‘I don’t understand. My mother loved these, not me.’
Her face falls. ‘You don’t remember?Youloved these. Sometimes you’d come back to her after Niang Niang had scolded you, and you’d be far away. Your mother would take you into the sun and bring these baubles. She would hold them and let the rainbows dance on you; it never failed to make you laugh. Sometimes you liked the other colours, the rubies, the emeralds, the sapphires. But the yellow ones you said looked like the sun and sparkled—’
‘—like the stars,’ I say. An image of my mother and me floats to the surface of my memories. We lay on a blanket, cuddled together, holding the jewels in rays of sunshine.
Lady Ay takes a silk pouch from the box and removes a huge canary diamond. ‘Your mother wanted you to have this too.’
‘But Big Wang gave her the money—’
‘—to buy it for you. She wanted you to have something to remember her. When she died I had to hide these from Niang Niang. I wanted to bring them to you myself, but when Niang Niang discovered I helped smuggle notes from Lady Rey to the vampires, she confined me to Turquoise Hills and forbade me to leave. Lord Black offered to take the baubles for me, but I promised your mother I would put this around your neck myself and tell you she never stopped loving you.’
She reaches for me, tentative. I don’t lean away. She clasps the chain around me, her scent swaddling me in memory. Her hulijing scent layered with flint and pine and ginger. The diamond is heavy against my chest, but I like the weight. It reminds me of its presence. I look at Lady Ay. What else had I got wrong?
I push the jewels back to her. ‘You keep these, so you can look at them and remember my mother.’ I gaze at my pendant. ‘I will wear this every day and remember her too.’
‘I am so proud of you, Jing. I know your mother would be too.’ She embraces me, squeezing tight.
‘Why don’t you visit me in Hell?’ I ask. ‘I can show you around.’
Her face lights up. ‘It will be easier now to arrange, given your standing in both Hell and the Hulijing Court. I will speak to Big Wang.’
I hold her hands in mine. My heart feels like it might burst from pain and joy. And then I remember the talisman.
‘Did you swap Mr Lee’s talisman for a fake?’
Lady Ay giggles and holds her finger to her lips. ‘We’re not supposed to interfere in mortal lives. But’ – she lowers her voice and leans forward – ‘Lord Black let slip something about the mortal Big Wang was summoning to Hell. I knew from Brother Zhu you often handled Big Wang’s deliveries and would likely be the one to meet Mr Lee. I didn’t like that the talisman would have hurt you. You used to blister right up if there was even a nugget of yin silver in the same room. So I took matters into my own hands.’
My mahjong face slips for a moment. Mr Lee might have died. But she looks so pleased with how things have turned out, I can’t bring myself to censure her.
‘Abundant gratitude Lady Ay,’ I say weakly. ‘Um, may I ask what Lord Black said about Mr Lee?’
She flicks her water sleeve and giggles, a familiar sound from my childhood. Like tinkling spirit bells. ‘Lord Black said the mortal had the power to bring rainbows back into your life. I thought the Cosmos might finally be smiling on you, and wanted to give things a little nudge in the right direction. My birthday present to you.’
‘Mr Lee was my birthday present?’
She nods.
I blink at Lady Ay. Her smile is sweet and innocent.
‘To eat or to kiss?’ I blurt out.
Lady Ay hides her face behind her water sleeve, her eyes twinkling with impish delight.
Thirty-One
Rain
I meet Big Wang and Mr Lee by the Pavilion of Reflection. Mr Lee looks like his old self. A little tired, but his skin is plumped and no longer crumpled like a paper bag. He smiles at my approach. Big Wang holds the staff I made, the chain swinging idly. His expression, though, could pulverise wood. For a moment, I fear I’m in trouble again. But then he looks up and his expression clears.
‘How?’ I gesture to Mr Lee.
‘A little adjustment by Lord Black. He’s as good as new.’ Big Wang pauses. ‘Maybe even a little better than new.’
I raise my eyebrows, but Big Wang only chuckles.
‘Ready to go home?’ he asks. ‘Lord Black is taking care of a few things with the Jade Emperor. He’ll be here shortly to place the dragon pearl and you can portal back to yin Shanghai.’
I remember the nausea and quickly shake my head. ‘If it’s all the same, I’d rather take the slow option in the sampan.’
