Undercover - In China - Book 7

Part 20 - Magistrate Yin Jia

We ducked into the next lane. It was so narrow we could touch the houses on both sides by raising our arms and it was full of people. We squirmed through the crowd until we reached a small square, filled with more people, vegetables, meat and animals. Chickens, tied upside down by their feet in bundles, glared at us angrily. A cage full of ducks quacked excitedly as if they recognized Miguel. Pigs, tethered by one hind leg, hopped about on the other three, oinking at everyone as if begging to be released. Food of every description was piled on barrows and baskets everywhere we looked. We didn't stop running until we spotted a man who looked like Dr Zhang. 

 Licia spoke to him in Mandarin and he led us, through a covered gateway, to an imposing building with a tiled roof and upswept eaves. We waited while he went inside and, after some time, a servant ushered us into a room where a short, fat official sat behind a large table. He was bundled up in a scarf and a silk brocade coat and was reading a scroll made of wooden strips tied together with string. 

 He gestured for us to sit down on several hard wooden chairs and began a long conversation with Licia. Except that they didn't talk much. Mostly, they wrote Chinese characters on strips of wood with a small paint brush. Licia told us that he seemed able to read her written Chinese but neither could understand the other when they spoke. The official had a huge mole on his cheek with a dozen, very long hairs growing from it. He twisted them around a finger as he read Licia's writing. Eventually, he spoke to Licia, got up and left the room. 

 'What's going on?' I whispered.

'His name is Yin Jia.' Licia sounded exasperated. 'As much as I can understand, he's some sort of official like a magistrate, I guess. He speaks a Mandarin dialect I don't understand but I can read some of his writing. He asked me where we are from but he doesn't understand where Canada is. I keep telling him we are friends of Zhang Lee.' 

 'Ask him if he has any chocolate chip cookies,' Miguel suggested, 'I'm getting hungry.'

It was getting dark when Magistrate Yin returned and struck a small gong on his desk. He stared at us thoughtfully until a servant came in carrying a tray with a pot of tea. He poured the tea into tiny cups and invited us to drink. 'Ching,' he said in a high-pitched voice.

Licia translated. 'That means, "please."' By the time we had thirstily swallowed several cups of tea, two other servants had arranged a small banquet on a side table. Licia grabbed a bowl and chopsticks and helped herself to an incredible variety of food. I was having trouble with the chopsticks and I didn't recognize most of the dishes anyway. I picked up a wrinkled cylinder with my fingers and bit into it. 'Hm, is this sausage ever good,' I said.

Licia grinned slyly. 'It's probably a dried yak penis. And please don't use your fingers, it's impolite.'

I dropped the sausage and decided meat filled buns would be safer. Not being able to identify the meat was oddly reassuring and it was apparently okay to hold them in my fingers.

 'You don't suppose . . . ,' Miguel started to say but Licia interrupted. 'No, they don't have any chocolate chip cookies.'

A servant proffered a tray of tiny cups. 'Ah, more tea. Am I ever thirsty,' Licia said, taking a big gulp of the amber liquid. Miguel and I burst into laughter as Licia's face turned red and tears came from her eyes. 

 'Gan bay,' Yin Jia laughed and tipped back his cup. This evidently meant, 'Drink up.' 

 I tasted the amber liquid cautiously and coughed. 'It must be good for your health. There's enough alcohol in this to kill any life form.'

It was quite dark by the time Magistrate Yin took us across a deserted courtyard lit only with the feeble lantern carried by a servant on a pole. He led us into another gloomy building and left us alone in a cold empty room lit only by a dim flickering lantern. We looked around nervously. There were two small windows but we couldn't see out. They looked like they were filled with waxed paper instead of glass. 

 'This place is creepier than that Dragon Well place,' Miguel whispered. 

 A loud crash made us all jump with fright. A dim square of light appeared in the ceiling near the far wall and we watched apprehensively as a pair of legs descended through the light until the complete figure of a man emerged standing on a staircase. Then a tiny flame appeared. It threw flickering shadows on the wall and blinded us at the same time. 

 'Ah-um.' An unearthly voice echoed in the dark silence. 'Yin Jia said you would be here tomorrow.'