Jewel of the East by Ann Hood Read Free Book Online

the Righteous Fists of Harmony. Their goal is to rid China of foreigners.” When Zhenzhu saw the look of fear in Felix’s eyes, he added, “Don’t worry. So far in Zhenjiang nothing has happened.”
    The words
so far
offered little comfort to Felix. He tried to catch his sister’s eye, but she ignored him completely.
    Despite her anger at Felix, Maisie felt excited to be in China. When her parents had first told them about the divorce, she had imagined running away—far away, to someplace like India or Argentina or China. And now here she was, right in the middle of China, and there was an empress and dangerous warriors and a blue-eyed boy with Buddhas on his hat and a bustling marketplace filled with kites and silk and food cooked in woks. She almost smiled.
    Zhenzhu looked from Maisie to Felix. “But tell me, why are you two here? How did you get here?”
    “Um,” Felix said. “We’re… I mean… we…”
    “We came down the river on one of those boats,” Maisie said.
    “From Shanghai?” Zhenzhu asked her.
    “Yes,” Maisie said quickly.
    He nodded. “That explains it.”
    “It does?” Felix said.
    “Of course. Shanghai is not even really China. It’s filled with British and Americans. It doesn’t even
look
like China.” He paused, concentrating. “But where are you staying?”
    Felix shrugged.
    “Have you run away from home?” Zhenzhu said, obviously delighted by the idea.
    Before they could answer, he continued. “Yes! That’s it! Your parents are dreadful, cruel people, and you two were kept prisoners in Shanghai. Desperate to see the real China, you snuck onto a boat and traveled down the Yangtze River to Zhenjiang. What an adventure!”
    “Yes,” Felix agreed, “we are having an adventure.”
    Zhenzhu clapped his hands together. “You’ll stay with me!”
    “Really? Will it be all right with your parents?” Felix said. But even as he asked this he knew that of course it would be all right. Zhenzhu had to be the person they were supposed to meet. He touched the jade box in his pocket. It was meant for Zhenzhu.
    “My father’s away all the time, anyway. AndMother always takes people in. She likes a full house. Come on! Follow me. We’ll go there now.”
    They walked past fields of cabbage, up a hill, to a small brick house with a covered porch in front. Roses climbed the walls, their vines thick with flowers. Maisie took a deep breath of the fragrant, floral scent. Large earthen pots of chrysanthemums in shades of yellow and orange flanked the front door.
    “Mother!” Zhenzhu called when they entered.
    A tall woman appeared. Felix thought she must have been pretty once, with her blond hair and high cheekbones. But her eyes looked so sad and her face so weary. She reminded him a little of his mother.
    “These are my new friends,” Zhenzhu said. “Maisie and Felix Robbins. They’re American.”
    Her eyes lit up at that.
    “Americans! Where are you from?”
    “New York,” Maisie said at the exact same time that Felix said, “Rhode Island.”
    Zhenzhu’s mother frowned.
    “We’re
from
New York,” Maisie said.
    “But we moved and we live in Rhode Island now,” Felix explained.
    “My family hails from West Virginia,” she said sadly. “I do miss home,” she added, shaking her head. “The apples and berries. The clean grass and water.”
    “Mother,” Zhenzhu said, “do you think you might give us some dinner?”
    “Of course,” his mother said.
    “Thank you for having us, Mrs.…”
    “Sydenstricker. You’re quite welcome, Felix.” Her voice grew quiet. “It’s lovely to have more children in the house.”
    “What’s for dinner tonight?” Zhenzhu asked.
    “Wang Amah made your favorite.”
    Zhenzhu grinned at Maisie and Felix. “That would be cabbage cooked in bean oil and rice seasoned with mustard seed.”
    Felix gave his new friend a weak smile. Cabbage was slimy, and he never, ever put mustard on anything, even hot dogs.
    “You children all need to