Five Spice Street

She summed up the incident later: ‘‘To be a man, one has to be consistent from beginning to end. One should mind one’s manners, keep one’s word, and be responsible. Throughout my life, I’ve most feared chameleon-like people. The worst thing that can happen to you is that a man makes you feel uncertain or changes overnight. How can a decent man hurt a woman’s pride? That’s a crime! We women sincerely want to trust men. We would always like the man we love to make us feel secure forever. Only then can we be vital and energetic. In general, when we women of Five Spice Street yearn for a certain man, we unhesitatingly endow him with these qualities and hope we can grow old with him in spirit. Such a situation develops naturally, and up to now our adorable men have not disappointed us. Regarding Mr. Q, our adorable women were candid, gullible, and absolutely unreserved. No one guessed that this puppet, this guy with a dubious background, would play such a trick on us. After kindling everyone’s enthusiasm and dreams, he suddenly took off and cast us beautiful women aside to look at each other in hopeless despair. Who among us had ever been ridiculed like this? We were all fine ladies. I completely understand their smashing doors, windows, and furniture. I didn’t think it at all barbaric.’’

After that, the women of Five Spice Street were despondent about men for a while. ‘‘I might become an ascetic. I can’t take despondency and dejection anymore.’’

One after another, the women said, ‘‘By comparison, my husband is much more dependable. Although he’s ordinary and dull and provides no spiritual satisfaction, he’s solid and won’t give me much trouble. For years, I’ve planned to do something to show him my appreciation. Tomorrow morning, I’ll do it.’’

The next morning, each did something good in her home: some placed the photograph of herself and her husband in a gilt-edged frame and hung it in the most prominent place in the room, where previously photos of deceased ancestors or parents had hung; some took out the husband’s best clothes and dressed him up and then took the day off so the two of them could stroll around on the street as if celebrating a holiday; while others deployed their best cooking skills and made wonderful lunches and invited guests to eat with them, with everyone drinking until intoxicated. Afterwards, they felt relaxed and shoved Q to the back of their minds. But the good mood didn’t last past midnight.

In the still of the night, with the dim street lights flickering, women were inclined to feel romantic, but they could not awaken the husband in their arms. Thus, they returned their unbroken affection to the pre-metamorphosed Q and recalled the strong impression he had made the first day he came to Five Spice Street. They yearned for him so much they went limp and tears covered their faces. Why hadn’t he sought them out that afternoon? He should have known that any one of them had already made up her mind to become one with him in spirit. And then how wonderful and how powerful he would have been. They cursed his detestable momentary slip. That slip had affected their whole future. That slip had changed the fate of all the women and of Q himself. But for that momentary slip, wouldn’t the lame woman have thrown away her cane long ago and become a graceful lady? Wouldn’t the widow have had one more success-one more follower? Wouldn’t the old widow and the forty-eight-year-old good friend and others have regained youth in their later years and become even more ambitious? And Q himself: wouldn’t he have become not only a real man but also one commended by society? Losing a good opportunity served this guy right. How many ways out had been offered to him! Suppose that he had wanted to keep his chastity and independence. Suppose he hadn’t become so involved with Madam X. He’d still be all right as a man, and wouldn’t have turned into a dead insect in the crack of a tree. And the women would have some consolation and something solid to cling to at midnight. They wouldn’t have to fill the emptiness with memories or wistful dreams. Maybe they could also secretly hide his picture under the bed. When their husbands couldn’t satisfy them, they could furtively look at it for spiritual support.