A Loyal Character Dancer

don’t know what to say about your boss, but an HCC connection, and all that goes with it, may not be good for him,” she said quietly. “Do you think Inspector Rohn has a soft spot for him? It’s time for him to settle down.”
     
    “Come on, Peiqin. An American? It’s like in the Hollywood movies. A week’s fling in China. No, Chief Inspector Chen can settle down with anybody but her.”
     
    “You never know, Guangming. So what shall we have for tonight?”
     
    “An ordinary Chinese meal will be great,” Yu said. “According to Chen, Inspector Rohn has a passion for everything Chinese. What about a dumpling dinner?”
     
    “A good idea. It’s the season for spring bamboo shoots. We will have dumplings with three fresh stuffings: fresh bamboo shoots, fresh meat, and fresh shrimp. I’ll fry some dumplings, steam some, and serve the rest in an old duck soup with black tree ears. I’ll leave work early and bring some special dishes from the restaurant. Our room may be as small as a piece of dried tofu, but we cannot lose face before an American guest.”
     
    Yu stretched. “I don’t have to go to the office today,” he said. “So I’ll go to the market to buy a basket of really fresh bamboo shoots.”
     
    “Choose the tender ones. Not thicker than two fingers. We’d better mince the meat ourselves; the ground pork you can buy is not fresh. When will they arrive?”
     
    “Around four thirty.”
     
    “Let’s start right now. It takes time to make the dumpling skin.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Chen and Catherine arrived more than an hour early. Chen was dressed in a gray suit. Catherine, wearing a red sleeveless cheongsam with high slits, looked like an actress in a Shanghai movie of the thirties. Chen held a bottle of wine, and Catherine carried a large plastic bag.
     
    “You have finally brought a girl here, Chief Inspector Chen,” Peiqin smiled.
     
    “Finally,” Catherine said, taking Chen’s arm with mock seriousness.
     
    Peiqin was intrigued by Catherine’s reaction, for as soon as she had made the offhand joke she had regretted it. Apparently, Catherine was not displeased.
     
    “This is Inspector Rohn, of the United States Marshals Service,” Chen introduced her formally. “She’s also very interested in Chinese culture. Since her arrival, she has been talking about visiting a Shanghai family.”
     
    “Nice to meet you, Inspector Rohn.” Peiqin wiped her flour-covered hand before taking Catherine’s.
     
    “Good to meet you, Peiqin. Chief Inspector Chen has spoken frequently about your excellent cooking.”
     
    “A poetic exaggeration,” Peiqin said.
     
    Yu tried to speak more formally, like a host, apologizing, “Sorry about the mess. May I introduce our son to you? He is called Qinqin.”
     
    The room had space only for one table. The early arrival of the guests put the hosts in an embarrassing situation. The table was still littered with dumpling skins, minced meat, and vegetables. There was no room on the surface for even a teacup. Catherine had to put her bag down on the bed.
     
    “The chief inspector is always busy. He has to go back to the bureau later.” Catherine took a couple of boxes out of the bag. “They are just some small things I’ve chosen at the hotel. I hope you like them.”
     
    One was a food processor, and the other, a coffee maker.
     
    “How wonderful, Inspector Rohn,” Peiqin exclaimed. “It is so thoughtful of you. For his next visit, we can serve Chief Inspector Chen fresh coffee.”
     
    “You can also use it to make hot water for tea,” Chen said. “For this visit, we can use the food processor to mince and mix the meat and vegetable.”
     
    “And bamboo shoots too,” Yu said proudly, beginning to experiment with the machine.
     
    “I have something for you, too.” Chen produced several glass-and-brocade boxes of ink sticks—fantastically shaped as turtles, tigers, dragons. A special product of the Tai Mountains, made of the pine resin, they were supposedly inspirational.
     
    But impractical, Peiqin thought, compared with Catherine’s choice.
     
    Chen busied himself with translating the English directions on the box for Yu. Catherine insisted on doing something, too. “Don’t treat me as an outsider, Peiqin. That’s not why I am here today.”
     
    “So she can boast about her Shanghai experience afterward,” Chen said.
     
    Peiqin handed Catherine a plastic apron to put on over her dress. Soon Catherine’s