Tea House - (High School Part) (Revised Edition)

Author: Lao She
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: Tang Tiezi (sneering) Wang Zhanggai, praise Tang Tiezi! Give me a bowl of tea, and I'll give you a face reading first! Free palm reading, no charge!(Without hesitation, he grabs Wang Lifa's hand) This is the 24th year of Guangxu, the Wuxu era. How old are you, Wang Lifa?(Snatching back his hand) Forget it. I give you a bowl of tea, and you don't need to sell that business pitch! No need for a face reading. We're both in the same boat, suffering people!(Stepping out from behind the counter, letting Tang Tiezi sit down) Sit down! I'm telling you, if you don't quit opium, you'll never have good luck! This is my face-reading method, more accurate than yours!(Song Erge and Chang Siye both enter with bird cages. Wang Lifa greets them. They hang up the cages first and find a place to sit. Song Erge is scholarly, carrying a small yellow bird cage; Chang Siye is bold, carrying a large and tall parrot cage. The tea boy Li San quickly comes over to pour a bowl of lid tea. They bring their own tea. After the tea is brewed, Song Erge and Chang Siye nod to the nearby table. Song Erge, have some of this!(Then, glances into the back courtyard) Chang Siye, have some of this!(Then, glances into the back courtyard) Song Erge, does it seem like you have something to do? Chang Siye It's not like we'll start a fight! If we really did, we'd have gone outside the city long ago. Why come to the teahouse?[Er Dezi, a henchman, happens to enter and overhears Chang Siye's words. Er Dezi (approaching) Who are you talking trash about? Chang Siye (not showing weakness) Asking me? Paying to drink tea doesn't mean someone gets to tell you what to do? Song Erge (examining Er Dezi) Sir, are you from the police? Come, sit down and have a bowl. We're all outsiders here. Er Dezi Do you care if I'm a cop or not? Chang Siye If you want to show off, go fight the foreigners. They're tough! The Anglo-French burned down the Old Summer Palace. You're eating a government salary, but you didn't see you fighting on the front lines!P6 Er Dezi Forget fighting the foreigners, I'll teach you a lesson first!(About to fight)[The other tea drinkers continue with their own business. Wang Lifa quickly runs over. Wang Lifa, guys, we're all friends on the street. Let's talk it out. Dezi, sit over there![Er Dezi ignores Wang Lifa and slams a lid tea bowl off the table, shattering it. Reaching out to grab Chang Siye's collar. Chang Siye (dodging) What do you think you're doing? Er Dezi What do I think? I can't touch foreigners, but can't I touch you? Ma Wuye (not standing up) Er Dezi, you're full of yourself! Er Dezi (scanning the surroundings, spots Ma Wuye) Whoa, Ma Wuye, where are you? I'm blind, I didn't see you!(Going to bow) Ma Wuye, why must you always talk about fighting? Ma Wuye Right! I'll go sit in the back. Li San, I'll pay for the tea here![Walking away] Chang Siye (approaching, about to complain to Ma Wuye) Sir, you're wise. Please judge for us! Ma Wuye (standing up) I have other business, goodbye![Walking out] Chang Siye (to Wang Lifa) Scoundrel! He's such a strange person! Wang Lifa You don't know it's Ma Wuye! No wonder you got on his bad side! Chang Siye I got on his bad side too? I didn't pick a good day to go out today! Wang Lifa (whispering) You just said something about foreigners, and he's one of them. He believes in foreign religions, speaks foreign languages, and you can always go to the county magistrate of Wanping County for anything. That's why even the officials don't bother him! Chang Siye (walking back) Hmph, I don't admire people who eat foreign food! Wang Lifa (nodding slightly toward Song Enzi and Wu Zhangzi, whispering) Be careful what you say![Loudly) Li San, pour another bowl here!(Picking up the broken pieces on the ground) Song Erge, how much is this lid tea? I'll pay! Outsiders don't act like women! Wang Lifa Don't hurry, we'll settle it later![Walking away][Liu Mazi, with Kang Liu, enters. Liu Mazi greets Song Erge and Chang Siye first. Liu Mazi You two are early!(Picking up his snuff box and pouring snuff) Try this! Just arrived, genuine British-made, fine and pure! Chang Siye Alas! Even snuff has to come from abroad! How much silver is flowing out like this! Liu Mazi Our Great Qing Dynasty has plenty of gold and silver, enough to last forever! Sit down, I'll take care of some small business!(Leads Kang Liu to find a seat)[Li San brings over a bowl of tea. Liu Mazi) Let's talk. Ten taels, okay? Just be straightforward! I'm busy, no time to wait on you! Kang Liu Sir! A 15-year-old girl is worth only ten taels? Liu Mazi If you sell her to a brothel, you might get a bit more, but you refuse! Kang Liu She's my own daughter! I can't have a daughter if I can't support her. Who's to blame? Kang Liu It's because farmers in the countryside can't make a living. If a family can eat a bowl of porridge a day, I wouldn't sell my daughter. I wouldn't be a human then! Liu Mazi That's your countryside business, I don't care. I'm doing you a favor, making sure you don't lose out and giving your daughter a place to eat. Isn't that good? Kang Liu Who are you selling her to? Liu Mazi I tell you, you'll be thrilled! Someone in the palace! Kang Liu Who would want a rural girl in the palace? Liu Mazi Isn't that good for your daughter's fate? Kang Liu Who?P8