The Mountain Master of Sha Tin, page 2
“What do you know about Carter Wing?”
“He’s young, tough, ambitious, and aggressive. He’s only been heading Sha Tin for a couple of months, but already he’s making a lot of his neighbours nervous,” Sonny said. “One more thing you should know: his father died when he was young and Sammy has always looked out for him, so they’re close. Now that he’s got some power, he might have decided he’ll use it to repay his uncle.”
“But you haven’t heard anything definite?”
“No, just rumours.”
“Well, until something else happens, we have to assume that’s what we’re dealing with,” Ava said.
She saw that Suen was listening to her conversation with Sonny. She didn’t blame him. With Xu in hospital and Lop in the Kowloon clinic, it might fall to him and the rest of the Shanghai executive to decide on a course of action if the rumours materialized into something more sinister. “Sonny, I have to go. I’ll call you after I see Xu. In the meantime, stay completely on top of things there. Let’s try to avoid any more surprises.”
“How is Lop?” Suen asked as soon as Ava ended the call.
“He’s not dead, but he’s in no condition to run anything, let alone a war.”
“This couldn’t have happened at a worse time.”
“How close are we to the hospital?” Ava asked, in no mood to respond to something so obvious.
“Ten minutes,” Wen said.
“Then let’s have some quiet time. I need to gather myself. Having to be in two hospitals in only a few days is a lot for my system to handle.”
( 2 )
Ava hated hospitals. She didn’t know where the aversion had come from, but it was a constant, and it made no difference whether she was a patient or a visitor. Since Uncle had died she hadn’t been in one until a few days before, when she was attacked in Beijing by a thug wielding a cleaver. She’d fended him off, but not before he’d made a gash in her upper arm that needed treatment. Now, as Wen stopped the car in front of the modern-looking Shanghai East International Medical Centre, she was making her second hospital visit in less than forty-eight hours.
Ava associated hospitals with death. She knew that was irrational and that hospitals existed to treat, not kill, patients, but the instant she saw the nurses and doctors in their uniforms and smelled the disinfectant they used to clean the corridors and rooms, she would begin to feel anxious.
“Are you going to be okay?” Fai asked as she, Ava, and Suen started up the steps towards the hospital’s brightly lit entrance.
“I’ll manage,” Ava said, and then turned to Suen. “This place looks new.”
“It’s been here about ten years. It was built to serve the international community, so the staff speak both Chinese and English. It was recommended to Xu a few years ago by a doctor he met at a party. The doctor is attached to the hospital, and he told Xu he thought it would be easier to protect his privacy here.”
Suen turned left when they entered the lobby. Ava and Fai followed him to a bank of elevators that were signed in both languages. They rode the elevator to the twelfth floor, and when they exited, Suen led them through the patient reception area to a door with the words infectious diseases written on it. He opened the door and they stepped into an area that had a large U-shaped nursing station in the middle and a perimeter wall of glass interspersed with closed doors. The blinds of several of the rooms were open and Ava could see that each contained a single unoccupied bed.
Suen approached the nursing station. “Xu’s mei mei is here now. Can you add her to the visitors list?” Suen said.
A young woman smiled at Ava and Fai. “Which of you is the little sister?” she asked.
“I am,” Ava said, not feeling the need to explain that she wasn’t actually a blood relative.
“You’ll need to fill out this form and then sign a waiver,” she said, passing two pieces of paper to Ava. “When that’s done, you’ll have to put on a gown, mask, gloves, and slippers. And I suggest you hurry if you want to spend any time with him, because visiting hours end in about thirty minutes.”
Ava completed the paperwork and handed it back to the nurse. “Where do I find those clothes?”
“The room there in the corner,” the woman said, pointing to a red door. “And by the way, you can’t use a cellphone anywhere in this unit, so if you have one in your purse, please turn it off.”
“She told me I’d be banned forever if I was caught using mine,” Suen said.
“The same applies to the sister,” the woman said.
“Message received and understood,” Ava said, and headed for the change room. A few minutes later she emerged appropriately dressed.
“He’s in room number nine,” Suen said. “I’ll walk you there.”
When they reached the door, Suen knocked and then opened it. Ava stepped inside, not knowing quite what to expect. The room was dimly lit and the figure in the bed was in shadows. If she hadn’t known it was Xu, she wouldn’t have recognized him. He lay flat on his back with his eyes closed. An IV drip was attached to his arm and he was hooked up to several other pieces of expensive-looking equipment. As she neared the bed his face became more distinct; she could see that he was pale and gaunt, almost ashen.
There was a chair by the side of the bed. She sat down, reached out, and gently touched the back of his hand. “Ge ge,” she said. “Big brother, it’s Ava. I’ve come for a visit.”
Xu didn’t react immediately and Ava started to think he was sleeping, but then he turned his head towards her and opened his eyes. For a few seconds he didn’t seem to be focusing, and Ava wondered if he knew who she was.
“It’s Ava,” she repeated.
“I see you, but why are you here?” he mumbled.
“I’m here to see you. You’re in the hospital and I’ve come to see how you’re doing.”
