But Cheung was still seething. “If those two brats are old enough to get married on their own, they’re old enough to weather a storm on their own.”

“I’ll go,” Yim-Fong said.

“Don’t bother,” Cheung said. “You made all this food. Stay and eat it.”

The rain came in torrents.

“I can’t leave them out there.”

She went out into the rain. Tak-Tam followed her, concerned about his brother and his brother’s new wife. Everyone else picked at the meal, uncomfortable with the situation and unsure what to do.

They came back an hour later. Yim-Fong was drenched and shivering. Tak-Tam had put his coat over her and was shivering too, in his thin white shirt. They sat under the bare light bulb that hung sadly from the ceiling and ate the now cold food. No one was in the mood to talk.

In the morning, before the Lee family had the chance to take their leave, Emily’s younger sister, Violet, showed up wearing a ridiculous green velvet jacket. If Emily was as beautiful as the moon, Violet was ugly as the toad in the old stories, the one that lives on the moon, drooling out its venom. “I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news,” she said. “Father is demanding a bride price for Emily.” She named the amount.

“That’s exactly the value of this house,” muttered Cheung. “Which is, of course, the same as the compensation amount we received from Old Mah after his pills killed Father. He’s killing Father all over again.”

“I’m sorry to bring you such crummy news,” Violet said. “I asked Amah to do it, but she wouldn’t.”

Cheung had to get back to the cricket club, where the toffs were waiting for their boiled eggs, porridge, toast, and Earl Grey tea. “I’ll discuss it with my wife tonight, and we will work something out,” he told Violet.

“I’m to tell you that you could go to prison,” she said, “for stealing a man’s daughter. I didn’t want to bring you this news, but Father wants to be sure you know.” Her toad face wrinkled unpleasantly—with shame or malice, Cheung couldn’t quite tell.

“Okay,” said Cheung, “you’ve told me. Unless you’ve got more bad news—”

“I’m going,” she said. “Don’t worry.” She turned around and disappeared into soggy mist from which she’d come.

Cheung walked with Lee down to the dock, where he would catch a tram back to the club. He was quiet, not wanting to show his despair. Several paces behind, Tak-Tam accompanied Lee’s wife and daughter.