Spilled Water by Sally Grindley Read Free Book Online Page A

my room reluctantly and went in search of the study. Passing one of the doors in the hall, I was sure I heard voices.
     I stopped to listen. All was silent. Should I go in? There was the sound of a pan clattering in the kitchen. I continued in
     that direction, heard a door open behind me, and turned to see Mrs Chen emerging from the room I had just hesitated by.
    ‘Where are you going, child?’ she said irritably. ‘Can’t you obey a simple instruction? I said the study.’
    ‘I don’t know which is the study.’
    The smile appeared. ‘Of course, how silly of me. It’s this room here.’
    She showed me in and sat me down on a wooden chair facing a wall covered with shelf upon shelf of pristine-spined books, while
     she stood at the window, her back to me.
    ‘You will rise at six o’clock,’ she said. ‘Lateness will not be tolerated. Cook will leave you a list in the kitchen of foodstuffs
     to prepare for breakfast. You will do as he asks, then you will lay the table in the dining room. Four settings. You will
     eat alone in the kitchen when we have finished. You will find everything you need in the large cupboard. At six forty-five
     promptly you will return to your room to clean yourself up and make your bed. I will not expect to see you again until you
     come for your breakfast at seven-thirty. After you have eaten, you will clear up, having learned from your errors this morning.’
    She smiled, before continuing with a list that included washing, ironing, cleaning, as well as preparing and clearing up after
     meals. I struggled hard to take it all in. It seemed I wasn’t to be free each day until eight o’clock in the evening, when
     I was to retire to my room.
    ‘Can you sew?’ asked Mrs Chen.
    I nodded. I had often sewn patches in Li-hu’s trousers and darned my own clothes.
    ‘Good. After lunch you can make a start by replacing the buttons on these shirts, but first I shall introduce you to Cook
     and you can help to prepare our lunch.’
    I followed her out of the study and along to the kitchen. There, to my astonishment, she took hold of the arm of the young
     man standing by the stove and swung him round to face me. Her whole manner was suddenly smiling and flirtatious.
    ‘Xiong Fei, this is Lu Si-yan, who has come to help you in the kitchen, haven’t you, Lu Si-yan? Show her how we do things
     here, won’t you, Xiong Fei? I’d be so grateful to you.’
    She patted him possessively on the shoulder. Xiong Fei smiled.
    ‘Yes, Mrs Chen. Of course, Mrs Chen.’
    ‘I’ll leave you to it, then. Call me if there are any problems.’
    She patted him again on the shoulder, then sailed gracefully past me out of the room, leaving a trail of her perfume to mingle
     familiarly with the aromas from Xiong Fei’s cooking.
    I stood there uncertainly, waiting for him to speak first, when I thought I heard him mutter ‘witch’ under his breath. He
     looked at me steadily, winked and said, ‘Don’t look so terrified, Lu Si-yan. I won’t bite.’ Then he whispered, ‘I leave that
     to other people. Now be careful what you say in here – the walls have ears.’
    Unwittingly I glanced round at the walls, causing Xiong Fei to smile, a big wide smile which lit up his eyes. He wasn’t particularly
     good-looking, but his face was strong and full of mischief. I blushed shyly.
    ‘You’re so young,’ he said. ‘Why aren’t you at home with your parents?’ And then, suddenly businesslike: ‘Prepare these vegetables
     for me, would you, Lu Si-yan.’
    A shadow passed by the door, then we heard another door closing.
    ‘Be careful not to chop your fingers off, Lu Si-yan,’ Xiong Fei smiled. ‘The knives are very sharp, and the sight of blood
     makes me faint clean away.’
    I smiled back. I began chopping and shaping the vegetables, slowly at first because I didn’t want to make any mistakes, then
     more confidently when Xiong Fei started to whistle while he worked.
    ‘I bet you can’t chop onions