"We do too," Dave said, then laughed, tapping his balding crown with his fingertips. His wife and the Wus all smiled.
Once they stepped out of the office, Janet asked Pingping, "Why is the procedure so simple?"
"What you mean?"
"If you went to an American attorney, he'd spend hours going through many things with you and would charge you hundreds of dollars."
"That's why I said we go to Mr. Shang. He isn't good man, but he always make things simple for people and give what you want."
Nan put in, "Actually, he's an American lawyer and graduated from a law school in L.A. But he often does business in zer Chinese way. Besides, he doesn't charge a lot."
"Well," Janet said, "he certainly doesn't write like an attorney- I mean, his English isn't full of gobbledygook, like lots of 'thereofs' or 'theretos.' "
"He has to make zer language simple enough for his Chinese cah-stomers to understand."
"Are lawyers in China like him?"
Pingping answered, "Before we come to America, we never use lawyer. I never knew lawyer in my life." "True, me eizer," Nan chimed in. "You mean, people don't sue each other?"
"Very rarely they went to court," Nan said. "Zer Party leaders, awf-ficials, and street committees controlled your life, so you didn't need a lawyer."
"How about now? Are things the same?" Dave piped up. "I heard there are some lawyers, but they can't reelly be independent of politics. Zer law often changes."
Dave observed thoughtfully, "I'm amazed that Mr. Shang doesn't even use a secretary."
"He has one, but she works only part-time," Nan said.
After their visit to the attorney, Janet and Pingping grew closer, though Dave came to the Gold Wok less often, having to put in more hours at work. The Mitchells bought Taotao a joystick to go with his computer, which enabled him to play more games. Nan felt rather relieved, certain that Taotao would be happy and safe with Dave and Janet if Pingping and he both died.
12
NAN honestly thought Dick was a homosexual, but one evening in mid-January his friend came with a young blonde who looked like a graduate student. Dick introduced her to Nan and Pingping, saying, "This is Eleanor."
The woman, wearing jeans, was tall and quite masculine, with a long waist. In a southern drawl she said to Nan, "Dick talks a lot about you. He said you're a fabulous chef." She smiled, the beauty mark above the corner of her mouth moving sideways.
"Welcahm." Nan was glad that his friend had mentioned him that way.
After they sat down, Tammie came over and plunked a stainless-steel teapot on the table. "What do you want to order?" she asked in a disgruntled voice. Pingping took alarm and glanced at her from the counter.
"How are you doing today?" Dick grinned, then pointed at Eleanor while saying in his toneless Mandarin, "She's my girlfriend."
"Do you want to order now?" Tammie asked without raising her eyes.
Though discomfited by the waitress's sudden temper, Dick turned to Eleanor. "What would you like?" "How about moo shu?" "It's great, but it'll take a long time to make." "Shoot, I have to be at the Manleys' at eight." "Then let's have something else."
"You said they served shark here. Why isn't it on the menu?" " Nan cooks it only for friends."
"Can we have that? I've eaten shark only once in my entire life." "Tammie, do you know if Nan can make that for us?" "I'm not sure."
"Then I'll go ask him." Dick also ordered fried wontons for an appetizer, watercress soup, and Five-Spice Beef. In addition, they each wanted a beer, he a Tsingtao and Eleanor a Miller Lite.
Nan had learned how to stir-fry and steam shark from Mr. Wang, though he hadn't printed this dish on the menu for fear that some children, if they knew the restaurant offered shark, might dissuade their parents from dining there. In fact, Mr. Wang had once included this specialty on his menu, but several kids talked to him about all the virtues of the fish, and still the old man wouldn't give up serving the dish. As a consequence, the kids made some people boycott the shark-serving Gold Wok. Soon Mr. Wang stopped offering this dish and mailed his new sharkless menu to hundreds of households in the area.
Dick went into the kitchen and asked Nan, "Can you cook shark for us today?"
"Sure, we have some fresh steaks. Boy, you're quick-you got a girlfriend the moment you started teaching here."
"I should learn more about southern women, shouldn't I? Actually, Eleanor is a Ph.D. student in my department."
"Well, zat's not very professional. You're not supposed to date your student." Nan winked at him while tossing bok choy and shrimp in a wok.
"That's why I should make her happy. Cook a big shark for us, will you?"
"Stir-fry or steam?" "Stir-fry."
"I'll get it ready in fifteen minutes."
As soon as Dick went out of the kitchen, Pingping came in and talked with Nan about the way Tammie was treating the couple. They guessed the waitress might be jealous; still, she shouldn't have been rude to the customers. To forestall trouble, Nan suggested that Pingping take over that table. If Dick had been here alone, he could have smoothed things over by chatting with him himself every now and again, but today Dick had a lady friend with him. Eleanor seemed at ease and even swigged beer directly from Dick's bottle. They must already have shared a lot together, so Nan wouldn't go over and interrupt them.
He felt relieved that Tammie was pleased with Pingping's help; she already had her hands full, waiting on the other tables and booths. Yet the waitress couldn't stop throwing glances in the direction of Dick and Eleanor. Her eyes were shining and her face flushed.
Done with dinner, Dick left a five for tip, which Pingping let Tam-mie take. When they were cleaning up before they closed, Nan said to the waitress, "Tammie, why do you look so unhappy today?" He spoke just as a way to start conversation, as he assumed he knew the reason for her sullenness.
"I dunno," she said.
"You should have tritted Dick and his girlfriend better."
She glared at him and asked, "Why did you say he was gay?"
Nan was taken aback as he remembered their conversation from long ago. He still believed Dick might be a homosexual, but was unsure how to explain, so he said, "I had no idea he had a girlfriend. I asked him just now, and he said he wanted to know more about souzzern women."
"Then how could he be gay?"
"Zis is beyond me too."
"I know you think I'm cheap and silly. You too, Pingping, always take me to be a fool."
"Not true, we never think that way," Pingping protested. "Don't deny it! If not, why did Nan lie to me?" "I didn't lie to you," said Nan. "You told me Dick was gay."
"I saw him wiz some men in New York. I still sink he might be a homosexual."
"Then why was he with that snake-hipped woman?"
"Maybe he likes women too. How can I tell? I didn't know him zat well before he came to Atlanta."
"You lied to me, because you thought I lost my head about him. Let me tell you, I don't care a damn about what he is. I just have enough of your tricks."
"Please, Tammie, don't explode like zis. You reelly misunderstood my intention."
"Good night." She plopped the mop behind the kitchen door and picked up her shoulder bag. Without turning her fluffy head she tore out toward her car.