
Jiaozi
—dumplings. The rest are cold dishes to eat with dumplings. Please. Try.”

Cece aimed her chopsticks at the closest dumpling, but it was one of the slipperiest things ever. Thankfully, she managed to balance one on her chopsticks, and she took a bite. The dumpling burst with warm juices in her mouth. Cece tasted cilantro and steamed pork—delicious!

“This is very good,” she said to Mrs. Lu.

“Nali, nali,”
Mrs. Lu said modestly, which Cece had learned in class was a polite way of saying thank you when given a compliment.

“So Cece, how you like Xi’an?” Lu Laoshi said.

“It’s been wonderful so far,” Cece replied. She told him about how Peter took them to the Muslim district and her trip to the City Walls. As they talked and ate, Peter translated so Mrs. Lu could keep up. Lu Laoshi asked Cece how her home city in the States compared to Xi’an.

“Well, Dallas is definitely way more spread out than here,” Cece explained. “Mostly, I have to drive everywhere. It’s a little hotter, but the people are just as friendly.”

Finally, Mrs. Lu spoke up, and Peter translated. “My mom wants to know how your family got to the States.”

Lu Laoshi nodded. “I want to know, too.”

“Oh,” Cece said.

Peter gave her an encouraging look.

Cece twisted the napkin in her hand. “I’m adopted. So I guess you could say my parents just flew me home on a plane.”

Peter translated for his mother.

“Ah,” she said.

“This trip to China is very special for you then,” Lu Laoshi said. “You have come home.” He raised his cup of tea toward Cece. “Welcome, welcome.”

Cece smiled as everyone raised their tea cups and clinked them. For the first time since she arrived in China, she was beginning to feel at home.

When they set down their cups, Peter caught her eye.

Cece stared at him. “What?”

“Ask my father your question. Now is a good time.”

Peter’s dad looked at her. “What question, Cece?”

Cece glanced at the table. There were only a few dumplings left. Mrs. Lu was already beginning to clear the dishes. Cece gathered her courage. “Well...”

“Go ahead, Cece,” Lu Laoshi said, smiling. “My mind is open book.”

Cece took in a breath. “Well, Peter and I were talking about my adoption, and I’ve been told that many parents here want boys instead of girls. Do you think that’s true?”

Lu Laoshi looked thoughtfully at Cece before he answered. At last he said, “You must understand traditional Chinese way of thinking. My own parents are good example. I have three sisters. I am youngest. But I carry family name, yes?”

Cece nodded, though she didn’t like where the conversation was heading.

“And when Peter was born, his grandparents very, very happy. We are happy, too, of course. He is our child.

“And for many people here, especially in countryside, if child is girl, grandparents not so happy because the family name does not go on. Older generation has much power in family decision.”

“I understand,” Cece said. But in all honesty, she didn’t. Why didn’t the parents just stand up for themselves?

“So yes, I think many girls abandoned for this reason. China knows this is big problem. The government has changed one-child policy. Now if couple’s first child is girl, they can try again for boy.”

“But doesn’t that just mean China’s
second
girls are given up?”

“Well. . . ” Lu Laoshi looked uncomfortable. “It is true it will not solve the problem. But it will help. China cannot move too fast or the population will become unmanageable. However, remember this, Cece. Not every parent is the same. I know if my child was a girl, I would not abandon to have boy.”

“You wouldn’t?” Cece said.

“No.”

At this, Cece felt a glimmer of hope.

“Of course, there are people my age who are different. Traditional thinking is still here. It is part of our culture. But it is less and less. Now China has so few girls, it is hard for boys to marry. Many think girls have become more special, and they are treated like queens. Right, Peter?”

“Yes, and they know it, too,” he groaned.

“So over time, maybe things will come into balance,” Lu Laoshi said. “That’s what we hope. Did I answer your question?”

Cece nodded. “Yes, thank you.”

“Good.” He put his hands together. “Now we have traditional dessert,” he said as Mrs. Lu set down a plate of sliced oranges.

As each of them took a slice off the plate, Cece pondered what she had just learned. Though she hadn’t completely gotten the answer she had hoped for, she wasn’t exactly disappointed, either. Lu Laoshi had said that not everyone was the same, but she hoped that her birth parents might be a lot like them.

The next afternoon, Cece got back to her room, reeling from the day’s classes. All of her professors had starting talking about midterms, and Professor Hu went on and on about how topics for the final paper would be due in a couple of weeks: “choose wise—forty percent!” To top it off, Cece still had a mountain of work to do that night, which included finishing a paper for archaeology and studying for a language quiz. She tossed her backpack onto her desk and sank into her chair. Then she glanced at Jess’s side of the room. Everything was the same as yesterday, except the skirt that had been on Jess’s desk was now hanging from her closet door. That made two days in a row that Cece hadn’t seen her roommate. Jess was probably with Lisa. Or hanging out with Will.

