Strawberry - A Shanghai Girl in America Ch. 04

"Did Alan show you around the house?" Inga-rid ask me.

"No," I shake head. "I love to see house. So beautiful."

"Let me show you round. Alan, you sit down, have a beer with your Dad and Pat."

"Yes, Mom," Alan say, so immediate. He already holding beer. So obedient respectful son. So obviously anticipating Mom's wishes. As Confucius say: "In serving his parents, a filial son reveres them in daily life." I so approving of such filial piety. Respectful son making so excellent life-long partner.

Inga-rid take my arm. Lead me out of big room. We do the tour. Dining room, breakfast room, family room, kitchen, huge sunroom, round through foyer and down hallway. Laundry, mud-room, home office, big library room with fireplace and couches and so many books. Right opposite is spare bedroom where Alan and I to sleep. Upstairs. More bedrooms upstairs. So large and beautiful house.

Inga-rid so happy I like house. So happy I like Alan. She ask so many questions over course of tour. How we meet. How long we know each other. What we do together. My family. Family background. Where I from. What I studying. How I afford to study in America. Visa status. So many questions. Endless questions. Asked in so nice way. So obliquely diplomatic wording. I so respecting skillfulness of interrogation by concerned mother.

Of course I tell her how Alan and I meet. First day at new College in America. I so lost, not able to find way back to new home. So crying. Alan so gallant, rescuing poor lost foreign girl, taking so good care of her, showing her home, taking her to Chinese restaurant I so unable to find by self. So immediate attraction we feel. So rapid we begin dating. I tell her some of what we do. Some of what we do so not for talking about, naturally.

Explaining to Inga-rid important details of family background. Daddy so distinguished industrialist and businessman. Mommy so important in Party in Shanghai, senior cadre, so connected. I of course only girl but with one little brother. I explaining I attending so good High School but wanting American university degree. Daddy permitting my brother and I to go to America to study. Mommy coming to care for little brother on west coast where so many Chinese people already live. All these things I so able to mention in passing.

I of course not mentioning unimportant details such as Daddy actually sending Mommy to America so as to reduce probability of ongoing disturbance with second wife and mistress. Mommy so not appreciating second wife but initially accepting as so natural event in course of relationship with so wealthy husband. Mommy so furious about mistress. So not accepting Daddy needing so young mistress in addition to so charming and beautiful second wife. Mommy so very reverting to Party cadre dogmatism in matter of size of family and number of wives and mistresses. So uncomfortable the family atmosphere. Daddy so concerned Mommy discussing unamicable family situation with senior Party colleagues.

So glad to know Daddy reaching so satisfactory financial agreement with Mommy. Family harmony so restored. Mommy so happy to move to San Francisco, she so looking forward to new lifestyle with Daddy to visit on occasion. I so glad to leave Daddy in Shanghai and Mommy and little brother on west coast. Daddy so grateful to me for extent of growth in ongoing business with consortium of Chaoxiang Wang over past twelve months of so intimate and passionate relationship with Longwei Wang. I so grateful to Daddy for so large allowance guaranteeing complete independence of lifestyle. So not mentioning to either Mommy or Daddy additional very substantial sum in personal bank account deposited by lawyer of Chaoxiang Wang on so sad but amicable termination of relationship with Longwei.

Chaoxiang Wang so shocked at revelations of deviancy by beloved son communicated by self in private over concern that Longwei so overstepping bounds of bad behavior permitted by Party for fuerdai*. I so uncomfortable even communicating synopsis of deviant acts with so illegal substances and unsavory persons to Chaoxiang Wang but feeling sad duty to do so before fleeing relationship due to fear of implication and exposure by so diligent and annoyingly persistent Shanghai paparazzi. Chaoxiang Wang so thanking me for bringing sad state of affairs and photographic evidence of only son's personal lifestyle issues to a loving father's attention.

Chaoxiang Wang so expressing his distaste at attentions of paparazzi to so beloved son's personal affairs. We so expressing mutual distaste for involvement of paparazzi in personal life of beloved son, so agreeing that such interest so very unhealthy. Chaoxiang so expressing need for reassurance regarding details of acts of depravity by only son. I spending so much time reassuring Chaoxiang Wang that I having to call Daddy and advise staying overnight with so grief-stricken father. Chaoxiang so emotional and overwrought at thoughts of depravity of only son. So needing to assure Chaoxiang that such depravity so understandable in such energetic young man. So only needing a father's firm guiding hand to restore filial obedience and ensure acceptable behavior.