“I’m tired.”
“Do you want to talk?”
“No. I’m tired,” Xu said, closing his eyes.
Ava sat by the bed for several minutes, unsure of what to do. She stroked the back of his hand, but when she didn’t get any reaction, she said, “Xu, I’ll leave you alone now, but I’ll be back first thing in the morning.” When he still didn’t respond, she leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead, then stood and left the room.
Suen and Fai were still standing by the nursing station, where they had been joined by a tall, thin, middle-aged Westerner. As she approached, Ava heard the man speaking rudimentary Mandarin. His name tag read dr. martin.
“Ava, you’re back quickly,” Suen said when he saw her.
“Xu said he was tired. I couldn’t get much more out of him, and then he fell asleep.”
“Doctor Martin was just explaining what’s wrong with him,” Fai said.
Ava slipped the mask from her face. “Can you explain it to me as well?” she said to him in English.
The doctor raised an eyebrow. “Your English is excellent. Do I detect an American accent?”
“Canadian actually, and you are obviously from the U.K.”
“I am. This is my fifth year here, though you might not think so, given the way I speak Mandarin.”
“It’s a difficult language to learn, and I’m quite sure you weren’t hired because of your linguistic abilities.”
“That’s true enough. And because of the international nature of this hospital we don’t get many patients who speak only Chinese.”
“Then please explain to me in English what’s going on with Xu. I wasn’t expecting him to look so weak and disconnected.”
“If I understand correctly, you are his sister?”
“That is correct.”
“And your name is?”
“Ava Lee.”
“Well, Ms. Lee, your brother has bacterial meningitis, which is a swelling of the protective membrane covering the brain and spinal cord. That swelling is caused by an infection of the fluid that surrounds the brain and cord. It is treatable with antibiotics. We’ve already given Mr. Xu a full regimen, and while it might not appear that we’re making progress, the tests we ran a few hours ago indicate that the swelling has already started to recede. His grogginess may be as attributable to the treatment as it is to the disease.”
“When will he be more coherent?”
“It’s hard to say. Maybe tomorrow, or perhaps the day after.”
“How about regaining his strength?”
“That will take longer. Meningitis is quite debilitating.”
“But he is definitely out of danger?”
Dr. Martin hesitated and then said, “One can never be completely sure, but I believe we’re past the worst of it.”
“What will comprise the treatment?”
“More antibiotics, fluids, and lots of rest. He will need to be closely monitored for some time, so don’t count on him going home for at least another three or four more days.”
“Thank you,” Ava said, and then turned to Suen and Fai. “We can go now. There isn’t much more we can do tonight.”
* * *
They left the infectious diseases ward a few minutes later and walked in silence to the main exit. Ava had been alarmed by Xu’s weakened condition, but it wasn’t something she wanted to discuss. As if sensing Ava’s concern, Fai took her hand and squeezed it.
Wen had parked the Mercedes across the street from the centre. “Where am I taking you now?” he said to Suen when they reached the car.
“Xu’s house,” Suen said.
The Pudong district was separated from Shanghai by the Huangpu River. Traffic was light and the river soon came into view, glimmering under the light cast by a wall of skyscrapers that lined its southern bank. When Ava had first started coming to Shanghai, she would stay at the Peninsula Hotel on the Bund — a kilometre-long row of historic buildings on the northern bank — and had been accustomed to taking the Yangpu Bridge across the river. On this occasion, Wen was driving towards the Lupu Bridge.
“Are we going to the French Concession?” Ava asked.
“The Lupu Bridge is the most direct route,” Wen replied.
“That’s the bridge with the long steel arch?” said Ava.
“It’s the second-longest steel arch bridge in the world.”
“I didn’t know you were also a tour guide,” Ava said.
“I know some trivia,” he said, and laughed.
When the car had cleared the bridge and was driving through heavier Shanghai traffic, Suen turned to Ava. “I promised Auntie Grace I’d let her know when you were on your way to the house.”
“Let me do that,” Ava said, reaching for her phone and hitting speed dial.
“Wei,” Auntie Grace answered.
“It’s Ava. We’re in Shanghai and should be at the house in about fifteen minutes.”
“Good. I’m anxious to see you,” she said, and then quickly added, “Did you go to the hospital?”
“Yes. I saw Xu and spoke to the doctor,” Ava said.
“How is he?”
Several platitudes popped into Ava’s mind and were immediately dismissed. “The bad news is that they’ve confirmed he has bacterial meningitis. The good news is that the doctor says they caught it in time, and he expects Xu to recover fully,” she said. “But he’s heavily drugged and right now isn’t himself. I think he recognized me, but he couldn’t communicate very well. He also seems to have lost some weight, so he’s going to need a lot of your cooking when he gets home.”
Auntie Grace didn’t respond right away, and Ava knew she was weighing every word Ava had said.
“Auntie, he’s going to be fine. You know I always tell you the truth,” she said.
“I never doubt you. I’m just so worried.”
“We’re all worried, but he’s in good hands.”
“I wish he was at home where I could look after him.”
