Mei Lei

"I am thinking of the dorms. I will be with men and away from you."

"Then I shall sleep with you in the dorms and all the men can see me shower and return naked to our bed."

"Mei Lei, I drink beer, wine, whiskey and good moonshine when I can get it, I have been drunk once and I didn't like it. I will have a small amount of beer, wine and whiskey in this house."

'Don't expect me to touch your stash in any way. One bottle of each, I will throw out any excess."

The bedroom system worked more or less. I went to bed after she was under the sheet and I showered in the morning. She was there in my bed and I wasn't allowed to touch her. I started spending nights away from the house. Dou Wei tried to be with me but he had to study. My grades began to drop as I was getting B's not A's on the mid term exams. I eased up on my nights outs and hit the books harder. Weekends I was gone, mostly fishing but sometimes with a woman. I often took women who wished to fish the river with me and we shared a sleeping bag. No, it wasn't a bit crowded.

Before Thanksgiving, SHE came up with something new, "Father thinks we need a marriage license for when we marry. Once issued it is good until we use it. And you are spending too much time away from me. We are not getting to know each other. And we need to be thinking about names for the babies. And why haven't I met your parents?"

It was time to tell her where she stood, "I find you very abrasive. You are very pushy and too demanding. I want to sleep in my bed and not worry about accidentally touching you and hearing you scream. I want to take you out to supper but I fear you will continue your demanding ways and embarrass me. I am obligated to accept you as a mistress or a sa Third Wife within a month after I get my sheepskin but I find little to like about your behavior. And where the hell did marriage come from. If I accept you, you will be my mistress not as any type of wife."

She looked at me with wonder in her eyes, "If you take me out to supper, I will be a perfect lady. A good mistress or a Third Wife never embarrasses her man in public. I would prefer marriage over being a mistress. With you as my husband there will be no mistresses or other wives. I hope that you will not have other women after we marry but I cannot keep you away from other women until we marry. You must prove that you are not infected with any diseases before you bed me. You and I should talk about what we want."

The bedroom was now the place where we talked. After the talks, I would leave the room and she would shower. She wanted to be my only wife but the agreement with her father as I understood it was she could be a mistress or a Third Wife at MY CHOICE. That was the start of many arguments. I found it better is I stayed calm and cool because she seemed to be able to provoke loud and crude remarks from me much too often.

We slowly hammered out an agreement. As soon as possible, I would go to Hong Kong and deal with her father because she wasn't going to return to his house and be a bartered wife or a Third Wife or a mistress. If he refused to continue her education and I would pay for it.

~oOo~

Two days after Christmas found Dou Wei and me sitting in the same room with the head of the Wang Chu Family. The very rice wine was even better away from Mei Lei.

"My father and you have an agreement."

"I am sleeping in the same bed with your daughter and she won't allow me to bed her without a formal agreement or a wedding until I am proven free of all diseases. To fulfill the agreement I will be required to live without sex until I am proven clear of diseases. That may take weeks and I refuse do that."

"You are not inexperienced, seduce her. Even you can see that she is an attractive woman. It cannot be that difficult."

"What happens if she and I don't agree on her position in my life?"

"When a contract is broken there must be corrective measures. In this case, the prices your family pays for the goods you are distributing will increase by 50%. However, I have three other daughters to seal other contracts with Americans if that is needed."

"You would sell your flesh and blood for money?"

"Of course, but the men I chose will be the best possible husbands for my daughters and the best possible father for my grandchildren. I choose you because of your bravery and after investigating your family."

"I don't love your daughter."

"You Americans trust love too much that is why you have so many divorces. Family is more important than love. Mei Lei is obligated to be yur mistress or wife. She is simply trying to negotiate the best terms possible. You should be negotiating for the terms you wish to have. If you two cannot reach an agreement, I have three more daughters and one of them will be more understanding.

"Now, I have young nephews on the Chinese mainland. They will build a factory to build more of the fishing rod and reels and deliver the by way of Hong Kong for $4 for each rod and reel. They have some very well made equipment but your family must take 20,000 or more in the year 1970. The quality will be very good."