Not stating further details as memories of very long weekend subsequently spent with Chaoxiang Wang now so unwelcome. Suffice to say Chaoxiang Wang so good at ensuring obedience. Also so knowledgeable regarding acts of so shameless depravity. So unnecessary for anyone except Chaoxiang Wang, his lawyer, myself and my lawyer to know further details of so deviant behavior as everyone sign papers to say so following deposit of additional very substantial sums into personal bank account. So not saying more. So unnecessary for Alan's Mom to know so minor and trivial details behind discrete but more or less permanent move of self to America. So not necessary for my Daddy and Mommy or Alan to know either of course. Only personal lawyer knowing.

Inga-rid take me back downstairs after giving self third degree worthy of so experienced Chinese Police. I so pleased at ability to handle so thorough interrogation. So pleased to reassure Inga-rid I not some farm girl taking advantage of gullible American boy to gain US citizenship. Thanks to so highly influential assistance of Chaoxiang Wang, I already have Green Card, as do little brother and Mommy, all granted so immediate same day on application in Shanghai. So casually also mentioning something of financial status to Inga-rid in passing, enjoying so wide-eyed appreciation of investment knowledge.

Of course, I also not mentioning weekly family dinner with Longwei and Chaoxiang Wang over extended twelve month period so educational. Weekly dinners so resulting in so useful inside knowledge over so lengthy period of relationship. Men always believe they talking over girls head. So silly of them. Girls always understanding lot more than letting on. I so good at being beautiful airhead with Longwei and Chaoxiang. I knowing I so not airhead, but no need for Longwei and Chaoxiang to share same understanding. I so smiling every week after family dinner. Daddy's Broker so helpful in advising on discrete application of such knowledge. Daddy's Broker so grateful for asking of advice in so confidential manner. So expressing his gratitude in so many little ways. Personal trading account so benefitting as result. Shanghai stockmarket gains so mind-boggling.

Cashing out so much fun. Now finding NYSE and Chicago Board of Exchange so boring. Watching movement of stocks on Canadian Venture Exchange so interesting but not yet understanding Penny Mining, Oil and Gas Stocks so well. Seeing potential, but not yet having sufficient knowledge of players and pitfalls. So putting funds in nice safe boring deposits while working to gain sufficient knowledge of foreign markets before taking new plunge or going into own business. Finance so much fun. So rewarding.

I so respecting diligence of Inga-rid in ensuring well-being of beloved son. So pleasant and reassuring to know potential parents-in-law so dedicated to ensuring family well-being. So good to know some aspects of American culture so similar to Chinese. We going back into kitchen. Kitchen smell so nice. Smell like lots of yummy food cooking. So delightfully hunger-making. Now I looking around kitchen, examining so closely. Yes! Big kitchen sink exists. Big dishwasher confirmed. Nails are safe. Hands are so safe. Not at all necessary to hire maid. So relief. Not showing relief though. Alan so bad to cause concern. Bad Alan. But I so happy parents not poor. Obviously not, house so nice. So large. So beautiful.

Inga-rid pause, her hand on my arm. Look at me. "Strawberry," she say, "Alan has his own bedroom but if you two want to stay together, it's perfectly okay with Sven and I as long as that's what you both want."

I nod so happily. "Yes please." I shiver. "I so scared without Alan, everything so strange." I look at his Mom. "America so scary sometimes, Alan so nice to me, I love Alan so much, I so worried I not making good impression. So nervous." I peek sideway at Alan's mom, so shy. "As long as you and Se-ven not mind?" I ask, my cheeks pink. So embarrassing topic.

She smile at me so friendly. "Of course not, Strawberry. My husband and I were living together at College back before we got married." She blushed herself. "But back then, our parents ... Well, things've changed, thank goodness." She shook herself. Smiled at me. Patted my hand. "Of course you and Alan can stay together if that's what you both want. I'm just so happy Alan's found a wonderful girl like you, Strawberry."

The look she give me so happy. Her hand reach out, take mine. Hold mine. "I know my boy, Strawberry, he's so serious about you. I'm so happy you feel the same way about him. I was so nervous that you didn't."

I squeeze hand. Hold Inga-rid's hand with both of mine. True confession time. "I so serious about Alan, Inga-rid. He mean so much to me." My smile so watery now. So hard not to cry from happiness. "I so very happy when Alan invite me to meet family for Christmas. In China, so big deal to invite girlfriend to meet family, invitation has so much meaning. I explain to Alan, he understand how much this mean to me."