“You’ll have to make do with Fai and me for the next few days.”
“And I can’t tell you how pleased I am that you’ll be here,” she said. “I’ve made dinner for you. I hope you’re hungry.”
“I’m always hungry for your food,” Ava said. “We’ll see you soon.”
“How is she?” Suen asked when Ava ended the call.
“Worried, but she’s a strong woman,” Ava said.
Suen nodded and then turned his attention to the road.
They were in the French Concession now, driving along what Ava recognized as Huaihai Road, once called Avenue Joffre. The Concession was just west of the Bund and stretched for eight kilometres. It was land that had been granted to the French in the mid-1800s as part of Shanghai’s International Settlement. Huaihai Road was its main thoroughfare, lined with apartment buildings, cafés, shops, and — a rarity for a Chinese city — an abundance of trees.
“I love these trees,” Fai said.
“The French planted them. The Chinese call them ‘French planes,’ and they line many of the streets in the Concession. They fit in with the European architecture,” Ava said.
“Why are they called planes?”
“I was told it’s because of the way the branches spread like umbrellas over the sidewalks.”
“I’m amazed they’ve survived.”
“Some of them are as old as the Concession itself, about a hundred and fifty years, and they almost didn’t survive,” Ava said. “Xu told me that in the 1990s, developers moved into this area and began to tear down buildings and uproot trees. Fortunately there was an uproar from the residents, and for once the local government actually listened to them. Development became more tightly regulated, and on some streets the trees were replanted.”
The car turned off Huaihai Road and Ava began to recognize some landmarks. A left turn and a right turn later, the car entered a narrow lane and came to a stop at a fruit cart. Suen rolled down his window. “Everything quiet?” he aked the vendor.
“You’re the first car I’ve seen all night,” the man replied.
“There’s a cart at the other end of the lane as well,” Ava whispered to Fai. “They’re here twenty-four hours a day. Xu doesn’t like surprise visitors.”
The car started to move again, making its way carefully between eight-foot-high brick walls that were only a few feet away on either side. The wall on the right was solid brick; on the left the brick was interrupted by wooden and metal gates of various sizes. Halfway down the lane, Wen hit the car horn three times. A moment later, a large flat-panelled metal gate opened and Wen drove through it into a cobbled courtyard. Ava waved at the men standing by the gate. There were always at least two of them on duty at the house.
Ava, Fai, and Suen got out of the car. Suen went to the trunk to get their bags while Fai examined the house. “It is smaller than I thought it would be,” she said.
The house was a large one and a half storey. It was constructed of red brick and had a red tile roof, lead-paned windows, and a brown door with a distinctive arched lintel. It wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Parisian suburb.
“It’s a bit larger inside than it looks from here, but it’s still cozy,” Ava said. She pointed to a small round metal table and two chairs that sat by a fishpond to their left. “That’s where Xu comes to smoke. Auntie Grace won’t let him light up in the house. We’ve had some of our best conversations here.”
As if she’d heard her name mentioned, a small woman opened the front door and emerged, framed by the light.
Ava walked over to her, held out her arms, and Auntie Grace stepped into them. Ava was five foot three, but Auntie Grace’s plaited silver hair barely reached the younger woman’s chin. They hugged, Auntie’s fingers digging into Ava’s back.
“So good to see you,” Ava said.
“Yes,” said Auntie Grace, without letting go.
Ava gently freed herself and stepped back. “This is my friend Pang Fai.”
“I know who Pang Fai is,” Auntie said.
“What should I do with the bags?” Suen asked from behind Fai.
“Just leave them inside the door,” Ava said.
The three women walked into the house with Suen trailing. He put down the bags. “What’s the schedule for tomorrow?” he asked.
“I want to go to the hospital first thing in the morning,” Ava said.
“Visiting hours begin at ten.”
“I’ll be ready to leave at nine-thirty.”
“I’ll see you then,” Suen said. “In the meantime . . . ”
“If I hear anything from Sonny about activity in Hong Kong, I’ll call you right away,” Ava said, anticipating his question.
“I don’t care what time it is.”
“Neither will Sonny, and neither will I,” Ava said. “And I expect the same courtesy if you hear something from your man Ko that impacts us.”
“You can count on that.”
“Then we’re settled for tonight. See you tomorrow,” Ava said.
“He seems like a dependable man,” Fai said as the door closed behind Suen.
“He’s very loyal, but he’s a bit slow,” Auntie said. “He needs someone like Xu or Ava to give him a prod now and then.”
“He wouldn’t like to hear something like that, especially about me,” Ava said.
“I’ve told him as much to his face,” Auntie said. “He didn’t disagree.”
Ava closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. “Do I smell dau miao?”
Auntie Grace smiled as she looked up at Fai. “Did you see how Ava just tried to change the subject? She does that every time I pay her a compliment.”
“I’ve noticed the same thing,” Fai said.
“But you still haven’t answered my question,” Ava said. “Is that dau miao?”
“I know it’s your favourite, so I made it. Can you also handle fried noodles with shrimp, scallops, and squid in oyster sauce?”