I noticed that while Dou Wei was translating, his father was watching me. It occurred to me that me that Mr. Wang could speak English and was using his son to keep me at a distance.

~oOo~

Mei Lei (finally after much demanding) met my family over the Christmas and New Year's Holidays and stayed with them while Dou Wei visited her father. If I didn't include the word fiancée in every introduction, she added it. Every female loved her and every male looked at what they believed to be my China doll with lust in their eyes. My mother, aunts and every female in my family kept her very busy. We slept in my single bed with one pillow between us. I wasn't about to have sex with her anyway. I was getting all I could handle from he college women.

From the shower to the bed she wore one of my t-shirts to as she said, "Not to attract too much attention from the males in your family."

I noticed that my father was in the hall way every time she left the shower. His eyes followed her from door to door. There was a game of touch football and every male player but me seemed to touch, grab and come extremely close to fondling Mei Lei. She laughed at them. I also noted the my older brother was paying attention to he and she seemed to enjoy it.

Her gifts to my family were small four inch sets of six miniatures of farm animals carved in several colors of Jade. My family's gifts to her were some very small bikinis (almost nonexistent), sexy under things and books on sex, child bearing and rearing. I gave her a sweater and she gave me a sweater, they were the same color.

In the winter semester of 1969, I found that I was having trouble getting a date and the sex that I was use to. After many turndowns, I asked the woman why she said NO!

"You are engaged to that sweet Mei Lei. The word is out and you will have a hard time getting any girls on this campus to date you. Besides you have a love 'em and leave 'em method of dating. And you have dated so many women, there is a rumor that you might have picked up something nasty."

The next stop was the Mississippi Sate University hospital.

"Doctor, I need to be tested of all of the social diseases."

"I'll have some blood drawn and you should have the results in two or three weeks."

The vampire took what looked like a pint of blood.

Without dating, I kept regular hours and spent all my free time studying and finished the third year of college with a 3.95. In June of 69, my bed partner and Dou Wei went home to their parents. I spent that summer on the Bass Fishing Tournament Trail. I demonstrated rods and reels to competitors and the crowds. There were six new rods and eight new reels for bass fishermen and women. The KingFisher high end rods used by the tournament leaders sold very well. Dad paid me well for my effort. The money went into the bank. Mei Lei was gong to be surprised because I was free from disease and stayed away from any chance a getting a disease.

I also fished with some of the professional tournament people. I was catching more fish because I seemed to know where the bass were and the bait to use. I really like the minnow type baits that wobbled. In he Pro/Am tourneys, I won three times as a amateur. I got a watch, a sweatshirt and a KingFisher rod and reel. OH JOY!!!

Déjà vu all over again. In August 1969, Mei Lei's 18 year old sister, Wang Kei Bei arrived at MSU and enrolled in college. A new house was purchased (with cash) and we moved. I now had a king sized bed but only half of it. The two sisters were on both sides of me. The pillows still were used to separate us but getting up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom was a matter of crawling over a naked female body.

Kei Bei was three inches taller than her sister but had larger breasts and fifteen pounds on Mei Lei. There was a new wrinkle, the girls and their brother spoke Chinese fairly often something that had not been done before.

I was having dates (non-sexual) with Mei Lei but there was a new woman in the house so I did what men do, I asked the younger sister out, "Kei Bei, would you like to go to a club and dance?"

She was pleased, "Wade, I would be honored."

That Friday night found us on a dance floor. The early male returnees to MSU monopolized her. I had a total of three dances over the three hours we were in the club. The later it got, the closer and slower the dances with her many admirers became.

Finally at ten o'clock, I was ready to go. "Kie Bei, we have to go home now."

"But, I am having so much fun. If you are tired, I will ask one of these nice men to take me home."

I wasn't drunk but I was hurt and angry at my so called date and three beers can affect the thinking, "You will leave with me now!"