Alan's mom stop holding my hand. She hug me, one arm around me. "Ohhhh Strawberry, I'm just so happy for you both." She look like she want to cry too. We do the huggy thing again. I forced to wipe wetness from eyes. Eyes must be so tired. I smiling so happy when we walk back into big room. So offering to help Inga-rid get everything ready for guests. So wanting to help. So wanting to feel part of big happy family. So happy to run around kitchen and dining room carrying plates and dishes and knives and forks and spoons. So feeling part of family when doing so. I not surprised at lack of chopsticks however. Understanding now that most Americans never use chopsticks.

"You go back out now, Strawberry," Inga-rid say at last. "Everyone'll be arriving soon. Alan can introduce you to the rest of the family as they arrive."

They do start to arrive. Alan and I so busy saying hello, so busy meeting so many uncles and aunts and cousins. So big family. Aunties go out to kitchen to help Inga-rid. Uncles stand or sit around drinking. Children run around making so noisy. Teenagers everywhere. Girls so curious, so admiring lovely Judy Hua dress and so beautiful Jimmy Choo indoor shoes. All so asking how I possibly looking so very beautiful, all admiring so beautiful silky black hair. All asking how I do so perfect makeup. I happy volunteering to give girls makeup lessons later in week if possible so as to share ability to look so beautiful as me. Girls so enthusiast. All so running around asking parents.

So hanging on to Alan, enjoying meeting whole family. So big family. So many Uncles and Aunts and cousins to talk to. So cute little kids. So gorgeous toddlers and babies. So much blonde hair everywhere. Everyone have so blonde hair. So stunned at sea of blonde. I only non-blonde in sight. So startling. So not remembering names. So many names. All so curious to meet me, all asking me so many questions which I of course so happy answering to greatest extent possible.

Inga-rid come out at last, say everybody come eat. Buffet style. Help yourself and eat anywhere. So casual. So much fun. So never eat like this before. So happy Alan help me. So much new food. So culinary adventure. So glad I Chinese and therefore so capable to eat anything that not moving. So many delicacies. Everyone so interested to see what I like.

Everyone so surprised I love lutefisk*. So yummy dish. So surprised americans make something so yummy with such lovely smell and texture. Walleye fish so delicious too. Gravlax so making mouth water. So spicy salmon so way better than sushi. Minnesota wild rice so scrumptious. Never knowing America has wild rice. Wah! So good. Deep fried cheese curds so strange, so delicious. So greedily eating Alan's as well as mine. So disappointed all gone, no more. Aiiyaaah! Jello salad* so shocking. Hair stand on end. Jello salad? So weird. So trying mouthful. Everyone watching, everyone looking.

"Yummy," I say. Taking more. Not too much more though. Not that yummy, but not expressing thought. Everyone cheers. Eat bowl of tater tot hotdish. So wanting more. So looking at buffet table and telling self, "go slow, Strawberry, so many dishes to try." All huge family brought dishes. All wanting me to try theirs. So wanting to try everything. So wanting to eat more and more and more. So unable. Desserts. Not normally eating dessert except maybe tiny little egg custard tart or very small bowl of soya pudding. Or ice-cream. Everybody in world love ice-cream. So interested in Minnesota desserts.

Frozen custard*? So interesting. So much more delicious than ice-cream. Okay, I making note to try again. Not too much though. I not wanting to turn into fat Chinese girl. Fat Chinese girls so unattractive. Potica? Lovely, almost like breadsticks dipped in sugar. So nibbly. Kransekake. Everyone tell me so special dessert only for Christmas. So wanting me to try. So yummy almond flavor. So eating two whole slices. Little slices of course. So full now. Force self to try one little lefse. Just one. Alan tell me lefse is Norwegian flat bread, eat with butter and lingonberry jam. So unable to eat anything else. Tummy so happy. Sit with Alan and listen.

Everyone talk and talk and talk. Lots of drinking and drinking. Lots of eating and eating. Americans so big, eat so much. I so full. Everyone say how small I am, how I not eat much. All so admiring. Everyone drink so much alcohol. Sing Christmas songs. I so not drinking alcohol either. So remembering restaurant disaster. So not repeating. Only fruit juice or water. I so on best behavior.

I so happy telling family how Alan and I meet, telling them whole funny story about how I so lost at College and crying and Alan rescue me and help me find my way home, then take me to Chinese restaurant for dinner. Everyone so proud of Alan. Everyone so interested in where I come from before coming to America. Not knowing much about China.