Will.
When was the last time she daydreamed about him? She pictured him in that cute baby blue polo and sighed.

Cece opened her laptop and worked for a couple of hours to finish her paper, and just as she was about to open her language textbook, someone knocked at the door.

Cece got up, thinking it was probably Kallyn, wanting to hang out.

She opened the door and found Will standing in front of her. Her heart beat faster. “Hey, Will.”

“Hey, Cece.” He glanced over her shoulder. “Is Jess here?”

“Um, I thought she was with you or Lisa.”

“She was with me. But I sorta upset her, and I was hoping she came back here.” He sighed. “I’ll check with Lisa then.” He turned to leave. “Actually, Cece, can I talk to you about this? I could use a girl’s opinion.”

“Uh . . . ” Cece wasn’t sure she wanted to act as counselor for Will and Jess’s relationship, but she couldn’t exactly say no either. “Sure.” She let him in. “So what happened?”

Will sat in Jess’s desk chair. “Well. . . I’m sure it’s no surprise to anyone that Jess and I have been hanging out a lot.”

“Yeah,” Cece said.
Did he have to remind her?

“And the thing is. . .well, she was kinda driving me crazy. I mean, like in a bad way.”

“Really?” Cece said.

“Yeah. Everywhere I turned, there she was. Look, don’t get me wrong, Cece. I’m not knocking your roommate. Jess is a great friend. She’s cool. But in doses, you know?”

Cece nodded. “I think I understand.”

“Anyway, we were hanging out in my room, and I finally got the nerve to tell her I needed some space. And that’s when she got upset and stormed out.” Will let out a breath. “So what should I do?”

Cece bit her lip. She was so out of her element. How could she possibly give Will advice about Jess when she totally liked him? “I’d let her calm down first, maybe? You’re probably the last person she wants to see now.”

“Yeah...” he agreed.

“I’m sure this will work itself out somehow.”
That sounded good.

“All right, Cece. Wait, then talk.” Will got up. “Thanks.”

“Sure.”

He started for the door, then turned back. “I’ve been meaning to ask . . . how are things with, uh, Beijing?”

Cece smiled. “Good. I think everything’s under control. And your parents?”

“It’s been pretty quiet. Dad probably hasn’t broken the news yet.” He glanced at the door. “Well, I’d better go.”

“Right.”

But he made no move to leave. He only looked at her for what seemed like a really long time. Finally, he said, “Seriously, if you need anything, let me know.”

Cece tucked her hair behind her ear, feeling the weight of his gaze. “Thanks, Will.”

Suddenly, the door opened, and Cece and Will turned.

Jessica was standing there, a stunned look on her face. She glanced at Cece, then Will. “I thought
somebody
needed some space. Whatever!”

“Jess—” Will said.

The door closed as quickly as it had opened.

Cece got up. “I’ll talk to her.”

“Let me go with you.”

“No.” She opened the door. “I think you’d better stay here.”

Before Will could respond, Cece hurried after Jess, who was already near the elevators. “Jess, wait!” She caught up to her.

Jess turned around, glaring. “I have never been so embarrassed!” She pushed the button for the elevator. “If Will and you are hooking up, why didn’t you just tell me instead of going behind my back?”

“Jess, we aren’t hooking up—”

“Don’t try to deny it, Cece.” She pressed the button some more. “I knew something was going on since that night at karaoke.” She looked toward the ceiling. “I’ve been so stupid! You’ve liked him this whole time, haven’t you?”

Cece couldn’t answer.

The elevator dinged open.

“You know what?” Jess stepped in. “Don’t bother telling me. Your silence says it all.”

Cece could only stare at her as the doors closed.

 

That night, Cece met with Kallyn in the student lounge in her dorm. They sat on the couch while Cece relayed what had happened from the moment Will showed up at her door to Jess leaving in the elevator. “So Jess knows you like Will now, huh?” Kallyn said.

“I didn’t deny it,” Cece replied, “and after she was gone, Will and I decided we’d better just lay off. You should have seen how mad she was.”

“And now she thinks you guys have something going on.”

“Yup.”

“But you kinda do, don’t you?”

Cece stiffened. “Excuse me?”

“The way you described how he lingered in your room, how he looked at you just before Jess showed up—that didn’t sound like nothing to me. He likes you, Cece.”

“He hardly knows me. Maybe he was just being nice.”

“
Please. You
like him, and you hardly know him. Are
you
just being nice?”

“No, but . . . ”