Tae Kwon Do is fine but not when there is no room to move. With one hand holding her arm to pull her out of the place, I went down very quickly. Her four main dance partners worked me over pretty good. After the trip to the hospital, we got home at three am and she had to drive as my eyes were swollen shut. Luckily, she didn't hit anything.

When we arrived at the new house, Mei Lei started, "What have you done to him?"

Her sister answered, "He tried to drag me out of the club and the men I danced with beat him up."

That wasn't right, "Wait a minute. I told you we had to leave and you screamed and then my lights went out."

The sweet little thing laughed, "You were drunk and you have no idea what happened."

"I had three beers."

"More like ten or twelve and you need to go to bed and sleep it off."

They stripped me and got me into bed. Sleep came very quickly.

I woke up without a hangover. Proof positive that I hadn't been drunk the night before. I could just barely see my way to the shower but the hot water returned my bruised body to life and eased the pain a bit. Mei Lei was waiting as I stepped out of the shower.

"Take these two aspirins, breakfast will be ready as soon as you can walk to the kitchen."

"I wasn't drunk. Your sister acted like a slut and got my ass kicked. I didn't do anything but try to get her out of the damn bar."

She was already out the door. Breakfast was cold grits, colder ham, lukewarm coffee and burnt toast but I ate it anyway. No one in the house was talking to me. By Monday, it was like I had the plague.

I caught Dou Wei away from the house, "What the fuck is going on?"

He looked at me with what I thought was pity, "My sisters have decided that you can stay in the house until you graduate. But only Chinese will be spoken. I am not sure why this is so but it woukd be best id you accepted the new order."

That weekend, I moved out of the house and into a dorm. Tuition, fees and books were paid for but I had to pay for the dorm and food. I did write a letter addressed to Mei Lei and Kie Bei and it was returned with a note on the envelope.

If you try to contact us again and we will complain to the Campus Police.

I went home and found that the water there were poisoned also. Mom and Dad accused me of trying to force Kie Bei to have sex with me. I was there less than ten minutes. I studied, wrote papers and my grades dropped from A's to B's. I met with each of my professors and was told that I wasn't trying hard enough and they disapproved of my actions with the women of Mississippi Sate University. I was screwed, blued and tattooed as a would be rapist.

I graduated with a 3.3 GPA with a dual major in business and accounting. I had planned on joining the family business but that was no longer in the cards after what the two Chinese women had done to me. I was sending out resumes when I got te letter.

The wonderful Mr. Wang wanted to meet with me and included a check for the round trip airfare. In three days I was in Hong Kong and in the same room again with the family patriarch. He served the very good rice wine.

I spoke first, "I know you speak English so lets cut the bullshit. What do you want?"

He smiled, "My daughters have treated you poorly with the elder leading the younger. However, Mei Lei had her reasons for her actions. That will become clear in time. As the old saying goes blood is thicker than water. Since you have been badly mistreated by my daughters and not quite so badly by my son, I would like to help you if I can. What do you wish to do for a livelihood?"

"I had planned on joining my father in the distribution business but that is out of the question now. I have some very poor references from my professors and I have been offered a position as a junior account in a legal firm. The position could be better handled by a secretary and it is at the pay of a secretary."

"You spent last summer building a market for the rods and reels. Can you do that again? The market is dropping off."

"It would be best if I were in the Professional Bass Tournaments. By using KingFisher rods and winning a few tournaments, I could build a better market. I would need to develop some fishing baits and patent them. I would like the rods to be a pale blue."

"The English engineer has some items you might want to take a look at. It seems he is an avid fisherman. He researched Europe and Russia and has ten products waiting for you appraisal. If you will enter the tournaments, I will support you for five years. How much money will you need?"

I looked at him and my mind searched for a yearly figure, "Ten thousand the first year to buy the needed boat and motor plus maybe five thousand for expenses. Half of any winning will go to you. I will promote KingFisher rods and reels in a pale blue color."

"I am, as you Americans say, game. What say I give you a check today for $50,000 to let you have the opportunity to try this professional fishing thing."

As soon as I was back in the states, I went to Ole Miss in Oxford to meet with Rebecca as she was taking summer classes. I explained what as happening.