They so interested in Shanghai. I so telling them about so exciting city, biggest and best city in whole entire world. So telling them all about Chinese food. So surprised none of them have ever eaten Chinese food before. So stunned. Never? Impossible! Gwen has, I know. But no-one here? Only Alan? I so shocked. How can this be? Pull out iPhone. Looking online, finding restaurants. Duluth have Chinese restaurants. "Everywhere in world having Chinese Restaurants," I say.

"There's probably Chinese restaurants' in Antarctica!" say big cheerful Uncle of Alan's. Big like bear. So many Uncles of Alan so big like bear. Everyone laugh and agree with his statement.

I happy agreeing too. Actually, so knowing this is correct from long ago Elementary School project. Great Wall Station in Antarctica have Chinese restaurant. Also, Monday always Chinese food night at American McMurdo Station in Antarctica. I so happy to share knowledge. Everyone think so funny. I so expressing enthusiasm for introducing entirety of family to Chinese food. So offering to take whole big happy family to Chinese meal tomorrow. Mom and Dad so enthusiastic. So organizing for everyone to go to Chinese restaurant for Christmas Eve lunch. Everyone so keen.

Phoning Chinese restaurant in Duluth. Manager speaks Shanghainese. Manager is from Shanghai. I so happy not having to struggle with so hard foreign language. So happy to find compatriot from Shanghai in so far distant and remote foreign city, lost in wastelands of arctic north. Restaurant booked out? Cannot be. Must be room. So establishing possibility of guanxi. Manager has family in Shanghai. So happy to mention manager's family to my Dad, establish connection, expressing thought that my Daddy so well known in Shanghai, so connected; my Daddy so happy to do favors for Manager family. Manager so happy. I talking away so fast, explaining urgent situation to Manager.

Manager so exceedingly helpful and happy for me. So congratulating me on relationship. So willing to help. Manager will take us a little early, other people get their reserved tables late. Manager say only gweilo get tables late, so sad, too bad, no problem, he so pleased to help out. Confirming booked tables for forty people for dim sum. I so happy. So thanking Manager so profusely. So sending email to my Dad right away notifying of so helpful Manager with Shanghai family and providing details as per Manager. Daddy of course knowing what to do. Guanxi so important.

Everyone in Alan's family listening to me talking in Shanghainese. All so curious. Expressing pleasure at listening to so musical language. I explaining how Shanghainese so beautiful language, so explaining how China has so many dialects of Chinese, including Mandarin. Everyone so interested to know Mandarin is Beijing dialect only. Everyone say Shanghainese sound so much more beautiful than Mandarin when demonstrating differences.

Everybody expressing curiosity about dim sum. I spending so much time explaining. So fun.

At last Alan's Dad say enough, Strawberry looking so tired. Everyone go home now, see everyone at Chinese restaurant for lunch tomorrow. I so tired. Say goodbyes to everyone with Alan. Afterwards, sit on Alan's lap in front of fire, so tired and sleepy, drinking hot chocolate with cream and sugar that so nice smiling Grandma make special for me.

Evening so success. So happy to make good impression. So happy to meet Alan's family. So happy at thought of dim sum in this remote place. Chinese go everywhere, I know, but Duluth? So funny. Then telling myself, Strawberry, Alan from here. Here even more remote than Duluth. Maybe you end up here with Alan, in place even more remote than Duluth. I smile at so happy thought, nestle into Alan's shoulder, his arm around me so warm, so nice, so loving. I so knowing I would be so happy here with Alan. I so knowing I so happy anywhere with Alan.

"Bed time, Strawberry," Alan whisper in my ear.

I blush. I smile. I so wanting to purr. So very happy to go to bed with Alan. Feeling like part of big happy family. Say goodnights to Alan's parents. So blushing when big brother Patrick tease Alan. So thanking Grandma for wonderful hot chocolate. So giving Grandma hug extra specially. Grandma look so happy. So skipping down hallway holding Alan's hand. So eagerly looking forward to bedtime.

So pleased hearing Alan's Mom's last words behind us. "Isn't she just adorable, Sven?"

So surprised hearing Grandma's voice. "She's like a little fairy princess out of a storybook, Ingrid."

So smiling when hearing Patrick. "Oh man, Strawberry's so hot, how in hell did Alan catch her? Where do I find a girl like her?"

So laughing when hearing Mom scold Patrick. Alan so grinning at me.