Anchee Min - Pearl of China

Standing hidden in the crowd, Papa and I were ashamed and scared.

“Let’s burn the hut,” one soldier suggested.

The other soldiers agreed. “Let’s roast the foreigners!”

“No!” Soo-ching screamed.

The crowd moved forward. “There are no foreigners in the hut!” They began to push the soldiers.

The sharp crack of a gunshot came. A man in a high-collared military uniform with bars on his shoulders strode through the crowd. It was Bumpkin Emperor. A row of bright gold buttons ran down the center of his jacket. Medals were pinned across his chest. His hat looked like a lotus pad.

“Is there anyone here hungry for a bullet?” Bumpkin Emperor’s fat cheeks quivered.

Soo-ching crawled to him and grabbed his legs. “Respected general,” she cried. “Please spare my home!”

“Only if you produce the foreigners.” Bumpkin Emperor waved his pistol.

“I know nothing of foreigners,” Soo-ching cried.

“Mother of louses! How dare you lie to me?” Bumpkin Emperor slapped her face. He turned to his soldiers. “What are you idiots waiting for?”

“Please!” Soo-ching pulled at Bumpkin Emperor’s arms.

“You stinking female hog!” He kicked her. “Get off me!”

The soldiers came. They removed the bales of hay from in front of the door.

Bumpkin Emperor walked to the door and kicked it open.

Soo-ching threw herself at Bumpkin Emperor’s feet. “I will die first before you burn my home!”

Bumpkin Emperor walked away from Soo-ching and fired a shot at her.

“Mother!” Confucius screamed.

The soldiers pinned Soo-ching down, and she squirmed to be free.

“You are going to have a lingering death, crazy lady!” Waving his pistol, Bumpkin Emperor ordered, “Skin the rabbit and set fire to the hut!”

The soldiers started to tie Soo-ching with a rope.

Lit straws were thrown on top of the roof.

A voice came. “Stop in the name of God!”

Absalom filled the opening at the door of the hut.

Behind him stood Pearl, Grace, and the children.

“Tie the foreigners,” Bumpkin Emperor ordered. “Line them up.”

“Absalom!” Papa threw himself at Absalom’s feet.

“Mr. Yee, my friend!” Absalom replied.

Papa slapped his cheeks with both hands. “I have betrayed you! I gave in to the torture! May God punish me.”

Papa turned to Bumpkin Emperor and pleaded, “These foreigners have done China no wrong. They have been living with us all their lives. Look, this is Pearl. You remember her when she was a little girl? She was raised in Chin-kiang under your lordship…”

“Stay away or you will die with them!” Bumpkin Emperor yelled.

“Your lordship!” Papa cried.

The soldiers dragged Papa away.

Absalom, Pearl, Grace, and the children were lined up against the burning hut.

I no longer knew where I was. All I could think about was Dick’s knife in a basket in my kitchen. My legs began to carry me home. I ran.

When I returned, a larger crowd had gathered. Many of the people were from surrounding towns and villages, having sought refuge in our city from the chaos. They outnumbered the city folks. Among them were many who believed foreigners were China ’s curse. They felt that the sooner we got rid of them, the better.

I pushed my way through the crowd, shoving people aside to reach Bumpkin Emperor. My intent was to stab him.

“You!” He saw me.

I held back, hiding Dick’s knife under my shirt.

Bumpkin Emperor was standing near where Absalom, Pearl, Grace, and the children had been lined up. While I had been gone, their hands had been tied behind their backs.

I hoped I could reach Bumpkin Emperor before he shot me.

“I’ll die first,” Absalom said in a calm voice. He looked at his daughters and grandchildren. “We will be with God.”

Terrified, the crowd watched in silence.

Absalom turned to face the crowd and started to sing.

The greatest gift the world has known

When the God of Glory

Who is full of mercy

Sent His Son

Pearl, Grace, and the children joined him.

Love has come

Hope has begun

Still a higher call

Had He, deliverance from our sins

“Master Absalom,” the Chinese Christians called out as they dropped to their knees and joined in the singing.

For by the sin of man we fell

By the Son of God

He crushed the power of Hell

Death we fear no more

Absalom sang as if he were in his church.

“Prepare to shoot!” Bumpkin Emperor shouted.

I moved behind Bumpkin Emperor and took out the knife.

Hearing the noise, Bumpkin Emperor turned. I could clearly see his big frog eyes.

I have no memories after that. I only knew that I had lifted the knife and then everything went dark.

“You are an ant who tries to shake a pine!” was what I was told Bumpkin Emperor had said, after one of his soldiers had hit me in the back of the head.

When I opened my eyes I heard “Kill the rice Christians!” I discovered that my hands were tied behind my back and I was on the ground. The back of my head throbbed with pain.

“Have mercy!” I heard Pearl beg. “ Willow is pregnant!”

“Pregnant?” Bumpkin Emperor laughed. “Good! I will save a bullet!”

The soldiers lifted me and placed me next to Absalom.

“Praise the Lord,” Absalom said. “He will bless you with courage.”

Papa threw himself to the ground and kowtowed to Bumpkin Emperor. “Let my daughter go!”

Soldiers beat Papa with their rifles until he was silent.

“ Willow, we are going home,” Absalom said to me.

I looked into Absalom’s eyes. I saw no fear-only confidence and love.

“The angels are here,” he murmured. “God is waiting for us.”

I shut my eyes and leaned against Absalom. I didn’t want to die.

The soldiers took up their positions and pointed their rifles at us.

Bumpkin Emperor shouted, “Get ready and… f-”

Before Bumpkin Emperor finished his sentence, the earth leaped beneath me. There was a flash followed by a loud roar.

I lost my balance and fell.

Clods of dirt rained down.

I choked as clouds of dust rolled across the ground.

“What is happening?” I heard Bumpkin Emperor yell.

“It must be the Christian God showing his anger!” Papa’s voice said.

The soldiers ran like scattered monkeys.

When the dust cleared, I saw that hills near the city were burning and black smoke spiraled into the sky.

“The American fleet is here!” Carpenter Chan and Lilac shouted, running along the riverbank toward the crowd.

Another round of explosions came. The earth trembled again. There was more dust and smoke and flames.

My ears filled with a ringing sound. It was as if someone had stuffed them with cotton.

Bumpkin Emperor followed his soldiers and ran as fast as he could.

The crowd scattered, and soon we were alone in front of Soo-ching’s burned-down hut.

Carpenter Chan untied Pearl ’s ropes. “Sorry it took so long for me to deliver your letter!”

“What letter?” Absalom asked.

“How did you do it, Chan?” Pearl’s face was animated withexcitement.

“I thought I was never going to find any help, but I was lucky,”

Carpenter Chan replied. “I found the American fleet near the mouth of the Yangtze and managed to get your note to their leader. He sent one warship.”

“God has heard our prayers,” Absalom said in his loud preacher’s voice.

Pearl stared at the river. She then turned to Lilac, who was tending to Carpenter Chan’s blistered feet.

The warship steamed along the shore. Flames burst from the muzzles of the cannons and there were more explosions in the hills. The ground kept shaking. I watched Pearl ’s lips as she said, “ Thank you, America.”