She didn't even think about it, "I will find a small cheap warehouse and hire some friends part-time. I will take some pictures and create a one page catalog as soon as you tell me the prices and describe the rods and reels. You will have several hundred with you on the tournament trail. Pass them out and make them available to every one. We will take orders by mail and the post office will deliver the goods."

I bought a cheap boat for $750 and was late starting in 1970 but I won one tourney for $12,000. Mei Lei married my older brother.

1971 was a great year. Bought a new boat for $8391.99. I won or placed in three tourneys and got $35,000.The Englishman's plastic minnows with a lip were catching fish and I was giving away our small catalog at the rate of 500 a week. Every restaurant that I had a meal agreed to display the four pages. That winter I hit every sports show I could find hawking KingFisher's Sporting Goods. Rebecca and I agreed to be partners and we sold $96,045.43 of goods that year mostly the pale blue rods in six different lengths and matching reels. We also sold $7,500 in clothing. Mei Lei gave birth to a son. We cleared $9,982.01.

1972 was the start of the boom. We added a telephone number for those re-ordering to the now eight page catalogue. Rebecca hired six coeds and the phone was open 24 hours a day. Sales were just under $400,000 and we cleared $60,000. I won or placed in four tourneys for a total of $50,000 and in the late fall I was in Hong Kong. Kai Bei married into a family who owned several textile plants in the southern states.

The same room, the same very good rice wine and the very same Mr. Wang, "Ah, Mr. Waters, business is very good. So where do we go from here?"

"I want to add credit cards to ease the ordering. But what I really want is to be the sole seller of KingFisher rods, reels and anything that carries the name of KingFisher."

"That will most certainly anger your father."

"And?"

"I understand you have not spoken to any of your family members with the exception of your sister, Rebecca in over two years. This cannot a good thing."

"With the use of credit cards, we will gross over a million dollars this coming year. My family members turned their backs on me and I see no reason to speak to them."

"I see. I am limited to our agreement of fifty percent of your winnings in the tournaments you win. I am happy with the return so far and my hard working nephews are giving me ten percent of their profits. How large do you expect this mail order thing to become?"

"Have the Englishman expand the number of rods. I want heavy rods for the very large catfish in the rivers in the south. I want some kind of trolling rods and reels for use on the Great Lakes for Salmon and others for use in salt water. I want every rod in the same pale blue and I want as many types of rods as can be made. Mr. Wang, I need to talk to this Englishman."

He looked puzzled, "What Englishman?"

I looked puzzled at him, "The English engineer who has created all the stuff I am selling."

His smile was very generous, "The engineer is also my guest for this night and wishes to speak to you. It is getting late for an old man to be up and about so I will go to my bed. The engineer will be here shortly. I have a room prepared for you and my headman will check with you to see when you are ready to use it."

Strange but Mr. Wang was the householder and it was his to do with as he wished.

The door opened and a woman entered. I looked at her and she looked at me. I quickly rose to my feet. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. My heart exploded with joy lust, love and wonder.

I spoke first, " Who are you?"

She was beautiful, red hair, green eyes, freckles across her nose, and she could talk, "I am Evelyn Hightower. You are Mr. Waters, yes?"

My brain knew but my mouth was already running, "Yes and I think I am in love."

Her laugh was water splashing falling over small rocks, it vibrated with currents and undercurrents, "Good, I will need your help. I am the English engineer."

"You are not a man."

"How observant of you to notice. Yes, I am a woman, 264 years old, and trying very hard to avoid meeting my father."

"Well, I have been avoiding mine for over two years. Why do you need my help?"

"Is there any of that very good rice wine left? First, I was a child prodigy and I finished college with my engineering degree at 16. My father wanted me to marry a young business partner that he uses to sell Mr. Wang's Chinese products in Italy. I created your KingFisher rods, reel and the WobMin that you used to win several fishing contests. Oh, the fiberglass in the top end rods will soon be replaced with graphite. It will be a much more sensitive rod and lighter but stronger reel."

"Please sit. I will pour the wine and you can tell me more."